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"Mature Content Warning!" |
| “ | Well? Get back to work. | „ |
| ~ Gus to Walter White, Jesse Pinkman and Mike Ehrmantraut shortly after coldly murdering his assistant Victor brutally in front of them. |
| “ | I don't think we're alike at all, Mr. White. You are not a cautious man at all. Your partner was late, and he was high. | „ |
| ~ Gus revealing his true nature to Walter White. |
| “ | 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. |
Gustavo "Gus" Fring, mockingly referred to as the Chicken Man, is the main antagonist of the crime drama series Breaking Bad and a major character in its prequel series Better Call Saul.
He was a Chilean national and respected Albuquerque restaurateur/philanthropist who owned a successful chain of chicken restaurants, Los Pollos Hermanos, and used it as a cover for an extremely successful methamphetamine distribution network in the southwestern United States. He serves as the former boss and arch-nemesis of Walter White, the employer of Mike Ehrmantraut, the rival of Hector Salamanca and a false associate of the Cartel and its leader Don Eladio.
He was portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito.
His Evil Ranking[]
What Makes Him Heinous?[]
In General/Background[]
- According to him, as a child, he captured a coati that was eating fruits from his tree and let it suffer instead of killing it right away, proving that he was extremely vengeful from a very young age.
- Although his backstory is unknown, he apparently did something pretty evil in Chile that might have had something to do with Pinochet's regime, with Hector implying he was a general.
- He started a drug empire across the entire southwest to try to become its kingpin.
- He had connections with the Cartel even though they murdered his best friend.
- Along with the other members of the Cartel, he shares a huge responsibility for multiple deaths in the franchise, both directly and indirectly (such as the 15 direct kills counts and the other deaths connected to the Cartel and his drug empire).
- While he is frequently disgusted at the Cartel for harming innocents, this is pure hypocrisy as Gus himself is not above threatening to do the same.
- While he did save Hector from dying from a heart attack, it was out of pragmatic reasons as he wanted to make Hector suffer before killing him as punishment for killing his boyfriend, Max Arciniega. Besides, after he thought that Hector was apparently talking to the DEA about him, he finally decided to kill him (but he actually walked into Hector's trap so that the latter could launch a suicide attack that would kill both of them and Tyrus).
- While he was apparently friends with Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, it's not elaborated on enough to prove that he cares about her, not to mention he seemed annoyed having to talk with her.
- Unlike most other characters in the franchise, he is taken dead seriously with no comedic moments whatsoever, making him a game changer who darkens the mood of the story.
Better Call Saul[]
Season 3[]
- He had Mike Ehrmantraut make a hit on one of Hector Salamanca's trucks, causing the drivers of it to be arrested.
- He spent years building a Superlab in order to produce more meth by secretly selling it as product of his fast-food company.
Season 4[]
- He suffocated Arturo Colon to death with a plastic bag to intimidate Nacho Varga while forcing him to be his spy in the Cartel.
- He had his top henchmen Victor and Tyrus Kitt stage a shootout to make it look like Arturo died in an ambush while having Victor shoot Nacho twice to make it look like he was wounded from the staged ambush. While Nacho survived, he was close to dying.
- He made it look like Arturo's death and Nacho's wounds were caused by the Espinosa Gang, which caused the Cousins to slaughter the entire gang, allowing Gus to take over their territory.
- He stopped Hector's recovery from his stroke/heart-attack midway through so he would still be alive and aware of his surroundings, but unable to walk or talk, just to torture him further.
- Conceived the establishment of a drug factory while secretly bringing in special German workers like Werner Ziegler.
- He ordered Mike to shoot Werner, a close friend of his, for revealing information to Lalo Salamanca. after Mike initially agreed to the instructions, he resigned in protest in the end.
- Before ordering Mike to kill Werner for said matter, Gus also planned to capture Margarethe as well and torture both of them to find out what Werner told her.
- He continued to follow Mike after the latter decided to resign with the intention that he would continue to be used by him (although his men actually saved him from an attack and later he asked Mike with real sincerity to help him).
Season 5[]
- He had one of his top henchmen, Victor, threaten to kill Nacho's innocent father Manuel just to force Nacho to continue working for him.
- Even when Mike asked him not to threaten Nacho because he is loyal to Gus, the latter only reinforced his betrayals of his previous masters: Tuco and Hector.
- He, along with Nacho, blew up one of his own restaurants to fool Lalo.
- He put a hit on Lalo that ended up in four innocent people being shot dead, added to the death of his men and Nacho's incrimination without getting backup from Gus.
Season 6[]
- He betrayed Nacho despite all he did for him, by trying to have him killed by manipulating things so that his location would be revealed to the Cartel, and almost succeeded.
- When Nacho escaped, he tried to threaten his father. When Mike objected to the idea, he allowed Tyrus to point a gun at him to intimidate him into submission.
