Editor’s Note: The article below contains spoilers for Breaking Bad.
Breaking Bad has the shock factor in its DNA. Just when you think you’ve seen everything, the show somehow manages to surprise you all over again and make your jaw hit the floor. And much of the show’s shock factor comes from the intense cartel dynamics, crystal meth production, and distribution, as well as tragic drug addictions. But one of the major reasons why Breaking Bad is so suspenseful and terrifying is the way they kill off their characters.
Breaking Bad depicts a violent world where no one is safe. But some characters’ deaths are much more satisfying, jaw-dropping, and spine-chilling than others. Here are the five best Breaking Bad deaths ranked from worst to best.
5. Gale Boetticher
One of the captivating deaths on the Breaking Bad is also one of the saddest ones as it involved a fan-favorite character. It’s safe to say that Gale Boetticher wasn’t a bad guy. Although he was technically a criminal, he was genuinely a nice soul, especially compared to other cruel cartel members. His death wasn’t expected at all, but he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. When he became a threat to Walter White, it was clear that he had to die. What makes his death even more devastating is the fact that Jesse has to do it. While this scene wasn’t as gruesome as others on the show, it represented a major turning point for Jesse and Walt’s troubled relationship. It’s one of the many manipulations that Walter puts Jesse through, and sadly, Jesse never recovers from it.
4. Gustavo Fring
Gustavo Fring is one character on Breaking Bad whose death was a long time coming. No one wanted his downfall more than the vengeful Hector Salamanca and Fring’s greatest rival, Walter White. Jesse and Walter come up with a master plan to kill Gus while he’s visiting Salamanca in his nursing home. The plan works out perfectly, and Fring is killed by a pipe bomb explosion. However, he doesn’t die instantly. Instead, viewers get to see him walk away from the explosion, seemingly unharmed. But when the camera turns to his other side, it becomes clear that he doesn’t stand any chance of survival. Half of his face is completely blown off, with his right eye socket empty and wounds all over his body. This scene gives you instant chills. It’s perfectly set up and executed, and you don’t see it coming until the very last second. Gus Fring’s death is the definition of slow and terrifying death, making it one of the best ones in Breaking Bad.
3. Walter White
Through five seasons of Breaking Bad, Walt goes from your typical chemistry teacher to one of the biggest sociopaths in television history. Most fans of the show agree that by the end, he becomes a pure monster. He destroys everything that gets in his way and doesn’t refrain from any bad deeds to get what he wants and satisfy his ego. For this reason, his death is one of the most satisfying on the show. It’s a perfect ending to an even more perfect show. Walter gets shot in the abdomen by his own machine that he used to kill Jack Welker and others and save Jesse from the gang. Interestingly enough, he doesn’t die from cancer in the end, despite the fact that was the initial reason he started his criminal career.
2. Jane Margolis
There’s nothing more terrifying than the idea of choking on your own vomit. That’s just one of the reasons why Jane’s death is one of the most traumatic ones on Breaking Bad. Many fans believe that this was a point of no return for Walter White, aka Heisenberg. One thing’s for sure; it’s one of the worst things he’s done. It’s selfish, wrong, and honestly, straight-up evil. When he lets Jane suffocate instead of turning her over on her side, he becomes irredeemable. He wants to have control over Jesse, and he knows that it’s not possible with Jane in the picture. The scene is so masterfully executed, and Bryan Cranston does a phenomenal job of portraying a cold-blooded and calculated murderer.
1. Hank Schrader
The best death of a Breaking Bad character is also the saddest one on the show. It’s the murder of Walter White’s brother-in-law and the show’s biggest hero, Hank Schrader. Hank is killed by Jack and his gang after he figured out who Heisenberg is and teamed up with Jesse to lure Walt out. Even though Walt gives him a chance to give up his hunt, Hank stays true to his values and dies a true hero. The scene is tragic for so many reasons. But it’s also a final nail in Walt’s coffin. There’s no turning back after this, and his family is completely and utterly broken as a result. Hank’s death left Breaking Bad fans miserable, but it was surely a television masterpiece.
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