Every Person Walter White Killed On Breaking Bad

Looking at how many people Walter White killed on Breaking Bad highlights his chilling journey from a mild-mannered chemistry teacher to a drug kingpin. Throughout the five seasons of Breaking Bad, Walt caused the death of almost 300 people, directly or indirectly. Since Walt didn’t necessarily seem to fall under the label of a maniacal murderer and wasn’t especially violent even when he first turned to crime, the number of deaths he’s responsible for is shocking — and shows how ruthless he truly is, even if he isn’t physically intimidating as far as fictional crime lords go.

Walter White killed many people for self-defense reasons in Breaking Bad, but his actions have also led to a lot of wrongful deaths, including in a chain of events that caused a plane crash. Walt also killed many characters in cold blood by the end of the show, and while he never relished the carnage, his eventual indifference towards it is just as chilling. Looking at the deaths he caused season-by-season charts how evil he became, although the number of people Walt kills rises significantly at a few key points long before the Breaking Bad finale in season 5.

Walt Causes 2 Deaths In Breaking Bad Season 1

Emilio Koyama

Walter White didn’t kill many people in Breaking Bad season 1, especially compared to the carnage of his later seasons. However, while Walt was still the timid teacher in these early episodes, he scored his first kill of the series in the very first episode with Emilio. When Walt and Jesse come face to face with Krazy-8, a local drug distributor impressed by Walt’s quality meth, and Emilio, Jesse’s former partner, the situation quickly gets out of control as Emilio recognizes Walt from the day he got arrested.

Walt has no option but to reveal to Krazy-8 and Emilio his meth formula in exchange for his life. However, Walt shows his best chemistry teacher skills by tricking the duo into a deadly vapor that knocks Krazy-8 out and kills Emilio. It is a murder in self-defense and the first of many times Walt uses his intellect to get the better of his seemingly more dangerous enemies.

However, despite it being Walt’s first kill, not a lot of focus is put on the impact of Emilio’s death. Walt is seen struggling with other early deaths in the series a lot more. However, most of the aftermath of Emilio’s death simply focuses on the gruesome disposal of his body.

Krazy-8

Krazy-8 becomes the center of one of Breaking Bad season 1’s most harrowing dilemmas, as Walt must decide whether he should spare the man’s life or not. Though they initially think that Krazy-8 was killed along with Emilio by the poisonous vapor, the drug dealer is only weakened by the attack, forcing Walt and Jesse to keep him captive in the latter’s basement as they decide what to do with him.

After talking with him and beginning to sympathize with him, Walt decides that he will let Krazy-8 go. However, Walt notices that a shard of broken glass is missing from a plate Krazy-8 broke and realizes that Krazy-8 plans to kill Walt as soon as he frees him. When his plan is discovered, Krazy-8 tries to stab Walt until Walt chokes him to death.

This is the first time that Walt really had to get his hands dirty, killing a man with his bare hands and watching him die in front of him. While he is caught up in the life-and-death struggle of the moment, it is not easy for Walt as he cries and apologizes to the dead man when it is done. However, this is also the first time Walt copies a trait of his victim, with him later seen cutting the crusts off his sandwich like Krazy-8 preferred. It is an early sign of something darker in Walt.

Walter White Causes 168 Deaths In Breaking Bad Season 2

Jane Margolis

Even with all the people Walter White killed on Breaking Bad, the murder of Jane remains one of the most shocking. Jane Margolis remains a key supporting character in the series even after her early death, which occurs in the same season in which she’s introduced. With their relationship being Jesse’s most impactful throughout the show, Jane’s death on Breaking Bad signals the first hint at Walt’s shattering psyche.

Walt sees Jane as a threat to his business through her relationship with Jesse. While he is not yet at the stage in his maliciousness where he would be willing to kill her to sort out the issue, circumstances arise that he is simply able to let her die. While attempting to talk to Jesse, Walt witnesses Jane vomit and begin choking in her drug-fueled sleep. While he could have easily saved her, he chose to let her die, thus solving his problem.

