Gus Fring's Mysterious Backstory! Better Call Saul Breaking Bad Breakdown 

To anyone wondering why Augusto Pinochet is even brought into the mix, I regrettably forgot to mention in the video: when gus sits down with the DEA and APD in brba s4e8, hank questions gus for not having any records of his past. Gus LITERALLY brings up “Pinochet” to hank when coming up with an excuse for lack of documents. Gus briefly talks about the Pinochet regime, along with their abuse of human rights.

The irony of the Gus Fring story is that the Cartel made the mistake of not killing him when they had the chance, allowing him to get his revenge on and kill them. He in turn, made the mistake of not killing Walter White when he had the chance to, allowing Walter to get his revenge and kill Gus. Talk about not learning a lesson.

Schuler would have been too young to be a former Nazi himself, but he could be a descendant of the Nazis who escaped to South America after the end of WW2.

I'm more interested in the mystery of how Hank got into minerals.

Gus becomes high ranking military / secret police officer under Pinochet > gets tasked with running the smuggling operations into europe > builds connections with Schuler who then builds a company as a front for smuggling operations > Gus has a falling out with Pinochet > Gus is behind the failed assassination attempt > Gus flees

I would never say never. There are talks now about the Gus actor wanting to do a prequel that focuses on him. Really hope it happens.

Jesus all of this was taken down cause of one chemistry teacher

It's interesting how Gus changed after Eladio killed Max. In the flashback scene, Gus is far more outward and emotional than we ever see him later on. It would be interesting to see how a prequel would depict that younger Gus, but they'd have to get someone a lot younger than Giancarlo to play him.

I would love to see a prequel with Gustavo when he was a young guy in Chile, but it would be pretty tough for a 65+ years old actor to play the role of a 30+ years old guy.

Hi! From Chile here: Gus couldn't have possibly been a general, it doesn't fit the profile. I think Gus may have been related to intelligence agencies (D.I.N.A and later C.N.I.), despicable organizations that kidnapped and tortured people who opposed the regime in a similar form to what gansgsters usually do. 'Generalissimo' sounds to me like a bittler remark suggesting Gus was somehow protected by Pinochet's circle, and there's no way he could have attempted to kill him in 1986. Now, it's very likely that his German connection refers to Nazis living in South America, and I don't know if it's intended or a coincidence, but there was a horrible place run by Germans in the south of Chile called Colonia Dignidad, where horrible crimes were commited with Pinochet's regime complicity. What happened in my country was horrible, it's very appropriate for Gus' backstory.

When Gus shared that Tucuma story to Hector, it was the best thing ever. We only know bits and pieces about Gus's past.

Gus wasn't a general or a generalissimo. That was almost certainly mockery by Hector, just like Hector mocked "Pollos Hermanos" as "Culos Hermanos" (the Butt Brothers). For one thing, in racial terms, Gustavo Fring would be considered Afro-Chileno, which are very rare in Chile, but he probably passed himself off as "mestizo," i.e., part-Spanish and part-indigenous South American. The Chilean elite of Pinochet's time was very, very white, with most people tracing their lineage all the way back to Spanish Europeans. There is simply no way a Black guy from a poor, rural family would rise to the rank of general in Pinochet's Chile. Instead, I think the main way that a gay Afro-Chileno like Gus Fring rose to power in Pinochet's Chile is that he is a very good torturer. He tortures out of sadism and vengeance, but unemotionally, without his mind clouded by anger. That personality profile can make you a very good torturer for a dictatorial regime, which would make you useful, even if you are considered suspect because of your race and sexuality. In addition, I think it's highly likely that Gustavo may have been a torturer at the Colonia Dignidad torture facility. Colonia Dignidad started out in the early 1960s as an agricultural colony founded by fugitive Nazi Germans, but it later became a torture facility during the Pinochet regime. That would explain why Gus Fring has so many connections to powerful Germans. Another interesting fact is that Peter Schuler has the same initials as Paul Schäfer, the founder of Colonia Dignidad. If this theory pans out, I would suspect the reason that Gus fled Chile is that his status as Black gay man was revealed to the Nazis or to people in the Pinochet government, but Peter Schuler saved him, because he respected how far Gus was willing to go to serve Pinochet's regime. It may also explain Gomez's puzzlement at why the State Department would have allowed Gus into the country with such patchy records. The implication is that the kind of work Gus did at a Nazi torture farm was tolerated by the U.S. during the Cold War, because it was thought to be necessary to keep Chile and the rest of South America from going Communist. As a result, Gus is thanked for his "service" by being allowed to get into Mexico and the United States with his identity documents wiped clean.

