The 9 Greatest R-Rated Spaghetti Westerns of All Time, Ranked

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By Michael John Petty

November 11, 2025

When it comes to Western subgenres, there may not be any as beloved as the Spaghetti Western. These Italian-made productions are often characterized by their over-the-top action, morally ambiguous protagonists, harsh desert landscapes, and stylistic feel that pushes the boundaries of what traditional horse operas might conjure. As far as Western stars are concerned, Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are most often associated with these "Meatball" Westerns and became famous for their work in the Italian features.

Because of the sometimes-outlandish violence, occasional nudity, and gruesome subject matter, these Westerns often went R-rated. But which of them is the best of the (wild) bunch? Well, that's what we sought to find out. When it comes to R-rated Spaghetti Westerns (and we're talking traditional Spaghetti Westerns here, so no arguing for Django Unchained), these nine are some of the most masterful that the subgenre has to offer. And if you're wondering how Once Upon a Time in the West didn't make it on this list, well, that one's rated PG-13...

9 'Compañeros' (1970)

While you may not consider most Spaghetti Westerns to double as buddy comedies (especially not R-rated ones), Compañeros would surprise you in the best of ways. Directed by Sergio Corbucci, the film puts together an unlikely pair to rescue the leader of a local revolution — a Swedish mercenary, Yodlaf Peterson (Franco Nero), and a Mexican peasant dubbed "El Vasco" (Tomás Milián). As the pair travels around and eventually crosses the U.S.-Mexico border, they get themselves into a heap of trouble.

Compañeros is perhaps not your traditional Spaghetti Western, but its likable (albeit seriously flawed) heroes and distinctly amoral sense of justice, vengeance, and, well, everything else give it all the hallmarks of the subgenre. It's easily one of the most entertaining Westerns out there, known for its "road comedy" style just as much as the iconic Old West backdrop. Oh, and Jack Palance is simply grand as Peterson's longtime nemesis, chasing him fervently across Mexico.

8 ‘The Big Gundown’ (1967)

Billed in trailers as a "savage storm of action," The Big Gundown lives up to its name as director Sergio Sollima's best take on the American West. Yes, Sergio Sollima, as in Stefano Sollima's father. Starring Lee Van Cleef as nearly retired bounty hunter Jonathan "Colorado" Corbett, The Big Gundown centers on the gunslinger as he embarks on the hunt for an alleged Mexican rapist and murderer, "Cuchillo" Sanchez (Tomás Milián). As Corbett pursues his prey, things turn out not to be as they seem, forcing the bounty hunter to take another look at the man he was hired to track down.

Van Cleef is good as ever here, with a magnetic presence that has charmed many into seeing The Big Gundown as one of the greatest Spaghetti Westerns ever made. The tight script is exceptional, and although the film barely deserves its "R" rating, we can understand the choice given the sensitive material. In any case, this is one you won't want to miss. If you really love it, Milián returned as Cuchillo in the sequel, Run, Man, Run, the following year.

7 ‘The Grand Duel’ (1972)

We all know that Lee Van Cleef is the Western's most unsung Western star, and a film like The Grand Duel is unlikely to let you forget it. Directed by Giancarlo Santi, who had previously worked as a second-unit director under Sergio Leone, this 1972 Italian-made horse opera — sometimes called The Big Showdown or Storm Rider — follows Sheriff Clayton (Van Cleef) as he confronts three brothers who have seemingly framed a man for murder. A traditional Western hero, Clayton proves that sometimes the law must be bent a little to see justice done.

What could have easily been a movie stuffed to the brim with Western tropes is elevated effortlessly by Van Cleef as he takes center stage to deliver on the title's promise. "I don't talk unless I feel like it — that's one of my rules," Clayton says, and we firmly believe him. It may not be the most popular flick on this list, but it hits all the marks of a classical R-rated Spaghetti Western.

6 'The Great Silence' (1968)

Okay, technically, The Great Silence went unrated during its initial theatrical run (and is still listed as "not rated" on many online platforms), but it's certainly a film that warrants an "R" rating, so we're including it here. Truly unlike any other Spaghetti Western out there, this Sergio Corbucci-directed flick trades the harsh desert for the harsher winter wilderness of Utah as a mute gunslinger (played by Jean-Louis Trintignant) finds himself standing between a helpless town and its corrupt leaders, namely Henry Pollicut (Luigi Pistilli). Throughout the film, "Silence" proves himself a formidable opponent, unwilling to back down from the fight.

Often considered one of Corbucci's best pictures (alongside one other Spaghetti Western we'll get to in a moment), The Great Silence is visually distinct, utilizing the impending Great Blizzard of 1899 as backdrop for the coming war between "Silence" and his adversaries. Although this film was never officially released in the United States, The Great Silence eventually found its way to America, where it has been hailed as one of the most memorable in the subgenre. A great score by Ennio Morricone certainly helps.

