How Will Yellowstone Write Out John Dutton?

The Easiest Way Would Be For Cancer To Finally Get Him!

It’s likely that John Dutton will be killed off, as that’s the only ending that makes sense for his character. John is not the type to run away and leave his family to deal with a mess on their own; thus, he will have to die at the end of season 5. John’s death will open story possibilities for season 6 as his children and grandchildren struggle to deal with their grief while having to make decisions about the future of the ranch now that he’s gone.

John could be killed in a shootout, considering how many enemies he’s made and how often violence erupts between the ranch residents and others in the area. However, it would make more sense for Yellowstone to end his story via his cancer returning. That would bookend the five seasons nicely since John’s cancer was first diagnosed in season 1, and it would also be interesting to see how Beth’s reaction to his actual death differs from her grief when she merely believed he was dying at the end of season 1.