History Main / FastestGunInTheWest

* PlayedWith in ''Literature/RiverOfTeeth''. During their introductions round in the Harriet Inn, Houndstooth introduces Cal Hotchkiss as the "fastest gun in the West" to the rest of their CaperCrew, only for Cal to insist that he's the fastest gun ''anywhere''. When Cal then immediately questions why Houndstooth is the boss, Houndstooth deals with him faster than Cal can blink, establishing who really is the fastest anything anywhere.

* Marty [=McFly's=] skill at the arcade title "Wild Gunman" translates to actual gunfighting in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII''.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "A Fistful of Datas", some of the bridge crew (minus Data who is linked into the holodeck) are trapped in a holodeck version of the wild west, where everyone is Data, with his superhuman speed and reflexes. So they are all the fastest guns in The West, and the crew must NOT get into any gunplay, as, per usual, the safeties are off.

It should also be noted that being the fastest gun in the west is rarely much help if said character is somehow caught off guard. It hardly matters if one can draw faster than one can blink, it's of no use if one never sees the threat coming. Many a lightning-fast gunslinger meets their end by a bullet InTheBack rather than a ShowdownAtHighNoon.

* The title character of ''ComicBook/LuckyLuke'', who, as pictured in the page image, is faster than his own shadow. Fortunately for his enemies, he is also quite a fan of BlastingItOutOfTheirHands. He takes this one step further, apparently able to ''reload'' faster than his own shadow too.

** A third (though [[ComicBook/LuckyLuke not invented by them]]) with ''WesternAnimation/{{Lucky Luke|1983}}'', who shoots faster than his own shadow.

** WesternAnimation/QuickDrawMcGraw is billed as the fastest gun in the west. That he is, but he just doesn't know where to aim it.
** WesternAnimation/HuckleberryHound appeared in a cartoon where he's the fastest gun. Trouble is, nobody will socialize with him from intimidation. When Huck bests an outlaw aiming for the title of fastest gun, he offers to surrender his title and guns and give it to the outlaw.

* ComicBook/TexWiller is incredibly fast, to the point the only one who could beat him had a trick holster that allowed to shoot without drawing... And Tex, having been shot in the right arm, challenged him again and won with his off hand ''[[RatedMForManly before going to be cured]]''.

* Most blaster fights in ''Anime/{{Leijiverse}}'' end in seconds, with Cosmo Dragoon holders (Anime/CaptainHarlock, Anime/QueenEmeraldas, and sometimes [[Manga/GalaxyExpress999 Tetsuro]]) being TheDreaded for having the fastest draw.

* ''Justice Riders'', an {{Elseworld}} with Western versions of the ''ComicBook/JusticeLeague'', had, of course, [[ComicBook/TheFlash Wallace "Kid Flash" West]] as the fastest gun in the West.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' introduced the Duros bounty hunter Cad Bane who became the galaxy's top bounty hunter during the titular conflict following the death of Jango Fett. Taking the bounty hunter Western-motif up to eleven, he is consistently depicted as the single greatest quick-draw artist in the galaxy. Bane gets into numerous standoff duels over multiple series and has yet to lose a single one. Even in ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'', where he is well into [[OldMaster his old age]] he bests both Cobb Vanth and his deputy at the same time and later easily out-draws Boba Fett despite the latter already having his weapon out.

This character can be a {{hero|es}} or a {{villain|s}}. The heroic type won't bring out his guns unless absolutely necessary, and then only to bring down an {{outlaw}} or {{bandito}}. The villain is a sneaky bastard who just loves shootin' an' killin', but may be brought low by TheHero's resourcefulness.

* The title character star of ''[[ShowWithinAShow Woody's Roundup]]'' of ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory'' is repeatedly described as such. Woody the toy never uses any kind of gun, and early in the first film he is defeated ''by an Etch-a-Sketch''.

* A variation appears in ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'': In the "Maxim buys a hat"-arc, Maxim manages to [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable Defeat The Undefeatable]] and make off with [[TheDreaded Old Man Death's]] NiceHat. Fast forward a few books, and it turns out the list of Jägers trying to take the hat off Maxim has over three hundred names on it.

[[caption-width-right:350:Lucky Luke proving the rumor about him outdrawing his own shadow is NotHyperbole.]]

* ''Radio/TheSixShooter'': Although Britt Ponset always tries to play down his skill as a gunman, he is known throughout the west. In "The Stampede", one character describes as "the fastest gun west of Kansas City".

** In the anime he ''was'' outdrew by an opponent, who was [[UpToEleven using a gun considered bad for a quick draw]] and yet was ''still'' a little faster, but he still won by ''[[ShootTheBullet shooting the opponent's bullet]]'' and then the opponent while he was freaking out about that.

** [[UpToEleven The absolute king of this trope, though,]] would be [[TheSociopath Micah Bell]] - he's such a quick draw, he can NoSell '''[[BeyondTheImpossible DEAD-EYE.]]'''

* Jotaro Kujo of ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders'', being partially based on the likeness of John Wayne, goes all-in on this aesthetic despite using a completely different 'weapon' (a LightningBruiser summonable spirit ally rather than a gun), and even namedrops it in his final battle with DIO. His default pose when manifesting Star Platinum is with his hand at his hip, and indeed he is capable of striking from a neutral position faster than most villains can even perceive. [[spoiler:This is taken even further once he discovers his ability to stop time, at which point he can strike in literally no time at all.]]

->''"There was 40 feet between them when they stopped to make their play; And the swiftness of The Ranger is still talked about today.''
->''Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped; And The Ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip (Big Iron on his hip...)"''
-->-- '''Big Iron''', ''Music/GunfighterBalladsAndTrailSongs''

-->--'''Big Iron''', ''Music/GunfighterBalladsAndTrailSongs''

* Used jn many of Zane Grey's novels, and may have invented the trope. Examples are numerous, including Lassiter in "Riders of the Purple Sage". In "Lone Star Ranger" both Buck Duane and Ringo are seen as competing for this designation [[spoiler:Ringo wins, briefly]].

->"There was 40 feet between them when they stopped to make their play; And the swiftness of The Ranger is still talked about today.
->Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped; And The Ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip (Big Iron on his hip...)"
-->--Big Iron, Music/GunfighterBalladsAndTrailSongs

->"There was 40 feet between them when they stopped to make their play; And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today.
->Texas Red had not cleared leather 'fore a bullet fairly ripped; And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip (Big Iron on his hip...)"