Summary
- Gus is a calculating villain who instills fear through his calm, collected nature and careful planning. His silence can be more imposing than vocal threats.
- Lalo is an unpredictable antagonist who brings a sense of unease with his sporadic and chaotic actions. He acts on the fly and appears amused and joyful.
- While Lalo is skilled and can handle his own dirty work, Gus relies on reliable supporters like Mike and his other henchmen. Gus also has a keen sense of how to conduct business.
The Breaking Bad universe has many memorable villains, with Gustavo Fring and Lalo Salamanca being the standouts. Introduced in Breaking Bad season 2, Gus quickly became culturally regarded as an iconic villain, making the show's third and forth seasons wildly thrilling television. In Better Call Saul, Lalo Salamanca was introduced late in the game, adding an exciting new element to the series. Both are excellent villains for completely different reasons, instilling fear on the world of Albuquerque crime in their own ways.
Played by Giancarlo Esposito and Tony Dalton respectively, Gus and Lalo are two antagonists who go head-to-head with each other, as well as being major threats to each show's protagonist. The final seasons of Better Call Saul see a conflict between the two of them play out, with Gus eventually killing Lalo. While Gus may have won the real battle between them, it's still up for debate who the better villain is.
10 Gus Is Calculating
While Lalo is calculating in his own right, Gus' level of planning is far more important to his character. Gus is portrayed as being a highly specific man, with even the smallest choices and mannerisms feeling intentional. Gus is calm, collected, and often takes long periods of time to contemplate and decide on his words. The silence and inaction of Gus can often feel more imposing than vocal threats and aggressive actions. When Gus actually does get ruthless and take violence into his own hands, it's all the more terrifying because of it.
9 Lalo Is Unpredictable
Contrary to Gus' calm and calculating nature, Lalo is far more sporadic and unpredictable. Lalo's arrival in Better Call Saul comes in season 4, without any warning or indication of who he is. He instantly brings about a sense of unease, as viewers try to figure out who he is or what he's planning. He carries that energy with him constantly, carrying out violent acts and causing chaos on the fly, putting himself and other characters in dangerous situations while appearing amused and joyful throughout.
8 Gus Follows Through On His Threats
While Lalo is certainly successful on multiple occasions, Gus is the one who truly gets revenge on his enemies. Following the flashback scenes that show Gus' backstory, it's revealed that he has a deep hatred for Don Eladio, Hector Salamanca, and the Cartel. Not only does Gus kill Lalo, Gus eliminates Don Eladio and most of his cohorts in a gruesome manner with the help of Mike and Jesse, and even though Hector ultimately kills Gus, he also dies in the process. Gus is a man of his word, and takes his revenge very seriously. He's willing to hold a grudge and wait a long time to act on it.
7 Lalo Is A Highly Skilled Killer
One of Lalo's most threatening aspects is that he's able to be a threat on his own. Lalo doesn't require someone like Mike in his employment because he has a similar set of skills on his own. Lalo is able to outsmart Mike and Gus in Better Call Saul season 6 when he attempts to kill Gus, a matter he would've succeeded in if not for his theatrics. He also survives the hit on him in the season 5 finale through his own skill, narrowly avoiding death at the hands of armed gunmen. There's nothing more terrifying on a villain who does their own dirty work.
6 Gus Has Reliable Supporters
While Lalo may be able to handle his own in combat, Gus is not as proficient, though he does have some merciless kills. Gus' strength comes from his men. He selects obedient and skillful men like Mike, Victor and Tyrus. Gus' henchmen are loyal, and all seem to share his minimal speaking habits. Gus also has valuable assets aside from just his enforcers, from Gale Boetticher, to Lydia and the Madrigal conglomerate. He has a keen sense of how to conduct business, carefully examining each person before bringing them into the fold.
5 Lalo Is More Charismatic
Gus is charismatic in his own right, but Lalo's charm and wit is truly unrivaled. From a fantastic performance from Tony Dalton, Lalo is brought to life with handsome looks, intelligence, confidence and just enough goofiness to completely disarm both the audience and the characters opposite him. Lalo's charisma ties in perfectly with his lack of predictability. He's manipulative, and knows he can use his charm to gets what he wants, but every friendly conversation he has is tied to the possibility of him flipping on the ruthless killer switch at any given moment.
4 Gus Is Disguised As An Upstanding Civilian
One of the most terrifying aspects about Gus in Breaking Bad is that he can appear almost anywhere. He isn't a criminal that needs to hide like Lalo, as his outward reputation is that of an upstanding philanthropist. Gus can appear in scenes and have friendly conversations with police and DEA agents, leaving Walter White and the audience in moments of panic and tension. It's a shock to the DEA and the community when the owner of Los Pollos Hermanos is revealed to be a criminal mastermind.
3 Lalo Has A High Impact In Less Screen Time
Gus is undoubtedly villain, but he had 64 episodes of television to flesh out his character. This is a totally unfair advantage over Lalo, who makes his impact in 22 episodes. There are a number of hypothetical questions that can be asked about a situation where Lalo had survived Better Call Saul. Unfortunately, however, the show was always going to build toward his death, seeing as he isn't in Breaking Bad. Perhaps with more time, Lalo could have become as culturally revered a villain as Gus.
2 Gus Has A Sympathetic Origin Story
While Lalo may be charismatic, Gus is the character who garners more sympathy, as his backstory is revealed in flashbacks. Gus' original chemist was his friend and implied lover, Max. The two set out with the plan to open Los Pollos Hermanos as a cover for their meth business together. After demonstrating their plan to Don Eladio, the cartel boss isn't impressed, and forces Gus to watch as Max is murdered. Gus is stripped of his humanity at that moment. While it certainly doesn't justify his actions, the exposition allows viewers to understand Gus' motivations in a way Lalo doesn't have.
1 Lalo Is Inhumanly Terrifying
Lalo is the Breaking Bad universe equivalent to a horror villain. He barely sleeps, he appears and disappears as he pleases, he's icy and cunning when he needs to be, he's a machine that seemingly can't be stopped. Part of what makes Lalo so threatening is that he feels like he's more than just a man. He's an archetype that represents the ruthlessness of the cartel, while also having characteristics of his own. If the Breaking Bad universe is known for its realism, Lalo is an excellent deviation of that.