Spoiler Alert: This Article Contains Spoilers for Better Call Saul
Better Call Saul is one of the most successful spin-off shows in the world. There are even some fans who can’t decide between Breaking Bad and its successor. On the one hand, there’s the bonafide genius Walter White, while on another there’s the incredibly witty Saul Goodman on the other. But even though both shows are legendary in their own way and adored among fans of the Breaking Bad universe, it’s safe to say that Better Call Saul is slower-paced and less violent than the original.
That doesn’t mean, though, that Better Call Saul lacks the excitement, thrill, and unpredictability of its predecessor. It’s just as intense and gruesome as the original, but overall it has fewer deaths. However, some characters’ deaths were done so masterfully that they shocked fans to the core. So, here are the five best Better Call Saul deaths ranked from worst to best.
5. Werner Ziegler
One of the best Better Call Saul deaths happens when Gus Fring brings a team of German engineers to secretly build an underground math lab where Walter White and Jessy Pinkman would later work in Breaking Bad. This entire plot is a winking nod to the fans of the original show, making it all the more well-set up and exciting. During this months-long and challenging project, Mike Ehrmantraut is in charge of overlooking the construction, and he ends up bonding with one of the main engineers, Werner Ziegler. But things start to go take the wrong turn when Werner starts missing his wife and decides to head home despite constantly being told he’s not allowed to. That’s when Mike gets clear instructions from Gus to track down the rebelled engineer and kill him.
The main reason this death is one of the best ones in the show is the fact that you don’t expect Mike to follow through. Even though Mike has a long history of criminal affairs, one thing that sets him apart is that he’s genuinely a good guy, but he’s surrounded by bad guys. But killing Werner is an important part of his character arc. He knows that Werner has to die, but he gives him a merciful death and helps him save his wife’s life. Mike also knows that the only way for him and his family to survive is to stay loyal to Fring and obey his rules. All these reasons make Werner Ziegler’s death one of the most satisfying ones in the show.
4. Lalo Salamanca
Lalo Salamanca is one of the main antagonists in Better Call Saul; He’s vicious, unpredictable, and pure evil, to say the least, which makes his death even more satisfying. He’s one of those villains you love to hate and is a perfect representation of the Salamanca cartel. After faking his own death, Lalo sets himself on a path to get his revenge and expose Gus Fring’s operations to the cartel. He goes above and beyond to achieve this goal, going as far as Germany to collect proof for his theory.
So, when he finally gets close to exposing the whole truth and takes Gus hostage, it appears like there’s no way out for anyone. But Gus manages to escape and shoots Lalo in the neck. Lalo dies fatally, giving Gus a chilling smile that says more than words. Lalo’s death is one of the best ones in Better Call Saul because it succeeds in sending chills down your spine. It’s exciting and unpredictable until the very end.
3. Nacho Varga
Another shocking death in Better Call Saul was definitely Nacho Varga’s self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Nacho was one of the fans’ favorite characters in the show because of his kind nature, good deeds, and morality. He was another guy who was hanging with the wrong crowd. When all his attempts to escape this life and leave the cartel go wrong, he ends up betraying Lalo and plotting his death with Fring. This is a big NO in the world, so Nacho’s death becomes inevitable once Lalo finds out about it.
Knowing this and wanting to protect his father, Nacho decides to surrender himself and die. However, he doesn’t want to let the Salamanca family enjoy it, so he kills himself before they get a chance to do it. Before shooting himself, he gives an outstanding monologue to the Salamancas, telling them they’re soulless pigs. Even though he’s one of the ultimate fans’ favorites, it’s clear why he had to die, but at least he died on his own terms.
2. Chuck McGill
Chuck and Jimmy McGill have one of the most complex relationships that television has seen. It’s one of those relationships that can’t be fully grasped until you experience it yourself. However, Better Call Saul does an extraordinary job portraying the complexities and challenges of family relationships. It’s safe to say Jimmy and Chuck go through a lot, from betrayal and mutual humiliation to misunderstandings and, finally, hatred.
Even though the majority of fans were rooting for Jimmy and hoping Chuck will disappear from his life, nobody expected him to go away the way he did. He died in a very sad, lonely, and melancholic way. His mental health issues were so accurately depicted throughout the show that his death made perfect sense in the end. The scene where he intentionally knocks over a lamp and burns down his house with him in it is chilling and awful, to say the least. But it plays a key role in Jimmy’s path to becoming Saul, and that’s why it’s one of the best deaths in Better Call Saul.
1. Howard Hamlin
The most surprising and terrifying death in Better Call Saul is definitely Howard Hamlin’s murder. What makes it even more traumatic is that it was because of Jimmy and Kim’s petty rivalry and the blown-out-of-proportion revenge on Howard. He might have been annoying at times and not supportive enough, but he was never a bad guy at all. In the end, he dies because he finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When Howard comes to face Jimmy and Kim and finally put an end to all the nonsense, he gets in the middle of Lalo Salamanca’s revenge plan. Before he even gets a chance to speak, Lalo screws a silencer onto his pistol and kills Howard with one single shot in the head. This scene is a masterpiece because it’s absolutely unexpected and terrifying. Jimmy and Kim’s seemingly harmless scheme turns into Howard’s cold-blooded murder as well as the best death in Better Call Saul.
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