Imagine being a a ruthless high ranking military official in Chile, would you ever imagined to be killed by an ex chemistry teacher years later in a different country?

I’ve heard Vince say he wants to keep Gus’ past a mystery. But, you never know. Thanks for another great video and keeping us BCS fans engaged during the gaps.

Also Hector then says, "White meat, dark meat. Don't look like no brothers to me." Implying that there's more to their relationship. And when Walt and Jesse destroy Gus' laptop from the evidence locker they also crack a framed picture of Gus with his arm around Max in a tropical setting.

Peter Schuler's likely story arc mirrors something that happened in my aunt's hometown in Luxembourg. In the early 2000s, a young man was forced to leave the town when it came to light he grew up at Colonia Dignidad in Chile. It was a cult-like compound that was founded by escaped Nazis. In 2005, near the end of Pinochet's life, it was discovered that this compound was used by Pinochet as a site to discretely torture and execute his political enemies. Schuler's likely story is that he was the son of a powerful Nazi living in Chile who served the Pinochet regime. After the assassination attempt on Pinochet, seeing the writing on the wall, Gus, Max and Peter would have fled Chile under assumed identities. Peter would have likely fled to Germany. Meanwhile Gus and Max made their way to Mexico, then applied for entry visas into the US before their violent encounter with the Eladio Cartel. And so, we have the most likely manner that started Gus Fring and Peter Schuler's long partnership. It's incredible that two surviving operators from the Pinochet empire were taken down by a high school chemistry teacher and a stroke victim in a wheelchair.

Another thing I’ve noticed about Gus is that he referred to his restaurant employees as civilians a few times. That’s an expression I’ve only seen military or law-enforcement use. Maybe he was in the military

The first person Walter kills is Emilio. Krazy 8 is his second kill.

"Because I know who you are, but keep in mind, this is not Chile" Maybe Gus actually orchestrated the 1986 Pinochet assassination attempt. Maybe that's he got out and wiped his past. I thought you were going to mention this possibility whe you were talking about that, it makes a lot of sense, with Don Eladio meaning that Gus can't do the same to him and claim his empire

I recall reading that Vince Gilligan once compared Gus’ backstory to the briefcase in Pulp Fiction-which to this day Tarantino hasn’t fully explained. There are many theories about that briefcase and what’s in it, but no canonical explanation.

one of the greatest villains of all time

I would love a "How Gus Fring Rose To Power" video!!

8:52 He didn't seem so cold hearted in the flashback to a younger Gus at the pool. If Gus was always so ruthless he wouldn't have been so nervous that day or cried.

I used to think Gus was a general because of what Hector said on the phone as well, until a couple of things. One is that my friend, who is Mexican, told me that "Generalissimo" is more of an insult used at someone who thinks he's a big shot. So he said not to take it too literally. The other thing is, he would have been so young in 1986. Mid 20's? Now, I'm not an expert on Chilean military hierarchy, but that just seems way to young to achieve the rank of general. My guess? He was involved in the Pinochett regime, but FOR SURE it was in some behind the scene, clandestine role. The reason for this is that he is so openly public. He's in the newspaper, on TV, does charity functions for local law enforcement. If he was any sort of public figure in Chile, even a torturer or anyone who could be recognized, he would keep a much lower profile. If not, at anytime some Chilean immigrant could see him on the news or something and go "Hey! That's the guy who waterboarded me in 1982!!!" or whatever. And anyone from that time could recognize him and spill the beans.

With the way Gus killed Victor in BB with basically no regard, I have no doubt that Gus was a murderer in Chile.

With how Gus is I doubt Hector's the only person he ever took a slow, sadistic revenge on.

I believe you’re underestimating Gus’s age, especially if in fact he was a high ranking military official. He would have had to have been around 60.

I think they should do a spin off about not just Gus, but the entire Cartel, including the Salamancas, and then get some younger, up and coming actors playing them in their 20s and 30s. To see the back story of Hector, Juan Bolsa, Gustavo and Don Eladio would be the one spin off I would like to see, set in like the 1970s or 80s. Perhaps you could have both Mark Margolis and Giancarlo being the narrators. Like "you know how our story ends...but let us tell you how it began!" All jokes aside, Gustavo Fring has to be the greatest villain in TV history. Like if you agree!

