The film opens on a cold, stark frontier where two bandits kill a man and begin looting his belongings. A lone figure known as No-Name arrives and, after a brief, clipped exchange, ends the criminals’ effort with a decisive finishing shot. The moment also features a brief cameo by Edgar Wright as a Cheesy Voiceover Artist, adding a sly wink to the opening.
As No-Name makes his way toward Deadwood Town, he spots a bounty poster for a man called The Squint—an outlaw whose name will become central to the ensuing chase. He tracks The Squint into the woods, and after a prolonged gunfight, The Squint uses cunning to trick No-Name’s horse Easy into tumbling off a cliff to its death, escaping while No-Name buries the animal and returns to town to press the townsfolk for clues about the outlaw’s whereabouts.
On The Squint’s trail, No-Name has a curious encounter with a man whose face is hidden behind a red bandana. Soon after, he meets a native man named Chin Chakanawa who decides to join the quest. Their path grows perilous when another native blocks their way; trying to slip past him, the pair disguise themselves as nuns, but the ruse fails and the native beats them. In a strange turn of luck, two passing hicks mistake the disguised duo for real nuns in danger and kill the other native. No-Name then kills the two Hicks and discovers an invitation on one of the bodies inviting outlaws to a meet-up.
That night, the pair rest and No-Name teaches Chin how to shoot. Chin reveals that his name means “Running Sore” and No-Name shares a moment of vulnerability, revealing that his own name is Walter. The next morning, they meet Jimmy James, who joins their expedition. Quentin Green plays Jimmy James, and the trio soon locates The Squint and a number of other outlaws digging for treasure.
No-Name knocks out a guard and disguises himself to approach The Squint, but the ruse fails and he hails a chaotic chase, escaping with The Squint and the others as they are pursued. Chin occupies a guard by creating a distraction, and when the guard is finally neutralized, No-Name and The Squint slip away, pursued by the rest. Chin then circles back and kills the guard, allowing No-Name to press on toward the final confrontation. The duo methodically picks off the remaining outlaws, but Chin warns that No-Name must face The Squint alone in the climactic showdown.
The showdown centers on a clash of old wounds and a debate about Western conventions, particularly echoing themes from famous outlaws’ finales. The duel ends with The Squint appearing to be shot, only to rise once more for a last attack. The odd turn of events culminates when a mysterious man with a red bandana intervenes and kills The Squint. Chin arrives and reveals that the killer is the ghost of Sheriff Marshall William Cornes, whose spectral presence also uncovers the film’s treasure: a cache of gold and proof that the late Sheriff was No-Name’s father.
With the treasure disclosed, No-Name and Chin prepare to ride away together, only to notice that Easy, the horse, has somehow survived the cliff. In a final, humorous capstone, Jeremy Beadle [jeremy-beadle] appears as himself and reveals that the entire sequence was a prank, sending the heroes off into the sunset with a grin and a shrug.
