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He was a member of the Salamanca Family who was affiliated with The Cartel and was the eldest nephew of Hector Salamanca. He was also the cousin of Tuco, Marco and Leonel, and the uncle of Joaquin. Originally coming to New Mexico to run Hector's business, he eventually fled back to Mexico and began a crusade against Hector's sworn arch-enemy Gus Fring following a failed assassination attempt. After murdering lawyer Howard Hamlin, Lalo had a final confrontation with Gus that ends with Gus killing him and burying Lalo's body beneath his superlab construction site. However, the memory of Lalo would continue to haunt Saul Goodman for years to come and helped posthumously mold him into the crooked lawyer he would become later on.
In complete contrast to other Salamancas, Lalo was charismatic, clever, manipulative, and at times seemingly polite and friendly. Despite this, he still has the same traits his family does, being a cold-blooded, sadistic murderer who deals with his victims cruelly. He was also incredibly skilled and strong, as he took out five assassins by himself, with no one's help and only a single gun. Lalo also plans in advance, having a body double planned for him long before any assassination attempts truly happened, all while keeping everyone else unaware of the man's existence.
Just like the other Salamancas, though, Lalo deeply cared about his family and carried a "La familia es todo" (Family is all) way of living, taking care of his uncle Hector and calling him after faking his death, as well as calling his cousins Marco and Leonel "good boys" despite being two of the most cold-blooded assassins in the entire Cartel, on top of genuinely caring for the people that lived in his house despite his somewhat poor treatment of them. He also viewed Nacho Varga as a friend and was deeply hurt when he realized Nacho tried to have him killed and was filled with rage upon seeing his housemaid dead because of it. Despite that, he not once mentioned Nacho following the assassination attempt, and the actor who portrayed him, Tony Dalton, mentioned that Lalo probably couldn't care less about Nacho, instead being focused on hunting down Gus.
Another thing that seperated him from the rest of his family is how he's a genius able to go toe-to-toe with, and even outsmarted Gustavo Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut, two of the most intelligent characters in the Breaking Bad franchise. He had a good memory, formed calculated plans, and easily made the majority of the characters in the series pawns in his game, even getting Gus to do exactly what he wants him to do. As a testament to how dangerous Lalo was, he was the only person Gus genuinely and deeply feared, even admitting he only beat him by pure luck.
However, in his final moments, he fell to the same problem that doomed several other characters in the franchise: pride and obsession with revenge. When he finally had Gus at gunpoint, instead of killing him, he decided to have fun with him by making a video for Don Eladio showing his secret meth lab, and even decided to let Gus have his last speech before death just for his own amusement. All of this led to Gus finding the perfect opportunity to kill Lalo by shooting him in the throat. However, even when dying in pain, he found some amusement in his defeat, smiling and laughing at the victory of his nemesis.
Kill Count[]
Victims killed by Lalo Salamanca
Fred Whalen - Murdered for trying to call the police.
Ciro (indirectly) - Used as a human shield and shot by assassins.
11 assassins - All shot in self-defense.
Sylvia Ramos - Stabbed to death with a pair of scissors.
Mateo Ramos - Body double; killed with a pair of scissors and then burned to fake his death.
Two unnamed smugglers - Shot for not giving him his money back.
Howard Hamlin - Shot in the head with a silenced pistol for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Four of Gus' men - Shot for being at the laboratory.
Total kills
Total - 22 directly, 1 indirectly
Quotes[]
Season 4[]
“
Oh, hey! You're here! Right on time. Ah, wait, hold on, one second... you are going to love this. I made this just for you. Never in your life have you tasted something so delicious, it's true. Wait, wait... You're gonna die.
„
~ Lalo's first words, preparing a meal for Nacho, while foreshadowing his death.
“
Ah, I'm just here to lend a helping hand, you know, make sure the business is running in order. I got-- I got a good head for numbers. But listen, don't even worry. It's gonna be like I'm not even here.
„
~ Lalo explaining his sudden arrival to Nacho Varga.
“
Who's got the biggest set of balls north, south, east or west of Michoacan?
„
~ Lalo reuniting with Hector.
“
You know what I was thinking about this morning? The smell of burning leather and horsehair stuffing. Do you remember? Hotel Tulipan. You were so polite to that guy. And he turns his back on you? Makes that big deal to show he's not scared. He was a professor before he opened that place, remember? He'd always bring that up, the big college professor. You took your time with him. And his wife listening from the side. That asshole was so proud of his beautiful Spanish... his books, his antiques. But when it burned... it all smelled like shit. I never told you this, but... I went back inside. I went through the flames, the smoke. It was so hot, the rubber on my shoes melted a little. Yes, I know it was very stupid, but... I'm sentimental. I wanted a souvenir. I kept it all these years.
