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"Mature Content!" |
| “ | I've known good criminals and bad cops. Bad priests. Honorable thieves. You can be on one side of the law or the other. But if you make a deal with somebody, you keep your word. You can go home today with your money and never do this again. But you took something that wasn't yours. And you sold it for a profit. You are now a criminal. Good one, bad one? That's up to you. | „ |
| ~ Mike Ehrmantraut on criminality. |
| “ | 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 motivating Saul Goodman when the latter gives up to die on desert. |
| “ | Shut the f*ck up… And let me die in peace. | „ |
| ~ Mike's last words after Walter White shoots him. |
Michael "Mike" Ehrmantraut is a major character in Breaking Bad, the deuteragonist of its prequel series Better Call Saul, and one of the two overarching protagonists (alongside Walter White) of 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 for Los Pollos Hermanos. He also carries out favors for his lawyer and old associate Jimmy McGill/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 telling Jimmy that he wished he had never taken his first bribe as an officer.
- He dearly loves his granddaughter Kaylee and her mother, Stacey, and is dedicated to protecting them from drug dealers. He also decided to continue criminal missions just to finance their well-being. He also loved his son Matty, with many of his decisions being influenced by his death.
- He has a genuine sense of honor, as he only views people who choose the criminal life voluntarily as worthy of death, and often tries to maintain a sense of fairness in his dealings.
Background[]
- When he was a cop in Philadelphia, he tried to stop a habitual wife-beater (Gordie) by threatening his life in order to protect the wife (though he didn't succeed).
- He asked his son Matt to take a bribe so that his accomplices, Hoffman and Fensky, would not kill him for being suspicious. He was devastated when it happened and said he always admired his son's character, believing it to be stronger than his own.
- In order to avenge Matty's death, Mike allows Hoffman and Fensky to drive him to a deserted alleyway with the intent of staging his suicide before brandishing a hidden pistol and gunning them down.
- This also eliminates two corrupt cops known for eliminating whistleblowers.
- He leaves for Albuquerque, New Mexico to reestablish ties with Stacey.
Better Call Saul[]
Season 1[]
- He makes sure to respect the parking rules while he works as a parking lot attendant at the Albuquerque courthouse, even as Jimmy makes his job difficult.
- He implicitly comes clean to Stacey about the circumstances of Matt, Hoffman, and Fensky's deaths.
- Instead of suing Jimmy for attacking him, he gives Jimmy help in finding the Kettleman family by suggesting they "kidnapped themselves," bringing the family home and keeping Jimmy out of trouble with Nacho Varga.
- He repays Jimmy for helping him avoid prosecution by breaking into the home of Craig and Betsy to retrieve the stolen embezzlement money to be returned to the state and accounted for. He also refuses to take it for himself.
- Although it was mainly for work with Caldera, he shows that he cares about the dog he gave to his granddaughter.
- Mike protects Daniel Wormald during a drug deal with Nacho, putting in legwork to ensure it goes smoothly and without bringing a weapon.
- When the payment is $20 short, Mike insists that Nacho pay in full.
- He warns Daniel about talking to the police, knowing they suspect he is engaged in illicit activities.
- After Nacho steals Daniel's baseball cards, Mike offers to find them himself, tracking down Nacho to his father's car restoration shop and negotiating a deal where Daniel trades his Hummer to Nacho in exchange for the baseball cards and $10,000.
- He later has Jimmy represent Daniel as his lawyer to prevent his self-incrimination.
Season 2[]
- When Stacey fears that there are gunshots going off in her neighborhood, Mike does overnight surveillance without her knowledge to investigate.
- Despite realizing that there was no gunfire and she only heard newspapers hitting the ground, Mike affirms her beliefs and promises to get her out of the neighborhood, continuing to take on work to finance it.
- He initially refuses to do any violent jobs when meeting with Dr. Caldera.
- When Nacho fears he will be killed if the psychotic drug lord Tuco Salamanca finds out about his side business, Mike helps get him arrested by provoking Tuco and holding him in place for the police, knowing this could and would cost him a gruesome beating. He also wisely changed Nacho's original plan to assassinate Tuco, which could've gone badly, and this also means he only got half the payoff.
