Why Did Nacho Take Out Hector Salamanca? Exploring the Complex Motivations in Better Call Saul
In the riveting neo-Western crime drama Better Call Saul, viewers are treated to a story with all the complexity and moral ambiguity of an antihero-focused video game narrative. At the heart of Nacho Varga‘s character arc lies one definitive choice – poisoning the notorious Hector Salamanca by swapping his heart medication. This Machiavellian power move leaves Hector debilitated and kicks off a chain reaction that ultimately leads to Nacho‘s untimely death.
Nacho‘s Background – A Conflicted Criminal With Good Intentions
To appreciate Nacho‘s motivations, one must first understand his background. Nacho has long been embedded within the Albuquerque underworld and the Salamanca cartel operations, but retains his morality and desire to protect his father from the worst of the violence and mayhem. His balancing act of staying in the good graces of psychos like Tuco while resisting full corruption makes him arguably the most complex and relateable character in the show.
| Key Nacho Varga Character Details | |
|---|---|
| Background | Small-time criminal in Albuquerque, works for Tuco Salamanca‘s crew buying and re-selling stolen goods |
| Personality Profile | Pragmatic, intelligent, remaining moral compass, avoids violence when able |
| Motivations | Profit enough to support himself and his father, avoid cartels manipulating his father |
Like an expert RPG player controlling a complex player-character, Nacho displays strategic thinking and foresight as he maneuvers the tangled web of the cartels‘ politics and rivalries to protect himself and his family at all costs.
Striking Back Against Cartel Coercion of His Father
When Hector Salamanca draws Nacho‘s earnest, law-abiding father Manuel into the cover operation for his illegal activities, it represents the crossing of a clear moral line that compels Nacho to retaliate. Family above all else – this core value pushes Nacho to undermine and strike back against Hector by secretly swapping his nitroglycerin medication with ibuprofen pills, inducement a massive heart attack.
Neutralizing Hector eliminates the most immediate threat holding power over his father and buys Nacho vital time to plan their escape from the manipulative Salamanca grasp. While ruthless, the move highlights Nacho‘s devotion to his family and willingness to employ cutthroat tactics when loved ones are threatened – earning him sympathy and respect. His cunning resourcefulness in exploiting Hector‘s cardiovascular condition also shows strategic intelligence that would make him a formidable opponent in any crime fiction narrative.
| Key Events Compelling Nacho‘s Choice | Impact on Nacho‘s Motivations |
|---|---|
| Hector Salamanca forces Nacho‘s father to allow his upholstery shop to be used as a front for cartel cash pickups | Personal violation that threatens his father‘s safety, crosses moral line for Nacho |
| Nacho switches Hector‘s nitroglycerin medication for harmless ibuprofen pills | Incapacitates immediate threat Hector poses to his father |
| Hector survives but left paralyzed and mute from debilitating stroke | Removal of Hector allows Nacho opportunity to plan escape for himself and his father from the cartel |
A Cold Power Move to Solidify His Criminal Standing
Beyond just protecting Manuel, Nacho‘s calculated sabotage of Hector also serves to solidify his own standing within the Salamanca cartel and their allies. By showing his aptitude for bold, cunning actions when challenged, Nacho proves useful assets to dangerous players like Tuco while taking out a potential rival in Hector.
With Hector suddenly out of commission from his induced stroke, a power vacuum emerges that clever Nacho is poised to exploit. Eliminating the erratic, megalomaniacal Hector so definitively helps make Nacho indispensable to the Salamancas and their associate Juan Bolsa, buying him influence and leveraging his position as an experienced broker and middleman.
The stroke also forces the surviving Salamancas and Cartel associates to respect the lengths Nacho will go to when provoked. His ruthless capitalization on Hector‘s weakness displays a strikingly cold and methodical pragmatism – no doubt a substantial factor for Gus Fring reaching out to recruit him later as a double agent.
| How Poisoning Hector Advanced Nacho‘s Standing in the Criminal Underworld | Showcases Nacho as Formidable Player: |
|---|---|
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Final Views – Sympathy for the Conflicted Antihero
Nacho Varga treads the finest line in the Breaking Bad universe – retaining morality in an amoral world, protecting innocents amidst cycles of violence, a conflicted bane and blessing to all around him. His sinister exploitation shows that rigid codes can compel dark deeds, making him a nuanced and fascinating examination of the antihero archetype. With the deck stacked overwhelmingly against him, this adept player made the most cunning play left available, trading his soul for the slim hope of shielding his cherished father.
In the end, Nacho betrays the Salamancas to sacrifice himself for his father‘s safety, showing ultimate redemption. But that pivotal choice to poison Hector set forth the chain of unintended consequences that backed him tragically into a corner. Like the best tragic protagonists of stage and screen, Nacho earns both our sympathy and our moral ambiguity, a testament to masterful character-building and storytelling.
