It is still a mystery why Cowboy had such a brief appearance before having one of the best scenes in Yellowstone.

A primary reason behind Yellowstone‘s immense success was its memorable characters. Besides the leading names, some minor characters have also left an indelible mark on the fans’ minds. Steven Williams’ Cowboy was such a character who had a very brief role in Season 2 but delivered some of the most savage Yellowstone moments.

Taylor Sheridan’s Western TV hit featured a complex web of characters and their family trees. It is tough to keep a check on the number of people driving the story. However, Cowboy was such a character who, even after his brief role, could steal the spotlight.

Cowboy got one of the most badass scenes in Yellowstone

Steven Williams as Cowboy in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount

Steven Williams is quite a popular name in the TV Show industry. He has contributed in some capacity to several movies and TV shows like It, Birds of Prey, 21 Jump Street, and Supernatural. He joined Yellowstone in its Season 2 for a very minor role as ‘Cowboy’.

As mysterious as it sounds, Cowboy’s real name has never been revealed in the Taylor Sheridan universe. He was a drifter who became a hand at the Dutton Ranch and proved to be an enigmatic personality. Despite having insanely low screen time, he gave some of the most macho scenes.

Recently, a Redditor posted the iconic bar scene from Season 2 where Ian Bohen’s Ryan attempts to pick a fight with Cowboy. But the latter proved to be a tough force and made a series of savage comebacks that earned him immense respect from the other characters. The Redditor, alongside several fans, claimed that Yellowstone badly wasted Cowboy.

Cowboy’s iconic line “You don’t want me standin’ up, boy. I‘ll beat you like a rented mule!” is still remembered by many fans of the show. However, his entire story arc has been one of the most mysterious elements from Yellowstone. Nobody could figure out why he entered the ranch and left within a short span after stirring up some problems.

Interestingly, some theorists have also claimed that Cowboy had a connection with two of the worst Yellowstone antagonists, the Beck Brothers.

Was Cowboy secretly working for the Beck Brothers?

Malcolm and Teal Beck in Yellowstone Season 2 | Credits: Paramount

Out of all the Yellowstone antagonists, the Beck Brothers take up a high position, with everything they did in the show’s Season 2. The wealthy real estate players terrorized the Dutton Ranch and even killed Danny Huston’s Dan Jenkins by the end of the season.

Throughout the entire second season, the Beck Brothers, and especially Malcolm Beck, appeared to be a step ahead of the Duttons. On top of that, Cowboy left Yellowstone at a pivotal moment where the conflict between the Duttons and Beck was at its peak. These factors have led many theorists on Reddit to believe that Cowboy was an inside man for the villain duo.

Notably, we were never revealed anything about Cowboy’s past or his reason for appearing out of the blow at the Yellowstone ranch and leaving it as soon as well. Nevertheless, with the aura he possessed, many fans also wanted Steven Williams’ character to return in future seasons, but it never happened.

Additionally, another Redditor also theorized that Steven Williams’ busy schedule might have been a reason behind his early departure from Yellowstone. Although the Paramount show ended last year in December, Cowboy will always be one of the most intriguing mysteries in the hit Taylor Sheridan universe.

Yellowstone can be streamed on Paramount+.