And to think he’s got the Dark Saber now 🗡

Gus has definitely been one of my favorite characters in the BB/BCS universe. While it would be nice to get more of his backstory, and that is one thing that I have always been curious about while watching both shows, but at the same time, I kind of don't want to know too much about his backstory. It's not just his ambiguous past that makes him a memorable character, it's also the fact that he has the ability to change his demeanor on a dime depending on the situation he is put in. He may look like a friendly face while at his legal place of business, but underneath, he is something much more dangerous. It was when I saw the boxcutter episode of BB that I was officially sold on this character.

I love the reflections of Max and Werner in Walt and how Mike and Gus process those similarities when dealing with him. Watch the execution and near execution of Walt/Werner by Mike. It’s fascinating how Mike comes to recognize Walts selfishness that he didn’t see so much in Werner at that earlier stage in his criminal career. He pitied each of them, but with additional time dealing with Walt he came to realize that his selfishness would hurt even more people than their enterprise already does

how can Eladio and Juan Bolsa trust and do business with Gus after they murdered his partner/lover in front of him? Hector and Lalo are right in wanting him gone, no matter how much cash he brings in..

In the 80s Gus was Buggin Out in Brooklyn.

this character has potential for an interesting tv series of his own

What everyone missed to say is that you can see by how Gus is very tidy person with his chlotes (the way he folds towel before he trows up, the way he took his clothes off before he killed Victor and then washed his hands etc) that he is some kind of military man for sure, bcs you learn that stuff in army.

I believe you have made an excellent video and your back story about Gus is as close as it gets. Don't forget, Gus was able to smell out a hit by W.W. attempting to blow him up in his car. It shows he has a lot of experience with assassination attempts either on himself or of his own doing. Excellent back story!

I don't care what anybody says. I think this is one of the very finest series ever.

One of the best Universe analyst is back

"Generalissimo" is a title for "the highest general", and as such could be a title for the commander of the entire armed forces or, more frequently, a military dictator.

if Gus were a general during the 80s, that'd make him 20 something at the time. thats an unrealistically low age for a general

Great breakdown. I think Gus tried to assassinate Pinochet and when that failed, he had to flee.

Gus fring worth a spin-off show, I always think

Fring was such a great character. Was funny watching him change from super polite manager of Pollos Hermanos to super hardass.

Supporting your theory, there's this scene in BB when Do Eladio is telling Gus that he "forgets his position every 20 years or so" in the pool scene minutes before he is poisoned to death by Fring's tequila. Goes well with the theory of him leading the coup on Pinochet in 1986.

My favourite answer courtesy of Reddit: 'Gus was a chicago boy through the catholic university of chile (where he met his boyfriend/cook), then a high level economic adviser to pinochet with a military appointment, who was assigned to a drug scheme to keep money flowing around 1985-86 after Pinochet saw the writing on the wall. Gus used pinochet's connections to ratline descended germans to hook up with madrigal, and left before the regime collapsed.'

The magic of the both shows wouldve been lost if we knew every single detail about every charcter.

Gus is the main character in an equally interesting story happening parallel to Breaking Bad. The fact that we only get glimpses makes the world seem so much larger and believable

We need a prequel series just focused on Gus

I didn’t expect to stick around for the whole 25 minutes but you did an excellent job! “always leave them wanting more” was probably what Vince Gilligan was going for

What could actually cause Don Eladio to not be willing to kill Gus with Max? Fear of repercussions of killing him?

Gus is a great character I want a whole series on Gus. I love how in detailed this video was thank you !

One slight correction. The cartel is not just a family business. They are a large network controlled by Don Eladio (aka El Griego). The Salamanca family are a very tight-knit group that draw a lot of water with the cartel, and they are mostly family. Once in a while, someone like Nacho Varga climbs their ranks. But that speaks more to Nacho and his competency as a lieutenant for Tuco. Otherwise, the Salamancas very proudly are big earners for the cartel, are very good at what they do, and though they’re very difficult to deal with, Eladio keeps them around because of how much they bring to the table. Think of Hector’s meltdown at the end of season 3, where he started raving about how he IS the cartel. Also think about him pissing in Eladio’s pool. Hector would like to think he’s in control, and even Don Eladio can’t stop him. But as we see, that’s not completely the case.

A bit tangential here but there's a very good film in Spanish called 'Marshland'. It's set in Spain immediately after the death of General Franco and without spoilers one of the secondary plotlines concerns the reality that in the aftermath of a dictatorship's collapse there are a lot of complicit people with things to hide.

Generalissimo could be a chicken man play on words too ... like KFC's Colonel Sanders

I loved the background stories of both breaking bad and better call Saul...Gus is an amazing character.

