Lucas McCain

Lucas McCain is the titular character of The Rifleman.
Lucas is a cattle rancher who owns and lives on a ranch outside of North Fork with his son Mark McCain. His main weapon is a Winchester 1892 44-40 lever action rifle with a modification that allows for the gun to be fired by only cocking the leverHome Ranch. Famously, he is faster with it than most men are with a six-gun, which has earned him the reputation of "The Rifleman" throughout the West. Lucas is also a Union Veteran of the Civil War. He's seen as one of the most respectable men in North Fork and is considered a "big man" of the town.
He was portrayed by Chuck Connors.
==Personality==
Lucas is confident, even-tempered, heroic, authoritative, and has a strong sense of morality and justice. He is extremely steadfast, almost to the degree of being stubborn - adhering to an internal set of principles about what's "right," even when it's impractical to, and even when making a small compromise would prevent a lot of trouble. For example, in The Young Englishman, he risks his life over a single calf that was stolen from his ranch:
Mark: Do you have to go, Pa? Well, after all, it was only one little calf.
Lucas: Well, that isn't the point, Mark. It doesn't matter whether it's one calf or a dozen. There's a principle involved.
For the most part, he remains very even-tempered and level-headed even in dire situations, such as when his own life is at risk. He is very reasonable and has an ability of talking things out with people, even violent outlaws, in a rational and convincing manner. But when it comes to the people he cares about, especially his son, he can be sent into a rage when they are put in harm's way.
Lucas frequently employs "tough love" and can be rather brutally honest with people including his loved ones, but it's usually because he believes the people need it and it's his way of trying to help them.
He is rather bullheaded and a bit cocky, and has a tendency to take extreme risks, going after outlaws himself and putting his life on the line, such as in The Angry Gun in which he goes after a group of outlaws on foot alone and while unarmed. Amazingly, the incredibly dangerous situations he puts himself into usually work out in his favor, often due to his wit and sharpshooting skills.
==History==
Lucas is from Enid, OklahomaThe Guest, and is a Union veteran of the Civil War, serving as a Lieutenant with the 8th Indiana Infantry RegimentThe PrisonerIn The Sheridan Story Lucas says he served in the 19th Indiana, and in The Deserter Lucas says he served in the 110th Indiana.. His wife and Mark's mother, Margaret McCain, passed away after his military service. After her death, Lucas and his son Mark set off for a new start, when they found the ranch outside of North Fork and decided to start a new life there.
==Relationships==
===Mark McCain===
Lucas is an extremely dedicated father to Mark. Even when Mark was young, Lucas always makes it a point to try to explain his parenting decisions to him in a way he can understand, such as why he is being punished for something or why he's upset, and the two maintain a very open channel of communication and avoid keeping any secrets from each other. Because of this, when Lucas thinks or finds out that Mark is lying to him, he feels very betrayed and hurt.
Lucas is against any sort of physical punishment and never hits or spanks MarkThree-Legged Terror, and always opts to talk things out calmly instead. Like many parents do, Lucas feels uneasy and sad about the prospect of Mark growing up and not needing him anymore, like in First Wages. Nearly every episode ends with Lucas trying to use the events of the episode to be a insightful life lesson for Mark.
Some of the few times in the series that Lucas becomes ruthlessly violent and engulfed with rage are when Mark is hurt, is in danger of being hurt, or Lucas thinks he is. When Mark's life is in danger or when Lucas thinks Mark has been killed, Lucas has no qualms about killing whoever is responsible in an instant, nearly strangling someone to death with his bare hands in Eight Hours to Die. He can even become sadistic in these situations like in Trail of Hate, when he forces three men to cross the blistering desert with no water nearly to the brink of death because they hurt Mark, as he takes pleasure in watching them suffer.
===Micah Torrance===
Look, Micah, I've... I've taken a man by the hand more than just to say howdy to him maybe four or five times in my life, and, uh, out of all of them, you're the last, and the most... well, it, uh, with me, you stand right behind Mark. You know that, don't you?
- Lucas, Closer Than a Brother
Micah and Lucas are best friends, with Lucas ranking Micah just after Mark in importance to himCloser Than a Brother. They often spend time together, whether in the Marshal's office, playing chess, or going on hunting trips. They have a deep trust in each other; Lucas asked Micah to raise Mark when he was near deathOrdeal, and Micah lent Lucas his life savings to catch a cheating cardsharkTinhorn. They first met in The Marshal when Lucas helped a drunk Micah get back on his feet and become the marshal.
Lucas very frequently comes to the aid of Micah when dealing with outlaws, and they have each laid their lives on the line for each other numerous times. When Micah has to leave town or is otherwise unable to fulfill his marshal duties in North Fork, Lucas is usually his go-to to appoint as acting marshal. However, due to the frequency with which Lucas ends up saving Micah and how much Lucas has done for him, Micah has felt bitter and useless, possibly even jealous of Lucas which caused tension between the two in Closer Than a Brother.
Lucas employs his "tough love" on Micah in certain situations, especially pertaining Micah's alcoholism. Likewise, Micah often offers wisdom and harsh truths to Lucas that he needs to hear but which he might not want to.
===Milly Scott===
Although Milly and Lucas don't get along when they first meet in Miss Milly, they grow to become good friends. They have romantic tension, with Lucas becoming bitterly jealous when she shows interest in another man in Milly's Brother. Although the two sometimes flirt with each other, Lucas's romantic interest in her goes largely unrequited, with it peaking with a kiss in the aforementioned episode before she leaves the show. The two sometimes go to dinner together (although this on its own doesn't necessarily indicate romance, as Lucas goes to dinner with his friends quite often such as with Micah).
==References==
==Footnotes==
Category:Characters
Category:Main characters