The Good, the Bad and the Ugly ending explained

What happens

At Sad Hill cemetery, Blondie reveals the gold is buried in a different grave from the one Tuco found. He kills Angel Eyes in the three-way standoff, then leaves Tuco a share of the gold, with a noose around his neck, and rides away.

The last image

Blondie rides away from the cemetery, leaving Tuco behind, still bound and balanced on a cross, as the gold lies open in the grave.

What it says

The ending resolves the plot with a joke and a twist. The gold is only dirt in a grave, and the film ends on the odd partnership between Blondie and Tuco, which was always its real centre.