Breaking Bad: Why Does Gus Kill Victor?

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The reason Gus chose to murder Victor rather than Walt and Jesse at the start of season 4 has remained a mystery to Breaking Bad fans, but the solution sheds light on the villain’s thoughts. In the second season of Breaking Bad, Victor (Jeremiah Bitsui) acted as Gustav Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) henchman. Victor was a ruthless enforcer of Gus’ drug enterprise who made sure everything went well for his boss, much like Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks). Victor from Breaking Bad had the unfortunate experience of having his throat sliced by the man he worked for and had complete faith in. Why, then did Gus murder, Victor?

In Breaking Bad, murder and unexpected events abound, and Gus Fring is frequently to blame. Gus’s murder of Victor in the season 4 episode “Box Cutter” was nonetheless stunning despite this, though. Gus and Victor’s box-cutter sequence from Breaking Bad is renowned for its graphic depiction of violence. However, the true significance of why Gus killed Victor is barely touched upon by this. When you look back on the scenario, you can see how it was a turning point for Gus Fring and cemented his reputation as the most evil person in the world of Breaking Bad.

breaking bad
Credit: Netflix

What is the real reason behind Victor’s Murder in Breaking bad

Given their past interactions, the choice as to why Gus killed Victor is all the more terrifying. Victor worked for Gus for a very long time before to the events of Breaking Bad, as was revealed in the prequel series Better Call Saul. By season three, Victor was keeping an eye on the meth superlab where Jesse and Walter White (Bryan Cranston) were employed as a part of Gus’ scheme. Walt was concerned that he might be killed and replaced by the newcomer when Gale Boetticher (David Costabile), another chemist, joined the group.

Walt planned to have Gale killed so that he would be the only one in charge of producing the meth, but Jesse ended up performing the grunt work. Before Victor could intervene and stop Jesse, Gale was shot and died in his flat. Walt and Jesse were held prisoner in the Breaking Bad season 4 premiere, “Box Cutter,” so that Gus could punish them for their sins. Victor prepared his own batch of meth to demonstrate that he had studied the meth formula developed by Walter White when Gus was still in the lab.

Instead of going after Walt and Jesse, Gus entered and used a box cutter to sever Victor’s throat before urging his staff to resume their work. The fact that Victor was discovered by neighbours at the scene of Gale’s death, essentially endangering the entire operation, upset the drug lord. However, there was ultimately a deeper reason behind why Gus killed Victor, his lifelong ally. It was a cold, premeditated action, as is the case with everything Gus Fring does.

Gus sends a message to Walt and Jesse after killing Victor in Breaking Bad

Why did Gus execute Victor in such a cruel manner? Gus didn’t directly threaten Walt or Jesse after Victor was killed in Breaking Bad, but he didn’t need to. The true reason Gus executed Victor in such a violent way was to make it apparent to the other two men that if they endangered the operation, Gus wouldn’t think twice about killing them both as well. Despite the fact that Jesse was the one who shot Gale, Victor carelessly and foolishly allowed himself to be implicated in the crime. Later that season, Gus spotted a composite sketch of Victor hanging in a police station, which gave him the justification he needed to murder his old friend.

breaking bad
Credit: Netflix

Walt and Jesse may have learnt to make meth at a similar level to others, but Gus was fully aware that the substance they produced was of the greatest calibre. Another reason Gus killed Victor instead of Jesse was that, in his opinion, Walt and Jesse’s cooperation was essential to the scheme. Walt brought about Victor’s passing in conversation with Jesse in Breaking Bad season 5. He claimed Gus killed Victor because he “flew too close to the sun” and that Gus was attracted to Victor’s avarice. Gus probably ought to have given the decision to exclude Walt and Jesse more thought in the afterthought. You can watch all the seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix.

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Vishakha Thakar
Vishakha Thakar
An aspiring journalist trying to fit into the world of words to express my views. I firmly believe that my writing can positively change the perspective of readers. I fuel my writing with logic, research, and of course, emotions.

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