Gustavo Fring

Gustavo "Gus" Fring, mockingly referred to as The Chicken Man by Hector, is a Chilean-American restaurant entrepreneur and major narcotics distributor who primarily worked in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally collaborating with the Mexican drug cartel to distribute their cocaine, Gus eliminated his dependence on the cartel and began distributing methamphetamine himself. Soon enough he became the kingpin of his solo drug empire, which was the most successful drug operation in United States history until his former employee Walter White surpassed it with his own drug empire.

Gus is the proprietor of Los Pollos Hermanos, a highly successful fried chicken restaurant chain which he co-founded with his business associate and partner Maximino "Max" Arciniega, and is also the owner of the industrial laundry facility called Lavandería Brillante. Gus uses both of these stores as a front for his meth distribution operation throughout the American southwest, supported by Los Pollos' corporate owners, Madrigal Electromotive GmbH.

Gus maintains a positive public image; he is a booster for Albuquerque civic causes, including the local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office; in addition to befriending the special agent in charge, Gus makes large donations to the office's charitable events, and is a member of the hospital board. Underneath this outwardly pleasant front, he is calculatingly ruthless and dangerously Machiavellian in managing his drug empire by using his anti-drug philanthropy to conceal his true nature from the public. He employs a number of enforcers including Mike Ehrmantraut, and has personally killed both rivals and allies.

Biography[]

Background information[]

Very little is known about Gustavo Fring's past and much of his background remains a mystery. It is probable that his name is an alias, since neither the DEA nor his own enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut could find any record of him prior to his arrival in Mexico from 1986. He claims to be from Chile, and is sometimes referred to by cartel members as "The Chilean", but it is unclear whether or not he was born there as no records of his life exist prior to 1986 ("Hermanos"). Gus' true identity and past life prior to moving to the United States remains a mystery, though Cartel leader Eladio Vuente once revealed that he knows about who Gus actually is ("Hermanos").

Gus spent his childhood living in extreme poverty with his siblings (including at least two brothers) ("Piñata"). When he was 7 years old, he cultivated a lucuma tree and used it to feed himself and earn a living. One day, a coati ransacked the tree. Enraged, Gus set a trap and managed to capture the coati after waiting for hours. The coati was wounded by the trap but, instead of killing it, Gustavo kept it alive to prolong its suffering, later claiming it "lived for quite some time" despite the sustained injuries ("Piñata").

At a certain point, Gus moved to the Chilean capital of Santiago. There, he met German businessman Peter Schuler and the two were able to escape from an unknown situation when backed into a wall, becoming close associates as a result ("JMM"). Lalo Salamanca also referred to a mysterious incident involving Gus which took place in Santiago ("Magic Man"). Most importantly, in Santiago Gus also met Maximino Arciniega, an extremely gifted chemist; at this point, Gus could also afford to pay for Max's university education and the two became very close to each other ("Hermanos").

At some point in his life Gus may have served in the Chilean military, eventually rising to the higher ranks, as in one instance Hector taunted him with the title "big generalissimo" ("One Minute"). Sometime during the 1980s, Gus fled Chile and in 1986 settled in Mexico with Max ("Hermanos"); he was also somehow able to almost completely erase all records of his existence in Chile, as Hank Schrader mentions that there are no records of him ever living there, implying that he may be a wanted fugitive or a war criminal ("Hermanos"). Gus explains this, though likely lying, by saying that the Chilean government under dictator Augusto Pinochet was "notoriously unreliable about keeping records"("Hermanos").

In Mexico, Gus and Max started a chain of restaurants named Los Pollos Hermanos, while also developing a high-class strain of methamphetamine. The two sought to start a partnership with Don Eladio Vuente, feeling he could provide them global access for their product. Eladio, however, was less than impressed by their pitch upon feeling that the pair had insulted him by secretly dealing under his nose. Despite the two's apologies, Eladio ordered Hector Salamanca to shoot Max in the head as punishment. Gus was outraged by the loss of the man he loved and broke down in tears. Eladio spared Gus' life and told him that the only reason he was not killed alongside Max was because he "knows who he really is". Hector then tells Gus to "stick to chicken". ("Hermanos")

In 1989, Gus emigrated to the United States and expanded his restaurant business. In 1994, he established a chemistry scholarship in Max's name at the University of New Mexico. At some point in his career, Gus forged a connection with a German conglomerate called Madrigal Electromotive GmbH, which backed his meth distribution network. His close friend and associate Peter Schuler, whom he previously met in Chile, was able to make this possible ("JMM"). Gus eventually became a meth distributor for the Cartel, with Juan Bolsa acting as his boss. In 1999, Don Hector started his own distribution network, becoming Gus' main competitor, even if both of them ultimately still reported to Don Eladio. During this time, the boss unfavorably compared Hector's operation to Gus's, much to Hector's dismay ("Sabrosito").

During all these years, Gus appeared acquiescent while secretly plotting to exact revenge on Hector, Eladio, and Bolsa, and also eliminating his dependence on the cartel by producing his own meth via a "superlab" hidden beneath an industrial laundry. To fend off suspicions and people digging into him, Gus conducted his business with extreme caution, never dealing with drug addicts or those he saw as irrational or having poor judgment. This was due in large part to his established role as a businessman, philanthropist, and restaurateur.

Better Call Saul[]

Season 2[]

In 2002, upon learning of Mike's vendetta against Hector, Gus assigns one of his men to place a tracking device in Mike's car to keep tabs on the latter's whereabouts at all times. As a warning to Mike, Gus's agent purposefully blows Mike's cover when he makes his attempt, bugging the beater car Mike purchases, following Mike to Hector, and wedging a branch against Mike's car's horn before leaving a note on the windshield, which simply reads: "DON'T." ("Klick")

Season 3[]

Discovering the hidden tracking devices, Mike uses a device of his own to tail the agent back to Los Pollos Hermanos. The next morning, he has Jimmy McGill go into the restaurant to observe the courier. Jimmy does so, but sees nothing suspicious. When the courier dispenses with his trash and leaves, Jimmy gets stuck trying to dig through the trash bin. Gus greets Jimmy and digs through the bin to retrieve his lost watch. When Jimmy drives away, Gus is outside collecting litter and looks up knowingly, suggesting he saw through the ruse. ("Witness")

Escorted by his henchmen Victor and Tyrus Kitt, Gus arranges a remote meeting with Mike. Gus, having earlier prevented Mike's assassination attempt against Hector Salamanca, explains that he does not want Salamanca to die at this point in time. However, Gus encourages Mike to hit one of Hector's trucks. ("Mabel") Mike, realizing Hector is one of Gus's competitors, takes the suggestion. Gus refers Mike to Barry Goodman, a doctor on his payroll in Mexico, who supplies cocaine that Mike plants on a truck traveling to the U.S.-Mexico border. When the cocaine is detected by a police dog, the drivers are arrested. ("Sunk Costs")

Hector confronts Gus at Los Pollos Hermanos and attempts to threaten him into using his trucks to move his drugs, now that the police have closed off his main smuggling route. Gus sends payment to Mike for his services, but Mike refuses to accept it. ("Sabrosito")

As part of Gus' agreement with Hector, Gus' men hand over a portion of his smuggled drugs to Nacho, who insists on taking one more package than was agreed to. Gus orders his henchmen to allow Nacho to take the extra portion, as he is scouting a commercial laundry with Lydia Rodarte-Quayle. ("Off Brand")

Mike approaches Gus to seek help in laundering the remaining $200,000 he stole from Hector so that it can be left to his family. Gus agrees, warning Mike that the process will be difficult, and both men shake hands. ("Slip")

Gus and Victor meet with Hector, Nacho and Arturo at a remote location, where Juan Bolsa, over speaker phone informs Hector that Don Eladio is satisfied with their new "consolidated transportation method" of shipping drugs over the border, and feels the system works so well, that from now on, everything will be transported using Gus's distribution network only. Enraged Hector violently tosses the phone on the table, breaking it, while Gus humbly tries to assure Hector that he did not want to assume this responsibility. Hector's heart problems then kick in, as he proceeds to take Nacho's spiked pills, which surprisingly take no apparent effect. Hector then curses out Gus, Juan and Eladio before proceeding to leave with Arturo, and a disappointed Nacho. ("Fall")

During a meeting between Hector, Gus, and Bolsa. Bolsa reminds Hector that it is under Don Eladio's orders that all smuggling operations will be handled by Gus, which enrages Hector and triggers a heart attack, forcing him to be hospitalized. In the chaos, Nacho is able to switch Hector's fake medication back with his real pills, but Gus gives him a suspicious look. ("Lantern")

Season 4[]

Gus calls Juan Bolsa as Hector is being driven away in an ambulance, and tells Nacho that Bolsa wants to talk with him. At the Los Pollos Hermanos Factory Farm, Nacho and Arturo are told the Salamancas will keep their territory despite Hector's condition. Bolsa confides in Gus that he believes Hector's condition will lead to another group triggering a war with the Salmancas that could cause the DEA to investigate. ("Smoke")

Gus sends Victor and Barry Goodman to check on Hector's condition, and they report back to him that he is no longer comatose, but is not awake. When Barry questions whether or not Hector deserves to be in his condition, Gus states that Hector's fate is his to decide. Gus takes a call from Lydia who is complaining about Mike, and then receives Hector's medical report from Tyrus. After reading something in the charts, he arranges to ambush Nacho and Arturo when they pick up a shipment of drugs. Gus kills Arturo by suffocating him, and then makes it clear to Nacho that he knows about his involvement in Hector's stroke and that from now on, Nacho works for him. ("Breathe")

Gus and Bolsa discuss the apparent attack on Arturo and Nacho, with Gus concealing he was behind it. Because of similarities to the previous attacks on Hector's trucks, they agreed to drive dummy trucks over the border until the culprits are found. Bolsa also tells Gus to disregard Don Eladio's edicts and find a drug supplier north of the border. Gus goes to a college chemistry lab and enlists the help of Gale Boetticher. ("Something Beautiful")

Gus meets with Nacho in a warehouse, where Nacho tells him that the Espinosas have been wiped out. Nacho realizes that Gus engineered the entire situation to his own benefit. Gus does not confirm that, but tells him to rest. At night, Gus meets with Mike and confronts him with the knowledge that he knew about Nacho's plan to kill Hector. Mike tells him that he agreed not to kill Hector, but not to stop anyone else from doing it. Realizing that Gus has a job for him, he asks him to get straight to the point. ("Talk (episode)")

