Gunslingers ending explained: Thomas and Robert's relationship trajectory, explored

Brian Skiba's Western action film Gunslingers follows the plot of how the two brothers, Thomas and Robert, come into a deadly confrontation with each other in the midst of mob fights as well as treachery.

Its official synopsis goes as follows:

When the most wanted man in America surfaces in a small Kentucky town, his violent history -- and a blood-thirsty mob seeking vengeance and a king's ransom -- soon follow. As brothers face off against one another and bullets tear the town to shreds, this lightning-fast gunslinger makes his enemies pay the ultimate price for their greed. Academy Award-winner Nicolas Cage, Stephen Dorff, and Heather Graham star in an action-packed Western thriller about true justice in the wild west.

Upon its release on 11th April 2025, the film received poor critical reviews, with a score of only 5% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 3.6/10 on IMDb.

Disclaimer: This article contains major spoilers for Gunslingers. Reader discretion is advised.

At the end of Gunslingers, Thomas kills Robert. Yes, that's right. Unlike many stories of brothers tearfully uniting after engaging in heavy conflicts, in this one, it rather takes a dark turn.

Keep reading to find out the relationship route of the brothers' duo, and also what led to Thomas killing Robert at the end of Gunslingers.

The ending of Gunslingers: When brotherhood turns into bloodshed

The story of Gunslingers is set during the early 1900s in America, where two brothers, Robert and Thomas, meet with the crime lord of New York to conduct some negotiations. However, it does not go as expected, and Robert ends up getting burnt in the fire, but Thomas successfully manages to abscond.

As Thomas makes his way out of New York, he finds himself landing in a town in Kentucky, named Redemption. Meanwhile, an injured Robert, in order to survive, makes a deal with the mob boss. He tells him that he shall find Thomas by hook or by crook. Meanwhile, Thomas became the most wanted man in America, with the biggest reward slapped on his name.

Interestingly, we witness that not just Thomas, but there are countless people absconding by feigning death. The most absurdist part is that they even have their own faux graves! Except that there are no human skeletons there, but there are of deceased coyotes. Thomas, in that town, meets with Jericho, a spiritual leader. As a result, Thomas is now a changed man.

Meanwhile, a woman named Val, along with her child Grace, shows up at Redemption to find out about Thomas. It is revealed that she is, in fact, the wife of Robert. As she was unhappy with him, she began forming a romantic relationship with Thomas.

Robert is well aware of Val and Thomas's relationship, and hence, he has developed immense resentment towards Thomas. Soon, Robert and the mob gang find out the truth behind the faux graves, and they arrive at Redemption to find Thomas.

Thomas too comes to know about Robert's arrival, and hence he breaks cover and comes in front of Robert for a showdown. However, Jericho's men and Robert's men get into a confrontation, and the former manages to overthrow the latter.

Finally, Thomas came in front of Robert. In the crucial moment in Gunslingers, Robert expresses his grievances towards Thomas in relation to the New York incident, where he could have lost his life. But Thomas simply fled from the place, without a care for his brother. And of course, Robert's bitterness deepens due to Val and Thomas's relationship too. Now Robert, in order to save his life, has to bring Thomas back to the crime lord in New York.

Thomas then reveals to Robert that Grace is, in fact, Val and Thomas's child. Robert, upon hearing this, terrorizes Thomas about killing Grace. Thomas, as a result, ends up killing Robert as he could not risk the unsafety of his own child.

Robert, even though his grievances are understandable, still does not justify his intent of killing Grace. Robert was not able to process his feelings in a healthy manner, and became too consumed by revenge and rage. That unfortunately, resulted in his own death in Gunslingers.