10 Best Western Shows Streaming On Netflix Right Now

In recent years, thanks to the many series and spin-offs of the "Yellowstone" universe, Paramount+ has been the go-to streaming service for fans of Western TV shows. And certainly, the various shows of creator Taylor Sheridan has encompassed some of the best — or at the very least, most popular — Western television in the last 10 years or so.

But what if you like Western shows and don't have Paramount+? Or you're just looking for more Western series to watch in general, and it isn't even necessarily about what streaming service they're on? Given that it's still the most popular streaming service, there's a pretty good chance you are a Netflix subscriber. Luckily, Netflix offers some fantastic Western series that should keep you well occupied until the next season of your "Yellowstone" universe show of choice is released.

All shows on this list are either Netflix originals or are currently available to stream on the platform (with no current announcements as to their impending removal from Netflix).

One of the few entries on this list that isn't a Netflix original, "Dark Winds" has been airing on AMC since 2022. Not only is it one of the best Western series on both TV and streaming right now — with its fourth season right around the corner — it's also one of the best crime shows on Netflix.

The history of Westerns is unfortunately clouded by racism, especially against Native Americans. When there was an "Indian" in an old Western, it was usually to be the one-note villain who needed to be bested by the hero cowboy. That makes "Dark Winds" an important entry into the Western canon, as it follows a group of Navajo Tribal Police officers as they investigate a spate of crimes that are occurring on Navajo Nation land.

Combining elements of Western dramas, hard-boiled police procedurals, and a much-needed deep dive into Native American culture and history, "Dark Winds" is one of the best shows currently on TV, much less of any genre.

• Creator: Graham Roland
• Cast: Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten
• Number of episodes: 20
• Original release year: 2022

Back in the day, when a documentary series would attempt dramatic reenactments, the results were often slapdash and cheesy. Fortunately, things have gotten a lot better in that regard, and people are realizing that there's value to actually putting some time, effort, and expense into said reenactments.

Case in point, the Netflix documentary miniseries "Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War." Narrated by Ed Harris and featuring interviews with historians and other experts, the series centers on the violent feud between the titular lawman (Tim Fellingham) and notorious outlaw Ike Clanton (Jack Gordon). "Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War" showcases well-produced scenes that look good enough to be clips from a full-on prestige Western drama series.

While some might have just preferred a more traditional series, in the vein of something like History Channel's 2012 "Hatfields and McCoys" miniseries, the documentary aspect keeps "Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War" more focused and grounded in the facts. There is plenty of revisionist history among Westerns, and that's fun and all — but it's nice to know the real story, too.

• Creators: Patrick Reams, Stephen David, Henry Fitzherbert
• Cast: Tim Fellingham, Ariel Eliaz, Ed Harris
• Number of episodes: 6
• Original release year: 2024

Another Netflix Western miniseries that dramatizes historical events, "American Primeval" is much more interested in being entertaining than being accurate. It takes place during the Utah War in the 1850s, when the U.S. government tried to seize territory from the Mormon settlers. The settlers fought back, and a brutal war erupted. The conflict resulted in over 150 deaths.

Indeed, "American Primeval" has been fact-checked by various experts, who have been keen to focus on all the things the show either exaggerates or outright invents about the people and events at hand. But the producers themselves, while insisting they did in fact do extensive research (and hired consultants), have seen fit to remind everyone that "American Primeval" is indeed a work of fiction. It doesn't pretend to be otherwise.

Most people who watch Westerns aren't sticklers for extreme adherence to historical accuracy anyway, so that's likely not a dealbreaker here. And with that in mind, "American Primeval" is an extremely well-made epic that doesn't pull any punches in terms of violence or tragedy in its telling of this lesser-known American skirmish.

• Creator: Mark L. Smith
• Cast: Taylor Kitsch, Betty Gilpin, Dane DeHaan
• Number of episodes: 6
• Original release year: 2025

"Ransom Canyon" has been referred to as Netflix's answer to "Yellowstone" by Netflix itself, so the streamer isn't even trying to hide the fact that it wants to jump on that bandwagon. And hey, look at that, we have a rare example of using the idiom "jump on the bandwagon" in a way that's actually directly fitting the topic it is referring to.

In referencing "Yellowstone," Netflix also said that "Ransom Canyon" draws from its own series, "Virgin River," which definitely feels a bit more accurate. While definitely trafficking heavily in typical Western themes and motifs, "Ransom Canyon" is, above all else, a romantic drama. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as love stories have often been a key component of the genre. Plus, not every Western needs to be all shootouts and stagecoach robberies.

If you like your Westerns to focus on soapy melodrama and don't mind if the bulk of the "action" comes by way of people making out, "Ransom Canyon" might make for the perfect lower-stakes alternative in this sometimes overly serious genre.

• Creator: April Blair
• Cast: Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, Eoin Macken
• Number of episodes: 10
• Original release year: 2025

Not all Westerns need to specifically be about the American West. Many countries had their own periods that were very similar to our era of dusty trails and hard-bitten rogues, with people fighting comparable battles. Enter "Song of the Bandits," a K-drama and Western hybrid that centers on a particularly violent period of Japan's occupation of Korea in the 1920s.

Perhaps not surprisingly, where "Song of the Bandits" really excels — and bests most of its peers in the Western-styled genre of any country — is in its action scenes. Mixing traditional firearm shootouts and gunplay on horseback with more elaborately staged, martial arts-tinged fisticuffs gives the action set pieces in "Song of the Bandits" a level of exhilarating flair that the often slow-paced duels of many Western shows just can't match.