Gus meets with Werner Ziegler about the possibility of excavating the area beneath an industrial laundry without alerting the people above or compromising the structural integrity of the building. While the job would be difficult, dangerous and expensive, it would not be impossible. Gus hires him for the job. ("Quite a Ride")

Mike reports to Gus on the status of the job and the problems associated with it. Mike admits that they are about halfway done and way behind schedule, but believes that Werner and his team can finish the job. Though Gus expresses worry about Werner's drunken ramblings, Mike reassures him that he is handling it and Mike is watching Werner. ("Coushatta")

Gus is visited by Nacho and Lalo at Los Pollos Hermanos. Lalo compliments Gus on the chicken, and thanks him on behalf of the Salamanca family for saving Hector's life. Lalo implies that he is looking to form an alliance between the Salamancas and Gus against Eladio Vuente. Gus, however, says he is content with their current arrangement. ("Wiedersehen")

Mike calls Gus and tells him about Werner Ziegler’s phone call to Lalo. Gus realizes that Lalo knows what he’s up to in the lab and he’s weary. Mike tries one more time to convince him to spare Werner’s life, but he’s determined. Gus shows Gale Boetticher the excavation under the laundromat. Gale is excited but Gus stresses that he won’t begin work until the lab is finished. ("Winner")

Season 5[]

Gus arranges for Nacho to take cocaine of inferior quality when picking up the Salamanca's drugs at Los Pollos Hermanos. Rumors of the "stepped on" product reach Nacho and Domingo, who report them to Lalo. Lalo confirms the impurity of the cocaine in a visit to Salamanca street dealers. In a meeting with Lalo and Juan Bolsa, Gus falsely claims that Werner Ziegler was working under Mike's supervision to construct a chilling system for Gus's chicken farm, and that Werner fled after stealing cocaine. Gus goes on to claim that in an effort to hide the loss, he replaced the stolen cocaine with locally produced methamphetamine. The story explains events of which Lalo is aware, including Werner's departure from Albuquerque, pursuit by Mike, and subsequent death. Lalo accepts Gus's cover story and apology, but remains suspicious. Juan reminds Lalo that Gus enjoys the trust of Don Eladio, and indicates that Lalo should let the matter drop. Because Lalo remains suspicious, Gus shuts down construction of the underground meth lab and has Mike send Werner's workers home. Gus offers to continue paying Mike during the delay, but Mike declines out of frustration over Gus's seeming lack of compassion for Werner. ("Magic Man")

Gus coerces Nacho into providing inside information on the Salamancas. Nacho gains Lalo's trust, and after Domingo is arrested, Nacho and Lalo use Saul to secure Domingo's release from jail in exchange for the location of several of Gus's dead drops. Nacho reports the plan to Gus, who plans to cancel the drops, but Nacho advises that this will reveal a mole within the Salamanca organization. Gus agrees and on the night of the transfer he tensely waits as Victor and Diego make sure that the DEA and local police seize nearly a million dollars but find no leads to Gus. ("50% Off")

Mike spends several weeks feeling depressed over Werner's death and drinks to excess. After he is injured by a local gang, Gus has him taken to a pueblo Gus owns just inside the Mexican border, which includes a fountain dedicated to Max. Dr. Barry Goodman tends to Mike's wounds and Mike stays to heal. Gus visits Mike and asks him to join his organization, saying that he wants Mike with him because Mike understands his need for revenge. ("Dedicado a Max")

Gus arranges for Nacho to report to Mike about his activities to undermine the Salamanca organization. Mike works under an assumed name to secretly point the police towards Lalo for the murder of Fred the money wire store clerk. Lalo is surrounded by police and arrested. In jail under an assumed name, Lalo contacts Nacho from jail and says he wants Nacho to burn down Gus's flagship Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant. Gus and other subsidiary owners provide status reports to Peter Schuler, Madrigal's CEO. Afterwards, Gus briefs Peter and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle on the status of the meth lab and Gus assures Peter he will get the plan back on track. When Gus returns home, he and Nacho preserve Nacho's role as the mole in the Salamanca organization by destroying Gus's restaurant. Gus wants Lalo released, so he has Mike provide Jimmy the details of his investigation into Lalo. Jimmy uses the information to accuse police of witness tampering, enabling him to win a motion to release Lalo on bail. ("JMM")

Jimmy drives to a remote desert location to pick up the bail money from Leonel and Marco Salamanca. As he starts his return trip, he is cut off by several gunmen who take the money and prepare to kill him. The gunmen are suddenly attacked by an unknown shooter. All but one are killed, and the survivor gets away in the only attacker's vehicle that is still drivable. The unseen shooter was Mike, who was tracking Jimmy for Gus. Mike's truck was also damaged, so Jimmy and he recover the money and begin the drive back to Albuquerque in Jimmy's car. When the car breaks down, Jimmy and Mike take the money and walk cross-country to avoid the surviving gunman. After a night in the desert, Mike kills the surviving gunman and Jimmy and he resume walking. ("Bagman")

Jimmy and Mike eventually make their way to a truck stop, where Tyrus and Victor pick them up. Mike and Jimmy agree on a cover story for Jimmy to tell Lalo after Jimmy posts his bail. Jimmy tells Lalo he was alone and walked after his car broke down so that he would not put the money at risk. Lalo says he intends to return to Mexico in order to avoid the scrutiny of police and prosecutors. Mike briefs Gus on the events in the desert, and Gus realizes the attack was ordered by Juan Bolsa to protect Gus's business. Mike tells Gus that Nacho wants to end his work as an informant on the Salamancas, but Gus refuses to part with a valuable asset. ("Bad Choice Road")

As Gus oversees cleanup and rebuilding of the Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant that was burned down, Mike informs him that Lalo has returned to his home in Chihuahua, and that Nacho is with him. Gus says he has sent gunmen to kill Lalo, and that Nacho may be able to help. Nacho receives a call instructing him to leave Lalo's back gate open at 3 a.m. Nacho asks for Lalo's family to be spared. Lalo is awake at 3 a.m. so Nacho sets a kitchen fire as a distraction. When Lalo goes to investigate, Nacho opens the gate and flees. The gunmen enter, kill Lalo's family, and wound Lalo. Lalo escapes the house through a hidden tunnel, then sneaks back in and kills all but one gunman. He then forces the survivor to call the middleman who arranged the killing and report that Lalo is dead. ("Something Unforgivable")

Season 6[]

At the Los Pollos Hermanos chicken farm, Gus expresses suspicion with the fact that all of the assassins have been killed even though they supposedly succeeded in killing Lalo. Mike doesn't say so, but is implied to harbor his own doubts. He proposes venturing into Mexico to rescue Nacho, but Gus isn't receptive to the idea. Speaking privately, Mike tells Gus that Nacho successfully navigated a tough situation and is entitled to some respect; Gus curtly replies that he has it. Later, while playing marbles with Kaylee, Mike reluctantly declines a call from Nacho. ("Wine and Roses") Later, Mike is contacted by Gus, who tells him that Lalo is alive.

The following day, at the chicken farm, Mike communicates via radio with Arthur, who is monitoring the property through the sight of a sniper's rifle. In Gus's office trailer, Tyrus informs him that Nacho's stolen truck has been found while Nacho himself remains missing; Lalo is also missing, and the Cartel believes he is dead. Mike says that none of his men have seen or heard any indication that Lalo has returned north of the border, surmising that he is also looking for Nacho and is planning to use him to turn the rest of the Cartel against Gus. Gus struggles to keep his composure, knocking over a glass of water. Mike tells him that their only option is to send four of Mike's best men across the border to track down Nacho before the Salamancas do. Gus tells Mike to bring him Manuel, Nacho's father, but Mike flatly refuses, causing Tyrus to brandish his gun at him. At that moment, Nacho calls Mike on his phone; Gus allows him to answer it. After a brief exchange, Mike says that Nacho wants to talk to Gus. ("Carrot and Stick")

Nacho confronts Mike for knowingly sending him on a suicide mission in Mexico, but Mike replies that it was not his call. Speaking with Gus, Nacho threatens to betray him to the Cartel. Knowing that the only way that Gus survives the present situation is if Nacho dies, Nacho agrees to let it happen on one condition: that his father remains safe. Gus and Mike give Nacho their assurances, with Mike pledging that anyone who tries to go after Manuel "will have to come through me." Satisfied, Nacho leaves the auto repair shop and leaves behind his money for the mechanic in gratitude. The following day, Gus drives to the chicken farm in his Volvo and enters the office trailer, where Mike and Nacho are waiting. Nacho's face has been bloodied by Mike as part of the setup the three men have arranged: Nacho is to tell Juan Bolsa that he was working for a Peruvian cartel in the plot against Lalo and then stage an escape attempt, at which point he will be shot by Victor as he is running away. Mike assures him that, "It will be over quick." Outside the trailer, Mike asks that he be present when Nacho is killed, saying that he is needed in case the plan goes south. Gus reluctantly nods his approval. Nacho is transported in the back of a windowless van with Mike and Tyrus, while Gus and Victor are in the front cab. Mike is deposited on a ridge near the planned meeting spot, where he will monitor the proceedings from a sniper's nest. After witnesssing Nacho's last stand before killing himself, Gus leaves the scene. ("Rock and Hard Place")

Upon arriving home, Gus, continuing to be on-edge, changes his clothes and reconsiders wearing an ankle holster. He then goes into his basement, which is revealed to contain a secret passage which takes him through a tunnel and into the basement of his next-door neighbors, the Rymans. In their living room, Gus confers with Mike, who warns him that their resources are being stretched thin with Gus' men being made to work eighteen-hour shifts across the city. Gus insists on keeping the surveillance in place as long as Lalo is still alive. With Lalo having not recently resurfaced, Mike wonders where he could be. ("Hit and Run")

In the early hours of the morning, Gus is filling out paperwork in his office at Los Pollos Hermanos yet is continuously on-edge concerning Lalo. He tries to distract himself by going to the front counter and taking an order, but tunes out the customer as he nervously scans the restaurant for any potential threat. He is startled when a nearby Pollos employee drops a stack of baking pans. Gus storms out of the restaurant and into the parking lot, becoming overcome by paranoia.

