The Western has been defined as "the most generic of all genres." That doesn't mean it's the one whose movies are the most alike; it means it's the genre that has the most powerfully defined parameters. A western is a movie set generally between about 1840 and 1900, in the Old West, which features certain cultural signifiers such as cowboys, Native American tribespeople, outlaws, steam engine, saloons, and small frontier towns. 

The Western genre has successfully mingled with other genres; there have been horror, comedy, and even (mostly borderline unwatchable) sci-fi westerns. However, it retains its iconic position within film as one of the most recognizable genres. You only need to see a few frames, and you know what you're looking at!

Pioneers of the genre include directors such as John Ford, Sergio Leone, Howard Hawks, and Sam Peckinpah. They brought stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Paul Newman to our screens, in the form of memorable characters like the Man With No Name from the "Dollars Trilogy;" Ringo Kidd in "Stagecoach;" Ethan Edwards in "The Searchers;" Wyatt Earp of "Tombstone;" the eponymous Butch Cassidy; Marshall Will Kane of "High Noon;" Lieutenant John Dunbar of "Dances With Wolves" and more.

Which of these characters do you take after? Let's have a quick shootout, and we'll let you know!