Warning: This article contains spoilers fromYellowstoneseason 5 and mention of suicide.
Yellowstonehad its fair share of deaths over the course of its five seasons, withsix characters losing their lives, all in different ways, in season 5.The Paramount Network neo-Western drama followed the Dutton family, the (previous) owners of the largest ranch in Montana — the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. They often encountered danger, both from within their inner circle and from external sources. Consequently, manyYellowstonecharacters have died since the series first premiered in 2018. As a matter of fact, the show’s first major death happened whenRobert Long shot and killed Lee Dutton in theYellowstonepilot.
As of the writing of this article, the future ofYellowstoneis up in the air. Paramount previously announced that season 5 would be the show’s last after Kevin Costner exited. However, the Paramount network promotedYellowstoneseason 5’s last episode as a “season finale” instead of a “series finale,” confusing many.
While the first half ofYellowstoneseason 5 didn’t feature much bloodshed (but a couple of heartbreaking goodbyes), part 2 contained more than enough deaths to scar both the characters and the audience. Part 2’s premiere,episode 9, began with what was possiblyYellowstone’s biggest death.Then, three more people died, one of which was, honestly, expected, while the other two were complete surprises. Taylor Sheridan evidently wanted his show to go out with a bang, and it certainly did by the time the credits rolledafterYellowstoneseason 5, episode 14.
6John Dutton IV
Monica Lost The Baby After A Car Accident
The premiere ofYellowstoneseason 5, part 1, “One Hundred Years Is Nothing,” ended with the viewers saying goodbye to a character who they never truly met — John Dutton IV. The audience learned thatMonica Long-Dutton was pregnant with her and Kayce Dutton’s second child in season 4.They were going to name him after his grandfather (Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III) and finally give their other son, Tate Dutton, a brother. Unfortunately, tragedy struck beforethe Dutton family’s next membereven got a chance to live.
DuringYellowstoneseason 5, episode 1,Monica started experiencing pregnancy pains three weeks before her due date.Since Kayce was away from home on business, Monica drove herself and Tate to the hospital. On the way,they got into a horrific accident.Monica’s pain distracted her, while another preoccupied driver was coming from the opposite way and a stray bison wandered onto the road. It was a recipe for disaster. When they collided, the other driver died on impact, and Monica and Tate were hurt (more so Monica than Tate) and rushed to the hospital.
Monica was completely broken after theYellowstoneseason 5 premiere’s horrific death, and she asked Kayce if they could have a funeral for their son and bury him on the land. Of course, Kayce agreed, and the family came together to mourn what could’ve been.
When Costner’s John first arrived at the hospital, he spotted Tate, who was beaten up but okay. Tate heartbreakingly told his grandfather, “I had a brother… for an hour anyway.” It was true asthe doctors tried everything in their power to save John Dutton IV,but they were fighting a losing battle. Monica was completely broken aftertheYellowstoneseason 5 premiere’s horrific death, and she asked Kayce if they could have a funeral for their son and bury him on the land. Of course, Kayce agreed, and the family came together to mourn what could’ve been.
5Emmett Walsh
Played By: Buck Taylor
The second and last death inYellowstoneseason 5, part 1, came in episode 6, “Cigarettes, Whiskey, a Meadow and You.“Emmett Walsh, one of John’s old friends and fellow cowboys,died in his sleep. He was the chairman of the Stock Growers Association who first appeared during the pilot episode in 2018. Emmett certainly wasn’t a maincharacter inYellowstoneseason 5, or even a relatively important one, but his death was poignant nonetheless.
1923season 2
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UntitledYellowstonesequel series with Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler
In development
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As John explained,Emmett’s death inYellowstonewas the ideal way for any cowboy to go. Kevin Costner’s character said, “He just died on the trail, like every cowboy dreams it.” There aren’t too many peaceful deaths in the neo-Western drama TV series, but Emmett’s was certainly one of them. John was still heartbroken to say goodbye to his friend, especially becauseEmmett’s death seemingly symbolized cowboy culture fading,something that the Duttons were determined to stop.
4John Dutton III
Played By: Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner leftYellowstoneahead of season 5, part 2, meaningpart 1’s finale was the last time fans would see John Dutton III(not including Costner’s body double) on the screen. In the months leading up to part 2’s premiere, many wondered how Taylor Sheridan would write John out of the show. Of course, many speculated that John would die, and, unfortunately, they were right.