5 ‘A Fistful of Dollars’ (1964)

The very first in Sergio Leone's famed Dollars Trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars is the most compact of the bunch, clocking in at an easily digestible 99 minutes. Clint Eastwood took the world by storm with his titular Man With No Name character. From the moment he sets foot in the nearly abandoned town of San Miguel, "Joe" finds himself in the crosshairs of two rival families who fight for control — and he quickly shows them that neither of them has it. In his first major Western as a leading man (besides his television appearances on Rawhide), Eastwood proved here that he was born to reinvent the genre.

As the earliest entry on this list, Leone was a trailblazer for these Italian-made Westerns. It's A Fistful of Dollars that many filmmakers would aim to copy, and though the Spaghetti Western subgenre existed prior to the Man With No Name, it was this film that gave this particular Western genre worldwide appeal. It's no wonder that this is one of the most rewatchable Westerns ever made.

4 ‘Django’ (1966)

Like Sergio Corbucci's later masterpiece, his 1966 film Django is another Spaghetti Western that technically went unrated initially. However, digital outlets have since given the film a well-deserved “R” rating, so we're sticking with that here. Long before Quentin Tarantino made his own "Django," Django followed the titular ex-Union soldier (played by Franco Nero), who has turned into your traditional Old West drifter, now caught between a group of racist Red Shirts, Mexican revolutionaries, and María (Loredana Nusciak), who desperately desires a new life. Full of action and plenty of bloodshed, Django has often been considered the quintessential Spaghetti Western.

Along with The Great Silence and his later film The Specialists, Django is considered the first of Corbucci's unofficial "Mud and Blood" trilogy — and often cited as the best of the three. Django was so popular that it produced a wave of copycat sequels (though only Django Strikes Back is officially recognized as a true continuation), and it's no wonder that the name lives on today. Nero is a powerful and capable leading man who confidently handles a machine gun the way only a true Western hero can.

3 ‘For a Few Dollars More’ (1965)

The sequel to Leone and Eastwood's first big-screen team-up, For a Few Dollars More expands on the Man With No Name (here called "Manco") as he hunts down a murdering Mexican bank robber named El Indio (Gian Maria Volonté), all while Lee Van Cleef's Colonel Douglas Mortimer hunts the same character for revenge. The partnership between Eastwood and Van Cleef is what makes For a Few Dollars More such an exceptional picture, and since it's arguably the last chronological installment of the trilogy, it's a solid send-off for its leading character that is just as thrilling as the original.

For a Few Dollars More is a bit longer than its predecessor, but it's a truly remarkable piece of filmmaking that pushes the boundaries of the subgenre. Manco and Mortimer are some of the best characters inserted into the Old West canon, bar none, and we find ourselves paying firm attention whenever they appear on-screen together. It's clear that Leone aimed to surpass his previous entry, and he does so with that trademark Italian style of intense close-ups and a rousing score.

2 ‘Death Rides a Horse’ (1967)

Arguably one of the most underrated features in the entire Western genre, Death Rides a Horse is Lee Van Cleef's finest hour as he plays the mysterious gunslinger Ryan, who joins up with a young man, Bill Meceita (John Phillip Law), in search of revenge on those who killed his family. Directed by Giulio Petroni from a screenplay by Dollars Trilogy scribe Luciano Vincenzoni, this 1967 picture is chock-full of exceptional gunplay, suspense, and intense flashbacks that show just how cruel the Old West could be.

Originally titled Da uomo a uomo (meaning "From Man to Man") in Italian markets, this revenge flick was praised for leaning away from traditional Spaghetti Western "gimmicks" and instead focused on the drama between Ryan and Bill. Van Cleef is simply exceptional here as the leading man who, while similar to some of his previous characters, feels quite distinct from some of the protagonists on this list. Once you've covered the classics, add Death Rides a Horse to your Western watchlist.

1 ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’ (1966)

Often considered not just the crown jewel of Spaghetti Westerns but one of the greatest Westerns ever made, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the third and final installment in the Dollars Trilogy. Set during the American Civil War, Eastwood's Man With No Name (nicknamed "Blondie" here) finds himself caught between the outlaw Tuco Ramirez (Eli Wallach) and the mercenary bounty hunter "Angel Eyes" (Van Cleef), who is just as prone to violence as any Italian-made antagonist. Although the production itself was full of drama, the end results speak for themselves as this epic-style Spaghetti Western is Sergio Leone at the top of his directorial game.

Of course, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is most famous for its intense standoff sequence at the very end of the film, and that really does highlight Leone's mastery of tension (not to mention Ennio Morricone's exceptional score). But more than that, this third installment in the Dollars Trilogy is the most marvelous of all. When it comes to R-rated Spaghetti Westerns, it doesn't get better than this. This is especially true if you're already in the mood for a Western epic.