What is the story behind Walker’s beloved knife on Yellowstone? Is there even a story at all? We will break it down.
While there isn’t a technical story behind the knife, it obviously holds deep significance to the Yellowstone character. Walker always carries the weapon with him and isn’t afraid to pull it on people when he feels he is in danger.
We first meet Walker as he is released from prison after killing someone in a bar fight. Did he use the knife? The world may never know, but it must have been in his belongings as he went into jail because he had it when he left.
After getting his bearings on the Yellowstone ranch, it turns out that Rip and Walker do NOT like one another. In fact, the list of people that enjoy the guitar-playing rebel is slim.
Walker continuously finds himself in trouble on the ranch and keeps threatening to leave, and it is just getting on a lot of people’s last nerves. Like buddy, make up your mind! If you are going to leave, you better lace up the shoelace express and get walking.
The Yellowstone Ranch Becomes Too Much for Walker
More than once, Walker has reached into his jeans pocket and nervously clutched the sharp little pocket knife in fear for his life.
As fans will remember, in one of Rip and Walker’s first altercations, Rip trims that barbed wire fence making it whiplash back and cut Walker’s face. Thereafter, it was game on. Walker then yanked out the knife, but didn’t manage to cause Rip any real damage.
Moving forward, Rip quickly gets tired of Walker and wants to dispose of him in the same fashion they dispose of anyone that stands in the way of the Duttons- the train station. Kayce informs Rip that he will take care of it himself.
As they drive into the darkness on Montana’s backroads, Walker begins to realize he is on his way to his death. He slowly pulls out his knife and hides it at his side, ready to pounce if he needs to. Little does he know at the time, but Kayce is actually saving his life.
Did the Knife Actually Saved Walker’s Life?
Rip later discovers that Walker is still living and breathing and not dead at the bottom of a cliff. The large bad*ss cowboy takes Walker back to the Yellowstone ranch against his will. Rip forces him to do the labor he was supposed to be doing in the first place.
Even though multiple characters’ fates hang in the balance at the end of Season 3, Walker remains alive. However, one has to ask. If Walker hadn’t had the knife in his first fight with Rip or when he was in the car with Kayce, would he still be alive?
We Yellowstone fans all assume Walker knows he has a target on his back. So anything to protect him is going to be held close, especially in Season 4.