Mike and Gus climb down into the excavation beneath Lavandería Brillante, which has been abandoned since the death of Werner Ziegler. Mike assumes that Gus is considering using the excavation as a potential hiding spot. After Mike is excused upstairs, Gus is left alone to survey the excavation. He picks up and examines a power cable, then plants his handgun in the caterpillar treads of an excavator. Seemingly satisfied with the plan he has come up with, Gus climbs out of the excavation and shuts off the lights. ("Black and Blue") Gus makes an appearance at a public event in a gymnasium, presenting a ceremonial check to a local youth program, when he sees Mike standing by the rear exit. After excusing himself, Mike takes Gus aside and plays him a taped recording of Lalo's wiretapped phone call to Hector. He tells him that the situation is now out of their control and that they need "home court advantage". Mike advises Gus to cut his public donation appearance short and drive calmly back to his heavily-guarded home. Meanwhile, Tyrus and a contingent of men will continue to stand guard at the laundry facility. Mike assures Gus that "the trap is set" and that Lalo will go down if he so much as makes a move. Gus nods in agreement. ("Plan and Execution")

After Kim Wexler drives to the address of Gus' residence, Mike appears from behind and disarms her, forcing her into the house. Gus watches through the surveillance monitors at the Ryman residence while Mike questions Kim. Mike is shocked to learn that Lalo is at her apartment and has taken Jimmy hostage, and sends an order for Tyrus to get there immediately. He takes the underground passage to the Ryman residence, tells Gus to stay there with two of Mike's men, then enlists two others to come with him. Mike, Tyrus, and several of their men set up a perimeter around Kim's apartment complex. After establishing that the area is clear, they make their way inside the apartment and find Jimmy still tied to the chair. After being assured that Kim is safe, Jimmy tells Mike that Lalo left the apartment immediately after she did. Immediately realizing where Lalo is going, Mike attempts to call to Gus.

Gus, accompanied by several other men, enters the laundry. Gus sees the broken ventilation fan but reacts too late before Lalo appears and guns down his bodyguards and Gabriel. Holding Gus at gunpoint—and coercing him by shooting at his chest, which is blocked by Gus's bulletproof vest—Lalo records a video for Don Eladio on his camcorder. Gus is forced to lead him into the secret excavation beneath the laundry. There, Gus addresses Eladio himself, angrily denouncing the Cartel and vowing to kill off the Salamanca family before Hector dies. He uses his feet to disconnect a power cable and plunge the excavation into darkness. Retrieving the gun he had previously hidden, Gus engages in a shootout with Lalo until he runs out of bullets. Turning on the lights of an excavator, he discovers that Lalo has been shot in the throat; Lalo dies with a smile on his face. Gus collapses, his condition weakened by both the earlier blocked gunshot and by being hit during the shootout.

Gus was treated for his gunshot wounds at the Ryman residence with Mike at his side. Once the two are left alone, Mike admonishes Gus for going to the laundry without informing him, saying that things could have gone down a lot differently. At Kim's apartment, Jimmy watches Mike's henchman, Arthur, emptying the refrigerator. Kim returns home with Mike; the couple tearfully embrace. Mike sits them down and tells them what is going to happen next: Howard's car is going to be driven several states away and abandoned next to the ocean, staged as a suicide; since the car was likely seen at the apartment before his disappearance, Jimmy and Kim are to tell the police that he showed up in a drug-addled stupor and left uneventfully. Mike stresses to them that they are to act casually for the rest of the day and pretend the events of the previous night did not happen. Jimmy sees Howard's body being stuffed in the old refrigerator while Mike's men wheel a new one into the apartment.

Later, in the excavation, Tyrus uses the excavator to dig a large hole while Lalo and Howard's bodies are being prepared for burial. Mike removes Howard's wallet, wedding ring and shoes, then looks on sympathetically as his body is dumped into the hole next to Lalo's. Mike climbs out of the excavation as Tyrus proceeds to fill in the double grave. Mike and Gus' men drive Howard's car to the ocean several states away and make it look like Howard, while high on cocaine, had committed suicide by walking into the ocean. ("Point and Shoot")

Following Lalo's death, Gus is called to a meeting with Don Eladio, Hector, the Cousins and Juan Bolsa where Hector, through a letter dictated to the Cousins, outlines Lalo's faked death, Gus' supposed role in it and Hector's accusations that Gus has murdered Lalo for real this time. Gus refuses to dignify the accusations with a response and Eladio, with all evidence pointing to Lalo having died in the earlier failed attempt, dismisses Hector's accusations and sends him to bed. In order to keep the peace, Eladio decides to give the South Valley to the Salamancas while Gus will get the north under the supervision of Bolsa which Gus agrees to. Eladio recognizes the hate in Gus' eyes, but tells him that some hate is fine as long as Gus remembers who's boss.

Returning home, Gus relaxes his security measures while Mike confirms that their framing Howard's death as a suicide has been successful. Gus orders Mike to find a new engineer and construction crew and to resume work on building the superlab immediately.

Gus visits a trendy bar and orders a glass of expensive red wine. He is accosted by the sommelier, David, who he is well-acquainted with. The two men exchange anecdotes related to wine—David recollects a past experience visiting French wine country, while Gus recalls purchasing a vintage which David recommended. After David leaves to serve other patrons, Gus finishes his glass. A dark pall falls over his previously warm mood. He tells the barmaid to tell David that he has been called away, leaving behind some money and the bottle of red wine at the bar. ("Fun and Games")

Breaking Bad[]

In the years spanning late 2004 to early 2009, Gus had become completely independent from the Cartel and started his own drug empire. His superlab was assembled by Gus' chemist Gale Boetticher, who later assured Gus that Walter White's "Blue Sky" meth is extremely pure, leading to Gus choosing to hire Walt. ("Box Cutter") Gus used his several legitimate businesses, including a chain of successful fried chicken restaurants called Los Pollos Hermanos (The Chicken Brothers) and an industrial laundry facility called Lavandería Brillante (Bright Laundry), as fronts used to launder money for his vast drug operation.

Gus's restaurants are located across the southwestern United States, with his flagship restaurant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the firm's chicken farm and distribution center at the outskirts of the city. The company is a subsidiary of Madrigal Electromotive GmbH, a multinational company based in Germany which has ownership stakes in multiple subsidiaries. While his restaurant chain is a legitimate business, it serves as a front for Gus to distribute cocaine for a Mexican cartel and later develop his own methamphetamine production and distribution business. Gus operates in partnership with two Madrigal executives: Peter Schuler, a German who serves as the company president, and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, the company's Houston-based vice president of global logistics.

Around this time, Gus' drug operation was the most successful in United States history. Gus had also established a full working relationship with Mike, who has become his chief of security and head enforcer, alongside Gus' fellow enforcers Victor and Tyrus. Saul Goodman had also become aware of Gus by this point in time, though was unaware of his name and true identity, only knowing that he is a cautious businessman that deals in bulk.

Season 2[]

Gus is introduced to Walter White and Jesse Pinkman after the two's failed efforts to sell their meth leads to their street dealers either being killed (Combo), arrested (Badger), or quitting (Skinny Pete). Saul offers to connect them with a distributor through Mike. Saul manages to arrange a meeting between Walt, Jesse and the distributor at a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant, but when Jesse turns up for the meeting late, high and agitated, the distributor does not make contact.

Saul says later they likely blew their chance, but Walt, after some consideration, returns to the restaurant on his own. Asking to see the manager - Gus, who had stopped by their table during the earlier visit to the restaurant to see if they were enjoying their meal - Walt deduces that Gus is their contact after all. He praises Gus for his discipline and caution, saying that he sees the two as alike in that regard.

Gus then drops his façade, saying that Walter is not cautious at all and exhibits poor judgment by bringing the obviously high Jesse to a meeting. Walt counters that the quality of his product should outweigh any of these concerns and that Gus will never have to see or deal with Jesse. Gus demurs on whether or not the two will deal, but then on a later visit by Walt he is approached by Gus' henchman, Victor, with a final deal: $1.2 million for the remaining 38 pounds, delivered in one hour or not at all. ("Mandala")

After the deal goes down, Gus, accompanied with two other local businessmen, meet Hank Schrader at the DEA Albuquerque office. Gus is sponsoring a Fun Run, a DEA charity event. Because of his sponsorship, ASAC George Merkert offers Gus a tour of the DEA offices, where he sees a surgery donation jar for Walt. Gus asks if Walt is an agent, and Hank explains that Walt is his brother-in-law and that he is fighting lung cancer. While it is implied that Gus already looked into Walt's background before making the deal, this confirms Gus is aware of Walt's health issues and family connection to the DEA. ("ABQ")

Season 3[]

In the wake of the Wayfarer Flight 515 aerial disaster, Gus began wearing the Wayfarer 515 blue ribbon to show his support for the air crash victims, another method he used to hide his true nature from the public.

Following the success of the previous deal, Gus invites Walt back to Los Pollos Hermanos for a meeting. Despite his great respect for Gus, Walt has decided to stop cooking meth. Gus offers Walt $3 million for three months of work. Walt, seriously jarred by the plane collision over Albuquerque and his separation from Skyler, refuses the offer by claiming he is not a criminal and wants to be done with the business. ("No Más")

Later, a car pulls up in front of the White Residence. Mike, surveilling the house, watches Leonel and Marco Salamanca step out of the car and, axe in hand, enter the house. Walt showers, unaware of the two men moving toward him. In his car, Mike makes a phone call. "There's something he should know about," he tells Victor, Gus' subordinate, who relays the message. Leonel and Marco Salamanca sit on Walt's bed, waiting for him to get out of the shower, but they receive a text message: "POLLOS." They thus leave the house, sparing Walt's life. Thus, Gus used his influence with the cartel to call off the hit on Walt. ("Caballo Sin Nombre")

Gus meets with Juan Bolsa, a cartel boss, Don Hector Salamanca, and Leonel and Marco Salamanca. Bolsa says that Walt betrayed Tuco Salamanca and the cartel holds him responsible for his death, and that Tuco's cousins want revenge: "Blood must be repaid by blood." Gus says that while he has no issues with their right to vengeance, he is presently in business with Walt and requests that they postpone vengeance until his business with Walt is concluded. Tio rings his bell furiously in response. Privately, Bolsa warns Gus to finish the business with Walt quickly, "Or you risk losing the good graces of the cartel." As for Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Bolsa can't guarantee they'll delay exacting revenge. ("I.F.T.")

