5 Great Spaghetti Westerns You Can Stream For Free

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You can actually watch some fantastic Spaghetti Westerns online for free! It might be surprising, but Italy produced many of the greatest Western films ever made, even though they’re very different from traditional American Westerns. One film, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, is often considered the best Western of all time.

Spaghetti Westerns aren’t just a popular subgenre; they significantly shaped the history of Westerns. Emerging in the mid-1960s, these films represented a major shift for the genre, largely because they featured more violence and complex, morally ambiguous heroes compared to traditional Hollywood Westerns.

Luckily, it’s easy to enjoy classic Spaghetti Westerns, or discover them for the first time. Tubi, a free streaming service, has a great collection of these films, including work from stars like Lee Van Cleef, Franco Nero, James Coburn, and Terence Hill.

5. Mannaja: A Man Called Blade

Released in 1977, after the peak of the Spaghetti Western era, Mannaja: A Man Called Blade stars Maurizio Merli as an unusual hero. The film introduces Mannaja as a bounty hunter who uniquely uses an axe instead of a gun to capture his targets, leading to some surprisingly different action scenes for a Western.

Mannaja: A Man Called Blade is a lively Western that embraces its over-the-top style. The story follows Mannaja as he tries to rescue a woman who may or may not be kidnapped and fights against a ruthless gang that controls a local mine. This creates a suspenseful plot filled with characters who have hidden agendas, leaving Mannaja constantly questioning who he can rely on.

4. The Mercenary

While Clint Eastwood is famous for Spaghetti Westerns, Franco Nero is another key figure in the genre. He starred in the 1968 film The Mercenary, a fun movie featuring a particularly strong performance by Jack Palance, who was known for playing convincing villains in Westerns.

In The Mercenary, Franco Nero plays a selfish mercenary who gets involved in a revolution against the Mexican government. With a fantastic score by Ennio Morricone – known for his work on the Dollars Trilogy with Clint Eastwood – this film embodies the best of Spaghetti Westerns, featuring a complex, morally ambiguous hero and a sad past.

3. Sabata

Sabata, released in 1968, kicked off a series of Westerns centered around a bounty hunter and his friends. Lee Van Cleef, known for his roles in the Dollars Trilogy, takes center stage as a shadowy and ethically complex gunslinger in this classic Spaghetti Western.

In the film Sabata, Lee Van Cleef plays a character caught in a crooked plan: a bank robbery and the betrayal of his town to a railroad company. Like many classic Spaghetti Western heroes, Sabata isn’t simply a do-gooder; he’s also looking out for his own benefit.

Sabata is an engaging character because he’s more cunning than typical Western heroes. He wins not through quick shooting, but by being more intelligent than his opponents. Like Clint Eastwood’s Man With No Name, Sabata isn’t afraid to use tactics like blackmail, proving that brains are as important as bullets.

2. A Fistful of Dynamite

Released in 1971, A Fistful of Dynamite (also known as Duck, You Sucker!) is a Spaghetti Western that brings together James Coburn and Rod Steiger. Directed by Sergio Leone, a key figure in the Spaghetti Western genre, the film is a standout example of the style.

As a big fan of classic Westerns, I recently watched A Fistful of Dynamite, and it’s a blast! It’s about a charismatic outlaw, played by Rod Steiger, who teams up with an Irish explosives expert, James Coburn, during the Mexican Revolution. Coburn’s character is seriously good with dynamite – that’s actually how the movie gets its name, and it leads to some incredibly exciting action sequences. It’s a really fun, energetic film!

I have to say, Steiger’s character is far from your typical hero. He’s really treacherous and motivated by greed, making him a surprisingly dark protagonist – even for a Spaghetti Western! It’s this darkness that creates a really interesting, and often funny, contrast with the more traditionally heroic character in the film. Their dynamic is a highlight for me.

Often overlooked, A Fistful of Dynamite is a truly great Spaghetti Western and one of director Sergio Leone’s best films.

1. They Call Me Trinity

Terence Hill became a legendary Spaghetti Western hero in 1970 with his role in They Call Me Trinity. The film introduces Trinity as an unbelievably skilled gunslinger – he’s so fast and accurate, he doesn’t even need to look at what he’s shooting!

Trinity isn’t just a skilled shooter; he’s a memorable Spaghetti Western hero because of his unique personality. In They Call Me Trinity, he’s shown as a quirky and complex character with odd habits – he practically lives on beans, doesn’t seem to have any real ambitions, and even has a distinctive smell. He’s also surprisingly laid-back, often relaxing in a bed he pulls behind his horse.

Okay, so Trinity is a complicated character. He’s definitely got his issues, but underneath it all, he’s a genuinely good guy who keeps trying to do the right thing. And that’s the ironic part – in this gritty, often brutal world of Spaghetti Westerns, being a decent person actually makes him stand out, and not in a good way. It sets him apart as someone who doesn’t quite fit in, a real outsider amongst all the tough guys.

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2025-11-15 18:42