„
~ Lalo telling a story to Hector of how they tortured a guy and burned his hotel, only to give him the bell he got from it as a reminder.
“
Lalo: Varga tells me that while everybody else was picking their asses, you rushed to him, stuck him on the chest and brought him back. Gus: It was simple instinct. Lalo: But still, with all the history between you two... What you did was a gesture of peace. At least, that's how we see it. Gus: I'm very pleased to hear that.
~ Lalo's most famous quote, constantly saying Werner's name.
Season 5[]
“
Hola amigos! So today, I will teach you how to make a taco so savory... so spicy... so... Salamanca. You'll drown your own brother... just for a taste. That, of course, was a joke. First I'm gonna show you our base ingredients, okay? They may be simple, yes, but... today's appetites do not know when to stop. So, avocado, mushrooms, bacon, no. Just a warm corn tortilla, tomatoes, onions, a four-pepper salsa, and a perfectly marinated and seared carne asada. Once you've added each of the ingredients -the steak, the nice tomatoes, some onions, and the four-pepper salsa- you tuck over once, like if you were... tucking your sweet abuelita into bed. Now, we eat. Buen provecho. Muy buen taco.
„
~ Lalo in a promo for S5, instructing the viewer on how to make a Salamanca taco.
“
La familia es todo (Family is all).
„
~ Lalo to Hector.
“
Tell me again.
„
~ Lalo ordering Saul to tell the story of what happened on the desert over and over.
“
I'd just like to hear the story. I mean... I paid a lot of money for that story, so... I think I can hear it as much as I want!
„
~ Lalo's justification for the above.
“
Yeah, I never sleep much. An hour, maybe two. It's enough. When it's like this... that's when I can think. I get my best ideas when everybody else is asleep. Some people, they call it a curse. I like it.
„
~ Lalo telling Nacho about how he barely sleeps.
Season 6[]
“
Let them keep believing I'm dead. So much the better. It was the chicken man. That coward sat up there in the north while his paramilitaries came into my home... my home, Uncle! Screw Bolsa, screw Eladio. I'm coming north. I'm going to hurt him. Hurt him like you taught me. And then I will kill him.
„
~ Lalo telling Hector his plans for Gus.
“
Don Eladio. Guess who. It's me! I'm alive! I'm here in beautiful downtown Albuquerque. Been here... Four nights? Now, you might be asking, what am I doing down in this shithole? Well... a little Croatian bird told me a secret. He put up a hell of a fight, but he told me. Look... See that? Right there. Fring's secret. Now, I've been watching, and Fring hides his guards very well. But they're there, dressed like laundry workers. See? That's one there. They're hiding guns under the uniforms, but I see. I have a pretty good idea what I'm up against. I can tell you what's in there. A big hole where a German engineer, Werner Ziegler, designed the perfect place to hide the... "mother of all meth labs." Well, that's my story. And Fring, Fring will have his story. A good one. And Bolsa will back him. Because he's an... "Earner." So, tonight... I go in... I kill all the guards... and show you the proof. Then... you decide. Adios.
„
~ Lalo on a video for Don Eladio.
“
Let's talk.
„
~ Lalo after killing Howard.
“
Don Eladio, look who we have here. The one and only Gustavo Fring. And wearing body armor! Too bad they don't make armor for your head, eh? Now we're gonna take a little walk and show you around. Vamanos. Don, I would've liked it if we didn't have to rush this so much. We could sit by your pool... strip this snake's skin off, inch by inch. Take our time, have some fun. But he shows up now... who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth? A big machine hides a big secret. We have about... thirteen minutes until his bald gringo gets here with the cavalry, so Gustavo is going to have to give us the nickel tour. Like I was saying, Gustavo is going to show us around. Ha! Magnificent! I had a bathtub that did this, but... credit where credit is due, this is better. Hijo de puta. Drumroll, please. D-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r... Ta-da! de wow, no? Don Eladio, I've heard some stories about this place. It took a bunch of German engineers ten months to build all of this. They used two hundred pounds of high explosive. Dug out 120,000 cubic meters of dirt and rock. And all... without disturbing the laundry up there. In the middle of a city with a million people! That's pretty badass, right? One moment, Don. Think of the laboratory you could put here, Don Eladio. Eh? How much meth you could make... that was his plan. Cut you out to become boss. And now here we are, in this big hole! Gustavo thought he was building an empire, but all he built himself was a tomb.
