Breaking Bad/Characters: Difference between revisions

== Walter White ==

[[File:Walter_White_7865.jpg|frame]]

 

The main character of the series, Walt is a high school chemistry teacher who gets diagnosed with lung cancer. Realizing he doesn't have much time left teams up with a former student to use his chemistry know how to make primo crystal meth to make tons of money to leave behind for his family.

** He also acts very smug in the Season 4 premiere, when {{spoiler|Victor, one of Gus' henchmen}} tries to cook his own batch of meth.

* [[Becoming the Mask]]: Walt invents "Heisenberg", his criminal alter ego, as both a convenient pseudonym and a coping mechanism. As times goes on and his behavior becomes more flagrantly amoral, it begins to seem as though there may not really be a difference between the two.

* [[Berserk Button]]: Does not like having his pride threatened or his decisions protested one bit.

* [[Beware the Nice Ones]]

* [[Sarcastic Confession]]: To Hank in the season 3 premiere.

* [[Science Hero|Science Anti-Hero]]: Think if MacGyver turned evil.

'''[[Secret Identity|Heisenberg]]:''' Fulminated mercury... a little tweak of chemistry. }}

* [[Secret Identity]]: His Heisenberg persona that he uses to sell meth.

== Jesse Pinkman ==

[[File:Jesse_Pinkman_2348.jpg|frame]]

 

A comfortable upper-middle-class kid--and (flunked) student of Walter's in the not-too-distant past--he becomes a lowlife drug dealer. Walt enlists (by which we mean blackmails) him as his business partner because of his street smarts and knowledge of the drug trade. Seemingly a total jerk {{spoiler|eventually we see he has hidden depths and isn't as heartless as he seems. In fact he's starting to prove more morally conflicted about what he's done than Walt has.}}

* [[Functional Addict]]: Complete with a downward spiral into heroin addiction, rehab, and then later getting back on the meth.

* [[Heel Realization]]: In the third season premiere.

** Subverted by the end of the season.

* [[Heroic BSOD]]: {{spoiler|In the season 4 premiere he has one after killing Gale, being so shocked at what he's done that he can't even seem to drive away from the apartment complex. Afterwards he sits in stunned silence for most of the episode.}}

== Skyler White ==

[[File:Skyler_White_6340.jpg|frame]]

 

Walter White's wife, who is pregnant with their daughter when the show starts. Walt's criminal activities give rise to a lot of mysterious late nights and other odd behavior that he does not explain, which puts a serious strain on their marriage. While Skyler tries to be supportive, she can be a little bossy and overbearing, which clashes with Walt's need to show he can do everything himself.

== Hank Schrader ==

[[File:Hank_Schrader_3873.jpg|frame]]

 

Walter and Skyler's brother-in-law, Mike is a DEA agent. He is aware of Walter's alter ego "Heisenberg", knows that Heisenberg is the one who makes the blue meth, and has some connection with Jesse, but does not know that Walter is Heisenberg. Despite Hank's obnoxious behavior he is a decent guy and good at his job, but is not able to outmaneuver Walter. Instead Hank usually picks up the remains of Walter and Jesse's messes.

== Gustavo "Gus" Fring ==

[[File:Gus_Fring_3894.jpg|frame]]

 

Gus is the largest distributer of crystal meth in the American Southwest. His front is a chain of fast food chicken restaurants, "Los Pollos Hermanos", which he uses to give money to law enforcement and otherwise come off as an important member of the community. He employs Walt and Jesse in season two, but almost immediately looks for a way to get his hands on Walter's recipe and replace the two.

== Walter White Jr. ==

[[File:Walter_White_Jr_6460.jpg|frame]]

 

Walt and Skyler's son. He does not take the news that his father is dying of cancer well and lashes out in a stereotypically rebellious teenager-ish way (including changing his name to Flynn), but eventually gets over it and acts a lot more mature as series progresses. Jr. has cerebral palsy and walks with crutches and speaks with a slight slur.

== Saul Goodman ==

[[File:Saul_Goodman_3042.jpg|frame]]

 

A sleazy lawyer Walt and Jesse hire as their legal council. Saul has vast connections, and is the one who introduces Walt and Jesse to Gus. Saul also helps them with other criminal activities, like helping Walter buy a carwash to launder his money with. While he initially likes the money Walt and Jesse bring in, later appearences mostly consist of Saul exasperated at the bigger messes Walt and Jesse get into. [http://www.bettercallsaul.com/ Has his own website.]

== Mike Ehrmantraut ==

[[File:Mike_Ehrmantraut_2089.jpg|frame]]

 

Gus' number one hitman, investigator, and all around problem fixer. Extremely loyal to Gus. Gets along with Walt at first, but stops liking Walt as Walt does more stuff that threatens to ruin their operation. Then he starts to develop a mild respect for Jesse. Despite his horrific profession, Mike at least acts like a decent person and loves his granddaughter.

