Breaking Bad: The Main Characters, Ranked By Loyalty
Breaking Bad was about double lives and deception but many characters were actually very trustworthy throughout, but who was the most loyal?
In the Breaking Bad universe, loyalty is one of the most important qualities. It is a matter of principle: Tio Salamanca relieved himself in his pants rather than rat out Jesse to the DEA. When it comes to the meth industry, rules are simple. Those who are loyal, are trust-worthy. Those who are trust-worthy, are more likely to stay alive … until they suddenly don’t.
Each main character had done at least one horrible thing throughout the series. Some had done horrible things out of loyalty to someone they cared about and many more had to pay the price for their loyalty. Relationships disintegrated, loyalties shifted, and acts of ultimate betrayal were committed.
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
Lydia’s loyalties shifted with the wind. One day, she was begging Mike not to kill her, only to order a hit on him the next. She was not to be trusted at all.
No wonder Lydia was so anxious all the time. She lived her life, looking over her shoulder, wondering whether she was safe.
Walt White
Walt was only loyal to one person: himself. Skyler might have slept with another man, but Walt’s lies make him a far more disloyal partner. He took his family for fools and continuously put Jesse down just to keep him around.
In the process of the show, Walt betrayed everybody in his life. In order to make things work, he would then proceed to betray the other party. First, he sided with Uncle Jack’s gang to bring Jesse down, only to kill them all to save Jesse.
Jesse Pinkman
Jesse was loyal to a fault, but did one thing that no one in the meth business should ever do: he went to the DEA. But that’s about the only disloyal thing he ever did and he did it for good reason.
He stood by Walt through thick and thin, getting beaten to a pulp on several occasions in his stead.
Skyler White
When Skyler did what she confessed in one of her best quotes, “I f***** Ted”, she lost some loyalty points. Being faithful to a partner is one of the first associations people typically have when they think of loyalty, but since Skyler stood by Walt’s side through thick and thin, she is actually one of the show’s most loyal characters.
Her loyalty to Walt stood in stark contrast to her loyalty to Marie and Hank. She stood by Walt’s side until the very end, even though he essentially held her hostage and completely broke her spirit.
Marie Schrader
Marie is definitely more loyal than Walter and Skyler, but unfortunately, that didn’t make her one of the most likable characters on the show. She was a huge gossip. She couldn’t keep any secrets to herself, not even Skyler’s, even though her sister seemed to be the only person in her life besides Hank who Marie cared about.
Even though she was hard to listen to sometimes, she often had correct observations. After Hank realized who Walt really is and they were driving back home, Marie commented on how odd it is that Skyler and Walt have enough money to go to Europe. She would’ve made an amazing DEA agent!
Saul Goodman
Saul Goodman might have been a talkative slimeball, but he was actually a great lawyer. He was discrete, resourceful, and he never blabbed his clients’ secrets to anybody. His bodyguard Huell was also a stand-up guy.
The only problem about Saul is that he was loyal to Walt, while he had no problems with betraying Jesse.
Gus Fring
First and foremost, Gus Fring was a great businessman. In order to build his empire, he had to be loyal and reliable. His loyalty to his former partner was unfaltering. He planned the vendetta for years before finally killing Don Eladio and the rest of the cartel.
Gus was a cruel man, but he deeply valued loyalty in his employees. If only he listened to his instinct that told him not to hire Walt and Jesse; they weren’t to be trusted.
Mike Ehrmantraut
Mike was a man of few words, but thanks to Better Call Saul, fans of the show finally got some answers about him. This calm man was a professional like no other. To him, the rules were simple: he was loyal to the man who was paying his bills.
There was no need for Walt to kill Mike – he would never talk, even though the DEA was closing in on him. Walt did it because of his ego.
Hank Schrader
Hank Schrader was such a hero that one could argue he is actually Breaking Bad‘s main character. While he didn’t always play by the rules, he was a devoted DEA agent.
Hank was one of the most loyal main characters in the show. While his marriage with Marie had its problems, he stood by her side no matter what and extended that loyalty to Skyler and the kids as well.
Victor
Poor Victor was the most loyal man on the show, but little good did that do him. He died one of the most shocking deaths, killed by Gus with a boxcutter, the man he was the most loyal to.
Steve Gomez, too, deserves a special mention. He always stood by Hank’s side, which got him killed in the end.
