The Western genre has remained a powerful source of great stories since the days of classic films like The Searchers and True Grit, elevating stars like Clint Eastwood to iconic status. Focusing on everything from homesteaders defending their land to gunslingers chasing bounties, every decade has put its own flair on the Wild West. The 1990s in particular stand out as a fascinating period of reinvention and revival for everything that makes the genre great.
Ranging from epic Westerns to low-budget action flicks, the ’90s saw some of Hollywood’s best directors take a stab at exploring the Old West. Assembling some of the best casts the genre has ever seen, it also produced a long list of exceptional heroes, some of whom defined the ’90s. From flawed antiheroes who embodied the revisionist side of the genre to comic book heroes, the decade remains a vibrant and dynamic time for the Wild West and its heroes.
Cort is a Regretful Gunslinger Seeking Redemption
The Quick and the Dead begins when a female gunslinger, The Lady, rides into the frontier town of Redemption, whose ruthless leader holds an annual dueling tournament. Once a fearsome, murderous gunslinger, John Herod now rules the town with an iron grip, but affords his people their shot at him if they stand toe-to-toe in the competition. Seeking revenge, The Lady turns to a pacifist preacher, Cort, who’s later revealed to be a penitent former friend of Herod, now seeking redemption from God.
In The Quick and the Dead, Sam Raimi gave audiences a love letter to old-school Spaghetti Westerns that went under the radar at the time. Having since become a cult classic, seeing Russell Crowe in the role of a repentant gunslinger-turned-preacher who’s still an expert shootist was nothing short of awesome. As much as the story might belong to Sharon Stone as The Lady, Crowe stole the show at every turn and gave audiences a fantastic redemption arc that made the movie great.
William Munny is the Embodiment of the Antihero
In 1992, Clint Eastwood challenged everything audiences thought they knew about the West when he released Unforgiven. Telling the story of a retired gunfighter and recovering alcoholic named William Munny, it follows a flawed antihero as he sets out to take one last bounty job to provide for his family. Along with a young up-and-comer and his old friend Ned, Will soon crosses paths with the brutal sheriff Little Bill Daggett, a man whose need for peace comes at the expense of justice.
William Munny is a man who embodies the meaning of a true antihero, a character with a violent, murderous past he’s since come to regret. His story isn’t that of an honorable lawman, nor a heroic soldier, but a person who, through sheer circumstance, is cast as the story’s protagonist in the face of moral compromise. Fitting the film’s exploration of moral ambiguity to a tee, it showed the audience that right and wrong weren’t black and white, but a matter of perspective.
John J. Dunbar Redefined the Epic Western
Dances With Wolves follows the life of a Union soldier named John J. Dunbar as his heroism in battle earns him a posting of his choice. Eager to experience the frontier before the West is settled, he heads out to the remote Fort Sedgwick, which he sets about rebuilding in his solitude. While there, he befriends the local Sioux tribe, gradually coming to admire their culture.
Dances With Wolves and Dunbar’s story have since become a defining part of modern fiction, even inspiring stories like The Last Samurai and Avatar. A smashing box office success, the film revived the epic Western when it seemed unthinkable, and John’s identity crisis resonated with millions. A decade whose Westerns were all about coming to understand what was lost through the end of the frontier, even modern viewers still find Dunbar’s experience a powerful moment in cinematic history.
Zorro Was Revived For a New Generation
In 1998, Martin Campbell revived a once-iconic Hollywood hero for a new generation when he cast Antonio Banderas in the role of Alejandro Murietta, the new Zorro. His film, The Mask of Zorro, follows the original hero, Don Diego de la Vega, as he sets out for revenge against the man who destroyed his life. Seeking reconciliation with his daughter, he trains Alejandro to become the hero he once was, a champion of the people of California against the oppressive aristocrats.
Thanks in large part to Banderas’ growing star power and charisma, Alejandro became the new face of swashbuckler adventure for ’90s Western fans. Breathing a new spirit of fun into the Wild West, the film managed to strike the perfect balance between action, romance, and heroism in a way few of its kind have. Rebuking the darker revisionist themes of its contemporaries, the film finally gave the world a family-friendly Western hero who’s still treasured today.
Wyatt Earp Defined the American Lawman
Tombstone tells the true story of Wyatt Earp as he accompanies his brothers to Tombstone, Arizona, where the three of them have been appointed lawmen. However, it isn’t long before they cross paths with the dangerous Cowboy gang, who soon become rivals of the marshals. After an ambush, Wyatt becomes the embodiment of vengeance as he forms a posse to ride across the territory for retribution against the gang.
Throughout Tombstone, Wyatt Earp proves to the audience that he is the very embodiment of the classic American lawman. Firm but fair, his commitment to law and order and his loyalty to his friends gave fans an aspirational figure who, while mythologized in the film, showed them an honorable side of the West. From his exceptional mustache to his spirit of vengeance, the character is second only to one man when it comes to defining the ’90s Western.
Doc Holliday is the Face of ’90s Westerns
At every turn in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp is accompanied by his loyal friend, famous Western gambler and gunslinger Doc Holliday. Played by Val Kilmer in the role that gave him some of his career-best lines, the audience knew the character would become an immortal symbol of the genre within minutes of meeting him. Characterized by his quotable dialogue, quick wit, and fast hands, it wasn’t long before fans were begging to see him in action.
Doc Holliday stands out as the definitive face of the style of the new action-driven Western of the ’90s. Written with real dialogue spoken by the legend himself, the man’s struggle with tuberculosis made his every move so much more impressive. A loyal friend until the very end, it’s impossible to think of the Western genre itself without remembering how Val Kilmer, through Doc Holliday, stole every scene of Tombstone.