Gustavo Fring

Gustavo "Gus" Fring (played by Giancarlo Esposito) is the Chilean-born proprietor of Los Pollos Hermanos, a highly successful fried chicken restaurant chain. He is also a public booster for the local D.E.A. office and a member of the hospital board. However, despite outward appearances, Gus is a major drug kingpin initially affiliated with the Mexican drug cartel in Ciudad Juárez, who uses his restaurant as a front for methamphetamine distribution throughout the American southwest. Like Walter White, Gus is a criminal who "hides in plain sight", using his anti-drug philanthropy to conceal his true nature. Gus originally established Los Pollos Hermanos in Mexico several years previously, but emigrated to the United States when Don Eladio and Hector Salamanca murdered his cook and close friend, Maximino Arciniega, in retaliation for cutting into their business.
When Walt seeks a buyer for his chemically pure meth, he is put in contact with Gus. However, despite recognizing Walt's "excellent" product, Gus refuses to do business with him because the erratic and careless behavior of his partner, Jesse Pinkman. Walt manages to persuade Gus to purchase 38 pounds of his meth for $1.2 million; after the product yields good returns, Gus offers Walt $3 million for three months of his time. Gus' hiring and protection of Walt puts him at odds with the cartel's leadership, which considers Walt responsible for the death of Hector's nephew, Tuco. Gus directs Leonel and Marco Salamanca, two cartel assassins, to kill Walt's brother-in-law, Hank Schrader. He also arranges for the hit to fail, ensuring that the U.S. and Mexican governments crack down on the cartel and leave control of the methamphetamine market to Gus alone.
Despite Gus' initial protection of Walt, the collaboration between the two men becomes increasingly strained. Walt learns that Gus is grooming his regular cook, Gale Boetticher, to replace him, leading Walt to task a reluctant Jesse with killing Gale. When the hit succeeds, Gus silently slits the throat of one of his seconds-in-command, Victor, in front of the horrified duo. Walt becomes increasingly fearful that Gus will kill him and his family, causing him to look for numerous ways to kill Gus first. Gus dies in an explosion set up by Walter, who uses Hector Salamanca's hatred of Gus to lure Gus into a trap. Gus served as the main antagonist in season 3 and 4.