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User:Say Abracadavre Now/I Better Call Saul!

From The Codex
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You had his wire cutters on him, he would have said anything. You really see the FBI hiring those two flaquitos?
~ Nacho trying to save the skateboarders lives from Tuco


What about the lawyer? He’s giving respect.
~ Nacho trying to save Jimmy's life from Tuco


You get me out of here today... or you’re a dead man.
~ Nacho threating Jimmy


Yeah, I'd cut the cute attitude right about now if I were you. You ratted on me. There will be consequences.
~ Nacho threating to harm Jimmy


Do you think I'd be caught dead driving that thing? Looks like a school bus for six year old pimps.
~ Nacho to Daniel Wormald


We got hit the other day. A truck headed south got hijacked. Someone stole a quarter of a million. Now Hector's flippin' out, lookin' for who did it. Thing is... I think it was you. They left the driver hog-tied, not a mark on him. Anyone in the game woulda capped him without a second thought. But this driver? He's still breathin'. I thought to myself, who's the guy who'll rip off a couple hundred thousand in drug money and leave a witness? Who's the guy ‭who won't pull the trigger? You. I'm not here to squeeze you. You wanna rip off the cartel, that's your business. But here's the thing. I'm picking up that driver, Hector's orders. We're gonna see what he knows, and if he knows you, that's bad for both of us.
~ Nacho talking to Mike


Fucking Salamancas.


Marco took a hit but he'll pull through. They went back south until the heat dies down. It's territory, isn't it. The Salamancas wipe out the Espinosas, Espinosa territory is up for grabs. Cartel can't give it to the Salamancas, so... I think they give it to you.
~ Nacho telling Gus what happened


What are you doing here?
~ Nacho to Lalo Salamanca


It's not about what you want. When you're in... you're in.
~ Nacho to Jimmy McGill


You know who you're working for, right? The shit that this guy does... They shot me. Left me bleeding out in the desert, all... part of some plan.
~ Nacho telling Mike what Gus' men did to him


My father didn't. He's got a gun to my father's head. If I don't do what he says...
~ Nacho telling Mike what Gus is doing


Fring's not all of it. It's the cartel. I disappear, they're gonna go after my father. He's gotta come with me. But no matter what I say with him, it's the cops or nothing.
~ Nacho wanting his father to be safe


And... he wants me to burn down Los Pollos Hermanos.
~ Nacho telling Mike what Lalo wants him to do


Goodbye, Papa.
~ Nacho's last words to his father


Him? You think the... Chicken Man? What a joke. Alvarez has been paying me for years -- years. But you know what? I would've done it for free, because I hate every last one of you psycho sacks of shit. I opened Lalo's gate. And I would do it again. And I'm glad what they did to him. He's a soulless pig. And I wish I'd killed him with my own hands. And you know what else, Hector? I put you in that chair. Oh, yeah. Your heart meds? I switched them for sugar pills. You were dead and buried, and I had to watch this asshole bring you back. So when you are sitting in your shitty nursing home, and you're suckin' down on your Jell-O night after night for the rest of your life, you think of me, you twisted fuck!
~ Nacho's last words


Your son made some mistakes. He fell in with bad people. But he was never like them..not really. He had a good heart.
~ Mike trying to telling Nacho's father that he was a good man

Background

Note: Credit to the Breaking Bad wiki

Ignacio "Nacho" Varga is a Mexican-American career criminal from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the son of Manuel Varga. Calculating and intelligent, Nacho was formerly an employee at his father's shop A-Z Fine Upholstery before becoming affiliated with the Cartel. He became one of Tuco Salamanca's most trusted enforcers and later became the lieutenant of both Hector and Lalo Salamanca. Against his will, Nacho later became an informant to Gustavo Fring after being blackmailed by him. As his role in both the Cartel and Gus' drug operation began to amplify, Nacho became increasingly discouraged from the organizations as his affiliation with them put both his and his father's lives in danger.

Nacho meets Jimmy McGill during the Kettleman embezzlement case and unsuccessfully attempts to persuade Jimmy to help him steal the cash from the Kettlemans. Nacho also comes to respect Mike Ehrmantraut after seeing his professionalism during one of Mike's criminal side-jobs. As Tuco becomes increasingly unstable, Nacho asks Mike to kill Tuco. Mike opts instead to manipulate Tuco into assaulting him in view of the police, which results in Tuco being sent to prison for several years. Nacho is promoted to become Hector's right-hand man, but becomes concerned when Hector wants to use his father Manuel's upholstery store as part of the Salamanca drug ring. Nacho is forced to reveal that he works for Hector, which causes a rift between Manuel and Nacho. Nacho attempts to kill Hector by inducing a heart attack through replacing Hector's angina medication with a placebo. During a heated meeting, Hector has a stroke, which results in his permanent reliance on a wheelchair. Gus discovers Nacho's involvement and threatens to reveal it to the Salamancas unless Nacho acts as his mole within the Salamanca organization.

Following Hector's heart attack, the Salamancas bring Lalo Salamanca to Albuquerque to manage their operations. As instructed by Gus, Nacho becomes Lalo's confidante and reports back to Gus and Mike. Nacho also introduces Lalo to Jimmy when one of their dealers, Domingo Molina, is caught with drugs. Jimmy secures Domingo's release by having him give the DEA the locations of Gus's drug money dead drops and making him a confidential informant. Nacho informs Gus about Lalo's plan but Gus allows the DEA to seize the drops in order to protect Nacho's identity as his mole. Using information provided by Nacho, Gus has Mike arrange for Lalo's arrest under an assumed name, but even in prison, Lalo poses a danger to Gus' organization. The cartel provides Lalo's bail money, and Lalo has Nacho drive him to Mexico. Lalo then introduces Nacho to Don Eladio and explains a plan to place Nacho in charge of the Salamanca operation in Albuquerque while Lalo remains in Mexico to hide from police and prosecutors. Gus intends to have Lalo killed, and Nacho receives a call instructing him to open the back gate to Lalo's villa at 3 am. Nacho opens the gate and flees. Armed men enter and attempt to kill Lalo. Lalo kills most of the attackers, realizes that Nacho is missing, and angrily strides away from his house.

After opening the gate, Nacho flees and follows Gus' instructions to hide at a motel. After realizing that Gus has betrayed him to the cartel, Nacho agrees that in exchange for a guarantee of safety for Manuel he will surrender to Gus and implicate someone else to the cartel for the attack on Lalo. In a meeting between Gus, Juan, and Hector, Nacho falsely claims he was working for a rival drug family when he let the gunmen into Lalo's compound and also reveals that he caused Hector's stroke. Rather than attempt to flee so Victor can kill him quickly to save him from being tortured by the Salamancas, Nacho uses a piece of broken glass to cut his restraints, then seizes Juan Bolsa's gun and kills himself.

The following synopsis contains massive spoilers for Nacho Varga's backstory

Background Information

Ignacio Varga was born on December 9, 1971, and was raised by his father Manuel Varga, whom he loved dearly. He would later work with Manuel at the automobile upholstery shop A-Z Fine Upholstery. Nacho and his family were close to Domingo Molina's family.

Nacho had also become close friends to the powerful Cartel drug dealer Tuco Salamanca around this time, becoming one of his most trusted men. Nacho helped Tuco run his illegal operations in Albuquerque, New Mexico by serving as one of his enforcers, alongside Tuco's other enforcers Gonzo and No-Doze.

In 1998, Nacho witnessed Tuco shoot Dog Paulson, one of his dealers, in the face with a sawed off shotgun after Tuco suspected him of thievery. Nacho was close enough to the execution that a piece of of Dog's skull embedded into his shoulder. This incident also left a permanent impression on Nacho regarding Tuco's increasing instability, although according to Nacho, Tuco later felt bad about killing Dog.

Better Call Saul

Season 1

When Tuco captures Jimmy McGill and the twins Cal and Lars Lindholm for trying to scam Tuco's grandmother Abuelita, he asks Nacho, Gonzo and No-Doze to take them into the desert, where they try to find out who they are. Jimmy tries to explain that Tuco's grandmother wasn't the original victim of the scam, but the couple Betsy and Craig Kettleman, who had stolen millions from the government, were the intended victims. Jimmy was trying to get the couple to hire him, however, the twins ended up confusing Tuco's grandmother's car for Betsy's instead.

At first, Tuco doesn't believe Jimmy and even threatens to cut off his fingers using pliers, but Nacho takes over the interrogation and convinces Tuco that murdering a lawyer would raise too many questions. Jimmy manages to convince Tuco to spare their lives, and talks him down to merely breaking one leg on each twin to make an exact example of them. After Tuco shakes hands with Jimmy and accepts his proposal, he gets two henchmen to grab the twins. Nacho witnesses Tuco break one leg on each brother.

Sometime after the desert confrontation, Nacho meets with Jimmy in his small office. Nacho is interested in the Kettleman's story and wants Jimmy to help him rip them off. Jimmy declines his offer, asserting himself as a lawyer, not a criminal. However, Nacho gives him his phone number and says that Jimmy is now "in the game".

Now aware of Nacho's plans, Jimmy tries to make an anonymous call to warn the Kettlemans that they are in danger. Concerned, the Kettlemans look outside their house and sees Nacho's parked van. The next day, the Kettlemans are nowhere to be found while their house is left ransacked. Nacho is arrested after being denounced by a neighbor who saw his van parked outside the Kettleman's house. The police search his van, finding blood on the floor belonging to Lars and Cal from their previous encounter.

The police find Jimmy, who had been trying to communicate with Nacho over the disappearance of the Kettlemans, and escorts him to the station, where he discusses the case with Nacho. Nacho maintains his innocence, admitting that he had performed surveillance on the Kettleman home, but did not kidnap them. Nacho warns Jimmy that if he does not get the charges dropped against him the police might uncover his connections to Tuco's criminal organization, which would result in Jimmy's death. Terrified, Jimmy goes to try to fix the issue.

After Jimmy found the Kettlemans, Nacho is released from police custody, who then discreetly accuses Jimmy of warning the Kettlemans before they went into hiding and that Jimmy will "face consequences". Jimmy rebuts by implying that he warned the family for the children's sake, and that any trouble Nacho got into he brought upon himself.

Sometime later, Nacho is the contact who is buying pills from Daniel "Pryce" Wormald, with Mike Ehrmantraut serving as Pryce's bodyguard during the drug deal. When Pryce counts Nacho's money, he points out that he is short $20 from the price of the pills. Mike demands the agreed amount or the deal is off. Reluctant at first, Nacho coldly forks over the rest of the money and leaves with the pills.

Season 2

Nacho meets with Pryce to buy more pills from him, but this time, Mike is not present as Pryce's bodyguard, due to the both of them parting ways. While Pryce counts up Nacho's money, Nacho admires his new bright yellow Hummer H2 with red flames and uses Mike's absence to his advantage and steals Pryce's personal information from his auto registration, learning that Pryce's real name is Daniel Wormald. Sometime later, Nacho breaks into Daniel's house and steals all of his drug money, as well as his personal baseball card collection.

Being clueless on how to act as a criminal, Daniel calls the police to investigate the break-in. The two cops end up finding Daniel's secret area behind the sofa where he kept the drug money and eventually becomes a suspect. Mike gets worried that Daniel might get caught and snitch on the whole operation they had, so he confronts Nacho at the upholstery shop run by Nacho's father, where Mike pretends to be interested in reupholstering his car in order to get Nacho’s attention. When they’re alone, Mike informs him that he knows Nacho was behind the break-in at Daniel's house. He demands Nacho to give the cards back to Daniel so he won't get arrested, but Nacho shrugs it off. However, Mike has an ace up his sleeve: he threatens to reveal Nacho’s dealings with Daniel to Tuco. Since the pills deal is being conducted behind Tuco's back, it's clear that he won't be pleased if he finds out and might consider Nacho a traitor; Nacho gives in to Mike's demands. At their regular drug deal spot, Nacho gives Mike $10,000 and returns Daniel his baseball cards, but ends up taking his Hummer to his chop shop to be disassembled. He then declares that his business with Daniel is finished.

When Mike requests more work from his crooked veterinarian, Dr. Caldera, he is given a job by a man who requested for Mike specifically. This is revealed to be Nacho, who meets with Mike at an abandoned warehouse and says, "There's a guy. And I need him to go away." The next day, Mike and Nacho meet across the street from El Michoacáno, the restaurant where Tuco and Nacho regularly collect the money owed from dealers. Nacho wants Mike to kill Tuco in a drive-by type of execution and promises to pay him well. Nacho reveals a scar on his left shoulder and tells a story of when Tuco and him had a job together. Tuco started getting suspicious that one of their friends and associates, a man called Dog Paulsen, was ripping them off. Tuco shot Dog with a shotgun point-blank in the face while Nacho was behind him, lodging a piece of his skull into Nacho's shoulder. If Tuco were to find out that Nacho was working independently, he may have the same fate.

When Nacho meets Mike the next day at the abandoned warehouse, Mike says he won't kill Tuco but instead they should land him in prison. Back at the restaurant, Tuco and Nacho are following their usual routine of counting money from their dealers. They are finishing counting money from Domingo's sales and after he leaves, Mike, from across the street, calls the police, alerting them of a fight in the restaurant. From inside, Tuco and Nacho see Mike bump into Tuco's car, and Tuco angrily confronts him. As Mike and Tuco's fight escalates, a police siren is heard, prompting Nacho to take the money they collected and leave in his van. Nacho later meets a beaten and bruised Mike and gives him the money he earned. He then asks Mike why he went through so much for less money just to avoid killing Tuco, but receives no answer as Mike drives away, leaving him alone.

Even though Mike's plans to get Tuco arrested worked, only more problems arose for Nacho. Don Hector Salamanca, Tuco's uncle and a powerful leader from the Cartel, takes over the Salamanca business in Albuquerque and Nacho is forced to continue working for them. Don Hector starts intimidating Mike into telling the police that the gun found on Mike and Tuco's fight scene was actually Mike's, as this could potentially reduce Tuco's jail time. After receiving many threats at his house and later one to his family, Mike agrees to meet Don Hector, Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Arturo and Nacho at Hector's ice cream shop. Nacho pats down Mike before letting him in, sitting behind Mike as he talks with Hector about the deal to get Tuco less jail time. Later that night, Nacho arrives at Mike's house to deliver the money decided upon on the deal. Mike splits the pay with Nacho to make up for their failure on the job to take out Tuco.

Nacho calls Mike to a meeting, confronting him about an attack on a driver, Ximenez Lecerda, for the cartel with a quarter-million stolen, that he figured had to have been done by Mike. Nacho is in charge of seeing what Ximenez knows, and Nacho is worried that if he knows anything about Mike, it'll be bad for not just Mike, but Nacho himself as well. He eventually realized that Mike was trying to draw police attention to Hector's operation, after Mike asks why it wasn't on the news, and Nacho takes extreme offense to it. Nacho reveals that Hector killed a passing civilian that drove by the scene and freed the driver. He then leaves an unsettled Mike alone and drives off. On Hector's orders, Nacho and Arturo drive the van to a desolate location with Ximenez tied up in the back. Unknown to them, Mike is following closely behind, planning to kill Don Hector with a sniper rifle. Nacho is later seen at the same desolate locations, following closely to Hector, as Arturo and Leonel and Marco Salamanca gets ready to execute Ximenez. Nacho unintentionally blocks the line of sight of Mike, who is waiting far away to take the shot.

Season 3

At the restaurant, Nacho continues his routine of counting money from dealers, but with Don Hector himself monitoring the transactions. When Domingo comes up short on his payment, Hector forces Nacho to beat him up and teach him a lesson. Nacho begins to grow disillusioned. As part of Gustavo Fring's 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. Hector ordered Nacho to do this because he wanted to see Gus' reaction, but he was disappointed on the results. Knowing that using the chicken trucks is only a temporary measure, Hector wants a new smuggling route and decides to use Nacho's father's upholstery business as a front over Nacho's objections. The conversation is interrupted when Hector finds out that Tuco has stabbed another prisoner in jail and then assaulted a police officer, he has now been placed in solitary confinement. Hector gets furious at this as Tuco will now serve more time than he should've, Hector starts having a coughing attack and takes his heart medication to calm down, but accidentally drops one of the capsules, which Nacho steals without him noticing.

Nacho approaches Pryce with the pill stolen from Hector and offers to pay Pryce to obtain copies of the capsules with no medication. At a meeting with Pryce and Mike, Mike learns the full story about Hector's desire to force Nacho's father into the drug trade and the plan to replace Hector's medication with fake pills. Mike agrees not to interfere but advises Nacho to switch the pills back after Hector dies so they cannot be traced back to him. He then requests from Nacho the location of the burial site of the citizen Hector murdered early on.

Nacho fills the fake capsules with ibuprofen which he plans on slipping into Hector's coat pocket; not only would Hector be deprived of the medication he needs, but ibuprofen actually increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. The following day, at the El Michoacáno restaurant, which has become incredibly hot and moist thanks to Nacho who secretly damaged the restaurant's air-cooling unit the night before, Nacho does his daily transactions with the dealers, starting with Domingo. As Nacho counts Domingo's money, Hector removes his coat, allowing Nacho the perfect opportunity to execute his plan. Nacho pretends to scrutinize one of the dollar bills in Domingo's stack, claiming that it looks "funny". Hector asks him to come over so he can scrutinize it. As Hector examines the bill, Nacho quickly removes Hector's pill bottle from his coat, before proceeding to "accidentally" drop it and the money on the ground. Once he gathers the money, Nacho returns to his seat, carefully keeping the pill bottle on his lap, while he counts the next dealer's money. Once the dealer is gone, Nacho carefully switches Hector's real pills with the doctored ones. While Nacho proceeds to get Hector more coffee, he successfully tosses the bottle of the doctored capsules into Hector's coat pocket.

Don Hector and Gus meet at a remote location, flanked by their respective henchmen. Over a speakerphone, Hector communicates with Juan Bolsa, who tells him that Don Eladio is satisfied with the new "consolidated transportation method" of shipping drugs over the border and wants the practice to continue using Gus's distribution network exclusively. Hector angrily smashes the phone, wanting to have his own distribution method instead of Gustavo's. Hector's heart problems act up again, leading him to open the vial containing Nacho's spiked pills. However, much to Nacho's dismay, the pills have no apparent effect. Later, Nacho visits his father to reveal to him that he's been working for Don Hector, and he will soon be coming to take control of Manuel's upholstery shop. Nacho pleads with his father to do what Hector wants and not do anything "stupid," meaning approaching the police. Manuel refuses and tells Nacho to get out of the house, which he obliges.

Nacho takes Hector to his father's shop to show around how the operations work. Hector meets with Nacho's father and offers him some money upfront as a sign of friendship, but Nacho's father is an honest man and refuses to cooperate with criminals like the Salamancas, ordering Hector to leave his shop. This infuriates Hector, who tells Nacho that he doesn't trust his father anymore. Nacho feels desperate, as the pills apparently have no effect and his father is now running serious danger, so Nacho decides to take care of Hector himself. At night, he goes to Hector's warehouse to execute him, but is surprised to see that another cartel meeting with Gus and Juan Bolsa was about to take place. Bolsa informs Hector that Don Eladio is reinforcing his orders regarding Gus' operations. Hector grows enraged at the Don's orders and starts screaming at Bolsa and Gus that the Salamancas have worked hard for the cartel and even then, they are treated like dogs. Hector starts having another attack in his infuriated state, he suffers great pain when he tries to take his medication - Nacho's spiked pills finally kick in. Hector suffers an apparent heart attack and collapses to the floor, Gus rushes in and performs CPR as Juan Bolsa flees. Hector survives and is taken to a hospital by ambulance while Gus rightly suspects Nacho's involvement.

Season 4

As Hector is taken away in an ambulance, Nacho tries to dispose of the fake medication by dropping them down a sewer. However, he is interrupted by Gus who informs him that Juan Bolsa needs to speak with them at the Los Pollos Hermanos Factory Farm. Nacho and Arturo are told by Bolsa that the Salamancas will retain their territory despite Hector's illness and will carry on as before. Leaving the farm, Nacho drives to a bridge and throws the fake pills in the river. Unknown to him, he is being watched by Victor who has placed a tracker on his vehicle.

Nacho tells his father that Hector will no longer be harassing him and tells him that he is working on getting out of a life of crime. At the hospital, a new doctor begins treating Hector. Nacho and Arturo are encouraged to talk to Hector as part of the treatment. Nacho lies and tells him that he knows he will get past the stroke and be stronger than ever. Arriving at the Los Pollos Hermanos Factory Farm to collect their drug shipment, Nacho and Arturo find that Victor and Tyrus intend to only give them five packets rather than six. A stand-off follows and eventually, Victor relents and produces the sixth packet. On the way back to the car, the pair are ambushed by Gus and his men. Arturo is suffocated to death, and Gus makes it clear he knows what Nacho did to Hector. Gus tells him that the Salamancas do not know, and that from this moment on, Nacho is his man.

Victor and Tyrus stage a scene to look like Arturo's car was ambushed by a rival gang to cover his murder by the hands of Gus. They first blow all the tires before shooting the car from the side a lot of times to make it look like a drive-by happened. Soon after, Arturo's corpse is placed on the driver's seat and shot in the head. To sell the illusion even more, Nacho sits on the passenger sit and allows Tyrus to shoot him in the shoulder. After Nacho leaves the car to make the call, Victor surprises him by shooting him in the stomach, Tyrus claims that they "gotta make it look real." Tyrus leaves Nacho a cell phone to call for help. Later that day, Leonel and Marco Salamanca arrive to investigate the scene and find Nacho suffering from blood loss and exposure. They question him about the attack and enlists the help of Dr. Caldera to save his life. Caldera tends to Nacho's wounds and gives him a blood transfusion from Marco. Caldera gives him advice on healing his injuries, and then tells him that he does not want to be involved in the cartel's business.

