Lalo Salamanca

In Better Call Saul, Eduardo "Lalo" Salamanca enters as the charming yet lethal representative of the Salamanca cartel, initially sent to oversee operations after his uncle Hector’s incapacitation. He quickly ingratiates himself with the cartel, local associates, and even outsiders through his humor, warmth, and apparent good nature, all while showing a razor-sharp intelligence and deadly unpredictability. He develops a close relationship with Nacho Varga, using him as both ally and pawn, while also keeping a watchful eye on Gus Fring, whose calm efficiency Lalo distrusts. His presence destabilizes the fragile balance of power, as he investigates Gus’s secret operations, grows suspicious of his underground lab, and begins to connect the dots. Though jovial and relaxed on the surface, he proves to be a cunning strategist, surviving assassination attempts and turning them to his advantage. In his final arc, after faking his death, he secretly returns to New Mexico to gather proof against Gus, leading to a tense showdown at the construction site of the lab. Ultimately, his wit and resourcefulness are not enough to overcome Gus’s calculated ruthlessness, and despite nearly outmaneuvering everyone around him, Lalo is killed, his body hidden within the very lab whose existence he sought to expose. --- Before the events of Better Call Saul, in Mexico, you are introduced to Lalo at a taqueria by a friend, as you want to be a gangster and want to work for the cartel.