WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Better Call Saul season 6
Better Call Saul season 6 has a potential problem when it comes to a final villain. The midseason premiere, "Point and Shoot," changed the series in a completely unexpected way by killing off Lalo Salamanca. Of course, this means he will no longer be a major antagonist going forward. Despite Better Call Saul having an obvious choice when it comes to replacing him, given the structure of the main storyline as well as the format of the show, there's also a more logical one.
The main storylines of Better Call Saul season 6 have seen Jimmy and Kim's plan against Howard Hamlin and Gus's conflict with Lalo have now come to a head. This ultimately led to Howard's death in season 6's midseason finale, "Plan and Execution," before being swiftly followed by Lalo's in "Point and Shoot." Both of these deaths change the trajectory of the show in numerous ways. One such way is leaving the void open for a new villain to take the reigns as Better Call Saul comes to a close.
Ultimately, with Lalo dead, it seems natural that the showrunners may turn to other villainous characters like Gus or the Salamancas to be Better Call Saul's final main villain. That being said, it would make more sense for the series' final villain to be none other than Saul Goodman himself, Jimmy McGill. Much like Breaking Bad's Walter White, Jimmy is going through a villainous origin story where he becomes a far worse person by embracing his Saul Goodman persona. It would make more sense for this to be the series' main concluding storyline instead of conflict with another outside force.
Why Lalo Salamanca Isn't Better Call Saul's Final Villain
As a major antagonist during Better Call Saul's later seasons, it is shocking that Lalo has been killed off already. However, from a narrative standpoint, it is for the best. Despite being an antagonist to Jimmy, Lalo's main conflict was always with Gus. Since Gus is going to die in Breaking Bad, it is clear that Lalo was either going to disappear or be killed off, with the latter ultimately being the case. In the end, there was no need for Better Call Saul to let Lalo and Gus's war continue to brew when fans of Breaking Bad already know who will win.
Who Can Replace Lalo As Better Call Saul's Final Villain?
Now that Lalo is dead, there's a whole nest of Better Call Saul characters to choose from when considering who will be the new main villain. As previously mentioned, there are more villainous characters, like Gus and the Salamancas. In a more antagonistic role, there are characters such as Clifford Main, Howard's wife, and possibly even Howard's therapist. This is especially true in the sense that Howard's death will most definitely be investigated, and these three will likely believe there is more to the story than what is being confirmed.
In the end, it appears the most likely candidate for Better Call Saul's season 6 final villain would be Gus. This is especially true since Gus may have taken a liking to Kim. Likewise, given Mike's close relationship with Jimmy, he may use that to his advantage as well. While the other characters could have minor antagonistic roles, Gus will be the main driving force.
Who Better Call Saul's Final Villain Should Be
While Gus would make for an excellent final villain in Better Call Saul season 6, it would make more sense thematically for it to be Jimmy. Better Call Saul is mainly the story of how Saul Goodman came to be. So, that ultimately will be the show's endgame. That being said, having Gus be the final main villain could take away from that, as the focus will be less on Saul Goodman's origin and more on what will happen to Jimmy and Kim should they cross Gus's wrath. This isn't to say that Gus could still be an antagonist, but the focus should remain on Jimmy's descent first and foremost.
What would help Better Call Saul season 6 overcome this villain issue would be to have Jimmy do something so unethical — be it for Gus or someone else — that it will be the driving force behind these final few episodes. It will show that the once shady yet well-intentioned lawyer is well and truly gone, and possibly be what drives Kim away from him for good. This will make for a truly tragic conclusion to Better Call Saul season 6, the kind that it needs to be for a finale worthy of its predecessor.