„
~ Lalo records a video for Don Eladio as Gus reveals the superlab.
“
Big talk. You done?
„
~ Lalo's last words.
Gallery[]
Lalo Salamanca's death.
Trivia[]
Lalo and Hector are the only Salamancas who were ever referred to as Dons, implying they're the highest ranked in their family.
Jimmy was so terrified of Lalo (especially after he faked his death and made a shocking return) that he wasn't entirely convinced by Mike that he was ever really dead. Jimmy was still afraid of Lalo coming back four years later, and reiterated his skepticism by telling Kim that Lalo was "apparently in the ground" almost seven years later. Nobody else terrified Jimmy so much in either show, not even Tuco.
According to show writers Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, Lalo was meant to be introduced as early as in Season 1, but had to be postponed due them not being able to fully realize the character up until near the end of Season 4.
Lalo is one of the few Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul villains to display the notorious "Dark Tetrad" of personality traits: psychopathy, narcissism, Machiavellianism, and sadism.
Psychopathy (antisocial personality disorder) is defined as a lack of emotion and empathy for others. Lalo's psychopathy is arguably his most defining characteristic, shown when he murders people without a hint of remorse, most notably Howard Hamlin, who was a random person who just happened to be there at the time and didn't even know who Lalo was (nor would he have remembered since he was drunk at the time). His frequent use of artificial friendliness and charisma as a mask for his violent tendencies is a recurring motif that underscores his unpredictability. Lalo even uses a person he claims to consider family (Ciro) as a human shield without hesitation to save himself.
Narcissism is defined as a grandiose sense of self-importance. Lalo's narcissism is shown whenever he is on screen, as he always has to be the most charismatic person in the room and the center of attention. However, the best specific instance of his ego is when he underestimates Gus Fring's ability to stop him, which leads to his death. Lalo's arrogance and confidence in his own intelligence are his biggest weakness, and is ultimately his downfall. Lalo also brags about his intelligence to Nacho, saying: “I got a good head for numbers".
Machiavellianism is defined as calculated manipulation of others for personal gain. Lalo's Machiavellianism is clearly shown when he pays for Mateo's dental work years in advance (pretending it is a charitable act of kindness) just to match his own dental records so he can kill him and fake his own death. Lalo also feigns fear and surrender before attacking Casper with a knife.
Sadism is enjoyment of others' suffering. Lalo's sadism is clearly shown when he reminisces about torturing and murdering the motel proprietor with his uncle Hector (even taking a twisted souvenir of the event). Lalo also gloats about his victory to Gus, delighting in his anxiety.
Despite his psychopathy and many atrocious crimes, Lalo is still easily the kindest Salamanca. For instance, when attempting to cross the border, he gives the illegal immigrants back their money and lets them live, a stark contrast to his cousins killing everyone in the truck in a similar situation.
In the analogue episode for "Better Call Saul" in Metástasis, the Colombian Spanish language remake of Breaking Bad, during the scene where Walter and Jose (Jesse) kidnap Saul and bring him into the desert, Saul asks if a man named "Gordon" sent them rather than Lalo.
Lalo Salamanca is widely regarded as one of the greatest villains in television history, and Tony Dalton's performance was praised.[1][2]
Steve Greene of IndieWire, after comparing Lalo to the character Anton Chigurh in the film No Country for Old Men, noted Lalo has "the unpredictability of his impulsive, petulant [cousin] combined with the faux geniality of his chicken CEO rival" and praised Dalton's performance, who he says "makes that poisonous, affected smile work, especially when it's coupled with Lalo's blatant disregard for bodily harm".[3] Brian Grubb of Uproxx wrote in his review of the season-five finale, "It is almost unreasonable how good a character Lalo is. To pull this off after five seasons of this show and the full run of Breaking Bad, to just up and introduce someone this charming and evil and perfect, is basically showing off".[4]
Originally, Vince Gilligan was not interested in exploring who Lalo was, but Peter Gould insisted. Gilligan later admitted that he was "dumb" for not wanting Lalo in the show, claiming that they would have never gotten Tony Dalton's fantastic performance if it was up to him, "and the whole universe would have been poorer for it".[5]
