The Yellowstone universe is galloping into its next chapter, and fans can officially rejoice: one of the most beloved cowboys in the franchise, Lloyd Pierce, is set to join Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler in their highly anticipated spin-off series. Rumors swirling for months have now solidified into near certainty, with multiple behind-the-scenes indicators confirming veteran actor and real-life cowboy Forrie J. Smith will reprise his fan-favorite role as the loyal, soft-spoken, but fiercely principled ranch hand.

The new series—which follows Beth and Rip as they leave Montana behind and begin their next life on a ranch in Dylan—already promises grit, danger, blistering romance, and frontier justice. Now, with Lloyd riding alongside them, the spin-off becomes not just a continuation of the Yellowstone legacy but a spiritual extension of everything the original ranch represented.

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Lloyd Pierce: The Quiet Backbone of the Yellowstone Ranch

For devoted fans, Lloyd has always been more than a supporting character. He is the beating heart of the bunkhouse—the keeper of tradition, the model of loyalty, the embodiment of ranch-born wisdom without ego. From the earliest episodes of Yellowstone, Lloyd served as a stabilizing force amid the Dutton family’s constant wars with land developers, rival ranchers, corporate monsters, and political threats.

“He’s the raw, plain, good old cowboy who got raised in a ranch,” Smith once said—an ethos that radiated through every scene, even when Lloyd was simply leaning on a fence rail with a quiet nod.

What made him iconic wasn’t loud speeches or dramatic outbursts. It was presence. It was principle.It was the idea that some men still live by codes older than bullets. While his screen time was often minimal, his narrative significance was immense. Whenever the ranch was in chaos, Lloyd was the one Rip trusted to steady the ship—and the one the rest of the bunkhouse instinctively looked to. So when Season 5 saw Rip preparing to move cattle south to escape the Yellowstone’s decaying environmental conditions, he made one request that stood out above all others:

Lloyd comes with him.

This moment, for many viewers, planted the seeds for the spin-off long before Paramount confirmed it. Rip didn’t just want a helping hand. He wanted family.

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A Brother in All but Blood: The Rip & Lloyd Bond

Rip Wheeler, arguably the most iconic cowboy on television today, has always kept his circle extremely small. The fact that Lloyd is one of the few men he trusts completely speaks volumes. Their relationship has been both paternal and brotherly—shifting depending on the moment, the fight, or the trauma unfolding around them.

Fans fondly recall scenes where Rip subtly sought Lloyd’s counsel, or where Lloyd offered emotional grounding to the notoriously guarded cowboy. Their bond was built on unspoken respect and carved out of decades of shared hardship, survival, and silent loyalty. It’s that bond that makes Lloyd’s presence in the new spin-off not just plausible, but narratively essential.

Beth and Rip may be the emotional core of the story, but Lloyd is the history.
He is the living reminder of what the Yellowstone stands for.
He is the bridge between worlds.

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A New Ranch, Old Ghosts: The Potential Conflicts Ahead

As Rip, Beth, Carter, and now Lloyd head into their new ranching life in Dylan, fans should brace themselves for friction. While Lloyd is fiercely loyal, his entire identity is tied to the Yellowstone Ranch, the bunkhouse, and the traditions that shaped him. Now, for the first time in decades, he will stand on different soil.

Sources close to the production suggest the spin-off will explore this emotional displacement. Lloyd is a man who has spent a lifetime doing things “the Yellowstone way,” and the reality that “there is no Yellowstone anymore” may hit him harder than anyone else in the cast.

Will he adapt to Rip’s new leadership in a different environment?
Will his nostalgia cause friction?
Or will he evolve, becoming an even deeper, more complex figure in the process?

The narrative possibilities are rich, especially with Beth—a woman who tolerates virtually no resistance—running the show alongside Rip. Lloyd’s old-school habits may challenge her explosive temperament, giving the spin-off a combustible blend of loyalty and conflict.

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Long-Awaited Answers: Who Is Lloyd, Really?

If there was ever a time to dig deeper into Lloyd’s past, it is now.

For years, Yellowstone viewers have begged for a storyline exploring how Lloyd earned his brand—one of the highest forms of loyalty within the Dutton empire, and one of the show’s most mysterious backstories. Fans also want clarity on the inconsistencies surrounding his full name, which has vacillated between Lloyd Pierce and Lloyd Bridger throughout the series.

The spin-off offers the perfect opportunity to finally tell his story:

• How did he come to the ranch?

• What shaped him into the quiet legend of the bunkhouse?

• What mistakes, sacrifices, or tragedies led him to Rip and the Duttons?

• And what does it mean for him to start over at his age?

Producers have hinted at “character-focused episodes” in the new series, and many viewers hope Lloyd will finally get the spotlight he has been denied for five seasons.

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Forrie J. Smith: A Cowboy Playing a Cowboy

Part of the Lloyd mystique comes not just from the writing—but from Forrie J. Smith himself. Smith grew up on a ranch in Montana, competed in rodeos, and entered Hollywood as a stunt performer in films like Rambo III. His authenticity contributed to the rugged realism of the Yellowstone ranch lifestyle.

Smith’s real-life controversies—such as his outspoken anti-vaccination stance and blunt political opinions—have sparked debate among fans. Yet for many, his unfiltered cowboy persona is precisely what makes him so believable in the role. He is, in every sense, the genuine article.

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A Familiar Face in a New Frontier

As the Yellowstone franchise continues expanding—between 1883, 1923, 1944, 6666, and now the Beth & Rip sequel—continuity becomes increasingly important. Lloyd’s confirmed involvement grounds the new series in the emotional legacy of the original show and reassures fans that the heart of Yellowstone isn’t being abandoned, just relocated.

Beth and Rip may be the fire. But Lloyd? He’s the earth beneath their boots.

With his inclusion, the next chapter of the Dutton-adjacent universe promises grit, loyalty, old wounds, new beginnings, and the cowboy code that made Yellowstone a cultural juggernaut.

One thing is certain:
A new ranch may be rising—but the spirit of the Yellowstone rides with Lloyd Pierce.