* [[Face Heel Turn]]: Had one years before the start of the series. See [[Start of Darkness]] below.

* [[Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique]]: Threatens Saul with this in the season 3 finale.

* [[One-Scene Wonder]]: Frequently makes brief appearances in episodes and his lengthy monologue in "Half Measures" is definitely this trope.

* [[Punch Clock Villain]]

== Marie Schrader ==

[[File:Marie_Schrader_3060.jpg|frame]]

 

Skyler's sister and Hank's wife. Marie causes a lot of problems, like accusing Walter of smoking marijuana and shoplifting, but is also supportive of Skyler and her family and Hank and the problems his job causes.

 

== Brandon "Badger" Mayhew ==

 

The first of Jesse's three friends introduced, and one of his dealers. Not the smartest person around, but is very upbeat.

 

== Christian "Combo" Ortega ==

 

Another one of Jesse's friends and dealers. Possibly smarter than Badger and Skinny Pete.

* {{spoiler|[[Killed Off for Real]]}}

* {{spoiler|[[We Hardly Knew Ye]]}}

 

== Skinny Pete ==

 

Jesse's third friend and dealer.

 

== Tuco Salamanca ==

 

Walt and Jesse's first boss. Tuco is an unstable, paranoid man who snorts meth all day. At first Walter (and reluctantly Jesse) want to be Tuco's main supplier, but they quickly change their mind after they are hired when Tuco beats one of his subordinates to death over a minor misunderstanding.

 

== Hector 'Tio' Salamanca ==

 

A former kingpin and Tuco's uncle. Hector is confined to a wheelchair thanks to a stroke, and can only communicate with a bell.

 

== Jane Margolis ==

 

Jesse's landlord when his parents kick him out, and eventually Jesse's girlfriend. Jane is nice girl and a former drug addict, but relapses and becomes a lot less nice thanks to Jesse's drug habit.

 

== Andrea Cantillo ==

 

A single mother Jesse meets at a drug addict support group, eventually the two start up a relationship. Andrea has a son, Brock, that Jesse gets along with. {{spoiler|Is the older sister of the kid who shot Combo.}}

 

== "The Cousins" Leon and Marco Salamanca ==

 

Two assassins who go after Walter {{spoiler|to avenge Tuco's murder}}. Best described as two human Mexican [[The Terminator|Terminator robots]].

 

== Ted Beneke ==

 

Skyler's former boss. Sexually harassed her at a Christmas party, allegedly because he was drunk. When Skyler gets her old job back he tries to get into her pants again.

 

== Steven Gomez ==

 

Hank's partner. Hanks makes fun of Gomez for being Latino, Gomez makes fun of Hank for being white, but they get along fine. A good cop in his own right.

 

== Gale Boetticher ==

 

Another meth cooker that Gus forces Walt to replace Jesse with. Walt and Gale get along well, but in reality {{spoiler|Gus is using Gale to learn how Walt cooks his meth so he can dispose of Walt and Jesse and replace them with Gale, who is a lot more maneagable.}}

 

== Domingo Gallardo "Krazy 8" Molina ==

 

A drug dealer Jesse brings along with him in the pilot. He and his partner try to kidnap Walt and Jesse to force them to make meth, but instead is caught by Walt and Jesse and tied up in Jesse's basement. {{spoiler|He is the first person Walt kills.}}

 

== Tortuga ==

 

The DEA's informant on the Mexican Cartel. {{spoiler|1=He is beheaded, his head is put on a turtle, and is rigged with bombs, blowing up all the DEA members who sent ot meet him except Hank.}}

 

== Don Eladio ==

 

The head of the Mexican Drug Cartel and Gus' main competitor for control of the Southwest drug trade.

 

== Bogdan ==

 

Walter's boss at the carwash. {{spoiler|Reappears in season four when Walter and Skyler buy his carwash.}}

 

== Carmen Molina ==

 

The principal at Walter's school.

 

== Wendy ==

 

A prostitute who works out of a motel that Jesse sometimes does drugs with.

 

== Don Margolis ==

 

Jane's father. Does not like Jesse.

 

== Victor ==

 

One of Gus' henchmen.

 

== Tyrus Kitt ==

 

Another one of Gus' henchmen.

 

== Maximino "Max" Arciniega ==

 

Shown only in flashbacks, Max was the meth cooker to Gus' meth distributor, mirroring the relationship between Walt and Jesse. He was the one who proposed cooking meth for the Mexican Cartel, {{spoiler|and was killed when they were unimpressed with crystal meth and felt he had wasted their time.}}