I always just figured him for being a drug dealer with a commerce degree. In the scene where his partner got shot for example, he seemed like an astute yet soft, white collar guy who everyone thought was gay. Not a hard ex-millitary general from a third world country. I could be wrong, but that's my impression.

Always wondered about this; great video as always!

I’m not sure that Gus is a total villain, you have to remember after he killed Don Elado, the doctor that set up the field hospital greeted him as some sort of hero. I do think Gus was a Chilean military officer but I think his fear factor is that he has worked with the CIA during that time period. Which I think is a bigger concern for the cartel.

What a powerhouse of a video! Very well done. I really enjoyed it. So much information and theories. You've really done your homework. This would make a fantastic movie! 👏👏👏

The de-aging technology exists if they want to make a standalone movie, like El Camino. It could be pretty intense. This is assuming we’re not going to get some great flashback sequences in the second half of this final season.

I’d love a miniseries about Gus and his rise to power.

"black cocaine"? I didn't know that part of Pinochet.s history. Well done my friend.

10:26 I love how they foreshadow things like this. Hector is sitting on what looks to be a wheelchair

Gus left “chill-Ayyy” 😂

I think Gus's connection to Madrigal in Germany might related to Germans who fled to SA, including Chile, after WWII (i.e. Nazis).

Honestly, they've made so many references about gus' past but aren't going to answer them in bcs since season 6 is the final one. This leads me to believe there'll be another spin off where they will give us the full picture and I'd personally love that.

Very refreshing information. It is so hard to recall things over a period of years. When you read a story in a book you usually don’t stop after a chapter and wait a year to continue reading the story. Thank you for a very interesting video.

The person who put this together did a great job…well done Lad!

What if Gus was the one who orchestrated the assassination attempt of pinochet, and fled for obvious implications after he heard of it's failure.

Loved this video, really showcase the breaking bad universe’s fixation on real life events

In one episode of BCS Gus says to Peter Schuler: “Remember Santiago, our backs to the wall? I will never forget what you did for me…” Pinochet regularly executed drug dealers en-masse by firing squad. I think him being a drug dealer that escaped execution in Chile makes a lot more sense than him being affiliated with the Chilean government; Pinochet HATED drug users/dealers, makes no sense for Fring to be a massive drug dealer after working for Pinochet.

My guess was intelligence agency, he’d be too young to reach General and it fits that a young, intelligent, ruthless Gus could climb the ladder fast in such an organisation that’s ok with torture, abduction etc. It seems like drug smuggling would be something the regime gave to intelligence agents rather than military so Gus being advanced quickly at a young age makes sense if he was really good at it. I’d also say if we’re saying he wasn’t killed because they’re worried about blowback from Gus’ friends intelligence makes more sense than military, intelligence agents would seem to have a bigger threat to their business/more likely to succeed in assassination attempts. My guess for how he got a connection to Madrigal is Colonia, Nazi war criminals fled to South America forming colonies one famous one is called Colonia Dignidad in Chile, Peter can easily be a child of a Nazi who stole a lot of gold to fund the start of Madrigal. The colonies were well known to the Chilean regime so it makes sense Gus could have met them as an intelligence agent.

I love your content. Especially this video. But I think Gus is more nuanced than someone who loves making animals and people suffer and murdering. He knows that killing isn’t always necessary. Just like you said, keeping people alive can be useful. I do not see Gus as a pure psychopath. He doesn’t get off on murder. It’s just a tool. Now, on to Madrigal. Here’s something from the wiki that caught my attention when they showed their various fast food businesses. ‘Madrigal is spread across 14 divisions. The fast-food division, formerly run by Peter Schuler, encompasses a stable of over 7 fast-food concerns, including Los Pollos Hermanos, Stingin' Rays, Luftwaffle, Whiskerstay's, Haau Chuen Wok, Burger Matic, Polmieri Pizza, and at least five others.’ I believe EVERY fast food franchise is apart of their drug trafficking empire. And I will gamble that they are in the countries of their cuisine origin. Think, China is king of chemical and synthetic opioids. Italy is a port to Turkey’s poppy processing into opioids. I think its WAY bigger than theorized.

He gets called "generalissimo" "little general" so it is possible his father was a general. Also, dedicado is a verb with the root of dedicar, -ado being the past-tense suffix, so yes it does translate to "dedicated to max" but not in the "I am dedicated to max" but in the "this is dedicated to max" form

thank you very much for creating all these videos! i just finished season 5 on netflix and having your brain to pick has been great. what an incredible season

Thank you for such concise insight. I don't think you ever rambled on. To be able to notice and articulate such fine details of this franchise is what all fans need. I mean, I've been a fan from the get, and have re watched the series multiple times as well as the extras, I get so caught up in the (brilliant) acting and setting that I often miss these finer points. What's fascinating is how obvious they seem when you point them out and I recollect. Thanks again 👍👍👍

I enjoy very much your analyses and angles. Thank you and carry on !

