‘Gangs Of Galicia’ Series Cast And Character Guide

The new Spanish Netflix original titled Gangs of Galicia is about the mafia families and their rivalries in the titular city. The seven episode miniseries covers the story of a woman seeking revenge after her father was killed. She finally learned her father kept her and her mother away from a dangerous secret. The daughter, however, plans to confront her father’s past and seek retribution.

Spoilers Ahead

Ana

Ana, portrayed by Clara Lago in Gangs of Galicia, is a typical daughter who has a doting father. Ana is a lawyer by profession and a successful one who has had a steady relationship with her parents. To her shock, her father is killed out of nowhere, and after his death, a Pandora’s box of full secrets opens, only to devastate her and her mother further. They learn of their father being in a witness protection program and the fact that he had left his real family to become an informant and eventually ran away from his hometown. 

Ana must find his first family and the mafia gang that may have tracked her father down and killed him. In her pursuit for answers, she reaches the coastal town of Cambados. Somehow her plans work like clockwork, and her first meeting with Daniel Padin, the only son and heir of Jose Padin, goes smoothly. Within no time, she is in his inner circle and slowly gains confidence from the gang. While Daniel is smitten by Ana’s personality, Ana is trying to keep her distance and keep their relationship professional. Only time will tell if Ana falls in love with Daniel and, at the same time, seeks Jose Padin who she believes killed her father. 

Daniel

Tamar Novas, as Daniel Padin, is the central character of the show. The story of his life is shown from Ana’s perspective, and everyone else assumes him to be the bad guy who, just like his father, is managing the mafia and being ruthless. The man has been exposed to this life since childhood and was groomed to take over in the event of his father’s death or arrest. The arrest happened when Daniel was young, and ever since, he has been capable enough to run the show with the help of his friends Nilo and Tono. Daniel, however, begins to fall for the newcomer in town, Ana. She agrees to be his unofficial legal aid; however, he begins to woo her and tries to showcase his feelings by taking her out to dinners. It is through his interaction with Ana that one learns about his childhood and the obligations he was raised on. 

Daniel comes across as a man compelled to be in the world of crime; however, he plans to get out of his father’s business. He confesses about this plan after having made his feelings clear for her. He never does a background check on Ana, as he blindly trusted her from the start, and therefore he is willing to be vulnerable with her. Just like in Ana’s arc, only fate will decide if Ana and himself are destined to be with each other. 

Nilo

Nilo, portrayed by Xosé A. Touriñán is Daniel’s best friend. Nilo and his brother Tono are facing familial issues after losing their father to a heart attack. Nilo and his siblings were never on good terms with their father, who refused to share the location of this large stash of money he hid. The information about the location of the secret went away with him, which was followed by a legal battle with his sister and her husband. All are in desperate need of money, and the brother-in-law is adamant about getting his hands on a share of the money hidden away. Apart from this concern, his nephew Marco is also keen on joining the mafia, but the young kid is kept away from the business of crime and narcotics for obvious reasons. 

Nilo is also responsible for the capture of Samuel, the man who works for them but turned into an informant. Nilo, along with his brother, takes him away and subjects him to torture, which almost kills the man. Samuel’s trauma has a harmful response, which leads to a tragedy of great magnitude. Nilo, however, chooses to stay by his best friend’s side. Nilo, Daniel, and Tono are awaiting a big shipment of narcotics, and they are now planning to get the contraband into Spain without causing a major scene in the hopes the police and DEA will not catch them. 

Marco

Nuno Gallego plays the teenager named Marco who is on the cusp of becoming the next mafia leader. He is keen on joining Daniel, Nilo, and Tono. The young boy, however, is kept away from a life of crime. His uncles and Daniel, who is his godfather as well, do not want him to get into this line, as he has a future ahead of him, one that does not involve getting into the business of narcotics. Marco is good friends with Maria, the granddaughter of Jose Silva, who is also Ana’s father. Her family is treated like lepers for Jose’s involvement in ratting out Daniel’s father many years ago. Maria and Marco, however, fall in love and plan to live a life of peace. Marco is afraid of losing Maria and begins to have clarity of thought. After failing to save Samuel from his uncles, Marco began to see how the man’s kidnapping affected Maria and tried hard to get her on his side. 

