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While theWesterngenre often focalise on the stories of horrific outlaws , these thrilling story would not be closely as appeal without equally capable lawmen on their lead . From classics of departed geological era to more recentneo - Westernshows , telly has always sport an incredible cast of complex , imposing , and often equivocal lawmen , police officer , and vigilantes . As bandits and gunslingers cause carnage across the Wild West , it ’s crucial that those with a duty to serve showcase their heroism and restore justice to this lawless landscape .
Many ofthe effective westerly TV express evermade boast all - metre great law officer who showcased the best of what this genre has to volunteer . Frommorality - ambiguous antiheroesto duteous officers who follow the letter of the law , the upright lawmen descend in all shapes and sizes . While the Western writing style may have top out many decades ago , advanced heroes in neo - western prove that audiences still connect deeply to classic heroes and the archetype of a noble lawman .
10Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985)
As more of a comedic clown than a serious lawman , Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane embark on as a serious and hard - nosed sheriff in early installment ofThe duke of HazzardTV show . However , as the show went on , he became increasingly bumbling and lighthearted , which align better with the youngster - favorable nature of the show . Withan iconic carrying out from James Best , Sheriff Coltrane was to begin with played by Bruce Atkins in the 1975 movieMoonrunners , which was later reworked and adapted intoThe Dukes of Hazzard .
As an antagonist to Bo and Luke Duke , Sheriff Coltrane was always scheming with nefarious Boss Hogg and , despite his overwhelming incompetence , was a immobile lover - pet type . As more of a jackass than a genuine scourge , Sheriff Coltrane summate some real comedic relief toThe Dukes of Hazzardand was a fun foe for the boy to come up against .
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9Deputy Festus Haggen
Gunsmoke (1955–1975)
The long - running Western seriesGunsmokewas fill with likable lawmen , and one of the most iconic was Deputy Festus Haggen . As Marshal Matt Dillon ’s right - manus man , this scruffy , tight - talking hillbilly was the unadulterated antidote to the stoic and serious nature of Dillon . With offbeat mannerism and enjoyable comedic relief , Deputy Haggen add to the appeal of this all - prison term peachy Western idiot box show .
Gunsmokefeatured C of enjoyable adventures that highlight the loyal and up to nature of Deputy Haggen , whose witty back - and - forth between himself and Doc Adams was a highlight of the show . With an incredible performance from Ken Curtis , it was tickle pink to determine how he transformed Haggen from a rough criminal into a fan - favourite surrogate . As one of the many characters who contribute tothe incredible longevity ofGunsmoke , Deputy Haggen was an indispensable character who contribute a lot to the charm of the show .
8Hank Schrader
Breaking Bad (2008–2013)
As a level of outlaws set in the desert landscape of Albuquerque , New Mexico , while it may not be at once evident , Breaking Badwas a classical Western story . While the train heists and nimble thinking of Walter White bring to mind the great outlaws of the Wild West , the DEA agent ASAC Hank Schrader fully encompassed the noble intention of a attached lawman . As an officer who was systematically on the trail of the man screw as Heisenberg , Hank was consistently embroil in desert shootouts and intense westerly - style standoffs .
With a nimble humour and a love for his kinsperson that dim him to Walter ’s true nature , it was vibrate to watch as Hank slowly put the patch together that the man he was explore for was correct under his nose . While Bryan Cranston has truly been praised for his performance inBreaking Bad , Dean Norris as Hank was a true highlight as he supply post that made Walt ’s crimes feel intensely personal . As a New neo - westerly that borrowed a set from the tropes of the music genre , it ’s important to recognizeBreaking Badfor the epic Western that it was .
7Lucas McCain
The Rifleman (1958–1963)
With a stiff moral code and a passion for brook up for what ’s good , Lucas McCain was a cattle rancher inThe Riflemanwho often plant himself enforce DoJ when the town was in difficulty . While not a traditional sheriff or lawman , Lucas exert a custom - made Winchester . 44 - 40 lever tumbler military action rifle and search to continue law and order whenever necessary . As an assist to Marshal Micah Torrance , the lines between Western lawman and frontier vigilante are blurred when it come to Lucas McCain .
As one of the most popular westerly series of the 1950s and 1960s , The Riflemanshowcased Lucas McCain as a true ikon of the genrewhose compassionate beliefs made him a beloved father figure who taught his Logos and viewers the merits of honestness and wholeness . While not a badge - wearing lawman , Lucas McCain was an essential figure in maintaining peace in his biotic community as he utilized his Civil War experience to act heroically in times of penury .
6Sheriff Walt Longmire
Longmire (2012–2017)
The modern neo - Western seriesLongmireshowcased the happenings of Walt Longmire , the sheriff of fictional Absaroka County in Wyoming . establish on theWalt Longmire Mysteriesseries of novels by Craig Johnson , this tough and principled peace officer was potently portrayed by Robert Taylor and felt like an gratifying reversion to authoritative Western heroes of times gone by . With a stoic nature and cryptic commitment to justice , Sheriff Longmire catch the essence of the Western genre ’s love for doing what ’s right in the face of great challenges .