Not much time later, Nacho takes a ride along with Leonel and Marco Salamanca. Nacho watches a silver Firebird enter the Espinosa compound. Gus plans to frame the Espinosas for the "attack" on Nacho and Arturo; Nacho had previously told Leonel and Marco Salamanca that they were ambushed by gunmen driving a Firebird. After watching the compound from afar, Nacho decides that the best course of action is to attack at night. He intends on calling Domingo and some other dealers who work for the Salamancas to assist them, but Leonel and Marco Salamanca ignore him and launch an assault on the compound immediately in broad daylight. After the twins walk inside the compound shooting and left Nacho alone in the car, he sees backup arriving and decides to help the Salamancas by killing one of the gangsters who has just arrived. He then walks inside the compound to find Leonel cornered by the gangsters who arrived as backup. Nacho tries to join in on the shootout, but his injuries from the ambush kick in and he isn't able to continue. Marco shows up just in time to save Leonel and kills the remaining gangsters. Leonel and Marco Salamanca manage to wipe out the Espinosas, recovering a packet of drugs that Gus had earlier delivered to the compound to sell the ruse. At night, Nacho reports the destruction of the Espinosas to Gus, and relays that Leonel and Marco Salamanca have gone south to lay low. Gus suggests that Nacho take some time to rest, as he still has a lot of work to do. Nacho goes to his father's home and asks him to let him stay there for some time. His father tries to get him to go to a hospital, but he refuses since it would not be safe.

Several months later, Nacho is in command of the Salamanca turf in Albuquerque, most likely being manipulated by Gus. He took over Tuco and Hector's role of overseeing cash collections at El Michoacano, with Domingo being the middle man between him and the dealers. Domingo counts money from a bling-wearing drug dealer, who has come up short. Domingo initially allows the dealer to leave, but Nacho summons the dealer over to his table. Nacho tears off one of the dealer's earrings and warns him that, "What you owe, you owe with interest." After the dealer leaves, Domingo turns around to affirm Nacho's action, but Nacho asks why he didn't do it himself. Domingo acknowledges Nacho's hint, and right away another dealer enters the diner, while Nacho watches calmly. After dark, Nacho drives his new muscle car to his new upscale house, where two young women are inside watching TV. Without a word, Nacho gives them small bags of crack and retreats to his bedroom. There, he stashes his drug money in a safe in his closet. As he does so, Nacho looks at fake Manitoba ID cards for himself and his father, showing that he has an exit strategy.

Some days later, Nacho arrives back at the restaurant for another session of money collection but is surprised when he enters the restaurant to see both Domingo and the restaurant owner sitting nervously near the front door. He notices there is someone else in the back kitchen cooking while listening to loud mexican music, so he walks over to investigate. Nacho greets the stranger and the man offers him what he's just finished cooking, mentioning that it's a secret family recipe. Nacho connects the dots and correctly assumes the man is a Salamanca. "I'm Eduardo, but you can call me Lalo," says the man. Nacho asks what he's doing there, and Lalo mentions that the Salamanca family sent him over to check how things are going but reassures Nacho not to worry. As Lalo walks back to the restaurant to oversee the money collection, Nacho is left worried in the kitchen, as every time he takes down a Salamanca, another one shows up in his place.

Lalo has Nacho drive him to Casa Tranquila, where Don Hector is living now bound to his wheelchair and unable to move or speak, Hector's only means for communication now is tapping his index finger for yes or no questions. With Nacho overseeing the conversation, Lalo addresses Hector, remembering an incident where the two of them burned down a hotel and tortured the proprietor for showing disrespect. Lalo goes on to say that he went back into the hotel as it was burning and retrieved a souvenir that he has kept for years. He presents the souvenir to Hector as a gift: the bell from the hotel's front desk. Lalo ties the bell to the armrest of Hector's wheelchair, allowing him to ring it for the first time. The Salamancas tell Nacho to give them some privacy as they talk about "the Chilean." Later, Lalo has Nacho drive him to Los Pollos Hermanos. Gus greets them as Lalo enthusiastically compliments Gus for his chicken. Lalo is invited back into Gus' office while Gus gives Nacho a cold look, Nacho signals that it's not his fault. After talking to Gus in private, Lalo questions Nacho where Gus conducts his illegal operations, Nacho mentions the chicken farm outside of town and Lalo orders Nacho to drive him there.

Season 5

Back at El Michoacano, Lalo keeps questioning both Nacho and Domingo about a man named Werner Ziegler and another man called Michael who works for Gus. Nacho feigns ignorance by saying he has no idea what he's talking about. Lalo then learns from Nacho and Domingo of a rumor that a competing drug gang has been "stepping on" the Salamanca family's business. Lalo decides to investigate, asking Nacho to show him the spot. They drive to a Salamanca hideout where packets of the cocaine from Gus's chicken farm are being kept for distribution. Nacho insists that there's nothing wrong, but Lalo inspects each packet and determines that some of them are not cartel product. In reality, Nacho was the one who mixed the cartel product with an inferior one on Gus' orders, as an attempt to stop Lalo's investigation. Alas, that plan eventually fails, as Lalo doesn't fall for it.

Nacho is asleep at home with Jo in bed next to him. All of a sudden, some men led by Tyrus and Victor burst into his house and before he can grab his gun or escape, they pin him down and bring him into a car. They bring him to a restaurant where his father is at. He insists that he's done everything he was asked, but Victor ignores him, grabs a gun and walks over to the restaurant while Nacho is held down at the car and watches helplessly. Gus enters the car and informs that Lalo Salamanca is a problem, Nacho says that he doesn't know anything other than what he's been questioned about: a secret construction project, a man named Werner Ziegler and Mike. Gus tells Nacho that he will have to find a way to earn Lalo's trust so he can sabotage the operation from the inside, and Nacho reluctantly promises that he'll get Lalo to rely on him, but he also tells Gus to leave his father alone as he has nothing to do with this. Gus gives Nacho a cold look and leaves the car, Tyrus gives Victor a signal and he leaves the restaurant as they drive Nacho back home.

The next day, Lalo and his men are sitting around at night playing poker. A nervous Nacho tries to make conversation with Lalo, but he gets coldly asked to stop talking. Lalo bluffs with 7+2 off-suit (worst possible hand) and raised, Domingo has pair 8s with an 8 on the table, giving him a triple 8. He knows he would win but folds to not insult Lalo. Lalo looks at his cards after showing his terrible hand and calls him crazy for folding, then calling him “Ocho Loco," (Spanish for Krazy-8) giving birth to his future criminal nickname. Domingo gets a call from one of the fifth street dealers saying there's a problem, so Nacho orders him to go and solve the issue.

However, Domingo is caught by the police while trying to get ten cocaine packets unstuck from a rain gutter. Lalo, Mouse, Arlo and Nacho sit in a car and survey the scene of the crime from a safe distance as police suit up to raid the stash house. Lalo asks if they were able to save any of the product before the cops came but Mouse said it's still in the house. Nacho, remembering Gus' request to gain Lalo's trust, boldly decides to take matters into his own hands by climbing on the roofs of an adjacent building, then jumping onto the building where the gang has their product stored. The others watch tensely (Lalo even eating a snack) as a SWAT team lines up outside the door and prepares to breach it. Nacho climbs in through the roof and salvages several bags of product before jumping out through a window just as the police swarm into the building. He surprises the gang members by coming back to the car and entering the passenger door unexpectedly; Lalo commends his actions, calling him a "badass". Back at El Michoacano, Lalo asks Nacho how long he's known "Krazy-8" and whether he's been inside jail before. Nacho replies that he's been family friends for a long time, and that Domingo has not been in jail but that he will keep his mouth shut. As Lalo stares at him, Nacho asks if he wants him to take care of it, but Lalo replies that he has something much better for Domingo in mind. Later that day on a street, Nacho and Blingy pull up a car next to Jimmy McGill—now working under the alias of Saul Goodman. Saul greets Nacho, as the two have not met for over two years, and Nacho orders him to get into the back of the car. Saul reluctantly gets in the car and they drive off.

Nacho and Blingy take Saul into a warehouse where Lalo is working on his muscle car. Lalo and Nacho then explain to Saul that they need Domingo to confidentially report some drug money dead drops to the police - turns out that the dead drops belong to Gus' operation, it's Lalo's way to hit Gus hard. Saul is successful and later reports to Nacho and Lalo that not only Domingo released the information to two DEA agents, Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez, but Domingo also became their personal snitch, giving Lalo a "direct hotline to the DEA" in case he needs it again. After Lalo departs, Saul questions Nacho about who they'd just set up, to which Nacho responds that it doesn't matter. Later at night, Nacho informs Gus about Domingo turning snitch. He withholds the names of the interrogating agents, as they are in the lawyer's hands. When Tyrus prepares to make a call to shut down the dead drops, Gus and Nacho stop him, Nacho reasoning that Lalo will know someone talked if the DEA doesn't find the money at the dead drops

Nacho later meets with Gus, Mike and Victor in an abandoned train station. He is surprised to see Mike working for Gus and is concerned about him effectively "switching sides", but Mike assures him that the Salamancas won't find out. Nacho informs Gus that Domingo is still talking to the DEA and that Lalo will not stop "chipping away" at his business until he loses Don Eladio's trust. Gus tells Victor to promote low-level dealers who know little about the operation so that the arrests won't cause trouble. He then explains to Nacho that he will only report to Mike from now on. Before they leave, Nacho asks Mike for a word. He tells him what Gus's crew did to him after killing Arturo, to which Mike responds that he had already warned him about this back when he was planning to take down Hector, implying that whatever happened is Nacho's own fault. When Nacho mentions that Gus is threatening to kill his father, Mike promises to help him, but persists that they will have to get rid of Lalo first.

Shortly after their meeting, Lalo is charged with killing TravelWire clerk Fred Whalen and goes to jail after Mike, posing as a private investigator, jogs a witness's memory about a car she saw on the day of the incident, the same car that Lalo drives. Lalo receives a phone in his jail cell and calls Nacho, ordering him to burn down a Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant. Nacho arranges another meeting with Mike and insists that he keeps his promise to get him and his father out of the game, now that Lalo is dealt with. Mike doesn't respond, instead he asks Nacho to give him the information he's withholding. After learning about Lalo's plans, Mike notes that Lalo is not yet "out of the picture" and leaves. Subsequently, Nacho and Gus vandalize an empty Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant in Los Lunas and blow it up to make it look like Nacho was following Lalo's orders.

After Lalo is bailed out of jail, he is picked up by Nacho. Lalo asks Nacho to drop him off near the Mexican border the next day so that he can leave the country. Nacho informs Tyrus of this and asks him if Lalo is "done", but Tyrus just tells him to stay put. Nacho takes Lalo to Casa Tranquila to say goodbye to Hector and subsequently drops him off in the desert, specifically near the well where the bail money transfer took place. Nacho asks Lalo whether he should wait with him, but Lalo tells him to go. He praises Nacho for burning down the Pollos restaurant which he read about in the newspaper and promises him that they'll "do more" together. As a visibly relieved Nacho starts driving away, Lalo knocks on the car door window and tells him to take him back up the road. When Nacho asks him what they're looking for, he responds that he's wondering why they didn't come across Jimmy's car despite Jimmy telling him that it broke down somewhere on the road. Lalo finds the car in a ditch and has Nacho take him to Kim Wexler's apartment. After questioning Jimmy and Kim, he tells Nacho to drive back to Mexico, but to a different spot than the one before.

Nacho travels with Lalo to his home in Mexico where Lalo prepares Nacho to meet Don Eladio for a promotion to running the cartel's operations in the US. Nacho receives a call from hitmen hired by Gus to unlock the back gate at 3:00am for them and then to get out. Nacho expresses concern about the innocent people who will get caught in the crossfire, but the hitmen just ignore his questions. Nacho is brought before Don Eladio who jokingly questions Nacho's sanity after learning that he is a friend of Tuco. Nacho explains his plan to expand the cartel's territory by targeting biker gangs and explains that he wants to be his own boss and not have to look over his shoulder constantly. Though Don Eladio points out that Nacho is in the wrong business for that, he likes and accepts Nacho's plans.

That night, Nacho attempts to sneak out as 3:00 approaches, only to find Lalo outside drinking. Lalo invites Nacho to join him and the two men talk briefly before Lalo agrees to let Nacho get better alcohol for them. In the kitchen, Nacho sets up a pan of oil on the stove to create smoke to draw Lalo into the kitchen. Once Lalo departs to deal with the smoke, Nacho manages to jimmy the lock on the back gate, lets in the hitmen and directs them to the kitchen while he makes his own escape. However, Lalo is able to defeat the hit-men, ordering the last one to inform Gus that the mission was successful. Lalo spots Nacho's untouched drink and appears to rightly assume he was involved in the attempted assassination which resulted in the deaths of everyone in Lalo's compound, something that Nacho had wanted to avoid. For the remainder of his life, Nacho remained unaware of Lalo's survival and assumed he had been killed by the hitmen.

Season 6

Nacho flees Lalo's compound heading north for approximately two hours straight, he then received a call from one of Gus' henchmen saying that he has to hide as he was in Salamanca territory until a safe location is prepared for him. After Lalo fakes his death, the cartel figures out that Nacho was a rat and puts a price on his head. After hiding inside a large drainpipe to avoid a Federal convoy, Nacho arrives at a remote motel and gets a room where he finds an envelope containing a Browning Hi-Power pistol, extra magazines, and Mexican currency. He also finds a phone and calls Gus's contact who tells him to wait until he gets picked up by men in a passing farm truck. Nacho then tries to call Mike but he doesn't answer.

The following morning, Nacho hears footsteps outside his door. Paranoid, he hides for cover and aims his gun at the door. After a quick knock and the footsteps walking away, Nacho opens the door to find a neat tray of food placed outside. Nacho takes the tray before retreating back into the motel room. Looking outside the window, Nacho becomes suspicious of a shed nearby the motel—in particular a boarded-up window with a small peephole—which has a great viewpoint of his room.

Uneasy about the shed outside, Nacho escapes his room by kicking out the air conditioning unit in its rear window. He circles around the motel and into the shed, where he finds a man peeking through the peephole, obviously spying on Nacho. After Nacho asks who he works for, the man says he doesn't know, and that he was just hired. Nacho calls Tyrus, asking to leave the motel, but abruptly hangs up. After a few seconds, the man gets a call on his phone, confirming that he was working for Gus and Tyrus. Nacho knocks out the man in retaliation.

After Juan Bolsa finds out where Nacho is hiding out at, Leonel and Marco Salamanca arrive at the motel. Nacho hides in a truck but is found by Leonel and Marco Salamanca' men; a shootout ensues. Leonel and Marco Salamanca stop their men from killing Nacho, saying that they need him alive. Nacho hotwires the truck and narrowly escapes the motel, almost running over Leonel and Marco Salamanca in the process.

When the truck breaks down further down the road, Nacho exits it and runs off into a nearby field. He climbs inside of an abandoned oil tank truck and peeks out of a peephole. When Marco notices the truck, Nacho holds his breath and submerges himself in a pool of oil as Marco looks inside. After he leaves, Nacho waits until nightfall to leave, eventually finding a mechanic shop and helping himself to the hose. The owner of the shop confronts him and gives him a rag to clean with. After washing off, Nacho uses the mechanic's telephone to call Manuel. He greets him and tells him he just wanted to hear his voice before saying his goodbyes. Following this, he calls Mike and passes the message to Gus that he will go along with any story he has planned as long as his father is kept safe. Gus agrees.

Mike later helps Nacho out of his hiding spot in a box truck at an unknown location. He gives Nacho a meal before Gus enters the room. Gus briefs Nacho on the plan, telling him to confess to Juan Bolsa and the Salamanca family that he was hired to set Lalo up by a separate cartel based in Peru, who have been putting him on payroll for over a year. After his confession, Nacho will break free from his binds and attack Victor, who will "put him down". It is also pointed out that Nacho is "too pretty", and that he must be beaten up to make the situation seem convincing. Before Mike does this, he pours a glass of liquor for himself and Nacho. The following day, Nacho is loaded into the back of a van and brought to Hector's desert hideout. Before arriving, Tyrus binds Nacho's hands with zip ties and Mike gives Nacho a brief farewell before departing to set up on the hill with his sniper rifle. Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Hector, and Bolsa are at the meeting point as they arrive.

Nacho is thrown out of the van as Gus and his men step out. Juan approaches Nacho and explains to him that he will die, though the circumstances of his death will depend on whether he confesses. Nacho refuses for a moment before following the story, telling Bolsa that he had set up Lalo for a Peruvian cartel and stating that Gus had nothing to do with it. Seizing the moment, he gleefully admits to Hector's face that he was the one who put him in his wheelchair and swapped his heart medication, causing Hector's stroke, infuriating him. Nacho calls Hector and his family psychotic before breaking out of his binds and taking Bolsa hostage with his own gun. Nacho keeps the gun to Bolsa's head for a moment before turning it on himself and firing, taking his own life rather than having Victor kill him as per the plan. Nacho collapses to the ground lifelessly. After a moment to process this, Gus and his men prepare to leave while Leonel and Marco Salamanca carry Hector to Nacho's body and hand him a pistol. An enraged Hector unloads the gun into his corpse. Mike, moved from witnessing Nacho's last stand, leaves the scene. Following Nacho's death, a blue flower grows in the spot he died.

While holding Jimmy hostage, Lalo reveals Nacho's role in Gus' assassination attempt on him, referring to him as Ignacio much to Jimmy's confusion at first. Lalo points out that Nacho had introduced him to Jimmy and implies that he suspects that Jimmy was also involved in Nacho's actions. As Lalo gags him, Jimmy insists that he had nothing to do with Nacho's role in the assassination attempt and that whatever Nacho did, he did it by himself. Lalo leaves, but he promises to come back later for the full story, something that terrifies Jimmy even though Mike later reassures him that Lalo won't be returning.

After Lalo's death facing off against Gus, Hector (believing Lalo had just disappeared) reveals to Eladio what he had learned about Lalo's survival and how Nacho was actually working for Gus. However, Eladio ultimately doesn't believe him. Later, as Manuel works in his upholstery shop, he receives a phone call from Mike who asks to talk to Manuel face to face about his son. Outside, Manuel recognizes Mike and asks after Nacho. Mike apologizes and reveals to Manuel that Nacho won't be found, promising that it was over fast with no pain. Mike confirms that he was there and explains that Nacho had made some mistakes and fell in with bad people, but Nacho was never really like them as he had a good heart. Mike promises Manuel that he won't have to worry about the Salamancas anymore as their day is coming and there will be justice. Manuel is upset by the news of his son's death and tells Mike that what Mike is talking about is not justice but revenge which never ends and doesn't matter as his son is gone. Manuel angrily states in Spanish "you gangsters and your "justice." You're all the same," before walking back inside.

Breaking Bad

Season 2

Nacho and Lalo are briefly mentioned by Saul Goodman when he is kidnapped by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman on the night of December 4, 2008. Saul mistakes Walt and Jesse for cartel members, speaking Spanish and asking them if they are working with Lalo. Saul, believing that Lalo was keeping his promise, blames Nacho, calling him by his real name, Ignacio and insists that he had nothing to do with it.

Season 4

Nacho's death is avenged five years later, when both Hector and Gus (along with Tyrus Kitt) are killed by a pipe bomb built by Walter White and detonated by Hector's wheel-chair bell.

After Breaking Bad

At some point prior to 2010, Nacho's connection to the cartel and the Salamanca family becomes posthumously known to the public. A picture of Nacho alongside members of the Salamanca family is featured in a documentary that was released about Jimmy.

Statistics

Tier: 10-A, 9-C with Guns

Name: Nacho Varga, Ignacio Varga, Nacho, Nachito, Martin Cavallo ("Coushatta")

Origin: Better Call Saul

Sex: Male

Age: 30 ("Mijo"), 31 ("Off Brand"), 32 ("Coushatta")

Classification: Human, Employee at A-Z Fine Upholstery, Tuco's lieutenant, Hector's lieutenant, Lalo's lieutenant, Gus's informant

Status: Deceased (Nacho killed himself in order to make sure his father would be safe[1])

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Athlete level (Nacho has shown acrobatics such as jumping between buildings[2]. Overpowered Krazy-8[3]), Peak Human with Guns (Has a Browning Hi-Power Pistol and a Glock 19[4])

Durability: Athlete level

Striking Strength: Athlete Class

Lifting Strength: Average Human

Travel Speed: Athletic Human (Was able to escape the cops and run all the way to Lalo's car without being seen[5])

Combat Speed: Athletic Human

Reaction Speed: Athletic Human

Stamina: Above Average (After being shot, he managed to still call the Cousins[6])

Range:

Intelligence:


Powers and Abilities


Equipment

  • Glock 19: The Glock 19 is a brand of polymer-framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H.
  • Browning Hi-Power Pistol: The Browning Hi Power is a single-action, semi-automatic handgun available in 9x19mm and .40 S&W calibers. It is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Herstal, Belgium. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized.

Optional Equipment

  • 1992 Chevrolet Chevy Van: The Chevrolet Chevy Van is Nacho's main vehicle in Better Call Saul.
  • 1973 AMC Javelin AMX: The AMC Javelin AMX is Nacho's car in Better Call Saul.

Other

Standard Tactics:

Weaknesses: Failed to realize the consequences of harming the Salamanca family which would lead him down a road of being used by Gus[7]. Normal human weaknesses otherwise

Trivia

Trivia for Nacho
  • He is one of the few unseen characters of Breaking Bad to appear in Better Call Saul, the others being Daniel Wormald, Lalo Salamanca, and Blanca Gomez.
  • Nacho is the second main character to die. Like Chuck McGill, Nacho also died by suicide near the end of the episode.
  • Nacho is the second main character to kill another main character, being himself.
  • Nacho never meets Chuck, Kim Wexler, or Howard Hamlin. Although Nacho never meets Kim, she was at the courthouse at the same time as *Nacho and stood outside the interrogation room Nacho was in.
  • To prepare for Nacho, Michael Mando spent time watching crime and criminology documentaries to understand the motivations of criminals, as well as catching up on the whole of Breaking Bad, which he had not yet watched in its entirety before. Mando considered Nacho to be "extremely intelligent and patient" and would be a character that would have growth over the course of the show. Mando said that the showrunners gave little direction to the character, and instead "They wanted to see what I would bring to the character", allowing him to develop Nacho himself. For part of that, he explored elements of Mayan and Aztec cultures to bring to the character. He also brought some of the superficial traits of his Orphan Black character Vic Schmidt into Nacho.
  • Mando said that initially Nacho was going to have a larger role with Jimmy in the first season, being the season's "Big Bad", but as Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould wrote out the season, they made the character of Chuck McGill more of an antagonist for Jimmy, and so Nacho was placed on a slower path to be developed in later seasons. Mando said he felt this helped fit Nacho's character, waiting patiently for the right opportunity to make a move to get ahead. Mando considered Nacho the only character in Better Call Saul that was "breaking good", as "an ambitious person who believes in a morality outside of justice" and trying to improve his situation, making him "heroic, romantic, and transcendent".
  • Nacho's vehicles include:
    • 1992 Chevrolet Chevy Van ("Mijo" - “Lantern”).
    • 1973 AMC Javelin AMX ("Coushatta" - “Bad Choice Road”).
  • Nacho dies exactly two years after his first appearance in "Mijo" (May 25, 2002 - May 25, 2004), similar to Walter White (September 7, 2008 - September 7, 2010).
  • Saul's reference to Nacho and Lalo in "Better Call Saul" is finally explained in "Point and Shoot": Lalo reveals to Jimmy Nacho's role in Gus' assassination attempt on him in "Something Unforgivable" and implies that he believes that Jimmy was also involved. Lalo promises to return later for the full story, but he is killed by Gus before he can do so. Despite Mike promising him that Lalo won't be returning, Jimmy is scared of the possibility nevertheless that Lalo will be back for answers about what Jimmy knows of Nacho's actions.
  • Mando called Nacho's death scene "ominous... these are all dead men walking, watching the first man die", referring to the fact that each of the other characters who appeared in the scene (Gus, Tyrus, Victor, Hector, The Cousins, Juan Bolsa, and Mike) would all eventually meet their own fates on Breaking Bad.

