Plot
Isaiah Turner (Sinbad (comedian)) a.k.a. “The Cherokee Kid” faces The Undertaker (Gregory Hines) in a duel in Larabee, Texas, and appears to be killed, much to land-grabber Bloomington's (James Coburn) delight. At the funeral, Juan Cortina (A Martinez) delivers the eulogy revealing the Kid's backstory.
Isaiah lived with his family in Oklahoma territory during railroad expansion. When his half-Cherokee father opposed selling their land, he was murdered. Isaiah and his brother Jedediah killed the responsible railroad man in revenge. Their mother scolded them for confusing "stupidity with courage" and gave them their father's Cherokee-feathered hat before helping Jedediah escape by pretending to shoot him. Bloomington then arrived and killed their mother, leaving a scar when she grazed his forehead. Isaiah escaped and was adopted by Reverend Peel (Hal Williams) and his wife.
Fourteen years later, the clumsy but determined Isaiah sees a poster advertising Bloomington's gubernatorial campaign. He sets out for revenge but gets lost (a running gag) and accidentally kills outlaw Jake Carver with a turkey while saving a prostitute. Carver's gang finds him, and Isaiah tricks them into taking him to Pinedale by claiming to be Carver's friend planning a bank robbery.
In Pinedale, Isaiah's botched robbery attempt and failed assassination of Bloomington leads him to hide with mountain man Otter Bob (Burt Reynolds). For three months, Otter Bob teaches Isaiah survival and shooting skills in exchange for reading lessons. When Bonner's men catch up, Otter Bob sacrifices himself to save Isaiah. Isaiah then rescues Juan Cortina from the desert, and Cortina vows to repay the debt.
In El Paso, Isaiah is captured and jailed with famous gunslinger Nat Love (Ernie Hudson), who reveals that Jedediah became a gunslinger but died in a duel with The Undertaker. Cortina breaks them out, and they join Nat's gang including Stagecoach Mary. Under Nat's harsh tutelage, Isaiah rapidly develops into a skilled gunslinger and earns the name “Cherokee Kid.” After participating in a successful bank robbery, Isaiah and Cortina parted ways with the gang.
The Cherokee Kid targets Bloomington's banks, forcing the desperate railroad baron to hire bounty hunters, including The Undertaker. Isaiah and Cortina seek fresh horses at the Holsopple farm, where daughter Abby (Vanessa Bell Calloway) knocks them out hoping to collect the bounty to save their land. After escaping, Isaiah challenges The Undertaker to a duel.
During their showdown, both fighters recognize each other—The Undertaker is Jedediah Turner, Isaiah's brother. The staged duel allows Isaiah to "rise from the dead" and attack Bloomington's men. A massive gunfight erupts with their allies against Bloomington's forces. Nat Love dies in the battle, and Cortina is wounded.
The reunited brothers work together to defeat Bloomington's remaining men. Isaiah corners Bloomington in a barn, rejects his partnership offer, and executes him when the villain tries to shoot him in the back. Jedediah saves Isaiah from Bonner's final ambush.
After Nat's burial, the brothers plan to head west together seeking new adventures. Despite Abby's protests that he no longer needs to be "The Cherokee Kid," Isaiah enjoys his gunslinger life. When Cortina tries to leave, Isaiah reminds him of their debt bond. As they ride away, Abby shoots at them demanding to join their group.
