John Dutton (Kevin Costner) will soon be leaving Yellowstone,

but this isn’t entirely bad news, considering one harsh reality

about his rolein the modern Western. Yellowstone tells the epic

story of John’s fight to preserve the family ranch and his willingness to sacrifice anyone and everything to get what he wants, while simultaneously facing his own mortality after his colon cancer appeared to have returned in

season 2 and his enemies turned violent in season 3. It also includes several other ongoing stories that Yellowstone needs to wrap up before season 5 ends.

Kevin Costner decided to leave Yellowstone ahead of the second half of season 5, which means that John will soon have to be written out. Season 5 is thus expected to be the end of Yellowstone, as the neo-Western has revolved around John’s choices since it began. However, John is merely the head of the Dutton family, which will survive long after John is no longer around to dictate the way it handles conflicts. This fact may be

John Dutton was inarguably a powerhouse during the first few seasons of Yellowstone, and the series would not have been nearly as interesting or successful had he died during his cancer scare in season 2. During the early episodes, his relationships with his children were still being established, and Beth’s closeness and desire to please him added another layer to her character and helped explain her sibling rivalry with Jamie. John had his fingerprints on everyone’s storyline in those years, from Kayce and Monica’s relationship to Beth’s alcoholism, making him an indispensable character.

However, in recent years, John’s stories have not been nearly as interesting as other characters, and the series seemed to be preparing for his death and for the next generation to take over even before Costner announced his retirement from Yellowstone. Beth and Rip’s awkward attempt to foster orphan Fin has been a fantastic story that has triggered Beth’s fear of Rip learning that her sterility comes from the botched abortion of his child when they were young, and Jamie’s difficulty deciding whether he wants to embrace his dark side or continue following the rules has been equally compelling.

John’s stories have been less interesting since he slept with Summer, which seemed like a cheap way to ramp up Beth’s hatred of her rather than true to John’s character

Kayce has also had an interesting story in which he is trying to figure out his purpose in the world and has turned to Monica’s family for help determining who he is supposed to be. However, John’s stories have been less interesting since he slept with Summer, which seemed like a cheap way to ramp up Beth’s hatred of her rather than true to John’s character. Additionally, John’s latest attempt to hold onto the ranch is more Beth’s story than his, with Beth working for the developers who want to buy the land in order to sabotage their efforts.

The range of stories for the next generation of Duttons suggests that John is not needed for the series to continue. Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are confirmed for Yellowstone season 6, proving there is more story for Beth and Rip, and it’s likely that Beth and Jamie’s sibling war will continue even after John is no longer part of the series. Additionally, there are even more storyline possibilities for Kayce and Monica now that Tate is a teenager, as their son will have to decide whether to embrace his Dutton heritage.

John will no longer be around to call the shots, which will undoubtedly lead to conflicts over how to proceed with ranch business and fights over what each of the children thinks John would have wanted.

In some ways, the series will be strengthened by John’s absence. Each of the Dutton children will have to deal with it. Beth and Jamie are both likely to go off the rails, intensifying their hatred of each other beyond maximum levels, and there’s no telling how grief will affect Kayce and his family. Additionally, John will no longer be around to call the shots, which will undoubtedly lead to conflicts over how to proceed with ranch business and fights over what each of the children thinks John would have wanted.

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.