19. Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
The villains in season five were probably the only thing that wasn't perfect about the last season of Breaking Bad. And Lydia was a leading antagonist inside of this group of villains. She was uptight, annoying, and extremely unlikable. The portrayal by actress Laura Fraser is really strange. She's an overall bad character that doesn't really service the plot a ton.
18. Ted Beneke
Talk about not serving the plot. Ted Beneke was a minor character in the second season of the show, but then just refused to go away. And every time he was on screen, it would depart from the main plot line of the season. He served almost as an opposite to Walt, being the husband that Skyler would want, but they didn't develop that into an interesting enough idea for me to actually care about Beneke. Also, the way that he goes out is just cartoonish and too silly for Breaking Bad.
17. Jane Margolis
Out of all the scumbags and dirty people that are meant to be good guys, Jane was the worst. At least Lydia and Ted were meant to be villains. Jane is supposed to be a protagonist. Yet she is so unlikable. She manipulates Jesse into becoming a drug addict again. She tries to double cross Walt. She is a very, very bad person and an extremely annoying and gross hero. The only thing good about her character is her death, which is one of the most brutal scenes in Breaking Bad. She definitely contributes a lot to Walt's transformation into Heisenberg.
16. Jack Welker
The neo-Nazis were definitely not the greatest of Breaking Bad's villains, and Uncle Jack is obviously not one of my favorite characters ever. He represents the worst of humanity: the Nazis, slavery, murderers, robbers, etc. He is a nasty, nasty human being. But he kills Hank Schrader. That is what got him this high on the list. Walt's mistakes lead to his brother-in-law's death at the hands of this horrible, horrible man.
15. Todd Alquist
If you looked up sociopath in the dictionary, Todd's picture would appear beside it. Personality-wise, he's one of the nicest people in Breaking Bad. But he is pure evil. And it makes it so much scarier that he acts so nice. He kills without purpose or reason. He smiles and waves at a kid and then shoots him. He is a horrifying person. He does fit in with the neo-Nazis, so he isn't a top tier Breaking Bad character. But he's a scary, scary character that is a good addition to season five.
14. Andrea Cantillo
Andrea represents innocence inside of Breaking Bad. Yes, she starts out as a druggie that is going to group therapy with Jesse, but she eventually pulls it together and is able to provide for her son. However, because of the collapse of the meth empire and the rise of the neo-Nazis, she is killed in one of the saddest and most horrific scenes in the series. Jesse watches, helpless, as his girlfriend who didn't do anything is ruthlessly murdered by Todd. It's heartbreaking.
13. Gale Boetticher
I thought that Gale was one of the weirdest characters on the show when he was first introduced. I was confused, because he was so annoying and creepy. But he was also a very nice guy. And he suffered a fate he did not deserve. Gale's character is used to perfection throughout the third season. As Gus' trust in Walt and Jesse begins to disintegrate, he devises a way to kill Walt and still keep his meth empire. And the key to that is Gale. This shows that Gale really is a victim of crossfire. Because of Gus' plan, in the finale of the season, Walt tells Jesse to go kill Gale to save his own life. It's a tragic episode that ends with a tragic scene, and just goes to show how Breaking Bad is really a tragedy after all.
12. Skinny Pete and Badger
Breaking Bad is a bleak, bleak show with a bunch of horrible people as protagonists. It barely ever has comedic moments and mostly focuses on crime and drugs. Skinny Pete and Badger are two characters that are used as comedic relief. And they are so good at it. Every time you feel like Breaking Bad is going to get too heavy, Skinny Pete and Badger come in for a scene and talk about Final Fantasy or Star Trek and relieve you of the terror that comes with Breaking Bad.
11. Marie Schrader
Marie was a pretty annoying character from beginning to end, but she was great in the last season after Hank finds out that Walt is a drug kingpin. She acts as a complete polar opposite to Skyler, and that's a really interesting way to take her character. I love the way that she gloats when Hank arrests Walt, even though she doesn't know that Hank is about to die. Once again, her character ends tragically, and it shows how devastating Breaking Bad can get.
10. Hector Salamanca
Everything seemed connected through Hector Salamanca. Although he wasn't a super prominent character, he always seemed to be lurking in the background. He was the uncle of Tuco and the twins as well as the arch nemesis of Gustavo Fring. He caused those three major villains to live up to their evilest and craziest potential. His character arc is completed when he commits suicide in the nursing home, but blows up Gus Fring in the process.
9. Walter White, Jr.
Definitely the most annoying character in Breaking Bad, Walt Jr. (or Flynn) does have somewhat of a good character arc. He follows his father throughout the entire show, unaware that he is a meth cook and drug lord. He is always against his mother, until Ozymandias changes everything and he realizes that his mom has been right all along and sides with her. It's interesting to his character flip sides that quickly, and I think it was a great way to resolve his arc.
