Earp was a real figure in Tombstone. The film captures his leadership role and involvement in events accurately, but simplifies his motivations and likely presents a more heroic version than the complex historical man.

Holliday was Earp's real friend. Val Kilmer's portrayal is widely praised for capturing Holliday's documented Southern manners, wit, loyalty, worsening illness, and deadly reputation. Much dialogue is based on reported quotes.

Virgil was the City Marshal and played a key role in the events leading up to and including the O.K. Corral gunfight. His wounding is accurately depicted.

Morgan served as a deputy under Virgil and was involved in the gunfight. His subsequent assassination is historically accurate.

Josephine Marcus was a real figure who became Wyatt Earp's long-term common-law wife. The film depicts her presence and relationship with Wyatt, though the timeline and details of her prior involvement with Behan are simplified/dramatized.

Ringo was a real outlaw associated with the Cowboys. His reputation for being educated and dangerous is noted historically. His rivalry with Holliday and manner of death are heavily fictionalized in the film.

The Earp brothers did come to the booming mining town of Tombstone seeking financial opportunities, initially not intending to wear badges again.

Real tensions existed between the Earp brothers (and town business interests) and the Clanton-McLaury faction ("Cowboys") involved in rural ranching and suspected rustling/violence.

Curly Bill did accidentally shoot and kill Marshal White in 1880. Wyatt Earp arrested him; the incident increased tensions but was generally ruled accidental at the time.

Ike Clanton spent the night before the gunfight drinking heavily and making loud public threats against the Earps and Holliday.

The core event occurred, resulting in three deaths (True). It happened in a vacant lot near Fremont St, beside Fly's photo studio, not directly in the O.K. Corral (Partly true on location name/accuracy). Specific movements/shots are dramatized.

These three Cowboys were killed during the brief, intense gunfight.

Both Virgil and Morgan sustained wounds during the O.K. Corral gunfight.

In December 1881, Virgil was ambushed and shot, severely wounding his left arm, effectively crippling it.

In March 1882, Morgan Earp was shot in the back and killed while playing billiards, escalating the conflict.

After Morgan's murder, Wyatt Earp (acting with debatable legal authority via federal deputization) formed a posse including Holliday and others to hunt down those they believed responsible.

Wyatt Earp and his posse encountered Frank Stilwell (a suspect in Morgan's murder) at the Tucson train station and killed him.

The posse did track and kill several other men associated with the Cowboys, including Curly Bill Brocius (at Iron Springs). Specific details of these encounters are often unclear historically and dramatized.

Despite his worsening tuberculosis, Doc Holliday did ride with Wyatt Earp during the Vendetta Ride.

This iconic standoff is completely fictional. Johnny Ringo died later (July 1882), most likely by suicide, though the exact circumstances are debated. There was no known duel between him and Holliday.

Wyatt and Josephine did become a couple, eventually living together for decades. The film depicts the beginning of their relationship amidst the Tombstone turmoil, simplifying the timeline.

The film is accurately set in the famous silver mining boomtown during the peak of its notoriety.

The film's sets and locations effectively recreate the dusty streets, wooden buildings, saloons (like the Crystal Palace), and bustling atmosphere of a prosperous frontier mining town.

Filmed primarily in Arizona, the movie accurately captures the distinctive Southwestern desert environment surrounding Tombstone.

Costumes accurately reflect the period: practical Western wear for cowboys/lawmen, more formal suits for town figures, and Victorian-era dresses for women like Josephine.

Firearms depicted, particularly the Colt Single Action Army revolver ("Peacemaker"), Winchester repeating rifles, and shotguns (like Doc's Meteor shotgun), are iconic and period-accurate.

Accurately shows horses as the primary mode of transport, along with stagecoaches for longer travel and the arrival of the railroad in nearby towns like Tucson.

Recreates the prominent role of saloons for socializing and gambling. Features the real Bird Cage Theatre, known for its rough entertainment.

Accurately reflects the jurisdictional distinctions and potential conflicts between the Town Marshal (Virgil Earp) responsible for the city and the County Sheriff (Johnny Behan).

Captures the legendary frontier atmosphere: a mix of rapid growth, opportunity, rough justice, sudden violence, and the tension between established order and lawlessness.

While the fight wasn't in the corral itself, the film depicts the general area near Fremont Street accurately enough to convey the setting of the famous gunfight.