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After following in the footsteps of decades' worth of cinema classics, a 1993 film has been ranked as one of the greatest Western movies ever made. Additionally, the popular film Tombstone has been recognized for featuring the best character ever seen in a Western film.
‘Tombstone’ Named Among the 'Best Western Movies of All Time'
In December 2025, Ranker updated its article allowing people to vote on what the "Best Western Movies Of All Time" are. Based on the results, 1993's Tombstone is currently ranked as the third greatest Western ever with 11,321 upvotes. The only two films to surpass it on the list are considered masterpieces: Unforgiven and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
There are many reasons why Tombstone ranking so high is unsurprising. One of the most obvious is that the film is thrilling and features many sequences that will get viewers' adrenaline pumping, including the shootout at the O.K. Corral. The scene showing Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp rushing into a hail of gunfire as he takes out villains while uttering the word "No" in a guttural growl gets fans' hearts racing in the best way.
Tombstone also boasts a cast so stacked that it is hard to fathom so many stellar actors signed up for the film. Most notably, it featured Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Michael Biehn, Powers Boothe, Dana Delany, Sam Elliott, Stephen Lang, Bill Paxton, Jason Priestley, Michael Rooker, Billy Zane, and Charlton Heston. Two of those actors, Boothe and Biehn, came together to create villains that viewers absolutely love to hate and see get their comeuppance. Those are only a few of the examples of what makes the film an all-time great, and that doesn't even include the part of the film that fans are most vocal about loving:
Why Doc Holliday from 'Tombstone' Has Been Ranked the 'Greatest Western Movie Character of All Time'
In November 2025, Collider published a ranking of the "10 Greatest Western Movie Characters of All Time." Considering that the genre is known for creating cool characters, it is easy to see that the competition to make the list was fierce, let alone top it. Still, it is unlikely that many fans will be surprised to learn that Val Kilmer's version of Doc Holliday from Tombstone took the No. 1 spot.
While considering what makes Doc such a great character, some things will immediately stand out. Whether it's him saying "I'll be your huckleberry" or flipping a mug around his finger, the way he openly mocks a dangerous man is fun. Additionally, the fact that he proves why he deserves his reputation that strikes so much fear into Johnny Ringo makes those early moments delicious.
While nobody should take away from how cool Doc is, that alone wouldn't make the character truly great. Instead, it is how nuanced he is that helps to make him so compelling. After all, the man everyone in the film knows is uniquely dangerous also happens to be so sick with worsening tuberculosis that he seems to be at risk of dying at any moment. More importantly, Doc's fierce loyalty to his friend Wyatt plays a major role in making him one of the best parts of Tombstone.
Next: 1968 ‘Greatest Western of All Time’ Has the ‘Most Perfect Opening Scene of All Time’
