Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer’s classic Western Tombstone is filled with timeless scenes, but these 10 are the very best the film has to offer. The cast of Tombstone is brimming with high-profile and talented actors, from Russell and Kilmer to Bill Paxton, Dana Delany, Sam Elliott, and more. With so many stars, it makes sense that Tombstone is filled with memorable quotes, classic scenes, and standout moments. Almost every second of Tombstone is remembered as a shining example of the entire Western genre, yet some were even better than others.
While there are countless great moments in Tombstone, only 10 can be considered the best. That being said, picking only 10 scenes from such a classic movie is no easy feat. Therefore, the 10 best scenes in Tombstone are the ones that best show all the different sides of its story, like its humor, action, drama, and romance, and have had the most staying power through the years. Even with such demanding requirements, though, there are plenty of Tombstone scenes to choose from, and these 10 are only a hint of how deeply impressive the film is.
Josephine Meets Wyatt At The Ranch
Josephine & Wyatt Had A Great Romantic Dynamic In Tombstone
Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany) and Wyatt Earp had an incredibly moving and mostly forbidden love throughout Tombstone. Though they did get together at the end of Tombstone, there were several ups and downs in their relationship, and those uncertain moments gave the film a great romantic subplot. One of the best moments in that subplot was when Josephine unexpectedly met Wyatt at the ranch while she was leaving Tombstone. Wyatt was still getting his revenge against the Cowboys, and it felt quite like a farewell between the star-crossed lovers.
One of the reasons Josephine and Wyatt’s meeting at the ranch is so great is because of how well both actors played such an emotionally charged scene. There’s a great push and pull between Wyatt and Josephine, and there’s so much said in the quiet moments between them. Russell expertly showed that Wyatt wanted Josephine to stay but couldn’t find the words to get her not to leave, and Delany flawlessly showed that if it had been different at all, she would have run away from him. The scene proves that even though Tombstone is a Western, it has the makings of a timeless romance.
The Shooting Of The Marshal & Arrest Of Curly Bill
A Perfectly Suspenseful Scene Infused With Dark Comedy At The Right Moment
No list of the best scenes in Tombstone would be complete without at least a few of Doc Holliday’s best quotes in Tombstone. One such quote is “I have two guns, one for each of you,” a line he delivered to Billy Clanton (Thomas Haden Church) after Wyatt arrested Curly Bill Brocius (Powers Boothe). The entire scene was a great example of how capable Tombstone is of creating a suspenseful scene, from the surrounding Cowboys to Wyatt and Doc’s threats.
It was the perfect way to give the scene some needed comedic relief, but Kilmer’s delivery also carried such a bone-chilling sureness that it went right back to being tense as soon as the humor wore off.
What makes the arrest of Curly Bill one of the best scenes in Tombstone is how perfectly Doc’s quote fits into the scene. After all the buildup of the Cowboys encircling Wyatt, of his threat to turn Ike’s head into a canoe, and more, Doc’s quote somehow defused the tension and intensified it at the same time. It was the perfect way to give the scene some needed comedic relief, but Kilmer’s delivery also carried such a bone-chilling sureness that it went right back to being tense as soon as the humor wore off. It’s emblematic of Tombstone as a whole: simultaneously thrilling and hilarious.
Virgil & Morgan Earp’s Respective Shootings
Virgil & Morgan’s Fates Are A Tragic Yet Poignant Transition To Tombstone’s Ending
While Tombstone is filled with soaring, almost fantastical moments of Western action and romance, it also has its share of tragedy. One of the scenes that best shows how tragic Tombstone can be was the shooting of Virgil (Sam Elliott) and Morgan Earp (Bill Paxton). After the gunfight at the OK Corral, Tombstone’s real-life Cowboys gang took revenge on Wyatt’s brothers. They permanently injured Virgil and killed Morgan, and Wyatt blamed himself for both. Then, in a fantastic bit of heartbreaking melodrama, Wyatt walked out into a deluge of rain with blood-soaked hands and questioned why his brother had to die.