This death is a true turning point for Walt, as he seems to lose a lot of his humanity when he lets Jane die. His initial instinct is to try and help her, only to stop himself. He still has a conscience, but his cold-blooded nature is taking over. The entire time she is choking, it seems as if he is wrestling with whether to help her or not. It is also the last time for quite a while that Walt has an emotional reaction to a death he causes, silently crying as he realizes what he has done.

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167 Wayfarer 515 Passengers

The number of people Walter White killed in Breaking Bad rises dramatically during season 2, episode 13, “ABQ”. Few viewers could’ve guessed that the mysterious pink teddy bear in Breaking Bad was foreshadowing not only Jane’s death but also a disaster of massive proportions, indirectly caused by Walt’s decision not to intervene in her overdose. Jane’s death caused her father, an air traffic controller, to break down at work and make a deadly error, causing a tragic plane collision that resulted in 167 deaths.

The symbolic teddy bear falls from the debris straight to Walt’s yard, almost as a souvenir brought from destiny itself. The Breaking Bad airplane crash is shocking not only because it adds over 150 deaths to Walt’s kill count, but also because it’s partially inspired by a real tragedy. It is also a sign that Walt’s actions have far-reaching consequences and that there is blood on his hands even if he is not the one directly killing these people.

The aftermath of the crash also shows the extent of Walt’s ego growing more troubling the deadlier he becomes. He shows no real remorse, despite coming to learn the role he played in the tragedy. In fact, during a school assembly following the crash, Walt is asked to speak to the students and give some words of comfort but proceeds to compare the crash to other tragedies and suggest that it isn’t so bad in the bigger picture.

Walt Kills 3 People In Breaking Bad Season 3

Gus Fring’s Dealer Duo

Season 3 finds Walt and Jesse working under stable conditions for the pragmatic drug kingpin, Gus Fring. However, that is threatened when two drug dealers working for Fring kill Jesse’s friend Combo over a feud about territory. To make Jesse even angrier, the drug dealers then kill the young boy they hired to kill Combo in order to cover their tracks. While Fring demands that Jesse not take action himself, Walt knows Jesse isn’t going to listen.

As Jesse prepares to face off with the two dealers, in a showdown that suggests he will not survive, Walt comes out of nowhere in his car, running the men over. When one of the men is left only injured from being run over, Walt calmly picks up the man’s gun and executes him. It is the most cold-blooded kill he had to that point in the series, capping it off with one of Walt’s best lines in Breaking Bad, simply telling Jesse, “Run.”

The murders offer a chilling new look at Walt but are also key to some of his relationships in the show. In killing these two men, Walt proved that he was willing to defy Fring and serve as the catalyst for the two men to go to war with each other. More importantly, it shows how much Walt cares about Jesse. He was willing to doom his relationship with Fring in order to save his business partner, making the murders oddly touching in a way.

Gale Boetticher

Gale Boetticher was a man marked for death ever since he became as good as “Heisenberg” at cooking meth. Gale’s death felt like a certainty in Breaking Bad — the mystery wasn’t if Gale would die, but who would kill him and when. As Walt and Gus’s relationship comes close to a boiling point, Walt and Jesse are quick to realize the only way to prevent Gus from killing the two of them is to get rid of Gale, their potential meth-cooking substitute.

Walt manipulates Jesse to execute the order, and although he’s not the one who pulls the trigger, he’s the biggest culprit in the murder. It is another instance of Walt combining his intelligence with his ruthless tactics. He is almost proud that he is able to pull it off and get the better of Gus Fring. Jesse’s reaction to the murder is much more devastating as he is filled with guilt.

It is a brilliant way of showing the difference between these two characters. Despite the show starting with Walt as a family man and teacher and Jesse as a drug dealer, Jesse proves to have more compassion and humanity in the end.

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In Breaking Bad Season 4 Heisenberg Is Responsible For 5 Deaths

Hector, Tyrus, & Gus Fring

With the tensions between Walt and Fring continuing to increase, it becomes clear that only one man would be left standing. Despite Walt being the main character of the show, it seems like Fring is too formidable of an enemy to defeat. However, Heisenberg once again outwitted everyone by seeking help from someone that no one would suspect — Hector Salamanca.

