Starting off in 2002, several years before Breaking Bad's 2008 setting, Better Call Saul tells the story of what happened before, during, and after the events of Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul weaves in and out of the extensive Breaking Bad timeline, with characters from the original series consistently popping up throughout the prequel. While some moments of Better Call Saul reveal just how well-thought-out Breaking Bad was, other moments add brand-new elements to the franchise. The eyes of the viewer are never the same after the events of Better Call Saul, and here's how the prequel changes how audiences see Breaking Bad.

12 Better Call Saul Mores Saul Goodman More Sympathetic

The biggest example of how Better Call Saul changes Breaking Bad (and the goal that the prequel series wanted to achieve) is that Saul Goodman is more sympathetic. Throughout Breaking Bad, Saul Goodman is a fairly one-dimensional sleazeball, with the series not asking many questions about his background. However, Saul Goodman gets the spotlight in Better Call Saul, with the series attempting to explain why he is the way he is. By examining all of Saul Goodman's personas, Better Call Saul reveals that the Breaking Bad character is a tragic lawyer, not really being who he says he is. Nothing about Saul in Breaking Bad is true - not even his name.

Throughout Better Call Saul, Jimmy McGill goes through traumatic event after traumatic event, with the series of mistakes and misfortunes turning him into the criminal that he is in Breaking Bad. Better Call Saul shows that Jimmy truly wants to be a good person, but for some reason, he just can't change who he is. Jimmy's relationship with Kim Wexler is at the heart of the show, with Saul's involvement in Breaking Bad coming right after the two lawyers' messy breakup. By the time Breaking Bad comes around, Saul is at his lowest point, and the story that Better Call Saul tells makes him so much more sympathetic.

11 Better Call Saul Redefines Gus & Mike's Relationship

Two other key returning characters show how Better Call Saul changes Breaking Bad. Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut's relationship in Breaking Bad isn't fully revealed until season 3, with their professional acquaintanceship only being hinted at. However, by the time their partnership is revealed, it becomes clear that Mike has been working for Gus for a long time. Although Breaking Bad never explains why, Better Call Saul redefines Gus and Mike's relationship by showing the events that led up to their partnership. Mike initially only did a few jobs for Gus before getting in so deep that he couldn't escape, which makes Mike's relationship with Gus in Breaking Bad all the more tragic.

10 Jimmy McGill Was More Responsible For Walter White's Rise Than BB Revealed

Another big Better Call Saul revelation is that Jimmy McGill is actually responsible for the rise of Walter White. Jimmy's actions in Better Call Saul directly lead to the weakening of Hector Salamanca's crime family, creating the power vacuum that allows for Walter White's rise. On top of that, Saul's relationship with Mike and the Salamancas leads to him recommending that Walt meet with Gus in Breaking Bad season 2, which results in their drug partnership later. Saul Goodman is the reason that Walter White got involved in the big leagues, setting the stage for Walt's drug empire in Breaking Bad.

9 Kim & Jesse's Scene Leads Directly To Breaking Bad

In Better Call Saul season 6, Kim and Jesse Pinkman have a brief exchange outside Saul Goodman's law office. In the conversation, Jesse asks Kim about Saul, with Kim responding that he used to be a legit lawyer. Kim's dismissive attitude towards Saul leads Jesse to realize that Saul is shady, something that comes in handy in Breaking Bad. The Kim and Jesse scene comes back into play in Breaking Bad season 2 when Jesse recommends Saul to Walt due to his knowledge of Saul's criminality, something he wouldn't know about if it weren't for the falling out between Saul Goodman and Kim Wexler.

8 Why Saul Goodman Was Scared Of Lalo In Breaking Bad

The majority of the story of the latter half of Better Call Saul is about Saul's time dealing with Lalo Salamanca. This entire conflict can be traced back to a throwaway line in Breaking Bad. When Walt and Jesse kidnap Saul, Saul says that he's worried Lalo has come back for him. While this comment is a bit of a non-sequitur, Better Call Saul explains the backstory of this conflict, perfectly explaining why Saul was scared of Lalo in Breaking Bad.

7 Howard's Death Makes Gus' Lab More Tragic

When Howard Hamlin dies in Better Call Saul, his lifeless body is dumped under the superlab that Gus Fring is building. This superlab is a major setting for Breaking Bad, with the events of Better Call Saul meaning that Walt and Jesse are walking right on top of Howard's corpse while in the superlab. Howard is one of the only morally good characters in Better Call Saul, and this reveal makes every scene that takes place in the superlab even darker and more tragic.

6 Hector's Revenge On Gus Has More Meaning

Another example of how Better Call Saul changes Breaking Bad ties into one of the most memorable scenes in Breaking Bad. Hector Salamanca is actually the one who kills Gus Fring in Breaking Bad, with the bomb attached to his wheelchair exploding to end both of their lives. While it is known that Hector doesn't like Gus in Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul makes their conflict so much more significant, showing the years of history that they have with each other. Gus kills Lalo Salamanca, Hector's nephew, in Better Call Saul, meaning that Hector is avenging his nephew by killing Gus. Better Call Saul also shows Hector before his stroke, showing just how powerful and influential he once was.

5 Skinny Pete Becomes The Catalyst For Breaking Bad (Despite Not Appearing In BCS)

This is perhaps the most unexpected way of how Better Call Saul changes Breaking Bad involves Skinny Pete. Although Jesse Pinkman's friend Skinny Pete doesn't appear in Better Call Saul, the show actually explains why he is the catalyst for Breaking Bad. Tuco Salamanca is the first villain in Breaking Bad, with Walt initially going to visit him in order to sell his product. Better Call Saul explains how Tuco ended up in Los Lunas prison, where he met Skinny Pete. Skinny Pete is the one who tells Jesse about Tuco in Breaking Bad, with Jesse telling Walt to go give Tuco a visit. If it weren't for Skinny Pete's connection to Tuco, none of Breaking Bad would have happened.

4 Better Call Saul Explains How Saul Knew Ed Galbraith

Breaking Bad's vacuum guy, Ed Galbraith, runs an operation that allows Walter White to escape Albuquerque and move to Alaska under a different identity. Saul knows about Ed's process in Breaking Bad, but the connection between the two is never fully explained until Better Call Saul. In the prequel, Saul finds a card for Galbraith's vacuum shop in Dr. Caldera's notebook, finally revealing how Saul found out about the operation. Galbraith is one of Breaking Bad's big mysteries, and Better Call Saul completely unravels it.

3 Better Call Saul Shows That Breaking Bad Isn't The End Of The Story

Although Walt's arc ends in the finale of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul reveals that the story is far from over. Better Call Saul is inter-spliced with scenes of Saul in the future, living under the name Gene Takovic. The last few episodes of Better Call Saul fully take place in the post-Breaking Bad timeline, with Gene Takovic having his true identity discovered and Saul Goodman going to jail. Walt's death may be the end of his involvement in the universe, but Better Call Saul proves that there is still a lot of story left in the Breaking Bad universe.