- Tuco would have initially been kept off the streets for 8 years due to this stunt. It was later amended to 6 months, but Tuco's behavior in prison brought his sentence back up to 3 years.
- He initially refuses Hector Salamanca's offer to lie about Tuco's gun and reduce his sentence.
- After Kaylee's life is threatened by the Cousins on Hector's orders, he confronts Hector to protect her and negotiates a better offer of $50,000 in exchange for taking the fall on the gun charge.
- He returns half of the money Hector gave him as compensation to Nacho because Tuco would end up returning sooner, honoring their agreement.
- Mike helps Stacey with purchasing a new house in what she believes is a safer area.
- In order to thwart Hector's schemes and get retaliation for the threats made to his family, he deploys a spike strip to attack one of Hector's trucks while it is en route to the El Paso border crossing, throwing it off the road. He then uses a saw to extract $250,000 hidden inside the truck's tires and spends some of his gains to pay for drinks for all the patrons at a bar.
- He also disarms the driver and leaves him tied up with the intention of being found by a Good Samaritan so that more police attention will be drawn to Hector's operation.
- After hearing from Nacho that Hector killed the innocent man who found the driver, an indignant Mike sets up on a desert hillside to kill Hector with a sniper rifle and avenge the murder. He only stops because of Gus' note.
Season 3[]
- With Gus's approval, Mike continues to sabotage Hector. He purchases a small bag of cocaine and spills it from sneakers hanging unnoticed onto the back of the vehicle, ensuring that the drivers will be arrested at the border.
- When Gus sends payment to Mike for this, he refuses to accept it, saying that it's not the type of thing he wants to take money for.
- Posing as a repairman, he helps Jimmy get pictures of the inside of Chuck's house so he will be prepared to argue against him in court.
- He supports Stacey by coming to a community church even though he was not interested. He helps with construction on a new playground area and garden there and befriends the other members of Stacey's support group.
- When Anita sadly recounts her missing husband, Mike is touched by it and agrees to be Daniel's bodyguard again out of reignited concern, even though he initially rejected the offer.
- He goes out of his way to dig up the remains of the innocent man killed by Hector with a metal detector in the desert. He then anonymously reports the discovery to the police so they and his family would know what happened to him.
- When Mike learns that Hector plans to force Nacho's dad into the business, he agrees not to interfere and advises Nacho to switch the pills back after Hector dies so they cannot be traced back to him.
- He asks Gus to help him launder the remaining $200,000 he stole from Hector so that it can be left to his family.
Season 4[]
- He offers condolences to Jimmy over his brother's death and refuses to help him steal a Hummel figurine from the two innocent guys who offered him a job.
- He is disgusted at Henry lying about his "dead wife" at the support group and calls him out for it.
- He apologizes to Stacey for his outburst at the group meeting.
- He supports Werner Ziegler's team when they are working and cares for their well-being, making sure they are entertained.
- He allows a homesick Werner to call his wife on the phone.
- After Werner escapes, Mike personally offers to find him himself when Gus implies his men will find his wife at the airport and kill her.
- Even though he did have to kill Werner, he did so knowing a much worse fate would await him otherwise and felt great remorse for it. He also allows Werner to contact his wife and tell her to return to Germany beforehand, ensuring her safety.
Season 5[]
- He punches Kai in the face when he disrespects Werner's memory.
- Mike decides to leave Gus in protest of Werner's murder and is disgusted at his lack of empathy.
- He helps the villagers in Gus's memorial village while recovering from his injuries.
- He agrees to work with Gus again with the (questionable) intention of settling scores and getting revenge on the Salamancas.
- Mike secretly points police to Lalo Salamanca's car and its ties to the murder of Fred, which causes Lalo to get arrested.
- He spends time with Kaylee and apologizes to Stacey, saying he is over the recent events that angered him in front of Kaylee.
- He saves Jimmy's life 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, killing all but one gangster.
- Mike also tries to comfort Jimmy after and in the car, noticing how shaken up he is from the attack.
