This Inconsistently Admirable was Headlined on January 2026.
"Mature Content!"
This page has some content that includes a mature situation or subject and might be unsuitable for viewers who are children. If you're 18 years of age or above or are comfortable with the material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another one.
“
Heh, you got me.
„
~ Walter when Hank suspects him
“
My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. To all law enforcement entities, this is not an admission of guilt. I am speaking to my family now. Skyler, you are the love of my life. I hope you know that. Walter Jr., you're my big man. There are going to be some things that you'll come to learn about me in the next few days. I just want you to know that no matter how it may look, I only had you in my heart. Goodbye.
„
~ Walter White in his first appearance.
“
I have money! It's buried out here. It's eighty-million dollars. Eighty-million. You can go anywhere! You can do anything. Think about it. You can have any future that you want. Eighty-million, and all you've got to do is let him go.
„
~ Walt, completely ready to sacrifice all of his money just to ensure his brother-in-law's life.
“
I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was... really... I was alive.
„
~ Walt during his last conversation with his wife Skyler, finally admitting that he entered the meth business to satisfy his own ego.
He is a brilliant but underachieving chemist working as a high school chemistry teacher. One day, Walter is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, which spurs him on to use his chemistry knowledge to cook and sell crystal meth to provide for his family after his imminent death. As the series progresses, however, White becomes more involved in the drug world, and the formerly mild-mannered unassuming teacher slowly transforms into a sinister and dangerous criminal mastermind driven more by ego and greed than his stated altruistic motives.
While he later abandoned his good intentions to satisfy his ego, he did originally go into the drug business in order to afford for his family and give them a good life, and was willing to stop at various points.
While he does many heinous acts, he sometimes does them with understandable motives and with genuine remorse.
He inadvertently got rid of several huge crime businesses, such as the Cartel, the Torturers, his own drug empire, and possibly Madrigal Electromotive.
Although in the end he was mainly concerned with making money, he still conducted himself as an undisputed family man, which was proven when he was willing to trade every cent of the money he made to Jack trying to bribe him not to kill Hank.
Season 1[]
He stood up for Walt Jr. by assaulting the bullies who were making fun of him for his disability.
Although he blackmailed Jesse into working with him, this saved the latter after Krazy-8 framed him as a snitch (without his knowledge), which could have been worse for Jesse had not for Walt intervened.
After Jesse was knocked unconscious, Walt put him in a trailer so they could escape.
He felt immense remorse for poisoning Emilio and Krazy-8, nearly killing himself for self-defense.
After keeping Krazy-8 in Jesse’s basement, he was willing to let him go, only going against it when realizing Krazy-8 was manipulating him so he could kill him. Even when killing him, he was reluctant to do so and tried to justify keeping him alive.
He managed to save Jesse from being killed from Emilio, Krazy-8, and Tuco Salamanca.
Despite not initially wanting to get chemotherapy treatment for his cancer, Walt ultimately agreed to do so for the sake of Skyler and Walt Jr.
He showed slight regret that Hugo the janitor was fired, asking Hank if he really was a criminal.
He even agreed to come to a party with Gretchen and Elliott in an attempt to get a grant for medical assistance, although he got offended that Elliott offered to hire him (understandable since Walt was one of the founders of the company).
He avenged Jesse after Tuco put him in hospital and gave him the $15,000 he obtains from Tuco as compensation for his injuries.
He moved to stop Tuco when he was beating No-Doze up and tried to revive him, even though it was too late.
Season 2[]
He stood at the window to make sure Tuco doesn't try to get close to his family's house (which he actually did).
As Tuco decided that Walt will work for him and Jesse will be killed, Walt tried to talk him out of it. Later when Tuco threatened Jesse's life Walt gavs Jesse time to respond by admitting that they both tried to poison him.
Though unintentionally, by leaving Tuco injured, he allowed Hank to finish him off, allowing his brother-in-law to be recognized for stopping a drug lord.
After Jesse's money is seized by the DEA, Walt helped him by giving him some of his share.
He tried to burn the drug money in his barbeque, though he quickly changed his mind.
After Hank got PTSD from the bomb incident in El Paso, Walter attempted to cheer up Hank and make him feel better.
While he didn't not give Jesse half the money, it was out of protection since he was getting back into drugs. Although he was initially reluctant to do so, he eventually gave Jesse his money after seeing his condition and even offered him breakfast.
He told Walt Jr. not to get mad at his mom for her neglecting him.
He apologized to Walt Jr for. making him get drunk.
When Jesse caused their trailer to get stuck in the desert, Walt managed to save them both by making an alternative engine.
He arrived for his daughter's birth and apologized for being late.
