In Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, the hangman’s first name is John Ruth.
John Ruth, nicknamed “The Hangman,” is played by Kurt Russell. He is transporting the fugitive Daisy Domergue to the town of Red Rock, Wyoming, where she is expected to face execution. Ruth refuses to accept an easy escape or hand Daisy over to other bounty hunters because he wants to deliver her personally.
The character’s nickname reflects his reputation for bringing prisoners in alive and seeing justice carried out at the destination. That goal drives the film’s central conflict after a blizzard forces Ruth, Daisy, and several other travelers to shelter at Minnie’s Haberdashery.
John Ruth is sometimes confused with Chris Mannix, who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock. Mannix is another major male character, but he is not the bounty hunter called “The Hangman.” The film’s title refers to the group trapped together, not to Ruth alone.