Roland Deschain

"We are going to fight. We are going to be hurt. And in the end, we will stand."

- Roland Deschain

Roland Deschain is the protagonist and hero of The Dark Tower Series. He is the son of Steven and Gabrielle Deschain and is the last of a long line of "gunslingers", peacekeepers and diplomats of Roland's society. He is also the final human descendant of Arthur Eld. His image and personality are largely inspired by the "Man with No Name" from three of Sergio Leone's westerns, though his quest and many of his personal and internal conflicts are drawn from Robert Browning's poem Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came.

Roland is also very old, and stated to be immortal (he is approximately 336 or 337 years old at the end of his quest).

Battle vs. Jonah Hex (by Killermoves)
In a small prairie town somewhere in the American Old West, two men stood face to face. One was Jonah Hex, the infamous bounty hunter with a nasty scar. The other, was a young man and gunslinger of Eld named Roland Deschain. Both man stood poised with their hands close to their holsters, ready to pull their pistols at any second. Their eyes were locked into each other, sizing up their opponent and watching for any movement.

The townspeople have already taken refuge in their homes, with their windows and doors shut tight. No one wants to be part of this violence and everyone just waits and prays for it to be over.

“So, you damn sonuvabitch…” Roland said. “How much did the sorcerer pay you to track me?”

“Ah’m not really that much good in math,” Jonah Hex replied. “But the sum of yo’ reward will make even the King of Siam envy.”

“Well ugly… taking this job’s gonna will be the worst decision of your life," Roland said before drawing his sandalwood pistol and fires. Jonah managed to dodge the bullet which grazed only the top of his hat, before he too pumps his Colt Dragoons. Roland takes one in the leg before he takes cover behind a stone well.

As Jonah continues to shoot at Roland, the pinned down gunslinger, while twirling a couple of bullet casings in his hand, yelled, “Listen! We don’t have to do this! Can’t you see that the Crimson King is only manipulating you! You won’t get anything after this, he’ll kill you too! You should ride with me and fight him. I’ll double whatever that bastard offered you.”

“Your mind tricks won't work on me boy,” Jonah Hex said, suddenly appearing on top of a wooden house overlooking Roland and aiming his Winchester rifle. “I’m a professional and I aim to get my job done.”

Jonah then shoots Roland twice in the abdomen and the young gun fell down with blood coming from his mouth. Roland however, was still alive, and managed to spin around and shoot Jonah before he can fire another round, hitting the bounty hunter in the leg. Jonah yelled in pain as his leg gave up, and he falls into the dusty floor of the street below.

Roland limps his way to where Jonah Hex fell while clutching his wounds. “Now where’d you go you ugly mother*cker.”

“Right here you dumb sonuvabitch!” Jonah said as he springs from Roland’s back and plunges his bowie knife into Roland’s chest.

Roland yells in pain as he continuously fire his guns, some of which slightly hitting Jonah, but the bounty hunter just continues to keep digging his bowie knife into Roland’s chest cavity, before Roland finally falls down.

“The Dark Tower…” Roland whisphers with his last remaining breaths. “It calls me…. I have to get to the tower. Susan… I need to reach…”

But Jonah Hex draws his Colt Dragoon to his face and said, “End of the journey boy,” before he pulls the trigger.

Expert’s Opinion
While Roland Deschain was more superhumanly accurate, Jonah Hex was still faster and smarter than the gunslinger. Hex also has the superior weapons that gave him the edge at every range. To see the original battle, weapons, and vote click here.