- He gets concerned when Jimmy reveals that he told his lover Kim Wexler the truth, worrying about what she might do and warning that Kim is "in the game now."
- When Jimmy gives up and wants to die in the desert, Mike motivates him by talking about himself and his motivation to keep going for the sake of his loved ones, thus saving Jimmy's life once more as he agrees to make it back to Kim.
- Mike kills the remaining gang member tracking him and Jimmy to save both of them.
- He calls out Gus for threatening Manuel Varga, Nacho's innocent father, and tries to convince him to let Nacho go.
- He advises Jimmy, telling him that he's started down a road with his choices and he has to live with where that leads him.
- When Jimmy is upset that Lalo will get away with murder due to their actions, Mike assures him that Lalo won't and suggests that there is a plan in the works to deal with him.
- After Lalo discovers Jimmy and Mike's wrecked car, Mike repeatedly calls Jimmy to warn him about the danger while racing to his and Kim's apartment. When Lalo enters, Mike orders Jimmy to leave his phone somewhere hidden so Mike can listen in.
- He also sets up on a nearby rooftop and watches Kim and Jimmy with his sniper rifle so he can protect them in case Lalo tries to kill them, even though shooting Lalo here would certainly put him at odds with Gus.
- When Jimmy panics about Lalo and Kim's safety and asks Mike to keep him in the loop, Mike tells him he's not allowed to know all the information but still reveals that Lalo will be killed later that night to calm him.
Season 6[]
- He tries to get Gus to respect Nacho since he successfully navigated a tough situation for him.
- He gives Nacho's girlfriends a bundle of money and tells them to leave town because Nacho won't return.
- When emptying Nacho's house, Mike pockets the fake ID for Nacho's dad to protect him from the Cartel.
- When Gus threatens to hold Manuel hostage, Mike refuses, even as Tyrus Kitt points a gun at his head. When Nacho calls, Mike answers and vows to protect his father, saying that anyone who goes after him will "have to come through me." He also gives Nacho the strength to face the Salamancas after he knows his father will survive.
- Mike even has Arthur monitoring the property they are at through the sight of a sniper's rifle, likely so that he could kill Tyrus and Gus if Mike didn't make it out alive, meaning Mike was willing to die for this.
- Mike stands by as Nacho eats his last meal. When Victor says Nacho looks "too pretty" according to Gus's standards, Mike insists that he will handle it himself and tells the sadistic Victor to leave. Mike retrieves a bottle of whiskey and two glasses from a nearby locker and shares a solemn drink with Nacho.
- He is positioned on a ridge near Nacho's death, where he monitors the proceedings from a sniper's nest to make sure nothing goes wrong.
- He is distraught and upset at Nacho's suicide.
- After realizing that Lalo is alive, he attaches bodyguards to Kim, Jimmy, and Gus in case Lalo contacts them and even informs Kim about it.
- When Kim is sent by Lalo to kill Gus, he locates and disarms her. He then interrogates her, and learning that Lalo has Jimmy as a hostage at her apartment, he sends an order for Tyrus to get there immediately; Jimmy is then freed from his bound hands.
- Mike's intervention leads to Lalo's death at Gus's hands and ensures both Jimmy and Kim live.
- He tells his men to treat Howard Hamlin's corpse with care when he's about to be buried and is upset at his senseless death.
- After Nacho's death, Mike informs his father Manuel about his son's fate.
- Long before "Heisenberg," he realizes that Walter White is simply not suited to the life of crime and tries warning Saul about working with him.
Breaking Bad[]
Season 2[]
- He cleans up the scene of Jane Margolis' death and instructs Jesse Pinkman on what procedure to follow and what to tell the paramedics (or cops) when they show up to avoid incrimination.
- He drives Walt to the drug den to retrieve Jesse when Walt is concerned about his well-being.
Season 3[]
- Seeing the Cousins walk into Walt's house to murder him, he makes sure Gus calls them off, saving Walt's life.
- He stops a fight between Walt and Saul.
- Although not verified and only implied, it is very possible that it was Mike who warned Hank Schrader about the Cousins, saving his life and indirectly eliminating Marco before Mike himself lethally injects Leonel in the hospital, as they deserved.