References

References for Nacho
  1. Season 6, Episode 3, "Rock and Hard Place"
  2. Season 5, Episode 2, "50% Off"
  3. Season 3, Episode 6, "Off Brand"
  4. Season 6, Episode 2, "Carrot and Stick"
  5. Season 5, Episode 2, "50% Off"
  6. Season 4, Episode 3, "Something Beautiful"
  7. Season 5, Episode 7, "JMM"

Gallery

Images & Artwork

Battle Records

None.

None.

None.


"Spoilers Ahead"
This character or verse has been very recently made and spoilers for the story and the fate of said character are inbound, avoid reading if one would like to pursue the verse without any spoilers for themself.
"Mature Content"
This character or verse has mature themes and concepts, thus those of young age are ill-advised to look through these.
Heh-heh. S'all good, man! Really? Come on. That's your name?
~ Hank talking about Jimmy's lawyer name


That's why they hire men.
~ Hank making fun of Walter's manliness


Cheese Dick


Did I say you could open your mouth? And, hands off the car!
~ Hank talking to Wendy


So be on notice: We got new players in town. Now we don’t know who they are or where they came from, but they possess an extremely high skill set. Me personally, I think Albuquerque might just have a new kingpin.
~ Hank talking about Heisenberg


Saul Goodman: I sense you're discussing my client. Anything you care to share with me?


Hank: Sure. Your commercials? They suck ass. I've seen better acting in an epileptic whorehouse.

Saul Goodman: Is that like the one your mom works at? Is she still offering the two-for-one discount? DEA, huh? For a street bust.

~ Hank to Saul Goodman


You had my cell phone number? You had my wife’s name?! How’d you do it? Talk! Who’re you working with?
~ Hank beating up Jesse Pinkman


It wasn't one mistake. I've been... unraveling, y'know? I don't sleep at night anymore. I freeze, I freeze up. My chest gets all tight, I can't breathe. Just...I panic. Ever since that Salamanca thing. Tuco Salamanca, if ever a scumbag deserved a bullet between the eyes... It changed me and I can't seem to control it. I try to fight it, but then El Paso. It just got worse. What I did to Pinkman...that's not who I'm supposed to be. All this, everything that's happened, I swear to God, Marie, I think the universe is trying to tell me something and I'm finally ready to listen. I'm just not the man I thought I was. I think I'm done as a cop.
~ Hank trying to tell Marie that he should quit being a cop


Marie, give up, I mean, seriously it's...not...gonna happen.
~ Hank trying to convince Marie that they can't make them have a boner


I walked sixteen feet in twenty minutes, which is up from like fifteen-and-a-half yesterday. And I had maybe this much less shit in my pants. So, yeah, Marie, if you and him and everybody else in America secretly took a vote and changed the meaning of the entire English language, yeah, I guess I broke new ground.
~ Hank talking to Marie


No, they're minerals. Jesus, Marie!
~ Hank telling Marie that they aren't rocks


Marie, I said Cheetos, not Fritos.
~ Hank to Marie


Right here at the top it says: "To W.W. My star, my perfect silence." W.W. I mean, who do you figure that is? Woodrow Wilson? Willy Wonka? Walter White?
~ A joke Hank made. If only he knew...


Oh, just this guy I'm looking at. Everything he buys and eats... is organic, fair trade, vegan. Since when do vegans eat fried chicken?
~ Hank discovering that Gus's true business


I mean, what do we know about Gustavo Fring, huh? This whole friend of law enforcement thing? Could be a case of keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. I mean, he's got the money to finance this operation, maybe he's got the connections, too. Maybe – just maybe – he's our guy.
~ Hank thinking that Gus is a kingpin


Officially, Fring's not a suspect. But I'm telling you... ...something deep down says he's my guy. Just gotta prove it.
~ Hank telling Walter about his investigation


Anyway, where's my soda? Just kidding. Let's go.
~ Hank joking around with Walter


Maybe. She was wearing mismatched shoes. How together can she be?
~ Hank talking about Lydia


Yeah. It seems that, uh, Fring had all these secret offshore accounts that he would deposit money into. Like, uh, well, an even dozen of them. And they're all in the names of certain people on his payroll. There was the, uh, the manager of the laundry, umm, a couple guys from the Pollos distribution center. Uh, there was the owner of a chemical warehouse, a bunch of others, you know. Guys that must've been getting paid off the books. Anyway, one of the names...was Kaylee Ehrmantraut. Ten years old and just cute as a button. Yeah. $2 million and change we found on deposit for her. Way more than anybody else. Now, my partner here? He took one look at that and said, "Shit, man! This fifth-grade girl is the muscle behind Fring's entire operation!" I said, "Whoa, whoa, hey, partner, slow down there. Maybe it was actually her dear old granddaddy." Impressive, no? That... level of insight? He's not impressed, Gomie.
~ Hank questioning Mike Ehrmantraut in a DEA interrogation room


It was you. All along, it was you! You son of a bitch. You drove into traffic to keep me from that laundry. That call I got telling me Marie was in the hospital...that wasn't Pinkman. You had my cell number. You killed ten witnesses to save your sorry ass. You bombed a nursing home. Heisenberg. Heisenberg! You lying, two-face sack of shit.
~ Hank confronting Walter White


The kid? Oh, you mean the junkie murderer that’s dribbling all over my guest bathroom floor? Well, then, he’s right. Pinkman gets killed, and we get it all on tape.
~ Hank revealing that he doesn't care about Jesse


Walter White, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney and have an attorney present during questioning. If you can’t afford an attorney, one will be provided for you at the government’s expense. Do you understand these rights as I have just recited them to you?
~ Hank reading Walt his Miranda right’s


What? You want me to beg? You're the smartest guy I ever met. And you're too stupid to see... he made up his mind ten minutes ago. Do what you're gonna do-
~ Hank's last words

Walt, I don't know man. You've been seeming sus lately. It's almost like we have an imposter among us. I saw that you wanted- don't lie to me Walt! You sussy baka
~ Hank to Walter White
Hank sings Eye of the Tiger
Hank's Last Stand

Background

Note: Credit to the Breaking Bad wiki

Henry R. "Hank" Schrader is a high-ranking officer at the Albuquerque office of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), starting out as a DEA agent alongside his close friend and partner Steven Gomez, and later being promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA (ASAC). Hank is the husband of Marie Schrader and the brother-in-law of Skyler and Walter White, as well as the uncle of Walter White Jr.. and Holly, having a close friendship with his nephew. As a DEA agent, Hank lead the investigations of the methamphetamine cook "Heisenberg" (unaware for over a year that he was actually his own brother-in-law), as well as Gustavo Fring and his drug empire. Hank is faced with numerous threats from the rival drug cartels which take a toll on his mental health, causing him to develop post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a hobby, Hank home brews his own Schraderbräu beer, and also takes up mineral collecting. Despite his brashness, Hank is highly competent at his job and cares deeply about his family.

During Walt's fiftieth birthday party, Hank shows off a news report covering a meth bust that he had led. Later, Walt takes up Hank's offer to go on a ride-along. Based on a tip from Krazy-8, Hank's team raids a meth lab while Walt stays in the car, where he witnesses his former student Jesse Pinkman escaping the bust, but does not say anything to Hank. Secretly, Walt engages with Jesse to start to produce their own meth using chemistry equipment from the school Walt teaches at. Due to the precursors they used, the product gains a unique blue tint but has an extremely high purity. Walt takes the name "Heisenberg" as he and Jesse sell the blue meth to the local drug trade. The blue meth and "Heisenberg" quickly draw the attention of Hank and the DEA. Hank's initial lead traces back to Walt's school, but Hank wrongly arrests the school janitor. Hank generally teases Walt through this period. However, when Walt tells the family that he is suffering from inoperable lung cancer, Hank promises to be there for him, and to take care of Walter Jr. and Walt's unborn daughter should he die. He also takes Walter Jr. under his wing, trying to "scare him straight" when he believes the boy is smoking marijuana. When Hank sees Walt interacting with Jesse, Walt explains that Jesse is supplying him with marijuana.

After a drug deal goes bad, Walt and Jesse are kidnapped by the unstable Tuco Salamanca and taken to a remote abode with his uncle, retired drug cartel boss Hector Salamanca. Hank helps with efforts to find Walt, and traces him via Jesse to Tuco's abode. Just before Hank arrives, Walt and Jesse manage to escape, wounding Tuco in the process. Hank kills Tuco in a shootout and arrests Hector. Meanwhile, Walt and Jesse flee back to Albuquerque, where Walt explains his disappearance to Skyler as the result of a fugue state. Hank questions Hector on the blue meth and Heisenberg, but Hector refuses to answer. Hank also questions Jesse, but Jesse provides no conclusive statements to provide leads to Heisenberg.

Hank is promoted and transferred to the El Paso, Texas DEA office for killing Tuco. Though initially happy, Hank quickly realises he doesn't fit in with his Spanish speaking colleagues and also starts having panic attacks. During a joint DEA/Mexican police operation, an informant, Tortuga, is beheaded and his head used to hide an explosive, killing several DEA agents and officers; Hank escapes unharmed as he had fled on having a panic attack upon seeing the head of the informant. Hank develops symptoms of PTSD and transfers back to the Albuquerque office to continue his investigation into the blue meth.

Some time later, Hank receives an anonymous call from Gustavo Fring, warning him that he is about to be killed by Leonel and Marco Salamanca in revenge for killing Tuco. Hank is able to kill one brother and mortally wound the other, but he himself becomes temporarily paralyzed. Hank struggles through his recovery due to his helplessness, and tries to collect minerals to pass the time. His interest is piqued when the Albuquerque Police Department ask him to help with looking over evidence from the murder of Gale Boetticher, who had been Walt's lab assistant at Gus' meth superlab under an industrial laundry. Among the evidence is a lab notebook with Gale's notes on the construction of the lab, the synthesis of meth, and other details that leads Hank to believe Gale was Heisenberg. During a shared dinner, Hank talks about Gale's notebook, and Walt drunkenly suggests Gale was merely copying the real Heisenberg's work.

Hank is curious at this comment, and reviewing the evidence again, makes a connection between Gale and Gus. Hank, only just starting to physically recover, leans on Walt to help him investigate Gus' activities, the Los Pollos Hermanos' restaurant chain and its parent company, Madrigal Electromotive, and properties they own in Albuquerque, including the industrial laundry. Walt panics knowing that this not only may lead Hank to discover that he is Heisenberg, but may lead to Gus taking deadly action to end Hank's investigation, since Walt and Jesse were already on thin ice for killing Gale. Walt has Saul fake a threat on Hank's life, and the DEA arrange for around-the-clock protection for Hank's and Walt's families, temporarily halting Hank's investigation. This also allows Walt to operate without interference to take out Gus by working with Hector after learning he and Gus are nemeses. Hector claims to want to talk to the DEA, and Hank is brought under protection to help with the interview, but Hector then refuses to cooperate and is returned to the nursing home. This was part of Walt's plan as Gus, learning of Hector's interview, goes to see Hector, upon which Hector triggers a pipe bomb Walt had planted on his wheelchair, killing them both. Walt and Jesse subsequently destroy the superlab.

The destruction of the superlab leads to evidence directly tying to Gus and the drug trade, and Hank is heralded as a hero. By this point, Hank's superiors have concluded that Gus was Heisenberg and tell Hank to drop the case, but Hank still believes there is more, and wants to pursue the informants tied to the accounts. Walt is forced to kill Mike to get the informants' names and arrange for their murders before they can be questioned. Several months pass, in which Walt has accumulated over $70 million and has left the drug trade. With no blue meth on streets and no leads, Hank has given up his investigation and moved on. At a dinner at the Whites, Hank goes to the bathroom and while there, pages through a copy of Leaves of Grass that Gale had given Walter. He recognizes the writing from Gale's notebook, and from Gale's dedication to Walt, is shocked to conclude that Walt is Heisenberg.

Hank feigns a stomach bug to leave early, taking the copy of Leaves of Grass with him, and suffers another panic attack. Later, he sneaks a GPS onto Walt's car. Walt discovers the copy of the book missing and the GPS device, similar to the one used to track Gus, and confronts Hank. Hank asserts Walt is Heisenberg, but Walt neither confirms or denies, only that his cancer has returned and by the time Hank can prove anything, he will be dead. Hank demands Walt to tell Skyler and the children to stay with him, but Walt refuses. Hank tries to talk to Skyler, but she stays silent on what she knows. Marie learns some details through Skyler, but Hank still has insufficient evidence to go forward against Walt.

Hank again approaches Jesse and finally convinces him they need to work together to stop Walt. Hank initially tries to have Jesse meet with Walt while wearing a wire tap, but Jesse backs out at the last minute, fearing Walt will kill him. Instead, Jesse suggests they target Walt's money, which they know has been hidden as cash somewhere locally. After trying to locate it on their own, Hank has Jesse call Walt pretending to have found the money and preparing to destroy it. Walt takes off to the money, and when he finds it intact, realizes Jesse has fooled him, and orders a hit on Jesse through Jack Welker. Jesse soon arrives with Hank and Gomez, and Walt tries to call off the hit, preparing to surrender himself to Hank. However, Jack's men arrive before then, and a firefight breaks out, which kills Gomez and critically wounds Hank. Walt pleads to Jack to spare Hank's life, offering his entire fortune to Jack. Hank refuses to beg for his life and asks Walt how such an intelligent man could be too naive to see that Jack had already made his decision. Hank then tells Jack to do what he has to do and Jack kills him with a shot to the head.

Jack's men bury Hank's and Gomez's bodies in the hole Walt had stored his money, stealing most of it but leaving one barrel totaling approximately $10M for Walt. The gang take Jesse back to their compound as a slave to punish him for helping Hank and Gomez. Six months later, after Walt had fled the state with a new identity, he returns to make his amends, and gives Skyler the location of the bodies, knowing it will help her to plea bargain her case. Hank and Gomez are avenged that same night when Walt poisons Lydia with ricin, kills Jack's crew with a modified machine gun in the back of his car and shoots Jack in the head, mirroring what Jack did to Hank months earlier. Walt lets Jesse strangle Jack's nephew Todd Alquist to death and escape, before dying from a shrapnel wound he received during the gunfire. Walt collapses on the floor with a look of contentment on his face, having avenged his much-loved brother-in-law.

The following synopsis contains massive spoilers for Hank Schrader's backstory

Background information

Hank Schrader was born somewhere between March 13–28, in 1966. Little is known about Hank's early life. He met Marie in high school and asked her out repeatedly until she finally agreed. Hank joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the late 1980s and befriended Steven Gomez at some point, and married Marie in 1998. He once recalled having a job tagging trees as a summer hire during his college years and having oral sex at a gay bar the night before his wedding with a drag performer by the name of Joan Crawford, who he took to be a woman. Shortly before he married Marie, Hank informed his brother-in-law, Walter White, about the affair. Walt told Hank to simply forget about it and that it wasn't an affair, and Hank chose to take his advice.

Better Call Saul

Season 5

Hank arrives to work after the arrest of Krazy-8, complaining to Gomez about Marie. Hank and Gomez question Krazy-8 who offers information on dead drops in exchange for their help with his charges before the meeting is interrupted by Jimmy McGill (now practicing law under the name Saul Goodman). Hank is amused by Saul's name, recognizing the pun Saul used when choosing it. Despite Krazy-8's insistence that he doesn't need a lawyer, Saul pulls him aside and they briefly argue before Saul states that Krazy-8 wants a deal. However, Hank and Gomez prepare to leave, believing that they are just being strung along. Saul offers to have Krazy-8 give up the information in exchange for all charges being dropped once the DEA confirms it. Hank agrees and Saul adds on that he wants Krazy-8's identity as a snitch protected. After some haggling, Hank agrees to make Krazy-8 his and Gomez's person confidential informant and make it appear as if the charges were dropped due to simple lack of evidence before Krazy-8 tells them about the dead drops. Unknown to the agents, Lalo Salamanca, through Saul, purposefully set up Krazy-8 as an informant to use the DEA to disrupt Gustavo Fring's operation.

At night, Hank and Gomez run a stakeout on one of Gus' dead drops which is located in a culvert. Hank complains about the location, causing Gomez to suggest that its moved during monsoon season. As the two men banter, they receive word that the target is approaching and Hank expresses confidence that Krazy-8's information is correct given the fact that the last two dead drops have also turned out to be real. The two agents watch and take pictures as Gus' henchman Diego retrieves the money from the dead drop before taking off, having apparently spotted the DEA agents. Correctly guessing where Diego will go, Hank is able to cut him off, forcing him to flee on foot. Hank and Gomez lose Diego, but recover the money which proves to be over $700,000 making the total recovered from the dead drops "just shy of a million dollars." Though Gomez is pleased by the result, Hank isn't as Diego got away. Hank then invites everyone who took part in the operation out for drinks.

Breaking Bad

Season 1

Hank is demonstrating to the other men at Walt's 50th birthday how his gun works. When Walt holds it and mentions that it's heavy, Hank jests that it's "made for men." Hank gives Walt a quick birthday toast before urging everyone to watch an interview he did in regards to a local meth lab bust. Walt asks him how much money the rolls of cash add up to, to which Hank states is about $700,000. Hank invites Walt on a ride-along, telling him he needs some excitement in his life.

After Walt calls him one morning to take up his offer, he's seen with Walt and his fellow agent Steven Gomez waiting to bust a house. Hank and Gomez have a bet on the cook's ethnicity before the SWAT team bust through the door. Walt asks Hank if he could go inside to see the setup. Hank tells him he'll scope the lab out first and makes Walt wait outside, where he sees that his former student Jesse Pinkman escape from the neighbor's bedroom

Hank is later seen during a drug bust when he gets a call from his wife, Marie, informing him of Walter White Jr.'s usage of marijuana. Though initially stating that it's Walt's job to talk to him, he eventually agrees to have a chat with his nephew. Hank brings Walter Jr. to a run-down motel that's home to many junkies—which Hank calls the Crystal Palace—tricking Walt Jr. into believing the two of them were going to get Cold Stone ice cream. Hank tries to startle his nephew out of doing drugs (unbeknownst to Hank that he wasn't doing any of them) by showing him the results meth has had on a prostitute by the name of Wendy, commenting on her rotted teeth. He then tells her to get lost and mentions that he'll bust her if he sees her working here again. Hank and Gomez are later seen out in the desert at the location of Walt and Jesse's crash site. The two of them deduce that a mobile lab caught fire and the culprits bailed. Hank wonders why a low-rider was left behind before finding some meth behind the stereo

Hank informs his team that there is a new group of meth cooks in town, making some of the purest meth he's ever seen. He describes these "new players" as having a high skill set. Hank is later seen having dinner with the Whites, giving dating advice to Walter Jr. He's listening to Walt tell the story of how he and Skyler met until she breaks out in tears. Walt confesses that he has lung cancer. When discussing Walt's situation, Hank tells him that if anything happens he will make sure his family is safe and taken care of

Hank is disappointed with Walter Jr. for calling him instead of his father after he got in trouble for trying to purchase alcohol as a minor. Along with the pot use earlier, Hank believes Walter Jr. is lashing out because of Walt's illness. When Walt returns home one night, Hank is found sitting with the rest of the family, waiting to give Walt an intervention on the future of his condition. When it is Hank's turn to speak, he explains through a baseball metaphor that Walt should take the money Elliott Schwartz offered him, briefly changing his mind when Marie mentions that Walt should do whatever he wants to do, believing that Walt has the right to die like a man

Hank meets with Gomez in a parking lot, who hands him the mask they recovered at Walt's cook site. The mask was traced back to Walt's high school. Hank pays a visit to Walt after school hours and tells him that the mask was used to cook meth. After doing an inventory of the equipment, Hank notices that two respirators are missing, along with some glassware. He tells Walt to take better care of his lab equipment, and then jokes about people suspecting him. Hank is later seen arresting the janitor at Walt's school, Hugo Archilleya, as he had fit the profile. Later on, during a family poker game, Hank admits that they only found pot in his car, saying that he would nonetheless lose his job and serve time in county jail. During the game, Walt puts all his chips in, causing Hank to fold. He was disappointed to see that Walt had nothing noteworthy in his hand.

During Skyler's baby shower, Hank and Walt share drinks and Cuban cigars outside, with Hank letting Walt know that he did a favor for an FBI guy in exchange for the illegal cigars. After a brief discussion of what is and isn't legal, Walt states that the line is arbitrary. Hank responds with saying that many guys in jail have the mentality that a lot of illegal things shouldn't be, including meth

Season 2

Hank reminds Marie that her therapy appointment was the same time she planned to have dinner with Skyler. She tells him he's mistaken and runs over a neighborhood kid's remote-control car as she's leaving. Hank apologizes to the kid and whips out his wallet to compensate him. Later, Gomez shows Hank surveillance footage of a recent burglary at a chemical warehouse. Unaware that the pair of burglars are Walt and Jesse, makes fun of their criminal methods but commends their knowledge of chemistry. Hank states that they must be needing to cook a lot of meth if they needed to steal a whole barrel of methylamine and that they'll be lucky if he and his team catch them before the Cartel does.