Later, Mike meets Gus in a parking lot and reports that Walt is physically fine but mentally "a disaster," and unlikely to return voluntarily to meth cooking. Mike relays Saul's request for a meeting with Jesse. Gus reiterates his policy against dealing with junkies, but reconsiders upon learning that Walt and Jesse aren't getting along. "Do the deal," he says. ("Green Light")

At Los Pollos, Walt chides Gus for pretending to collaborate with Jesse to get Walt cooking again, and dismisses Jesse's meth as mediocre. Gus apologizes for being "so transparent," and invites Walt to take a drive with him. He has something he wants to show Walt. Gus drives Walt to an industrial laundry facility, where a huge washing machine conceals the entrance to a state-of-the-art superlab. Explaining that the facility receives large chemical shipments and boasts an excellent filtration system, Gus tells Walt no suspicions will be raised. Although very impressed by the high-tech apparatus of the lab, Walt declines Gus's offer, saying that he's already made too many bad decisions. If his decisions were made for his family's welfare, Gus counters, they were not bad. ("Más")

Meanwhile, Leonel and Marco Salamanca enter Los Pollos. Gus watches as they sit down without ordering anything. Gus arrives at Los Pollos again and sees Leonel and Marco Salamanca. An employee, Cynthia, wonders if she should call the police, but Gus replies "they're doing nothing wrong." In the lab, Walt meets his new assistant, Gale Boetticher, a specialist in X-ray crystallography with a libertarian attitude regarding the use of drugs by consenting adults. Back at Los Pollos, Gus, frustrated with the lurking Cousins, approaches them and arranges an offsite meeting: "Sunset." At sunset, Gus and Leonel and Marco Salamanca meet in the desert. Gus reminds them that Hank Schrader, not Walt, killed Tuco. ("Sunset")

Walt calls Gus to let him know that Gale isn't working out, and he wants to replace him with Jesse. Gus begrudgingly approves Jesse's return. Later, Hank is in his SUV in a shopping center parking lot. His cell phone rings, and an electronically altered voice informs him that two men are coming to kill him and he has one minute to prepare. It is this warning that allows Hank to be prepared for the impending ambush and to attack Leonel and Marco Salamanca before they can attack him, eventually ending in Leonel's serious injury and Marco's death. ("One Minute")

Over at Los Pollos, Gus takes a call from Juan Bolsa, who contends that Leonel and Marco Salamanca would never have shot Hank without approval. Gus assumes the next meth shipment will be delayed. Bolsa concedes that it will be delayed indefinitely, then vows to learn the truth about the assassination plot from the surviving Cousin. In the hospital waiting room, a call from Gus interrupts Walt's conversation. Walt excuses himself. He lies about being "hard at work" and blames his inability to meet the week's meth quota on Gale's mistakes. He promises to deliver 400 pounds by next week.

Shortly afterwards, Gus (as part of his image as a big DEA booster) goes to the hospital with a large buffet of Los Pollos Hermanos fried chicken for the police officers keeping vigil over Hank. In the waiting room, Walt watches Gus console Marie. Merkert and the family thank Gus for offering a $10,000 reward for information about the shooting. Gus mentions how he met Agent Schrader earlier, referring to the donation jar for Walt's surgery he saw at the DEA office and that he investigates everyone with whom he does business. Walt asks if Gus's presence is a message to him. Gus says that he is supporting his community, hiding in plain sight the same way Walt does.

Walt tells Gus that he fears for his family, and Gus replies that the Cousin is unlikely to survive. As Gus departs, police race upstairs where medical staffers are attempting CPR on a flat-lining Leonel. Their resuscitation attempts fail and Leonel dies. Amid the commotion, Mike slips away unnoticed, discarding a syringe as he leaves. Back at Los Pollos, Gus receives a call from Bolsa, who complains that pressure from the U.S. government has brought the Mexican Federales to his doorstep. Bolsa threatens to pay Gus a visit when things calm down. A sudden crash interrupts Bolsa. His bodyguards investigate and are brought down by gunfire. As Bolsa attempts to escape, he is met by two assassins. Gus listens impassively as Bolsa is gunned down, then breaks his cell phone in two. ("I See You")

As the methamphetamine production accelerates, Gus' method of distribution is revealed in the lab, Walt and Jesse hand off a batch of blue crystal meth, which ends up at Gus' chicken farm. Victor supervises workers as they submerge plastic bags of blue meth into tubs of fry batter with a star only visible under ultraviolet light for shipment across the Southwest with Los Pollos Hermanos trucks.

Walt, after calculating how much Gus stands to make off the deal - $96 million at wholesale price - drives to Gus's chicken farm to discuss "issues that could cause a misunderstanding between us." Walt speculates that he was Leonel and Marco Salamanca' primary target. They were steered to Hank to protect Walt. After expressing other concerns, Walt leaves with a $15 million-a-year deal and Gus's guarantee of the White family's safety. ("Kafkaesque")

Gus surprises Walt with an invitation to his home for dinner. Gus offers to help Walt avoid mistakes that he himself made starting out. His first piece of advice is to "never make the same mistake twice." ("Abiquiú")

Jesse is outraged that the dealers behind Combo's murder are selling blue meth, meaning they are dealers who work for Gus. He plots to have Wendy poison the dealers with burgers, but as Wendy and Jesse are in Jesse's car, they notice that the dealers aren't in their regular spot. Mike and Victor take Jesse and Wendy by surprise and whisk Jesse away to Gus's factory farm. At the farm, Walt and Gus sit side by side. The rival dealers are also present at this meeting. Gus concedes that his employees may have acted rashly in murdering Combo, but makes the argument that Combo was selling on their territory and there is blame on both sides. Jesse accuses Walt of ratting him out.

Gus orders Jesse to make peace with the dealers. Jesse refuses. Incensed by Jesse's insolence, but committed to finding a resolution, Gus tells the dealers "No more children," and orders Jesse to shake their hands. Later, the child used by the dealers, named Tomás Cantillo, is found dead. Enraged, Jesse goes to the drug corner, picks up his gun and walks toward it. The dealers, also armed, notice Jesse and menacingly walk toward him. Just as Jesse draws his gun, Walt plows into the dealers with his car. One is killed instantly. The other, badly injured, reaches for his gun. Walt rushes over, grabs the gun, and shoots the dealer in the head. Walt then tells Jesse to run. ("Half Measures")

Following that night's events, Walt finds himself in his car in the desert. An SUV arrives. Mike phones and instructs Walt to walk toward it. Gus emerges from the SUV, angry at Walt for intervening and "putting us all at risk" for Jesse, and asks Walt to "explain himself." Walt explains that Jesse was angry because Gus's dealers killed Tomás. Walt tells Gus that Jesse is on the run and suggests that Gus has two options; kill Walt and search for Jesse or consider this a lone hiccup in an otherwise long and fruitful business arrangement. Gus accedes, but insists on choosing Walt's new lab assistant. When he reports to the superlab, Walt is surprised to see that the locks have been changed (Victor has to let him in) and that Gale has been reinstated as his assistant.

Later that night at a chemical supply warehouse, Mike effortlessly outmaneuvers four Mexican gunmen, slaying them all. At Gus's office, Mike and Gus examine the gunmen's passports. Later, Gus surprises Gale at home and tells him Walt is dying of cancer, and that he "must prepare for the worst-case scenario." Gale estimates that mastering Walt's system would require a few more cooks, but under Gus's stern gaze concedes that one more cook should be sufficient.

Walt deduces Gus' true intentions: he knows that he is only safe until Gale feels confident enough to take over the lab. Walt reasons that Gus can't afford to stop production, which gives Walt the leverage he needs to save their lives. Without Gale, Gus would be forced to retain Walt as the only cook capable of producing the high-quality meth needed to sustain his operations. Thus, he plots with Jesse to kill Gale. That night, as Walt is leaving his house after dinner with his family, Victor pulls up and takes him to the industrial laundry on the premise that there is some kind of "chemical leaking" in his lab. Once there, Walt sees Mike and knows he's about to be killed. Walt is able to place a call to Jesse, explain his dire situation, and order to Jesse to follow through on the plan. Mike calls Gale to prevent the situation, but music and a noisy teakettle prevent Gale from hearing his phone vibrate. He answers a knock on his front door, and sees Jesse, who pulls out his gun. After offering Jesse money, Gale begs for his life and says Jesse "doesn't have to do this", but Jesse reluctantly fires the gun. ("Full Measure")

Season 4[]

At the lab where Walt and Mike are waiting, Victor returns with Jesse and it's clear that Gale is dead. Mike asks if Victor performed a sweep of Gale's apartment. Victor replies that he couldn't because people were there. When Mike asks if he was seen, he admits he was. Mike calls Gus on his cell phone shortly after he hears from Victor about Gale's death at the hands of Jesse.

In the lab, Walt explains the new reality to Mike and Victor: like it or not, he's the only one who can maintain the meth production schedule. In response, Victor switches on the equipment and begins the cook himself. Gus arrives and Walt immediately tries to defend his and Jesse's actions. Gus wordlessly changes into one of the lab's orange clean-up suits. As he becomes more nervous and agitated, Walt blames Gus for Gale's death: did Gus really think that Walt wouldn't take "extreme measures" to defend himself? Gus says nothing and Walt, panic mounting, taunts Victor with rapid-fire questions pertaining to the chemistry of the meth-making process. Without him and Jesse, says Walt, the lab is just "an eight million dollar hole in the ground."

Gus picks up a box cutter and walks menacingly toward Walt and Jesse. Walt tells Gus "You kill me, you have nothing. You kill Jesse, you don't have me." Gus then suddenly crosses to Victor and slices his throat from behind, to the shock of Walt, Jesse and Mike. The blood sprays on Jesse and Walt. Walt can't meet Gus' icy stare. Jesse locks eyes with Gus until, his face covered in blood, Gus pushes Victor's dead body to the floor. He walks past Walt and Jesse, dropping the box cutter. After washing up, Gus silently changes back into his street clothes, calmly tells them to "get back to work", and leaves. Jesse, Mike, and Walt are left to clean up the mess and dispose of the corpse. ("Box Cutter")

Walt becomes quite worried that Gus will kill him, and purchases a gun. At the lab, Walt tucks his gun in his belt, waiting for Gus to arrive. When someone appears at the top of the stairs, he prepares to draw... only to realize it's not Gus, but Victor's replacement Tyrus, here to pick up the latest batch. When Mike demands a second weighing ("new policy") Walt asks to see Gus to "clear the air.", but Mike replies that Walt won't ever see him again. Late that night, Walt approaches Gus's house, gun in hand, but loses his nerve when Tyrus calls telling him to "Go home, Walter." His every move is being watched. ("Thirty-Eight Snub")

Later, Walt arrives at the superlab and hears the whirring sound of a surveillance camera tracking his every move: Gus is watching him. Furious, he flips the camera the bird. ("Open House").

