Summary

• Tuco Salamanca, a member of the powerful Salamanca family, is ambitious and central in expanding the drug operation.
• Jane Margolis' significant role impacts Walt and Jesse in season 2 of Breaking Bad before dying of an overdose.
• Chuck McGill's resentment halts his brother Jimmy's progression, showing a complex and underhanded character in Better Call Saul.

The following article have spoilers of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and El Camiño.

Breaking Bad and the spin-off, Better Call Saul, are both amazing shows, with a major strength being the incredible and engaging characters that appear in them. Breaking Bad first appeared on AMC in 2008, where it enjoyed consistently positive viewing figures for the first three seasons, but when the series was made available on Netflix, the numbers began to climb significantly.

Thanks to incredible writing from creator Vince Gilligan and his team, and the outstanding performances from the cast, the series has earned a reputation as one of the best made TV shows of all time. And at the heart of the shows within the Breaking Bad universe, the characters are the beating heart of it all. From complex villains, to the conflicted protagonist, all of these characters come together to make an incredible story.

Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and El Camino are available for streaming on Netflix.

15 Tuco Salamanca

Played by Raymon Cruz

Tuco is unpredictable and erratic, but also one of the most ambitious of the Salamanca family

Tuco Salamanca is a member of the powerful Salamanca crime family. During the first two seasons of Breaking Bad, he is a central antagonist that Jesse and Walt meet with on multiple occasions to try and expand their drug operation. Tuco is the nephew of Hector Salamanca, who was the first person to take the family drug trade north of the border.

While his story ends in season 2 of Breaking Bad, the prequel series, Better Call Saul dives deeper into the character's life and background. Tuco is unpredictable and erratic, but also one of the most ambitious of the Salamanca family. However, prior to his death, Tuco had managed to successfully run his business for many years.

14 Jane Margolis

Played by Krysten Ritter

Jane Margolis had a fairly brief time on Breaking Bad, with her only appearing in season 2. She was a drug addict, and the girlfriend of Jesse Pinkman. Despite her brief time on the show, her role was significant and had a lasting impact on both Walt and Jesse. When she died of an overdose, Walt could have easily helped and saved Jane, but instead he chose to standby and let it happen.

Walt made the choice to let her die, hoping it would help him get control of Jesse, and scare him out of his own addiction. This was a major milestone for Walt, as he had not become accustomed to killing others yet, directly or otherwise. And Jane's death did have the desired impact on Jesse in many ways, as he became despondant, depressed, and inconsolable. Jesse's life was forever changed by Jane's death.

13 Chuck McGill

Played by Michael McKean

Chuck McGill is a character that only appears in the prequel series, Better Call Saul. Chuck is Jimmy McGill's older brother, and a highly respected lawyer who helped to found the prestigious law firm, Hamlin, Hamlin, & McGill. While Jimmy and Chuck appear close early on, it's later revealed that Chuck was actively halting his brother's career and progression out of a resentment toward him.

Chuck believed Jimmy was not fit to be a lawyer, and so he attempted to stop Jimmy from succeeding in his career. The character also suffers from issues like Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity, and becomes a recluse as a result. He is complex, underhanded, and believes firmly in rigid obedience to the law.

12 Skyler White

Played by Anna Gunn

Skyler White is Walt's wife in Breaking Bad, and the couple have a teenage son and a baby daughter. However, their marriage becomes incredibly strained throughout the course of the series and ultimately leads to the pair separating. With all the lies from Walt about his dealings and criminal activity, Skyler feels the distance that has creeped into their relationship after Walt's diagnosis.

Skyler is also independent, and will not accept being lied to or manipulated

However, Skyler is highly intelligent and resourceful, and she is able to recognize when her husband is lying to her. Skyler is also independent, and will not accept being lied to or manipulated. Ultimately, she chooses to help Walt launder his drug money when she uncovers his secrets, and becomes an integral member of the team.