The attacks on Virgil and Morgan were such a great moment in Tombstone because it was the perfect way to give the film’s story some weight and transition into the final act. Up to that point, Wyatt was playing fast and loose with the Cowboys, and he seemed completely cool and confident. Then, what happened to Virgil and Morgan completely changed him, and he became the angry, vindictive man who carried out the Earp Vendetta. It was the best possible falling action for Tombstone, and Wyatt’s revenge against the Cowboys wouldn’t have been nearly as sweet without it.
Doc Holliday & Johnny Ringo Exchanging Latin Taunts & Gun Tricks
Doc & Johnny Had A Full Showdown Without Firing A Single Bullet
Tombstone is capable of romance and tragedy, but at the end of the day, the reason it became a classic is that it’s undeniably cool. One of Tombstone’s coolest scenes was when Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) first met, exchanged insults in Latin, and had a duel of gun tricks. Everything about the scene, from the translation of Doc and Johnny’s Latin threats to the subtle way Doc studies then replicates Johnny’s gun tricks with a tin cup, was enthralling. It even had another of Doc’s best quotes: “Evidently Mr. Ringo is an educated man. Now I really hate him.”
Tombstone essentially made an entire showdown without a single bullet, which is an extremely impressive feat.
The most impressive part of Johnny and Doc’s first meeting is the fact that it was so tense without letting a single bullet fly. Johnny and Doc’s argument is made even better by the fact that it’s entirely in Latin, so only their tones and demeanors convey just how close they are to a gunfight. Then, Tombstone expertly weaves between them and the rest of the bar, like Wyatt reaching for his hidden shotgun and exchanging glances with his brothers, to show how tense the moment was. Tombstone essentially made an entire showdown without a single bullet, which is an extremely impressive feat.
Wyatt Earp Kicking Johnny Out Of The Oriental
Wyatt’s Powers Of Intimidation Make For An Awesome Scene
Doc Holliday wasn’t the only Tombstone character capable of shaking a man to his bones with just a few words. Early on in Tombstone, Wyatt kicked Johnny (Billy Bob Thornton) out of the Oriental bar and took his job as a dealer. Like Doc and Johnny’s first meeting, the way Wyatt dealt with the bully was an expert showdown without a single gunshot. It instantly established that Wyatt was not a man to be messed with, both for the audience and for the town of Tombstone.
While Wyatt isn’t nearly as well-known for his quotes as Doc Holliday is, the scene where he throws Johnny out of the bar is chock-full of quotable lines. From the period-accurate slang of “Skin that smoke wagon and see what happens” and other great threats proved that Wyatt was just as capable of striking fear into an enemy’s heart as Doc was. The scene also indirectly adds so much texture to Wyatt and Doc’s relationship. They’re both legendary Western figures, yet their methods are so distinctly different: Doc prefers unsettling and calm taunts, while Wyatt chooses outright threats that show his power.
Wyatt & Doc’s Last Conversation In The Hospital
Wyatt & Doc’s Friendship Had A Beautiful & Bittersweet Ending
Thanks to scenes that proved how complementary Wyatt and Doc were, their last scene together is also Tombstone’s most emotionally significant moment. After Doc Holliday succumbed to tuberculosis and was on bedrest in a hospital, Wyatt came to visit him and play cards one last time, only for Doc to beg him to live his life. It’s one of the quieter moments in Tombstone, but it’s as climactic as any gunfight. Watching the larger-than-life figure of Doc Holliday draw his final few breaths feels like a punch to the gut in the best way possible.
Doc’s final moments of life are so memorable because of how tender they were. Seeing two men who were best friends for years say goodbye to each other in the only way they knew how is enough to tug on anybody’s heart strings. That, coupled with how each one was thinking only of the other – Doc in asking Wyatt to go after Josephine and Wyatt in writing his book about Doc – made Tombstone’s ending truly touching. Even though Doc’s death is absolutely tragic, Tombstone managed to make it bittersweet by showing just how much the men loved each other, which is even more impressive.
Doc Holliday Telling Johnny Ringo “I’m Your Huckleberry”
The Most Iconic Line In Tombstone Came At A Great, Intense Moment
Doc Holliday’s relationship with Johnny Ringo was as cold-blooded as his relationship with Wyatt Earp was touching. There were several moments that set up just how much Johnny and Doc hated each other, but one of the best was when Doc delivered his iconic line, “I’m your huckleberry.” It’s exactly the kind of theatrics and schoolyard taunting that made Kilmer’s rendition of Doc legendary, and it also showed just how dangerous he could be. Just a few words were enough to get a whole group of Cowboys to drag Johnny Ringo away for fear of losing him to Doc’s quicker draw.
