In true HBO fashion, Deadwood reveled in taboo aesthetics, and along with writhing naked bodies there was a lot of blood and gore throughout the series. Surviving in the titular mining town required guts, and the best way for its inhabitants to keep them inside their torsos was to outdraw and outmaneuver each other. Tempers flared while trials and tribulations were overcome, resulting in some of the most combustible scenes of graphic violence ever to explode on television.
Barely did an episode go by where a character didn't get shot or punched in the jaw, and that was mostly thanks to Sheriff Bullock. Life was hard in the American West, and Deadwood didn't shy away from showing exactly why. Whether someone's injuries were grisly or glancing, their mettle was shaped by them all the same.
MOST HORRIFYING: CAPTAIN TURNER'S EYE
When George Hearst arrived in Deadwood, Al Swearengen had to concede that he'd met his match in the empire builder. Their machinations clashed when deciding the future of the camp, and their egos were assuaged by a fight between their lieutenants - Dan Dority and Captain Turner.
The fight was evenly matched, though Turner had been told by Hearst to draw out the fight, something Dan didn't know when he was getting clobbered by the Captain. When he received the signal from Al to end it, Dan ripped Turner's eye from his socket, before bludgeoning him to death with a log.
BARELY COUNTED: MOSE'S BULLET HOLES
After he was forced to kill his brother Charlie in a gold claim deal made with Hearst and his associates, Mose Manuel couldn't accept the guilt of his actions. He became increasingly temperamental at the Bella Union, where he was eventually shot for drawing attention to the transaction.
Being so corpulent became advantageous for the brute as the bullets weren't able to penetrate his flesh and reach his vital organs. He survived thanks to Doc Cochran's expertise, and healed in the renovated schoolhouse while watching over the children.
MOST HORRIFYING: MADDIE'S SLICED THROAT
When Francis Wolcott came to Deadwood, he arrived with an insatiable lust and appetite for dangerous pastimes. A frequent patron of the Chez Amis, he was an old acquaintance of Maddie's, a high class madam who knew his proclivities and looked the other way when he sliced up one of her girls.
When she tried to extort him for the murders of several women at the brothel, she became his final victim, though it could be said she was already a victim of her own greed and avarice.
BARELY COUNTED: AL'S BROKEN RIBS
When Seth Bullock demanded his gun and badge back from Al Swearengen, he knew he probably wouldn't be give his effects without a fight. The ensuing tousle ended up sending both men off of Al's balcony and into the street, where they fought in the mud up until the moment when Bullock's family arrived by stage.
At that point they agreed to settle matters more diplomatically, but the row caused Al to have several broken ribs as well as other ailments. A hardy man with unflappable dignity, he bore his battle scars with pride.
MOST HORRIFYING: STEVE THE DRUNK'S HEAD
After a tragic turn of events concerning Arnette Hostetler, Steve the Drunk became the defacto owner of Deadwood's livery. Hoping to ensure Samuel Fields would stay on as his assistant, he attempted to steal his saddle and remove the shoes from his horse.
The horse didn't take kindly to Steve's meddling and kicked him in the end, resulting in a paralyzing head injury that left Steve unable to speak or move any part of his body. To his credit, Samuel Fields delayed his departure from Deadwood to take care of him.
BARELY COUNTED: MERRICK'S FACE
After already having had his printing press and newspaper office trashed by Cy Tolliver, Merrick was no stranger to abuse from the camp's temperamental titans, but he never expected bodily harm to visit him on top of what his property suffered.
After he was beat by Hearst's men, Al paid him a visit, finding him depressed and unmotivated to carry on the noble profession of distributing free press. He encouraged Merrick to carry on because "pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or f*ckin' beatings. The world ends when you're dead.".
MOST HORRIFYING: SAMUEL FIELD'S TAR AND FEATHERING
When Samuel Fields arrived in Deadwood, he wasn't expecting a warm welcome, especially being one of the only people of color in the camp. He didn't expect to be nearly killed in his first week however, and in one of the most gruesome ways imaginable.
Steve the Drunk and his fellow hoopleheads grabbed Samuel Fields from Hostetler's livery and dragged him and Hostetler into the street, where they succeeded in tar and feathering entire sections of his body.
BARELY COUNTED: CY TOLLIVER'S SHANKING
It seemed no harm would ever befall Cy Tolliver because as a man who made most of his wealth at a gambling house, he never risked more than he could afford to lose. But he could never have bet that Andy Cramed would one day return to camp, and stab him for leaving him to die in the woods at the onset of the smallpox outbreak.
A stab to the gut would have felled a less indefatigable man, but Tolliver would not be killed so easily. He may have become bedridden for a time, but he was soon back on his feet and in his scarlet coat, ready to squeeze the life (and the money) out of everyone around him.
MOST HORRIFYING: WILLIAM'S TRAMPLED BODY
When Seth Bullock's family finally arrived in Deadwood, his life in the camp was forever changed. Not only did he need to see to their needs and comfort, he was responsible for their safety in a dangerous cesspool of cutthroats and opportunists.
Tragedy struck when his adopted son William was playing in the main thoroughfare just as a horse broke loose from Hostetler's livery. It trampled the poor boy and put him in a coma. Despite Doc Cochran's best efforts he later died of his injuries.
BARELY COUNTED: HEARST'S SHOULDER
Trixie ended up being the only citizen of Deadwood with enough conviction to put a stop to George Hearst and his corruption, but unfortunately her aim was terrible and the bullet meant for his head struck him in the shoulder.
The wound was of such unconcern according to Doc Cochran he almost didn't clean it, but even after it was dressed, it didn't cause Hearst any trouble. He was able to carry on just fine as Deadwood's most ambitious villain despite being nearly assassinated.