10 Greatest Mustaches In Western Movies, Ranked Worst To Best

Westerns are known for their tense shootouts and heavy themes, but they also often include some incredible mustaches. Whether on the side of the law, a dastardly villain, or somewhere in between, many of the men featured in Westerns are remembered for their mustaches just as much as they are for their actions. Typically, Western heroes are depicted as being clean-shaven and pristine, as it often reflects their character, and the antagonists are often shown sporting long facial hair for similar effects. However, the genre has seen subversions of this trope through the years, thus making for some interesting characters and mustache designs.

Although the long-standing Western movie genre has probably seen more unique mustaches than any other genre, some stand out just a little more than others. Some characters benefit from more outlandish mustaches, while others are more memorable because of how simplistic yet effective their facial hair is in completing a character’s appearance. Irrespective of the reason, the Western genre has seen it all when it comes to cool-looking facial air.

10, Doc Holliday In Tombstone

Doc Holliday is played by Val Kilmer

Tombstone loosely tells the story of Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and their friend Doc Holliday’s sacrifice as they stood up against a ruthless gang of bandits at the O.K. Corral. Doc Holliday’s mustache is complemented by a small patch of hair underneath his bottom lip that would otherwise be more fitting for a greedy oil baron than a hero, at least based on the genre’s tropes. Holliday’s mustache helps him stand out among his other furry-lipped companions during the film’s hectic shootouts, thus making it one of the genre’s best from a practical standpoint. Additionally, the mustache combined with his trademark hat aids significantly in completing his memorable visage.

9, Everett Hitch In Appaloosa

Everett Hitch is played by Viggo Mortensen

Based on the 2005 novel written by Robert B. Parker, Appaloosa centers around two lawmen who take on a merciless rancher after discovering he’s been terrorizing the small town of Appaloosa, New Mexico with impunity. Of the two crime fighters, Everett Hitch sports a mustache that would solidify the perfect look for a villain if he were one. Instead, Hitch’s mustache is noteworthy because it heightens the intense aura that he carries wherever he goes. Combined with his sharp wit and dead-eye aim, his mustached face helps make the lawman’s visage far more intimidating than that of most other Western heroes and even some of the film’s villains.

8, The Sundance Kid In Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid

Sundance Kid is played by Robert Redford

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid loosely tells the true story of two bandits leaving a trail of blood and chaos as they embark on a journey to Bolivia in an attempt to flee a rival gang. Sundance Kid is a direct-and-to-the-point bandit whose terse personality perfectly complements Butch Cassidy’s loud and extroverted personality. Moreover, his small mustache combined with his black hat, makes it difficult to decipher what’s truly going on in the bandit’s mind. Considered one of the most notorious movie bank robbers, Sundance Kid’s mustache works well on him because it adds a layer of visual depth to the character that he likely wouldn’t have without it.

7, Seth Bullock In Deadwood: The Movie

Seth Bullock is played by Timothy Olyphant

Deadwood: The Movie sees U.S. Marshal Seth Bullock and saloon owner Al Swearengen clashing with an unscrupulous senator who wishes to purchase land in Deadwood, South Dakota. In the Deadwood show, Bullock’s mustache was complete with a small patch of hair underneath his chin, but in Deadwood: The Movie, the stern lawman sports just a graying mustache. Interestingly, Bullock’s mustache makes him appear far more menacing in old age than he appeared in his younger years. Despite being of a calmer temperament in Deadwood: The Movie, Bullock’s mustache adds even more grit and determination to the already hardy lawman’s presence.

6, Yosemite Sam In Hare Trigger (& Everything Else)

Yosemite Sam was first voiced by Mel Blanc

Hare Trigger is a short cartoon that sees an outlaw named Yosemite Sam attempting to hold a train before being thwarted by the ever-so-clever Bugs Bunny. Additionally, Hare Trigger is also the character’s introduction to the world of Looney Tunes. One of the most iconic Looney Tunes characters, Yosemite Sam owes that distinction largely to the character’s bright orange mustache that almost hits the floor. His short temper, trigger-happy tendencies, and long, furry mustache have given Yosemite Sam a personality that makes him stand out from the other characters in that world. Technically a Western character, Yosemite Sam’s mustache is one of the genre’s most iconic

5, Llewelyn Moss In No Country For Old Men

Llewelyn Moss is played by Josh Brolin

Based on the 2005 Cormac McCarthy novel, No Country for Old Men centers around a seemingly unstoppable man on a quest to retrieve money that was stolen from him by a mustached welder. No Country for Old Men helped reinvent Westerns, and one of the ways it accomplished this is through subverting the genre’s iconography. Western protagonists are often clean-shaven while the antagonists boast eccentric mustaches, but here, the villain is shaved, and protagonist Llewelyn Moss has a mustache that makes him look evil according to the genre’s tropes. It helps blur the line for viewers regarding which of its central characters is truly villainous through the film’s deadly game of cat and mouse.

4, Sam Chisholm In The Magnificent Seven

Sam Chisholm is played by Denzel Washington

The Magnificent Seven is the remake of the 1960 film, which itself was a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, and it sees a group of seven brave men fight a large gang led by a corrupt oil baron. Sheriff Sam Chisholm’s mustache gives him a certain aura of authority that convincingly establishes him as the law. Furthermore, dressed in all black, Chisholm’s mustache helps make him appear like a harbinger of doom for any bandits who wish to bring trouble to his town. While it isn’t particularly fancy, Chisholm’s mustache effectively conveys that he is someone who doesn’t back down from any threats to him or his town.

3, John “The Hangman” Ruth In The Hateful Eight

John Ruth is played by Kurt Russell

The Hateful Eight sees eight loathsome strangers take refuge in a haberdashery during a blizzard, where death and deceit claim their lives one by one. Of the eight, John “The Hangman” Ruth’s mustache is easily one of the most creative looking in Westerns as it nearly encapsulates his entire face and sports a design seldom seen in the genre. In a film rife with plenty of dastard mustaches and bushy beards, John Ruth’s mustache captivates the audience’s attenbyue of how bizarre and unique it looks. Moreover, it adds a lot of charisma to a character who is otherwise perpetually ornery and spiteful.

2, Angel Eyes In The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Angel Eyes is played by Lee Van Cleef