It's been over a decade since Breaking Bad ended and still, the show's villains remain unmatched. If you think we're talking about the genius chemistry teacher turned serial killer Walter White (played by Bryan Cranston), then know that Breaking Bad featured bad guys darker than Walter and Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman.
While Jesse and Walter became cruel with time, there were other characters disliked by many fans for being wicked from the start. Their actions, manipulations, and betrayals in Breaking Bad made them among the most hated antagonists, and you can explore about them in this article.
10 most-hated characters in Breaking Bad
To date, Brayn Cranston's Breaking Bad is lauded by fans and viewers for being incredibly intriguing, and a unique take on crime drama. It revolved around Cranston's Walter White and Paul's Jesse Pinkman and also featured other evil-doers like Skyler, Marie, and many more.
10) Skyler White (Anna Gunn)
This is undeniably surprising that many viewers didn't like Walter White's wife Skyler White in Breaking Bad, despite her less evil actions than the series' main character.
Skyler White was quite dominating and often disappointed in her husband, which made Walter's fans dislike her. Though she indulged in money laundering and extramarital affairs with her boss, Skyler tried every way to keep her family from legal troubles.
However, most of the fans only saw the dark side of Skyler, making her a hated character in the show. Showrunner Vince Gilligan also reflected on the hate Gunn's character was receiving in an interview with The New Yorker and said:
"I realize in hindsight that the show was rigged, in the sense that the storytelling was solely through Walt’s eyes, even in scenes he wasn’t present for. Even Gus, his archenemy, didn’t suffer the animosity Skyler received."
Gilligan expressed that it was "weird" how Skyler was receiving hate, and fans watched Breaking Bad through the eyes of the main character. However, Anna Gunn slayed her role as Skyler White, showcasing her fine acting skills.
9) Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz)
Tuco Salamanca is another hated character from the fan-favorite crime show, known for his psychotic personality. Tuco puts himself above everyone in the world, and wouldn't mind killing his closest ones if disrespected.
He has committed haunting crimes including murders in Breaking Bad, but is deeply connected to his grandmother and disabled uncle. He works as White's Meth distributor and ensures no one ever tries to hurt them or put hurdles in their illegal business.
However, before they formed ties, Tuco once brutally beat Jesse in season 1, episode 6, titled "Crazy Handful of Nothin" when they had a conflict over a dr*g deal. Another episode where you can watch Tuco's craziness for money is in season 2, episode 2, in which he kidnaps Jesse and Walter and tortures them in a deserted place. He even pointed a gun at them, reflecting his rage and obsession with running the illegal business.
Tuco barely fears the police as he smacked down Mike Ehrmantraut in their presence. Tuco Salamanca is one of the most fearsome characters who cares for people loyal to him.
8) Walter White Jr. (RJ Mitte)
As his name suggests. Walter White Jr. is the son of Breaking Bad's protagonist, Walter White. He's a disabled teen and was initially unaware of his father's illegal business.
In season 5, episode 14, titled "Ozymandias", White Jr. didn't stop his mother from hurting his father with a sharp knife, instead, he attacked Walter after he pushed away Skyler who initiated the fight.
Many fans didn't seem to have liked White Jr. as they believed his story wasn't intriguing enough. Being Walter White's son, he could have had a more engaging storyline, rather than showing him with his uncle and eating most of the time in the show.
7) Lydia Rodarte-Quayle (Laura Fraser)
Laura Fraser's Lydia Rodarte-Quayle is Walter White's enemy introduced later in the show. She was a highly anxious person whose evil acts were majorly drawn by her nervousness.
As seen in season 5, episode 8, titled "Gliding Over All", Lydia meets up with Walter White at a restaurant to save herself from being exposed, she makes a deal and gives him the names of ten prisoners who might cause trouble in their business.
Soon after Lydia provides White with those ten names, he manages to cause massive bloodshed in the prison, by ordering others to kill them. This way Lydia was able to set a deal with Walter and save herself.
While the character was interesting, many fans didn't like how Lydia operated. She acted as a typical gangster involved in eliminating people. However, she couldn't survive for long as White's adversary, who cleverly executed Lydia by poisoning her tea.
6) Marie Schrader (Betsy Brandt)
Marie Schrader has more haters than lovers; she is often rude to her sister, Skyler White, and always feels dominating. Many viewers disliked her mean behavior and lack of understanding among the family members.
Despite being a supporting character, Marie's storyline didn't cover much about her ambitions except for her obsessive behavior. However, Betsy Brandt once told Rolling Stone that she was amazed by the pilot episode of Breaking Bad. The actress said:
"When I read this pilot. I told my husband it was the best pilot I ever read. Then I instantly thought, ‘God, I hope they really do it."
Marie might be a mean sister to Skyler White, but she proved to be a caring wife to her husband Hank. She constantly supported him after Hank was shot.
Marie can be seen stealing and lying about her identity in season 4, episode 3, titled "Open House", in which Marie begins stealing from open houses. She suffered from cleptonmania and can even be seen accepting that in front of Skyler.
5) Don Eladio (Steven Bauer)
Don Eladio needs no introduction when it comes to Breaking Bad's most terrifying and clever villains. Despite his minimal appearances in the series, he's the mastermind behind bombshell incidents in Mexico.
He was so influential that Jesse and Gus tried to kill him by poisoning his drink in season 4, episode 10. They wanted Eladio and his Cartel members to die because of his ruthless presence.
Being the head of the Cartel, Don Eladio makes sure he eliminates his adversaries who are troubling his business and affecting his power.
4) Leonel and Marco Salamanca (Daniel Moncada & Luis Moncada)
The next hated characters in Breaking Bad are The Cousins played by Daniel Moncada & Luis Moncada. While those characters were entertaining and super violent, many fans didn't enjoy them in Breaking Bad's plot.
In Breaking Bad season 3, episode 7, Leonel and Marco are seen seething over Tuco Salamanca's death, leading them to attack and kill one of the civilians.
3) Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito)
Gustavo 'Gus' Fring is one of the main characters in Breaking Bad who proved to be the most dangerous and cold-blooded drug kingpin. Since Gus was among the ruthless villains, Jesse and Walter planned to kill him. However, in season 4, episode 13, titled "Face Off", Gus failed them both, highlighting his powers.
Some fans were curious if Gus would transform into a good person over time, but his crimes were too cruel to let him seek redemption.
2) Jack Welker (Michael Bowen)
Michael Bowen's Jack is another most hated bad guys in the show, as he enjoys watching others in pain. His evil intentions and obsession with money transformed him into a dark and conflicted personality.
His cruelty can be seen in several episodes of the show including season 5, episode 14, in which Jack and his gang mistreat White and kill Hank Schrader.
Jack wouldn't hesitate to train others, especially young guys to become as evil as him, and take full responsibility. He has similarities with Walter White when it comes to his ego and pride in committing heinous crimes.
1) Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons)
The top bad guy in this list is Todd Alquist played by Jesse Plemons. He's a psychopath who never thought once before committing a crime and is always shown as an emotionless villain.
Todd wants to satisfy his uncle Jack in the best way, even if it involves executing people. While he's the most hated villain in Breaking Bad, he is impressively loyal and committed to his gang.
Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix.
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