A lean, cold-eyed, cobra-quick gunfighter - the laconic "man with no name" (Eastwood) - arrives in a grim and dusty border town where two rival bands of smugglers terrorise the impoverished citizens. Though he receives lucrative offers of employment from each gang, his loyalty cannot be brought. He accepts both jobs...and sets in motion a deadly plan to destroy the criminals, pitting one against the other in a series of brilliantly orchestrated setups, showdowns and deadly confrontations!