Yellowstone Season 4 has wrapped, and several key characters met their fate in a menagerie of wild ways. Here’s every character who died. But first, be warned of major spoilers ahead.
SPOILERS: ‘Yellowstone’ Season 4’s Big Deaths
As unlikely as it felt after Season 3’s raucous finale, every Dutton family member survived Season 4. But this doesn’t mean Season 4 didn’t bring some of the show’s most shocking deaths. In fact, the premiere and finale bookended Season 4 with the violent exits of two primary villains.
First out: Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway)
Right off the bat, Season 4’s premiere brought one of the best deaths in television history.
Season 4, Episode 1’s end saw Rip approach Market Equities’ Roarke Morris (Josh Holloway) during what would be his last fly-fishing venture. Roarke’s favorite pastime went from peaceful to deadly real quick as Rip flung a diamondback rattlesnake out from a nondescript cooler onto Roarke’s face. The pit viper latches on, flailing with Morris in the creek during an insane sequence.
And in a matter of 60 seconds, Morris is foaming from the mouth on the forest floor. Rip presses his boot into his chest, and the Yellowstone villain breathes his last; fully succumbing to the effects of the rattlesnake’s venom.
Outsider covered the realities of this death in our Exclusive: Viper Expert Weighs in on Yellowstone Season 4 Snake Scene extensively, and it remains a series-favorite shocker.
Death by Shootout: Chester ‘Checkers’ Spears (Brad Carter)
Season 4 also brought the introduction and death of a new character, Checkers, in just the first few episodes.
As it turned out, Chester Spears (Brad Carter) was integral in orchestrating the assassination attempts on the Duttons. In Episode 3, Thomas Rainwater and Mo brought this news to John Dutton personally. The Broken Rock patriarchs found the lowlife in a local Montana casino after he flippantly bragged to a dealer about his involvement with the ‘Season 3 finale’s failed assassination attempts and “putting it together.”
Nicknamed “The Great White Hopeless” by Rainwater, Mo would personally shackle the scum before his delivery to John. Once in Dutton custody, John took Checkers to the train station; instigating an old-fashioned Western shootout with the outlaw. Needless to say, John handily won.
It’s a brilliant scene that showcases John’s Western ancestry; something you can relive in full above.
Demise of ‘Yellowstone’s Failed Assassin Militia
Before having Checkers delivered, John had his enforcers on the hunt for the militia responsible for carrying out the attacks on his family.
In a rip-roaring montage, Yellowstone‘s Season 4, Episode 2 saw Kayce, Rip, and Lloyd take out the remainder of Checker’s thugs in brutal fashion.
These characters, however, were nameless and didn’t factor into the plot any further than their deaths.
Kingpin Down: Garrett Randall (Will Patton)
But it was the finale that brought true closure for Season 4’s biggest villain.
In the final throws of the episode, Garrett Randall (Will Patton) is finally dealt with. And it was his biological son, Jamie, who pulled the trigger.
After discovering the kingpin at the top of the assassination attempts, Beth Dutton corners her brother in his own office. She gives Jamie an ultimatum: kill Garrett Randall, or the Dutton family kills you.
Jamie has no choice but to cave, and cave he does. The adopted Dutton drives up to the ranch he bought under the guidance of his biological father. There, he confronts the manipulative convict one last time.
Garrett continues to try and mold his son to his liking, delivering a captivating speech focusing on his own twisted version of “love.” But Jamie does what he should’ve done from the start and pulls his pistol, then shoots Randall in the head from mere feet away.
And just like that, the prison kingpin is gone for good.
For more on Yellowstone Season 4, including who lives through to Season 5, head on over to Outsider’s ‘Yellowstone’ Season 4: Everything to Know next.C