Hank pays Skyler a visit to ask why she doesn't return any of Marie's phone calls. When he says that they all need to support Marie through this, Skyler exclaims that she is the one in need of support, as she's a 40-year-old pregnant woman with a detached husband with lung cancer and a moody son, before breaking down in front of Hank. Later on at a crime scene in a junkyard, Hank sends a photo of Gonzo and No-Doze to Walt, claiming they're the "world's dumbest criminals,"

Hank tells his team at the DEA office of the raid on Tuco Salamanca's headquarters, telling them to "get a big-ole raging hard-on" at the thought of catching him. After getting the room to chant, he tells Gomez that he needs to take a personal leave to search for Walt, who has just gone missing. While rendezvousing at the White residence, Skyler asks about Walt's second cell phone, to which Marie suspects he was using to buy weed from a former student of his named Jesse Pinkman. Hank feels they're grasping at straws, but insist Hank question him. Hank pays a visit to Jesse's mom, Diane Pinkman, in an attempt to get any info on her son. She reveals that Jesse owns a red Monte Carlo that he converted to a low-rider. Hank calls Gomez to inquire about whether or not the low-rider may be equipped with a LoJack car tracker. This leads to Hank driving out to a shack in the desert, where Jesse's car was presumably reported to be. There, he stumbles upon a wounded Tuco, from whom Walt and Jesse have just escaped captivity. Hank briefly confuses Tuco for Jesse before the two enter a shootout. After a brief pause in fire, Hank steadies his aim while Tuco reloads his assault rifle. As he exits cover to resume fire, Hank puts a clean shot through Tuco's skull

Hank is later seen giving an official statement of what went down at the desert shack. Hank diverts his attention to Jesse, whose car and money he found at the shack. After being tipped off by Badger (set up by Jesse), Hank's team raids the room Jesse and Wendy were staying in at the Crossroads Motel, bringing Jesse in for interrogation. Hank tries to intimidate Jesse into confessing he was at Tuco's shack, despite Jesse saying he was partying with Wendy all weekend and had no idea his car was stolen. During his interrogation of Wendy, she recognizes Hank from his earlier encounter with her when he tried to scare Walter Jr. into not doing drugs and she decides to vouch for Jesse's story. Gomez tells Hank to let it go, as there's no solid evidence to charge him with the crime. Having one more idea, Hank brings in Hector Salamanca, Tuco's uncle, to identify Jesse. Due to being an old-school cartel member, Hector refuses to rat Jesse out, despite being at the shack with Walt and Jesse. Hank has no choice but to buy Jesse's story.

Hank is reviewing the footage of the chemical warehouse burglary, believing that the thieves cooked the blue meth recovered from Tuco's shack, as it was the purest meth seen since the batch recovered from Walt's first cook. Hank's colleagues throw him a party in celebration of his busting of Tuco. After the party, he visits Walt (who was resting in the hospital after being found). He shows Walt the gift his colleagues gave him during the party: Tuco's grill encased in a lucite cube. Walt apologizes to Hank for putting him at risk searching for him, but tells him not to worry, as his praises are being sung back at the office.

Hank tells his boss, ASAC George Merkert, that nobody has yet to replace the meth-supply void created by Tuco's death, though the name "Heisenberg" is being tossed around. Impressed by his work, Merkert promotes Hank to the Tri-State Border Interdiction Task Force in El Paso, meaning that he will be dividing his time between Albuquerque and El Paso. Hank thanks him and heads down to meet his co-workers for lunch, but on the elevator down, he begins to suffer a panic attack, only managing to compose himself shortly before exiting. The next day, Hank calls in sick and is found by Marie making some of his original home-made brew called Schraderbräu in his garage, much to Marie's dismay. Later, Hank and Marie invite the Whites over for a barbecue. Hank shares his experience with Tuco to Walter Jr., telling him that criminals are like cockroaches and that you should stomp them down when you see one without thinking. That night, Hank is awoken by loud gunshot-like pops coming from inside his house. Tense and alert with gun in hand, he heads to the garage, realizing that the noise was made by his beer bottles popping off. In response to the toll Tuco's death has taken on him, Hank throws the grill in a local river Once transferred to El Paso, Hank has a hard time fitting in with his new co-workers. His usual quips and racial humor that got a rise out of the department in Albuquerque are brushed off by the Mexican officers in El Paso. Hank is the only one laughing when he mocks the idea of drug dealers praying to their patron saint, Jesús Malverde. When he asks Vanco why the saint's statue sits on his desk, Vanco states that it's to help him know his enemy, an idea based on the teachings of Sun Tzu.

Hank joins Vanco and a few others during a visit to a cartel informant named Tortuga. After being mocked for not understanding Spanish as well as becoming increasingly impatient with Tortuga, Hank attempts to intimidate him into giving them the information they're after. Tortuga quickly shuts him down, stating that he may take his time, but he always wins. Hank and the others are later seen at a stakeout in Mexico. Hank is mocked behind his back in by his co-workers in Spanish, mentioning that his promotion was nothing more than politics. After Hank asks them if they're mentioning anything he should know about, they reassure him that they are only complementing him. Shortly after, Tortuga's head is spotted moving slowly in the distance. Upon getting closer, they see that it was Tortuga's severed head on a tortoise with the words "Hola DEA" painted on the side of the tortoise's shell. Hank begins to heave and runs back to the truck to catch his breath. The others surrounding the tortoise laugh at him. As one of the DEA agents begins to 'welcome him to Juarez," another touches the severed head, causing the tortoise to explode, killing the latter and severely injuring the others, Vanco in particular having his leg blown off. Despite being shaken up by the blast, Hank goes to help the injured agents

Hank's experience at Juarez has a profound effect on him and is shortly after sent back to Albuquerque. Hank refuses to confide in Marie, so she asks Walt for help. As Walt speaks with him, Hank tells him that the conflict in El Paso is like Apocalypse Now. He refuses to see a shrink, believing that doing so can damage his reputation and tarnish his career. When Walt states that he could talk to him about it, Hank mentions that the two of them have an "experiential overlap," as he believes Walt would fail to understand. Instead, Walt tells Hank that his experiences with his lung cancer have helped him to overcome his fears of everyday life. He urges Hank to "get out in the real world" and "kick that bastard as hard as you can, right in the teeth."

Hank arrives back at his old department and is informed by Gomez that blue meth was being sold by a man named Brandon Mayhew, also known as Badger. The two head over to the police station to question him. The two run into Saul Goodman, a local criminal attorney. After a brief exchange of insults, Saul mentions that they are only after Badger looking to find "bigger fish." Badger later informs Hank that Heisenberg is an older man in his 50s or 60s and is even balder than Hank himself.

Hank is later seen with Gomez and Detective Getz staking out the bus stop where Badger was arrested, planning to have Badger take the meth from Heisenberg in order to arrest the latter (unaware of the fact that Saul hired another man to fill in Walt's place). As they watch on, Walt pulls up in front of them and begins to feign naivety in order to buy Badger some time, as he had sat down at the wrong bench and began talking to the wrong man. Much to Hank's frustration, Walt finally leaves. Badger is seen taking the meth from James Kilkelly and the DEA go in for the arrest. Despite all this, Hank suspects that Kilkelly isn't the true Heisenberg

Hank is later seen with Walt and the rest of his family when Dr. Delcavoli informs them that Walt has entered remission and that his cancer has shrunk by 80%. In support of the good news, Hank helps Skyler throw a party for Walt, where Hank is complemented for his margaritas. Hank was caught off guard when Walt ended his speech on a depressing note. Later on, Hank is seen sitting with Walt and Walter Jr. by the poolside sharing stories of his time in El Paso to Walter Jr., stating that the cartel was being 'poetic' by putting Tortuga's head on a tortoise and rigging it with an explosive. He jokingly mentions that tortuga is "bean-speak" for tortoise. Walt begins pouring shots for the two of them, only to pour one more for Walter Jr. In good faith, Hank tells Walter Jr. to make sure Skyler doesn't see. After Walt gives his son another shot, Hank questions if he's going for "father of the year." When Walt refuses to stop giving Walter Jr. shots, Hank decides that they've had the bottle for too long. When Walt angrily demands he give him back the bottle, the two have a brief stare-down before being interrupted by Walter Jr. vomiting into the pool. After the tension between Hank and Walt were settled, the Whites invite Hank and Marie over to their house for dinner. Hank brings over some chicken from Los Pollos Hermanos, commending them for their taste

At the DEA office, Hank asks his co-workers for donations to fund Walt's surgery. Afterwards, he is seen talking about the recent murder of Combo. He regards him as a "dipshit, wannabe banger" and wonders why he was dealing blue meth. Hank notes that after his death, the aforementioned blue meth is nowhere to be found in Albuquerque, appearing instead in areas to the Southwest. He states that Heisenberg wised up and stopped "shitting where he eats." Hank concludes by believing that Heisenberg is still in town.

Some time later, ASAC Merkert introduces Hank to three local businessmen donating funds to the department. Among them is Gustavo Fring, owner of Los Pollos Hermanos. After briefly discussing the meth issue in the region and thanking them for their contributions, Gus asks Hank about Walt's photo on the donation jar. Hank informs him that Walt is his brother-in-law and is currently fighting lung cancer. After Gus generously donates some money, Hank gladly thanks him

Season 3

Hank is helping Walt move as well as trying to offer advice to Walt about his relationship troubles. He struggles for a second with Walt when trying to store a bag (filled with Walt's drug money) into his car. When Hank jokes about what he might have in there, Walt tells him that he has half a million in cash. Hank laughs and brushes it off.

Hank is discussing a recent truck explosion near the border with his team, indicating that it must be high-end cartel work, before receiving a call telling him that Walt has been arrested. After releasing him, Walt tells Hank that Skyler is divorcing him and doesn't want him near the kids. Later, Hank and the family have dinner without Walt. Hank asks Skyler why she's keeping Walt away from their kids, to which she replies "It's none of your business." Marie tells Hank that she suspects Walt of having an affair

Hank later tells his partner, Steve Gomez, that El Paso wants him back. He tells Gomez that errands are delaying his return to El Paso, to which Gomez questions why he isn't jumping at the opportunity to return. After a brief anxiety attack in the bathroom of a bar, he returns to his car to stash his gun before going back to the bar. He picks a fight with two "dirt-balls" and proceeds to beat them up, informing them that he's part of the DEA. Hank is later confronted by ASAC Merkert, stating that, as far as he knows, Hank was confronted when Gomez was outside calling for backup. Gomez tells Hank that he didn't mention putting his gun away before going back inside in his report

Hank is dropped off at the airport by Marie en route to El Paso, but he gets a call shortly afterward informing him that the blue meth has returned to the streets of Albuquerque. After a brief questioning of a tweaker in an interrogation room, he is told that the blue meth's source comes from a guy whose name starts with an "M." Gomez, feeling the information is inconsequential, tells Hank he should just report to El Paso, to which Hank replies "I'm getting tired of all the second guessing." After a stern voicemail left by ASAC Merkert informs Hank that the folks in Texas are "breathing down his neck," Hank follows up on the tweaker's lead. He arrives at a gas station, where he convinces the cashier lady to tell him how she got some of the meth. She states that a man with blue eyes and an RV sold it to her, then proceeded to give it to a friend named Matt. Outside, Hank notices a camera on an ATM facing the gas pump before stating "Bingo," When Merkert asks him if he's going to El Paso, Hank tells him no, only due to being on the verge of something big

Hank continues his search by staking out an RV with Gomez. He climbs up back and peers through a latch on top, only to startle an older couple playing cards. Hank suggests they keep up their search, but Gomez tells him he won't be able to, as he has to pack for El Paso. Back home, Marie asks for him to share his thoughts on Gomez going to El Paso instead of him, saying that it makes sense for him not wanting to return after what happened. Hank shouts that Mexico has nothing to do with it and that the only reason he's staying behind is to pursue leads on Heisenberg. Marie is later seen talking with Skyler on the well-being of her husband.

Back at the office, Hank asks his secretary, Janice, to check the DMV and look for any RVs they may have missed. During Gomez's farewell party, Hank gives him a statuette of Jesús Malverde after learning of his importance back in El Paso. Janice then tells Hank that she found an additional RV whose registration was never renewed, but was never reported as non-operational, stolen, or destroyed. This leads him to the home of Combo's mother, Mrs. Ortega. She tells Hank that she never reported the RV as stolen because she did not want to have her son arrested. In Combo's old room, he finds a picture of him with Jesse Pinkman in a strip club

Hank is watching Jesse talk with Skinny Pete and Badger from afar. He gets a call from Marie asking when he'll be home. Hank tells her that he can't return until Jesse gives him a lead. She suggests he give Walt a call, as he might have sold him marijuana at some point. After Hank gives Walt a call about his theory of the RV being a mobile meth lab, Walt realizes Hank suspects Jesse. Hank continues to follow Jesse until he arrives at a junkyard where Walt and Jesse takes the RV. Hank pounds on the RV door, telling Jesse to do things the easy way. After some resistance, Hank attempts to pry the door open with a crowbar before being confronted by Old Joe, informing him that he cannot search the RV without a warrant. After finding bullet holes behind duct tape on the door, he heads back to his car to call ASAC Merkert and ask for a warrant. During this time, Saul's secretary Francesca calls Hank's cell under the guise of a police officer, informing him that his wife was in a terrible car accident as is being taken to the hospital. He leaves immediately and enters the hospital in a panic before getting a call from Marie herself, telling him about dinner plans. Hank immediately realizes he was tricked

Infuriated, Hank confronts Jesse at his house and proceeded to beat him to a pulp, asking him who he's working for and how he know his wife's name. After beating him unconscious, Hank realizes he's gone overboard and calls the paramedics. Merkert tells him that he'll want to talk to a lawyer. Later, Hank makes a statement about what happened at the junkyard, but he pleads the Fifth in regards to assaulting Jesse. He is informed that Jesse is pressing charges and is asked to have pictures of his hands taken for the record. Hank meets Marie at the elevator and proceeds to break down, composing himself before the door opens.

Back home, Hank refuses to take Marie's advice on lying about his confrontation with Jesse, stating "I'm supposed to be better than that" despite Jesse being a mere 'low-life." He admits to becoming unraveled after his encounter with Tuco Salamanca and decides he's done being a cop. Back at the DEA office, Hank admits to assaulting Jesse, refusing to amend any statements on placing himself or the department in a better light. ASAC Merkert has no choice but to suspend Hank without pay and to confiscate his gun. Afterwards, Hank is told by Merkert that Jesse chose not to press charges after all. Hank asks why, to which Merkert replies, "Maybe you have a guardian angel."

Relieved and ecstatic, Hank stops by a shopping center to purchase some flowers for his wife, Marie, telling her that everything's going to be alright after all. Shortly before leaving, he receives an ominous call from an electronic voice informing him that he has one minute to leave before two men arrive to kill him. Panicking, he calls Gomez, believing it to be some sort of prank. He reaches for his gun, only to realize it was confiscated. After scanning the area for one minute, Leonel Salamanca appears behind Hank and begins shooting at him from the back of his car. Hank immediately puts his SUV in reverse and floors it, pinning Leonel between another car, despite sustaining a bullet wound to the arm. Marco Salamanca appears from the side and begins firing at Hank, who grabs the gun Leonel dropped in the back seat and dives out of the car. After Hank escapes, Marco frees Leonel, who tells him to finish off Hank. While searching for him, Hank gets the drop on Marco, only to have his shots be stopped by a Marco's bulletproof vest. Marco shoots Hank twice in the chest before going back to his car to grab an axe, as shooting him in the head would be "too easy." Meanwhile, Hank spots a bullet dropped by Marco as he was looking for him and loads it into Leonel's gun. Just before Marco returns to swing the axe into Hank's skull, he shoots him in the head, killing him instantly

Hank is rushed to the hospital via ambulance and is seen being wheeled inside by Jesse, whom was just released. Merkert tells his family that Hank was attacked by two cartel hitman and, despite being shot four times, managed to kill one and critically wound the other. Numerous police officers and DEA agents donate their blood in support of Hank. A doctor announces that Hank is stabilized and out of surgery, but cannot have any visitors. Nonetheless, Marie insists on staying at the hospital. Walter Jr. later shared with his dad a book that Hank gave him about infamous druglord Pablo Escobar. He quotes Hank by stating "Good guys never get ink like the bad guys do." While Hank's family is sleeping in the waiting room, a doctor informs them that he is finally able to have visitors. Hank lies asleep in the room. Marie leans over and kisses his forehead

Steve Gomez visits Hank in the hospital and shows him a map detailing the blue meth's reappearance. Gomez tells him that he's the only one who saw it coming. Little to reaction is given by Hank due to his current state, however. Later, a more cognitive Hank is having the nerves in his legs tested, noting that feeling seems to be slowly returning. Marie and Skyler are pulled aside by the doctor to discuss Hank's condition, stating that a recovery is stacked against Hank's favor and that therapy could land the couple bankrupt. Despite this, Marie vows to get Hank the best physical therapists she can find

Hank is seen working with his physical therapist in an electromagnetic patient lifter. He struggles in pain to take another step and forces the lesson to be cut short. Marie later joyfully informs Hank that he'll soon be released, as a hospital bed and the equipment necessary for physical therapy have been installed in their home. Furious, Hank tells her to remove all the equipment from his home and that the only time he'll be leaving the hospital is when he's walking out of it by himself

Marie and Walter Jr. are playing cards with Hank in the hospital. Marie mentions to Walter Jr. that Hank is well enough to leave the hospital, but angrily retorts that he cannot move his legs. Walter Jr. asks him if everyone in a wheelchair or crutches should be in a hospital before asking "Should I be in a hospital?" Hank does nothing but grumble. Marie is later seen giving Hank a sponge bath and playfully bets him that if she can successfully give him an erection using her hands he has to check out. Hoping to get her out of there sooner, Hank agrees, as he feels she's beating a dead horse. In less than a minute, Marie successfully arouses him, and Hank is wheeled out of the room with a "get well soon" box, along with a scowl on his face and a proud Marie behind him

Season 4

Hank, now bedridden at home, is seen bidding on a magnesite crystal online when Marie begins to praise his progress in physical therapy. He dismisses her compliment, stating that he's only covered 16 feet in 20 minutes. Humiliated, he asks her for his bedpan. Marie finds Hank up late at night examining the minerals he's been collecting. When she mentions how late it is, he dismissively informs her that there are other bedrooms in the house. During another session of physical therapy, Hank pushes through the routine on the way to his bedroom, indicating great improvement. Elated, Marie begins to compliment him, but once the therapist leaves, he coldly tells her to get out. The next day, a deliveryman arrives with numerous boxes of minerals. Hank asks Marie to check the boxes for damage, to which she replies, "They're rocks!" Hank corrects her by stating that they're minerals and that some of them are very delicate

Hank is seen watching porn when Marie returns home. He promptly turns off the TV as Marie begins to unpack her shopping. Among the items is a figurine she stole, indicating that her kleptomania has returned and that Hank's hostility towards her is likely the reason. Hank later receives a phone call from Marie when she's arrested for stealing from an open house, infuriated that she's "doing this to [him] again." He tells her to sit tight while he makes a call. Later that day, APD Detective Tim Roberts, a colleague of Hank's, pays him a visit after he helps get Marie out of the police station. As a way to repay the favor, he asks for Hank's help in solving the recent murder of Gale Boetticher, speculating that the notes he has from a copy of Gale's notebook indicate a meth superlab. Hank dismisses Tim's favor as "charity," but nonetheless he halfheartedly agrees to help. Once Tim leaves, he tosses the notes on a pile of minerals and begins to watch TV. Later that night, Hank is unable to sleep. Out of boredom and curiosity, he begins to look through Gale's notebook

Hank invites the Whites over for dinner. During their stay, he shows a DVD of Gale Boetticher performing karaoke to Walt and Walter Jr., during which he laughs uncontrollably with Walter Jr. while Walt stares in shock. At dinner, Walt and Skyler confess to Walt having a 'gambling addiction' that landed him hundreds of thousands in winnings, explaining how they're able to afford to pay for Hank's treatment. Later, Hank goes to check up on Walt after he left to go to the bathroom (unbeknownst to him that Walt wanted to dig through Gale's lab notes in Hank's room). When he runs into him in the hallway, Hank offers to hear Walt out if he ever has any issues with gambling. In turn, Walt offers the same pertaining to anything Hank might want to share with him in regards to casework. Hank and Walt are then shown in his bedroom, discussing the files. Hank believes Gale was the infamous 'Heisenberg,' showing regret in not being the one to catch him red handed and cuff him. Hank indicates that the operation must have been making hundreds of pounds of meth weekly, if not more. Hank shows a quote written by Gale dedicated an unknown 'W.W' to Walt. Walt concludes that it was addressed to Walt Whitman, whom Gale was a fan of

Tim Roberts visits Hank once more. Hank is joking about the odd personality displayed in Gale's notes, stating "it's like Scarface had sex with Mr. Rogers." He reveals that Jesse and Badger were the only people directly tied to the blue meth that he knows of. After revealing he has a 'history with Jesse, Hank says that he doesn't think Jesse was the murderer. After finding closure in seeing Gale - the man he thinks is Heisenberg - dead, he states to Tim that he's done with the research.

Hank and Marie have the Whites over for dinner again, where Walt is becoming increasingly drunk off of wine. Hank complements Walt on his gambling skills, only to be scolded by Marie for enabling him. When Walter Jr. asks Hank about the Boetticher case, he states that he's no longer looking into it. He states that Gale was truly a master at his craft and a genius who could've been something great had he put his talents to good use. Annoyed and tipsy, Walt dismisses the notes as likely being copies of someone else's work, telling Hank that the true mastermind might still be at large. And thus, Walt's hubris pushes Hank to pick up the case once more. The next morning, Hank tells Marie that he's continuing to look into the Boetticher case after apologizing for making a mess, indicating that his attitude towards her has been greatly reduced since returning to his usual line of work. Hank notices a leaflet from Los Pollos Hermanos in one of the pictures of Gale's house, with numbers and letters scribbled on the bottom. He asks Marie, "Since when do vegans eat fried chicken?"