Mike huddles inside a Los Pollos Hermanos refrigerated truck as it travels down the highway. The truck stops, and Mike hunkers down as two gunmen blast the truck with machine guns. When they open the rear doors, Mike shoots them dead and jumps out. Meanwhile, Mike meets with Gus and explains that Jesse is becoming a liability. Walt may not like it, Mike continues, but something has to be done. ("Bullet Points")

For reasons unknown to Mike, Gus has sent Jesse on a mission with Mike to pick up money drop-offs. Mike makes the final pickup of the evening at another abandoned warehouse. While he's inside, a second vehicle arrives, and Jesse notices one of its occupants approaching Mike's car with a shotgun. Jesse, convinced Mike is about to be robbed, shifts into reverse, floors it, knocks the guy to the ground, and slams into the other car. Then he peels out in an attempt to lose the gunman and his cohort. Mike and Gus rendezvous outside Los Pollos Hermanos. Everything with Jesse went the way Gus planned, Mike reports. "The kid's a hero," he says. The gunman clearly was a plant, and Gus set it all up for Jesse's benefit. Meanwhile, Hank Schrader is curious when he finds a Los Pollos napkin in Gale's apartment with a serial number written on it in pen. Hank found this suspicious since Gale's apartment indicated he was a strict vegan. ("Shotgun")

Reminiscent of earlier, Cartel thugs ambush another Los Pollos Hermanos refrigerated truck. This time they pump it full of exhaust. After the two guards traveling inside the shipment suffocate to death, the thugs enter the trailer—but take only a single marked container of fry batter. At the diner that evening, Mike asks Jesse to step outside when Gus arrives. Mike explains to Gus that the cartel thugs weren't after the meth. but wanted to send a message. Mike suggests hiring additional operatives and hitting back hard, but Gus instructs him to set up a meeting with the cartel. Outside the diner, Jesse stops Gus. He asks, "Why me?" Gus replies somewhat cryptically that he likes to think he sees things in people. ("Cornered")

Walt and Jesse plot to murder Gus. In the superlab out of the security camera's view, Walt cooks a batch of ricin. Walt tells Jesse that he just needs to slip some into Gus's food or drink and Gus will die within 36 hours. Jesse conceals the slim ricin vial inside a cigarette that he returns to the pack upside-down. As part of his investigation, Walter, Jr. drives Hank to Los Pollos Hermanos, where Hank chats briefly with Gus, who recognizes him from his charity work at the DEA. Gus replenishes Hank's soda and offers to pay for any future meals at Los Pollos Hermanos. Hank later slips the cup into an evidence bag and stashes it under his seat in the car.

The next day, Mike and Jesse drive to Gus's factory farm. Inside the office trailer, Mike discusses security arrangements with Gus while Jesse makes coffee, his hands shaking as he holds his cigarette pack, trying to decide what to do. Mike startles Jesse by offering him a loaded gun. Three Cartel members arrive at the farm, fewer than Mike expected. Only one, Gaff (the lead assassin who hijacked the Los Pollos Hermanos truck earlier), meets with Gus. Gaff and Gus stare each other down as the Cartel members depart. On the drive back to town, Jesse asks Mike what it is Gus sees in him, and Mike replies "loyalty."

Hank meets with Steven Gomez and ASAC Merkert, theorizing that a vegan like Gale wouldn't eat at a chicken restaurant, and further that he'd only go to Los Pollos Hermanos for a meeting, perhaps with Gus. Hank, questioning Gus's supposed affinity for law enforcement, says "Maybe he's our guy." Merkert suggests that Hank is "really reaching." Hank concedes that he thought so too at first. But one thing troubles him, says Hank, pausing for effect as he reveals photographs of a fingerprint on a Los Pollos soda cup and prints from the crime scene. ("Problem Dog")

In flashback, Hector seethes silently in a nursing home as Gus almost victoriously describes Leonel and Marco Salamanca's deaths, and the cryptic warning Hank received before the attack. Gus reports that Cartel boss Juan Bolsa is also dead. In the present, The APD and DEA summon Gus to APD headquarters, where he notices a Person-of-Interest sketch of Victor on a bulletin board. Hank, APD Detective Tim Roberts, Steve Gomez, and ASAC Merkert then greet Gus. Tim reveals that Gus's fingerprints were found at a murder scene. Gus makes up a cover story that Gale won a chemistry scholarship that Gus established to honor Maximino Arciniega. Gale reestablished contact recently, and over dinner at Gale's apartment (thus explaining Gus's fingerprints) he proposed a vague investment opportunity that Gus declined.

Hank then wonders why no record of Gus exists in Chile. Gus replies that the Pinochet dictatorship kept notoriously unreliable records, assuring Hank that he'll locate documentation eventually. After Gus departs, Hank and his colleagues discuss their impressions. Hank's colleagues are convinced by the scholarship story, believing his alibi to be unquestionable and that nothing legal can incriminate. Hank wonders why a supposed law-enforcement booster didn't come forward sooner with information about a murder case. Outside, Gus can be seen twitching his index finger and his thumb, rather tensely.

Since Hank is now suspicious of Gus, he convinces a reluctant Walt to put a GPS tracker in the wheel-well of Gus's 1998 Volvo V70 in the Los Pollos Hermanos parking lot. While Hank gives Walt installation instructions, Mike pulls up beside Walt's car and stares him down. Walt, panicking, tries to dissuade Hank. Walt approaches the Volvo and drops to his knee, but doesn't plant the device. He then proceeds into Los Pollos Hermanos, where Gus greets him. Walt tells Gus he didn't do it, flashing the GPS device, but Gus tells him to "do it." Walt returns to the parking lot and this time plants the GPS tracker. Back at the superlab, Walt rushes to the security camera and addresses Gus, pleading his innocence. Hank has no hard evidence and his colleagues don't buy his theory, Walt says, begging Gus not to harm Hank.

Mike calls Gus the next day and reports that neither the police nor the DEA considers him a suspect. Hank is operating solo. "What about Chile?" asks Gus. Mike can't find anything about Gus there, so Hank probably won't either. A more serious concern, says Mike, is what would happen if Hank witnesses the Cartel moving against Gus. Gus removes the GPS tracker from his car and stows it on a nearby newspaper dispenser before he drives to the nursing home, where he informs Hector that he has defied the Cartel's ultimatum and that Hank is looking into Gus's past. After a flashback to when Hector murdered Gus's friend Max when they pitched their meth to the cartel boss Don Eladio, Gus leans in close to Hector. He commands Hector to look at him, but Hector stubbornly refuses. Gus leaves Hector to silently rage in his chair. ("Hermanos")

Later, Hank and Walter return to Los Pollos Hermanos to retrieve their tracking device. Hank plugs the tracker into his PC, but is disappointed with the results. Apparently, Gus only drove between work and home the entire week. He does discover, however, that all of Gus' restaurant establishments have a common base of operations.

Aware of Hank's recent findings, Walt alerts Gus. That same day, Jesse helps Mike clean up any potentially incriminating evidence at the facility. As they are loading a truck outside, one of the workers is shot through the head by a hidden sniper. The crosshairs of the sniper's gun move over to Jesse next, but he is saved at the last second by Mike. Gus hears the shots and emerges from his office, stepping directly into the line of fire. Mike yells at Gus to get down, which Gus ignores.

The gunman continues to fire at Gus' feet, and it becomes clear that he is intentionally missing him. The sniper, a man named Gaff who Gus had met with previously, stops firing since it is evident that Gus understands the message. Gus later phones the Cartel from his office, announcing he will capitulate to the Cartel's demands.

Jesse makes noise to Mike about the shooting death of his co-worker and walking into bullets superman routine, demanding answers from Gus. He prompts Mike to set up a meeting, but Mike replies, "you got questions? Ask him yourself." Gus invites Jesse to a dinner meeting, and Jesse shows up with the ricin, wondering if he should poison Gus or not. Anxious from the cartel attack, Jesse wants to know what is to become of him and Walt. Gus asks Jesse whether he can cook Walt's formula without help. Angered at the idea of Gus killing off Walt, Jesse insists that he will no longer cook if anything happens to his one-time partner. Gus explains that conditions with the Mexican Cartel have become intolerable and he only wishes to avert an all out war and needs Jesse's help. He then demands Jesse to answer his question. ("Bug")

Gus eventually takes Jesse to Mexico, to the place where his former partner was killed. Jesse is his answer to the cartel's demand. He will offer Pinkman as his olive branch, to teach them how to cook blue meth themselves.

He watches proudly as Jesse cooks a 96% pure meth in the cartel lab, proving he is indeed the cook for the job. In celebration, the cartel bosses take Jesse, Gus and Mike to a familiar location: Don Eladio's estate. Gus stares at the pool and swallows a hidden gel capsule as Eladio emerges with his captains.

Gus offers Eladio his favorite brand of tequila as a peace offering, and the ever-cautious Don makes sure Gus takes a shot before drinking any himself, along with his captains. As the party begins to rage, Gus excuses himself to go to the bathroom. Once inside, he lays a towel down and discreetly vomits into the toilet.

As Gus emerges from the bathroom several cartel members have already begun to fall to the ground. The tequila had been poisoned with a fast-acting, lethal toxin. The capsule consumed by Gus delays the effect of the poison allowing him time to purge, narrowly avoiding death. As a weakened Gus walks into his view, Eladio's face contorts with rage and he charges at Gus, who stands unfazed. Before he can grab him, Eladio trips and collapses headfirst into the pool, knocked unconscious by the toxin, and he drowns, allowing Gustavo Fring's twenty-year plan for revenge finally comes to fruition. ("Salud")

Making their escape after killing Don Eladio and the Cartel's leadership, Jesse drives a weakened Gus and a wounded Mike to a makeshift emergency room Gus had prepared. Gus recovers quickly but Mike has to stay another week before he can move, so he is left behind. Jesse is told that he will take over cooking meth for Walter, but Jesse says Walter must not be harmed. Gus later visits Hector to tell him that all of the Cartel's leaders are dead, and that the henchman Jesse shot during the escape was Joaquin Salamanca, Hector's grandson, and the last of Hector's relatives.

