MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR THE BREAKING BAD UNIVERSE AHEAD
With the conclusion of Better Caul Saul, it would appear the Breaking Mad Universe has reached the end of new storytelling. Breaking Bad in itself is the greatest show of all time. Vince Gilligan is an absolute genius and deserves to be celebrated. In the spirit of this, I have decided to rank the 6 best characters to appear in the universe. I’m ranking these characters based on how interesting they are, how vital a role they play, and how fans perceive them.
6. Hank Schrader
Hank is a fan favorite and the subject of many memes. He is an alpha and commands attention in every room he goes into. And while a lot of people can find his desire to be the loudest man in the room annoying, he also does some kick-ass/justice-fulfilling stuff that makes him so likable. He’s one of the best B plot characters in the show and his work ends up progressing the plot as well as any character could have.
Hank’s ark is also really enjoyable to see unfold. In the early seasons, we meet Hank as an annoying Alpha who loves being the man in his office. As the show goes deeper, Hank’s inability to deal with emotional trauma ends up defining him for a few seasons, until he turns it around towards the end. Hank also gives us a top three line to be said in Breaking Bad right before he dies. As Walt pleads with Hank to make a deal, he gives us this beauty: “What, you want me to beg? (Walter) You’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met, and you’re too stupid to see that he made up his mind ten minutes ago”.
5. Jesse Pinkman
I love Jesse so much. The contrast he creates with Walt is what makes Breaking Bad so good. We can view Jesse as an anti-hero and we can view Walt as an anti-villan, that’s why the two play off each other so well. He begins the show as a drug addict, a loser by societal standards; but we know he is inherently good despite this. We can see Jess’s true character in scenes involving children and scenes where he’s put in a position to be violent. His constant usage of “yo” and “bitch” have made him one of the most quotable characters in Breaking Bad. Jesse is an anti-hero in every sense of the term, and his righteousness and personality make him one of the defining characters of breaking bad.
“El Camino” was also a masterpiece in it’s own right, and while Jesse’s ending in Breaking Bad did him well, El Camino gave us the closure we needed. Aaron Paul’s acting in the Breaking Bad universe is only matched by Bryan Cranston.
4. Mike Ehrmantraut
Mike is sick. You’d never expect his character to be so capable, both intellectually and physically. I cannot stress how much of a badass Mike really is. He really embodies the “speak softly and carry a big stick” mentality. His death is also one of the saddest moments in Breaking Bad, as Mike just becomes another victim in the string of Walter’s selfishness.
The craziest thing about his character is that he almost never existed. In season 2, when Jane dies, Mike gets sent on behalf of Saul Goodman to clean up the mess so that Jesse isn’t legally liable. Saul was supposed to go help Jesse himself in the original script, but Bob Odenkirk was filming an episode of “How I Met Your Mother”. Gilligan decided to create a “clean up” type of character instead, and Mike was born. Thank god for HIMYM.
3. Gustavo Fringe
One of the greatest villains in film/ TV history, Gus is one of the most rememberable characters from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. His ability to switch from a personable local business owner to a cold-blooded kingpin in just a matter of seconds is one of the most bone-chilling things that happens in the universe.
Giancarlo Esposito is one of very few actors to ever get a breakthrough role so late that was also so popular. The only other person I can compare him to is Christof Waltz, whose role as Hanz Landa in “Inglourious Basterds” launched him to stardom and opened up a stream of acting opportunities. But just like Waltz as well, every time we see Esposito in a new role, our first thought is always “there’s Gus”.
2. Saul Goodman (Jimmy McGill)
The comedic relief in breaking Bad, the legal loophole in Breaking Bad, and the main character in “Better Call Saul”, Saul Goodman defines Breaking Bad almost as well as any character on the show. Like Walter, he originally runs on the idea of money, but then something more takes over. In the case of Saul, it’s a combination of professional and family issues, highlighted by his relationship with brother Chuck.
While Saul’s ark is great, the best part of the character comes from the everyday interaction he comes. His witty one-liners and clever way of thinking demand viewers’ attention. Bob Odenkirk really nailed it with the
1.Walter White
The man who broke bad. Walt’s ark is the greatest in the history of television and is the reason why Breaking Bad is the best show to ever exist. For Walt to exist, it took the best writing, acting and reacting any show has ever required, and the cast and crew of Breaking Bad had the right stuff.
Walt’s desire to provide for his family after he dies quickly gets run over by his desire to be great at something. Walt never kept making meth to make money, by the end of the show he made almost $80 million total. In season one Walt says all he needs is just under $200,000. Something happens along the way that turns Walt from a scared Chemistry teacher into a legitimate gangster, and the small rise and subsequent long fall of Walter White are, in my book, the peak of television.
If you want the peak-peak-peak of Braking Bad, look no further than the crawl space sequence.
And here we have Cranston and Paul being honored with their own statue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Well deserved for the two main characters on the greatest show ever.