Walter Jr. drives Hank to Los Pollos Hermanos, where Hank has a brief chat with Gus Fring, who recognizes him from his charity with with the DEA. Gus refills Hank's soda and offers to pay for any future meals, even offering Walter Jr. a job if he were to ever be interested. Hank thanks him and proceeds to slip the cup into an evidence bag once Gus is gone and stashes under the car seat.

Hank meets with Steven Gomez and ASAC George Merkert at the DEA office. He describes the murder of Gale Boetticher and hypothesizes that he was Heisenberg's cook. The lettering scribbled on Gale's Los Pollos Hermanos were the parts number for an industrial air-filtration system that Gale took part in delivering. Hank mentions that the unit is perfect for the "biggest meth lab north of the border." In addition, the manufacturer of the air-filtration unit, German-based Madrigal Electromotive, has a stake in Los Pollos Hermanos. He states that a vegan such as Gale would have no business going to a chicken restaurant unless he was meeting with somebody, deducing that Gustavo Fring might just be the guy. When Merkert tells Hank that he's really reaching, Hank brings out both the soda cup Gus held earlier and prints from the crime scene, indicating that they are one and the same and questions why Gus was ever at Gale's apartment

Hank meets with the APD and DEA when Gus Fring is summoned to the APD headquarters for questioning. Gus states that Gale was the winner of a chemistry scholarship Gus established in honor of his late friend Maximino Arciniega. Gus continued by stating that Gale reconnected with him and, after inviting him over for dinner, offered a business proposal to him that he promptly declined. Hank wasn't buying his alibi, however. Hank asks if Gus Fring was his real name and proceeds to reveal to his colleagues that Gus emigrated as a Chilean national in 1986 and has no official records of himself from Chile, to which Gus explains was a result of unreliable records under the Pinochet dictatorship. After Gus leaves, Hank's colleagues seem convinced. Hank, on the other hand, finds it strange that a man who strongly supports local law enforcement didn't come forward on a murder case he's clearly aware of. The head detective informs Hank that they cannot go around investigating people on the grounds that they haven't volunteered any information.

Later at dinner, Marie brings up Hank's meeting as being something secretive, to which Hank quickly changes the subject. He asks Walt if he could drive him to a mineral show the next day, to which Walt agrees. During the drive, Hank reveals that where he really wants to go is Los Pollos Hermanos. He shares with Walt that he thinks Gus Fring is a major drug distributor and asks Walt to plant a bug on his car. After some time trying to convince Walt, he reluctantly goes to plant the bug, but not before going inside to buy a drink. As Walt returns, he goes back to actually plant the bug, much to Hank's dismay over Walt's clumsiness. Walt explains to him that he was checking to see if the device was firmly planted

After some time, Walt takes Hank back to Los Pollos Hermanos and retrieves the bug for him. Hank shares disappointment that Walt didn't go inside this time, as he was hoping for a vanilla milkshake. Upon checking the GPS data at home, he notices that Gus has only gone between his home and one Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant. Hank commends Gus for being either squeaky clean or very careful, wondering how he could catch him. Hank later proposes to Walt that they drive out to what he believes to be Gus Fring's drug distribution center, but Walt fakes an illness, delaying the trip

Hank and Walt eventually find themselves watching Gus's factory farm in hopes of getting a lead. Hank mentions that a big cartel incident involving many deaths occurred in Mexico before bringing up Walt's bruised face. He lets Walt know that if he's in over his head with his gambling issue, he is the first guy he should come to. As the two head out another day for the farm once more, Hank tells Walt to take a different direction and instead tells him to drive to a local industrial laundromat. He informs him of the connections the laundromat has between Madrigal Electromotive, Gus Fring's operation, and Gale Boetticher and fully believes it to be the location of the superlab. Walt, panicking from Hank's sudden state of knowledge, deliberately drives past the laundromat and into oncoming traffic. Luckily, all Hank needed from the crash was a neck brace. He mentions back at home that he's getting a car that can be driven without using floor pedals and makes fun of Walt's driving abilities. Later, Marie gets a call (set up by Walt) stating that Hank's life is in danger by the cartel and, in a panic, informs Skyler of the attack

Skyler and her kids have taken shelter with Hank and Marie at the Schrader residence. After some arguing, Hank tells everyone to calm down and claims that this threat was only because of his insistence on tracking Gustavo Fring's operations. Gomez finally agrees to help Hank with the investigation. Hank is later seen looking at clean photos of the laundromat, frustrated that his investigation seemed to have led nowhere

Steve Gomez returns to Hank's house and informs him that Hector Salamanca wants to speak only to him. At the office, Hector only attempts to spell out insults to Hank before he stops him. Hank, feeling the encounter was a waste of his time, jokes that he at least "didn't shit himself this time"

Season 5

After Gus's death, Hank surveys the remains of the superlab in awe that he was correct, but anger that it wasn't him who brought him down. George Merkert, Hank's boss, gets forced out as ASAC and the job given to Hank after the unheard success of his fixation with Gus. After Walt and Jesse's magnet heist revealed bank accounts for Gus's associates, Hank becomes obsessed with following Mike Ehrmantraut to track down the loose ends of Gus' Drug Empire. He is informed by his boss multiple times that he is to suspend the Fring/Ehrmantraut investigation, but he asks Steven Gomez to keep following Mike. He and Marie offer to take the kids from Skyler and Walt as they sort out their marital issues

One morning, Walt talks with Hank about Skyler and begins crying. Hank excuses himself to get coffee and while he is along, Walt bugs Hank's office. Jesse and Mike use the bug to plan their next big move which is to sell their methylamine to Declan. Mike does this by issuing a restraining order against Hank, which pisses him off. After Walt thwarts Mike's deal with Declan and replaces it with his own, Mike retires with his $5 million but his house is searched by Hank and the DEA, who turn up nothing. Hank is instructed by his boss to end the Fring/Ehrmantraut case for once and for all, but they manage to track Mike's lawyer who is giving cash to the henchmen's families

Without incoming funds, the henchmen begin itching for deals with the DEA. Since there are 10 men, Hank had his pick of the litter for which deal he wanted to make. Walt, however, makes a move and has all ten get shanked in jail within the same two minute span. Three days after the attack, Hank and Walt share a drink and Hank wonders if his first job, a backbreaking outdoor job was better than his current job of "hunting monsters". Weeks later at a cookout at the White's, Hank excuses himself to use the restroom, where he finds a copy of Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman while searching for reading material. Hank notices that the inside cover was signed by "G.B." and addressed to "my other favorite W.W." Remembering his conversation with Walter, in which the two joked that the "W.W." mentioned in Gale Boetticher's notes referred to Walter White, Hank comes to the shocking realization that his brother-in-law was the Heisenberg he has been chasing all along

Hank exits the bathroom, stunned and transformed. He stows Leaves of Grass in his bag, returns to the poolside, and departs the get-together with Marie, claiming that he feels sick. The overwhelming realization of how Walter has deceived, endangered, and crippled them all blurs Hank’s vision and steals his breath, causing him to careen off the road and hit a neighbor's mailbox. Hank, fuming with rage, shame, and vertigo, is left panicked and gasping. Armed with this new lead, Hank decides to take time off work and revisit all the evidence boxes relating to the blue meth, Heisenberg, and the drug empire of Gustavo Fring. Suddenly, the boxes of evidence tell a whole new story. Hank even peers at the surveillance video of the methylamine precursor theft, and the grainy figures now clearly resolve into Walt and Jesse

Walter later discovers that Leaves of Grass is missing, connects the dots to Hank's discomfort, and confirms his suspicions by finding a tracking device on his car. Walt travels to Hank's house, where they meet in the garage. After some cordial discussion, Walt brings up the GPS device, all but sneering at Hank for his clumsy use of the same tracking device the two of them planted on Fring’s car. Hank closes the garage door, enraged, and punches Walt in the face, shouting his knowledge of Walt's true criminal nature and vows to put him under the jail. Walt does not seem concerned at all and argues that he will be dead before Hank and the law will see him put behind bars. After Hank claims he does not know who Walt is anymore, he warns a shaken, awestruck Hank: "If that's true, if you don't know who I am, then maybe your best course... would be to tread lightly"

As soon as Walt leaves Hank's house, both parties are frantically attempting to call Skyler, with Hank reaching her first and asking her to meet up in a local coffee shop to talk about everything. When they meet, Hank's demeanor is initially comforting and respectful, but soon changes to demanding and hasty as Skyler begins to see that Hank's true intention seems to be apprehending Walt rather than the welfare of the extended family. After repeatedly asking if she is under arrest, to which Hank does not directly answer, Skyler angrily leaves the premises leaving Hank to ponder his next move once more.

Some time later, Hank sends Marie to speak with Skyler but after a short but tense confrontation, he leaves with Marie who now also sees what Walt has done to her sister and he stops her from kidnapping Holly. Hank tells Marie that he requires concrete proof of his brother-in-law being Heisenberg but if he tells the office that it is Walt without evidence, his career will be over due to his familial relationship with the man. He vows that when he tells his colleagues he will bring them proof rather than suspicion and can at least be the man who ended Heisenberg and caught him. Hank returns to the DEA office, where he is notified by Steven Gomez that Jesse has been mindlessly throwing large amounts of money around Albuquerque. Meeting with the two agents who spoke to Jesse when Brock was poisoned, Hank suggests that he speak to Jesse to see what information he can draw from him. He then enters the interrogation room where Jesse remains silent

Hank fails to extract any information from Jesse, and a short time later he meets with Walt and Skyler. At the meeting he accuses Walt of being weak and that his only option is to admit all of the bad things he has done. Walt leaves a DVD on the table and departs with Skyler. Upon watching the DVD, Hank and Marie realize that this is not a confession, as Walt speaks of how Hank is the mastermind behind his drug empire and that he was held against his will as a chemist, while Hank used his connections to the DEA. Walt references several events that did occur and ties them in to the story (such as the attempt on Hank's life by Gus, as well as the mark left by Hank when he punched Walt), weaving an increasingly believable web. Hank finds out that Walt and Skyler paid for his medical bills when he was shot by The Cousins as Marie did not know it was drug money when she accepted it from Skyler. He claims that this has killed him, and that this is the last nail in the coffin. At the DEA offices, Hank calls off Gomez's guys as they are watching Saul's office. He decides to leave his office, cancelling a meeting in the process

Later, Jesse careens Saul's car into Walt's driveway and snorts some meth before storming into the house with a gas can. He douses the living room with gasoline and attempts to spark a lighter. Hank bursts through the door and stops him, offering to help Jesse bring him down. Jesse agrees. Hank buckles Jesse into his car, and drives away just before Walt's car pulls around the corner, in a near miss. Hank suggests that things will go easier for Jesse if he agrees to act as a witness. Jesse scoffs, reminding Hank of the brutal deaths of the last witnesses against Walt in the local prisons. Hank meets Marie at the door when she arrives home and attempts to send her on an impromptu spa trip. Refusing, she demands to know why he's trying to get her out of the house. Hank shows Marie the guest bedroom, where Jesse is fast asleep. He launches into a lengthy explanation about why their house is the safest place for Jesse. Marie interrupts, and asks if having Jesse there will be bad for Walt. Hank confirms. Jesse's cell phone rings. Hank checks the voicemail and listens to Walt's message, a plan already forming in his mind

Jesse wakes up to find Hank and Gomez waiting for him in the Schraders' living room. Jesse argues that it's his word against Walt's, now that Walt is retired. Hank waves off Jesse's misgivings, and asks him to describe on camera everything he remembers about Walt's business dealings and criminal activity. Afterward, Gomez tells Hank privately that he believes Jesse, but agrees that they have no physical evidence against Walt. He's at a loss as to how to proceed: should they pursue Lydia, Vamonos Pest, or maybe follow up with Drew Sharp's murder. Hank answers "I say we start with this", pulling out Jesse's cell phone.

Hank plays Jesse the voicemail that Walt left him, in which Walt asks Jesse to meet him at noon the next day in Albuquerque's Civic Plaza "to talk." Jesse begins suspecting that Walt will kill him at the meeting. Hank admits that Jesse's right, but points out how much Walt seems to care for Jesse. He argues Walt would never try anything in public, and doesn't allow Jesse to refuse. While Jesse is in the bathroom, Gomez tells Hank that he agrees with Jesse that Walt might be setting a trap. Hank is unperturbed, pointing out that Jesse is a "junkie murderer" and claims that if he is killed by Walt, they will get it all on tape.

Later at Civic Plaza, Gomez sets up surveillance while Hank tapes a wire to Jesse's chest. After giving him a quick pep-talk, Hank ushers Jesse out into the Plaza. Jesse nervously approaches the meeting point and spots Walt sitting on a bench. Nearby, a hard-looking dude in a leather jacket is surveying the crowd. Suspecting he's a hired gun (which is false), and seemingly with new purpose, Jesse veers away and heads to a pay phone, where he calls Walt and then departs. Hank hurtles toward Jesse and forces him into the car, blasting him for backing out of the meeting.

Jesse gives Hank and Gomez the idea to go after Walt's money instead, as it is the only evidence that he would never destroy and finding it will be enough to put him away. While he does not know where Walt keeps his money he suspects someone who does. Hank and Gomez then go to Saul's assistant, Huell, who is being held in a DEA safe-house. In order to extract information from him they falsely tell him that Walt is on a killing spree tying up loose ends and has already killed Jesse, showing him a fake photo (taken in his kitchen) of what seems like Jesse with his brains across the floor and that Kuby is also missing and presumed dead due to his and Huell's help of moving Walt's money and Huell is next on the hit-list and that Saul has betrayed him. Huell falls for the ruse and gets worried and tells them all he did was help him move some barrels filled with money and tells them of the rental agency where he and Kuby rented the van that Walt transported the money with. Hank goes to the rental agency however the van does not have GPS due to a previous lawsuit that caused the company to get rid of it. He also intercepts a message on Jesse's phone from Andrea claiming that Walt is at her house worried about him as is she. Knowing Walt is setting a trap, Hank deletes the call and does not inform Jesse of the danger.

Gomez claims it's game over upon hearing the rental van had no GPS but Hank claims it isn't over. He realizes that Walt buried the money somewhere in the desert and is unaware that his van didn't have GPS as he didn't procure the van himself. The three then formulate a plan: Hank buys a barrel matching the ones Walt used for his money, and with the help of Jesse fills it up with some money and buries it in his backyard in an area similar to desert terrain, thus simulating the real barrels. The plan is to send Walt a photo of the open barrel as if discovered and dug up under the ruse that Jesse found the location of all 7 barrels by beating the information out of Huell and that he will burn it all unless Walt goes to the location, thus learning of the spot and gaining the necessary evidence to arrest Walt.

The plan works and Walt rushes to where his money is buried, as Hank, Jesse and Gomez follow not far behind. Jesse also gets him to unwittingly confess to a multitude of his crimes such as the money being his, that he poisoned Brock, that he killed Gus and his two dealers and also Emilio and Krazy-8. When Walt gets to the spot he realizes Jesse had just manipulated him, and runs behind a rock upon seeing a vehicle approaching and calls Todd and Jack, saying he found Jesse and needs backup. He then sees Jesse get out of the car with Hank and Steve and calls off Todd and Jack. He hangs up the phone and gives himself up. Hank handcuffs him, and puts him in the car. Hank tells Steve he is going to call the police to come and dig up the money, but instead (or before he was going to) he calls Marie, and tells her "I finally got him" as she smiles in the phone. He tells her that it will be rough the next couple of weeks but things will get better and tells her he needs to go and he tells his wife he loves her, to which she says the same. Just after he hangs up, two cars come from a distance, containing Jack and Todd, and Jack's crew who ignored Walt's cancellation of coming to protect him from Jesse. Hank and Gomez draw their weapons and reveal themselves as the police and order the thugs to drop their weapons, though Jack demands they show him their I.D. After a tense moment, both sides face off into a stand-off. Despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned, and facing almost certain death, Hank stands his ground

Following the shootout, Hank is injured with a bullet wound in the leg, his gun empty, and his partner, Steve Gomez, lying on the ground dead. Hank, realizing how lost the situation is, sees Steve's gun out in the open and makes a desperate crawl to it to defend himself but as soon as he's about to reach it, Jack's foot is on it and he takes it away, rendering Hank helpless. After Kenny discovers Gomez and Hank are DEA agents, Jack prepares to shoot Hank but Walt screams for them to stop and comes out of the car trying to bargain with Jack to let him live, even offering his money. Jack plays along and questions Hank if he should let him go but Hank smarts off to Jack, knowing full well that the murderous gang leader intended to kill him the minute the shootout began and will never let him walk out of the desert alive and can now get his hands on Walt's money either way.

In his final moments, Walt begs Hank to tell the Nazis that they can work their feud out but Hank states to Walt; “You want me to beg? You’re the smartest guy I ever met, and you’re too stupid to see—he made up his mind ten minutes ago.” Hank then looks over to Jack and tells him "Do what you're gonna do", before Jack shoots him in the head, killing him. After Jack's gang digs up Walt's money, Hank is buried alongside Gomez in the middle of the Tohajiilee Indian Reservation. In a sad and ironic twist, they are buried in the same hole Walt had dug to hide his money in, a symbolic representation of the same greed and violence that they had fought against as DEA agents

Legacy

Ironically, despite ultimately failing to arrest Walt and being murdered, he gets his revenge on Walt and exposes his criminal activities to the world, as Marie (unaware of his death), forces Skyler to reveal the truth to Walt Jr, and the news of his death finally causes Skyler to turn on Walt, something Hank had tried to convince her to do previously. He is later mourned by his sister-in-law, nephew and widow (and, presumably, all his fellow DEA agents) after Walt takes credit for the deed in order to help clear Skyler from his criminal activities. However, it is readily apparent he is beyond devastated about Hank's death and his role in it.

When Walt returns to Albuquerque, he meets with Skyler, and gives her the lottery ticket containing the co-ordinates to where Hank and Gomez were buried. Both Hank and Steve's deaths were avenged by Walt, who kills Jack in the same manner that he killed Hank and kills his entire crew as well. Walt lets Jesse strangle Jack's nephew Todd Alquist to death and escape, before dying from a shrapnel wound he received during the gunfire. Walt collapses on the floor with a look of contentment on his face, having avenged his much-loved brother-in-law. After Walt's death, Skyler uses the ticket to secure a plea deal with the prosecutor, indicating the bodies of Hank and Gomez were recovered by the DEA and given a proper burial.

After Saul Goodman is finally arrested, one of the crimes that he's charged with and ultimately imprisoned for is accessory after the fact to Hank and Gomez's murders. During the plea negotiations, Marie tells Saul about the kind of man that Hank was and is disgusted at the idea of Saul getting a plea. In turn, Saul offers Marie his condolences over the loss of Hank, having met him a few times and known that he was a good man.

Statistics

Tier: 10-A, 9-C with Guns

Name: Henry Schrader, Hank Schrader, Hank, Uncle Hank, Agent Schrader, ASAC Schrader

Origin: Breaking Bad

Sex: Male

Age: 38 ("The Guy For This"), 42 ("Pilot"), 43 ("Kafkaesque"), 43 or 44 ("Ozymandias")

Classification: Human, Agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, ASAC of the Albuquerque DEA office

Status: Deceased (Hank refused to beg for his life and was killed by Jack[1])

Alignment: Neutral Good

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Athlete level (Could easily beat up two guys in a bar[2]. Beat up Jesse Pinkman to the point that he was knocked out[3]. Physically stronger than Walter White[4]), Peak Human with Guns (Hank has guns such as the Glock 17[5], the Glock 22[6], and the M1911A1[7] although the Glock 17 is the only gun he currently has)

Durability: Athlete level (Was able to take hits from other men in a bar[8])

Striking Strength: Athlete Class

Lifting Strength: Average Human

Travel Speed: Athletic Human (Is a trained DEA Agent)

Combat Speed: Athletic Human

Reaction Speed: Athletic Human

Stamina: Above Average (While bleeding out and in pain, he still managed to kill Marco[9])

Range: Standard Melee physically, Kilometers with Guns

Intelligence:


Powers and Abilities


Equipment

Glock 17: The Glock 17 is a 9mm short recoil-operated locked breech semi-automatic pistol that uses a modified Browning cam-lock system adapted from the Hi-Power pistol. The firearm's locking mechanism utilizes a linkless, vertically tilting barrel with a rectangular breech that locks into the ejection port cut-out in the slide. During the recoil stroke, the barrel moves rearward initially locked together with the slide approximately 3 mm (0.12 in) until the bullet leaves the barrel and chamber pressure drops to a safe level.

