Esposito Thinks Star Wars Made A Better TV Villain Than Breaking Bad

The Mandalorian’s Giancarlo Esposito says his Star Wars villain Moff Gideon is more evil than his Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul character Gus Fring. First airing in 2019 on Disney+, The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal as the titular character and quickly became a hit for the streamer. The show finished airing season 2 in December of 2020, with season 3 expected to release in February of next year. First introduced in The Mandalorian season 1, Esposito’s Moff Gideon is the central antagonist in the show, reappearing in season 2 with a sinister plot.

Season 2 ended with Gideon threatening Grogu’s life and Mando staging a daring rescue, with the villain appearing to finally be defeated. The last fans hear of him, he has been sent to the New Republic for interrogation. Of course, Gideon isn’t the only villain Esposito is known for playing, with the actor first appearing on Breaking Bad as Gus, a drug lord who uses his fried chicken restaurant chain as a front for a major criminal operation. The character would go on to play a significant role in Better Call Saul, and across both shows, he’s earned a reputation as one of the most sinister villains in TV history.

However, in a new interview with Steele Wars (via CBR) during this year’s Star Wars Celebration, Esposito declares that Moff Gideon is the more evil of the pair. Esposito explains that what makes Gideon so evil is how the character takes advantage of so many people in the galaxy during a time of struggle. Gideon is actively working towards an evil agenda, whereas, in some ways, Gus is merely trying to survive. Check out Esposito’s full comment below:

I would have to say it’s Moff Gideon. Not in terms of my performance [being more] evil, but in terms of knowing that when things all fall apart, to take advantage of people to put it all back together for your own good, is evil. [Gideon] has an agenda all of his own. […] I think that Gus is, in his own way, not a victim. Although in this sixth season of Better Call Saul you see his vulnerability and you see that he is threatened. So he is just trying to survive. I think Moff Gideon is doing more than surviving: he’s bait-and-switching. Right?

While Gus is undoubtedly an evil character in his own way, Esposito clarifies that The Mandalorian’s Moff Gideon ultimately affects more people, and that the character is actively subjugating and eliminating them for his own ends. Gus does this too, to an extent, but on a smaller scale, and, at least in Better Call Saul season 6, he is driven more by his desire to survive than anything else. Interestingly, Esposito’s comments also hint that fans may not have seen the last of Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, with the actor believing that the character still has an agenda that needs to be accomplished.

Both The Mandalorian and Better Call Saul are exceedingly popular with audiences, and part of that is due to the design of the villains. Although Esposito says Moff Gideon is more evil than Fring, both characters are well-written and help to enhance the journey of each show’s respective hero. While audiences already know what is eventually in store for Gus, it remains to be seen how Moff Gideon will figure into future seasons of The Mandalorian, and if he will have a chance to enact his evil plans.