He sent Jesse to rehabilitation after Jane overdosed.
Season 3[]
He refused to sell to Gus again and even returned the half he received for Jesse's cooking. However he gave in when Gus offered him a job at the drug lab.
After the APQ crash, Walter was willing to quit the business after seeing that it ruined everything he worked for.
He tried to advise Jesse to stay away from Gus, as he realized that Gus was trying to get to him using Jesse, which could endanger Jesse as well as throwing Walt back into crime.
He tried to return to his home and restore his family life, despite his wife's behavior, abandoning it only after hearing about her infidelity with Ted Beneke.
Although Saul tried to convince him, he refused to leave Skyler, even if she finds out about his double life and even attacked Saul in anger for his advice.
Although he objected to this, he gives Skyler a signed divorce document (although she did not use it).
Against Saul's advice, he brought Skyler together with him, making her a client of the latter.
He tried to prevent Hank from getting to Jesse's trailer and even though it was also for his sake Jesse was at a higher risk and at first he wasn't even aware of it.
While it was also to protect himself, Walter tried dissuading Jesse suing Hank Schrader to also protect him.
He comforted Marie when she's upset about Hank being shot.
He paid for Hank's medical bills for him to recover in the hospital.
He warned Jesse not to get the meth weighed wrong as Gus might get revenge on them both for it.
After realizing that Jesse was looking for revenge he asked Saul and Mike Ehrmantraut to arrest him for petty offenses so that he wouldn't be caught for a murder that Gus didn't approve of. When Mike refused he acted on his own, saving Jesse's life by killing the two rival dealers and tried to protect him from Gus.
Season 4[]
He tried to ensure Jesse's safety by telling Gus he wouldn't cook for him unless his partner's life was spared.
In order to cater to his son, he bought him a brand new car.
When he found Tyrus stalking his house he called the police, causing the latter to leave reluctantly.
He tried to warn Jesse against going to Mexico with Gus.
He tried disappear and get a new identity through Saul's associate, partly to prevent Gus from killing his family.
After Gus threatened to murder his family, Walter had Saul make a warning to the DEA and sent Skyler, Walt Jr, and Holly to the DEA's protection while he stayed behind to sort matters personally with Gus and/or his henchmen so they wouldn’t be in trouble.
Although he indirectly killed Gus by using Hector as a suicide bomb, it was a logical response to his cruelty and the fact that he threatened to massacre the White family (including Walt’s baby daughter Holly). Even if Walt showed no remorse for causing the death of Gus, he still saved his entire family before freeing Jesse after he was borderline imprisoned by Gus' men.
Season 5[]
He forgived his wife for giving his money to Ted Beneke.
He fully left the meth business and was willing to fix his relationship with his wife and children, only returning when Hank found out his secret identity and was planning to put him behind bars.
He tried to apologize to a dying Mike for fatally shooting him.
He saved his wife when she tried to drown herself unconsciously during his birthday.
He gave Jesse his half of the money from their work together, even though he had already threatened not to return it to him. He also returned the money to him when Jesse tried to donate it to Mike's granddaughter and Drew Sharp's parents.
He reacted sadly, though humbly, to the fact that their two children have been moved in with Hank and Marie and even asked Junior to obey them.
When Walter fully saw Jesse’s spiral into depression, he offered him Ed Galbraith's services for Jesse to disappear and start a new life. He also hugged him so he wouldn't think that he wants him dead, although this was partly manipulative as well.
He was kind and friendly to Andrea and Brock when he met them, and gave Brock his condolences saying he heard that he was "very brave".
He tried to talk about Brock with Jesse, even after he tried to burn down his house (though the latter feared that Walt waiting for him at corner and ruined the conversation).
Took Skyler and the kids to a hotel to protect his family from potential retaliation by Jesse after his poisoning of Brock was discovered.
He was extremely unwilling to have Jesse or Hank killed, even after they discovered Walter’s true nature, and while Walt eventually decided to have Jesse killed, he told Jack and his men to make his death quick and not have him die in front of Andrea and Brock.
He refused to go back to cooking the meth even when Todd called him and when Lydia went to his car wash.
After Hank knocked him down he gave up trying to fight back and let Hank stop him.
When seeing that Hank and Gomez were with Jesse, attempted to call off Jack and his men and willingly let himself arrested by Hank. After Jack and his henchmen betrayed Walt and came anyway against his wish, he attempted to make them cease the violence on Hank and others, especially with the threat they meant for him.
When Jack was about to kill Hank, Walter begged for his life, offering Jack the 80 million dollars for him to spare his brother-in-law, and was heartbroken when Jack refused and killed him anyway.
