After 1923 season 2’s finale wrapped up the 1920s Dutton saga in April 2025, all the current Yellowstone shows have ended. Kevin Costner’s series concluded without him last year, with Yellowstone season 5’s finale wrapping up loose ends for Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) after their father’s death. The Yellowstone franchise now has three robust finales and three robust endings, but only one saved us the grief of seeing a beloved character pass on in the finale.

Our Favorite Yellowstone Characters Survived The Season 5 & Series Finale

Beth, Kayce, and Rip All Survive Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2

No matter which Dutton is the most likable in your book, it’s probably true that your favorite family member survived Yellowstone’s series finale, if they were alive at the beginning of it. Of course, fan-favorite character and the show’s heartbeat, John Dutton, didn’t survive to the end of the series. John had already passed in Yellowstone season 5, episode 9, the premiere of the second half of the final season. Whether you prefer Beth, Kayce, or maybe even Rip (Cole Hauser), the next generation of Dutton ranchers endured, allowing their stories to continue.

1883’s Finale Killed Off The Best Dutton

Elsa Dies At The End Of 1883

Yellowstone’s finale contrasts with the end of Taylor Sheridan’s other series. At the end of 1883, we witness the loss of Elsa Dutton (Isabel May), perhaps the best Dutton ever to grace Montana. Elsa Dutton spearheads the earliest-set Yellowstone prequel, which witnesses the oldest members of the Dutton family tree make a northwest journey along the Oregon Trail to Montana. Elsa is the series’ narrator, and audiences get to know the character intimately, since her narration is filled with insights into her rapidly changing worldview.

1923’s Finale Killed Off The Dutton We Wanted To See Survive

Alex Dutton Dies At The End Of 1923

Similarly, we lose Alex Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) at the end of 1923 season 2, and she’s the Dutton that we most wanted to see survive. Alex witnesses horror after horror on her journey through America, braving the worst to reunite with her husband, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar), and bring him the child she is carrying. While Alex Dutton does make it to Montana in the end, serendipitously reuniting with her husband after flagging down his train, Alex dies of complications from hypothermia, a condition she incurred spending too much time in the unforgiving winter of 1924.

Yellowstone is a neo-Western drama series created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, centered on the Dutton family and their fight to protect the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch from various adversaries, including land developers and nearby reservations. Premiering in 2018 on Paramount Network, the show has been praised for its depiction of power struggles, family loyalty, and rural conflicts. It has expanded into a franchise with spin-offs such as 1883 and 1923, and an upcoming sequel series is in development.