The first film has the Man with No Name arriving in the Mexico–United States border town of San Miguel, the base of two rival smuggling families, the Rojos and the Baxters. The Man with No Name, referred to by the old undertaker Piripero as "Joe", plays them against each other by collecting prizes for giving information, capturing prisoners and killing men, while also helping a woman, her husband and their son, held captive by the ruthless Ramón Rojo, to escape. He is discovered by the Rojos and tortured, but escapes. The Rojos massacre the unarmed Baxters while searching for him, but helped by Piripero he hides away from the town. The Man with No Name returns as the Rojos are preparing to hang the local innkeeper, Silvanito, who had befriended him. He kills Don Miguel Rojo, uses his last bullet to free Silvanito, and kills Ramón in a gunslinging duel. After the last remaining Rojo brother, Esteban, is killed by Silvanito while trying to shoot from a window, the Man with No Name departs from the now-peaceful town.