Sheriff
A badge of duty in a land of lawlessness.
Sheriff Franklin Hunt is the small-town lawman of Bright Hope who leads a rescue party into a desolate region to save three people abducted by a cannibalistic tribe. Portrayed by Kurt Russell, Hunt is described as a stubborn and simple good man whose behavior and tone are very in line with the era of the film. He is the central figure of the rescue mission, driving the narrative forward with his determination to protect his town.
Quick Facts
- Affiliation
- The Valley Town
- Species
- Human
Lore & Background
Sheriff Franklin Hunt is the primary law enforcement officer in the town of Bright Hope. When backup Deputy Chicory reports that brigand Purvis has buried loot, Hunt interrogates Purvis and shoots him in the leg when he attempts to flee. After a stable boy is killed and Hunt finds his office empty with an arrow left behind, he learns from the Professor that the arrow belongs to a tribe of troglodytes—inbred cannibals shunned by other native tribes. Certain that his deputy Nick, assistant Samantha O'Dwyer, and prisoner Purvis have been captured, Hunt forms a rescue party with Chicory and gunslinger John Brooder. Despite the warnings, Hunt leads the group into the valley, where they are ambushed. Hunt is captured and imprisoned near Samantha and Nick, witnessing Nick being brutally scalped, bisected alive, and consumed. Hunt tricks several troglodytes into drinking from his liquor flask laced with opium tincture, but the troglodytes throw the flask into a campfire, killing one and knocking another unconscious. The troglodyte leader grows angry at the poisoning, and the troglodytes cut open Hunt's abdomen, shove the now-heated opium flask into the wound, and shoot him. Arthur arrives and aids Hunt in killing the leader. A mortally wounded Hunt stays behind with a rifle, promising to kill the remaining three troglodyte males when they return, to prevent them from terrorizing Bright Hope. Later, three gunshots are heard in the distance.
Reader's Guide
Sheriff Franklin Hunt is the central protagonist of Bone Tomahawk, portrayed by Kurt Russell. He is a stubborn and simple good man whose behavior and tone are very in line with the era of the film. Hunt is the primary law enforcement officer in Bright Hope, and his defining trait is his unwavering sense of duty to protect his town. He leads a rescue party into a desolate region to save three people abducted by a cannibalistic tribe of troglodytes. Despite being mortally wounded—his abdomen cut open and an opium flask shoved into the wound—Hunt stays behind with a rifle to kill the remaining troglodyte males, ensuring they cannot terrorize Bright Hope. His final act is one of self-sacrifice, as three gunshots are heard in the distance after the others leave the valley.
More in Characters
Elsewhere in Bone
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