As dark as it is, this is an impressive feat on Walt’s part because Hector hated Walt and wanted him dead. Luckily for Walt, Hector hated Fring even more and was willing to die in order to take him out. Walt rigs a bomb to Hector’s wheelchair, tricks Fring into paying Hector a visit, and Hector triggers the bomb using his famous bell. Along with Hector and Fring being killed in the explosion, Fring’s henchman Tyrus is also killed.

This is another death that signals a turning point in Walt’s journey. In killing Gus Fring, Walt begins to see himself as the most powerful drug lord in the business and virtually untouchable. It also shows that there really is no line that Walt will not cross to win. He allows for a bomb to go off in a retirement home, not knowing if innocent people would be killed as well. More shocking, it is revealed that, in order to manipulate Jesse to be on board with his plan, Walt also poisons Brock, a young boy.

Gus’ Henchmen

By Breaking Bad season 4, Walter White has fully embraced his dangerous nature, so while it would have been shocking in season 1, viewers didn’t raise an eyebrow at Heisenberg killing Gus Fring’s henchmen to save Jesse this far into his journey. After indirectly causing Fring’s memorable death, Walt still needs to deal with the two henchmen keeping Jesse captive at the superlab, and he does not hesitate to gun them down. Walt rescues Jesse, and the two bid farewell to Gus’ lab with a final clean-up and a legendary exit as the place burns to the ground behind them.

There is a boldness to Walt strolling into the lab and coldly shooting two men. It is likely that this comes with the new confidence he gained by confirming that he beat Fring. It is also another moment of Walt killing in cold blood in order to rescue Jesse.

Walt Kills 22 People In The Final Season Of Breaking Bad

Mike Ehrmantraut

Of all the Walter White kills in Breaking Bad, Mike Ehrmantraut was one of the most difficult for many viewers to stomach. Mike Ehrmantraut was an easy fan favorite; although he was far from a good man, he was one of the few criminals in the show with some sense of morality.

Mike’s honor led to his Breaking Bad death, as he refused to disclose Gus’ imprisoned men’s names and was consequently shot by Walt. As he leaves Mike to die, Walt bids farewell to the last bit of humanity and remorse he still has left in him, getting much closer to his Heisenberg persona than he’s ever been. Walt himself realizes that he didn’t need to kill Mike in order to get the names he needed.

However, murdering his former colleague was more about Walt’s ego. Mike is the last person willing to stand up to Walt, call him out, and insist that he is not the unstoppable criminal he likes to pretend he is. Mike insults Walt’s ego as he leaves and that is what leads to his death.

Mike’s Imprisoned Men

After getting rid of Mike, Walter White’s main objective was to eliminate anyone who could possibly identify him or Jesse to the police. This would ensure his business and identity remained safe, even if it meant ordering the murder of 10 people who may or may not be involved. Walt contacts Jack Welker, Breaking Bad season 5’s main antagonist, who guarantees his infiltrated men will take care of Mike’s imprisoned accomplices, killing them one by one in a series of ghastly acts of violence inside the prison.

With Mike gone, Walt feels as though there is no one to tell him he can’t do something. Walt even stands up to the sadistic Jack who claims that such a brutal simultaneous attack is not possible. It is the kind of horrific act that only Walt could dream up, with Hank, a seasoned lawman, even shocked by the villainy of it all. Walt, however, remains remorseless.

Hank Schrader & Steven Gomez

After being in control for so long and building his empire over the course of the series, the death of Hank Schrader signals the downfall of everything for Walt. After Hank finds out that Walt is Heisenberg, he sets out to take him down and expose all of his crimes. While Hank and his partner Steven Gomez seem to have cornered Walt at last, Jack Welker and his men arrive and a shootout ensues.

In the aftermath of all of this, Gomez is dead and Hank is left injured. However, it is with his brother-in-law’s life on the line that some of Walt’s humanity returns. He begs Jack to spare Hank’s life and even offers all of the money he has stowed away in exchange for letting Hank live. While Walt has become used to getting his way, Hank understands his fate is already decided and calmly accepts it as Jack executes him.

