Tombstone is a brilliant Western starring Kurt Russell as the iconic lawman Wyatt Earp, and the story certainly doesn’t hold back when it comes to depicting the figure’s many kills throughout the years. Tombstone features many great characters and was largely responsible for the huge boost in popularity seen in the Western genre in the ‘90s, bringing a modern twist to this classic style of film through dynamic camerawork, fun performances, and some great action set pieces that just let the kill count rise and rise.
Beyond Tombstone’s iconic quotes and gripping storyline, the film is also renowned for being surprisingly accurate when it comes to recounting this famous story. The lives of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday are told with vigor, with the film only making a few adjustments to their legacies to make the film run smoothly – but when it comes to the on-screen deaths, barring the unnamed extras in the opening scene, almost every detail was included fairly. These characters’ stories jump to life on the screen, and the film does a great job of treating every figure’s story with respect.
Tom McLaury
Shot By Doc Holliday
Tom McLaury is among the first named characters to die in Tombstone, and his fate comes at the hands of Val Kilmer’s Doc Holliday. The character was a member of the cowboys and brother to Frank McLaury; together, they objected to Wyatt Earp’s involvement in Tombstone’s politics and engaged in a shootout to reclaim their town.
The shootout quickly goes south and Tom McLaury is killed by a quick draw from Doc Holliday, in one of the character’s first of many displays of violence. Throughout the film, Doc is portrayed as somebody with a very impressive command of his weapon, and Tom McLaury’s death is the first instance of this. It isn’t followed by one of Doc Holliday’s iconic one-liners, but it’s a memorable kill nonetheless.
Marshal Fred White
Shot By Curly Bill
Marshall Fred White only appears briefly in Tombstone, but his death is undeniably one of the film’s most surprising. The Marshal finds himself in a dangerous standoff with Curly Bill after a long night of drinking and gambling, and in a wild display of anger, Bill shoots down the officer of the law.
Marshal White’s death serves as a reminder of the Cowboys’ instability and unpredictability, giving Wyatt even more reason to set his vendetta against them. It gives the audience a reason to share the characters’ fear of this gang, displaying their powers by killing a hugely important figure and seemingly getting away with it.
Billy Clanton
Shot By Doc Holliday And Wyatt Earp
Billy Clanton was another member of the Cowboys who intended to enact justice on Wyatt Earp and his friends during the shootout at Tombstone. He died quickly alongside the McLaury brothers, shot multiple times in the chest by Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. He goes down without much of a fight, which proves just how skilled Doc and Wyatt are with their firearms.
Clanton may have been among the first cowboys they killed, but he certainly wasn’t the last.
Clanton’s death sends an immediate message to the audience that Doc and Wyatt aren’t messing around; they aren’t afraid to get dirty with their fighting in order to uphold the law, and this is a theme that runs from start to finish in Tombstone. Clanton may have been among the first cowboys they killed, but he certainly wasn’t the last.
Frank McLaury
Shot By Morgan Earp
Frank McLaury is the third casualty of the shootout at Tombstone. He’s the brother of Tom McLaury and a high-ranking member of the cowboys who’s eager to bring Wyatt down and reclaim his power over the town. He’s arguably the strongest of the group, and he comes the closest to surviving the fight, but Morgan Earp manages to land a shot at his head and he doesn’t last any longer.
The true story of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday is one filled with blood and violence, and it’s the shootout at Tombstone that really kicks off this streak in them. Although it’s revenge that pushes Wyatt to his breaking point later in the film, in the early days of their stay they’re forced to protect Tombstone from vigilantes like the McLaury brothers. It’s a key part of Tombstone’s central message, which is one of the cyclical nature of violence and masculine pride.
Morgan Earp
Shot By Florentino Cruz
Morgan Earp is the brother of Wyatt Earp and the close friend of Doc Holliday, and for the first half of Tombstone, he’s one of the film’s main characters. However, his death at the hands of the cowboy Florentino Cruz marks a huge turning point in the story, pushing Wyatt to revenge and signaling the point of no return for his war against the cowboys.
It’s moments like Morgan’s death that make TombstoneKurt Russell’s best-ever Western. The amount of emotion and vulnerability that he brings to this scene cannot be overstated, and Bill Paxton’s performance is just as shattering as he’s forced to say goodbye to his friends over a war that easily could’ve been avoided. It’s one of the film’s most gutting scenes, and it’s the moment that everything really heats up.
Doc Holliday
Dies Of Tuberculosis
Throughout Tombstone, Doc Holliday suffers from the effects of his tuberculosis – so much so, that in the final moments before the duel, he even collapses from his horse and struggles to get out of bed. Therefore, it’s no surprise when his illness gets the better of him at the end of the film and he dies as a result. What precedes is a hugely emotional scene between Doc and Wyatt, in which the former begs his friend to live a normal life, free of death and revenge.
Although Val Kilmer wasn’t always going to play Doc, he cements himself as the perfect choice for the role in this moment. The level of emotion and subtlety on display is astounding, and his friendship with Wyatt Earp really makes this scene stand out from the rest. It’s not a surprising or violent death, but it’s definitely Tombstone’s most memorable and best-executed demise.