Optional Equipment

  • Glock 22: The Glock 22 is a pistol manufactured by Glock. It is a Glock 17 modified to fire .40 S&W ammunition. It uses a modified slide, frame, .40 S&W barrel and magazine but is otherwise near identical in looks to the Glock 17. It has a 10, 15, or 17 round magazine capacity. One notable feature of the Glock 22, and indeed many modern .40 S&W pistols, is the ability to change the caliber to .357 Sig with a simple barrel swap. This is possible due to the similar operating pressures of both rounds, and the fact that the .357 Sig is based on a .40 S&W case, necked down to accept .355 inch bullets.
  • M1911A1: The M1911A1 is a single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed, recoil-operated pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge, which served as a standard-issue sidearm. The gun included larger ejection port, a shortened trigger, a longer grip-safety spur and slightly shaved hammer spur to prevent hammer bite, serrated front sight, a curved mainspring housing, simplified checkered grips (although diamond grips still appeared on some), and relief cuts around the trigger guard on the frame.
  • 2011 Dodge Durango: The 2011 Dodge Durango is a car provided to its agents by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
  • 2008 Ford Taurus: The Taurus is Hank's temporary car while his Jeep Commander is under repair following the shooting with Tuco.
  • 2006 Jeep Commander: The 2006 Jeep Commander is a car provided to its agents by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez both own a dark gray model.
  • 2006 Kia Sedona: Hank and Gomez take Walt on a drug bust using that car
  • Gale's Notebook: A book that Gale used to write down and study Walter White's formula

Other

Standard Tactics:

Weaknesses: Hank is overweight although this has never hurt him in combat. He showed some racist overtones in the first episode however he never really showed these overtones much throughout the series[10]. Suffers from PTSD after killing Tuco which caused him to have a panic attack[11]. Hank will ignore the law for the sheer purpose of harming someone he believes is guilty such as when he beat up Jesse just because he was mad at him[12]. When he discovered Walter White was Heisenberg, he crashed his car[13]. His pride to be the one to catch Walter lead to him ignoring Jesse's warnings about Walter and lead to his eventual death. Normal human weaknesses otherwise

Trivia

Trivia for Hank
  • Hank has been in three gunfights throughout the series due to Walt. The first was the gun battle with Tuco Salamanca, as Hank was trying to track down Walt after his mysterious disappearance. The second was the shootout with Marco & Leonel Salamanca, who were hunting Walt due to the death of Tuco, and diverted to Hank by Gus. The third and final shootout was the battle with Jack Welker's Gang, whom Walt had called to come rescue him due to Walt thinking Jesse had come to kill him and came anyway despite Walt calling them off.
  • Hank is the only character besides Walt and Steve Gomez to have shared a scene with every main character.
  • Hank is the third main character of Breaking Bad to die.
  • Hank's death in "Ozymandias" has similarities with the death of Howard Hamlin in the Better Call Saul episode "Plan and Execution".
    • Both characters have a large part of the final season built around their conflict with the main character (Hank's attempt to bring Walter to justice in Season 5B of Breaking Bad, and Howard being the target of Jimmy and Kim Wexler's scam in Season 6 of Better Call Saul).
    • Both conflicts end with a dramatic climax (Walter is caught by Hank before Jack Welker's gang intervenes with a shootout and injures Hank; and the scam against Howard succeeds, ruining his reputation, forcing the Sandpiper case to settle, and Howard having his final confrontation against Jimmy and Kim).
    • As soon as the climax is over, both characters are killed by a third party whom they don't know and had only just met (Jack and Lalo Salamanca) in front of the main character (Walter; and Jimmy and Kim) who watches in horror.
    • Both characters are killed mid-sentence in the exact same way: getting shot in the head with a pistol.
  • In a 2015 interview, Vince Gilligan revealed that Hank almost died in season 1. In fact, he suggested the only reason Hank made it through was because of a writers strike in 2008 that shuttered production: “We were writing and shooting and editing in a vacuum, no one had seen the show yet, and I really had the feeling that I needed to throw the kitchen sink at it, that the writers and I needed to get every bit of drama. The writers strike came along, and we didn’t get to do our last two episodes. We had to end our season one with seven episodes instead of nine. Our ninth episode that year, we were seriously leaning toward killing off Hank, Walt’s brother-in-law, played by Dean Norris, in that first season... I was ready, willing to throw the kitchen sink at it, because I was afraid we wouldn’t hold people’s attention."
  • Hank wears his wrist watch, a Casio G-Shock, on his right wrist as seen in the final scene of "Problem Dog" and many other episodes.
  • On the spec script of the "Pilot", his last name was Weld.
  • Hank's blood type is O negative.
  • Hank's vehicles include:
    • 2006 Jeep Commander
    • 2008 Ford Taurus
    • 2011 Dodge Durango
  • Hank was shot 6 times over the course of the series:
    • Shot once in the arm by Leonel Salamanca ("One Minute")
    • Shot three times by Marco Salamanca, once in the back, once in the stomach and once in the chest ("One Minute")
    • Shot once in the leg by a member of Jack Welker's Gang (off-screen between "To'hajiilee" and "Ozymandias")
    • Shot fatally in the head by Jack Welker ("Ozymandias")
  • A portrait of Hank can be seen hanging in the DEA office in the first El Camino trailer.

References

References for Hank
  1. Season 5, Episode 14, "Ozymandias"
  2. Seasons 3, Episode 3, "I.F.T."
  3. Season 3, Episode 7, "One Minute"
  4. Season 5, Episode 9, "Blood Money"
  5. Season 5, Episode 13, "To'hajiilee"
  6. Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot"
  7. Season 3, Episode 7, "One Minute"
  8. Seasons 3, Episode 3, "I.F.T."
  9. Season 3, Episode 7, "One Minute"
  10. Season 1, Episode 1, "Pilot"
  11. Season 2, Episode 5, "Breakage"
  12. Season 3, Episode 7, "One Minute"
  13. Season 5, Episode 9, "Blood Money"

Gallery

Images & Artwork

Battle Records

None.

None.

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"Spoilers Ahead"
This character or verse has been very recently made and spoilers for the story and the fate of said character are inbound, avoid reading if one would like to pursue the verse without any spoilers for themself.
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This character or verse has mature themes and concepts, thus those of young age are ill-advised to look through these.


Well, gee, that's swell. And thank you for restoring my faith in the judicial system. Now you either pay the $3, or you go back inside and you get an additional sticker.
~ Mike asking Jimmy to get more stickers


Now, that's what everybody expects. It's human nature to want to stay close to home, and if this Kettleman figured out how to do it, that's what he did. Nobody wants to leave home.
~ Mike helping Jimmy solve the Kettlemans' disappearance


No, the rules for parking validation are actually pretty simple. Most people get it on the first try.
~ Mike making fun of Jimmy


He wasn't dirty! God damn you! You get that through your head! My son wasn't dirty!
~ Mike yelling at Stacy


You know what a cop fears most? More than getting shot, more than anything? Prison. Getting locked up with everybody you put away. You threaten a cop with that, you make him dangerous, and that's what I told him. I talked sense. No one was getting hurt. But if you go to the I.A., if you even look like you're going. He had a wife, a kid, responsibilities. Take the money. Do something good with it. Well I tried. I tried. But he wouldn't listen. My boy was stubborn. My boy was strong. And he was gonna get himself killed. So I told him... I told him I did it, too. That I was like Hoffman, getting by, and that's what you heard that night: me talking him down, him kicking and screaming until the fight went out of him. He put me up on a pedestal, and I had to show him that I was down in the gutter with the rest of 'em. I broke my boy...
~ Mike revealing how he broke his boy


Pimento is a cheese. They call it the caviar of the south.
~ Mike talking about Pimento cheese


I've known good criminals and bad cops. Bad priests. Honorable thieves. You can be on one side of the law or the other. But if you make a deal with somebody, you keep your word. You can go home today with your money and never do this again. But you took something that wasn't yours. And you sold it for a profit. You are now a criminal. Good one, bad one? That's up to you.
~ Mike explaining his view on morality to Daniel Wormald


The way I figure, you saw that midlife crisis of a vehicle and wisely decided to cut ties with the man, and I don't blame you. I did, too. But then you ripped him off. And I'm sure those baseball cards looked like an easy way to make a few extra bucks off that idiot. Teach him a lesson, too. But you underestimated just how big an idiot you were dealing with.
~ Mike telling Nacho about his actions against Daniel Wormald


Because Pop-Pop's a grown-up, and grown-ups get to be stupid.
~ Mike talking to Kaylee


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There's just something about Mike Ehrmantraut... I can't quite put my... finger... on it
~ A official quote from the Breaking Bad YouTube channel
Waltuh
Tune Down
Magic Arrow

Background

Note: Credit to the Breaking Bad wiki

Michael "Mike" Ehrmantraut is an American career criminal, Marine Corps veteran, and former Philadelphia police officer. Calm and calculating, Mike later became a private investigator, hitman, assassin, and violent fixer for drug traffickers to financially support his family (his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee). He worked for both Gustavo Fring and Saul Goodman as a private investigator, head of security, cleaner, fixer, and hitman. Mike has extensive knowledge of how to operate on both sides of the law without detection. As a former beat cop and true professional, Mike maintains an extensive, up-to-date knowledge of forensic evidence, surveillance equipment, and police procedure. Mike is also well-trained and calm in all types of combat situations, once using science and long strategy to take down a large number of hostiles with ease.

Born between 1940-1944, Mike served in the Marines during the Vietnam War. While in Philadelphia, he married and had a son, Matt, who later had his own family, wife Stacey and daughter Kaylee. Mike got caught up in crooked activities within the Philadelphia police, and after Matt joined the force, he hesitated when two crooked cops approached him, so they killed him. After Matt's funeral, Mike murdered the two cops, then fled to Albuquerque to be near Stacey and Kaylee. He took a job as a parking lot attendant at the Bernalillo County Courthouse and also performed for-hire criminal jobs on the side.

Mike becomes Saul (then known as Jimmy McGill)'s associate after Jimmy helps cover for him when Philadelphia officers investigating the deaths of the two cops Mike killed learn of Mike's whereabouts. Through one of his side-jobs, Mike also becomes involved with Nacho Varga, who asks Mike to help eliminate an increasingly-unstable Tuco Salamanca from the Salamanca organization, but Mike instead engineers Tuco's long-term arrest by faking a confrontation in front of police. Tuco's uncle Hector suspects Mike, so Mike attempts to bring police attention to the Salamanca drug trade. When this effort fails, Mike plans to assassinate Hector but is stopped by Gus, who wants to be the one to decide when Hector dies, and offers Mike a position within his drug organization, which Mike accepts, later becoming the head of security at Los Pollos Hermanos, and one of Gus' closest enforcers alongside Victor and Tyrus Kitt.

Mike oversees the construction of the "superlab" led by Werner Ziegler. When Werner escapes and inadvertently reveals some details about the lab to Lalo Salamanca, Gus orders Werner killed to protect the secret, and Mike shoots Werner. Mike is depressed afterwards, until Gus offers him a larger role in helping gain revenge against the Salamancas. Knowing that Nacho is operating as Gus's mole in the Salamanca organization, Mike works to keep Lalo off Gus's trail and saves Jimmy from a cartel assassination attempt.

Following the deaths of both Nacho and Lalo, Mike remained as one of Gus' most trusted associates by the time Walter White and Jesse Pinkman entered the drug business in 2008. When he tracked down information about Walt and Jesse and relayed the information to Saul, Mike had warned Saul not to do business with them, but Saul ignored his advice, seeing a potential with Walt and Jesse's product. Mike helped Jesse to clean up his apartment after the death of his girlfriend Jane Margolis, keep Jesse and Walt in line after Jesse kills Gale, and later coming up with a plan to drive a rift between Walt and Jesse. Eventually, Gus trusts Jesse enough to bring him and Mike to Mexico as part of Gus' plan to kill Don Eladio and other cartel members. Mike is critically wounded and forced to stay in Mexico to heal. During this time, Walter convinces Jesse to help Walt get revenge on Gus, and Jesse's information enables Walt to lure Gus into a fatal trap. Mike hears of Gus's death and races back to Albuquerque to furiously confront Walter and Jesse. Mike reminds them that to maintain secrecy, Gus had been discreetly paying off several members of his drug organization.

Following the assassination of Gus and the subsequent destruction of his empire as a result of Hector and Walt's actions, Mike, along with a majority of his fellow empire operatives, would be exposed to the DEA and have their offshore assets seized, with Mike only narrowly avoiding arrest for never having directly touched his money set up in his granddaughters name. He later helped Walt and Jesse destroy surveillance evidence that could incriminate them all, and temporarily becomes a reluctant partner in Walt's meth operation in order to provide the hazard pay for his incarcerated men in prison to keep their families financially sound and prevent them from making deals with law enforcement. Mike initially turns down Walt and Jesse's offer to partner up in a new meth operation, but changes his mind when he learns that the DEA has confiscated money he had put away to keep the rest of Gus’ men silent and to provide for his granddaughter. Mike constantly finds himself at odds with Walt as the business progresses. He eventually chose to retire from Walt's operation due to persistent law enforcement surveillance of him and tried to dismantle Walt's drug operation by selling 1000 gallons of stolen methylamine to his Arizona contact Declan. Walt however blocked the deal and Mike received a $5 million buyout payment from Declan after Walt made a deal with him. Shortly following his retirement from Walt's drug empire, Mike's assets would be seized a second time after the DEA caught his lawyer Dan Wachsberger in the act of depositing Mike's drug money for his incarcerated men and was left with no options but to flee after his lawyer betrayed him to the DEA. Before fleeing however, he would be unnecessarily shot by Walt after Mike refused to give him the names of the ten witnesses tied to Gus, and would thus die without leaving his beloved family any money earned from his long career as a professional criminal. Mike's body was then dissolved in acid by Walt and Todd.

The following synopsis contains massive spoilers for Mike Ehrmantraut's backstory

Background

Mike Ehrmantraut was born sometime between 1940-1944. He remembers his father as leaving him a "cold-water flat and a stack of bills," implying he didn't have a very good childhood. It's implied that Mike served as a marine scout sniper in the Vietnam War. It is possible he has a history in special operations or intelligence agencies, as he has extensive knowledge of surveillance equipment and is well trained in stealth tactics. He also mentions that he specializes in tracking individuals down, no matter where they are in the world. Mike had previously been married for 22 years.

For thirty years, Mike was employed at the Philadelphia Police Department as a beat cop, frequently having to deal with situations such as break-ins and domestic disputes. His career was mired in corruption, with his fellow officers pressuring him into accepting bribes and participate in protection rackets. When his son Matt joined the force, and faced similar peer pressure, Mike was forced to persuade his son to go along with the corruption. Unfortunately, Matt's partner Troy Hoffman and their sergeant, Jack Fensky, distrusted Matt and murdered him by staging a gangland shooting.

Devastated by the loss of his son, Mike fell into alcoholism and depression until he decided to take action. He announced his retirement from the PPD, and staged another bout of binge drinking, during which he tricked Hoffman and Fensky into believing he had evidence on them. When the duo came after Mike, he allowed them to drive him to a deserted alleyway with the intent of staging his suicide. Brandishing a hidden pistol and throwing off the illusion of his drunken stupor, Mike gunned down Hoffman and Fensky, suffering a shoulder wound in the process. He departed for Albuquerque, New Mexico, the following day, where he reestablished ties with his daughter-in-law Stacey, who had moved there several months earlier.

Better Call Saul

Season 1

Mike first meets Jimmy McGill while working as a parking lot attendant at the Albuquerque courthouse. Mike's attitude towards Jimmy is dispassionate, usually not letting him pass through the parking gate because he doesn't have enough validation stickers on his parking ticket. A brief hostile encounter at the gate lead the two to developing a closer—but still frigid on Mike's part—working relationship.

When officers from Philadelphia arrive in Albuquerque to interview Mike, he hires Jimmy as his lawyer, primarily because he believes that Jimmy is dishonest enough to agree to help him steal evidence. Mike discovers that his location had been tipped off to the PPD by Stacey. He confronts her and comes clean to her with the entire story, short of actually confessing to the murder of the Hoffman and Fensky, merely saying to her, "You know what happened, the question is: Can you live with it?" Mike later repays Jimmy by breaking into the home of the Craig and Betsy Kettleman to retrieve stolen money.

Wanting to provide for Stacey and his granddaughter Kaylee, Mike uses the connections of a shady veterinarian named Dr. Caldera to moonlight as an enforcer. His first job is acting as a bodyguard for Daniel "Danny" Wormald, a first-time criminal nicknamed "Pryce" who sells stolen prescription pills to Ignacio "Nacho" Varga; Mike's time in law enforcement gives him experience in how to prepare for such a deal and makes him a valuable asset in the exchange.

Season 2

Daniel lets his initial success go to his head and buys a bright yellow Hummer H2. Mike, knowing full well that Daniel's carelessness will eventually attract police attention, declines to go to a meeting in the Hummer and walks off when he refuses to travel in Mike's 1988 Chrysler instead. Daniel goes on to deal with Nacho alone. While Daniel is distracted, Nacho secretly learns of his home address from the car registration in the Hummer's glove compartment. A few days later, Daniel's house is burglarized by Nacho. He calls the police, upset that his valuable baseball card collection has been stolen. The responding officers are immediately suspicious of Daniel's Hummer. Investigating further, they find a hidden compartment in the wall behind Daniel's couch, apparently found and emptied by Nacho.

Mike finds himself having to intervene when the police invite Daniel to the station for questioning. Upon learning about the circumstances, Mike cautions Daniel about talking, knowing full well the police suspect Daniel is engaged in illicit activities. Daniel, however, is adamant about getting his baseball cards back. In order to prevent Daniel from possibly implicating him in the drug deals, Mike offers to find the cards. To do so, he tracks down Nacho to his father's car restoration shop and negotiates a deal where Daniel trades his Hummer to Nacho in exchange for the baseball cards and $10,000. Nacho subsequently destroys the Hummer at a chop shop and splits $60,000 with Mike from reselling the parts.

With the police still looking into Daniel, Mike hires Jimmy to be his lawyer. Jimmy accompanies Daniel to a police interview, where he gets the cops to drop the investigation by convincing them that the burglary was the result of a failed gay love affair and the stealing of the baseball cards was revenge. To provide Daniel with an alibi, Jimmy "explains" that the space behind the couch contained fetish videos of Daniel sitting in various types of pies and crying. The detectives, taken off guard by the outrageous story, believe Jimmy.

Stacey voices her concerns to Mike about gunshots she has heard outside her house late at night. Mike does overnight surveillance without Stacey's knowledge to investigate the gunshots. He learns the "gunshots" are actually the sounds of newspapers being tossed by a delivery person in the early morning. At work the following day, Mike receives a call from Stacey, who still believes she heard gunfire, and points out a hole in her siding that she tearfully insists is from a bullet. Despite knowing that there was no gunfire (and the hole in the siding is just wear and tear), Mike tells her what she wants to hear—that he will help her get out of the neighborhood. Mike meets with Dr. Caldera in order to find more jobs, but refuses to do any violent work. The vet points out to Mike that if he wants "next level pay", he must be willing to do "next level work."

Shortly after, Nacho hires Mike to assassinate his boss, the erratic drug kingpin Tuco Salamanca. Mike ultimately decides against doing the hit, as he realizes that Tuco's death would draw the attention of the Mexican drug cartel. Instead, Mike makes a call in advance to the police from a payphone across the street from a restaurant where Tuco does accounting with his dealers. Then, Mike drives over and deliberately swipes Tuco's car, enraging him. Acting clueless, Mike goads Tuco to beat him senseless just as the police arrive. As a result, Tuco is arrested and is imprisoned for assault and robbery, putting him out of the picture for five years. Nacho asks Mike why he went through all that trouble to avoid killing Tuco for half the payoff, but Mike refuses to answer.

Mike and Nacho's orchestrated takedown of Tuco does not come without consequences. Days later, Mike is approached by Hector Salamanca, who offers Mike $5,000 to tell the police that Tuco's gun is actually Mike's, thus getting Tuco off the hook for illegal gun possession and shortening his sentence. Mike refuses the offer. In response, Hector begins harassing Mike into reconsidering, first by having men break into his house to scare him. When this fails, Hector sends Leonel and Marco Salamanca to threaten Kaylee while Mike is supervising her. Fed up, Mike confronts Hector, negotiating a better offer of $50,000 in exchange for taking the fall on the gun charge. After the meet, he splits the pay with Nacho, refunding him for the failure of his previous work on Tuco.

Mike hires Jimmy again, this time to help him provide an amended statement (as Hector had requested) to the district attorney, though the DAs highly suspect Mike has been paid off by the Salamancas. Mike later helps Stacey with purchasing a new house. Meanwhile, Mike discreetly begins plotting retaliation against Hector. He starts by surveying the ice cream parlor where he had the meeting with Hector, and observes Hector's crew receiving ice cream delivery trucks transporting goods up from Mexico. He comes to the conclusion that the trucks are carrying contraband, either as drugs or cash.

A few days later, Mike plans an attack on one of Hector's trucks while it is en route to the El Paso border crossing. Mike deploys a homemade spike strip made from nails and a garden hose. The truck hits the strip, and goes off the road. While wearing a mask to conceal his identity, Mike disarms the driver and ties him up. Mike then uses a saw to extract $250,000 hidden inside the truck's tires. He loads the money and his equipment into his getaway car and flees the scene.

The heist puts Mike in a jovial mood—he spends some of his new gains on drinks for all the patrons at a bar—but this is short-lived when Nacho calls him to a meeting and confronts him about the attack, having deduced that Mike was behind it. Nacho asks Mike why he pulled it off and Mike asks why the hit isn't in the newspapers. Nacho is offended realizing that Mike was trying to draw police attention to Hector's operation. Nacho also reveals that Hector killed a Good Samaritan that happened to stumble upon the scene and freed the driver. This greatly unsettles Mike.

Mike eventually procures a sniper rifle from Lawson and follows Nacho into the Tohajiilee Indian Reservation, trying to get to Hector. He sets up on a hillside and watches as the Cousins kill the driver and bury him in an unmarked grave. However, his line of sight to Hector is blocked by Nacho. Mike is then drawn away from his position by the sound of his car horn going off. He finds a tree branch wedged into the driver's seat, and a handwritten note on the windshield reading "DON'T".

Season 3

Realizing his cover has been blown, Mike drives off at breakneck speed to clear the area. After stopping to review what happened, he figures that his car is bugged. Proceeding to a nearby junkyard, he disassembles the vehicle, searching the entire chassis for hours and coming up with nothing. With time running out, and the junkyard about to close, Mike sells the car to the owner, and calls himself a cab to return home, when his eyes come upon a stack of replacement gas caps. Quickly returning to his junked car, he removes the gas cap and inspects it. Sure enough, he finds a tracking device hidden under the seal.

Contacting Dr. Caldera, Mike purchases a device and tracker identical to the one he has discovered. After having found a second tracker hidden in the gas cap of his personal vehicle, Mike switches out the two devices, draining the foreign device of power in the hopes that whoever planted it will come back to claim it. As expected, a mysterious car arrives and takes the bait, swapping the gas cap containing Mike's tracker with a fresh one.

Mike discreetly follows the driver around Albuquerque, stopping when the driver abandons the vehicle at a Los Pollos Hermanos. After determining this is a nightly pattern of drops and pickups, Mike enlists the help of Jimmy McGill. Mike has Jimmy pose as a customer to observe what the driver does inside the building. However, no drop-off is made that Jimmy can see. Continuing his counter-surveillance of the driver, Mike tracks his vehicle to the middle of the desert, only to find the gas cap containing his tracker removed and set in the middle of the road, with a cell phone on top. Mike has been discovered.

