William H. Bonney
Background
William H. Bonney, "Billy the Kid", is a petty thief in Lincoln County, New Mexico.
During the events of Young Guns (1988) played by Emilio Estevez
John Tunstall and Doc Scurlock are in town buying supplies when they hear gunshots and see William running from three armed men including Morton and Baker. John pulls his wagon next to William, who is hiding, and tells him to get in. John rides his wagon onto his property and tells William he can stay or leave in the morning. As William is feeding the pigs, he is hazed by the other members of John's group. Charley Bowdre tells William that they call themselves the Regulators and their mission is to protect John's property. During dinner, Dick Brewer asks William about his experience and when William tells him that he has a way with cattle, "Dirty Steve" Stephens and Steve laugh and make fun of him. Dick asks William about the rumor that he killed someone and William tells him, it was because the man was giving him a hard time. Before bed, John has the Regulators practice reading and William reveals himself to be a good reader. L.G. Murphy and Dolan ride to John's property with their men and Sheriff Brady. Brady tells John that Murphy and Dolan have complained that John's men have stolen their property. John tells Brady that Murphy will accuse him of stealing until he is kicked out of New Mexico and he has no reason to steal Murphy's property. Before leaving, Murphy threatens John that he will be bringing him hell.
The next day, J. McCloskey walks up to John's property and tells John that Murphy fired him and he is looking for work. John takes William into town and buys him some new clothes. One evening John and the Regulators go into town for a New Year's dance. William meets Pat Garrett and tells McCloskey that someday he will more well known than Pat. As John and the Regulators are riding back to their property, they see some Prairie Grouse and chase after them. As they are hunting the grouse, a group of Murphy's men ride up and shoot and kill John. After John's funeral, Alex McSween convinces Justice Wilson to deputize the Regulators.
The Regulators head to a location where Henry Hill was last seen with a woman named Janey. Dick hands William the warrant for Henry's arrest and tells him to give it to Henry. William walks into the bar, but quickly walks out when he hears Henry tell the Bartender that he has to pee. Henry makes a joke about Janey helping him pee and she threatens to damage his penis. William goes inside the outhouse and when Henry goes to pee, William shoots him dead with his gun hidden by his crotch. The people in the bar hear the gunshot and a shootout starts and five of the bar patrons are killed. Dick yells at William for killing Henry, but William just laughs. Later, Doc reads a newspaper article in which William is given credit for all the killings, and called the leader of the Regulators. As Morton and Baker are tracking the Regulators, they are ambushed by them. Baker tells them that when they killed Henry they started a war, but Dick responds that they started the war when they killed John. Morton points out that the Regulators are heavily outnumbered, but Dick says that they are still taking them to jail. William talks about killing them, but McCloskey argues against it and suggests a new rout straight to Lincoln County. William accuses McCloskey of being a spy and shoots him in the head. Morton and Baker try and escape and Chavez Y Chavez kills Baker with a knife to the back and Doc and Steve shoot and kill Morton. Doc reads a newspaper article, where again William is given all of the credit for the killings, but Dick's likeness is used in the sketch of William. The article goes on to say that Murphy has hired John Kinney to hunt down William.
Chavez gathers some peyote and makes a tea out of it, which all the Regulators, but Dick drink. The next day, they all trip out in their own special way. They ride through the Mescalero Apache reservation and at dinner, Dick and William get into an argument. Steve runs into the building and tells them Buckshot Roberts is riding up. The Regulators approach Buckshot and Dick tells him that they have a warrant for his arrest. Buckshot tells him that he is there to collect the reward for them put out by Sheriff Brady. A gunfight erupts and after wounding Chavez and Doc, Buckshot retreats into the outhouse. Dick tells William to finish off Buckshot, but William is almost shot by Buckshot. The Regulators shoot at the outhouse and when Dick goes to check if Buckshot is dead, Buckshot shoots him dead. The Regulators then shoot the outhouse full of holes, before retreating. Doc leaves the group to write a letter to Dick's mother and get clean bandages. William wants to go after Sheriff Brady, but Chavez says they should head west. William accuses Chavez of not caring and Chavez tells him about the time Murphy sent his mother's tribe rancid meat, which ultimately led to the Sand Creek Massacre. William accuses Chavez of not having loyalty and says the Regulators are his tribe now. As Sheriff Brady is walking with Peppin and Hindman, William comes behind him and steals his gun and then shoots him with it. Peppin manages to survive, but Hindman is killed and William shoots Brady in the head. William gets his photo taken and then gives it to Alex, who is upset with him and tells him that the Federal Government now has a bounty on him. Susan McSween tries to convince William to go to Mexico, but he and the Regulators just toss away their badges.
Charley gets stressed about Peppin's plan on hanging them and he tells William that they have to let him do one last thing before he dies. They ride to a saloon and while at the bar, the other Regulators hear Texas Joe Grant bragging to a Bar Girl that when he finds William, he is going to kill him. William walks up to Joe and asks him if he can see the gun that is going to kill Billy the Kid. Joe hands William his gun, who then removes two bullets and cycles the chamber. William says he sees Billy the Kid and Joe threatens to spank him if he doesn't stop playing around. William starts to whistle and Joe shoots at him, and William shoots him dead. Charley runs into the bar and says John Kinney is on their trail and the Regulators ride off. They ride through thorny brush and manage to escape from John's posse. While they are recovering, Doc tells William that he noticed that he is taking them back on a path towards Lincoln County. Chavez wants to head west towards California, and Doc and Charley says they are headed to Mexico.
The Regulators make it to Juarez, Mexico and William has Doc write a letter to Governor Axtell asking to meet. Charley gets married to Manuela. During the wedding, Pat Garrett walks up to William and tells him that he is running for sheriff. He continues that Murphy is planning on killing Alex and Susan the next day. William yells to the Regulators to mount up, but then tells Charley he should stay. Charley hugs Manuela and then leaves her in the arms of Manuela's Mother. They arrive at Alex's home and the house is soon surrounded by Peppin, Kinney and Dolan's posses. Alex tells William that he thinks Pat set them all up for a trap. Kinney tells William and the other Regulators to surrender. William calls Kinney a bastard and the posses shoot at the house. William calls out to Peppin and asks him if Charlie Crawford is with them and then shoots Charlie dead. The posses unload on the house once more and evening and night pass without incident. The next morning, the U.S. Cavalry arrive with Colonel Dudley. Murphy yells at Dudley to burn the house down. The cavalry troops start shooting at the home and Murphy's posse starts the house on fire. Alex has Susan leave and as she walks by Dudley, she slaps him and calls him an animal. Steve notices that Chavez is gone and accuses him of abandoning them. The Regulators run out of the house and start shooting at the troops and posse members. Chavez rides up with some horses. Kinney shoots William, and then he and Charley shoot each other to death. Steve gets down to help Chavez, but is then shot dead by Dudley. Alex is killed by a Gatling gun and William shoots Murphy in the head.