Sheriff Longmire was a complex and interesting character who carried a system of weights of personal cataclysm , as the murder of his wife meant he understood the troubling result of crime . As a contemporaneous peace officer , Longmirehighlighted the value of a westerly hero not in the outlaw era of the Wild West but here and now . With a unswerving committedness to doing what ’s right , Sheriff Longmire proved that classical heroes were not just a thing of the past .
5Sheriff Donnie Haskell
Yellowstone (2018 - 2024)
With a moral equivocalness that imply he was gruelling to categorize as either good or forged , Sheriff Donnie Haskell was just one of the many umbrageous figures who dwell the world ofYellowstone . As a dead set cop who is in the pocket of many of the loaded residents of Gallatin County , Sheriff Haskell has a complicated relationship with the cattle ranch owner , John Dutton . While Sheriff Haskell judge to maintain constabulary and society , he also has a pragmatic reason that many important military issue lie outside the kingdom of his potency .
With a tough guy persona , the the true of Sheriff Haskell ’s eccentric was that he was just another instrument in the power struggle that were laid out inYellowstone’sMontana setting . As a character who finally converge a tragical end , Sheriff Haskell highlighted that lawmen do n’t always get a hero ’s end , as he was fatally spite at a botched diner looting .
4Captain Woodrow Call
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Lonesome Dovewas one of the greatest westerly miniseries ever made , thanks in no small part to Tommy Lee Jones ’s incredible performance as Captain Woodrow Call . As a no - nonsense former Texas Ranger who vehemently believed in the importance of hard body of work and upholding the police , even in the side of personal sacrifice , Call ’s stoic and patriotic nature was a healthy counterpoison to the more freewheeling nature of Robert Duvall ’s Gus McCrae . Despite only get four episodes , Lonesome Dovewas impactful enough to solidify Call as one of the all - time slap-up westerly peace officer .
Part of the reason that Captain Call is such an enduring character is the complexity at the pith of his story , as he refuse to acknowledge his illegitimate Logos , Newt , despite clearly caring for him . With a devotion to tariff that overshadowed his own personal felicity , Captain Call represent yet another classic , emotionally closed - off westerly hero . As a miniseries populated with great characters , Captain Call was just one of the many reasons to check outLonesome Dove .
3Sheriff Seth Bullock
Deadwood (2004–2006)
While there have been spate of bully westerly lawmen across the story of television set , there are n’t many who were in reality base on literal historical name . This was the grammatical case for Sheriff Seth Bullock , the intense and principled peace officer play by Timothy Olyphant in the HBO classicDeadwood . As a show that highlighted how a little frontier encampment grew into a in full fledged town , the comportment of Sheriff Bullock inDeadwoodrepresented the increase encroachment of law and club on the fast - disappearing Wild West .
With a strict moral codification and a red nature , Sheriff Bullock had a fortune of wrongful conduct to deal with in Deadwood , South Dakota , a home that never stayed quiet for long . From his clashes with saloon possessor Al Swearengen to his complex relationship with his wife Martha , Sheriff Bullock was an essential improver toDeadwood’sastounding ensemble cast . As a character who appeared in every sequence and the long - await epilogueDeadwood : The Movie , Sheriff Bullock helped makeDeadwoodone of the best Western TV shows of all time .
2Raylan Givens
Justified (2010–2015)
After giving an prodigious performance as Sheriff Bullock inDeadwood , Timothy Olyphant delivered another all - fourth dimension bang-up portrayal of a Western lawman in the modern classicJustified . As a modernistic torpedo who brings an old - school dash of justice to the crime - ridden humankind of Harlan County , Kentucky , Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens relocate to the township after making headlines for killing a fugitive .
With his signature Stetson chapeau , a cool charisma , and a laid - back horse sense of humor , Givens was really one of the most charming torpedo on television . While his reckless nature of inability to let go of grudges sometimes stands in his way , it was tickle to watch how Givens butt on head with his lifelong rival , the outlaw Boyd Crowder , represent by Walton Goggins . As an antihero who often pushes the bound of the law , Raylan Givens help turnJustifiedinto a collide with series with audience and critic alike .
1Marshal Matt Dillon
When it comes to discussing the good westerly lawmen , one essential figure who utterly must be mentioned was Marshal Matt Dillon , the stately marshal of Dodge City . As the ultimate symbolisation of frontier justice , Dillion found a proportion between act tough and being fair as he keep up law and rescript in his grave and unpredictable town . Across the original radio set series and the darling television show , Marshal Dillon carved out his esteemed legacy as an all - time great Wild West law officer .
As a office that James Arness strongly portrayed for 20 years on screen , Marshal Matt Dillon avoided violence wherever possible , but when button come to shove , he showcased his skills as one of the fastest draws around . While Marshal Dillion was a lone figure in many ways , it was thrilling to watch him spring alliances with the likes of Doc Adams , Miss Kitty , and Chester Goode . Gunsmokewas truly one of the bestWesternTV shows ever made , and its success was primarily due to the collection of Dillon ’s character .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon.
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
