Matt Fletcher (Marlon Brando) has killed a lot of men and sinned with a lot of women. Vowing to give up his sordid past, he returns to his sleepy hometown on the Mexican border with a magnificent Appaloosa stallion and hopes of starting a horse ranch of his own. His dream is shattered by Chuy (John Saxon), a sadistic bandit who controls the land with his bloodthirsty gang, steals his horse. Disguised as a Mexican, Fletcher seeks revenge by stealing Chuy's lover which leads to a final showdown where only one man will leave with the woman, the Appaloosa...and his life.