Answering a call from the cell phone, Mike is immediately approached by Gustavo Fring and two of his bodyguards. When Mike holds up the note from his former car, Gus calmly explains that he has reasons for keeping Hector alive. When Gus hints that Mike's sabotage of Hector's smuggling line can continue, Mike deduces Gus is a rival of Hector. He agrees to continue with his sabotage, and a loose partnership is born. Mike immediately sets to his purpose, purchasing a small bag of cocaine from a contact of Gus's, and waits to ambush another one of Hector's trucks on its way to the border. Rather than shoot the drivers, however, Mike plants the cocaine in a pair of discarded sneakers which he hangs from an overhead power line. Firing several dummy shots in the air to mask himself as a random hunter, Mike waits until the drivers, who have stopped in response to the gunfire, dismiss the shots as a hunter. As the truck drives away, Mike puts one final shot into the sneakers, spilling cocaine unnoticed onto the back of the vehicle, ensuring that the drivers will be arrested at the border. Gus sends payment to Mike for his services, but Mike refuses to accept it.

Jimmy has a Mike visit Chuck's house posing a repairman for the door; Mike repels Chuck with an electric drill, then takes photos of the house's interior and copies Rebecca's contact information from his address book.

One night when Mike is working his parking attendant job, Gus arrives to meet him personally. Gus probes Mike as to why he didn't accept his money and also lets Mike know that he's interested in hiring him. Additionally, Gus reveals that he stopped Mike from killing Hector because "a bullet to the head would have been far too humane."

Mike helps with construction on a new playground area and receives help from the other members of Stacey's support group, including a woman named Anita. Upon returning to work, he is approached by Daniel, who wants to hire him as a bodyguard again to keep an eye on Nacho, which Mike declines. At a meeting, Mike begins to befriend Anita as she recounts how her husband mysteriously disappeared on a hiking trip and the fact that she doesn't know what happened to him constantly troubles her. Apparently touched by Anita's story, Mike calls Daniel and agrees to be his bodyguard. At the meeting with Nacho, Mike learns the full story about Hector's desire to force Nacho's father into the drug trade and the plan to replace Hector's medication with fake pills. Mike agrees not to interfere, but advises Nacho to switch the pills back after Hector dies so they cannot be traced back to him.

Mike, using information he gained from Nacho, tracks down the body of the Good Samaritan that Hector shot and anonymously reports the discovery to the police. Later that night, 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. Mike is hired on as a "security consultant" to Madrigal on Gus' recommendation to launder his stolen money.

Season 4

Mike finishes his final shift at the parking booth and plays with Kaylee in his backyard. He tells Stacey that his new job has more flexible hours, allowing him to pick up Kaylee on a regular basis. Mike's first paycheck from Madrigal arrives, and it is over $10,000. After obtaining the address for the company's Las Cruces facility, Mike breaks in after stealing Barry Hedberg's identification. Identifying himself as a security consultant to the officer manager, he lists all the potential security breaches he found and tells the manager to contact Lydia.

Mike meets with Jimmy at Loyola's Family Restaurant, where Jimmy wants him to break into Neff Copiers. Jimmy intends for Mike to steal Mr. Neff's Hummel figurine and replace it with an identical fake. Then Jimmy will sell the figure and split the proceeds with Mike. Mike passes on the opportunity, and offers his condolences for Chuck's death.

At Loyola's, Mike is approached by Anita. During their conversation, he tells her that Henry DeVore from the support group is making up his dead wife, Judy. Mike tells Anita to look for a tell next time Henry talks about his wife, and they agree to a $10 bet. At the group meeting, Stacey talks about fearing that she is forgetting details about Matt, affect Mike. After Henry again talks about Judy, Mike explodes and reveals Henry's lies and then turns on the rest of the group, accusing them of feeding off each other's misery. The next day, Mike ignores a call from Stacy, but is forced to talk to Victor who summons him to a meeting with Gus. At the Los Pollos Hermanos Factory Farm, Gus accuses Mike of being aware of Nacho's plot against Hector. Mike admits that he did, and while he agreed not to kill Hector, he points out that he never agreed to stop others from doing it. Realizing that Gus has a job for him, Mike demands to know what it is.

In Denver, Colorado, Mike meets a Frenchman in a wooded section of the Rocky Mountains. Hooding him, Mike and his associate, Nick, drive him in a windowless van to Albuquerque. Underneath the Lavandería Brillante, the Frenchman conducts a cursory evaluation and believes that he can excavate a new basement in at least six months. Mike thanks him for his time and then drives him back to the Rockies with a return plane ticket. Later, Mike transports another structural engineer, Werner Ziegler, to Lavandería Brillante. Werner's inspection is much more thorough and talks about the logistical challenges of the excavation without alerting anyone above. Gus arrives and asks if the job is impossible. Werner replies that it is not, but will be difficult, dangerous, and expensive. Gus hires him for the job.

Mike and Gus inspect a warehouse with mobile homes that will be home to Werner's construction crew. Mike suggest adding recreational equipment to stop the crew from getting cabin fever since they will be sequestered for up to a year working on excavating the Lavandería Brillante basement. Mike also advises Gus to set up a surveillance camera perimeter both inside and outside the warehouse. Travelling to Stacy's home, Mike apologizes for his outburst at the group meeting. Stacy accepts the apology but tells him that Anita is angry and that he should talk to her. Mike greets the construction crew and outlines everything to them. One of the crew, Kai, disrespects Mike, causing him to tell Nick and Arthur to keep an eye on him.

Mike collects Werner and his crew from the warehouse and transports them by van to Lavandería Brillante where, over the course of eight months they are continuing to excavate the secret basement. While Mike and Werner discuss blasting a section, Casper backs a front-loader into one of the support columns. The incident sparks a confrontation between Casper and Kai that Mike is forced to break up. Later at the warehouse, Werner asks Mike if it is possible to get some fresh air and change of scenery since they are eight months into the dig and are only half-way done. Kai insults Mike some more, and Mike wants to send him back to Germany by Werner is reluctant since Kai is his best demolition man.

Mike takes Werner and his workers to a strip club to relax. Kai particularly enjoys himself, but Mike notices that Werner is sitting alone. He takes him to a normal bar where they talk about their fathers and families. Eventually, Mike is called back to the strip club by Nick where he finds that Kai has been thrown out for making unwanted advances on one of the dancers. Mike bribes the owner of the strip club to not call the police. Returning to the bar where he left Werner, Mike finds him drunkenly talking about the excavation project with another patron and then drives him away. Back at the warehouse, Werner apologizes for talking and promises that it will not happen again. Mike gives a report on the excavation to Gus, telling him about the problems they are facing and about Werner's indiscretion.

Mike oversees the blasting of a rock obstructing the excavation, noticing that when Werner fixes a faulty circuit he appears to have an anxiety attack. As the construction crew celebrate at the warehouse, Werner admits that he is homesick and wants to have a weekend back home with his wife. Mike cannot allow that and encourages Werner to push on, but agrees to let him call her on the telephone. Mike monitors the call, and finds the next day that Werner has used a laser pointer to blind the security cameras and escaped from the warehouse.

At the warehouse, Mike organizes a manhunt for Werner and finds out where his wife wired money to. Mike starts at the TravelWire office where Werner's wife wired the money to, and finds out that he has arranged for his wife to fly to Albuquerque. Victor arrives and tells Mike that Gus wants to see him, and Mike realizes that Gus intends to kill both Werner and his wife. Mike takes responsibility for the entire situation and promises to handle it before the wife lands. Driving to Werner's location, Mike notices that he is being followed by Lalo Salamanca. He manages to give him the slip at a parking lot. Mike finally arrives at Werner's location, but not before Werner lets slip information about the excavation to Lalo, who was posing as one of Gus's men during a phone call. Driving Werner to a remote location, Mike calls Gus to tell him that he was followed and to persuade Gus to spare Werner. Gus is adamant that Werner die; Mike allows him to contact his wife and tell her to return to Germany. Ensuring his wife is spared, Werner accepts his fate and Mike executes him. The next day, Mike, Gus, and Gale Boetticher visit the excavation.

Season 5

Werner's death forces Gus to halt construction of the lab. Mike reacts with disgust at Gus's seeming lack of compassion for Werner and refuses Gus' offer to continue paying him during the delay. Mike continues to struggle with Werner's death and drinks to excess, leading to an encounter with a group of gangbangers, during which Mike breaks their leader's arm. He becomes alienated from his family when he loses his temper with Kaylee, which leads Stacey to ask Mike to keep his distance.

Mike eventually has another encounter with the vengeful gangbangers, who beat and stab him. He awakens at a ranch in Mexico which has ties to Gus, where his wounds have been treated by Dr. Barry Goodman. Gus asks for his aid against the Salamancas because Mike understands Gus' need for revenge. Mike secretly points police to Lalo's car and its ties to the murder of Fred the money wire clerk, which causes Lalo's arrest. Gus wants Lalo released, so Mike gives Jimmy details about the work he did to investigate to Lalo. Jimmy uses the information to accuse police of witness tampering, enabling him to win Lalo's release on bail. Mike spends time with Kaylee and tells Stacey he is over the recent events that angered him.

After a gang robs Saul in the desert of Lalo's bail money, Mike rescues him from danger, killing all but one of the gangsters with his sniper rifle. However, Mike's truck takes damage in the firefight forcing him to use Saul's car. On the way home, Mike tries to comfort Saul, noticing how shaken up he is. However, Saul's car took engine damage in the firefight and breaks down. Mike removes the money and the gas cap, containing one of Gus' tracking devices and he and a reluctant Saul push the car off the road over a cliff.

With one guy having escaped, Mike leaves the road with Saul to walk across the desert back, becoming annoyed with Saul's antics along the way. The two notice the surviving guy nearby searching for them, meaning that he found Saul's car. The two continue on, eventually stopping for the night. Mike becomes concerned when Saul reveals that he told Kim Wexler the truth, worrying about what she might do and warning that Kim is "in the game now" since she knows the truth.

The next morning, the two continue their journey with Mike having Saul save his urine to drink since Mike doesn't have enough water for both of them. Saul eventually resorts to dragging the bags, ripping one and causing some of the money to spill out. After injuring himself on a cactus, Saul collapses and refuses to go further despite Mike's insistence. Mike explains that he continues on because he has people he cares about and protects, people who know nothing about what Mike is doing and who will be safe with a better life if he dies. With the remaining gangster approaching again, Saul dons one of Mike's space blankets and walks into the middle of the road to draw the man out so that Mike can kill him. Thanks to Saul's distraction, Mike succeeds in killing the remaining gang member, but the man crashes his truck in the process, keeping Saul and Mike from being able to use his vehicle to return to civilization. Mike's shots also destroy the man's water much to Mike's dismay. However, filled with renewed purpose, Saul drinks his urine and picks up the money bags to continue the journey with Mike, now walking down the road since the threat is gone.

After continuing their arduous journey for awhile, Saul finally gets a signal and calls Kim. Saul and Mike make their way to a truck stop where they properly hydrate before being picked up by Victor and Tyrus Kitt. The two reveal that Gus' men have recovered the bodies and vehicles of the gang aside from Tiburón who died out in the middle of nowhere and may never be found which Mike is satisfied with. Mike subsequently reports on the misadventure to Gus, suggesting that the gang was Columbian based on his past experiences. After Mike draws the gang's tattoo, Gus realizes that Juan Bolsa hired them and calls Bolsa before explaining to Mike that Bolsa was protecting the cartel's interests by protecting theirs. With Lalo fleeing to Mexico now, Gus warns that they must be very careful and shrugs off Mike's suggestion of letting Nacho go or at least to stop blackmailing him. After a rough day at court, Saul meets with Mike and seeks his advice on dealing with the trauma he suffered. Mike tells Saul that he's started down a road with his choices and he has to live with where that leads him. Saul is somewhat disgruntled that Mike is the only person he can talk to about everything he has gone through and expresses anger that Lalo will get away with the murder of Fred Whalen. Mike assures him that Lalo won't and suggests that there is a plan in the works to deal with Lalo though he refuses to divulge any information to Saul.

That night, after Lalo discovers the wrecked car, Mike repeatedly calls Saul to warn him while racing to his and Kim's apartment. Mike finally gets Saul as Lalo knocks and orders Saul to leave the phone somewhere hidden so Mike can listen in. Setting up on a nearby rooftop, Mike covers Kim and Saul with his sniper rifle as Lalo demands answers, but Kim inadvertently gets in the way of Mike's shot while arguing with Lalo. Mike keeps Lalo in his sights as he departs the apartment and leaves with Nacho for an unknown destination in Mexico.

Jimmy picks up the phone from which Mike had been listening into the encounter with Lalo, and asks Mike what happens next. Mike just tells him "we'll see" and remarks that Kim saved him in that situation. Jimmy admits to Kim the truth about his desert trek with Mike when she asks who he just called.

Mike meets Gus at the burned down Los Pollos Hermanos, Los Lunas restaurant and informs him that Lalo and Nacho went to Lalo's Chihuahua home. Gus reveals to Mike he has sent assassins after Lalo and suggests Nacho can help them. Later on, Jimmy goes to Mike's house and asks Mike about who he works for and about the situation with Lalo. Mike tells him he's not allowed to know this information, but still reveals that Lalo will be killed that night.

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.

At Nacho's house, his junkie girlfriends Amber and Jo are lazing around when Mike, Tyrus, and Arthur arrive and walk in unannounced. Mike tells the panicking girls that Nacho isn't coming back and gives them a bundle of money, instructing them to leave town and never return. After the girls leave, Mike searches the house while Arthur uses a large power drill to break into Nacho's safe. Inside, Mike finds stacks of cash as well as two fake Manitoba IDs for Nacho and his father Manuel. He puts the money and Nacho's ID card in a sack while pocketing Manuel's ID card. Victor drives a duplicate safe to the house, into which Mike places the money and Nacho's ID card, as well as a sealed white envelope. 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.

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. Mike recovers Nacho from a hidden compartment in the back of a Los Pollos Hermanos truck. After Nacho is given a meal, he asks, "When?" "Tomorrow", Mike replies. The two are approached by Victor, who says that Gus thinks that Nacho is "too pretty". Victor suggests that he take care of Nacho—meaning to beat him up—but Mike insists that he will handle it himself and tells Victor to leave. Mike retrieves a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from a nearby locker, and shares a solemn drink with Nacho.

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. While Mike watches and trains his rifle on the location, Gus, Tyrus, and Victor meet with Juan Bolsa, Hector Salamanca, and the Cousins to hand Nacho over. Nacho claims he killed Lalo while working with a rival family, the Alvarezes. He further absolves Gus by admitting he tried to kill Hector, but that Gus saved him. Because he does not trust Gus, rather than attempt to flee, Nacho uses the piece of broken glass seen in the opening to free himself from his restraints, seize Bolsa's gun, and kill himself. As Gus and his men depart, the Cousins assist Hector to fire bullets into Nacho's lifeless body. Mike places his rifle in its carrying case and walks back to the road so Gus, Tyrus, and Victor can pick him up.

At the El Camino restaurant, Mike accosts Kim and tells her that the men in the sedan were working for him. He explains that, contrary to what Kim has been told, Lalo is still alive; Kim is quietly horrified by the news. He further explains that she and Jimmy are being watched in case Lalo tries to contact with them, even though he considers it unlikely that he will. Kim realizes that Mike is "the guy from the desert" who saved Jimmy's life. She asks why Mike is giving her this information instead of Jimmy, to which he replies, "Because I think you're made of sterner stuff." He advises her to ignore being followed from this point on, telling her that the ordeal will soon be over. As Mike is about to leave, Kim comes to another realization: he used to be the parking booth attendant at the courthouse. Mike simply says, "I was." Kim is left shaken.

Gus is making 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.

After Kim 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.

After Gus kills Lalo during a gunfight in the superlab, he 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.

A few years later, in 2008, Mike visits Saul to update him on his clients. He sees Saul laying on the floor of his office using a swinger for his feet and threatens to leave if he doesn't turn it off, which he does. After Saul gets in his chair, Mike begins filling him in and, at Saul's request, provides him background about Walter White: a high school chemistry teacher-turned-meth manufacturer and dealer under the moniker of "Heisenberg", working with Jesse Pinkman after being diagnosed with Stage 3A lung cancer. Mike cautions Saul not to stick with Walter as he is an amateur in the business who will get himself either caught or killed if the cancer doesn't get him first, but Saul sees value within him due to his Blue Sky meth that is sweeping the market. Mike continues talking about an unrelated matter, but Saul zones out of the conversation.

Breaking Bad

By time of Breaking Bad, Mike still works for Gus, and does occasional work for Jimmy, who continues practicing law under the name Saul Goodman.

Mike and Saul later track down the identity of Walt, Mike tracks Walt down at his residence, and later place of work, J. P. Wynne High School, by posing as the grandfather of a student.

Season 2

Saul manages to arrange a meeting with Gus for Walt and Jesse to make a deal about selling Walt's Blue Sky. It's heavily implied that Mike is the middleman between Saul and Gus; as Saul says he "knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy"

After Jane overdoses on heroin, Walt calls Saul for advice; which in response, Saul sends Mike to remove all incriminating that could link to drug use. He instructs Jesse on what procedure to follow and what to tell the paramedics (or cops) when they show up: "I woke up, I found her. That's all I know." Shortly thereafter, Jesse flees to the shooting gallery, devastated by Jane's death. Concerned about his well-being, Walt has Mike drive him to the drug den to retrieve Jesse.

Season 3

A few weeks later, Saul hires Mike to spy on Skyler, who they fear may tell the authorities what she knows about Walt's criminal activities. While Mike is installing microphones outside the White residence, Walt shows up unexpectedly and breaks into his own home. Mike avoids being seen by Walt, coolly making his way back to his car. Watching through the windshield, Mike observes The Cousins' entry into Walt's house. He phones an associate of Gus, warning him of Walt's imminent murder.

After his surveillance reveals discord in the White household, Mike takes his recordings to Saul's office. Hearing on the tape that Walt plans to visit Ted Beneke at his office, Saul sends Mike to stop him. Finding Walt already being escorted out of Beneke Fabricators by security, Mike twists Walt's arms, throws him into the back of his car, and takes him back to Saul's office. There, Saul tries to rationalize with Walt about his erratic behavior, but Walt is angered by a comment made about his wife and attacks Saul. Mike, though off the clock, eventually steps in to stop him. He then takes Walt home where Walt has demanded all recording equipment be removed from his home.

Mike obliges, then is escorted by Walt back to his car. Mike remarks "Y'know, Walter, sometimes it's not so bad to have someone watching your back," having noticed that the Cousins have left a scythe chalked on the pavement outside the house. He later provides Gus with information on Walt's health issues, suggesting that he use the threat of the Cousins to get Walt producing meth again, but Gus refuses, saying that fear should only be used for motivation as a final resource.

Later, on Gus's orders, the Cousins attack Hank, but the attack fails as Gus arranges for Hank to be tipped off one minute before the shooting. Despite being shot four times, Hank manages to kill Marco and severely injures Leonel. Gus later learns from Juan Bolsa that Leonel survived the attack, and furthermore learns that Bolsa is aware that Gus authorized the hit on Hank contrary to Bolsa's restrictions on the DEA. In response, Gus personally delivers chicken from Los Pollos Hermanos to the police standing vigil at the hospital, distracting them while Mike sneaks into Leonel's room and delivers him a lethal injection. Mike then disposes of the syringe in a nearby garbage can, unnoticed by Walt and Steven Gomez.

A few days later, Mike pays Walt a visit at his home, calling it a "professional courtesy", as Walt wants to get Jesse arrested on a misdemeanor charge and temporarily placed in a minimum security jail, so that Jesse won't go after the drug dealers who orchestrated Combo's murder. Mike refuses to help Walt with this scheme as Gus wouldn't approve of it. In an attempt to appeal to Walt's better sense, Mike retells a detailed story about his days as a beat cop. He relates that at one point, he had to deal with a domestic dispute issue between a husband and wife. The man would beat his wife continually and Mike would have to repeatedly take the man away to the precinct jail for the night and then send him back home in the morning, since the woman wouldn't press charges. During one of these instances, Mike became particularly enraged by the man's abuse, so he took him out of the city, beat him, and held a gun to his head, threatening to kill him if he ever beat his wife again. However, weeks later, the man kills his wife. Mike tells Walt that by warning the man instead of killing him, he used a "half measure" to resolve the problem, which proved ineffective and he should have instead taken the "full measure". Mike advises Walt not to take any half measures with Jesse and then leaves.

Later on, after Walt kills two dealers working for Gus (who Jesse was gunning for because they killed the child they punked to do their dirty work for them), Mike sets out to find Jesse. He intimidates Saul into giving him information on Jesse's whereabouts, but Saul deftly slips him a false address.

Around this same time, four cartel gunmen are sent up to New Mexico to kidnap Duane Chow, Gus's chemical supplier. Mike shows up and kills all four gunmen, then shoots Chow in the hand for not keeping Gus in the loop. Mike and Gus examine the gunmen's passports, and conclude that the cartel are probing for weaknesses in Gus's operation.

After the next cook, Mike is suddenly told that he and Victor must kill Walt. Walt begs for his life and offers up Jesse in exchange. They unwittingly allow Walt to give Jesse a call, but he uses this opportunity to give Jesse an order to kill Gale Boetticher, whom Gus is grooming to be Walt's replacement in the superlab. Mike holds Walt at gunpoint as Victor races to Gale's apartment to stop Jesse.

Season 4

Victor gets to Gale's apartment, minutes after Jesse kills Gale. Victor hauls Jesse back to the lab. Mike asks Victor if he was seen by witnesses and Victor admitts that he was seen. Mike calls Gus to inform him of Gale's murder. Mike, along with the other three, wait for Gus. They have all made mistakes and are uneasy about Gus's arrival. When Gus finally does arrive, he executes Victor by slitting his throat with a boxcutter, which startles Mike who instinctively pulls his weapon. He is then compelled to oversee Walt and Jesse's disposal of Victor's corpse, which they liquefy using hydrofluoric acid.

The next time, Walt tracks down Mike at a bar, buys him a drink, and attempts to convince him to help bring Gus down. Instead of joining Walt, Mike punches Walt, knocking him to the ground, then departs, rudely thanking him for the drink.

A few days later, Mike, anticipating trouble, is assigned to guard duty, riding in the back of a Los Pollos Hermanos refrigerator truck that is transporting meth. Two gunmen force the truck off the road. After killing the driver, they empty their guns into the back of the truck, trying to kill anyone inside. Although Mike survives, he finds that one bullet has taken off a bit of his right ear. Mike then shoots the gunmen when they climb into the truck.