The young boy and girl eventually plan to elope, but just like in the case of Ana and Daniel, fate had other plans for them. Marco is a highly sensitive kid who wants everyone to be happy, but that kind of utopian thought only works well in his mind and not in reality. He is tired of watching his father mistreat his mother and constantly fight with his uncle for a share of the inheritance. This made him choose to run away with Maria, the daughter of his family’s nemesis.

Laura

Melania Cruz portrays the role of Laura, who has a major part to play in bringing down the Padin mafia family. Laura is the daughter of the infamous Jose Silva of Cambados. Ever since her father snitched on Padin, his employer, and got him arrested, the family has been treated with hostility, especially by the ruling mafia family of Padin. Daniel is the only son of Padin; he, along with Nilo and Tono, makes sure to showcase their hatred; however, the family sustains itself by running a bar. Laura has faced many challenges because of her father’s actions over the years, but she and her mother, Berat, refuse to run away. They face the people and the mafia of their hometown. Laura, however, vowed not to look for retribution because her father had to run away to save his life. She and her mother only seek peace, even though Daniel is adamant about buying out their bar. It is Ana who sees the struggles her stepfamily is enduring. Her influence allowed some peace between Laura and Daniel; the former became good friends with Ana. 

However, Laura is not keen on watching her only daughter fall in love with the boy from the family of their enemy. This is a Romeo and Juliet tale in the making. Laura does not want Maria to be hurt. Laura also requests that her daughter Maria go after the mafia. Laura’s trauma from losing her father because of the mafia was fresh, and she does not intend to lose her daughter the same way. Laura has a lot on her plate as the show proceeds towards the end. 

Naranjo

Francesc Garrido plays Naranjo, the police officer who is obsessed with getting Daniel arrested as well. Daniel’s been running the show since his father’s arrest. Naranjo’s biggest obstacle is finding out who the mole is in his organization and other police officers who are on the payroll of the Mafia family of Padin. Jose Padin is an unofficial leader, but he must put up a façade of being the prisoner who is part-time working as a parking lot attendant. 

Naranjo’s obsession, however, begins to affect his marriage, which includes him not showing up for his wife and her ailments. This causes a major rift, which Naranjo is trying hard to repair. His wife has issued ultimatums multiple times, and every time he’s promised to move away from the town once the mafia and people associated with it are arrested. Naranjo trudges between his personal and professional lives, and this has been the hardest task for him so far.

Jose Padin

Jose Padin, aka Padin, is portrayed by Miguel de Lira in Gangs of Galicia. He is the man who still wants to be in power long after his arrest. His prison time is just a gimmick, as he still holds a lot of influence in the mafia circuit of his town, Cambados, even though it has been a while since Daniel took over. Jose has his reasons to not trust Ana, but one meeting with her is enough for him to see through her and believe she is the right person for Daniel. None of them could figure out her history, and she shared way too many details. Jose Padin is the epitome of power. He wants things to go his way and makes sure the mafia does not fall apart.

Samuel

Diego Anido, as Samuel, has a minor role in Gangs of Galicia, but the torture he is put through, followed by his resultant actions, becomes the catalyst for a chain of events in the later part of the show. Samuel is working for Daniel’s syndicate, but he’s turned into an informant and reports to Naranjo. This happens to be the biggest mistake of his life, as the mole in the police department informs Nilo and Tono of Samuel switching sides and hell broke on him ever since. 

Samuel is sensitive and is probably snitching in the hope that the end of the mafia will bring peace to his town. However, he did not anticipate his kidnapping, which proves the presence of a mole in the police department. Samuel is put through torture and almost killed by Nilo and Tono. Marco and Maria try to save him, but they are forced to back out of the plan. Samuel, however, is deeply affected and slowly begins to lose his mind after Nilo and Tono put him through horrendous times. He must take matters into his own hands, as the police are not keen on offering him justice. He understands Naranjo cannot help after having provided good intelligence to the police. Samuel turns into a dangerous man, and Daniel and his friend will have no idea what hit them.