The Magnificent Seven is one of the most important Westerns ever made, but the fate of each of its eponymous heroes isn’t something most might be aware of. Directed by Don Sturges, the 1960 film centers on a small town that is defended by an eclectic group of seven gunslingers from an overwhelming force of nasty bandits, a clear adaptation of the Akira Kurosawa classic Seven Samurai. The film itself has become iterated upon in turn, inspiring everything from the 2016 remake of the same name to Disney Pixar’s A Bug’s Life.

Of course, the primary appeal to The Magnificent Seven is the dynamic of the various guns-for-hire that defend the Mexican village, hailing from all sorts of different walks of life. The star-studded ensemble includes Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn, and is one of the best movies of Yul Brynner, who plays the lead. The fate of most of these men is laid out plainly in the film itself, but some of their stories continue to unfold in the lesser-known sequels.

7

Chris Adams

Eventually Settles Down In A Mexican Border Town

The lead of The Magnificent Seven is Yul Brynner’s Chris Adams, a Cajun gunslinger who first receives the call from a poor Mexican village to ᴀssemble a team of fighters capable of standing up to the vicious bandits. The equivalent of Kambei from Seven Samurai, Chris is the veteran, leader, and initial organizer of the тιтular group of gunslingers, sticking to his own personal moral code despite everything. Despite his all-black outfit and mercenary reputation, Chris is actually quite the altruistic fellow, defending the weak even when it isn’t convenient.

Despite being one of Yul Brynner’s best characters, Brynner only returned for the first of the four sequels, allowing the role to pᴀss on to George Kennedy and then Lee Van Cleef. In the following three films, Chris saves Chico from being kidnapped, frees an imprisoned revolutionary, and even gets married, though his wife is cruelly killed by the final film’s villain. Each time he rides, he ᴀssembles a new ragtag team of gunslingers to help him. Eventually, Chris ends his adventures by settling down in Magdalena, Mexico.

6

Chico

Chooses A Quiet, Simple Life

The young rookie of the group, Chico is a fiery cowboy with a burning desire to become a gunslinger just like his idol, Chris. Though he’s spurned from joining Chris’ crew several times, Chris eventually relents, impressed by his unwavering persistence and dedication. Chico makes a few costly mistakes along the way, being new to the life of a gun-for-hire, but eventually settles into the life he always wanted, being one of the three final men of the initial seven to make it to the end credits.

At the end of the film, Chico decides the life of a mercenary isn’t for him after all, and settles down to become a farmer. In the first sequel, Return of the Seven, Chico is kidnapped by a new Mexican gang, one of many strapping young males forced into slave labor, rebuilding an entire town in remembrance of a wealthy rancher’s ᴅᴇᴀᴅ children. The film ends with Chico once again choosing to opt for a simple life as a frontier villager, now living in the town of Lorca. He doesn’t appear again in the following two movies.

5

Vin Tanner

Survives Two Films, But Dissappears Between The Second And Third

One of the most down-on-his-luck members of the original group of seven, perhaps the most desperate for the meager money the village can offer for their protection, is Vin Tanner. A wandering drifter, gambler, and all-around cynical jokester, Vin Tanner is quietly the most ᴅᴇᴀᴅly of the seven, racking up the highest bandit kill count of the original group at 13. Having lost everything in games of chance, Vin’s luck turns around when he’s one of the only three to survive the final gunfight alongside Chico and Chris.

Despite how amazing he is in the role, Vin stops being a Steve McQueen character in the first sequel, where he’s replaced by Robert Fuller. Vin accompanies Chris to free Chico and ᴀssemble a new motley group of quick-drawing mercenaries, once again managing to count himself among the few survivors of the chaos. Though he rides off into the sunset with Chris in Return of the Seven, he doesn’t appear in Guns of the Magnificent Seven, leaving his ultimate fate unknown.

4

Lee

Goes Out In A Blaze Of Glory

Most stock Western protagonists tend to have nerves of steel, being cocksure of their abilities with a pistol and refusing to flinch, even when staring down the barrel of an enemy six-shooter. The same can’t be said for Lee, the cowardly veteran gunslinger recruited by Chris. Interestingly, despite being very adept with a gun, Lee is introduced as a fearsome gunfighter whose ghastly reputation has led him to no end of danger, shattering his nerves over the years.

Despite his latent trauma from years of people trying to pick fights with him to knock him off his pedestal as one of the most feared guns in the West, Lee manages to overcome his fear and expose himself to the bandits. Giving up the chance to run away with his life, Lee pops out of cover and goes out in a blaze of glory, taking many criminal killers out along with him. Though it costs him his life, Lee’s redemption is a satisfying conclusion to his unique arc.

3

Bernando O’Reilly

Dies Protecting His Admirers

Alongside Vin, Bernando O’Reilly, played by Charles Bronson, is perhaps the most unfortunate member of the original seven, joining out of a matter of circumstance for the money. Introduced as a salt-of-the-earth Irish-Mexican worker earnestly chopping wood, Bernando’s dry sense of humor and skill earn him a group of young admirers, despite his own annoyance. Something of the sniper of the seven, Bernando usually takes a perch on a roof with a rifle during the action.

However, Bernando is also arguably the heart of the group, being the one to suggest that the gunslingers share their meatier meals with the townsfolk. Though he only joins the fight for the pay, Bernando ends up proving that while he may be poor, he has a heart of gold. He dies protecting his young fan club from the guns of the bandits, with the cadre of children giving away his position in the first place.

2

Harry Luck

Doesn’t Live Up To His Last Name

While Bernando O’Reilly might need the money the most out of the seven, Harry Luck is easily the greediest member of the bunch. A soldier of fortune, treasure hunter, and known ᴀssociate of Chris, Harry’s recruitment is a fascinating premise for the film to explore. Though he isn’t moved by the paltry sum of money the villagers are able to promise, he remains in the action anyway, convinced that the only reason the other gunslingers are be willing to take on the job is because of some hidden reward.

For brief moment, it seems as though Harry’s greed gets the better of him, as he realizes that his fellow gunslingers are only there out of a combination of pure altruism and pure desperation. However, he eventually has a change of heart, charging back into the fray with a smile on his face. Sadly, no good deed goes unpunished, and Harry is murdered for his trouble.

1

Britt

Dies Before He Can Use His Prized Knife

Easily the scariest member of the seven, Britt is in convinced to join in the action for the sheer thrill of it, hoping to hone his skills with a knife and a gun even further in the mismatched battle. Mysteriously recruited by Chris with a haunting reputation, the quiet cowboy is unparalleled in skill with both a gun and a knife, which he hopes to use to carve through the bandits.

Sadly, before he can get the chance, Britt is slain by the retreating bandits once their leader, Calvera, is killed. In an attempt to draw his knife, Britt is sH๏τ by the fleeing gangsters, his knife sticking uselessly into the wall in front of him. Britt is an effortlessly cool character, but his ultimate fate proves the age-old adage about bringing a knife to a gunfight. Still, he truly rounds out The Magnificent Seven with his looming, quiet presence.