An Exhaustive Breakdown of the Entire Dutton Family Tree
Yellowstone fans, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our period of indefinite hiatus is almost over. Season 5 of Yellowstone returns this Monday, followed by a sequel series titled The Madison. Though Yellowstone has had many prequel spin-offs, The Madison is set to continue the story of the Duttons past the conclusion of the flagship series. There’s just one question left: Why is the new family named Clyburn?
For the Duttons, the only thing more important than protecting the land they’ve owned for generations is family. Is that legacy coming to an end at the close of Yellowstone season 5? The Madison is reportedly set to star Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn, a woman who moves her family to Montana following her husband’s death. As you can tell, Yellowstone doesn’t always make it easy to figure out what’s going on. Sometimes we travel back in time for limited series set in 1883 and 1923. Other times, it can feel like the sheer number of Duttons isn’t that far off from House of the Dragon’s multitude of Aegons. Need some help piecing together this whole Yellowstone extended universe? We’ve got you covered.
James and Margaret Dutton
Played by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill on 1883, James and Margaret are the original patriarch and matriarch of Yellowstone’s Dutton family. A Tennessee farmer, James fought for the Confederate Army in the Civil War before making his way out west with his family. Margaret was an Army nurse. The caravan was heading to Oregon, but the Duttons had to settle in Montana after the death of their daughter, Elsa (Isabel May), who was the main narrator of 1883 and appeared via voice-over in the first episode of 1923 as well. James and Margaret also had two sons, John and Spencer.
Jacob and Cara Dutton
The starring couple of 1923, Jacob and Cara Dutton are portrayed by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. Whatever the story, in the 1890s Jacob arrived to lead the family ranch after James and Margaret passed. Jacob and Cara don’t have any children themselves, but Jacob is supposed to be the brother of James (Tim McGraw). He’s also commissioner of the Livestock Association—a position the Duttons have apparently held ever since. They now look after James and Margaret’s son John and his son, Jack.
Claire Dutton
Claire (Dawn Olivieri) is James and Jacob’s sister, who on 1883 traveled with James’s caravan headed west. After her daughter, Mary Abel, was killed outside Fort Worth, she decided to stay behind and later took her own life. Claire also tragically lost her husband and all her other children. Olivieri was later recast as Market Equities’ Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone season 5.
John Dutton
Well, after 1923’s shocking third episode, we now know why we hadn’t seen much of John (James Badge Dale) and Emma Dutton (Marley Shelton). The lead ranch manager before his death at the hands of sheep herder Banner Creighton, John was just a little kid on 1883. With his death, the connection from John Dutton Sr. to Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III becomes a bit muddied, especially since John and Emma were not shown to have had a second son yet on 1923.
Jack Dutton
Jack (Darren Mann) is the firstborn son of John and Emma Dutton. He works with his great-uncle, Jacob, on the Yellowstone ranch in 1923, as he prepares for his upcoming wedding to Elizabeth Stratford (Michelle Randolph). The family line seemed to end with Jack, but it’s entirely possible that Jack—which is sometimes a nickname for John—is actually a young John Dutton Jr./II. This popular fan theory has not been confirmed on 1923, but the death of John Dutton Sr. in episode 3 complicated the family line down to Costner’s John Dutton III.
John Dutton II
Appearing as an old man in Yellowstone flashbacks, John Dutton II is the father of John III (Kevin Costner) and presumably either John and Emma’s second son or an older Jack Dutton. According to Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, there may be some more room for John Dutton II stories in future spin-offs set in the 1940s and 1960s, when he would have been the family patriarch.
Spencer Dutton
Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) is John and Elsa’s brother on 1923 and the character who is currently hunting lions abroad. He was apparently born sometime after James and Margaret settled in Montana but was not featured as a baby on 1883. At some point, he left to fight in World War I before finding himself in Africa. As 1923 continues to get even more dire for the Duttons back on the ranch, Spencer is now on a dangerous voyage across the ocean to return home.
John Dutton III
Finally! Played by Kevin Costner, John Dutton III is the head of the family throughout Yellowstone. He’s the eventual governor of Montana and a father of four: Lee, Beth, Kayce, and (the adopted) Jamie. His wife, Evelyn, died in a horseback-riding accident. Now the patriarch of the Dutton ranch, John tries to keep hedge funds and powerful rivals from taking his generational land away from him and his children.
Lee Dutton
John Dutton III and Evelyn’s first child, Lee (Dave Annable), was killed in the first season of Yellowstone after he was shot during a confrontation with the neighbouring Broken Rock Reservation.
Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler
Beth (Kelly Reilly) is John Dutton III’s only daughter. She is a ruthless businesswoman and the wife of Rip Wheeler—John’s current Yellowstone ranch manager. Beth will do whatever it takes to protect her family and has made a sworn enemy of her adopted brother, Jamie. Rip, though married into the family, was a wayward boy whom John took under his wing. Beth and Rip have also pseudo-adopted a teenager named Carter, who works in the horse stables.
Jamie Dutton
Jamie (Wes Bentley) is the adopted son of John and Evelyn but was later disinherited after several legal battles and double crosses. His adoption was kept hidden from him until he met his biological father, Garrett Randall. Randall allegedly killed Jamie’s birth mother when Jamie was just a baby. After a turn at the end of season 4, however, Jamie is forced to kill Randall and partly rejoin the Dutton clan. Now he’s planning to impeach his adoptive father, John, and take the governorship for himself. Jamie also has a secret son, Jamie Jr., with his old campaign manager, Christina.
Kayce and Monica Dutton
John’s youngest son, Kayce, originally had a difficult relationship with his father after he left the family to marry Monica Long-Dutton, a teacher on the Broken Rock Reservation. But the two have reconciled and Kayce now lives with Monica in their own home with their son, Tate. Recently on Yellowstone, Kayce has taken after his father, becoming the new Montana livestock commissioner.
Tate Dutton
Tate, Kayce and Monica’s teenage son, is learning how to be a real cowboy. As it stands, he is the youngest member of the Dutton family set to inherit the ranch. While it’s unknown just how Yellowstone will end, the land remaining with both the Duttons and someone who is of mixed-race Native American heritage may lead to a worthwhile conclusion to the show’s family saga.
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