How the hell was Eastwood the "good"?

I will not come in and tell you how it's all planned and supergenius.

During my umpteenth rewatch I had the same question. Now, Blondie is certainly a better chap than Tuco but at this point in the film we don't know that yet and his title as "the good" does seem a bit misplaced.

Maybe Blondie knew what a ruthless sob Tuco was and was certain he would die in the desert. Still, at this point in the film, we the audience don't know that so it doesn't make him "the good".

EDIT: Ok, continuing my rewatch. Tuco is laughing at and taking pleasure in Blondie's predicament on his walk through the desert while Blondie's was solely business.

And btw, how long did it take to get the shot where Tuco throws the wine-skin and it rolls right up to Blondie's face? I know they cut at the end but until that the trajectory is on target.

The title refers to their skills as gunslingers...

Eastwood's character (the Good) kills 11 men during the course of the movie, making him the most efficient killer with a gun.
Van Cleef's character (the Bad) only kills 3 men during the course of the movie. As a killer, he's plainly the worst of the three.
Wallach's character (the Ugly) claims to be the badass, but only kills 6 men during the course of the movie, i.e. his skills as a gunslinger are ugly (bad).

Are you saying it should of been called The Ugly The Bad and the Only Slightly better?

Westerns are defined by being set on a frontier, specifically, the frontier between civilization and the wild. As a result, most western stories revolve around a character making moral decisions along this borderline where law and order are not established, and only moral choices prevent us from deteriorating to the level of animals. Considering the lawlessness and lack of morality prevalent in these areas, what we are presented with is a "bad" world full of "bad" people, and thus, the relative nature of "good" must often be re-examined.

Blondie is a good character in a world full of bad people. He may have ripped off Tuco and left him in the desert, which might have been considered a death sentence, but let's not forget that Tuco literally was sentenced to death, multiple times. As a result, Blondie has really given him another chance by saving him from the hangman's rope and presenting him with the possibility of survival, as long as he earns it (as he states before the final shootout).

Furthermore, it is important to note that Tuco really is a bad dude. If you listen to his death sentence, the crimes he has been convicted of include murder and the rape of a minor. Considering the way he lived his life, and the fact that he would've been dead without Blondie's help, he actually got a pretty good deal when Blondie set him free in the desert.

At the end when Blondie sets Tuco free for the final time, he is leaving him with not only his life, but also his share of the gold in accordance with their previous agreement. Blondie did not have to do this, and throughout the story, it is clear that both Angel Eyes and Tuco had intended to take all of the gold for themselves and not share it with anyone. I think Blondie's final act cements his status as a good man in a bad world.

Tuco's character was not the kind of guy to take the breakup of the partnership lightly, in good cheer. I would say that there was a better than fair chance that he would shoot Blondie in the back arguing that he deserved more money.

Blondie, being the smartest of the three, took precautions. If he were bad he would have just killed him in the desert, instead he gave Tuco a chance.

I’m not sure he left him for dead in the desert. He told Tuco in what direction the town was, 70 miles away. Eastwood probably knew Tuco would find his way.

You might say it was a bad action to make Tuco struggle / suffer. But remember who Tuco is. He’s a criminal, with low morals; and what they have been doing is getting him out of his punishment. Tuco is hardly this innocent saint who didn’t deserve some pain.

All this is easily explained, you just have to think a little bit.

1) He isn't leaving Tuco for DEAD, he knows how resilient and stubborn Tuco is, Blondie knows Tuco is capable of making it out alive. Blondie is merely toying and playing with Tuco, knowing what a vicious bstrd he is, but if he wanted him dead, he could've just let them hang him (after all, he got the money) or shot him or whatnot.

This is not leaving Tuco for dead, this is just 'playing a little game to irritate the little bugger'. After all, he does let him have a fortune in the end, and only kills the bad, not the ugly.

Besides, what doesn't kill Tuco, only makes Tuco stronger, and Blondie is like a Zen teacher, forcing Tuco out of complacency and giving him a burning drive to survive and live. This is how life teaches us, through our hardships we grow as human beings and cultivate our souls - we do become stronger, so in a way, Blondie is doing Tuco a favor by making him stronger.

2) He knows Tuco would avenge - after all, he is a vicious monster in his own right, even if he is a bit sympathetic as well. He knows also that at some point, their 'deal' would HAVE to come to an end - you don't play with fire or toy with a scorpion endlessly without getting hurt. It's pre-emptive self-protection, Tuco would betray him at some point or stab him in the back.

3) Blondie gives Tuco a burning passion to avenge the 'seemingly cruel lesson', which means Tuco could never just simply shoot Blondie, but would want to torture him first. This means he can survive much better, should Tuco find him again. Shooting someone is not good for revenge, it's too painless and quick. This means Blondie's chances of survival are much higher than if Tuco was impassionate about him and just wanted to kill him for pragmatic reasons.

4) Blondie could've killed Tuco at many points, but he doesn't. Instead, he gives Tuco a life lesson after another, not only proving that he's not afraid of Tuco, but also that..

It's all relative.