Character Relationship Map: Wild Bill

Characters

• Wild Bill Hickok (played by Jeff Bridges) — protagonist

  The legendary gunslinger and former deputy marshal, whose declining eyesight and string of misfortunes lead him to retire from law enforcement. He struggles with his violent past, reconciles with old...

• Calamity Jane (played by Ellen Barkin) — protagonist

  A close friend and romantic partner of Bill Hickok who mourns his death and reunites with him in Deadwood. She shares intimate moments with him, confronts his emotional withdrawal, and ultimately assi...

• Charley Prince (played by John Hurt) — supporting

  Bill Hickok's loyal friend and confidant who narrates the story at the funeral. He accompanies Bill to Deadwood, attempts to mediate conflicts with Jack McCall, and stands by Bill during his final mom...

• Susannah Moore (played by Diane Lane) — supporting

  The mother of Jack McCall and a woman from Bill Hickok's past. After Bill's brother was killed, she married another man who stole Bill's watch. Bill kills the man in self-defense, traumatizing young J...

• Buffalo Bill Cody (played by Keith Carradine) — supporting

  The famous showman whose Wild West touring show employs Bill Hickok as an actor and trick shooter. Bill eventually leaves the troupe after being diagnosed with glaucoma, which threatens his marksmansh...

• Jack McCall (played by David Arquette) — supporting

  A volatile drifter seeking revenge against Bill Hickok for mistreating his mother, Susannah. He attempts to ambush Bill multiple times, eventually succeeds in assassinating him with a derringer after...

• California Joe (played by James Gammon) — supporting

  A close friend and companion of Bill Hickok. He serves as an interpreter during an early confrontation with an Indian warrior and later recounts exaggerated stories of Bill's exploits in town, unaware...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Jack McCall → Susannah Moore (Family Son) — Jack's relationship with his mother motivates his revenge against Bill.

  Jack identifies Susannah Moore as his mother and says Bill mistreated her.

• Wild Bill Hickok → Susannah Moore (Romantic Past Attachment) — Susannah remains a painful figure from Bill's past.

  Bill reminisces about the night he met Susannah and later visits her after she has entered a mental hospital.

• Wild Bill Hickok → Calamity Jane (Romantic Partner) — They share an intimate but emotionally strained romantic relationship.

  Bill reunites with Jane in Deadwood, shares a bath with her, and later has sex with her in the empty saloon.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Jack McCall → Buffalo Bill Cody (related)
• California Joe → Wild Bill Hickok (related)
• Jack McCall → Calamity Jane (related)
• Buffalo Bill Cody → Calamity Jane (related)
• Wild Bill Hickok → Buffalo Bill Cody (related)
• California Joe → Buffalo Bill Cody (related)
• California Joe → Calamity Jane (related)
• Charley Prince → Jack McCall (Alliance Mediator) — Charley attempts to reduce the hostility between Jack and Bill.

  Charley tries to apologize for Bill and later intervenes when Jack offers Bill a humiliating suicide attempt.

• Wild Bill Hickok → Jack McCall (Conflict Avenger's Target) — Jack's revenge campaign drives the film's central conflict.

  Jack declares that he will kill Bill and later assassinates him with a hidden derringer.

• Wild Bill Hickok → Charley Prince (Social Loyal Friend) — Charley is Bill's loyal friend and confidant.

  Charley accompanies Bill to Deadwood, narrates Bill's story at the funeral, and says he was honored to be Bill's friend.

Story Analysis

A legendary gunfighter confronts the violence, guilt, failing eyesight, and unresolved relationships that lead to his assassination.

Plot Progression

1. A Legend Built On Violence — The funeral introduces Bill's final days through Charley's recollections. Flashbacks reveal Bill's violent instincts, his law career, and the consequences of his shootings.
2. The Marshal Loses His Sight — Bill accidentally kills a fellow lawman and leaves the profession. He performs in a Wild West show until glaucoma threatens the eyesight that supports his identity as a shooter.
3. Deadwood And Old Wounds — After killing Will Plummer, Bill reaches Deadwood with Charley and reunites with Jane. Jack publicly declares his intention to kill Bill, turning Bill's arrival into a new threat.
4. Revenge From The Past — Bill's opium use and troubled memories expose the emotional damage beneath his reputation. Jack explains that his revenge is connected to Susannah and a killing witnessed in Jack's childhood.
5. The Last Saloon — Jack's posse captures Bill, Jane, and Charley, but Bill survives the attempted humiliation and launches a counterattack. Jack then returns with Bill to the saloon and completes the assassination.