Character Relationship Map: Jonah Hex

Characters

• Jonah Hex (played by Josh Brolin) — protagonist

  A scarred Confederate veteran turned bounty hunter who can communicate with the dead after being healed by the Crow people. Driven by a quest for revenge, he is recruited by the government to stop a c...

• Turnbull (played by John Malkovich) — protagonist

  A ruthless former Confederate colonel and the primary antagonist. He faked his death, hijacked a train to steal an experimental weapon, and plans to attack the U.S. capital for revenge.

• Burke (played by Michael Fassbender) — supporting

  A brutal henchman who worked for Turnbull and participated in the massacre of Hex's family. He is tasked with kidnapping Leila and is ultimately killed by Hex.

• Lieutenant Grass (played by Will Arnett) — supporting

  An Army lieutenant commissioned by President Grant to locate and hire Jonah Hex. He leads a crew that is ultimately destroyed by Turnbull's experimental weapon.

• Ulysses S. Grant (played by Aidan Quinn) — supporting

  The President of the United States who recognizes the threat of Turnbull's stolen weapon. He pardons Hex, tasks him with stopping the attack, and later offers him a position.

Canonical Relationships

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

• Ulysses S. Grant → Jonah Hex (Professional Patron And Agent) — Grant treats Jonah as an exceptional government agent and later offers him official authority.

  Grant has Grass hire Jonah to stop Turnbull, then rewards Jonah with a large payment and offers him the position of Sheriff of the United States.

• Lieutenant Grass → Ulysses S. Grant (Professional Commissioned Officer) — Grass acts under Grant's authority during the national crisis.

  President Grant commissions Lieutenant Grass to locate and hire Jonah Hex.

• Jonah Hex → Lieutenant Grass (Professional Government Recruit And Contractor) — Grass recruits Jonah for the government's emergency mission.

  President Grant instructs Lieutenant Grass to find and hire Jonah Hex to track down and stop Turnbull.

• Turnbull → Burke (Professional Commander And Henchman) — Burke serves as Turnbull's trusted operative for personal missions.

  Turnbull orders Burke to track down something Jonah loves and bring it to him. Burke carries out the order by kidnapping Jonah's companion.

Story Dynamics

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

• Turnbull → Ulysses S. Grant (Conflict Political Enemy) — Turnbull's revenge campaign escalates into an attack on the United States leadership.

  Turnbull rebuilds the experimental weapon and begins an attack on Washington, D.C., directly threatening Grant's government.

• Jonah Hex → Burke (Conflict Enemy) — Burke is a direct personal enemy and one of Turnbull's most dangerous agents.

  Burke helped kill Jonah Hex's family, kidnaps the woman Jonah loves, and is ultimately killed by Jonah aboard the ironclad.

• Jonah Hex → Turnbull (Conflict Arch Enemy) — Their personal vendetta drives Jonah's pursuit of Turnbull and culminates in their final confrontation.

  Turnbull kills Jonah Hex's family and brands his face after Jonah kills Turnbull's son during the war. Jonah later pursues Turnbull after learning tha...

Story Analysis

A scarred bounty hunter confronts the man who destroyed his family while stopping a weaponized revenge campaign against the United States.

Plot Progression

1. A Scarred Vengeance — Jonah Hex refuses a wartime atrocity, kills his best friend in self-defense, and suffers the destruction of his family. After supernatural healing, he becomes a bounty hunter while Turnbull hides his...
2. The Weapon's Shadow — Turnbull steals components for an experimental weapon and prepares an attack on the United States. Grant sends Grass to recruit Jonah after learning that Turnbull is alive.
3. Speaking with the Dead — Jonah uses his supernatural ability to obtain clues from the dead and confronts Turnbull's former network. A conversation at a grave reveals the location of Turnbull's fort.
4. Fire Across Georgia — Jonah is shot during an assault on the fort and returns to the Crow people for healing. Turnbull abducts Jonah's loved one and proves the weapon's power by destroying a town.
5. The Ironclad Reckoning — Jonah infiltrates the ironclad while Grass brings military support. After Turnbull destroys the backup, Jonah jams the weapon, traps Turnbull, and escapes the explosion.
6. A Quiet Departure — Grant pardons and rewards Jonah but cannot persuade him to become a national sheriff. Jonah visits his friend's grave, offers an apology, and rides away.