SPOILER - 3:10 to Yuma

If you have not seen the movie, do not read this post.

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Some critics don't understand the ending. They have said that there is
no good explanation for Ben Wade's actions at the end of the movie.

I disagree. The guy was charming, educated. And a psychopathic killer.
He liked playing mind games. He thought he was so far superior to
everyone else, killing them was his prerogative.

He played mind games with his captors. He asked them probing questions
about their personal lives. He made them uncomfortable. He enjoyed
that.

He took a liking to Dan Evans. That's why he, in essence, went along
to the train with him when he did not have to.

Remember, he killed his compadre in the beginning because he was
"weak." Dan, at least on this day, was not weak. Ben liked that.

In his mind, Ben had nothing to lose by getting on the train. He was
just playing along. He had escaped from Yuma prison twice before. He
was going to escape again. Once he summoned his horse, we realize he
probably was going to escape the train before the credits finished
rolling.

Why did he kill his gang? They put themselves at risk to rescue him.
That's weakness. Just like the compadre he killed early in the movie,
he killed the rest of them for their weakness.

It is spelled out for us, the viewers. After the gang realizes they
have been duped by the coach and burned it, one gang member questions
why they should bother to go after their leader. He got himself
caught.

Ben would have agreed with that guy.

Speaking of Spoilers

Hey, at least I gave you a warning.

Here is the first sentence of The New Yorker's review:

At the bloody end of “3:10 to Yuma,” virtually all the surviving characters, not to mention a variety of strangers, get shot at point-blank range.

Well, thanks for letting us know.