Paramount’s neo-Western Yellowstone follows the conflicts the Dutton family faces as they run the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, one of the biggest ranches in the country, and face numerous threats, from personal conflicts to political challenges. Since its premiere in 2018, Yellowstonehas quickly gained a loyal fanbase, and its popularity led to two prequel series, 1883 and1923, which both follow earlier members of the Dutton family. Fans are eagerly anticipating Yellowstone‘s long-awaited final episodes, with Season 5, Part 2, set to air in November.
One of the series’ best characters is rancher and Dutton family patriarch John, played by Kevin Costner, who departed the series in the first half of Season 5 and recently confirmed he will not be returning for its final episodes. John’s personality means he’s also responsible for some of the show’s most memorable quotes, whether he’s commenting on his children and his role as a parent or delivering brutal truths about people and the world. No matter the subject, his best lines leave an impression long after the episode’s credits have rolled.
10.“His whole life’s in your hands now, Tate. How you treat him is how his life goes.”
“Resurrection Day,” Season 2, Episode 7
In “Resurrection Day,” things between the Duttons and the Becks escalated, with the two brothers specifically targeting and threatening Beth (Kelly Reilly). Meanwhile, Tate (Brecken Merrill) expressed to John that he wanted to be a cowboy as an adult but needed a horse and asked John to buy him one, promising to take care of the barn as payment and Kayce (Luke Grimes) agreeing to train it. John agreed, and Tate became the owner of the aptly named horse Lucky.
As an experienced rancher, John had plenty of advice for not just his children but for grandson Tate, as well, especially as Tate was given the responsibility of having his own horse. But John’s comment to Tate about having a life in his hands wasn’t just about horses—it also applied to parenting and John’s role in the lives of his kids. Just as with people and the Dutton children themselves, the horse’s future would be decided by how Tate treated him.
9.“He is a disappointment and my greatest failure, but I raised him, and I love him, as much as I’ve tried not to.”
“Grass on the Streets and Weeds on the Rooftops,” Season 4, Episode 10
In the Season 4 finale, Jamie killed his biological father, Garrett (Will Patton), and dumped his body, only to be caught and photographed by Beth, while John, who respected environmental activist Summer’s (Piper Perabo) protest efforts, worked to keep her out of jail as she faced a life sentence, and Beth apologized to him for her role in Summer’s situation. Meanwhile, Kayce experienced numerous visions during the Hanbleceya, or “crying for a vision.”
The final episode of Season 4 was an intense game-changer for the series. The only thing John cares about more than his ranch is his children, and that’s often made clear through his best quotes—especially this one, which speaks to a parent’s unconditional love for their children. Despite expressing that he’s disappointed in his son, he recognizes his role in his life and, most importantly, acknowledges that he loves him, even though he’s tried not to.
8.“You can’t reason with evil, son. Evil wants what it wants, and it won’t stop until it’s won or you kill it. To kill it means to be meaner than evil. That’s gonna be your last lesson, son, to learn to be meaner than evil and still love your family and enjoy a sunrise.”
“Meaner Than Evil,” Season 3, Episode 9
In Season 3’s aptly titled “Meaner Than Evil,” Rip (Cole Hauser) and Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) jumped Walker (Ryan Bingham) outside of a bar and kidnapped him, and Rip later took Kayce to the barn where he was holding Walker and criticized Kayce for failing to kill Walker like he was supposed to—but Kayce hadn’t killed anyone yet and had no intentions of doing so. In the episode’s final moments, John shared some words of wisdom with Kayce about evil and how to combat it.
The Dutton family has faced a lot of challenges, including a lot of cruel enemies, and they’re not so innocent themselves. John understands there’s plenty of evil in the world making life difficult and that there isn’t much anyone can do about it—and that to fight it requires a little bit of evil, too. But that doesn’t mean totally succumbing to it. The quote perfectly sums up John’s character, from his ruthlessness to his love for his family.
7.“It’s the one constant in life. You build something worth having, someone’s gonna try to take it.”
“Enemies by Monday,” Season 2, Episode 9
The Duttons prepared for a final showdown with the Becks as Season 2 built towards its finale in penultimate episode “Enemies by Monday.” Rip and Jimmy (Jefferson White) sought revenge, while Kayce placed a bomb in the fuel tank of the Beck brothers’ plane and informed John it was too late to reverse course. In the midst of the conflict, John had some choice words for Kayce about the numerous threats the ranch had faced.
A few things are definite on the Dutton ranch, and one of them is that someone always wants what they have—and that’s been the case for a very, very long time. The Dutton family has always had to protect the ranch from threats, and that’s unlikely to change. For them, it’s just what comes with owning the ranch, and no one understands that better than John. As long as they have something others want, they will always be fighting.
6.“Leverage is knowing that if someone had all the money in the world, this is what they’d buy.”