Later, Walter is suddenly tased by Tyrus Kitt and brought to the desert where Gus confronts him. Gus tells Walter to stay away from Jesse, and that although he cannot kill Walter due to Jesse's continuing loyalty to him, he asserts that Jesse will inevitably relinquish that loyalty and side with Gus, effectively eliminating what little protection Walter still enjoys. Gus also says that Walter has failed to stop Hank's investigation so Hank will need to be killed, and if Walter interferes, Gus will kill Walter's entire family. ("Crawl Space")

TBA ("End Times")

In his plot to kill Gus, Walt goes to the retirement home Casa Tranquila to see Hector Salamanca, and points out that as much as Salamanca hates Walt (for having caused Tuco's death), Salamanca hates Gus even more. Walt convinces Salamanca to participate in a scheme that would kill both himself and Gus and he agrees to do it. Hector visits the DEA (part of his and Walter's trap for Gus) though he gives them no information whatsoever and insults Hank. Tyrus sees this and notifies Gus, now believing Hector to be a DEA informant. After Hector is returned to the nursing home, Tyrus enters and sweeps the place for bugs and cameras in case Hector is now an informant for the DEA. Walt waits outside the window for Tyrus to complete the sweep. When Tyrus leaves to tell Gus it is clear, Walt presumably uses this time to plant a bomb under Hector's wheelchair. Gus then tells Tyrus he will come to kill Hector, refusing Tyrus' offer to do it himself.

When Gus arrives at Casa Tranquila, he insults Hector for talking to the DEA. Tyrus prepares a syringe and hands it to Gus. As Gus brings the needle closer to Hector's arm, Hector shows a moment of fear and finally looks at Gus, something Gus has been asking for at his previous visits. Gus is surprised by the eye contact and Hector then musters up an expression of pure wrath.

Hector begins furiously ringing his bell and gradually Gus sees that it is rigged to a bomb. Realizing that he has been lured into a trap, Gus jumps up to escape, but is a moment too late as the bomb goes off. The blast blows the door off of Hector's room, and caretakers run to the scene of the explosion. Gus then walks out of the room, seemingly unharmed. As the caretakers look on in horror, the camera reveals that the right side of his face has been blown off, after which he with a defeated expression on his face, fixes his tie and then collapses to the floor, dead.

With his demise, Gustavo is defeated by Walt, his intricate drug empire is exposed and destroyed after 20 long years of success, and he suffers a humiliating death at the hands of Hector, his archenemy and the very man who murdered his closest associate years before and whom Gustavo had devoted nearly 20 years of his life to enacting revenge on, overall failing his beloved partner. Although he finally succeeded in causing the death of the Salamancas, at the cost of his life and legacy. ("Face Off")

Season 5[]

"Guy's some piece of work, isn't he? Six feet under and half a face... he's still screwing with us."

―Hank Schrader while trying to solve the Gus' Drug Empire case^[src]

In the immediate aftermath of Gus' death and the collapse of his drug empire, Walt, Jesse, and Mike spend much of their time trying to clean up the loose ends that would lead the police - now investigating Gus's drug empire - back to them. In particular, they insist on tackling the problem posed by Gus's surveillance footage; Mike discloses that the feed went to Gus's laptop computer in his office at Los Pollos Hermanos. Meanwhile, Hank, having found the surveillance camera in the burned-out super-lab, has seized the laptop as evidence.

Mike, Walt and Jesse brainstorm several ways to break into the evidence room to steal the laptop, none of them viable. Jesse suggests a high-powered magnet, to wipe clean the hard drive on Gus' laptop.

Despite Mike's reservations, the trio manage to acquire a truck fitted with an industrial electromagnet from junkyard owner Old Joe and drive it to the APD facility where the evidence is kept. Once activated, the magnet destroys the evidence room, and presumably the information on Gus's laptop. It is so strong, as Walter cranks it "to eleven", that it tips their truck over and they must flee on foot. Later, during an inventory of the evidence room, the police discover a slip of paper with details of a Cayman Islands bank account hidden in a framed picture from Gus's office, revealed only because of the destruction of the evidence room. It is later revealed by Hank that Gus' laptop was heavily encrypted and thus useless to the DEA; therefore Walt and Jesse destroying it only gave the DEA a better lead. ("Live Free or Die",  "Madrigal")

Later, Madrigal executive Lydia Rodarte-Quayle meets with Mike and asks him to kill eleven men from Gus' operation in order to tie any loose ends. Mike refuses because Gus paid them enough "Hazard Pay" to keep quiet; however, when he is called in to meet with Hank and Gomez, Mike learns that the authorities have discovered and frozen Gus's Cayman Islands accounts, using the RICO act to halt and seize payments to Gus' subordinates, including Mike, who had $2 million that he was planning on leaving behind for his granddaughter, Kaylee ("Madrigal"). Mike later forces Walt to provide the new hazard pay for Gus' incarcerated men out of their methamphetamine earnings in their new operation to his barely concealed rage and disgust. ("Hazard Pay")

Eventually Mike is killed by Walt and he has all of Gus's former employees murdered in prison with the help of Jack Welker and his neo-nazi gang, permanently destroying Gus' drug empire. ("Say My Name",  "Gliding Over All")

Hank opened the first evidence file that first shows a picture of Gus and Merkert presenting a oversized check during the Fun Run event. ("Blood Money")

After Breaking Bad[]

While arguing with Kim Wexler about turning themselves in, Saul reveals to Kim that Gus and Mike are dead and as such, she doesn't have to fear retribution from them, also stating that he thinks Lalo is dead as well. Kim subsequently provides both Cheryl Hamlin and the district attorney with an affidavit revealing the truth about Howard Hamlin's death, how Lalo had forced her to try to kill Gus and how Gus' men, Mike in particular, had staged Howard's murder as a suicide. ("Waterworks") Saul would later be sentenced to 86 years in federal prison for his various criminal charges, including his connections to Gus and Walt's drug empires. ("Saul Gone")

Personality and traits[]

"Gus is an empire-builder and a great inspiration and motivation to Walter White - whether Walt would admit it or not."

―Vince Gilligan

A defining characteristic of Gus is the friendly and low-key exterior he maintains: he takes an active role in managing his front businesses and personally supervises employees and serves customers at his Los Pollos Hermanos restaurants. Quiet and humble, he is incredibly cautious about with whom he does business and keeps a very healthy distance from the product he sells in order to appear almost invisible. Despite being a multi-state meth distribution mastermind, Gus carefully maintains a public profile of propriety: noticeably, he is a major booster for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and has made large donations to the agency's Albuquerque office. Gus is so successful, in large part, because of his cautious nature — he plans ahead and has the patience to let his business grow slowly. As part of his scheme to "hide in plain sight", he drives a modest dark blue 1998 Volvo V70.

However, Gus is ruthless and machiavellian in managing his vast drug empire, keeping the entire operation under his icy control. Gus admires professionalism and caution in his colleagues, and is generally calm and calculated. He employs a number of enforcers and has personally killed rivals and associates, making him a dangerous, cold-blooded murderer. In interviews, Giancarlo Esposito said he made the choice to make Gus "graceful". He described him as "someone who is poised to take over the cartel, someone who is poised to manipulate other people into doing what he needs them to do". Gustavo doesn't trust anyone who isn't as cautious as he is, as they are too unpredictable, and he prides himself on being several steps ahead at all times. With that, Gus is controlled, cold, powerful, and menacing. Even someone like Walter White, at its moment, was terrified about what Gus could do to both himself and his family due to having proven it before by killing Victor, one of his closest and most reliable employees, right in front of his eyes without any hesitation.

There is a fair amount of information that is unknown about Gus's past. Gus left Chile in 1986, the same year in which the Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front attempted to assassinate Augusto Pinochet. Although there are no existing Chilean records of Gus, there are two instances which demonstrate his possible involvement in the Pinochet government: Hector Salamanca refers to Gus as "Grand Generalissimo" in a flashback, and Don Eladio tells Gus that he is "not in Chile anymore", but spares his life because he knows who Gus really is. A possible interpretation of Don Eladio's line is that they spare Gus because killing him could put them at risk of being subject to retaliation that their association with the cartel cannot protect them from. Gus appears to be quite proud of his Chilean roots, even preparing paila marina, a traditional Chilean seafood dish, for both Walt and Jesse. He tells Walt "it's just like my mother used to make it".

Gus has shown to have an obsession in having everything perfectly clean and controlled by himself and does not tolerate when something is not going as he planned it to be. Right after learning about Gale's murder, he went to the superlab, where at that moment Walter and Jesse were restrained as hostages. Before killing Victor, Gus is seen putting on a hazmat suit to avoid getting blood onto his clothes, and after he murdered Victor, Gus took a shower, cleaned his glasses and dressed again. After tricking Don Eladio and the rest of the cartel into drinking poisoned Zafiro Añejo by drinking a shot himself, Gus excuses himself to the toilet and takes the time to neatly fold his jacket, take off his glasses, and place a hand towel on the floor to keep his pants clean before vomitting the tequila. This is further seen in Better Call Saul, when Gus was being threatened and scared by the posible return of Lalo Salamanca, and in order to keep himself in calm, Gus cleans up his own house and the kitchen of Los Pollos Hermanos, attempting to leave them perfectly clean. Also, before going to his laundry and facing Lalo, Gus takes off the tie he was wearing to ensure it won't get dirty.

Gus is also a man of honor as he reimburses any damages done to the property of his employees such as their cars when performing duties he requires them to. After Hector Salamanca went to Los Pollos Hermanos and threatened the employees, Gus sincerely apologized to all of them, offering them full pay for their shift, having them to take the rest of the day off, and gave an additional 24 hours of overtime pay. He is even seen with Jesse due to the suffering he was going through because of Brock's condition, offering to Jesse use his influence to give the child the best medical treatment and letting him to return to the lab the next week. While having no problem killing someone, Gus seems to not enjoy doing it and only enjoys killing people that did something to him, like Eladio Vuente or Juan Bolsa. Even in dangerous situations, he keeps his apathetic head. However, he lost his cool several times, such as when he discovered that Hector was going to suicide bomb him and when he fought Lalo in the superlab, repeatedly pulling the trigger on his gun even after running out of bullets and looking terrified.