Afterwards, Mike is notified by Tyrus Kitt of a thief stealing money from a rave at Jesse's house. The two catch the thief, then return to Jesse's house where they empty the house of all guests, then awaken Jesse to the news. Mike warns Jesse that his behavior is unacceptable and is on thin ice with Gus. Jesse surprises Mike by calling the play as a bluff. As a result, Mike reports this to Gus and gets the permission for some disciplinary actions.

On Gus's orders, Mike has Jesse accompany him as he drives around to various drop sites where Gus's dealers have deposited their payments. Mike is overtly annoyed by Jesse's physical, audible expressions of boredom and impatience. After listening to Jesse demand that Mike tell him what they're doing and why, Mike abruptly pulls the car over and angrily brings up the loss of Victor and his cluelessness as to why Jesse was ordered to come along.

Mike makes the final pickup of the evening at another abandoned warehouse. Mike enters the warehouse while Jesse stays outside in Mike's car. Jesse notices another vehicle arriving to block the alleyway while another man approaches Mike's car with a shotgun. Using Mike's Chrysler, Jesse rams the other vehicle and escapes, leaving Mike behind, but also leading away the pursuers. Mike is seen wandering the streets calling someone on his cell for a ride. Soon after, Jesse drives up in the Chrysler and relays what happened while Mike was inside the warehouse. Mike, sufficiently impressed, allows Jesse to smoke inside his now dented car.

Later, Mike and Gus rendezvous outside Los Pollos Hermanos to discuss the attempted robbery. Gus's objective has been to make Jesse believe he is a 'hero' and that Mike now owes Jesse (though Mike does seem puzzled about the logic of Gus's ultimate plan).

Some days later, another Los Pollos Hermanos truck is attacked by a different group of gunmen. The gunmen kill the driver and the two guards, then steal a fry batter bucket packed with meth. Mike and Jesse track down the meth to a local drug den. After briefly arguing over how to get into the house, Jesse begins digging a hole in the front lawn, luring out one of the tweakers. With their guard down, Mike and Jesse enter the house and recover the bucket, which Mike notices has a message from the cartel asking for Gus to arrange a meeting.

Mike works security for a meetup between Gus and the Cartel, but only Gaff shows up to offer Gus an ultimatum. Mike then leads an operation to clean up the Los Pollos Hermanos Factory Farm before Hank can investigate it. Gaff opens fire on them while they're moving evidence over to a truck, killing one of Mike's men, but Mike manages to save Jesse's life.

Mike and Jesse accompany Gus to Mexico where Jesse will teach the cartel chemist how to cook Blue Sky. At a party afterward, Gus poisons many cartel members and Mike garrotes Gaff. Gus drank some of the poison himself and is severely weakened despite his effort to vomit it all out. As the trio hobble to a car with Gus when attempting to escape, Mike is shot by one of the cartel members, Joaquin Salamanca. Jesse kills Joaquin and flees in a stolen car with Mike and Gus.

Mike tells Jesse to drive to a warehouse where there is a doctor waiting for them. At first the doctors only seem concerned about Gus, frustrating Jesse, but eventually they get around to treating Mike after explaining, "This man pays my salary" (referring to Gus). Mike is given ample blood transfusions, stitched up, but has to stay in Mexico for at least a week to recuperate while Gus and Jesse return to the States. Gus indicates to Jesse that he will send for him when he is well enough to travel.

Season 5

Mike is recuperating at the temporary medical facility in Mexico. Upon being informed of Gus's death, Mike angrily leaves the facility to return to New Mexico, intent on killing Walt in retribution. However, Walt and Jesse manage to convince Mike stand down as he is also implicated in Gus's meth making operation via the video evidence from the superlab. Mike begrudgingly agrees to help them execute a plan to break into Albuquerque PD's parking lot and use a giant magnet to destroy Gus's laptop, which contains the video evidence, through an exterior wall.

The plan to destroy the laptop is appears to be successful, but Walt and Jesse leave the equipment behind during their escape, which Mike chastises them for as the police might be able to trace it back to the trio. Walt egotistically dismisses Mike's concerns.

Later, when Walt and Jesse visit Mike at home to see if he will work with them as they continue their meth operation. Mike refuses, insisting that Walt is a time bomb waiting to explode. Walt and Jesse agree to go on without Mike.

Mike meanwhile, meets with Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, Gus's contact at Madrigal. She's worried that Gus's employees will turn on them, and suggests that Mike kill them before they talk. Mike refuses, insisting that he vetted his men with great care and Gus made sure they'd be taken care of in the event he was killed.

Mike is later summoned to the DEA office to be interviewed by Hank and Gomez, who are now investigating Gus's death. Mike explains to Hank and Gomez that he worked for Los Pollos Hermanos as the head of corporate security. Hank doesn't buy his story, but admits he doesn't have enough evidence to arrest Mike. Mike prepares to leave, only for Hank to ask about the money in Mike's granddaughter's name. Mike pauses, as Hank explains that Gus had about a dozen offshore bank accounts in the names of various employees on his payroll, including the manager of the laundry facility, various employees at the Los Pollos distribution center, the owner of a chemical warehouse, and many others, all of whom Hank believes were getting paid off the books. Hank believes the offshore account in Kaylee's name is actually for Mike. Mike, resistant to their pressure even with the knowledge that the DEA has seized his money, denies that the offshore account is his even when they attempted to "bribe" him by saying Kaylee may be able to keep from of the money. The fact that he hasn't touched the account is in fact the sole reason he isn't being arrested.

Lydia, meanwhile, still wants all of Gus's employees killed. With Mike turning her down, she approaches Chris Mara, who agrees to do it for $10,000 per victim (triple for Mike). Chris goes to Chow's house, forces him to call Mike to ask to meet with him, then proceeds to shoot Chow in the head. Mike realizes it's a trap and manages to take Chris by surprise, disarming him. Chris confesses to Lydia's part and informs Mike that he took the job in desperation due to the DEA seizing all of his money. Mike regretfully shoots Chris four times through the chest, killing him.

Angered about the death of two of his own men, Mike goes after Lydia, ambushing her in her home, where she lives alone with her five-year old daughter. Lydia is accepting of her impending death, but Mike is perplexed when Lydia asks Mike to allow her dead body to be found by her daughter. Lydia explains that her daughter would not believe that she abandoned her. Mike refrains from shooting Lydia and instead asks her if she can get access to more methylamine, to which Lydia replies, "Maybe. Why?". Mike then calls Walt to accept the offer from earlier.

Mike becomes the distributor to Walt's new operation and insists that Walt and Jesse solely concentrate on the production without interfering at all with the business aspects of the operation that Mike will handle. Walt dismissively agrees.

The group enlists the help of Saul to find a new place to cook. Saul is initially hesitant to work with Mike considering the previous threats to him, but the two quickly dismiss it. Eventually, the group is introduced to Ira, Todd Alquist, and their team at Vamonos Pest.

On a prison visit to Dennis Markowski, the laundry manager, Mike promises he will reimburse all his employees for the hazard pay the DEA seized in order to keep them and their families appeased. Walt is angered by the cut of the operation's profits that is being put aside by Mike for this purpose.

Mike calls Lydia and warns her just moments before the DEA comes to Madrigal Electromotive GmbH. Later, when Jesse meets with Lydia to retrieve a barrel of methylamine, the two discover a GPS tracking device planted on the exterior bottom of the barrel. When Jesse informs Mike of the device and the possibility of Lydia's stock being tracked by the DEA, Mike is dubious. He notes the sloppiness of a GPS tracking device planted on the exterior ("even by cop standards") and suspects Lydia herself planted the device in an effort to end their business dealings. Seeing Lydia as a serious risk to the operation now, Mike prepares to leave to kill her, but Walt sees ramping down production as unacceptable and, along with Jesse, convince Mike to try a different method.

Mike puts Lydia to gunpoint as she calls the DEA and gets the issue resolved. Mike decides to let Lydia go when she proves herself worthy by offering them a chance to rob methylamine from a freight train. Mike helps rob the train, standing far away and making sure all goes swiftly. When a little bit of trouble happens, he urges Walt, Jesse, and Todd to abort the mission, but, Walt being Walt, gives in a fight and denies giving up. They win over the methylamine and get away safely. Mike doesn't witness Todd killing the kid, but gets mad over it. Mike and Walt vote that Todd continue working with them, and tells Jesse it's because they can't be paying him a large amount for him to keep quiet. Todd stays with the group, but Mike shoves him to the wall and threatens to kill him if he brings a gun to a job without informing Mike again. Todd agrees to not do this again, and Mike lets him go.

In a flashback to before they announced their decision to leave Walt's meth business, Mike and Jesse discuss what they will do their money with Mike telling Jesse he plans to do the same thing he's done with all of his other money with his cut. Stating that he thinks he should leave town, Jesse asks Mike where he would go if Mike was in Jesse's position. Mike tells Jesse that if he were Jesse's age and starting fresh, Mike would go to Alaska which is the last frontier and a place where a person could be anything they want. Jesse finds this idea appealing and tells Mike that he'd like to start over make amends for past wrongdoing, but Mike regretfully states that that is the one thing Jesse can never do, cautioning Jesse that starting over would make that impossible.

Later, as he is being watched by the DEA, Mike writes a note and puts it under a garbage can. The DEA think that he is performing a 'dead drop', so when Mike leaves Gomez goes over to the garbage can only to find a note 'Fuck you' written on it. Mike gets fed up with the DEA following him, and convinces Jesse to give in and have a buyout. At first, Walt is mad at only Jesse, but then tries to convince both. But neither listen. Mike tells Walt they're selling every last gallon to a man he knows. Walt goes to steal it, only to be caught. Mike pats him down and ties him to a radiator. Mike talks to Saul, and upon returning to find the methylamine gone, he goes into the room, sees Jesse and Walt, puts Walt at gunpoint, only listening to Jesse saying, "He's got a plan, it works for all of us." "Is that true Walter?" Mike asks, giving him a chance. Walt looks fearless as he says, "Everybody wins."

Mike, Walt, and Jesse deal with Declan. Mike says goodbye to Jesse. Mike works with a crooked lawyer named Dan Wachsberger, but his final attempt to "quit" goes bad when Wachsberger is arrested by Gomez while depositing money into his nine former co-workers' boxes. His money is taken and as a last ditch effort Mike asks Saul to get his money he stashed in an airport car. Walt offers to make the delivery in exchange. Walt asks Mike for the names of the employees in exchange for the money. Mike refuses however and rips the bag from Walt's hand and walks away.

An angered Walt sarcastically tells Mike "You're welcome". Mike turns back and demands what Walt said and Walt once again demands the names, saying Mike owes him that. Mike snaps that he doesn't owe Walt a damn thing and that them falling apart is all his fault. An ignorant Walt laughs at this and berates Mike for blaming him for his "failure" of getting followed by the DEA. Mike, now furious at Walt, takes the opportunity to rant at Walt that all the disasters that have occurred since he killed Gus are his fault due his pride and ego and claims had he done his job and known his place they'd all be fine right now.

Mike then walks back to his car and, in a fit of rage, Walt storms over and shoots Mike in the stomach with his own revolver, which he fails to realize is missing from his bag too late. Mike hits the gas on his car and drives away but crashes not far away, as Walt looks on in shock at what he has just done. Mike manages to escape only a few yards down a river bank because of his bullet wound and sits down on a log overlooking the river, accepting his impending death. Walt approaches him carefully and takes his pistol out of his hand to which Mike does not interfere. Walt realizes he could have just asked Lydia for the names, tries to apologize to Mike, but Mike merely replies "Shut the fuck up, and let me die in peace." They stare at the river in silence as Mike dies, falling to the ground.

Legacy

His corpse is briefly seen in Walter's trunk while Todd and Walt prepare to dispose of it. Walt lies to Todd and claims that Mike's death was necessary and had to be done to which Todd doesn't question. Jesse arrives and questions about Mike and Walt merely replies "He's gone". His corpse is later dissolved in acid.

A guilt ridden Jesse later tries to give $2.5 million to Mike's granddaughter, Kaylee through Saul however Walt stops it and returns Jesse his money. After Walt questions him, Jesse claims he did it because Kaylee needs someone looking after her and correctly deduces that Mike is dead and that Walt knows that. Walt is offended and lies that he did not kill Mike and begs Jesse to believe him.

Later however when lashing at Walt for manipulating him to leave town Jesse brings up that he will kill him the same way he killed Mike if he disobeys, showing that he did not fall for Walt's previous lie.

Mike is mentioned for a final time by Saul whilst he and Walt are hiding in Ed Galbraith's basement. Saul points out to Walt that it is impossible to get his remaining money to his family and uses Mike as an example; pointing out that Mike was no dummy but every time he attempted to get his money to his granddaughter it was taken and ended up in "Uncle Sam's pockets".

After Breaking Bad

His conversation with Mike about where he would go if given the chance to start over inspires Jesse to move to Alaska with the help of Ed Galbraith after escaping from Jack Welker's Compound.

While arguing with Kim about turning themselves in, Saul reveals 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 Howard's widow Cheryl Hamlin and the district attorney with an affidavit revealing the truth about Howard'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.

Statistics

Tier: 10-A

Name: Michael Ehrmantraut, Mike Ehrmantraut, Mike, Michael, Uncle Fester, Billy Jackoff, Pop Pop, Dave Clarke, Barry Hedberg, Duane ("Madrigal")

Origin: Breaking Bad

Sex: Male

Age: 60-64 ("Uno"), 65-69 ("Say My Name")

Classification: Human, Police Officer, Ticket Booth guard, Head of Security at Los Pollos Hermanos, Private Investigator, Hitman / Assassin

Status: Deceased (Mike was murdered by Walter White after he insulted Walter's ego[1])

Alignment: True Neutral

Dimensionality: 3-D

Attack Potency: Athlete level, Peak Human with Guns

Durability: Athlete level

Striking Strength: Athlete Class

Lifting Strength: Average Human

Travel Speed: Athletic Human

Combat Speed: Athletic Human

Reaction Speed: Athletic Human

Stamina: Above Average

Range:

Intelligence:


Powers and Abilities


Equipment


Other

Standard Tactics:

Weaknesses: Mike is a old man although this has never actually been a issue for him before in combat. Mike gets angry when people ask him about his son[2]. Mike formerly suffered from alcoholism and depression before he killed his sons murders[3]. Mike openly regrets taking his first bribe which lead him down this route[4]. He was willing to kill Werner who was a innocent man just because his boss was afraid of their entire operation being revealed even though Mike didn't even want to do it[5]. He has limits to killing people though such as when he didn't kill Walter just because of Jesse[6]. Normal human weaknesses otherwise

Trivia

Trivia for Mike
  • Mike is one of only five characters that appears in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and El Camino, the others being Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, Ed Galbraith, and Austin Ramey.
    • Huell Babineaux appears in countdown videos prior to the release of El Camino, but does not appear in the film itself.
    • Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle get indirectly mentioned in El Camino, but do not appear in the film itself.
  • Mike's debut as Saul's "cleaner" was originally written for Saul himself, but a scheduling conflict prevented Bob Odenkirk from doing the scene. In addition to necessitating the creation of the character of Mike, this changed Saul's characterization going forward.
  • Mike, Jimmy, Kim, and Chuck are the only main characters featured in the pilot episode "Uno" that also appear in the series finale "Saul Gone".
  • Mike's surname "Ehrmantraut" was not revealed until episode 11 of Season 4, "Crawl Space". It was seen briefly on a shelf label in the medical tent, where bags of typed-and-matched blood for Gus, Mike, and Jesse were stored. It was never spoken until episode 2 of Season 5A, "Madrigal". Mike is called in for an interview by the DEA, to be conducted by Hank and Steve Gomez, and just before it begins, Hank asks Mike if it is pronounced "Air-min-trout", and Mike tells him "Close enough." Later, though, Mike himself pronounces it as "Er-min-trout."
  • The name "Ehrmantraut" has appeared before in Vince Gilligan's works; it's the surname of one of Gilligan's friends from Richmond, Virginia. In the Gilligan-penned X-Files episode "Tithonus" (6x10), a Ms. Ehrmantraut is the subject of one of Mulder and Scully's many dull background checks. Mulder: "In the time that you worked with Ms. Ehrmantraut, did you find her to be a trustworthy person?" "Punctual, huh? Yeah uh, punctual is good."
    • Ehrmantraut is a rather unique and old-fashioned German name. In the Better Call Saul episode "Something Stupid", Werner gives an etymology to Mike, saying that it means "world" and "strength." This origin points to Mike's name being an Anglicized version of the German surname "Ehrmanntraut," itself a metronymic derivative of a German female first name, comprised of the parts "Irmin," meaning "world" and "all-encompassing," and "Trud," meaning strength.
      • The words "Ehr" and "man" can alternatively be translated as "man of honor", while the suffix "traut" comes from the Middle High German trûen, trûwen ("to believe", "to trust", "to hope") closely related to "Treue" ("loyalty", "fidelity").[1]
  • In "Cornered", Mike refers to men he wants hired as soldiers as "operators" which is what Tier 1 Special Forces soldiers are officially designated as. In "Gloves Off", it's heavily implied that Mike was a Marine Scout Sniper during the Vietnam War, mentioning his familiarity with the M40 bolt-action rifle, which was standard for snipers during the Vietnam War, and even going as far as to mention the primary issue the rifles had at that time, which was warping and contortion of the wood stock (caused by humidity, exposure to sunlight, and exposure to water).
  • Mike has used or owned a number of guns throughout both series:
    • SIG Sauer P225: Mike's off-duty police weapon which he also utilizes for a time in Albuquerque. ("Five-O")-("Bali Ha'i")
    • Taurus Model 85: Hidden by Mike in Jack Fensky and Troy Hoffman's patrol car and then used to kill them in revenge for the murder of his son. ("Five-O") Mike later loaned one to Jesse Pinkman and then used it himself during the Cartel sniper attack. ("Problem Dog")-("Bug")
    • Smith & Wesson Model 629 Performance Center: Mike's primary sidearm during Better Call Saul starting in late Season 2. ("Nailed")-("Fun and Games")
    • M40A1 rifle: Mike's sniper rifle which he originally considered buying from Lawson to assassinate Tuco Salamanca and then later bought to assassinate Hector Salamanca. Used a number of times against both the Cartel and one occasion, the Colombian Gang. ("Gloves Off")-("Rock and Hard Place")
    • Heckler & Koch Mark 23: Used by Mike against the Cartel's forces, once equipped with a silencer and once without. ("Full Measure")-("Bullet Points")
    • Beretta 92FS Inox: Stolen by Mike from the Cartel and then carried as his primary sidearm until Mike's death at the hands of Walter White. ("Salud")-("Say My Name")
    • Beretta 84F: Used by Mike to kill his traitorous former henchman Chris Mara and then to later threaten Lydia Rodarte-Quayle. ("Madrigal")
    • AK-47: One of a number of weapons dumped by Mike down an old well. ("Say My Name")
    • Colt Woodsman: One of a number of weapons dumped by Mike down an old well. ("Say My Name")
    • Taurus Model 605: A revolver kept in Mike's go bag that Walt later stole and used to kill him. ("Say My Name")
  • Despite Mike's extensive use of the Smith & Wesson Model 629 Performance Center and M40A1 rifle in Better Call Saul, neither weapon appears in Breaking Bad.
  • In an interview, Jonathan Banks stated that in his vision, Mike wouldn't have left Kaylee in the playground when the DEA found him. Nevertheless, he accepted the scene as it was, since he respects the writers. Banks expressed similar sentiments about Manuel Varga's reaction to the news of Nacho Varga's death.
  • Mike drives several cars throughout both series:
    • 1974 AMC Matador ("Talk")
    • 1988 Chrysler Fifth Avenue ("Alpine Shepherd Boy" - "Buyout")
    • 1987 Chevrolet Caprice Estate ("Klick" - "Mabel")
    • 1992 Buick LeSabre ("Witness" - "Problem Dog")
    • 1974 Ford F-Series ("Bagman")
    • 2010 Cadillac DTS ("Live Free or Die")
    • 2011 Dodge Charger ("Live Free or Die")
    • 1990 Buick Century ("Say My Name")
    • 1997 Buick Century ("Say My Name")
    • 1998 Suzuki Esteem ("Bagman")
  • Mike, along with Saul Goodman and Gustavo Fring, are the only three characters to be featured as main characters in both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad.
  • In Breaking Bad, Mike never meets Walter White Jr., Skyler White or Marie Schrader. He does, however, share a scene with Walter White Jr. and Skyler White in "Caballo Sin Nombre". In that aforementioned scene he doesn't directly interact with them, only watches them in the distance as they leave their house.
  • In Better Call Saul, Mike is the only character other than Jimmy McGill to interact with every main character, whether alive or in the case of Howard Hamlin, his corpse, although it is implied that the two previously interacted off-screen during Mike's time at the courthouse. He also shares a scene with Chuck McGill when he is sent by Jimmy to repair Chuck’s front door. ("Sabrosito")
  • Mike seems to have at least a simple understanding of Spanish, as he was able to translate the message to Gus on the Pollos Hermanos container ("¿Estás listo para platicar?"), though it's possible he may have just had Tyrus translate it, who does speak Spanish ("Cornered"). Mike also understood Gus' words in "Carrot and Stick" when he ordered them to bring Nacho's father ("Tráeme al padre de Varga"). He also speaks some German.
  • The writers of Breaking Bad created the character of Mike Ehrmantraut as a substitute for Saul Goodman, when actor Bob Odenkirk was unavailable for the second season finale "ABQ" because of a commitment to appear in How I Met Your Mother. They cast Jonathan Banks because they admired his work in the 1980s police drama Wiseguy. Banks himself thought he would come on and do the role for "ABQ", but had been impressed by working alongside Aaron Paul in that scene, and with the overall direction that Vince Gilligan had provided for the episode. Banks considered his character close to that of Max von Sydow's Joubert from Three Days of the Condor, an assassin that painted figurines on the side. Following Mike's death in the fifth season episode "Say My Name", Banks said this did not surprise him because he always believed the character would die at some point.

References

References for Mike
  1. Breaking Bad, Season 5, Episode 7 "Say My Name"
  2. Better Call Saul, Season 5, Episode 2, "50% Off"
  3. Better Call Saul, Season 1, Episode 6, "Five-O"
  4. Better Call Saul, Season 6, Episode 13, "Saul Gone"
  5. Better Call Saul, Season 4, Episode 10, "Winner"
  6. Breaking Bad, Season 5, Episode 1, "Live Free or Die"

Gallery

Images & Artwork

Battle Records

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