Ignacio "Nacho" Varga () is a fictional character who appears as one of the main protagonists in the AMC television series Better Call Saul, a prequel spin-off of Breaking Bad. He is portrayed by Michael Mando and was created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
Dialogue that introduces Saul Goodman in the Breaking Bad episode "Better Call Saul" mentions Nacho and Lalo Salamanca, though neither appears in Breaking Bad. Nacho is a quiet and intelligent member of the Salamanca drug organization with a strong desire to leave, though his fear of the Salamancas and later Gus Fring stops him. He cares deeply for the well-being of his honest, hard-working father, Manuel. He gets associated with Jimmy McGill after Jimmy helps clear him of kidnapping charges. When the Salamancas seek to use his father's shop as a front for the drug ring, Nacho attempts to kill Hector Salamanca—the family patriarch—by switching his heart medication for a placebo. This is discovered by Gus Fring, who runs the rival drug trade. Nacho is forced to be a mole for Gus within the Salamancas' organization, which is further complicated when the shrewd Lalo arrives to oversee operations.
Concept and development The Canadian actor Michael Mando said that he had been approached through his agent from Better Call Saul casting directors about being in the show. After sending in an audition tape, he was flown to Los Angeles to meet with showrunners Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould and perform a screen test. Mando said it was "love at first sight" working with the pair because of how well they provided direction and feedback. He was notified about getting the part a few weeks later. Breaking Bad season two episode "Better Call Saul" mentions the character by his real name, Ignacio. This episode also introduces Saul Goodman (Jimmy McGill's business name) and mentions Lalo.
To prepare for playing Nacho, Mando watched crime and criminology documentaries to understand the motivations of criminals; and watched all of Breaking Bad. Mando considered Nacho to be "extremely intelligent and patient", and a character that would grow over the course of the show. He said that the showrunners gave little direction, and instead "They wanted to see what I would bring to the character"; allowing him to develop Nacho himself. He explored elements of Mayan and Aztec cultures to bring to the character and also incorporated some superficial traits from his Orphan Black character Vic Schmidt.
Mando said that initially, Nacho was going to have a larger role with Jimmy in the first season - as the "Big Bad" - but as Gilligan and 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 that he felt that 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". Gould wanted to bring Mando back for the series finale alongside other Better Call Saul actors but, wanting to avoid an "overstuffed epic", he and the writing staff were unable to incorporate all of the characters that they wanted to present in the finale.
Character biography Background
Prior to Better Call Saul, Nacho is one of the lieutenants in the Salamanca drug trade under Tuco Salamanca in Albuquerque, New Mexico. When he has time, he helps his father Manuel at an upholstery-repair shop.
Around 1996 and 1997, Nacho and Tuco were working with a biker gang from Riverside County, California. They distributed low-quality methamphetamine, though Tuco grew to like it. Nacho witnessed an intoxicated Tuco shoot and kill one of his dealers, Dog Paulson, whom he suspected of supplying his competitors. A piece of Dog's skull became lodged in Nacho's shoulder. The incident led Nacho to grow increasingly wary of Tuco's erratic behavior, which was worsened by his drug use.
Better Call Saul Season 1
While attempting to represent Craig Kettleman, a county treasurer accused of embezzling $1.6 million in tax money, Jimmy McGill has a run-in with Tuco, who has Nacho and other associates drag Jimmy and two skaters involved with Jimmy's scheme to the desert to kill them. Nacho believes Jimmy's plea that he is a lawyer and convinces Tuco that killing an attorney would result in police scrutiny of the Salamanca family's drug business, so Tuco lets Jimmy go. Nacho later approaches Jimmy about stealing the money from Craig and his wife Betsy, asking where in the Kettleman's residence the money is stored, but Jimmy refuses. Jimmy anonymously warns the Kettlemans, who then disappear from their home. Nacho, who was spotted watching the Kettleman's home at night in preparation for the burglary, is the prime suspect and is arrested. He coerces Jimmy into helping clear his name and Jimmy locates the Kettlemans, which leads to Nacho's release.
Nacho engages in a side deal with "Pryce", who wants to sell pills stolen from the pharmaceutical company where he works. Pryce brings Mike Ehrmantraut as a bodyguard. When Nacho's payment is $20 short, Mike insists he pay the full amount. As Pryce and Mike leave, Mike explains that he knew Nacho was conducting the transaction without the Salamancas' knowledge and so had an incentive to make sure the deal went smoothly.
Season 2
Pryce uses his drug money to buy a flashy Hummer. Seeing the flashy car as a risk of compromise, Mike refuses to participate in the next deal, so Pryce goes alone. With no bodyguard to keep a watch on Pryce's interest, Nacho takes the opportunity to learn his real name — Daniel Wormald — and address. He later breaks into Daniel's house and steals the money back, along with a valuable collection of baseball cards. Daniel reports the collection's theft to the police, who discover an empty hiding place. Mike realizes his involvement will be uncovered if the police continue to investigate, so he convinces Nacho to give Daniel the cards and $10,000 in exchange for the Hummer.
