Breaking Bad is one of those shows that the title describes the plot perfectly. Walter White goes from an ordinary school teacher to a powerful and violent drug dealer after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Arguably, not even Walt is a likable character. He not only lies and makes selfish decisions after starting to cook crystal meth with Jesse Pinkman, he begins to awaken an evil side to him that deeply changes his life and the lives of those around him. Just like the protagonists, most Breaking Bad characters make bad decisions. And some are not simply people who are rude or have questionable morals, they’re also incredibly annoying as well.
Walt and Jesse may be unlikable on several occasions, but watching the duo’s dynamic is entertaining. However, watching Jane suddenly falling back in love with Jesse when he gets a lot of money, or Badger struggling to use logic, can be infuriating. Thanks to great performances by the actors behind these roles, characters who are otherwise one-dimensional can get under the viewer’s skin because of how intense and malicious they come across. From the way Walt reacts in the quick Ken “the Bluetooth guy” cameo in Season 1 to the well-deserved death of Uncle Jack in Season 5, it’s safe to assume even the show’s writers were deeply annoyed by these figures.
10
Tuco Salamanca Can’t Control His Anger
Portrayed by Raymond Cruz
Every scene in Breaking Bad with Tuco Salamanca is stressful. The character is very well-written, and he’s annoying because he’s meant to represent the higher level of insanity that Walt is dealing with by mid-Season 1. The high-level drug dealer is so aggressively unhinged that he can be exhausting to watch. One of the craziest scenes involving Tuco happens in Season 1, Episode 7, “A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal,” when he beats one of his men to death for a minor mistake. While his inclusion by this point in the first season makes the plot instantly a lot more interesting, it’s impossible not to hate Tuco’s presence.
The way he treats his uncle Hector when he’s only trying to save Tuco’s life is another one of his irritating moments. Villains like Hector, who are more nuanced, are usually easier to like despite their bad deeds. Hector is a terrible person, but when he dies, fans are still sad to see such a compelling villain get killed off. But when Hank shoots Tuco in the head in Season 2, Episode 2, “Grilled,” the most common reaction is relief.
9
Ken’s Cameo Is Brief but Deeply Irritating
Played By Kyle Bornheimer
Ken is the stereotypical arrogant and obnoxious business executive. With a personalized license plate that reads “Ken wins” on his car, he only appears briefly in Breaking Bad Season 1, Episode 4, “Cancer Man”, but that is enough to grant him a place on the list of the most annoying characters in all five seasons. The first thing he does in the cameo is taking Walt’s parking spot without even acknowledging him. He then goes into the bank and proceeds to call a woman a cow while talking to his friend on the phone, leaving the female workers feeling awkward.
2:40
Related
The 50 Greatest TV Shows Of All Time
The best TV shows are the ones that stick with viewers years after ending, like Breaking Bad or the Sopranos.
But Ken is out of luck, as he crosses paths with Walter White just as he’s breaking bad. When Walt sees Ken again towards the end of the episode being his obnoxious self at a gas station, he decides to get some revenge. Walt sticks a squeegee into the car’s battery and walks away, leaving Ken in shock as he watches his precious car catch on fire.
8
Spooge and His Wife Are the Worst Parents
Portrayed By David Ury
Another minor character who’s remembered for being so infuriating in his brief cameo is Spooge. He’s a low-level meth addict and criminal who, along with his equally despicable partner in life and in crime, makes things harder for Jesse. Firstly, it’s deeply annoying seeing how Spooge treats his partner. They steal from Skinny Pete and also needlessly kill the convenience store clerk. But when the audience gets a glimpse at their 4-year-old son’s living conditions in Season 2, Episode 6, “Peekaboo”, it’s impossible to stand either of them.
The two episodes in which Spooge appears are enough to make fans angry with how stupid his decisions are. When Spooge’s wife kills Spooge by crushing his head with the stolen ATM, it’s a huge relief in a way. Jesse calls 911 and takes care of their son in the best way he can think of, proving to be a person with stronger morals than the child’s parents.
7
Marie Shrader Is the Nosiest Sister and Sister-In-Law
Portrayed by Betsy Brandt
Marie is one of the few characters who appears in the pilot and remains on the show throughout all five seasons. The audience first sees her making a snarky comment about Skyler’s pregnant body, then later having a moment of cleptomania. Skyler’s sister and Walt’s sister-in-law, Marie is constantly judging the White family and crossing boundaries. One of her first major annoying moments happens in Season 1, Episode 03, “…And the Bag’s in the River,” when she misunderstands one of Skyler’s comments and asks Hank to scare Walter Jr. away from marijuana. Without even talking with her sister to confirm her suspicions or ask permission, she encourages Walter Jr.’s uncle to take him to talk to drug addicts.
But if that had been the worst Marie had done, fans wouldn’t hate her so much. In Season 1, Episode 7, “A No-Rough-Stuff-Type Deal,” for example, she gets Skyler in trouble at a store she stole a baby tiara from and brought as a gift to the baby shower. The worst part is that she later refuses to take accountability. Her husband, Hank, is almost as annoying, but he gets a little more character development. But Marie doesn’t change much throughout the show, unfortunately.
6
Jane Had a Toxic Relationship With Jesse
Portrayed by Krysten Ritter
This may be an unpopular opinion to some, but part of the Breaking Bad fandom really dislikes Jane. Krysten Ritter and Aaron Paul have a lot of chemistry onscreen, making the development of their toxic relationship entertaining but painful to watch at the same time. They influence each other to keep abusing drugs, which is the saddest part of their story. But certain moments when Jane manipulates or takes advantage of Jesse make it hard to defend her. Jane, for example, pretends she doesn’t know Jesse in front of her father in Season 2, Episode 11, “Mandala”, and some fans suspect she only pretends to love Jesse because she finds out he had half a million dollars.
