The success of Money Heist is mainly due to the great action scenes and the edge-of-your-seat intrigue it offers. With a large cast of characters, the writers of the hit Netflix series did a great job giving each character their own identity. Each character has their own backstory as to how and why they came to join The Professor's team.
What makes Money Heist so appealing to the viewers is how relatable the characters are. Robbing banks is obviously bad but what drives them to do so is what has kept fans intrigued for four seasons. Here are the worst things some of the main characters have done on Money Heist, other than participating in robberies. Content warning: there are discussions of being drugged, rape, suicide, grief, and loss when discussing certain characters.
Tokio (Leaving Rio On The Island)
At the end of Season 2, Rio and Tokio (or Tokyo if you watch it in English) left the crew and found themselves on their own island. While still in the beginning stages of their newfound wealth, freedom, and love, Tokio became restless and made the biggest mistake of her life by leaving Rio on the island. She just didn't know how big it was and what it would cost her at the moment of her decision.
Tokio leaving the island prompted The Professor to get the crew back together for another heist and save Rio at the same time. By doing so, they lost Nairobi and by the time Season 5 is over, they may lose more.
The Professor (Not Killing Palmero)
The Professor appears to have all the answers when it comes to robbing banks and getting the team ready to do their jobs. However, with each job we've seen The Professor make a few errors as well. While not as huge as some of the others, his actions did have dire consequences.
After Nairobi was shot by Gandia and it was revealed to him that it was Palermo's fault, The Professor had a chance to put his foot down and show that there will be no rewarding a traitor's actions, but he did not. In fact, he should have ordered Helsinki to kill Palermo.
Helsinki (Not Protecting Nairobi)
Helsinki is the most laid back character on the show. On the outside, he resembles a mad man. But on the inside, he's a big teddy bear. Now, the worst thing Helsinki has ever done was follow one order. With Gandia roaming the bank freely, Helsinki was ordered to go track him down. This proved to be a major mistake.
With Nairobi nursing her injuries, someone reliable should have stayed with her. But even with the chaos going on, Nairobi was left alone. What if Helsinki would have stayed with her instead of leaving to follow orders? This may be a decision he regrets in Season 5.
Rio (Breaking Up With Tokio)
Rio is the youngest out of the crew and at times will still make mistakes that come with youth and lack of wisdom. Once he was rescued, Rio told Tokio that he could not be with her. What he didn't factor in were the consequences that would come with that decision. Tokio is a loose cannon and the slightest thing could set her off.
Rio didn't take the time to think about what that could mean for her, the rest of the team, and the mission in general. All he thought about was himself. His decision sent Tokio down a dangerous path from which she still hasn't recovered.
Denver (Blaming Tokio)
Denver's mistake was blaming a team member for another's actions. In Denver's mind, Tokio is to blame for his father's death, but Moscu (Moscow if you watch it in English) made his own decision. Yes, Tokio returning back to the Bank after she made it out was a risky move and one that could have been avoided but Moscu decided to have the shootout and stay outside slightly longer than he should have.
With his father bleeding out, Denver placed the blame on Tokio. As time passed, Denver got over his grief but was that storyline really resolved?
Berlin (The Treatment Of Ariadna)
Watching Berlin in the first two seasons of Money Heist did his character no justice. Berlin was the hothead who took orders from The Professor but viewers were led to believe he was just waiting for the right moment to take over. Then we learned his backstory in Seasons 3 & 4 and everything fell into place: Berlin loved his brother, yet he was still a monster.
The worst thing Berlin did was when he not only gave up his own life but he sacrificed that of Ariadna's. Berlin raped her and felt he had some type of sick hold and bond with the hostage. When he found out her plan after they got out, Berlin became angry and forced Ariadna to die with him.
Raquel (Joining The Professor)
During the first two seasons, Raquel played a major role in Money Heist. A single mother dealing with an ex-husband who wanted control, Raquel was used to finding herself in tough situations but was smart enough to figure a way out of them. But then she took a phone call from The Professor and everything changed.
The worst thing Raquel has ever done was getting drawn in. Although she did it for love, The Professor used his influence over her to get what he and his team needed. In the process, she lost her job, her life, and was a phone call away from losing her family.
Arturo (Rape)
Since Season 1, viewers knew that Arturo had issues. He was cheating on his wife with Monica and then found out she was pregnant. Arturo, instead of being a stand-up guy, tried to play both sides of the fence and got burned. By doing so, he lost Monica and his son to Rio. For some reason, Netflix figured it would be a smart play to bring him back for Seasons 3 & 4.
While trapped again with the hostages, Arturo proved just how sleazy he was when he raped another hostage after drugging her.
Nairobi (Telling Berlin A Secret)
Nairobi is a fan favorite but like everyone else on Money Heist, she is not without her demons. Her biggest mistake was taking everything for granted. Nairobi is a wild character. She will do whatever she can to get ahead but she lets her emotions control her actions and that's what caused Berlin to make a bad decision and sacrifice Ariadna's life along with his own.
Nairobi overheard Ariadna's plan for Berlin. In the middle of a heated debate with Berlin, Nairobi hit below the belt and told Berlin Ariadna's plan. If she would have said nothing, then maybe Berlin and Ariadna would still be alive.
Palermo (Being A Traitor)
Palmero is loyal to the job. That's always been his main focus from the beginning. But still, his team is now his family and he didn't have their backs. When The Professor turned over leadership to Tokio, Palmero lost his mind.
It was no longer about the team or the mission, he was just out for revenge. By helping Gandia escape, he had no idea the amount of terror and heartbreak his decision would bring.