Though the Twins plan to kill Walter White as revenge for the murder of their cousin Tuco, they eventually change targets. Since Walter has become a valuable asset to Gus Fring, he is spared the Twins' wrath. In protecting Walter, Gus offers up Walt's DEA agent brother-in-law Hank instead. Viewers know to expect bloodshed when the two parties finally meet, but in true "Breaking Bad" fashion, the way things unfold is unexpected.
After being shot and running out of ammunition, it seems like it might be the end of Hank Schrader. His death would be entirely possible since the series has already displayed a willingness to kill off major characters. Marco Salamanca has Hank at his mercy, but decides to put away his gun as he utters one of his only lines in the entire series: "too easy." He exchanges his gun for an ax, intent on killing Hank in a much more violent fashion, but Hank manages to load his gun with just one bullet in time to shoot Marco before the coup de grâce.
Perhaps even more surprising than the confrontation itself is the ripple effect it has on the rest of Hank's life. He may have lived through the assassination attempt, but he is a changed man. The attack leaves him nearly paralyzed with debilitating injuries that would take him multiple seasons to fully recover from. The incident also has severe psychological ramifications on Hank and directly leads to his mineral-collecting hobby.