Related
15 Times Walter White Proved He Was Breaking Bad’s Main Villain
While Breaking Bad had numerous villains, including Gustavo Fring, it’s Walter White himself who proved to be the AMC series’ biggest antagonist.
Although it’s hard to like Jane, she certainly didn’t deserve to die like that. Her death scene in Season 2, Episode 12, “Phoenix” is one of the most tragic moments in Breaking Bad because of what it represents for multiple characters. Walt’s decision to stand by and let her choke on her own vomit is a defining moment in his moral corruption. Jesse is completely devastated by her loss, but the audience is also slightly relieved since Jane was pushing Jesse deeper into addiction and blackmailing Walt.
5
Badger Acts Like a Child Most of the Time
Portrayed by Matt Jones
Unlike characters like Jane or Tuco, who some fans dislike for being too manipulative or destructive without further development, Badger is mostly seen as an exaggerated comedic relief character. Badger first appears in Breaking Bad Season 1, Episode 5, “Gray Matter,” asking Jesse for meth and helping him cook. Along with Skinny Pete, Badger is one of Jesse’s closest friends. He isn’t a bad person, but his incompetence and long rants are annoying at times. He’s a divisive character, with half of the fandom loving him and the other half finding him unbearable.
When Badger gets caught selling meth to an undercover cop in Season 2, Episode 8, “Better Call Saul,” he’s too immature to deal with the consequences of his actions, relying heavily on others to figure things out for him. Some fans also find Badger annoying because he never stops talking, often about completely random or absurd things.
4
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle Is Deeply Corrupt
Portrayed by Laura Fraser
Lydia appears in Breaking Bad Season 5, quickly establishing herself as one of the most corrupt and remorseless characters on the show. She often resorts to murder and tries to manipulate others. She’s constantly on edge, always looking over her shoulder. Her obsession with loose ends leads her to order Mike to kill many people unnecessarily. Afraid that Gus Fring’s death will be traced back to her, Lydia makes an 11-person hit list of anyone who might be able to talk about her connection to Gus. And the worst part about that is her hypocrisy: while she’s quick to order hits, she can’t deal with watching the violence unfold.
Lydia’s defining characteristic is constantly drinking camomile tea to calm herself down. This annoying habit of drinking too much tea becomes the butt of the joke when Walt poisons her. In the show’s finale, he puts ricin in her teacup and coldly answers her phone to tell Todd he just killed Lydia, as she lies sick in bed.
3
Ted Beneke Goes After a Married Woman
Portrayed by Christopher Cousins
Ted is Skyler’s former boss and temporary love interest. While Skyler’s motivations are pretty consistent, Ted’s seem harder to decipher. She’s terrible for having an affair with him as well, but it’s at least a bit more understandable given the fact that Walt had been putting her through hell. However, Ted seems to find pleasure in pursuing a married woman — much more so than he seems to enjoy caring for Skyler. He’s also a pretty incompetent businessman who causes his own downfall, resorting to tax fraud to keep Beneke Fabricators afloat. Instead of taking responsibility, he expects Skyler to help cover it up for him.
Related
10 Ways Breaking Bad Has Gotten Better With Age 16 Years After Its Premiere
Breaking Bad premiered in 2008, and in the 16 years since it arrived on AMC, Walter White’s saga has only gotten better with age.
Even when Skyler gives him money to pay off the IRS in Season 4, Episode 11, “Crawl Space”, Ted refuses to use it for that purpose, instead buying a new car and acting like everything is fine. He even implies he wishes to blackmail Skyler into giving up more money. This forces Skyler to send Saul’s henchmen to intimidate him, which leads to his humiliating — but hilarious — fall later in the same episode.
2
Jack Welker Is a Spiteful White Supremacist
Portrayed by Michael Bowen
Uncle Jack is plainly unbearable, with his political agenda and annoying speeches. He’s the leader of a criminal gang with white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideologies tied to the Aryan Brotherhood, having strong connections and influence inside and outside prison. Extremely proud and selfish, he’s perhaps the most cold-blooded murderer on the show. But unlike Gus or Hector, his personality doesn’t go beyond sadism and extremism.
He’s purely evil, with no redeeming qualities or sympathetic backstory. Among the reasons to hate Uncle Jack is the fact he’s responsible for Hank’s death in Breaking Bad. He has no honor, going back on his deal to spare Hank’s life during the shootout in Season 5, Episode 14, “Ozymandias.” He also captures Jesse and subjects him to a long period of physical and psychological torture, forcing him to cook meth while living in a cage during the fifth season.
1
Todd Is a Ruthless Killer and Manipulator
Portrayed by Jesse Plemons
Todd is introduced into Breaking Bad in Season 5, first appearing to be a polite young man. However, he soon proves to be one of the worst characters on the show. Todd is Uncle Jack’s actual nephew, who not only hangs with the white supremacists but is probably the most unlikable person out of their gang. In one of the show’s most shocking moments, Todd shoots and kills an innocent child simply because he witnessed the gang’s train heist in Season 5, Episode 5, “Dead Freight.”
Related
What Happened to Mike Ehrmantraut in Breaking Bad?
Mike Ehrmantraut, a multi-faceted character from Breaking Bad, is further explored in Better Call Saul, showcasing a brilliant story arc.
Another one of his heartless acts is killing Andrea in Season 5, Episode 15, “Granite State” to get revenge against Jesse. He’s also complicit in keeping Jesse enslaved, showing no remorse for his suffering. His attempts to get Lydia’s attention throughout the season are childish and irritating, and his flirting gets even creepier considering how often he plays the role of the “nice guy” to manipulate others.
