Yellowstone’s 10 Best Dutton Family Members (From All Shows)

The Dutton family tree, which makes up the soul of the Yellowstone franchise, comprises fantastic characters. While each member of the Dutton family tree has something that sets them apart from the rest, clan members like Elsa (Isabel May) and Spencer (Bradon Sklenar) are highlights of their respective series. That said, some of the members of the Dutton family are even more outstanding than others. And, of course, every Yellowstone aficionado’s lineup would be a bit different.

While many characters from screenwriter Taylor Sheridan’s flagship Yellowstone series stand out as some of the best in the franchise, its prequels contain equally compelling personalities. For instance, the cast of 1883 has some of the grittiest family members ever to walk Montana, and the characters in 1923 carry on the family’s legacy of skilled fighters, hunters, and pioneers. It’s worth rounding up the best of the bunch to compare their standout qualities, which crossover and form a distinct brand for the whole family.

10. Jacob Dutton

Harrison Ford Plays The 1923 Character

Jacob Dutton has the gritty, raw je ne sais quoi of all the Dutton family members who run the ranch. Yellowstone audiences have witnessed seven generations of the family run the ranch throughout their time in Montana. Jacob Dutton takes over after the death of his brother, James Dutton (Tim McGraw), and he has the same rugged intellect as his sibling. Of course, Jacob is one of the best members of the Dutton family partly because iconic Star Wars and Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford plays him.

Ford brings his iconic star power to the role as Jacob fights to secure his family’s hold on their empire. He’s a steadfast leader paired with an iconic partner, Cara (Helen Mirren), and the group makes up one of the most enjoyable Yellowstone power couples. Jacob trusts the people around him to make beneficial decisions for the ranch, like when he sends Cara to the livestock commission in his place after he’s shot in the abdomen. All that said, Jacob’s mix of wisdom and compassion doubtlessly places him among the best Dutton family members.

9. Cara Dutton

Helen Mirren Plays The 1923 Character

Cara Dutton is also among the best family members, and she’s arguably even more enjoyable than her husband, Jacob Dutton. Helen Mirren is a main character in 1923, a historical piece about the first three generations of the Dutton family navigating the Great Depression in Montana. Cara carries her weight as the family’s matriarchal leader. After her husband experiences a near-fatal injury, Cara Dutton saves her husband’s life. Then she takes Jacob’s place in the Montana Livestock Commission, filling in to hide her husband’s tragedy.

The Queen and Prime Suspect actor pulls equally great star power as her husband, with Mirren garnering an Academy Award for her performance in the former production. Cara plays a significant role in the 1923 story, with elements like Cara featuring in the series’ opening scene as evidence of her central role. Like other Dutton women such as Margaret (Faith Hill) and Evelyn Dutton (Gretchen Mol), Cara has the correct grit to be a rancher’s partner, and she is even funnier, wiser, and more compassionate than the others.

8. Alexandra Dutton

Julia Schlaepfer Plays The 1923 Character

Alex Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) is another woman who married into the Dutton family and quickly became a favorite member. While she doesn’t meet the others in 1923 season 1, Alexandra Dutton has the same fiery personality as the rest of the Dutton women, making her a compelling contribution to the family. Beyond Alex’s gripping storylines with Spencer across Africa and the Atlantic Ocean that surround the character with excitement and romance and make her fun to watch, Alex is one of the most supportive partners.

While her decision to run away from her life of British royalty was impulsive, Alex has been a faithful and supportive partner to Spencer Dutton. Spencer is the youngest of James and Margaret Dutton’s children, born after the family settled in Montana. Spencer distances himself from his family after the war, and Alex helps her new beau reconnect by encouraging him to read Cara’s letters. Ultimately, Alex has a vast heart and enormous spirit, and she understands Spencer, making her the perfect addition to the clan.

7. Rip Wheeler

Cole Hauser Plays The Yellowstone Character

A few Dutton in-laws rank as high as the rest of the bunch, and Rip Wheeler is among them. Rip, Beth’s husband, becomes an official Dutton when the pair are wedded in the Yellowstone season 4 finale. Still, Rip was vital to the family long before he married Beth, and his enduring relationship with John Dutton adds to his significance. Beyond being an in-law, Rip is John Dutton’s symbolic child, with the ranch owner gifting the foreman his own house and calling him a son as proof.

Rip’s loyalty to his wife and the family makes him stand out, as does Cole Hauser’s trustworthy and unshakable demeanor.

Rip is one of the best members of the Dutton family because he is just as committed to protecting the ranch as the rest of them. Rip’s robust connection to the family is explained in Yellowstone flashbacks that show Rip establishing his life at the ranch. The extensive history of Rip in Yellowstone makes his character one of the most beloved. Rip’s loyalty to his wife and the family makes him stand out, as does Cole Hauser’s trustworthy and unshakable demeanor. Despite not being born into the family, Rip is as Dutton as anyone.

6. Kayce Dutton

Luke Grimes Plays The Yellowstone Character

Kayce Dutton’s freedom in Yellowstone and his story leading up to it proves he’s one of the best of the clan. From the beginning of Yellowstone season 1, Kayce desired to do things differently. He lives off the ranch on the Broken Rock Reservation with his wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and their son, Tate (Brecken Merrill). While the Yellowstone series premiere events cause him to come home in season 1 and throughout the rest of the seasons, Kayce is the first Dutton to break the family’s cycle of dying for the ranch.