11 Todd Alquist

Played by Jesse Plemons

Todd is one of the most interesting characters to appear in Breaking Bad. As a for-hire criminal, Todd begins working for Walt, Jesse, and Mike Ehrmantraut in season 5. Despite only having a brief time on the series in the final season, he is pivotal in coordinating the events that lead up to the show's finale.

Todd appears to be a well-rounded and fairly intelligent ally, but his pragmatism is quickly revealed to be astonishingly dangerous. When a young boy spots the men on a mission to steal ingredients to make more drugs, Todd, without hesitation, shoots and kills the child. Todd is also revealed to be a traitor in Breaking Bad, who was working for his own uncle, Jack, while trying to earn the trust of Walt and steal his operation.

10 Hector Salamanca

Played by Mark Margolis

When Hector first appears in Breaking Bad, he is already in a weakened state, with multiple machines helping to keep him alive. However, despite his feeble condition, Hector remains a powerful and intimidating presence. He is one of the leaders of the drug cartel, and the head of the Salamanca crime family. Hector is highly influential, and puts his family above everything else.

He raised his five nephews, and each of them was involved in his drug trade to varying degrees. While his death is explosive and sudden in Breaking Bad, his character is further expanded in the prequel series. Hector was clearly an imposing figure early on in his cartel career, and continued to hold onto his status and respect until his death.

9 Lalo Salamanca

Played by Tony Dalton

Lalo Salamanca is another member of the Salamanca crime family, and one of the most trusted by his uncle Hector, whom he eventually takes over from. Lalo appears to be one of the most reasonable and non-confrontational of the family, not being a drug , or erratic like his cousin Tuco. However, when it comes to business, Lalo is potentially even more brutal and violent than his cousins.

He is also one of the highest profile criminal clients of Saul Goodman. As a result of his work with Goodman, Goodman's profile and status as a lawyer for criminals becomes much more notable. In addition, Lalo's biggest rival is Gus Fring, and unlike Walter White, Fring is terrified of Lalo due to his ruthlessness and efficiency.

8 Nacho Varga

Played by Michael Mando

Nacho is one of the first true criminals on this list that displayed a greater degree of nuance in his actions. He grew up working in his father's hardware store, but due to circumstances, he began a career as a criminal. While he became a trusted enforcer to Tuco Salamanca, and eventually a lieutenant under Hector and Lalo, criminality was not Nacho's end goal.

Nacho had a moral com and radar that many of the other characters were either lacking or suppressed. But Nacho continuously showcased how much he cared for the individuals in his life, like his father, whom he wanted to protect at all costs. Nacho may have been a brutal enforcer, capable of terrible violence, but his heart was never in crime.

7 Hank Schrader

Played by Dean Norris

Hank Schrader was one of the few characters who chose to live a good and honest life. Hank was a high-ranking DEA officer who worked tirelessly to dismantle the drug trade. Hank was resolute in his beliefs and, using his incredible skills and intelligence, he was able to take down several notable figures in the cartel. However, Hank's life was majorly complicated by his brother-in-law's central role in the drug trade.

Hank became suspicious of Walt early on in his criminal dealings, and despite the familial connection, he maintained that the industry and those involved were dangerous. Hank begins to investigate Heisenberg, and found links between him and the cartel, which eventually led to Walt's capture. However, Hank also died in the line of duty, when connections of Walt shot him dead.

6 Mike Ehrmantraut

Played by Jonathan Banks

Mike had clear lines that he was unwilling to cross

Mike Ehrmantraut is a fixer, who primarily worked for Gus Fring and Saul Goodman. Due to his previous experience in the military and law enforcement, he had in-depth knowledge of how to game the system. Mike may have swapped sides to work as a criminal, but he was always working with the intention of providing for his family.

Mike had clear lines that he was unwilling to cross, and he chose to only work on jobs that he felt comfortable with. He is highly skilled and intelligent, but he is also a good man in many meaningful ways. His career may have had blood on his hands, but having been let down by the system, he was simply trying to provide for those that meant the most to him.