Elite Squad - Characters & Cast

His main motivation is to find a replacement and secure a safer desk job so he can be present for the birth and upbringing of his son. He is driven by a profound weariness of the war and the toll it has taken on him, but also by a fierce, uncompromising loyalty to BOPE and its mission to eradicate crime and corruption, using any means necessary.

Nascimento begins as a burnt-out, anxiety-ridden captain desperate for an escape from the endless violence that is destroying his family life and mental health. His primary goal is to find a clean, capable replacement. Throughout the film, his narration provides a cynical, yet brutally honest, guide to the corrupt world he inhabits. He is a man in deep conflict, suffering from panic attacks while leading deadly missions. By the end, he succeeds in finding a successor in Matias, but only by molding the idealistic recruit into a hardened killer like himself, thus perpetuating the cycle he sought to escape.

Initially, his motivation is to be an honest cop and pursue a career in law, adhering to a strict moral code. After Neto's death, his motivation shifts to vengeance and a belief that only BOPE's extreme methods can bring true justice to a corrupt world.

Matias starts as an honest, intelligent police officer and law student who believes in justice and changing the system from within. His experiences with police corruption and the hypocrisy of his university peers disillusion him. The murder of his best friend, Neto, becomes the turning point, pushing him to fully embrace BOPE's violent ideology. His arc is a tragic transformation from a naive idealist hoping to become a lawyer into a hardened, ruthless warrior, culminating in him executing a man in cold blood at Nascimento's behest.

Neto is motivated by a simple, fervent desire to fight criminals and achieve justice. He sees the world in terms of good versus evil and is frustrated by the bureaucracy and corruption that prevent him from taking direct action. He joins BOPE to be on the front lines of the war.

Neto is an impulsive, action-oriented rookie cop with a black-and-white view of justice. Described by Nascimento as being similar to a younger version of himself, Neto is brave but lacks Matias's intellectualism and restraint. He is disgusted by the corruption in the force and eagerly joins BOPE to seek direct action. His character represents the pure, unthinking warrior spirit. His arc is short and tragic; he excels within BOPE but his impulsive nature ultimately leads to his death, which serves as the catalyst for Matias's final transformation.