He made himself look like an abusive monster during a phone call with Skyler to protect her from the legal ramifications of his actions and ensure she isn't shunned by the family.
He sent Holly back to Skyler and put her in a firetruck after he kidnapped her and realizing she wanted to be with Skyler.
After he lost everything, he called the cops to turn himself in. However, he left before they came after hearing Gretchen and Elliot downplay his involvement in their company, Gray Matter.
He left a $100 dollar tip to a kind Denny's waitress.
He had Gretchen and Elliot to give the remaining amount of his money (9.72 million dollars) to Walt Jr. and didn’t care that Junior wouldn’t know the money came from him.
He gave Skyler the coordinates to Gomez and Hank’s bodies, telling her to use that to get a deal with the DEA so she can get her life back together. It's later revealed in Better Call Saul this worked as Skyler was mentioned to get a plea deal.
In the end he gave in to Skyler and reluctantly admitted that he acted not for the sake of the family, but for himself.
He killed Lydia, Jack and all his men out of revenge for Hank and freed Jesse from his enslavement from Jack's gang. He also sacrificed his own life - even if accidentally - by shielding Jesse from his machine gun's bullets. This action, plus his previous two actions, gave him at least some semblance of redemption. While he wanted to kill Jesse originally, he later went against it due to seeing just how bad Jesse was treated and he didn’t realize Jesse was being tortured.
Overall, his actions in the final episode resulted in the entire meth industry getting taken down, even if unintentionally, as evidenced by the NASDAQ being said to have fallen 34 points in El Camino. While there may be other small-time meth dealers in the US, with everything related to Gus's empire and the Cartel being destroyed, along with his own empire, it is made clear that he has effectively eliminated methamphetamine as a nationwide mainstream threat.
In a flashback scene from El Camino he suggested that Jesse leave the crystal cooking and attend college.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
He repeatedly commited morally heinous acts throughout the series, regularly crossing the MEH and being primarily characterized as a villain. Some of his worst acts include letting Jane overdose and choke on her own vomit, attempting to rape Skyler, ordering Jesse to kill Gale to save his own skin, poisoning Brock (a 6 year-old boy) to frame Gus for it, spitefully murdering Mike simply for criticizing his egomania and blaming him for his current situation, orchestrating the deaths of 10 prisoners with the help of the absolutely vile Jack Welker so the inmates couldn't testify against him, selling Jesse out to Jack and Todd while telling him that he let Jane die just to spite him and kidnapping his baby daughter Holly once Skyler turned against him. This all culminates in Season 5 with him becoming a crime lord.
It's worth noting that, while he does have a partial redemption in the end, it was only because Gretchen and Elliot hurt his ego by downplaying his role in the foundation of their company on live television, which made him realize he needs to tie up loose ends and go out in glory. He was also planning on killing Jesse along with the Neo-Nazis due to falsely believing that he "partnered" with them, only changing his mind after seeing Jesse's condition.
And again, his redemption was limited. While he managed to fix his relationship with Jesse (as best as possible) and showed remorse for what he did to his family (as well as fulfilling his original goal of financially securing them), he did not show remorse for any other crimes he committed, including the lives he ruined and the people he killed. His final moments admiring Jack's meth lab suggest that his empire was still more important to him than anything else.
He's a mostly a hero by proxy, as his acts are only reactively heroic towards disasters he inadvertently caused himself as a result of his ambition, and they are almost always intertwined with selfish motives, as well as being motivated by a sense of obligation to his loved ones instead of helping people in general. He also tends to be more of a "lesser evil."
Even when acting "heroically," he is very lethal and reckless, as he blew up a nursing home to kill Gus and wiped out his enemies without a second thought.
Saying he's egotistical is a massive understatement, as he rejected numerous opportunities to leave the drug world and ensure his family's and his own security purely out of pride, along with how he frequently overestimates his control, demeans/spites others due to his arrogance, and is obsessed with his "Heisenberg" persona because of the power and respect it gives him.
He's often a massive jerk and wrathful, especially given how he insults Jesse frequently and calls him a moronic junkie or mocks his ideas, and at times he loses his temper and begins assaulting him. He's also very hostile to Mike, Saul, Bogdan, the Schwartz, and sometimes Skyler.
Despite caring about his family and Jesse, his relationship with all of his loved ones is extremely toxic for many of the aforementioned reasons. He is also very manipulative and emotionally abusive, and constantly lied to everyone around him.
Trivia[]
Walter White and Saul Goodman are the only characters in the Breaking Bad franchise to be both Inconsistently Admirable and Inconsistently Heinous.
✓
Inconsistently Admirable
/ 
Inconsistently Admirable