- He rescues Duane Chow by killing the four Cartel gunmen holding him hostage.
- Although he was responsible for this, he tries to stop Gale Boetticher's death at Jesse's hands by calling Gale (though he doesn't answer).
Season 4[]
- He is shocked at Gus killing Victor and instinctively points a gun at his own boss.
- He denies Walt several options to kill Gus and says he won't be meeting privately with him again.
- He decides to blindfold the thief at Jesse's house rather than kill him.
- Even though he starts off hard with Jesse, he softens up, commending him after he prevents the theft of money, lets him smoke in his car, and gives him his dinner.
- When Jesse is in battle shock due to Gaff's shots and the murder of one of Gus's men, Mike saves his life by rushing over and dragging him into cover.
- He helps Gus kill all of the Cartel's capos and destroy their operation, nearly getting killed in the process, and garrotes Gaff as he walks toward a poisoned Don Eladio.
Season 5[]
- He feeds the chickens in the Mexican village equally and tells them to be nice to each other.
- Although he wants to kill Walt after he orchestrates Gus's death, he stops for Jesse's sake.
- He initially refuses to assist Walt in expanding his and Jesse's meth operation, believing Walt is unstable and upset that Jesse can't see it.
- He disdainfully spurns Lydia Rodarte-Quayle's suggestion to kill 11 of Gus's men just to prevent them from testifying.
- When Lydia hires Chris Mara to kill the men (and Mike) instead, he regretfully kills Chris after the latter kills Chow and tries to kill Lydia to stop it from going further and avenge Chris and Chow's deaths (though he spares her because she can get methylamine).
- He promises he will reimburse all his employees for the hazard pay the DEA seized in order to keep them and their families appeased, continuing this even though Walt is upset about it.
- During the train robbery, he warns his men that the train is starting to move and urges Walt to cut it short.
- When he finds out about Todd Alquist killing Drew Sharp, he personally threatens Todd for bringing a gun to the train robbery without telling him in the first place.
- He leaves Walt's empire and convinces Jesse to have a buyout as well.
- When Walt asks Mike for the names of the employees in prison so he can kill them, Mike refuses to sell them out to death, which ultimately causes Walt to shoot him.
El Camino[]
- In a flashback, he suggests to Jesse that he should leave the whole world of crime behind him and help him find a life elsewhere, and that he shouldn't dwell on rewriting the past, which is impossible. This inspires Jesse to finally quit the game and start a new life as Mr. Driscoll.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- He is on-and-off, committing many corrupt and villainous acts throughout the story, such as killing the innocent Werner, helping Gus and Walt build drug empires, kidnapping, assaulting and restraining many people, doing various jobs for Saul, and robbing a train full of methylamine.
- He has proven to be extremely lethal and punishes his enemies severely, even when they don't pose a threat anymore, such the mercenary of the Colombian gang laying on the floor. He also has a very high kill count, with an onscreen count of 18.
- He can be a jerk and wrathful at times. Examples include him punching Kai in the face for calling Werner "soft" (even if understandable) and yelling at his granddaughter after she talked about his son. There are also times where it's completely unnecessary, such as yelling at Jesse for asking questions about his role in picking up dead drops even though he did nothing to warrant it, and threatening Walt and Saul at various times.
- He's a hypocrite, as he criticizes Walt for letting pride get in the way, but Mike himself acts out of personal reasons many times and is mainly angry at him in the end for ruining their operation, and doesn't take responsibility for his part in the fallout. He also claims to not support "half measures" but ends up letting Walt off the hook many times and even ends up liking Jesse despite initially insisting that he was a liability.
- He's grey-zoned, as a lot of his good acts are still very questionable and involve criminal measures, up to and including murder.
- He's often a hero by proxy. His acts are usually him acting on orders from Gus or protecting people from the Cartel because it serves his own interests.
External Links[]
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Breaking Bad Wiki
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Heroes Wiki
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Villains Wiki
- Mike Ehrmantraut on the Villainous Benchmark Wiki
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