Great video! I had in my mind that Gus was head of Chilean Secret Police, rather than an army general. But can’t recall where I read or heard that - might have dreamt it of course 🤦🏻‍♂️

Gus's past along with the history of Chile is very interesting.

The analysis and connecting references to history in this review are A-1 top notch thinking. You're take on Pinochet was refreshingly on target and correct.

I think Ed the Vacuum guy is responsible for Frings identity in the United States. I bet he gives Eds card to Nacho once he learns Lalo "dies" as a job well done

When Gus meets with the Juarez Cartel for the first time, it's 1989. That's one year before Pinochet left power in 1990, and one year after the 1988 national referendum. Gus was probably somebody whose affairs were intertwined with the Chilean junta, and once he realized the national status quo was changing, he sought out opportunities elsewhere.

I always assumed he was just a door to door salesman who got caught up with the wrong crowd.

13:00, that spot isn't just where Max was killed... it's also where Hector stood when he pissed in the pool, and where Don Eladio fell into it.

I don't think there's any possibility that they just leave this Gus/Chile/Santiago issue open ended by the end of BCS. Sorry, but I think that's an absurd prediction. Remember FIVE-0? We all wondered about Mike's backstory (which barely was hyped in BB and the first few episodes of BCS) and the gave us a whole episode to explain it. And with Gus, they've taken a multitude of scenes hyping up some big event in Chile. Obvious hype. Not throw away lines. Nor are they necessary to the BCS story. Which means they're intentional. They know what they're doing... and no, it's not just for mystery's sake so we'll sit around making lame predictions. These writers don't even pay attention to fan's predictions. They write. The idea that the "hype" or "mystery" is better than the answer is totally inappropriate to BB and BCS. I take you back to FIVE-0. Mike's backstory in Philadelphia was incredible. It made for one of the best episodes of this universe, with some of the best acting from Jonathan Banks. These writers know what they doing, and they don't fail at it. So your theory about Gus may be right. But whatever they have planned, they won't leave us hanging with a cheesy, manipulative mystery. They'll tell the story. And they'll do a damn good job of it.

Gus's past should be a new series

Hay un solo problema con la historia: NO HAY COATIS en Chile There's just one problem with the story: There are no COATIES in Chile

Either Gus didn't live in Chile at 7 years old, or he lived on the Juan Fernández Islands, the only place in Chile you'll find a wild Coati.

As to why Gus fled Chile, perhaps he was one of the men involved with one of the assassination attempts, and that was for some personal reason. Perhaps one of Gus' relatives was "disappeared" by Pinochet and/or an underling of his. I have no evidence for this notion. However, since Gus's past in Chile is such a open secret among EVERYONE in the Cartel, it would be extremely unlikely Gus would have stayed around, since a Pinochet loyalist would almost certainly have hunted him down and killed him eventually.

So Gus was an ex imperial grand moff escaping his past and war crimes.Got it.

Kiwi, you continue to blow my mind! I'm an overly-analytical person and avid fan of all things Gilliverse....YOU are a treasure! So glad I found your channel.

Great job, well done. I enjoyed your work! Thank you 🙏🏻 🇨🇦❤️🙏🏻

Fring is not a Spanish name. It’s a German name. Chile had a large German population before the postwar Nazi flight, which happened in other countries, including Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

KIWI: I ALMOST SOLVED A MYSTERY!! ALSO HIM: ANSWERS BAD...MYSTERY GOOD!

Great job kiwi. Love all your content 👍🏽

I hope they dont do a prequel for gus. Hes better left as an enigma.

well, "los culos hermanos" could also mean "the asshole brothers", so i guess they want to keep it vague since both were disliked by the cartel and always insulted by them. but in the end it really does not matter whether Max was just his best buddy and business partner in crime or his love interest.

This girl I went to school with, her mom was divorced in the 1980s, and remarried the head of Pinoche's defense dept. I was shocked when she told us, like "oh yeah, my old stepdad was a mass murderer."

Excellent video. Lots of research that answers a lot of questions . Well done my friend

Gus Fring spent his youth in NYC harassing Italian pizza joint owners for not having enough pictures of the bruthas on their wall