When Kayce takes over the ranch’s operations, he aims to turn over a new leaf. He refuses to take Walker (Ryan Bingham) to the train station, and the drifter becomes one of the best Yellowstone cowboys after he returns. Kayce’s instincts to fight only for the sake of good contrast with John and Rip’s violence toward anyone who threatens the ranch, ultimately allowing Kayce to leave violence behind and prioritize his family. Ultimately, Kayce’s actions in Yellowstone season 5, part 2 allowed the character to free his family from dying over the land they occupy.

5. John Dutton

Kevin Costner Plays The Yellowstone Character

Of course, the modern Dutton family patriarch is one of the best members of the Dutton family. Kevin Costner’s performance as John Dutton is the soul of Sheridan’s flagship series, with all the other Yellowstone characters circling him. Costner’s performance as John holds the series and characters together, and his stubborn yet charming character makes for a significant series lead. With the flagship Yellowstone series predating 1883 and 1923, Costner’s John Dutton is synonymous with the franchise as the first known protector of the Dutton Ranch.

Yellowstone losing favor after John’s death proves his prevalence within the family and franchise.

Some of John’s best moments were alongside his daughter, Beth, his foreman, Rip, and his grandson, Tate. John Dutton has sincere moments with those he loves most, rounding his stern leadership with an emotional quality that completes the character. Costner’s star power doubtlessly enhances the role, with favor for Yellowstone season 5 dropping off after the Dances with Wolves actor exited the series following disputes with Sheridan over season 5, part 2. Yellowstone losing favor after John’s death proves his prevalence within the family and franchise.

4. James Dutton

Tim McGraw Plays The 1883 Character

A few years into Yellowstone’s run, the franchise introduces Tim McGraw as James Dutton in Sheridan’s 1883 prequel. The father embarks on a Northwest version of the Oregon Trail in the offshoot, doubtlessly making James Dutton one of the Dutton clan’s grittiest, most fearless leaders. James travels with his children, John (Audie Rick) and Elsa and his wife Margaret, and his family’s journeys throughout Texas and the Great Plains comprise the Dutton family’s Montana origin story. James endured arguably the most strife with the least support, making the character stand out.

You can stream Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 prequel on Paramount+.

Moreover, James Dutton fiercely loved and protected his family in a way they could see and experience daily. Even while fighting for his life on the Oregon Trail, James Dutton made the time to create experiences with his children. James trusted Elsa to make her own decisions during her coming-of-age experience as a pioneer and cowboy, and he trusted Margaret to defend her and their children’s lives. All the Dutton characters in 1883 were fierce, memorable characters, some of the best in the franchise, and McGraw’s James is no exception.

3. Spencer Dutton

Brandon Sklenar Plays The 1923 Character

Spencer Dutton is near the top of the list of the best Dutton family members, with excellent chances of becoming even better in 1923 season 2. Brandon Sklenar plays a riveting World War I veteran who establishes a career as a world-famous hunter after the war’s end. Despite not existing on the ranch, Spencer’s journey through Nairobi and Tanganyika in Africa makes for the most visually compelling scenes in Sheridan’s 1923 prequel. Moreover, Spencer’s love story with Alexandra is one of the franchise’s most romantic.

Spencer has the impressive qualities to protect the ranch, proving he can compete with the best of his family. Spencer is a fierce killer due to his time in the Great War, which would translate well into Spencer’s ultimate duty to protect his family’s empire. The war hero is also a compassionate partner to his wife, Alex, who he weds on a steamship after the couple is rescued from a shipwrecked tugboat. His story is the most compelling in 1923, and Spencer demands the audience’s attention, making him an outstanding family member.

2. Beth Dutton

Kelly Reilly Plays The Yellowstone Character

When zooming out and looking at all the shows in the Yellowstone franchise, Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton is one of the best Dutton family members and maintains the family’s fighting spirit. Regardless of what a person thinks of Beth, she is one of the most iconic characters in Sheridan’s flagship. Beth makes a huge splash as she settles into the ranch in Yellowstone season 1, terrorizing her brother Jamie (Wes Bentley) and seducing her former lover, Rip Wheeler, who becomes her husband during an endearing character arc for Beth.

As her husband points out in later seasons, Beth’s heart is a deep well of emotion and love despite her icy demeanor toward those who she disapproves of. Beth’s experience with trauma, feeling responsible for losing her mother and her ability to have children, informs her character’s antics. In the later seasons of Yellowstone, Beth shows how loving and compassionate she can be while maintaining the fire many women in the Dutton family possess. As such, Reilly will even reprise her iconic performance as Beth in the Beth and Rip Yellowstone spinoff.

1. Elsa Dutton

Isabel May Plays The 1883 Character

Elsa Dutton is one of the best members of the Dutton family, if not the best. The young adult spearheads the 1883 prequel, with Elsa Dutton’s narration contextualizing the family’s journey on the Oregon Trail as she becomes an adult. As a young woman in the prime of her life, Elsa’s narration is naive while deeply curious and insightful. Sheridan placed Isabel May’s character at the front of the Dutton origin story after the actor auditioned for his Mayor of Kingstown show, and her performance inspired the screenwriter to shape his pioneer story around her.

Elsa’s emotional fate, paired with Sheridan’s 1883 prophecy, immortalizes Elsa’s presence and makes her Yellowstone character the best.

Not only does Elsa carry the series with her fearless spirit, but her story arguably has Yellowstone‘s highest stakes. Despite seeing Elsa get shot with an arrow through her stomach in the opening scene, one of the most enthralling elements of watching 1883 is experiencing the hope that she will survive anyway. Ultimately, Elsa’s death in 1883 inspires the family to settle in Paradise Valley, creating the family’s Montana origins. Elsa’s emotional fate, paired with Sheridan’s 1883 prophecy, immortalizes Elsa’s presence and makes her Yellowstone character the best.