8. Mike Ehrmantraut
Mike was a chill character. He never really gave a crap what happened, but when he did, it was intimidating. I love the way that his character is sometimes a good guy and sometimes a bad guy. He works with Gus, but also helps out Jesse. After Gus dies, he joins forces with Walt. He's clearly in it for himself and his granddaughter. He does not care about anyone else in the business. He just wants to get paid and get out as quickly as possible. His death, once again, is incredibly tragic. And it shows how evil Walt has become.
7. Tuco Salamanca
There's crazy. Then there's nuts. Then there's whack job. Then there's Ted Bundy. Then there's Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs. Then there's Tuco Salamanca. He is just all kinds of messed up. He is so unpredictable and impulsive. That's what makes him terrifying. He has no motive. He has zero morals. He is just utter insanity. He does not care about anything besides himself. And he will kill you without rhyme or reason. He beat one of his henchmen to death because he talked when Tuco didn't allow him to. The first villain in Breaking Bad is one of the best characters in the entire show.
6. Skyler White
I didn't like Skyler in the first few seasons. She isn't a likable character at all. But she develops throughout the seasons and her dynamic with Walt shifts. In the beginning, she has complete control over Walt. However, as the show progresses, Walt becomes more controlling and forceful. Skyler quiets down and eventually gives in to Walt, becoming his accomplice in the drug empire. She becomes a completely miserable person, and stays that way for pretty much the entire show. The recurring theme of this ranking is tragic characters, and Skyler is one of those.
5. Saul Goodman
Another character that somewhat provides comedic relief, Saul is one of the most likable but also one of the dirtiest characters on the show. He is a complete sleezebag, but he is hilarious. Bob Odenkirk is absolutely great in this role. Saul might not have the biggest arc in Breaking Bad, but he is charming and charismatic, providing some light in a dark show. What makes Saul so cool is that he is a lawyer. And his last name is Good-man. It seems like he'd have the moral high ground. But he pulls cheap tricks and is a very, very dirty person. That's why Breaking Bad is great. Because of the symbolism. And Saul is a very symbolic character.
4. Gustavo Fring
I think that Gus Fring is one of the greatest villains to ever grace the small screen. The writers of Breaking Bad write Gus as this extremely intelligent man that is super organized and proper. That makes him already super cool. He is also incredibly menacing. Every time that he turns on his evil side, it's some of the scariest stuff in Breaking Bad. Whether it's ruthlessly slitting Victor's throat or threatening Walt's family, Gus is super frightening. He really does feel like a super villain, because he has this alter ego: the chicken man. He seems like an ordinary person that owns a chain of fast food chicken restaurants, but there's so much evil behind the dough and frying oil. And where did that evil spawn from? His friend being murdered by a drug kingpin. How tragic.
3. Jesse Pinkman
Jesse Pinkman is a stoner. He didn't go to college. He spends his adult life cooking meth. He is relatively crazy. But he is the moral compass of Breaking Bad. He knows the difference between right and wrong. He is the character that gets emotionally wrecked by the crimes that he and Walt commit. He just can't escape. Once again, Jesse is a tragic character. He gets manipulated by everyone in his life: Walt, his parents, Hank, Gus, Mike, Saul, etc. He doesn't trust anyone. He's such an interesting and layered character. Aaron Paul is absolutely fantastic as this sad, pathetic druggie that seems to be the only person who knows what's right and wrong in Breaking Bad.
2. Hank Schrader
Hank's relationship with Walt is built and paid off to actual perfection. Watching Hank try to catch Heisenberg is one of the most intense and nerve-racking plot lines in the show. It pays off in season five, Gliding Over All. A fateful trip to the bathroom causes Hank to discover that Walt is the drug lord that Hank has been looking for all along. The next six episodes result in the peak of Breaking Bad as well as the height and pay off of Hank's arc. He catches Walt, but gets murdered before he can put the final nail in Walt's meth-filled coffin. It's one o the most shocking and intense character arcs that ends with the best moment in Breaking Bad.
1. Walter White
Who else would be on top? Walter White is one of the best fictional characters ever. He starts as a sympathetic lead that just gets progressively evil until he fully transforms into Heisenberg. It's one of the best character arcs ever written. Bryan Cranston plays this role with a certain level of genius. He becomes more confident and controlling as he becomes more evil. The final season has Walt paying for all of his sins as he slowly allows the little amount of good that's left in him to emerge as he saves his wife from arrest and dies on the floor of a meth lab. Walter is the driving force behind Breaking Bad. He's perfect. And that's why he's number one.
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