While Walt doesn’t pull the trigger, the look of disbelief and devastation on his face indicates that Walt knows he has caused this. Walt has brushed off his role in several deaths before, but when he tells his family that he tried to save Hank, his voice quivers and he holds back tears, showing that he knows deep down that he is guilty.

Jack Welker & His Gang

Even with how many people Walter White killed in Breaking Bad, most of the audience cheered for him throughout the show, and wanted to see him succeed (even if his success was at being a crime lord). That is never more true than in the Breaking Bad final when Walt gets revenge on Jack Welker and his Nazi gang for the death of Hank. Walt’s remote machine gun takes down all the major antagonists of Breaking Bad season 5 at once.

Jack himself is only injured, but as he tries to make a deal for his life, Walt shoots him mid-sentence, similar to what Jack did to Hank. While it is an act of revenge, another motivating factor behind Walt’s final stand is rescuing Jesse once again. Walt knew that of the lives he destroyed, Jesse was hit the hardest. Walt owed his partner a chance of redemption, prompting him to go all in as an army of one.

Lydia Rodarte-Quayle

Lydia is easily one of the most detestable characters in Breaking Bad and gets the distinction of being the last person Walt kills in the series. Lydia was shown to be unable to handle the sight of violence, but she was not shy about ordering the deaths of countless people if it suited her business. This includes Walt as she arranged to have Jack kill him when he went to the Nazis’ compound.

Lydia proves to be another person who underestimates Walt as she calls to confirm that he is dead only for Walt himself to answer the phone. Not only does he reveal himself to be alive, but he also reveals that he poisoned her tea in their earlier meeting before bidding her farewell. It is another satisfying win for Walt in taking out a true villain. Fittingly, given Lydia’s distaste for violence, her death happens off-screen.

Walter White

The final life Walter White took on Breaking Bad was his own, with no better method than dying due to injuries inflicted by his own device. As the machine gun takes out Jack’s men, Walt is hit while shielding Jesse from the gunfire. However, there is a sense that he went to Jack’s knowing it would be the end of him. He even tries to persuade Jesse to finish him off only for Jesse to deny that final request.

His demise isn’t actually shown, but the spinoff movie El Camino confirms Walt’s death through a news report. Walt knew the only way to protect his loved ones was to finally give in, and the Breaking Bad finale, “Felina,” finally showed him admitting his own mistakes and his selfishness. In the end, he didn’t succumb to cancer and got rid of the ordinary life that scared him so much, but he died knowing there was nothing good about what he had done.

Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.

Release Date

January 20, 2008

Cast

Bryan Cranston , Aaron Paul , Dean Norris , Betsy Brandt , Anna Gunn , RJ Mitte , Bob Odenkirk , Jonathan Banks , Giancarlo Esposito , Steven Michael Quezada , Charles Baker , Christopher Cousins , Matt Jones , Michael Shamus Wiles , Lavell Crawford , Jesse Plemons , Ray Campbell , Tina Parker , Carmen Serano , Emily Rios , Krysten Ritter , Laura Fraser , Jeremiah Bitsui , Mark Margolis , Ian Posada , David House , David Costabile , michael bowen , Kevin Rankin , Aaron Hill , Harry Groener , Patrick Sane , Daniel Moncada , Luis Moncada , Marius Stan , Bill Burr , Todd Terry , Jessica Hecht , Tait Fletcher , Rodney Rush , Kaija Roze Bales , Matt Metzler , John de Lancie , Tom Kiesche , Jere Burns , Maurice Compte , Morse Bicknell , Nigel Gibbs , Tess Harper , Raymond Cruz , Max Arciniega , Cesar Garcia , Jesus Jr. , Michael Bofshever , Julie Dretzin , Mike Seal , Christopher Dempsey , Javier Grajeda , Mike Batayeh , Chris Freihofer , Louis Ferreira , Gonzalo Menendez , Jason Douglas , Adam Godley

Seasons

5

Writers

Peter Gould , Gennifer Hutchison , Vince Gilligan , George Mastras , Moira Walley-Beckett , Sam Catlin , Thomas Schnauz

Franchise(s)

Breaking Bad

Directors

Vince Gilligan , michelle maclaren

Showrunner

Vince Gilligan

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