 |
"Mature Content!" |
| “ | We all make our choices. And those choices, they put us on a road. Sometimes, those choices seem small, but they put you on the road. You think about getting off, but eventually you're back on it. And the road we're on led us out to the desert and everything that happened there and straight back to where we are right now. And nothing can be done about that. | „ |
| ~ Mike Ehrmantraut informing Saul Goodman about how their earlier choices led to their current predicament. |
| “ | Shut the fuck up. And let me die in peace. | „ |
| ~ Mike after Walt shoots him |
| “ | I have people. I have people waiting for me. They don't know what I do, they never will. They're protected, but I do what I do so they can have a better life and if I live or if I die it really doesn't make a difference to me as long as they have what they need. So when it's my time to go, I will go knowing I did everything I could for them. Now, you ask me how I keep going? That's how. | „ |
| ~ Mike talking about himself, motivating Saul Goodman when the latter gives up to die on desert. |
Michael "Mike" Ehrmantraut is the deuteragonist of the Breaking Bad franchise, serving as a major character in Breaking Bad, the deuteragonist of its prequel series Better Call Saul, and a posthumous character in the 2019 sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
He was a former corrupt police officer who used his connections in the criminal underworld to eventually become Gus Fring's right-hand man and enforcer at Los Pollos Hermanos. He also carries out favors for his lawyer and old associate Saul Goodman, as a private investigator, cleaner and fixer.
He was portrayed by Jonathan Banks.
His Good Ranking[]
What Makes Him Admirable?[]
In General[]
- He generally feels remorseful for the criminal path he took in life, even specifying to Saul Goodman that he wished he never took his own first bribe as an officer (however he continued the criminal life so it is not clear if it was revered).
- He dearly loves his granddaughter Kaylee and her mother, Stacey and protecting them from the drug dealers. He also decided to continue on criminal missions just to finance them.
- He has a genuine sense of honor, as he only views people who choose the criminal life voluntarily as worthy of death.
In the Past[]
- Tried to protect a domestic abuse victim when he was a cop by threatening their husband.
- He asked his son to take a bribe so that his accomplices would not kill him, he was devastated when it happened to him and admired his character which was stronger than his own, later he even get revenge on Hoffman and Fensky for him.
Better Call Saul[]
Season 1[]
- Makes sure to respect the parking rules while he work as parking lot attendant Albuquerque courthouse.
- Instead of suing Jimmy for attacking him, he gives Jimmy help in finding the Kettleman family.
- He refuses to take the Kettleman's stolen money.
- Warns Daniel Wormald that criminal work is not for him.
- He convinced Nacho Varga to bring back for Daniel Wormald's his personal baseball card collection that he stool him.
Season 2[]
- He agreed Nacho's ask to help arresting the psychotic drug lord Tuco Salamanca by provoking him and held him in place for the Police, knowing this could and would have cost him a gruesome beating.
- Even though he did tie up the Ice Cream Truck mule, he still spared him and only took the money out of well-earned revenge for threatening him and his family as well as rightfully thwarting the Cartel in their schemes.
- Although it was mainly for work at Caldera, he shows that he cares about the dog he gave to his granddaughter.
- He returns half of the money Hector gave him as compensation to Nacho, for Tuco to return sooner (in fact Tuco murdered another prisoner and his sentence was doubled but Mike didn't know that).
Season 3[]
- Went out of his way to dig up the remains of an innocent man killed by Hector Salamanca when Nacho told him what happened at the scene so his family and Police would know what happened to him.
- He supported Stacey by coming to a community church even though he was not interested.
- He also makes sure to build a garden for the community.
- After losing his temper over his granddaughter he tries to apologize for Stacey as well as for losing one's temper against a liar in the congregational church.
- He led some Cartel workers to be arrested by the police for drug possession.
- Personally helped Nacho to incapacitate Hector by switching his pills.
Season 4[]
- Sympathized with Jimmy over his brother's death and refused to help him steal from the guys who had offered him a job.
- He supported on Werner Ziegler's team when they were working on a secret mission and cared for their well-being.
- Even though he did have to kill Werner Ziegler, he did it knowing a much worse fate would await him and felt great remorse for it by Gus and he then decided to leave Gus in protest of this action but return back to protect his family from Salamancas.
- In addition to this, Mike also helped Werner save his wife from Gus' men.