- He had Nacho brutally beaten up by Mike and forced him to blame Lalo's "death" on a Peruvian cartel, with heavy implications he would kill, or at the very least, endanger Manuel otherwise.
- Has Victor and Tyrus bring a bruised up Nacho to Hector, Bolsa and the Cousins to receive punishment, although ultimately Nacho would take his own life. One way or another, Gus was to blame for his death.
- He held his "double" employee so that Lalo would try to kill him.
- When Kim came to kill him on Lalo's orders, he allowed his men to restrain and harm her in a room with a guard.
- It's heavily implied that burying Lalo and Howard Hamlin's corpses in his soon-to-be-Superlab was his idea. If this is true, then he is responsible for the legacy of Howard remaining tarnished for years, as the public never found out he was murdered until Kim testified years later.
Breaking Bad[]
Season 2[]
- He was responsible for Combo's death, as his men, the rival dealers, by having Tomas Cantillo shoot and kill him for selling meth on their territory.
- He formed an alliance with Walter White with the hopes of producing more drugs to expand his drug empire even further. This would ultimately bring Walt back to the life of crime even after he gave it up, even giving him the payment for Jesse's work.
Season 3[]
- He managed relations with the chiefs of police so that they would avoid suspecting him.
- Although he did stop the Cousins from killing Walt, it was clearly out of pragmatic reasons as he needed him alive for his expertise in making drugs.
- He instigated a shootout between Walt's brother-in-law Hank Schrader and the Cousins. First, he gave the Cousins his permission to murder Hank as revenge for killing their cousin, Tuco Salamanca (even though the Cousins were told by Juan Bolsa that the DEA was off limits), only to later warn Hank about the Cousins just one minute before the attack. Consequently, Hank killed Marco and heavily injured Leonel in the shootout - although Hank would end up crippled for a period of time.
- Although his warning indirectly saved Hank's life, it was only because Gus wanted to have the Cousins killed as part of his vendetta against Hector. Had Hank died, it still would've been a satisfactory result for Gus as this would invite massive retribution against the Cartel.
- He mentally tortured Hector by telling him about how Bolsa and his two nephews died (although it could be considered karmic considering that Hector had forced Gus to look at his dead boyfriend).
- Even though rival dealers were responsible for killing Combo (possibly on his order), he left them unpunished and even prevented Jesse from taking revenge against them.
- It is heavily implied that he ordered the rival dealers to kill Tomás Cantillo, an eleven year-old boy.
- After Walt and Jesse went against his instructions and killed the rival dealers, he actively sought them out and almost had Walt killed by Mike and also searched for Jesse so he could kill him too.
- He ordered Gale Boetticher to learn the recipe for Walt's meth just so Gus could kill Walt and replace him with Gale. It was Walt's realization of this plan that resulted in Gale's death when he ordered his protégé Jesse Pinkman to kill him just so Gus would be forced to keep Walt and Jesse as his chemists.
Season 4[]
- He brutally killed Victor, one of his top workers, by slitting his throat with a box cutter after finding out that he was seen at the place where Gale had died (to avoid suspicions that he was responsible the murder) and then forced Mike, Walt, and Jesse to dispose of his body. It was also meant to send a warning to Jesse and Walt about how easily he could dispose of one of his associates.
- He tried to manipulate Jesse into turning against Walt just so that the latter could be killed.
- He tormented Hector about how he now is both the last Salamanca and Cartel member alive, as Jesse had killed his grandson Joaquin earlier on. Gus took sadistic delight in telling Hector about the deaths of both Joaquin, Eladio and all the other Cartel members.
- Although these torments aren't played for any sympathy, as Hector deserves it, Gus is no better than his boyfriend's killer or any of the Cartel and the Salamancas (e.g. Don Eladio, Lalo, the Cousins, Bolsa). Not to mention that Gus didn't have to stoop so low, as it makes him just as cruel and sadistic as Hector, maybe more so).
- Even though his years-long goal of eliminating the Cartel and avenging Max was by all means complete, he chose to stay in the crime business anyway.
- After firing Walt, Gus told him that he planned to kill Hank for investigating him. He then threatened to murder Walt's wife, son and infant daughter, should the latter try to interfere in anyway.
- He posted 2 assassins at Walt's house to kill any member of Walt's family who returned home, nearly killing Walt's old neighbor.
- After the scare at the car park, Gus dropped any care towards Jesse, had his men kidnap him, and coerced him to cook meth for them, with Jesse only getting saved due to Walt arriving.
- He sought to kill Hector for apparently talking to the DEA about him. When attempting to do this, Gus taunts Hector by stating how he will not die as a dangerous drug lord, but rather as a "crippled little rata".