That being said, don't think this show is all style and no substance. The story here is legitimately great, and its incredible lead actor, Kim Nam-gil, could very well be South Korea's next worldwide breakout star.

• Creator: Han Jung-hoon
• Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun, Yoo Jae-myung
• Number of episodes: 9
• Original release year: 2023

This one flew under the radar a bit when it hit Netflix in 2024, but it didn't deserve to. As the Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus reads, "A down and dirty neo-Western set Down Under, 'Territory”s outlandish twists and cultural specificity make for compulsively watchable television," alongside a strong 87% rating.

Australian Westerns — sometimes affectionately referred to as "meat pie Westerns" – don't always get a lot of attention outside of their native land. That's too bad, considering the continent has produced some great additions to the genre, even if roughly half of them are about the notorious historical figure, Ned Kelly. But "Territory" is not! In fact, it is a wholly original story about the fictional Marianne Station and the family that has overseen it for many generations.

Drawing favorable comparisons to not only "Yellowstone" but also HBO's "Succession," much of the conflict comes by way of who is going to take over the station when the previously assumed next-in-line son dies. Unfortunately, "Territory" only got one season. But boy, does that season pack a punch.

• Creators: Ben Davies, Timothy Lee
• Cast: Anna Torv, Michael Dorman, Robert Taylor
• Number of episodes: 6
• Original release year: 2024

We have to admit that we are among the outliers in our praise of "The Abandons," the troubled Western that Netflix seemed to almost begrudgingly push out the door after its creator, Kurt Sutter, ditched it before production on Season 1 was even completed.

But in the review of "The Abandons" for Looper, critic Audrey Fox gave it an 8/10 and gushed that the show "stands up against the best that the Western TV genre has to offer, and for our money, it can go toe-to-toe with the expanded 'Yellowstone' universe." We'll stand by that assessment wholeheartedly.

Set in the Washington Territory at the end of the 19th century, the series focuses on the ongoing battle between a modest farmer and the mining magnate that wants the farmer's land. One of the things that sets "The Abandons" apart is that both of these people are women, and you'd be hard pressed to find another Western series where the main protagonist and the main villain are both women. Come for the feminism, but stay for a gritty, action-packed Western that, unfortunately, will probably only ever get this one season.

• Creator: Kurt Sutter
• Cast: Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson, Nick Robinson
• Number of episodes: 7
• Original release year: 2025

If you're Canadian, then you are definitely already aware of "Heartland," the Western family drama about a girl who rides and raises horses on her family's ranch. And considering it has been on the air for 19 seasons and counting, there's also a pretty good chance you've watched it at some point.

We obviously don't need to convince anyone of the popularity of a show that's been around for as long as Netflix has even offered streaming. "Heartland" has racked up numerous awards over its run, and has retained strong ratings on Canadian television. But it doesn't only have a following in its native country. It was one of the top 15 most streamed shows in the United States in 2022, at one point even besting perennial favorite "Friends" on that same list.

It should go without saying, but "Heartland" isn't for those who want gritty, edgy, or action-packed depictions of the Western lifestyle. If you're looking for a Western to watch with the whole family, however, it's the ace-high of this list.

• Creator: Murray Shostak
• Cast: Amber Marshall, Michelle Morgan, Shaun Johnston
• Number of episodes: 279
• Original release year: 2007

Obviously, the original anime series "Cowboy Bebop" is the superior version. And if even if you aren't typically an anime fan but you love Westerns, you might be surprised at how much you enjoy it the original. Unfortunately, it's not currently streaming on Netflix.

Instead, Netflix subscribers can check out the 2021 live-action remake of "Cowboy Bebop," which was watched for a staggering amount of time when it first hit the service. It follows a trio of bounty hunters who travel through space looking for intergalactic criminals. While inferior to the source material, it does serve as a potentially more palatable gateway into the franchise for those that aren't anime watchers.

Anime can be kind of a lot until you get used to it, so shows like this are a great place to start. If you're a fan of "Firefly," meaning you're a fan of the fun sub-genre known as "space Westerns," then you will very likely get a kick out of "Cowboy Bebop" — especially while "Firefly" is on one of its breaks from Netflix availability, as is currently the case.

• Creator: Christopher Yost
• Cast: John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, Danielle Pineda
• Number of episodes: 10
• Original release year: 2021

One of the best modern TV Westerns ever is the Netflix miniseries "Godless." The show is sometimes overlooked in recent discussions of the genre: It came out way back in 2017, which might as well be 1917 in the world of single-season streaming shows. But "Godless" got more recognition from the Primetime Emmys than any other show on this list — and more than "Yellowstone," for the record — with 3 wins from 12 nominations.

The story revolves around a town that has to prepare for the impending arrival of a dangerous gang who is coming for a former rival that has taken refuge there. The town happens to be heavily inhabited by women, making the ensemble of "Godless" primarily female, which remains far too rare in the genre.

That fact was called out by the glowing Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus for the series, which reads, "Vistas and violence root 'Godless' firmly in traditional Western territory, but its female-driven ensemble sets it apart in a male-dominated genre."

• Creator: Scott Frank
• Cast: Jack O'Connell, Michelle Dockery, Scoot McNairy
• Number of episodes: 7
• Original release year: 2017