Teased by Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito just a bit too early, fans eventually surmised that the man behind Gus Fring would be joining Far Cry 6 as the main villain. Far Cry, with the franchise's identifying factor becoming iconic and performative villains, always headlines the game's reveal with the main antagonist taking center stage. Esposito will be getting his turn as Anton Castillo, the dictator of a fictional caribbean nation called Yara.
Esposito joins the ranks alongside some of video games' most iconic and disturbing villains of all time. He's got some tough competition ahead of him, from Vaas Montenegro to Joseph Seed. The Far Cry franchise has had a wealth of villains since the beginning, and doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. Esposito is a good snag considering his heritage, and he should be a solid contender amongst the best villains of the franchise, depending on how Far Cry 6 plays out.
Far Cry's Brand of Villains
Many attribute Far Cry's obsession with performative villains to Vaas' surprising popularity in Far Cry 3, but realistically the franchise has been utilizing mainstage antagonists since the beginning. There's been a whole host of various villains across the whole series, each with their own unique brand of insanity. While many rightfully remember Vaas as the most memorable villain to ever come from a Far Cry game, even the underrated characters like Far Cry 2's "The Jackal" still shine amongst the backdrop of their respective games. The variety in performances, ranging from big name actors like Esposito to lesser known but very impressive entities like Greg Byrk's Joseph Seed, is simple one of a kind.
Even before Anton takes the stage in Far Cry 6, Esposito already has an interesting connection with Vaas' character in more ways than one. Vaas' actor Michael Mando plays Nacho Varga on Better Call Saul, the prequel to Breaking Bad where Esposito played his iconic role of Gus Fring. Both Mando and Esposito have multiple scenes together throughout Better Call Saul, with both Esposito and Mando flexing their chops as iconic villains in distinctive ways. Now both will become Far Cry alums, though it will be interesting to see how Esposito's Anton Castillo stands up to Mando's iconic villain in Vaas.
Anton Making the Case to Join Them
Anton Castillo will be making his case to join the lineage of Far Cry villains before him in early 2021. Anton seems to be vaguely taking after Pagan Min's archetype from Far Cry 4, though this time with a far more reserved and intelligent personality. Where Pagan Min was an eccentrically sadistic autocrat, Anton Castillo appears to be a calm and astute dictator. His bombastic nature comes from a place of methodical terror, where every action he takes is clever and presumably planned. Even in the face of mass protest from his constituents, he sees himself less as a messiah and more as an icon of order and prosperity. Anton intends to restore "paradise" to Yara, but only for those who deserve to see that vision.
Of course, given Esposito's history with Breaking Bad as an iconic TV villain, the parallels will inevitably be drawn between Anton and Gus Fring. That's a fair comparison at face value, as Anton's character in the trailer does mimic Gus Fring's alter ego as a criminal mastermind quite vividly. But part of Esposito's genius is the nuance in his performance as Anton, and there's a clear difference between Esposito's characters. Anton Castillo is driven by what he believes is his natural ability to lead people to paradise. While his methods are selective and malicious, Anton believes his intelligence is what drives prosperity for others he deems worthy. Gus Fring was comparatively more selfish, where his power was born from his own desire to attain totalitarian wealth and power, not spread it amongst those he sees as equals.
How Anton Castillo Lives Up to Far Cry's Villains
Anton Castillo takes on a political dictator role in Far Cry 6, along with his son Diego. Anton's character will be quite unique in comparison to other Far Cry villains because of the father-son dynamic he brings to the table. Far Cry 5 had multiple villainous counterparts with the entire Seed family serving Joseph, but they were all on board with Joseph's cultist ideals. Diego is a teenager, who presumably still retains his youthful innocence up until the beginning events of Far Cry 6. It's clear from the trailer that Diego as at that point in adolescence where he is very impressionable, something Anton is clearly aware and taking advantage of.
Without Diego, Anton's character archetype would be rightfully compared to Gus Fring or even Pagan Min's personality from Far Cry 4. This dynamic is different from other villains in the series thus far, and while Esposito has the chops to make Anton Castillo stand on his own, Diego's role is just as important. Seeing that father-son character development evolve and change over the course of Far Cry 6 will likely be a pivotal part of the game's story that Far Cry hasn't focused so closely on before. Their relationship is unlike what fans have seen before in a Far Cry game, and how that dynamic effects the story could be very unique.
Far Cry 6 launches February 18, 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