Season 5[]
- As Lydia said, he was in the process of trying to expand his empire into the Czech Republic, which Walt was doing instead.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- He had a genuine tragedy where he grew up in severe poverty and endured intense starvation as a result throughout his childhood. When he was an adult, Don Eladio and Hector Salamanca killed his lover Max Arciniega in front of him as punishment for accidentally selling methamphetamine without Eladio’s consent and he was then forced by Juan Bolsa to look at Max's dead eyes as his corpse bled out. Even though he was already a criminal in his youth, his tragedy still holds up as his crimes are motivated by Max's death and he sought to wipe out the Salamanca family and destroy the Cartel because of his trauma that stems from watching his lover die and being forced to stare at his dead body. Plus, his desperation to avenge Max led to his death at the hands of Hector nearly 3 decades later, showing he never moved on his boyfriend's death for years after it happened in 1989. Furthermore, the traumatic and all-encompassing murder of Max can explain away at least some of the ruthlessness, heartlessness, and apathy he displays towards associates later into his career.
- He had a true sense of honor, as he would always pay his debts or honor his word to someone (including Nacho despite their mutual differences); seemed to genuinely respect Mike; tried to get Nacho to have a quick and painless death and assured him his father would survive; made sure his employees at Los Pollos are up to his standards; and after being tricked into thinking Hector provided information to the DEA, he thought of it as dishonorable. He was generally a pretty reasonable boss as long as those around him didn't make any mistakes whatsoever.
- Though Hector's sequence was disingenuous, since prior this he literally set out security structures onto the Cartel.
- The moment before his final confrontation with his long time archenemy and Max's direct killer, Hector Salamanca, is rather emotional. It has Gus sitting in his car waiting for Tyrus’ call to give him the clear to enter the nursing home, as he thinks about the steps he took to reach this moment (gradually taking out the Salamanca family and the Cartel), ready to finish the last remaining member and finally avenge Max's death. The use of the ambient song “Goodbye” by Apparat and slow paced cinematography as Gus walks towards what he is unaware will be his death creates a rather eerie and somber effect.
- He has some "Pet the Dog" moments:
- After his employees at Los Pollos Hermanos were held hostage by Hector and his men, he offered all of them therapy - despite having no gain from this. This shows he did value and care for his employees.
- He funded an entire village dedicated to Max for no other reason than the fact he simply wanted to, even going as far as to make it clear that he didn't want his criminal business to reach that village.
- Had another such moment when he learned Jesse was visiting Brock in hospital, deciding the day's batch could be forgiven and allowing Jesse to stay there with no repercussions.
- He also prevented an attack by the cartel on his men by risking himself to request a ceasefire in front of the snipers.
- At the end of Season 2, he lends some money to Walt for the donation Hank had upon learning the man was diagnosed with lung cancer. Though this is minor considering how his relationship with Walter deteriorates in Season 3 and 4.
- Is seen having a blue ribbon attached to his shirt at the beginning of Season 3 made in memory of the victims of the Wayfarer plane collision in Season 2's finale, which implies that he held sympathy for those who died in the disaster. This doesn't seem to be to help his reputation as a kind businessman as he keeps wearing it even when meeting and talking with Bolsa.
- He is shown to care for/love many people:
- Max Arciniega, his friend and possible lover. Gus was devastated by his death and his entire motivation was avenging him by wiping out the Cartel. It's shown that he never moved on or got over his death, and was unwilling to open up to people because of this.
- Barry Goodman, his doctor, as Gus showed sincere gratitude for saving his life and even went as far as to hug him. Additionally, the two were on a first-name basis.
- Peter Schuler, his business partner, as they were shown to have been friends since way back in Chile, with Schuler having earned his everlasting respect. When he had a nervous breakdown, Gus broke his normally stoic façade and comforted him with emotional reassurance.
- Gale Boetticher, his old meth cook, as Gus was always shown to treat him well and nicely, once rejected the idea of Gale’s business opportunity, saying Gale is meant for “better things” and was enraged at his death.
- Lyle, the Assistant manager at Los Pollos Hermanos, although originally being condescending to Lyle, Gus proved on multiple occasions he did actually care about the assistant manager and his employees, and told Lyle to go home when the he realized the restaurant may be under attack.
- David, a sommelier at a bar whom he had a genuine friendship with, mentioning he purchased a vintage David recommended to him, and the two are even shown flirting with each other. His one scene was one of the few moments Gus let his guard down, and the second he left he went back to his usual stoic self, not to mention the implications Gus had a romantic interest in him.
Trivia[]
- Gustavo Fring was originally considered Near Pure Evil and was even headlined on the Near Pure Evil Wiki, but was removed after it was decided that his preventions were too severe.
External Links[]
- Gustavo Fring on the Breaking Bad Wiki
- Gus Fring on the Villains Wiki
- Gus Fring on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki
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