DuringtheYellowstoneseason 5, part 2 premiere, viewers learned that John had died by suicide. Of course, this was heartbreaking, but it was also confusing because it wasn’t clear why John would do so, meaning that he was most likely murdered. As the episode (and the season) continued, details about the events of the fateful night John died became more clear.Sarah Atwood from Market Equities (and Jamie’s lover) hired assassins to execute Johnand make it look like a suicide. She had an agenda to take the Duttons' land, and nothing was going to get in her way.
What Would Yellowstone’s Ending Have Looked Like If Kevin Costner Hadn’t Left The Show?
Kevin Costner exited Yellowstone ahead of season 5, part 2, and following its finale, one can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened if he stayed.
John’s children (mostly Beth and Kayce) mourned him, andBeth vowed to avenge her father inYellowstoneseason 5. She knew Jamie was somehow involved, giving her more ammunition to want him gone. DuringtheYellowstoneseason 5 finale,the family gathered to say goodbye to John at his funeraland bury him alongside the other deceased Duttons. Afterward, Beth certainly made good on her promise to John.
3Sarah Atwood
Played By: Dawn Olivieri
As mentioned above, Dawn Olivieri’s character sought out hitmen to murder John, and it was those very same peoplewho killed Sarah inYellowstoneseason 5. Kayce knew his father had been murdered. So, in episode 11, he marched down to the medical examiner’s office and convinced them to take a second look at John’s body. They ultimately concluded that it was possible John hadn’t died by suicide and was actually killed.The police then re-opened John’s case,which was the beginning of the end for Sarah.
The company Sarah hired to execute John needed to clean up their mess to avoid the cops from looking their way, which is whySarah died inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 11. After a fight with Jamie, Sarah stormed out of his house and got into her car. He called her to apologize as Sarah reached a stoplight. Another car pulled up beside Sarah, signaling her to roll her window down. When she did, the couple pretended to be lost tourists. However,they were assassins who shot and killed Sarah in her carwhile she was still on the phone with Jamie before driving away.
2Colby Mayfield
Played By: Denim Richards
Yellowstoneseason 5’s most unexpected and unnecessary death came in episode 12when Colby Mayfield died.Colby had been a ranch hand for the Duttonssince the beginning of the series. Although he wasn’t a main character by any means, Colby was still loved by many, which is why his death was so difficult to accept. It came out of nowhere and seemed pointless as it did nothing to further the plot. Colby’s death just broke Teeter’s heart.
While filling up the horses' water buckets on the ranch, Carter got stuck in one of their stalls. A bad-tempered horse cornered Carter when he tried to return its bucket of water, and the young teen screamed for help. Colby ran in to attempt to help Carter. He tried to distract the horse while Carter escaped, but by doing so, Colby sacrificed his life.The horse attacked Colby, almost instantly killing himbefore Carter returned with a shotgun and killed the animal. It was too late, though, asthe ranch hand was already dead inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 12.
1Jamie Dutton
Played By: Wes Bentley
The final death of season 5 came during the finale. For years,Yellowstonehas been building Beth and Jamie’s rivalry, and it was only a matter of time before one killed the other. Unfortunately for Jamie, Beth came out on top. Beth has hated Jamie since the abortion clinic sterilized her as a teenager without her permission, while Jamie knew. So,Beth just needed a good reason to get rid of her brother once and for all,and that came when she confirmed Jamie was somehow involved in John’s death. Sure, he didn’t pull the trigger, but Jamie knew the truth.
Bella Hadid
Sadie
At John’s funeral,Beth whispered to her father’s casket that she would avenge him.Sarah was already dead, so, viewers knew Beth was talking about Jamie. She drove to Jamie’s house after the funeral, waited for him to get home, and attacked him with bear spray inYellowstoneseason 5, episode 14.
The two Dutton siblings went back and forth for a while, and just when it seemed like Jamie was going to choke Beth to death, Rip arrived and saved his wife. He pulled Jamie off of Beth and held him while she stabbed him in the gut, killing him.Beth made sure that her face was the last one Jamie saw.Afterward, Rip and Lloyd got rid of Jamie’s car and took his body tothe train station in theYellowstonefinale, while Beth came up with a story for the police, ensuring she would get away with murder.
Yellowstone
Cast
Yellowstone follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton, as they defend their expansive ranch against external threats from land developers, an Indian reservation, and America’s first national park. Released on August 01, 2025, this series examines the complex dynamics and violent conflicts surrounding the largest contiguous ranch in the United States.