However, Gus has been shown to genuinely care about people, noticeably Max Arciniega (the other "hermano" of the Los Pollos Hermanos brand name), who Gus took off the streets of Santiago, put through school, cared for and was interested in developing his potential. The humanity of Gus' personality played an integral role in his development, especially the very deep business and romantic relationship that Gus had with Max. The brutal loss of Max at Hector and Eladio's hands is partially what turned Gus into a ruthless villain, who is not above anything when it comes to avenging Max's death, including the murder of children (like Tomás Cantillo) and the gradual killing of Hector's entire family. However, his dedication to avenging Max's death would ultimately be Gustavo's one and ultimate weakness which would lead to his own violent demise and the destruction of his drug empire.

Deaths[]

Murders committed by Gus[]

• Arturo Colon: Suffocated with a bag. ("Breathe")
• Lalo Salamanca: Shot in the neck and chest during a gunfight. ("Point and Shoot")
• Victor: Slit his throat with a box-cutter. ("Box Cutter")
• Don Eladio Vuente: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Benicio Fuentes: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Miguel: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Paco: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Cesar: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Renaldo: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Artuno: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Cisco: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Luis: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Don Escalada: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")
• Two Cartel Capos: Poisoned with tainted glass of Zafiro Añejo tequila. ("Salud")

Murders connected to Gus[]

• 21+ members of the Espinosa Gang: Majority slaughtered by Leonel and Marco Salamanca and 1 by Nacho through circumstances orchestrated by Gus in order to take control of the gang's territory. ("Talk")
• Werner Ziegler: Shot by Mike Ehrmantraut on Gus' orders. ("Winner")
• Ciro: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
• Miguel: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
• Cecilio: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
• Yolanda: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
• Herardo: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
• Raul: Shot by the hitmen Gus sent to kill Lalo. ("Something Unforgivable")
• Marco Salamanca: Shot by Hank Schrader through circumstances orchestrated by Gus. ("One Minute")
• Leonel Salamanca: Poisoned by Mike on Gus' orders. ("I See You")
• Juan Bolsa: Shot by Mexican federales through circumstances orchestrated by Gus. ("I See You")
• Juan Bolsa's Two Bodyguards: Shot by Mexican federales through circumstances orchestrated by Gus. ("I See You")
• Tomás Cantillo: Shot by two drug dealers that work for Gus. ("Half Measures")
• Four Cartel Assassins: Shot by Mike on Gus' orders. ("Full Measure")
• Two Cartel Assassins: Shot by Mike to protect Gus' cargo. ("Bullet Points")
• Gaff: Garroted by Mike on Gus' orders. ("Salud")
• Joaquin Salamanca: Shot multiple times by Jesse Pinkman to protect Gus. ("Salud")
• Himself: Told Jesse about his rivalry with Hector Salamanca, who relayed the information to Saul Goodman who in turn relayed it to Walter White, which led to Walt orchestrating Gus' assassination. ("Face Off")
• Tyrus Kitt: Blown up along with Gus from Jesse's information on Gus' rivalry with Hector. ("Face Off")

Deaths connected to Gus[]

• Nacho Varga: Committed suicide through circumstances orchestrated by Gus. ("Rock and Hard Place")
• Hector Salamanca: Suicide bombed himself through circumstances orchestrated by Walt to kill Gus for revenge. ("Face Off")

Quotes[]

Better Call Saul[]

"It's not in my interest for Hector Salamanca to die.... at this time."

―Gus revealing to Mike why he prevented him from assassinating Hector.^[src]

"I can't allow you to kill Hector. However, I am not completely unsympathetic to your sense of justice. You hurt Hector when you robbed that truck. You hurt his business, his pride. Quite effectively. And if you were to hurt him in the same manner again, I would not stand in your way."

―Gus to Mike.^[src]

Gustavo: "Would you care to know why I stopped you from killing Hector?"

Mike: "Like you said it wasn't in your interest."

Gustavo: "A bullet to the head would have been far too humane."

―Gus to Mike about Hector.^[src]

"I decide what he deserves. No one else."

―Gus on Hector's fate.^[src]

Bolsa: "How long before our dealers run dry?"

Gus: "No more than a week."

Bolsa: "This is a problem. Find a local supplier on your side of the border. Cut a deal."

Gus: "Don Juan, with all due respect, Don Eladio forbids buying from outsiders. He's been very clear."

―Gus to Bolsa about the "hit" on the Salamancas.^[src]

"I know what you've done. The Salamancas... they do not. Do you understand what I am saying? Look at me. From now on, you - are - mine."

―Gus cornering Nacho.^[src]

Mike: "You wanted to see me, here I am."

Gus: "In order for our arrangement to continue, there is a matter we need to discuss."

Mike: "Okay."

Gus: "Do you have something to tell me? If you do, you would be well-advised to do so."

Mike: "Nacho Varga. I wondered when you were gonna get around to this."

Gus: "You came to me. You asked for a favor. You looked me in the eye, you shook my hand. And all the while, you knew Varga was moving against my interests."

Mike: "I said I wouldn't kill Salamanca. I never promised to be his bodyguard. So... what now? If you're gonna make a move, you better make it. But they're not gonna, are they? You brought me here because you have an ask. So why don't you stop running a game on me and just tell me about the job?"

―Gus testing Mike.^[src]

"The doctor tells me your fever has gotten worse. They say this infection may kill you. Even if it doesn't, my doctor tells me again and again that you may never wake. And yet, I wait. I grew up quite poor. We lived in the hills. In a place my brothers built from things they found. Metal sheeting, plywood. When it rained, it smelled like hay. We were always hungry. But there was a lucuma tree. Scrawny. Barely alive. My family had given up on it years before. Never bore fruit. When I was seven, I became fixated on it. I watered it, tended to it. It took a long time, but the buds grew into green fruit. I was so proud. I didn't tell anyone. I plucked one and hid behind our shack. I ate the whole thing, I'd never tasted something so sweet. It was like caramel. At first, we ate the fruit ourselves. And then I began taking it to the village to sell. One day, much of the fruit was gone from my tree. Pieces were scattered on the ground, half-eaten. I thought it was probably a coati. Have you ever seen one? About the size of a large house cat. Opportunists. I built a snare, using branches and wire. It didn't take long for the animal to set it off. But the coati trashed so hard it broke out of the snare. Broke its leg as well. I tried to grab it, but it slipped away. It ran under the house. I knew it would show itself sooner or later. So I waited, for hours, into the night. When my brothers called for me, I did not answer. I didn't make a sound. I was so still. Finally, it came out. It knew I was there, but it was hungry. This time, I was ready. I caught it. It fought me, but I was stronger. The merciful thing would've been to kill it. I kept it. It lived for quite some time. I believe you will wake, Hector."

―Gus's plan regarding Hector.

Bolsa: "He wishes to make amends. At least hear him out."

Gus: "Don Hector. It's no secret that I did not see eye to eye with your nephew. And while the friction between your family and myself did not start with him, today I am reminded we are all Eladio's men. No matter our disagreements, a strike against one is a strike against all. I hope you will accept my condolences and my support as you navigate this terrible loss."

Bolsa: "Gustavo speaks the truth. In this matter, he and I both stand shoulder to shoulder behind the Salamanca family. We are still looking for the traitor, Ignacio Varga. We will find him. And then your family will have justice. (...) We'll be in touch."

Mike: "What did you learn?"

Gus: "Lalo Salamanca lives."

―Gus and Juan Bolsa during their visit to Hector at Casa Tranquila, before Gus realizes that Lalo survived the assassination attempt.^[src]

Gus: "You can't kill me."

Lalo: "Why not?"

Gus: "I haven't told that fat pig Eladio what I think of him yet."

Lalo: "Hoo-hoo! Perfect! You've got one minute."

Gus: "Eladio... you greasy, bloated pimp. You talk of honor. But you have none. A pack of stray dogs fighting for scraps has more honor. Jackals. That's all you are! No vision. No patience. No thought. Stupid and impulsive! That is how I did all this. You couldn't see it, couldn't even conceive of it. And you Salamancas... you're the worst vermin of all. You say you believe in "blood for blood" but you only understand blood for money! You're whores! (in English) I understand blood for blood. Hector? Yeah, I kept him alive. Kept him broken. I will save him to the last. Before he dies, he will know I buried every one of you."

Lalo: "Big talk. You done?"

Gus: "No, not yet."

―Gus and Lalo's final exchange.^[src]

Mike: "You happy with the way things went down tonight? 'Cause I'm not. How'd you know Lalo would be at the laundry?"

Gus: "I didn't."

Mike: "Well, the next time you get a wild hair to play detective, tell me. This could have gone down a whole lot different."

Gus: "It could have."

―Gus and Mike's conversation after Lalo's death.^[src]

Breaking Bad[]

"I don't think we're alike at all, Mr. White. You're not a cautious man at all. Your partner was late. And he was high. (...) He's high often, isn't he? (...) You have poor judgement. I cannot work with someone with poor judgement."

―Gus Fring to Walter White, upon revealing his true identity.^[src]

Gus: "What does a man do, Walter? A man provides for his family."

Walter: "This cost me my family."

Gus: "When you have children, you always have family. They will always be your priority, your responsibility, and a man - a man provides. And he does it even when he's not appreciated or respected or even loved. He simply bears up, and he does it because he's a man."

―Gus offering Walter insight on reasons for working with him.^[src]

"You are a wealthy man now. One must learn to be rich. To be poor, anyone can manage."

―Gus to Walt^[src]

Gustavo: "I told you before. You will not kill Walter White. Not until my business with him is concluded."

Marco Salamanca: "We've waited long enough. We won't wait any longer."

Gustavo: "You'll have to. The decision is not yours to make. Explain to me...why this man White? He betrayed your cousin Tuco, yes. But he's not the one who murdered him. Was there not another man who pulled the trigger?"

Marco Salamanca: "A DEA agent. Bolsa says the DEA is off-limits."

Gustavo: "North of the border is my territory. My say. As a show of respect...I say yes. The agent's name is Hank Schrader. May his death satisfy you."

