The impending finale of Breaking Bad. The former introduced the world to heavy-hitting foes like Tuco Salamanca, Gus Fring, and Todd, who went on to shape the Emmy-winning series and provide some of the tensest and most heartbreaking sequences of the show. But somehow, Better Call Saul stepped it up a gear, bringing back those same faces and debuting new ones.
Most notably, Lalo Salamanca has been the most significant villain of Better Call Saul and easily rivaled those of the original series. He might be charismatic, but he's also unpredictable and psychopathic. These moments should indicate just how he has arguably become the best antagonist of this whole drug-fuelled universe.
Charismatic Manipulations
Every act that Lalo commits is accompanied by an undertone of good humor and heaps of charisma. In fact, Salamanca's charm is almost disarming. It's a gift that none of the other Dons or drug lords can really attest to, except perhaps Gus who can keep up public appearances.
Lalo manages to think his way through any given situation though, relying heavily on his people-pleasing skills and forcing people to feel as if they are his friend. It's a smart tactic and one that has seen him gain personal and private information from those who should have held the intel in a confidential manner. Lalo's recovery of Ziegler's phone number for instance is a great example.
Hunting Nacho
While Nacho's death might have been one of the most shocking of the show thus far, it was a long time coming. It was just surprising that it wasn't Lalo Salamanca who pulled the trigger, considering the character had always been hunting Nacho; even if he didn't know it himself.
Lalo continued to keep Nacho on a tight leash and there was always a sense of distrust between them. But his acts to continue to give Nacho more power, perhaps at the chance that he might drop the ball at any moment, demonstrate how manipulative he is. Lalo always kept his enemy close and that act was well-calculated. No other villain would be as brave or cunning.
The Secret Plot
Very few people have managed to suss out the plots of Gus Fring and his extended operation. But Lalo Salamanca had his own scheme that he thought would topple the giant, and bring partners like Mike along with him. He began an investigation of his own.
He discovered the hidden drug lab and even managed to kill some of the people responsible for it, in the most brutal of ways. Of all the villains in the Breaking Bad universe, Lalo was genuinely ahead of the competition and had a plan for everything. It was an impressive display of detective work and a demonstration of how cruel he can be.
Shaking Gus
Not only was Lalo's plan malicious and one of the most destructive in Breaking Bad history (if it was to be pulled off), the results of this meant that Gus Fring was actually shaken. In fact, Lalo is perhaps the only man, besides Walter White, to get into Gus' head.
He managed to humble him, even dragging him around his own lab, gun pointed straight at his head. If it wasn't for the showmanship of Lalo it would have worked and Gus would have been bested and killed right there. No one else could really claim to have managed that.
Mercy To Margarethe
Margarethe Ziegler was the widow of the engineer responsible for building Gus' lab and she held the key information that Lalo needed for his own plan. But a great villain isn't just someone with brilliant quotes and a penchant for murder. They also have to have some depth to them.
It seemed as if Lalo genuinely enjoyed the company of Margarethe as if he had found an intellectual parallel. This was only reinforced by the idea that he decided to show mercy, realizing she had already lost so much. He had the opportunity and motive to kill her, but he didn't, leaving her in peace.
Killing Howard
Howard Hamlin was a mainstay of the show. While he was an antagonist himself in some sense, ultimately he was innocent and just trying to do his job to the best of his ability. Kim and Saul might have torn him down, but at his lowest, Lalo put a bullet in his head.
It was a symbol of how callous Lalo can be, not caring for the man he just murdered, really for no reason at all. Killing off a main character in such a shocking way only reinforced Lalo's thirst for blood and completely erratic nature. The tone really shifted after this killing. It's rare for a villain to actually get the opportunity to kill off a leading character.
Forcing Kim To Assasinate Gus
Lalo really is sadistic in the way he wanted to achieve his plan. He is always willing to use seemingly innocent people to better his cause and Kim and Saul fell into his line of fire. After threatening to force Saul to do it, Lalo decides to send Kim on a deadly mission instead.
After tying up her husband, the lawyer would be pushed into murdering Gus Fring by Lalo, in order to keep everyone safe. He knew that she would never do it and didn't care that she could have been killed in the process. It was another signal that he sees people as mere tools, despite the friendly disposition he has towards them.
Terrorizing Saul
Lalo has contributed to some of the tensest situations in Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad history because he can lurk in the shadows and emerge in broad daylight without drawing any attention. That's how he made his way into Kim and Saul's lives and almost put an end to them.
Suspecting Saul of some kind of betrayal, Lalo was hellbent on murdering the lawyer. Somehow, in a breathtaking piece of cinema, Kim talked him out of the decision. It showed that Lalo could be reasoned with, and laughed off the whole situation, like the evil entity he is.
Surviving The Shootout
Even in Better Call Saul, there are filler episodes and Lalo still manages to make those entertaining. But the grand finale of Season 5 did see Lalo involved in an intense shootout, which was triggered by Nacho's own betrayal. Lalo was the antihero of the piece, with viewers seeing if he managed to survive his fate.
Like the badass he is, he did. He faked his death and even tricked the DNA tests so that he could go into hiding. His conviction to live, but the heartbreak at the bloodshed that had been caused, added a few extra layers to him. The act of survival at all costs showed audiences what kind of man he is.
Influential Death
The death of the character can say a lot about who they were before their demise. Sometimes a villain is killed off and the status quo remains. But for Lalo Salamanca, the act of dying somehow has major repercussions for the whole Breaking Bad universe moving forward.
It's the catalyst for the continued hatred between Gus and Hector and also the signal for Gus to begin rebuilding his empire. With Lalo gone, it means a shift will take place in the cartel which sees the rise of Tuco again. Ultimately, in death, Lalo was just as influential!