Rattlesnake Jake: Terror's True Colors

A: So, Rattlesnake Jake. We really have to start with his role as the town's enforcer, right?

B: Absolutely. From the moment he shows up, he's the antagonist. He doesn't just expose Rango for being a liar, he completely humiliates him.

A: Yeah, totally shreds Rango's carefully crafted persona, and then just banishes him from Dirt! No second chances. 'Get out, you fraud.' It's such a brutal display of power.

B: And that wasn't isolated. It was a general campaign of terror against everyone. He just kept the citizens of Dirt under his thumb with fear.

A: Remember that specific, demeaning act with Beans? That was something else.

B: Oh, when he *licked her face* to intimidate her? That was a power play, right there. Not just physical threat, but a psychological assault. It strips her of dignity.

A: It really cemented his character as someone who doesn't just hurt, but actively seeks to degrade and control.

A: And then, it just gets worse, right? Because after the face-licking, which is already a huge violation... he really escalates the physical stuff.

B: Oh, absolutely. I mean, Beans tries to stand up to the mayor, and Jake's immediate response is to choke her. Not just a little bit, but until she actually loses consciousness.

A: Unconscious! And the absolute chilling thing he says? That he *wants* to see her die. It's not just intimidation; it's pure malice at that point.

B: Right? And then he just... *throws* her. Like she's an object. Throws her to the thugs, specifically Bad Bill, who then immediately gag her. It's a complete dehumanization of her.

A: Yeah, it's so brutal. And it doesn't stop there. Think about Wounded Bird, trying to make a stand, and Jake just shoots him, no hesitation.

B: And the visual of that! Wounded Bird falling from the clock tower, right in front of Priscilla. The sheer public display of violence and power. It's calculated to terrorize the whole town.

A: Okay, so we've established Rattlesnake Jake is pretty much a villain through and through. But some people might point to that final act, right? Where he actually takes the evil mayor out of town... Doesn't that count for something? Like, a last-minute redemption arc?

B: I hear you, and it's a tempting thought, but for me, that one act doesn't erase the sheer terror he inflicted. He banished Rango, terrorized the citizens, choked Beans until she passed out, literally wished her dead... and shot Wounded Bird off a clock tower, right in front of Priscilla.

A: Those are all incredibly brutal. But taking out the *true* villain... isn't that at least a step?

B: If he showed any remorse for everything else he did, maybe. But the source text makes it clear: 'he didn't feel any remorse for what he did.' Without that, it feels less like redemption and more like a tactical move, or just removing a competitor. He's not suddenly a good guy because he got rid of someone even worse.

A: That's a really solid point. The lack of remorse changes everything. It frames that final act not as a change of heart, but as a continuation of his own dark code.