Breaking Bad 

The 5 Best Recurring Characters In Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad built a world populated by some unique recurring characters. Some were lovable but others were actually pretty terrible.

With there being so many absurd characters crawling around Albuquerque, the population of Breaking Bad is part of what made the show quickly become the gold standard of television. Thankfully, with the spin-off, Better Call Saul, many of the recurring characters can live on, as not all of them were given the screen time they deserved the first time around.

Between drug addicts doing anything they possibly can to score, old friends of Walt’s who are way too condescending, and well-meaning friends of Jesse’s who went down the wrong path, there’s so much depth to even the smallest of recurring characters. But not all of them are as lovable as Skinny Pete.

Best: Badger

Badger tells Jesse about Star Wars in Breaking Bad

From taking out a crossbow into the desert on his first crystal meth cook, to pointing a laser pen at Gretchen and Elliot as if it’s a sniper rifle, to theorizing about Star Trek, Badger is possibly the funniest character on the show.

The self-proclaimed Lord of the Dance and his incredible sign flipping skills might come as a package with Skinny Pete, as the two are inseparable, but Badger stands on his own as a great character.

Worst: Bogdan

Breaking Bad - Bogdan Wolynetz at the A1A Car Wash

With the Breaking Bad universe going on to consume a giant criminal underworld that includes a sketchy billion-dollar conglomerate and neo-nazi compounds, the expansive world is one of the highlights.

But it all started with a little car wash and it’s owner, Bogdan, who is one of the most arrogant characters in the whole series. Bogdan always spoke down to Walt, which is why it felt great when he got his comeuppance, even if Walt had turned full Heisenberg by that point.

Best: Kuby

Bill Burr as Patrick Kuby in Breaking Bad

The introduction of the criminal lawyer Saul Goodman is one of the reasons season two is one of the show’s best seasons, and if it wasn’t for Saul, fans would have never gotten Kuby.

RELATED: Better Call Saul: Jimmy’s 10 Best Schemes, Ranked

Kuby is one of Saul’s henchmen and somewhat of a handyman, as he can be hired for any odd job and expertly get it done, whether it’s explaining to Bogdan about the land that the car wash sits on, or transporting Walt’s money (or most of his money, that is). When Kuby shows up, the scene is instantly more entertaining.

Worst: Combo

Combo in Breaking Bad

Combo wasn’t necessarily a bad character. In fact, he was actually pretty good, and his death was one of the most hard hitting of the series.

However, his character is completely unnecessary, as between him, Badger, and Skinny Pete, there was just too much comic relief in the show, not to mention that none of them are that smart, making for some frustratingly mind-numbing scenes.

Best: Huell

Breaking Bad Kuby Huell money

Along with Kuby, he and Huell were known as Saul’s A-team, and though their first appearances on the show were completely separate, when they were together it was so enjoyable.

Though he did become more of a funnier character towards the end of the show, Huell was more of Saul’s muscle but didn’t do very well as he isn’t the fastest bodyguard around. One of the most iconic shots of the entire series is Huell and Kuby laying on the bed of money in the final season.

Worst: The Pinkmans

Jesse Pinkman's and his little brother at the dinner table in a scene from Breaking Bad.

Every single time The Pinkmans showed up, it was so mentally frustrating for viewers, as the characters would never give Jesse, their first child, the light of day. They had basically abandoned him at the first sign of disobedience, and any time he appears, they act like he’s such a burden on them, which is one of the saddest things about Jesse.

But what’s even worse is that his younger brother could be slipping down the same path, but his parents are too blind to see it.

Best: Skinny Pete

Skinny Pete and Jesse argue about a spelling mistake in Breaking Bad

Skinny Pete was the most well rounded recurring character and had more depth than any of the others in the entire series, as not only was he funny and full of fascinating pop culture knowledge, but the character had amazing piano skills too.

RELATED: Better Call Saul: The Most Memorable Scene From Each Of IMDb’s 10 Top-Rated Episodes

Though viewers don’t know much about Pete’s backstory, the mystery is the most captivating part. It could very well be that he had a similar middle-class upbringing to Jesse and that he just got involved with the wrong people. And though audiences almost didn’t get to find out what happened to him after the finale, his feature in El Camino was thankfully one of the loose ends that was tied up in the movie.

Worst: Gretchen And Elliot

Gretchen and Elliott at a party in Breaking Bad

With Walter not accepting Gretchen and Elliot’s offer to pay for his cancer treatments being one of the most questionable decisions he made, the two millionaires meant well, but they did it in such a condescending way.

And given the way that Walter cut ties with the company that the married couple owns, it only took him getting cancer for his oldest friends to throw out a lifeline, which really showed their true nature.

Best: Old Joe

Breaking Bad Larry Hankin Old Joe

Old Joe is a peculiar character, as he’s the king of his domain; the junkyard. Larry Hankin portrays the character, who is known for playing the grumpy old man in shows such as Friends, Malcolm in the Middle, and so many more, but Breaking Bad is the crown jewel in his filmography.

What makes him so great is that not only is he king of the junkyard, but he’s somehow extremely well versed in law too, which he put to good use during one of the times Hank almost caught Walt.

Worst: Ted Beneke

Ted Beneke rs

Ted was the biggest idiot on the show, of which there are many. Every time Ted appeared on screen, viewers just knew he was going to do something stupid. Though the character didn’t exactly deserve the shocking fate that he suffered, he definitely had something coming, as he made mistake after mistake.

Not only did he get himself into over half a million dollars worth of fraud debt, but he even blew the money he was given to pay it off on a BMW.

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