Set in Mexico, Desperado is a present day drama of violence and passion as a man by the name of Mariachi searches for the man responsible for killing the woman he loved. Mariachi is a singer in a nightclub. One evening, while singing and playing his guitar, a man wanders in and not only shoots and kills Mariachi's fiance, but also shoots Mariachi in the hands. Mariachi's friend, Buscemi, learns of a man called Bucho, a powerful drug lord. Bucho not only runs the town, he is feared by the townspeople. He shoots those who dare to disagree with him. Bucho's compound is surrounded by bodyguards, making it difficult, if not impossible for any strangers to enter. After Bucho and his men have killed several men for little or no reason, Mariachi's hatred of this man increases. In the end, however, it becomes difficult to kill Bucho as Mariachi learns that Bucho is his brother. At gunpoint, Bucho confesses that he was Mariachi's father's illegitimate son.