Revealing the Heartbreaking Truth About Colby’s Sudden Death in Yellowstone

There’s nothing worse than saying goodbye to a beloved character, and when it comes to Yellowstone, it feels like viewers haven’t been able to catch a break in terms of on-screen deaths.

The newest season began with perhaps the most jarring of them all when the Dutton family patriarch, portrayed by Kevin Costner, was revealed to have been killed.

Though his character’s death was done less as a means to progress the plot and more as a matter of necessity following Costner’s dramatic exit from the series, that didn’t make saying goodbye any easier, especially with John Dutton being such an integral part of the family unit.

As if our hearts could handle any more, fans are now mourning yet another beloved character whose untimely death has left viewers heartbroken.

Colby, played by Denim Richards, was the character who met his end in last night’s episode—and how we had to say goodbye will leave us grieving for weeks.

In Sunday evening’s episode of Yellowstone, Carter, one of the younger members of the crew who had been taken in by Beth and Rip, found himself head-to-head with a horse he was no match for, trapped in a stall with the animal.

When Colby stepped in to save the young ranch hand, the horse kicked him in the chest, killing the heroic cowboy.

Christina Voros, an executive producer on the series and director of this episode spoke with The Hollywood Reporter on why Colby’s death hit home: “In a season where there are all these twists and turns and dark forces and giant narrative swings, Colby’s death is so powerful because it’s so simple.

For anyone who really understands the lifestyle of cowboys and working with animals and the risks of the jobs—and Rip [Hauser] says it about himself—it’s a dangerous job, and this kind of thing happens and it happens in a split-second.”

She continued, “It’s the risk of the job. And especially because of the way that Colby and [ranch hand] Teeter’s [Jennifer Landon] relationship has been playing out—absence makes the heart grow fonder; and their relationship had really just begun to take root in a different way—the timing of it is just gut-wrenching.”

Don’t miss the remainder of the fifth season of Yellowstone, with new episodes airing on Sundays at 8 on Paramount.