‘Yellowstone’: Best Rip Wheeler moments

He’s John Dutton’s right-hand man, cutthroat, rugged, and the perfect mix of tall, dark, and handsome. He’s the man who stole Beth Dutton’s heart and the man you call on if you’re in any danger. He looks great in a cowboy hat and tight jeans; he’s Yellowstone‘s Rip Wheeler and the number one cowboy in all of our hearts. 

Rip first came to the Dutton Yellowstone Ranch as a kid, who had witnessed the most painful aspects of life and was more familiar with despair than anything else in the world. He was broken, and John Dutton gave him something to believe in again. More importantly, Dutton taught Wheeler to believe in himself again through hard work, tough love, and the sense of pride that comes with belonging to something bigger than himself. 

It’s been an unspoken mission for Rip to prove himself to John since his first day at the ranch, not just as an associate, but a man, as someone with gratitude and appreciation. Fans know that he never actually had to prove himself at all, but as he did, he worked his way into the hearts of Beth and John, and as Yellowstone progresses, he’s won over everyone else at the ranch, too.

Rip shines in moments where he shows off brute strength and in others when his vulnerability is on display, and while there certainly aren’t as many, we enjoy them just as much. One of the most beautiful things about the writing for Yellowstone is the multifaceted characters who have to dig into their depths to tell layered, exciting, heartwrenching stories. Cole Hauser’s Rip does that on an extraordinary level.

So from the in-your-face to the soft and sweet, here are some of Rip’s best moments. 

This Rip and Teeter moment

Rip isn’t quick to hand out mercy, in fact, it’s probably the card he uses the least, keeping it close to his chest for only the direst of circumstances. So when the girls were causing some trouble in the bunkhouse, John quickly told Rip to send them packing. Enough is going on at the ranch, too much for him to be worried about the drama caused by ranch-hand romance. Rip set the message, but it wasn’t received well by everyone, especially not by Teeter.

Teeter had recently taken the brand after suffering a brutal attack because of her affiliation with the Duttons. She dedicated herself to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch and finally felt like she belonged somewhere — she didn’t want to walk away from that.

Rip also saw the fight in Teeter and tried to plead her case to John, and luckily they could make him reconsider. When Teeter understood that Rip had put his neck out for her, the two shared a hug that really resonated with viewers. Rip stood up for the man who gave him a second chance, and he did it for her. Knowing Rip sees something worth saving in her gave her new confidence at the ranch, too. Rip made an impact at that moment, one that helped the Dutton family and the ranch as a whole.

You don’t touch a branded man

Rip is also quick to throw a punch when someone deserves it, and it’s always deserved when a person lays hands on a branded ranch hand. Jimmy was getting attacked at the very ranch he worked at by another person who worked for the Duttons; the difference was the brand.

Jimmy took the brand, thus taking the oath, and Rip knew what had to be done. Standing up for Jimmy, Rip gave Fred a taste of his own medicine. While he handed out a significant beatdown, he let Fred know that you don’t touch a branded member of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch; the brand itself means that Jimmy is untouchable.

It’s not that he’s untouchable only by those outside the ranch gates; it means that people can’t pick a fight with him just because they feel like it, even if they’re also part of Yellowstone.

That tearful moment

One of the most memorable and emotional scenes in Yellowstone history is when Rip Wheeler walks into a cabin on the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch with Beth sauntering behind him. They went to the house together after Beth read Rip a letter that said something fundamental.

The letter, written by John, mentioned that his sons were quitting or dying and that he didn’t have enough sons until he realized he did. If that’s a bit confusing, let’s put it into these terms: John had two biological sons: Kayce and Lee. Lee was killed, and Kayce vowed not to work for his father. John adopted Jamie when he was very young, but he wasn’t the kind of man who would work at the ranch for the rest of his days.

John wasn’t out of sons, though; he had Rip Wheeler, the boy who came to him as a broken young adult and worked up to the position of John’s go-to guy. The relationship between them certainly had ups and downs, but that’s always the case regarding family.

Rip walked around the cabin with tears in his eyes before finally allowing them to spill out. John saw him as a son, which was all Rip had ever really hoped for.

Taking on the biker gang

In terms of fierce moments in Yellowstone, the biker gang scene was next level. They were ready for a fight when they made their way to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch via a hole in the fence. When they were kindly asked to move across the street, they refused and picked a fight with the ranch hands who first showed up. 

It took no more than a few words for the fight to turn physical, and it was an all-out brawl until Rip showed up and mowed down the motorcycles they’d parked alongside the fence. When we say he mowed them down, it was pure destruction and lit an even bigger fire underneath them. Rip and Lloyd both walked down to where the fight was happening and started mowing the bikers down, too. 

The fight didn’t last long after Rip and Lloyd arrived on the scene and, to prove a point further, a few of the (un)lucky bikers were forced to dig their own grave so they fully understood that if Rip ever saw them again, they’d be sleeping in them. 

Rip demands attention when he walks into any room. Well, he commands it when he walks into any space at all. Those bikers have not presented a problem since that episode, and if we had to guess, we’re sure they’ve settled comfortably on the east coast, maybe dyed their hair and changed their names too, just to be safe.

It’s a surprise snake

There’s nothing we love more than the element of surprise, and Rip took full advantage of it in a scene in season 4 that fans won’t ever stop talking about — with good reason. A man named Roarke was causing problems for the Duttons, and he was behind the attack on Teeter and Colby. When Rip found out who caused harm to his ranch hands, he knew what he had to do.

Roarke was fishing; a scene fans had watched play out several times in his history on Yellowstone. When Rip approached him, he had a cooler in his hand and asked Roarke if it was his, not stopping to wait for an answer, instead heading to where he was fishing with a quick pace. 

Roarke said it wasn’t, but he knew something was wrong as he saw Rip continue his descent towards him. He tried to turn around and face Rip to figure out what was happening, but it was too late. Rip held the cooler out after shaking it up, and when he pushed it open, a snake popped out and bit Roarke right in the face. 

Roarke would succumb to his injury and the snake’s venom, with Rip sending another person who had wronged the Duttons to their final resting place. 

The wedding that could only happen in Yellowstone

Finally, our favorite Rip moment happened at the end of season 4, and it will be hard to top. Rip has done many incredible things during his time at the ranch, fighting harsh battles and loving with all the ferocity he’s got. He brings the heat in more ways than one, and he’s unique, strong, and resilient.

Another thing Rip is? A married man. He wed the love of his life, Beth Dutton, after loving her for most of his life. The wedding was quick, beautiful, and sentimental; exactly what worked for the two of them. John asked Beth to allow him to do something more, to do it “right” in the future, and we’re sure we’ll get a Rip and Beth 2.0 ceremony soon, but this one was special.

Rip and Beth have a love that’s not conventional; it doesn’t follow standards that love sets or that people try to set for love. It is fire, and it warms as often as it blazes; it is so beautiful that it brings a tear to your eyes, and their love overcomes.

With paths meant to cross, Rip and Beth have a love that will always win, come out on top, and survive.

Rip Wheeler is a force to be reckoned with and the kind of passionate that the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch needs. With the first four seasons of Yellowstone streaming now on Peacock, you can see all of his greatest moments so far.