Shane works for the Starett family, a young widow, her son, and her aging father-in-law, protecting them against the anti-sodbuster rancher Ryker and other perils plaguing the Old West.
When Amy Sloate shows up to start a school, Rufe Ryker gives orders to burn down the barn that would house the school. Miss. Sloate doesn't like the raw wilderness and violence she sees and is advised by Shane to leave. Marion is adamant that there will be a school, no matter how much Ryker is against it so she starts a school in the saloon. When Shane hears Ryker still caused trouble, he goes to Plan B.
An old man shows up and watches Shane from a distance. When Shane confronts the man, he discovers he shot and killed the old man's son four years before. The fact that he couldn't remember, and the old man's strange request makes Shane physically ill. Shane must find some way to come to terms with what he did.
What starts out as a day filled with the hope of borrowing the needed money for buying pigs the Staretts will need to get through the winter turns out to be a day of truths. After Ryker threatens to burn down the winter wheat, it's suddenly stampeded by a herd of Ryker's cattle. Shane sees no other way for the family to survive except to take a job with a group of gunfighters he's worked with before. Marian begs him not to take the job. She doesn't want blood money. We see a tougher side of Shane, and a surprising ending to this story.
When four members of the Spicer family ride into town, Kemp immediately announces they are there to kill Shane. Shane soon discovers they plan on killing him to avenge him for another family member who's life, they claim, Shane took. Shane denies this fact, however. Ryker himself sides with Shane, and they may soon be facing a shootout.
A stranger, not happy with the changing times and unwilling to accept the fact that "sod busters" are moving into the land, resorts to taking a job with the Starrett's when things get rough. He doesn't last long because Ryker invites him to work at his ranch. But even Ryker's ways are too tame for this cowboy, and he's out for revenge.
While out riding one day, Shane and Marian come upon a sick couple. It's not long before they realize that the couple have contracted a deadly disease. When Marian comes down with the disease, Shane does everything possible to get the quinine they need. He'll do anything - even kill anybody who tries to stand in his way! The drummer that arrives in town decides to make a little profit on the panic that soon erupts.
Two of Rykers' drunken cowhands cause a fire, accidentally killing a young woman. Her husband shoots one of the cowhands, who eventually dies. Ryker announces he's going after the husband who killed his cowhand. Meanwhile, a preacher shows up to perform the funeral service and gets involved. The steps he takes to stop the feud are shocking.
Shane feels he's lost the battle for Marian's heart when she receives a letter from back East from an old boyfriend, Warren Eliot. Then when Warren pops the question, Marian finds herself having to decide rather she and Joey should stay or go back East with Warren, leaving behind Shane and her father-in-law.
Tom Gary has a wife and two kids; and when his animals die from drinking poison water, he believes Ryker is behind it. Before long, Tom allows his anger and frustration to drive him mad. He begins shooting at folks, and even shoots his own wife. Tom Starrett, Shane, and Ryker set out to find him before he kills someone.
Shane does everything he can to make sure Marion gets to a special dance. Nothing short of death will keep him from his duty. Using a deck of cards, he convinces Ryker to leave the family's homestead alone while they are gone, drives the family three days to a city where the dance is to be held, and fights Indians after they steal Marion's dress. But at the end of the trip, the family gets a big surprise.
A gang of outlaws ride into town and cause so much ruckus that Grafton sends for Ryker, but that's before Shane begs him to let the men have their fun for two days, pay for the damages, then ride out. It turns out that Shane and the head outlaw go way back, and a declaration was made that they would end up killing each other someday. After Ryker arrives, words are exchanged, and Ryker and his men go to have a showdown with the gang. The end results are not pleasant. Since Shane didn't hold up his end of the bargain, the leader of the gang decide to take revenge. There's only one thing that could make Shane face this man head on, and that one thing has happened.
Shane agrees to work for Ryker for a month so he can buy a pony for Joey. However, things don't go as planned. The foreman isn't too fond of the new hired hand and makes life at Ryker's Ranch rather difficult for Shane.
A woman arrives in town and announces to Joey that she is an old acquaintance of Tom's. Tom soon has to reveal a deep dark secret from his past and the reason he left the bench. But the woman is out for revenge, and not even Shane may be able to stop it this time.
After one of Ryker's hands is shot, Shane is blamed. They find him guilty in a mock jury trial where Ryker's the judge and his men are the jury. Ben sneaks away to warn Tom and Marian about what's going on, and the whole family fights to save Shane's life. Shane and Joey make a decision that may complicate things even more. But somebody's guilty, and Shane must get to the truth before Ryker kills him!
An invasion is happening, and it's happening by Major Hackett and his hired guns to any rancher or homesteader who is not a member of the Cattleman's Beleavent. An article in the paper only mentions one name, Longhorn Jenny who obtains her cattle to sell by questionable methods. She is branded a rustler. That's only the beginning of Hackett's invasion, however. Shane is concerned for the homesteaders, and yes, even Ryker, who live in the valley and tries to warn them to join together to fight Hackett, because he WILL come. Everyone laughs in his face, however, and refuse to leave. Even Marion refuses to leave. When Shane has a talk with Joey, he realizes there is only one thing left to do. He may never see Marion again.
Frustrated by his inability to convince the homesteaders and Ryker of the need to fight the crazed, megalomaniac Major Hackett and his army, Shane decides to accept Hackett's offer and join his troop, in the hope of learning which ranchers they plan to attack next and warning them before more are killed.
There is a man interested in courting Marian and it's not Shane. Actually, the person doing the courting is quite shocking to everyone. Marian sees this new interest as a way to make Shane jealous and it works like a charm; but will her attempts backfire?
