# Doc Holliday Vs. Billy the Kid **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 14, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388 "2001-02-14T00:55:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/1 "2001-02-14T00:55:19Z")
Who would win between Val Kilmers Doc Holliday in **Tombstone** and Emilio Estevez’s Billy the Kid in **Young Guns**? Personally, I can’t choose, too emotional. ---
**Author:** ![High\_Plains\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@High\_Plains\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/High_Plains_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/2 "2001-02-14T03:29:22Z")
Without a doubt, Emilio’s Billy was the superior bad-ass. While Val was sauntering around talking about huckleberries, Billy would have gunned ole Doc down, called him a shit sucker, and giggled. 🙂 Who would have thought Emilio Esteves would turn out to be the best of the ‘new’ western genre? It’s somewhat troubling… ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/3 "2001-02-14T05:29:57Z")
Doc Holliday, IRL, was a cold, heartless man who feared nothing because he knew he was going to die. He was an outlaw w/o any redeeming qualities. He would have killed Billy the Kid before Billy even knew they were fighting. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/4 "2001-02-14T05:54:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pepperlandgirl \* > \*\*Doc Holliday, IRL, was a cold, heartless man who feared nothing because he knew he was going to die. He was an outlaw w/o any redeeming qualities. > He would have killed Billy the Kid before Billy even knew they were fighting. > IMHO. > \*\* I read about Doc Holliday and found him to be kind of a tragic figure. He trained to be a dentist, but just as he began to practice, tuberculosis robbed him of his livelihood (it’s hard to perform delicate oral surgery when you are constantly struck by coughing fits). Sure, he could have found another vocation that didn’t involve shooting so many people, but still … ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/5 "2001-02-14T06:48:09Z")
Kilmer’s Holiday was by far the cooler character. He could ridicule you with a pewter cup while simultaneously pontificating in latin and hacking up lung tissue. Emilio’s best trick was shooting you while you were taking a shit. Unless Doc had bad mexican the night before, he plants that huckleberry AND his brother the deputy mayor. ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/6 "2001-02-14T16:31:38Z")
Absolutely no comparison. Val Kilmer (a consumate actor) as John ‘Doc’ Holliday (a consumate gambler/fornicator/killer) wins by a fusilade. Holliday was cool, calculating, and without care as to death visiting sooner, because he knew it would soon enough. Estevez (adequate actor w/famous father) as Billy (psycho sociopath) had a reputation that far exceeded his deeds. Doc would plug Biily while Billy was still posturing, then go into the saloon for another drink and a tumble with Big Nose Kate while Billy died in the street. Harsh but true. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doc-holliday-vs-billy-the-kid/54388/7 "2001-02-15T03:24:55Z")
Why is there any confusion here at all??? The winner is Doc Holliday, no question! Billy is no daisy!!