Machete Kills (2013) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

President Rathcock (Charlie Sheen) intervenes just as Sheriff Doakes is about to execute Machete, offering him a deal instead: hunt down Demian Bichir, a cartel member turned revolutionary planning to launch a missile at Washington, D.C. In exchange, Machete will receive U.S. citizenship. The President needs someone with Machete's lethal skills and his existing connections to the cartel underworld.

• president
• charlie sheen
• mission
• u.s. citizenship
• deal

At the Arizona-Mexico border, after Machete and Sartana discover the military is colluding with the cartel, the cartel launches an ambush. During the chaotic firefight, Sartana is shot fatally by a man wearing a luchador mask. Her death serves as the emotional catalyst that sets Machete on his path of revenge and leads him to accept the President's mission.

• sartana rivera
• jessica alba
• death
• luchador
• border

Demian Bichir (Mendez) is a former cartel member who has become a revolutionary planning to launch a missile at Washington, D.C. to cause global chaos. He wears an explosive device strapped to his chest as a failswitch, if his heart stops, the missile launches automatically. This creates a ticking clock throughout the film's third act.

• mendez
• missile
• washington
• explosive device
• revolutionary

Luther Voz is the main antagonist, portrayed by Mel Gibson. He is the mastermind behind the revolutionary movement and the arms dealer planning global chaos. He runs Voz Tech Industries, where the final confrontation takes place. He represents the shadowy figure orchestrating Mendez's terrorist plot.

• luther voz
• mel gibson
• villain
• voz tech
• antagonist

Cereza is a young woman in Acapulco who Machete seeks out as a lead to find Mendez. Played by Vanessa Hudgens, she initially helps Machete after he navigates the brothel run by Sofia Vergara. However, she is shot by the revolutionary Zaror before she can provide more assistance, making her a brief but significant plot device.

• cereza
• vanessa hudgens
• acapu lco
• connection to mendez

El Camaleon is a shape-shifting hitman that Machete encounters during his pursuit of Mendez. He is one of the multiple assassins hired to stop Machete throughout the film. His ability to change his appearance adds another layer of danger and confusion to the already chaotic mission.

• el camaleon
• assassin
• shape-shifter
• hired killer

In the climax at Voz Tech Industries, Machete discovers the missile's life-and-death mechanism tied to Mendez's heart. When Mendez is killed during the confrontation, Machete leaps onto the missile itself and rides it, steering it away from Washington, D.C. to crash harmlessly elsewhere, sacrificing his apparent safety to save the city.

Foreshadowing: Mendez's explosive chest device earlier established the heart-trigger mechanism.

• missile
• ride
• climax
• voz tech
• sacrifice

Mendez straps an explosive device to his chest as both a deterrent and a failsafe. He reveals himself to be mentally unstable, pulling the trigger to set a timer and threatening to detonate. The device serves dual purposes: it prevents anyone from capturing him alive and automatically launches the missile if his heart stops, ensuring his revolution succeeds even if he dies.

• mendez
• explosive
• chest device
• timer
• suicide mission

Blanca Vasquez (Amber Heard), also known as Miss San Antonio, meets Machete when he arrives in San Antonio. She provides crucial intel about the mission, including information about Cereza who can lead Machete to Mendez. She also displays her impressive weapons collection and seduces Machete, becoming his primary ally in the early stages of the mission.

• blanca vasquez
• amber heard
• miss san antonio
• intel
• weapons

Machete is pursued by numerous assassins, El Camaleon, Zaror, and others, because the cartel, revolutionary forces, and Luther Voz all want him dead. His reputation as a legendary federale and his successful disruption of cartel operations make him a major threat. Additionally, the President sending him into dangerous territory creates bounties on his head from multiple enemies.

• assassins
• hunters
• bounties
• enemies
• multiple threats

After successfully diverting the missile, Machete finds himself conscripted for another intergalactic mission, directly referencing the fake trailer's space adventure. The film concludes with a humorous setup for "Machete Kills Again... In Space," which was presented as a fake trailer at the beginning. This creates a self-referential loop typical of the film's grindhouse aesthetic.

Foreshadowing: The opening fake trailer explicitly showed Machete in space.

• sequel
• space
• intergalactic
• ending
• teaser