Yellowstone’s Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) is the epitome of a tough and rugged, modern-day cowboy. He’s at the top of the list when it comes to all-around bada**es at the Dutton Ranch. Not only is he extremely loyal to his boss, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), he’s also the ultimate protector of his wife, Beth (Kelly Reilly).
Rip is the muscle of the Yellowstone Ranch, who isn’t afraid to do John Dutton’s dirty work and won’t take any prisoners. Simply put, he’s a guy you don’t want to mess with.
At the same time, Rip is quiet and unremorseful, he does what he believes has to be done. All of those bad rumors you’ve heard about him, well they’re probably true. And there’s been numerous moments during Yellowstone’s first four seasons where Rip has proven just how much of a bada** he really is. Here are 10 of our absolute favorites.
10. There is no fighting on the ‘Yellowstone’ ranch
In the season 1 episode “The Long Black Train,” ranch hand Fred (Luke Pekinpah) gets jealous of newbie Jimmy Hurdstrom (Jefferson White) when he gets thrown off his horse and finds a stray calf. Fred later confronts Jimmy and starts beating him up, and Rip takes notice. There’s a rule on the Dutton Ranch — no fighting. So, Rip proceeds to beat the living hell out of Fred.
“What’s the rule about fighting, Fred?” Rip asks. “You wanna fight somebody, you come fight me! I’ll fight you all goddamn day! If you ever hit a branded man again, I will kill you Fred.”
9. Cracking his dad’s skull with a frying pan
In season 2, Yellowstone fans found out more about Rip’s backstory via flashback to the time he came to the Dutton Ranch. Rip was the son of a pig farmer who grew up near Miles City, but his parents were divorced.
One day when Rip was a teenager, his dad showed up to the farm and beat his wife and youngest son to death. But before Rip’s dad could kill him, he was able to crack his dad’s skull open with a frying pan and save himself.
“All I know is this, I should have killed that motherf***er years ago,” a bloody and bruised Rip tells John.
8. Rip Wheeler is the ‘son’ of John Dutton
Not every bada** moment comes with violence. Rip rarely shows his softer side, but in the season 2 finale that’s exactly what happened. And it was one of the character’s most bada** moments of all.
It happened when Beth read Rip a letter written by John, telling him that he considers him a son and giving him the home that used to belong to his late son Lee (Dave Annable).
“My great grandfather had a dream — all of his sons on the same road, the same ranch, working toward the same goal. That dream survived a hundred years, until me. With me it died. I didn’t have enough sons. They just kept dying or quitting. Then one day not too long ago, I realized that I have enough sons after all,” John wrote.
Those words were enough to break Rip, the most bada** man on the Dutton Ranch — and he broke down crying. Then, he walks to the porch, sits on the steps, and asks Beth to read the end of the letter again.
“He called me his son,” Rip says.
7. Rip Wheeler is extremely loyal to the Duttons
Rip made it clear to Kayce (Luke Grimes) that he knows exactly what his job is on the Dutton Ranch — and it’s all about loyalty. “My job is to protect this family,” he tells John’s youngest son.
When John tells him that “these problems have to go away before I do,” Rip asks, “Well how far away do you want ’em to go?”
6. Letting the California bikers know where they stand
A group of California bikers learned in Yellowstone Season 3 that you don’t trespass on the Dutton Ranch. Teeter (Jen Landon) was the one who started it, but it was Rip who ended it after he runs over their row of bikes with his pickup truck.
“I’m gonna give you one last chance. You leave now or you never leave. I’ll bury you where you f***ing stand! Get the f*** out of here,” Rip warns.
5. Insubordination isn’t allowed on ‘Yellowstone’
Rip and ranch hand Walker (Ryan Bingham) don’t get along. And that was extremely evident when Walker told him “Well, I reckon I got a fondness for the farmer’s daughter.” No one talks like that about Beth. So, Rip flings a piece of barbed wire fence at him, prompting Walker to wield a knife.
“I’ll shove that whole f***in’ knife up your ass,” Rip tells him, before knocking him to the ground.
4. A trip to the train station
Rip is John Dutton’s problem solver. And often, a situation calls for a trip to the train station.
“He’s been here a while, he’s seen a lot,” Rip tells John. “Train station’s where I’d leave him.”
“He’s not gonna come lookin’ is he?” John asks.
“No sir. That train only runs in one direction,” Rip insists.
3. Life is about taking risks
When John asks Rip if he’s figured out how to handle a massive cattle problem sitting in front of them without everyone getting trampled, Rip offers up an incredibly bada** answer.
“Best we came up with, sir, is like f*** it, you know?” Rip says. “Let’s get up there as fast as we can, and then just chase them sons of bitches down the mountain.”
2. Rip Wheeler isn’t a fan of road trips or small talk
When Mia (Eden Brolin) tags along with Rip and Jimmy, she immediately starts making small talk about favorite songs. When she asks Rip if he’s heard the song “Turtles All The Way Down” by Sturgill Simpson, Rip turns to Jimmy and gives him a killer stare.
“When we get back to the ranch, I’m gonna kill you with my bare f***ing hands, Jimmy. I’m gonna kill you for this,” Rip says.
1. Rip Wheeler saves Beth in ‘Yellowstone’ Season 2
When two masked men enter Beth’s office and attack her assistant, she knows they are coming for her. She grabs a letter opener and stabs one of the men, but they get the upper hand and start beating her up.
Then, they tie her up and are getting ready to sexually assault her with a gun to her chin, when Rip suddenly shows up out of nowhere. At the perfect moment, Rip enters the office as one man tries to shoot him, but he just keeps coming.
Rip kills the man and rescues Beth, telling her that he loves her as she collapses in tears. It’s one of the most bada** Rip moments of the entire series.