Doc’s quarrel with Johnny Ringo didn’t just make Val Kilmer’s performance iconic, it also showed why the real Doc Holliday was such a legend to begin with. The gunslinger could strike fear into the heart of anybody who knew who he was, but he was also a gentleman at the same time. Doc Holliday could insult someone with such flowery language that it would come across as a compliment to the untrained ear, and Kilmer was great at showing that. There were plenty of times in Tombstone where he proved that, but there’s a reason “I’m your huckleberry” is still one of the best quotes in the movie.
The Gunfight At The OK Corral
Tombstone Put One Of The Old West’s Most Famous Historical Moments To Film Flawlessly
The true story of Tombstone centers around the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral, and the film nailed its main shootout. It’s a moment that has been enshrined in history and popular culture for nearly a century, but Tombstone managed to make the moment its own in the best way possible. The film perfectly set up the gunfight at the OK Corral as a huge moment with the way Doc, Virgil, Morgan, and Wyatt slowly approached the lot, the way each combatant’s eyes shifted around, and the panic that was evident in the less experienced fighters’ faces.
The real magic of Tombstone’s gunfight at the OK Corral, however, came when the bullets flew. The scene is an incredible display of classic Western action, and it was so well choreographed, shot, and acted that each bullet seems to have a real impact, even over thirty years later. Tombstone somehow managed to make the gunfight at the OK Corral both chaotic and perfectly synchronized. Every single step, shot, and impact feels like it’s placed exactly where it belongs, and it’s easily one of the best shootouts in any modern Western.
Wyatt Earp Yelling “Hell’s Coming With Me” At The Train Station
Wyatt’s Words Both Fulfilled Tombstone’s Opening Scene & Set The Earp Vendetta In Motion
Tombstone is a fairly long movie, at over two hours in runtime, yet every second of the film has a part to play in its narrative. Even the opening scene of Tombstone became important in the film’s final moments. As Wyatt drove off a group of would-be assassins, he shouted his iconic “Hell’s coming with me” line and fulfilled the Mexican priest’s warning from the Cowboys’ first massacre. In that moment, Wyatt became Death, the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse, and it set up his climactic and righteous revenge quest.
In that moment, Wyatt became Death, the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse, and it set up his climactic and righteous revenge quest.
Aside from the way it tied into the beginning of Tombstone, Wyatt’s frantic threat is iconic in its own right. Kurt Russell was absolutely terrifying in the scene, and it’s easy to see why the Cowboys regarded Wyatt as such a huge threat. It also served as the perfect way to show just how furious Wyatt was, and why he started the Earp Vendetta. Plus, there’s something undeniably cool about seeing Russell brandish a shotgun and promise his enemies eternal damnation: it’s an awesome threat, and it helped make both Wyatt and Tombstone icons of the Western genre.
Doc Holliday’s Shootout With Johnny Ringo
Johnny & Doc Had One Of The Best Rivalries In Any Western Film
There are plenty of amazing moments in Tombstone, but the very best scene was when Doc Holliday had his final shootout with Johnny Ringo. Everything that worked for other scenes seemed to be turned up to 11 for that final duel, from the buildup of Wyatt worriedly discussing his chances with Doc to the look of horror on Johnny Ringo’s face as he heard “I’m your huckleberry” again. The tension only grew from there as the two duelists circled each other, until it all came crashing down in a satisfying explosion and Doc’s final taunt: “You’re no daisy at all.”
Not only did the scene itself have such great elements, but Doc and Johnny’s gunfight also served as the payoff for so many things that had been building throughout Tombstone. It was the culmination of Johnny and Doc’s rivalry, of Doc and Wyatt’s friendship, and Wyatt’s quest for revenge, and it was the perfect final moment of violence for Tombstone. That, coupled with some great quotes like “I’m afraid the strain was more than he could bear,” make it Tombstone’s best scene.