‘Breaking Bad’: The 9 Most Heartbreaking Character Deaths
There are many people who still consider Breaking Bad one of the greatest shows of all time. One reason for all the accolades is that it’s one show that wasn’t afraid to push boundaries, including when it came to character deaths. Killing off main characters might not seem like a great strategy in the long term, but in the case of Breaking Bad, it made the fans love the series even more.
Like any show, Breaking Bad had mixed reactions when it came to certain deaths. But once the show ended, every single scene made perfect sense and was a critical part of telling the entire story. Still, Breaking Bad fans are still a little upset by these tragic deaths.
Combo
Jesse Pinkman’s friends aren’t exactly the most upstanding members of society — they do sell drugs, after all. But one thing they all have in a common is a fierce devotion to Jesse and trustworthiness that’s so heartwarming to see.
Combo’s death is tragic because he seems like a good guy at heart and because it hurts Jesse so much to feel responsible for it.
Steve Gomez
Hank Schrader’s trusted partner in law enforcement serves as a voice of reason throughout the entire series of Breaking Bad. It’s bittersweet when he gets gunned down by Uncle Jack and his team of Nazis just for trying to do his job and bring the bad guys to justice.
Gale Boetticher
He may be making meth, but Gale is one of the most innocent characters in the Breaking Bad universe. He’s hired because his knowledge of chemistry rivals Walter White and he has the best chance of replacing White as Gus Fring’s star employee. However, when Walt learns of the coup, he orders Jesse to kill Gale.
Gale’s death is heartbreaking because the poor guy never saw it coming. But it’s also hard to watch because Jesse becomes so guilt-ridden by his actions.
Drew Sharp
Seeing a child die is never easy. But the death of Drew Sharp brings about a series of events that just leads to more drama and tragedy.
The young boy accidentally witnesses the crew’s train heist and Todd pulls out a gun and shoots the child without pause. It proves how sadistic Todd is and begins a long journey of remorse and self-loathing for Jesse.
Jane Margolis
Speaking of Jesse, Jane’s death is a major turning point for him as well. Just when Jesse is about to escape the drug trade with plenty of money and the woman he loves, he finds Jane has overdosed next to him in bed. But the worst part? Walter White watched it happen and did nothing to save her, thus sealing Jesse’s fate.
Jane was Jesse’s ticket out. But then he’s stuck with Walt for the rest of the series after she dies.
Mike Ehrmantraut
Everyone loves Mike even if he is a grumpy old dude. His devotion to his granddaughter proves that he’s actually a good guy at heart, even if he does do bad things.
Walter White kills Mike for no good reason and then Mike goes off to die in peace looking at the beauty of nature and contemplating his life. It’s a truly poignant, memorable moment in the series.
Andrea Cantillo
Getting close to Jesse Pinkman proves fatal for so many people. When Uncle Jack forces Jesse to watch as they kill his friend Andrea, who also has a young son who Jesse was close with, it’s especially chilling.
Hank Shrader
Hank may be a hard man to like, but he’s also hard to hate. He’s a clueless DEA agent who eventually figures out his brother-in-law is the criminal mastermind he’s been seeking all along.
Hank dies at the end of the series and he dies with dignity. “You’re the smartest guy I ever met but you’re too stupid to see. He made up his mind ten minutes ago,” Hank says to Walt right before being executed by Uncle Jack’s crew.
Walter White
He starts out as the protagonist and slowly becomes an evil villain as his moral compass disappears during the show. But it’s still so sad watching Walter White die in the final scenes of the series surrounded by the one true love of his life — the meth that made him rich, and ultimately, that ruined his entire life.
