While John Wayne made a name for himself as one of the greatest Western movie heroes of all time, these performances would not be nearly as compelling without equally astounding villains. In countless tales of Wild West carnage, Wayne has faced off against boisterous bandits, ghastly gunslingers, and outrageous outlaws in memorable duels, standoffs, and classic shootouts. Although many will remember Wayne’s work with director John Ford and collaborations with Maureen O’Hara, it’s important not to underplay the essential nature of his greatest villains.
The best John Wayne movies all featured incredible antagonists, as classic tales of revenge and retribution would lack their essential urgency if they were not propped up by committed villainous portrayals from all-time great actors. With astounding performances from the likes of Bruce Cabot, Robert Duvall, and Lee Marvin, Wayne often faced off against fellow cinematic legends in his Western adventures. While Wayne may have been the quintessential Western leading man, a hero is only as good as the foes he faces.
Liberty Valance
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
The greatest of all John Wayne’s movie villains was, of course, Liberty Valance from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. With an incredible performance from Lee Marvin, this legendary tough guy actor was one of the few who can claim to have killed Wayne in not one but two Western movies, an act he also carried out in The Comancheros. With a larger-than-life reputation and a ruthlessly violent nature, Liberty Valance embodied the most sinister side of the Wild West.
Although it was incredible to see Wayne and James Stewart share the screen in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, this movie would not be nearly as iconic without Marvin’s impeccable performance. As a sadistic outlaw who terrorizes the town of Shinbone, Valance was the perfect villain, whose aggressive behavior toward the lawyer Ransom Stoddard (Stewart) made him particularly unlikable. As the quintessential Western bad guy, Liberty Valance was one of the few villains whose evil ways matched John Wayne’s legendary heroism.
Lucky Ned Pepper
True Grit (1969)
Robert Duvall powerfully played the hardened and ruthless bandit Lucky Ned Pepper in the Western classic True Grit. As an associate of the devious Tom Chaney, together these two antagonists were central to the murder of Mattie Ross’ father and the story of retribution and revenge that subsequently took place. While Chaney was the central villain of True Grit, Pepper’s competence and unpredictability made him an even more frightening foe.
While Duvall didn’t get a lot of screen time in True Grit, he was essential in the movie’s final showdown, and had he not been shot down by Glen Campbell as La Boeuf, things could have turned out very differently. As a cocky and aggressive villain, Pepper showed incredible disrespect to Rooster Cogburn by referring to him as a “one-eyed fat man” in a particularly memorable exchange.
Nathan Burdette
Rio Bravo (1959)
Nathan Burdette was the main antagonist of Rio Bravo, whose brother was arrested by John Wayne’s John T. Chance. As a wealthy and powerful rancher who was fiercely protective of his younger sibling, Burdette sought to use his power and influence to get his brother freed without facing the consequences of his murderous actions. As a symbol of the innate influence of money, Nathan’s calculated tactics were in stark contrast to the reckless behavior of the younger Joe Burdette.
With an influence that extends throughout the entire town, Burdette showcased he wasn’t afraid to use brute force as he set hired hands on the prison to try and intimidate Chance into complying. Through a total disregard for law and order, Burdette’s dismissal of his brother’s wrongdoing showcased the sinister realities of wealthy people who feel like the law doesn’t apply to them. As one of Wayne’s most sophisticated villains, Nathan Burdette’s cowardice was seen in the way he often tried to get others to carry out his dirty work for him.
Chief Scar
The Searchers (1956)
While John Ford’s undisputed classic The Searchers was one of the first movies to give a more complex, three-dimensional portrayal of Native Americans, that did not stop Chief Scar from remaining a ruthless and villainous character. As the story of Ethan Edwards’ (John Wayne) years-long pursuit of his abducted niece, Chief Scar was the ruthless Comanche war leader responsible for burning down Ethan’s home, massacring his family, and kidnapping Debbie Edwards (Natalie Wood.)
As a commanding leader who lost his own son to white settlers, Chief Scar was a complex character whose sinister acts had deep-seated motivations behind them. While Chief Scar has relatively little screen time in The Searchers, his presence loomed large over the entire film, as his actions were what spearheaded Ethan’s tireless quest. In a particularly brutal ending for a movie villain, Scar was ultimately scalped by Ethan as revenge for the treatment of his family.
Asa Watts
The Cowboys (1972)
After already having a memorable villainous turn in The War Wagon, Bruce Dern faced off with John Wayne in the Western movie The Cowboys. As Asa Watts, Dern played a notably unhinged outlaw who tried to deceive Wayne’s Wil Andersen by pretending to be looking for work, only to end up ambushing him. Also known by the nickname Long Hair, Watts was truly one of the most despicable and ruthless villains in any Wayne Western.
As a formidable foe, Watts actually ended up gunning down Wil Andersen and was one of the few Western movie villains to actually kill a John Wayne hero. While Watts did eventually pay for his crimes, it was only after he had committed the heinous act of murder against the movie’s protagonist. This was an unusually dark turn of events for a movie starring Wayne, as he was usually the last one standing after facing off against sinister villains.