Nacho is impressed by Mike's coolness under pressure. As Tuco becomes increasingly volatile and the likelihood of his learning about Nacho's secret deals increases, Nacho decides to eliminate Tuco and tries to hire Mike to kill him, but Mike instead arranges for Tuco to attack him in view of police, leading to Tuco's arrest and conviction. Hector Salamanca has Nacho take Tuco's place in the organization. After Hector attempts to coerce Mike into giving false testimony to the police by threatening his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Mike agrees to say the gun Tuco was carrying when he assaulted Mike was not Tuco's, which will result in a shorter sentence for Tuco. Mike then attempts to draw police attention to the Salamanca operation by hijacking one of the trucks used to smuggle drugs over the Mexican border, leaving the driver tied up, gagged and alive at the side of the road and stealing the hidden in one of the tires. Nacho tells Mike that Hector covered up the hijacking by killing the Good Samaritan who stopped to aid the driver.
Season 3
Mike's actions lead to Hector looking for other routes to smuggle drugs, and he considers using Nacho's father Manuel's upholstery shop. Nacho objects but fails to change Hector's mind. In pleading with his father, Nacho reveals his involvement in the Salamanca organization. Manuel accepts Hector's initial payment after Nacho convinces him that doing so is for his own safety. Nacho realizes Hector suffers from angina and decides to try to kill him by replacing his nitroglycerin with ibuprofen in the hopes of inducing a fatal heart-attack. Mike advises Nacho that if Hector dies, Nacho should immediately take the ibuprofen capsules from Hector and replace them with the real ones so that the cause of Hector's death will not be uncovered.
Nacho succeeds in making the switch, but Hector does not die; so Nacho plans to shoot him. Before he can act, Nacho is notified to attend a meeting with Gus Fring, Juan Bolsa, and Hector. Juan informs Hector that Juárez Cartel leader Don Eladio Vuente has decreed that the cartel will make the transport of Hector's drugs via Gus's trucks a permanent arrangement. An outraged Hector has a stroke and falls to the ground unconscious. Gus performs first aid while awaiting an ambulance, and succeeds in saving Hector's life, though he remains comatose. Nacho takes the ibuprofen capsules from Hector and replaces them with the real medication. Gus looks at Nacho suspiciously.
Season 4
Juan tells Nacho that he and Arturo Colon will run the Salamanca family while Hector is hospitalized. Gus pays for Hector's specialized care and, while reviewing Hector's medical records, realizes there is no nitroglycerin in his system, which means Nacho tried to kill him. When Nacho and Arturo arrive at Gus's chicken farm to pick up their next cocaine shipment, Gus ambushes Arturo and suffocates him with a plastic bag. Gus reveals that he is aware of Nacho's attempt to kill Hector, but has not told the Salamancas, so Nacho is now under his control. Nacho, Victor, and Tyrus Kitt fake an ambush site on a remote road, which includes riddling Nacho's car with bullets, shooting Arturo's body, and wounding Nacho. Nacho succeeds in calling Leonel and Marco Salamanca (the Cousins) for help. They burn the car and take him to veterinarian Dr. Caldera, who succeeds in saving Nacho's life.
Victor sells the drugs taken from Nacho to the Espinosas, a rival gang. Nacho falsely identifies the Espinosas to Leonel and Marco as the ones who attacked him. They attack the Espinosa compound, kill everyone inside, and recover the "stolen" drugs. Nacho sees that by wiping out the Espinosas, Gus has secured more drug territory for himself, but does not yet see the full scope of Gus's plan. Nacho goes to his father's house to recover, and Manuel takes him in despite being unhappy about Nacho's continuing association with the Salamancas. After recovering, Nacho takes on a more prominent role in the Salamanca organization and keeps a safe with cash and fake Canadian IDs for himself and his father. Nacho is surprised when Lalo Salamanca arrives to aid in running the business, and takes a stronger interest in the day-to-day details than Hector did.
Season 5
Gus threatens harm to Manuel to coerce Nacho into providing inside information on the Salamancas. Nacho tries to convince Manuel to move away, but Manuel refuses to leave. When one of the Salamanca drug houses is discovered by police and Domingo Molina is arrested, Nacho sneaks over rooftops to recover the drug stash before police enter, which impresses Lalo, who begins to take Nacho into his confidence. Nacho then brings Jimmy to Lalo so they can arrange to have Domingo released before he talks to police. Jimmy secures Domingo's release and assures his protection by making him a confidential informant for DEA agent Hank Schrader and having him reveal the location of Gus's dead drops. Lalo is pleased by their work, though Nacho warns Jimmy that once he begins working for drug dealers like the Salamancas, there is no turning back.