“Daybreak,” Season 1, Episode 1
The very first episode of Yellowstoneintroduced viewers to the Dutton family and their ranch, including the various ways the adult Dutton children worked to benefit the ranch, from careers in politics to finance. John worked to protect the land from a variety of threats, including developers seeking to build condos on the property and some residents of a nearby reservation who want to buy back some of the land which originally belonged to their ancestors.
One of John’s best quotes came early in the series and hinted at its major themes and conflicts moving forward. From the start, John was well-aware that the size and success of the ranch meant people would envy it and try to get a piece of it for themselves—and that because they wanted what the Dutton family had, the family was already in a position of power over those outside forces.
5.“Someday your son’s gonna test you. He’s gonna force you to make a decision that not only determines his future but your place in it.”
“Daybreak”, Season 1, Episode 1
“Daybreak,” the series’ first episode, followed John and his children as they worked to protect the ranch from developers and other threats. One of his sons, Kayce, lived on a nearby reservation with his wife, Monica (Kelsey Asbille), and their son, Tate, and had a reputation for working with troublesome horses and worked to keep horses away from an area which was being drilled for oil. John visited Kayce about ranch business but also to ask to spend more time with Tate.
John had a lot to say to Kayce in the first episode of Yellowstone, including some things about being a father to a son. With their own strained relationship in mind, John suggested Tate would one day test Kayce the way Kayce had tested John and that the repercussions wouldn’t only affect Tate’s life but Kayce’s, as well. John spoke from experience, with his love for both his son and grandson on his mind.
4.“Your grandfather used to say you can’t fix a broken wagon wheel, but you can use the parts to make a new one.”
“Resurrection Day,” Season 2, Episode 7
In Season 2 episode “Resurrection Day,” as the situation with the Becks became more intense and the Duttons were unwilling to compromise, Jamie was struggling. Beth suggested he was too concerned with how the world perceived him rather than who he really was and cruelly told him to kill himself. John later noticed a gun missing from his gun cabinet and found Jamie with it, prepared to follow through on Beth’s suggestion.
John’s known for his words of wisdom in Yellowstone, but his quote here is proof that this runs in the Dutton family. As Jamie told John he could not be “fixed,” John argued that he didn’t need fixed—he needed a fresh start, that, like the wagon wheel, something broken can instead be made into something new. The scene isn’t just an example of a memorable Dutton quote but also shows how John cares for his children.
3.“Lawyers are the swords of this century. Words are weapons now. I need you to learn how to use them.”
“Blood the Boy,” Season 2, Episode 6
In Season 2 episode “Blood the Boy,” John prepared to work with former enemies. Meanwhile, Jamie went to great lengths to protect his family, and a flashback showed John giving Jamie an acceptance letter for Harvard—despite the fact that Jamie had never applied. John had applied on Jamie’s behalf in the hopes that he would become a lawyer and use his career to help the family and the ranch.
In the flashback, John commented on the importance of lawyers to the Duttons. Although the family is no stranger to violence, many of the conflicts they’ve faced have been legal, and John understood the value of having a lawyer in the family. Applying to Harvard on Jamie’s behalf was John’s way of steering him towards a career that would ultimately help protect the ranch, and John’s comments to Jamie proved how crucial he was to the family.
2.“I fight for what’s right. I don’t really care who supports it.”
“One Hundred Years Is Nothing,” Season 5, Episode 1
In the Season 5 premiere, which picked up several months after Season 4 ended, John was sworn in as the new governor of Montana, with his opponent conceding and requesting that John use the office to fight for the best interests of the entire state. As John adjusted to his new role, he unsurprisingly used it to protect his own interests, namely that of Yellowstone. The episode’s title hinted at the ranch’s past through the generations of the Dutton family.
Throughout the series, John—as well as the rest of the Dutton family—has undeniably put up many a fight and been clear about where he stands. John’s comment about standing by his beliefs without regard for who agreed with him was true to his character, and it was all the more fitting that it was delivered to a politician. It was also a fitting lesson in doing the right thing no matter what.
1.“All the angels are gone, son. There’s only devils left.”
“Only Devils Left,” Season 2, Episode 4
In “Only Devils Left,” enemies struck Yellowstone by using a plane to drop deadly clover where the cows were grazing, resulting in many of them dying from bloat and forcing the Duttons to burn the fields to prevent the clover from taking over. As part of the investigation into who was responsible, the sheriff deputized Kayce. Meanwhile, Malcolm (Neal McDonough) and Teal (Terry Serpico) proposed joining forces with the Duttons due to their very different business interests.
To Jamie, working with Malcolm and Teal would be like making a deal with the devil, and he was disappointed that John was considering their offer. But John’s reaction made it clear as to what he thought of the family’s enemies and their ongoing conflicts—they were surrounded by evil, with no good options left. They may have been forced to work with devils, but at least the arrangement could be beneficial.
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