| Carlito Flores | |
|---|---|
 Hot-headed, impulsive, and fiercely loyal, the last survivor of the Flores family will stop at nothing to avenge the murders of his father and brother. | |
| Statistics | |
| Real Name/Alias | Carlito Cesar Flores |
| Born | August 2, 1987 |
| Died | November 12, 2012 (age 29; Shot by General Salazar) |
| Murder Career | |
| Victims | Unspecified number of enemies Esmeralda Salazar |
| M.O. | Unknown (for enemies) Execution-style (for Esmeralda Salazar) |
| Appearances | Volume 2, 4, 6 and 11 |
| Status | Salazar Cartel |
| Motive | Power (for enemies) Revenge (for Esmeralda Salazar) |
| “ | I love you, Esmeralda. But I loved my father more. | ” |
–Carlito's last words, V11C8 | ||
Carlito Cesar Flores is Esteban Flores' younger son and Miguel Flores' younger brother. Briefly the leader of the Flores' cartel, before its demise, he was married to Esmeralda Salazar, daughter of the leader of the Salazar Cartel, General Salazar. Carlito was killed by General Salazar after shooting Esme having learned that Esmeralda murdered Esteban.
Early Life
Born into the Flores cartel, Carlito fought and rebelled against Esteban's instructions, desiring to become his father's right-hand-man. Rash, hot-headed, impulsive, and full of hatred, he often considered himself the inferior son after his brother Miguel. Carlito became engaged to Esmeralda Salazar to secure an alliance with the Salazar cartel. However, he genuinely fell in love with her and often took her advice over his father's.
Storylines
Carlito held Mal Fallon responsible for Miguel's death and sent The Ghost after him to assassinate him, though his plans are unsuccessful. Subsequently, after learning that his father wanted a truce with Mal, Carlito kidnapped them both and threatened Esteban to kill Mal. Again, this plan landed unsuccessfully, with Esmeralda murdering Esteban, then tricking Carlito into think Mal killed him. The police then come to arrest Carlito and is sentenced to 30 years in the San Quentin State Prison. Even so, he manages to escape during the prison riots in Volume 6.
Carlito reappears in Volume 11, when the Salazar cartel abducts Mal to San Trobida (a tiny nation off of the coast of South America, which General Salazar is the ruler of), as a bargain for the $100 million Mal's father Jacob Fallon stole from the cartel. Carlito, desiring to no longer be considered as only Esme's trophy husband submits to General Salazar's orders. Nevertheless, he longed to avenge Esteban and Miguel's death by killing Mal. Despite this, he saved Mal's life when El Brujo attacked him, justifying it for Mal saving his life.
Carlito captured the leader of the San Trobida rebellion, Gabriel Soto. Rather than torturing him as General Salazar suggests, he has Mal interrogate, desiring to learn the inconspicuous truth of his father's death. Mal then betrays Carlito, escaping with Gabriel (though Gabriel only escapes, as Mal sacrifices himself for the continuation of the rebellion). Carlito is punished by General Salazar, who recommends he simply follows his wife's lead, which Carlito has shared his doubts about her father's tactics and his father's death to.
In the final episode of Volume 11, Carlito enters a showdown between General Salazar and Mal, pointing his gun at Mal. Mal confesses what actually happened when Esteban died: Esmeralda killed him. Though Esmeralda attempts to justify her actions, stating that she only did it to end the tension between the Flores and Salazar cartel, Carlito pays no attention to what she is saying, claiming he always loved his father more. He shoots her in the forehead, killing her. General Salazar shoots Carlito in the chest multiple times, followed by Mal shooting General Salazar. Carlito dies only seconds after the shootout ends.
Relationships
Romantic
Esmeralda Salazar
Carlito married Esme for the purpose of establishing ties between the Flores and Salazar cartel, however later came to fall in love with her. Never in power, he was deemed the weaker half of their relationship for which he was made fun of for by his superiors, however never by Esmeralda. He felt subordinate to Esme, frequently taking her orders. Nevertheless, he still loved her and shared his concerns with her, such as General Salazar's interrogation tactics and his doubts about his father's death.
When Esmeralda admitted to murdering Esteban, Carlito was betrayed. He stated that he loved her deeply, but always loved his father more and shot her, instantly killing her.
Familial
Esteban Flores
Much of Carlito's relationship with his father focused on Carlito's determination to impress him (this determination even almost resulting in his father's death). He frequently fought with Esteban over the position of heir of the cartel; however, Carlito's impulsiveness and immaturity led his father to only view him as a child. Despite their unstable relationship, Carlito was heartbroken and enraged over his father's death and vowed to avenge him by killing who he believed was his murderer—Mal. Upon learning the true details of his father's death—that Esmeralda was behind his death—he states that he loved Esme, but always loved his father more.
Miguel Flores
Carlito felt inferior to his brother Miguel, due to Miguel qualifying more as the leader of the cartels. When Miguel died, similar to his reaction to his father's death, Carlito was enraged and heartbroken, disregarding that he was killed in an act of self-defense. He sent The Ghost to assassinate Mal as revenge. Despite his initial response to his brother's death, he was understanding of why he died.
General Salazar
Carlito's father-in-law, he and General Salazar did not maintain a good relationship. General Salazar looked down on him, due to the downfall of the Flores cartel under his leadership and being the weaker counterpart of his and Esme's relationship. Carlito disagreed with the General's interrogation tactics and methods of running the nation of San Trobida, believing they were too harsh and that his father would never approve of them. After Carlito killed Esme, General Salazar fired multiple shots into Carlito's chest, killing him.
Enemies
Mal Fallon
After having killed Miguel, Carlito sent The Ghost to assassinate Mal Fallon, careless that he did as an act of self-defense. He constantly advocated executing Mal as revenge, even pleading to his father. After his father was allegedly killed by Mal, he supported abducting Mal to San Trobida, where he planned that would Mal die in.
Despite the negative feelings he harbors towards Mal, as time went on, he was uncertain of if Mal truly killed Esteban. He told Esme that he did not pick Mal as a cold-blooded killer, that he essentially was a good man. Additionally, he thinks highly of Mal's detective skills, choosing him interrogate Gabriel Soto, along with once saving his life from El Brujo attacking him.
Personality
Carlito's personality significantly contrasts with his father and brother's, Esteban and Miguel. While they are regarded as skilled, disciplined and militaristic, Carlito is viewed as hotheaded and impassioned, motivated by his loyalty toward family, which he values beyond everything else. He greatly cares for his family, especially his father, whom he even shot his wife Esme for after learning that she killed Esteban and held Mal accountable for the murder. He remains a man of honor and integrity even after his death, despite being a criminal, shown by when he saved Mal after Mal saved his life.
His stubbornness has led him to be perceived as immature by those such as Esteban and General Salazar, who has even referred to him as Esme's trophy husband and "boy toy". Though he did his best to prove to his superiors of his abilities, he fails to impress them, due to the fall of the Flores cartel once he took charge.
Trivia
- In the Volume 1 Bonus Scene, Esteban tells Carlito that before they can decide how/if they should avenge Miguel's death, that Carlito should go spend time with his mother. His mother is never seen or explained.
- In the V11 Interlude, Carlito Flores is one of the 3 men sent to assasinate on his dad's orders; set in 2003, this would mean that Carlito was working for thee cartel since the age of 16.
- Carlito's death symbolized the end of his role in the story, after a nine-volume run. This trait of being a long-time rival is shared with The Ghost, Esmeralda Salazar and Genevieve Collins.