Ethan Edwards returns to his brother's Texas ranch in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War. His family welcomes him, though his past is cloaked in mystery, hinting at a man both hardened and embittered by experiences. Ethan's palpable xenophobia and hatred for Native Americans are evident from his arrival. When the neighboring homestead is raided by Comanches, Ethan leads a group of men to check on the situation, a strategic diversion that leaves his own family unprotected. Tragedy befalls his relatives, with his brother's home burned to the ground and his loved ones killed or abducted. The only glimpse of hope lies in the discovery that his nieces, Lucy and Debbie, might still be alive, igniting a relentless quest for vengeance and rescue.

Joined by Martin Pawley, a young mixed-race man Ethan has never fully accepted as family, the unlikely pair sets out across the unforgiving frontier. Their odyssey spans five years and the vast, harsh landscape of the American West. The journey is fuelled by Ethan's obsessive determination to find Debbie, driven by complex motives entwined with his prejudices and personal demons. Along the way, they encounter a breadth of characters, both friend and foe, and are confronted by the moral ambiguities and harsh realities of a land undergoing the turbulent changes of post-Civil War America. The quest challenges the characters' endurance, reshapes their notions of justice, and tests the boundaries of their humanity.