―Gustavo confronts The Cousins and turn their hunt to Hank.^[src]

Walt: "You knew. You knew my brother-in-law was with the DEA."

Gus: "I investigate everyone with whom I do business. What careful man wouldn't?"

Walt: "He is not a problem for us or our business, but you being here...is this some sort of message?"

Gus: "I'm supporting my community. I hide in plain sight, same as you. Are we done?"

Walt: "No, listen, I, uh...this attack on my brother-in-law, I don't understand it, I don't know what it means. Please, if you may have some knowledge that you can share with me. I fear for my family."

Gus: "I'm sure they'll be fine. I am told the assassin that survived is gravely injured. It's doubtful he'll live. Now thank me and shake my hand."

―Walt confronting Gus in the hospital lobby.^[src]

Gus: "Has your condition worsened?"

Walter: "Excuse me?"

Gus: "Your medical condition, has it grown worse?"

Walter: "Not that I know of, no."

Gus: "Is there a ringing in your ears?"

Walter: "No."

Gus: "Are you seeing bright lights or hearing voices?"

Walter: "I'm quite well, thank you."

Gus: "No. Clearly you are not. No rational person would do as you have done."

―Gus confronts Walter over killing his associates.^[src]

"Well? Get back to work."

―Gus to Walt and Jesse after murdering Victor.^[src]

"I can give you the highlights. Your nephews grew impatient. They continued to press me for my permission to kill Walter White. When I wouldn't give it, they settled instead for DEA Agent Schrader. But a phone call was placed to Agent Schrader moments before the attack, thus giving him the upper hand. Marco, shot in the face and died instantly. Leonel lingered for several hours. The warning call to the DEA agent....Juan Bolsa may have some insight into who placed it. For yesterday the federales raided his hacienda, and in the confusion, Juan was shot dead. An accident, perhaps? A mistake made by his own men? But we may never know. At any rate, I thought you should hear it from me. This is what comes of blood for blood, Hector. Sangre por sangre."

―Gus telling Hector about the deaths of Leonel, Marco and Bolsa^[src]

"Don Eladio is dead! His capos are dead! You have no one left to fight for! Fill your pockets and leave in peace, OR FIGHT ME AND DIE!"

―Gus beginning to suffer from the effects of the poison after killing Don Eladio and the other cartel capos.^[src]

"Hello, Hector. All of them, Hector. Don Eladio. Don Paco. Cesar. Renaldo. Artuno. Cisco and Luis. Escalara. All dead. As is your grandson, Joaquin. Do you know who killed Joaquin? Would you like to see? This young man. Do you remember him? That young man shot Joaquin to death while I made my escape. I believe you have met him before. It was just you and Joaquin. He was the only family you had left. Now the Salamanca name dies with you. Will you look at me now? Look at me, Hector. Look at me."

―Gus to Hector after poisoning the entire cartel.^[src]

Gustavo: "You are done. Fired. Do not show your face at the laundry again. Stay away from Pinkman. Do not go near him...ever. Are you listening to me?"

Walter: "Or else you'll do what?"

Gustavo: "What did you say?"

Walter: "Stay away from Pinkman...or else you'll do...what? Kill me? If you could kill me, I'd already be dead. But you can't. You can't kill me because Jesse wouldn't cook for you if you did. That's it, isn't it? [coughs] No matter how hard you try to turn him against me, to screw with his head, so that he would hate my guts...and he still won't let you do it."

Gustavo: "For now. But he'll come around. In the meantime, there's the matter of your brother-in-law. He is a problem you promised to resolve. You have failed. Now it's left to me to deal with him."

Walter: "You can't."

Gustavo: "If you try to interfere, this becomes a much simpler matter. I will kill your wife. I will kill your son. I will kill your infant daughter."

―Gus threatening Walter's family in the desert.^[src]

"What kind of man talks to the DEA? No man. No man at all. A crippled little rata. What a reputation to leave behind. Is that how you want to be remembered? Last chance to look at me, Hector."

―Gus' final words.^[src]

Appearances[]

Breaking Bad[]

Better Call Saul[]

Trivia[]

• Gus was originally meant to be a one-time guest performance but Giancarlo Esposito decided that he'd play him like he had a secret to make the writers bring him back.
• Initially, Esposito was offered to play a character that was described to him as "very admirable, very polite", and he decided to play that character as if he had "some kind of a secret". Without knowing what that secret was, Esposito understood the potential Gus had as a growing character, therefore rejecting offers for guest appearances and insisting on becoming a series regular. In order to achieve Gus' trademark calmness, Esposito utilized yoga classes he had been taking regardless of the series, which allowed him to convey the character by "being a good listener".
• Both the character of Gus and Esposito's performances have received universal praise, and he has been considered by many as one of the greatest TV villains of all time.
• Lalo Salamanca is the only Salamanca family member that Gus killed directly, with Tuco and Marco being killed by Hank Schrader, Leonel being killed by Mike Ehrmantraut, Joaquin being killed by Jesse Pinkman, and Hector Salamanca being killed by himself to murder Gus. While Gus did not kill Marco, Leonel, Joaquin, and Hector directly, he still played a part in the situations that led to their deaths.
  • This makes Tuco the only Salamanca family member that was killed in a situation that Gus had no involvement in.
  • Lalo is also the only person that Gus is shown killing using a gun. All of Gus' other known murders are done through other means.
• Although not explicitly confirmed in the series, Gus and Max's relationship was a romantic one; Esposito himself interpreted their relationship as such, but Vince Gilligan neither confirmed nor denied the interpretation, stating that they "probably were lovers." However, during an appearance on The Watch podcast in 2022, Peter Gould specifically referred to Max as Gus' boyfriend.^[1]
  • The interactions between Gus and sommelier David during the Better Call Saul episode "Fun and Games" feature flirtatious subtext. During this same podcast appearance, Gould said that Gus' actions in this scene (ultimately deciding to leave before David returns) are part of Gus' struggle to "be himself with another person."
• Gus claims to have children, but they are never seen other than through photos at his home. It is likely that this is only a facade to make his philanthropic businessman public persona more credible.
  • Esposito has stated that, during Breaking Bad, some shots featuring photographs of Gus' children were filmed using pictures of Esposito's own daughters. These shots were ultimately not used in the show but still kept in inventory.^[2]
• In Breaking Bad, Gus never meets Saul Goodman and Todd Alquist. Gus is never seen on screen with Lydia Rodarte-Quayle but it is clear that they did know each other.
• In Better Call Saul, Gus never meets Chuck McGill or Howard Hamlin, He also never met Kim Wexler in person, with him and Kim only interacting during a brief phone call during "Point and Shoot". Gus met Saul Goodman (who was still going by Jimmy McGill at the time) as seen in "Witness" and also met Lydia, as seen in "Off Brand". This leaves Chuck and Todd as the only main characters who Gus never interacted with in the Breaking Bad Franchise as a whole.
• Gus, along with Jimmy and Mike Ehrmantraut, are the only three characters to be featured as main characters in both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad.
• Season 4 of Better Call Saul is the only time Gus appears in every episode of a season.
• In Better Call Saul, Gus and Lalo are the only main characters to kill another main character, with Gus killing Lalo and Lalo killing Howard Hamlin.
• Gus is the first main character to die in Breaking Bad, and the only one who isn't in season 5, as well as being the fifth overall across Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul.
• When conceiving the story for El Camino, Vince Gilligan considered including Gus in the story, but ultimately desisted from the idea due to his feelings that the film should focus only in the most important characters in Jesse Pinkman's life, which Gus was not.
• AMC released a series of ten short videos on YouTube and their social media accounts during season three as Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training with Gus Fring, combining live-action shots featuring Esposito as Gus along with animated segments, presented as employee training videos for Gus's Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant workers. The series won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series in 2017.
• When speaking Spanish, Gus usually uses an American accent, as if he learned it as a second language. However, when he is enraged, he reverts back to his native Chilean accent.
• In addition to being fluent in English and Spanish, Gustavo also appears to be fluent in German as well.
• Gus takes the "left-hand path" literally when on his way to Casa Tranquilla to kill Hector Salamanca. There are two small, rocky paths that converge leading to the entrance. Gus takes the left way around, visually alluding to the metaphor.
• Gus drives a 1998 Volvo V70, reflecting his pretentious status as a normal business owner not caring about luxuries.
• Gus Fring has appeared in more episodes of Better Call Saul than Breaking Bad.
• Gus is named after the former German international footballer Torsten Frings. At a scriptwriting conference, George Mastras revealed how he came up with the name Gustavo Fring: “I was a fan of this famous German footballer. His name was Frings. To be precise: Torsten Frings, 79-time national player and coach of the Bundesliga team Darmstadt 98 for a month. The S at the end of the surname was annoying. You always had to put an apostrophe, that really pissed me off. So he simply left it out."^[3]
• Esposito portrays a similar character to Gus in the video game Payday 2, known as the Dentist;
  • Like Gus, the Dentist appears as an honest professional to hide in plain sight, and shares a similar pattern of speech and mannerisms. Furthermore, the Dentist also "appeared out of nowhere" upon his introduction with no priors or records as mentioned by Bain.
  • His first encounter with Dallas is similar to Gus' first encounter with Walter White, being very pleasant, soft spoken, and friendly. When he reveals his criminal nature, his speech becomes much more authoritative, cold, and to the point, with all pleasantness gone.
  • At the end of Hotline Miami, The Dentist may say, "Fear, as you surely know, is a powerful motivator", mirroring a phrase spoken by Gus during the episode Green Light, where he says "I do not believe fear to be an effective motivator."
  • Finally, Gus was an ally of Walt and the two worked closely together but this relationship soon became strained. Gus eventually met his end similar to that of the Dentist.

Video[]

Better Call Saul[]

Better Call Saul - Saul meets Gus for the first time (S3E02)

Witness

Gustavo Frings Moment of Vulnerability

Sabrosito

Better call saul - Gus buys the Laundry

Off Brand

Better Call Saul - 3x09 Gus and Hector Showdown

Fall

Lalo Salamanca Death (Better Call Saul)

Point and Shoot

Breaking Bad[]

Breaking Bad - Gus "Explain yourself"

Full Measure

Don Eladio a Gustavo Fring "Ya no estás en Chile" (Breaking Bad)

Hermanos

Gus Fring poisons the Cartel HD

Salud

Breaking Bad - Gus dies HD

Face Off

References[]