Yellowstone's 5 Most Shocking Deaths, Ranked

Two things are certain in life — taxes and people dying on "Yellowstone." Taylor Sheridan's acclaimed neo-Western series boasts a large body count, ranging from characters being bitten by snakes to dying in ranching accidents. However, most of the deaths are executions carried out by humans — usually while fighting over land and battling for Montana's soul.

"Yellowstone" often treats the bitter end as throwaway, which is part of the show's charm. After all, the Duttons have access to a "train station" — an out-of-state death pit where the deceased can never be found. It's easy for Sheridan to kill off characters without much thought, but that isn't always the case.

Some deaths stand out as being particularly shocking because they're either tragic, surprising, or mind-bogglingly over the top. Those are the deaths we'll be looking at here. So saddle up, and let's revisit the "Yellowstone" deaths that stand out for being memorable.

The "Yellowstone" franchise is known for killing off members of the Dutton clan. However, it still felt shocking during the mothership series' early episodes — long before we knew about Taylor Sheridan's tendency to put the family through endless hardships.

This brings us to the death of Lee Dutton (Dave Annable) in the "Yellowstone" Season 1 premiere. He gets shot in a showdown between the Duttons, their livestock agents, and members of the Broken Rock Reservation over stolen cattle. Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) then blasts his brother's assailant in a moment of cold-blooded revenge — only to discover that Lee's killer is his wife's brother.

The opening episode of "Yellowstone" initially frames Lee as a main character, only to pull the rug out from under viewers when he bites the dust. What's more, his death leads to a feud between the Duttons and the Broken Rock Reservation that almost costs Kayce his marriage, but everyone makes up in the end.

The "Yellowstone" series finale features a death that many viewers saw coming for a while, but it still packs a punch. After years of feuding, Beth (Kelly Reilly) finally stabs her half-brother, Jamie (Wes Bentley), to avenge their father's murder, bringing years of turmoil to a close. Rip (Cole Hauser) drives the body to the train station afterward, and Jamie becomes just another missing person's case.

By the end of "Yellowstone," Jamie had it coming. The hit that incurred Beth's wrath was technically arranged by his lover, but Jamie ultimately approved of the decision, and that's just as bad.

Still, the adopted Dutton child might not have turned into a villain if his family treated him better. His old man actively stood in the way of his career goals, and Beth degraded him more often than not. Jamie wasn't entirely to blame for turning heel, but Beth was never going to let him live after the drama he caused.

Some "Yellowstone" deaths are shocking because they're so wild, and this one is especially grizzly. The Season 1 episode "A Monster Is Among Us" sees Rip randomly encounter a tourist couple gripping onto the edge of a cliff for dear life. He goes to help them, but the woman plummets to her death, and the boyfriend lets go so he can join her.

But the chaos doesn't stop there, as Rip is attacked by a grizzly bear that's been on the loose and making life difficult for the locals. The rancher manages to shoot the creature with his rifle before it tears him to shreds, and that should be the end of the matter.

Not quite. Rip is eventually arrested for everything that went down, only for the wildlife officer to fall off her horse and land on a fence post. She survives, thankfully, but none of this would have happened if those tourists didn't get lost in the woods.

Kevin Costner's "Yellowstone" exit was abrupt, so Taylor Sheridan killed off his John Dutton character in Season 5. The moment occurs when assassins enter his house, choke him to death, and frame it as a suicide. It's later discovered that the hit was orchestrated by Jamie's lover, Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), and all hell breaks loose.

John's death was a controversial one, despite the behind-the-scenes circumstances leaving Sheridan with limited options. Costner's character is a stoic cowboy who overcomes all types of deadly threats on "Yellowstone." Killing him off in such an unceremonious manner was shocking, as he didn't put up much of a fight.

The show's creators claimed that the killers' murder method was supposed to highlight the unsettling nature of home invasions. However, the decision wasn't popular among the show's base, with many fans feeling that Sheridan did the John Dutton character dirty following Costner's departure.

Monica is often regarded as one of the most annoying characters on "Yellowstone," but she has every reason to be upset. Between her husband killing her brother and her son being kidnapped in Season 2, she's been through some trauma. However, those situations arguably pale in comparison to her losing her unborn child in Season 5.

The heartbreaking scene happens after Monica experiences birthing pains and drives herself to the hospital. Unfortunately, she gets into a devastating car crash en route to the infirmary, suffering serious injuries that cause her to lose her baby. It's one of the more disturbing "Yellowstone" storylines out there, and that's saying something.

The character didn't enjoy much luck after this, either. The "Marshals" spin-off reveals that Monica died of cancer after "Yellowstone" ended, robbing viewers of the happy ending that was teased for her and Kayce in the Season 5 finale.