Season 5[]
- He helped the villagers while recovering from his injuries.
- He rescued Saul Goodman from the Colombian gang sent by Juan Bolsa to kill him, even putting himself in danger of getting killed by this gang or from dehydration in the desert.
- When Saul Goodman gives up to die on the desert, Mike motivated him by talking about himself and his motivations, thus saving Saul's life once more.
- He notified the police of Lalo Salamanca car so that he gets arrested as Lalo murdered Fred Whalen and burnt down the TravelWire.
- He calls out Gus for threatening Manuel Varga, Nacho's innocent father.
- Tried to convince Gus to let Nacho go.
Season 6[]
- He refused to let Gus harm the innocent Manuel Varga.
- He gave Nacho the strength to face Salamanca after he knew his father would survive. It seems that Mike definitely tried to prevent his death, although Nacho decided on his own to kill himself.
- After realizing that Lalo is alive he attaches bodyguards to Kim, Jimmy and Gus and even informs Kim about it.
- When Kim Wexler was sent by Lalo to hurt Gus, he locates her and makes sure to inform Gus immediately, as well as to free Jimmy, who was bound by his hands.
- After Nacho's death, Mike informed his father Manuel about his son.
- He realized long before it seemed that Walter White was simply not suited to the life of crime and tried warning Jimmy.
Breaking Bad[]
Season 3[]
- Stops a fight between Walt and Saul.
- He informs Gus about the cousins at Walt's house.
- Although not verified and only implied, it is very possible that it was Mike who warned Hank Schrader about Marco and Leonel Salamanca, saving his life. Also he kills Leonel , as he deserved.
- When Walt asks to stop Jesse so he doesn't get involved with Gus, Mike explains to him that you can't do things halfway. Indirectly this causes Walt to arrive and causes both the saving of Jesse's life and the death of the opponents.
- After a junkie stays at Jesse's place and steals his money Mike captures and ties him up and then gave him with the money to Jesse to take care him.
- Although he was responsible for this, he tried to stop Gale's death, by sending Victor to the scene of the murder (although this meant he was also murdered).
Season 4[]
- He denies Walt several options to kill Gus and says he won't be meeting privately with him again.
- Even though he started off hard with Jesse he softens, Commended him after he prevented the theft of money, lets him smoke in his car and gives him his dinner.
- When Jesse was in a battle shock due to Gaff's shots he saved him and dragged him into cover.
- Helped Gus to destroy the Cartel, almost getting killed in the process.
Season 5[]
- Equally feeds the chickens in the Mexican village.
- Although he wanted to kill Walt after he orchestrated Gus' death, he stops for Jesse.
- He does return to cooperate with Walt despite his anger, but just after the DEA prevented his granddaughter from receiving direct funds.
- He spares Lydia Rodarte-Quayle's life even though she insulted him, shows that he will not hurt her in front of her child.
- During the train robbery he warns his men that the train is starting to move.
- When he found out about Todd Alquist killing Drew Sharp, he personally threatened Todd for bringing a gun to the train robbery without telling him in the first place.
- He disdainfully spurned Lydia's suggestion to snuff out 11 of Gus' people just to prevent them from testifying, and offered to pay them a fair amount for silence. He refused to tell their names to Walt to protect them, which eventually caused the latter to shoot him.
- He leaves Walt's empire alongside Jesse.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad movie[]
- In a flashback he suggests to Jesse to leave the whole world of crime behind him and help him find a life and family elsewhere, which inspires Jesse to finally quit the game and start a new life as Mr Driscoll.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- He is On & Off, committing many corrupt and villainous acts throughout the story.
- He has proven to be extremely lethal and punishes his enemies severely. He also has a very high kill count, with onscreen count of 18.
- He can be wrathful at times, for example punching Kai in the face for calling Werner Ziegler "soft" and yelling at his granddaughter after she talked about his son.
- Some of his heroic moments was only following orders, partially making him hero by proxy.
External Links[]
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Villains Wiki
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Breaking Bad Wiki
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Villainous Benchmark Wiki
[]
 Inconsistently Admirable
| ||
|
Animated Features Live-Action Features Live-Action Television See Also | ||
 /  Inconsistently Admirable
| ||
|
Walter White | Jesse Pinkman | Nacho Varga | Hank Schrader | Mike Ehrmantraut | ||