As Breaking Bad progressed, Walter White became harder and harder to root for, but the harsh reality is, we were never supposed to cheer for the protagonist in the first place. When the show first started, it was easy to sympathize with Walt, given he was portrayed as a family man and hard-working teacher who was bravely battling cancer, but it quickly became clear there was more than met the eye when it came to the protagonist. While his circumstances were undoubtedly brutal, Walter had various bad moments in Breaking Bad‘s first season that foreshadowed the man he would become.

Over time, his judgment continued to become clouded by his greed and desire for power, which was ultimately what drove him throughout the series. Attempting to pay his medical bills may have been what got him into the drug world, but his journey revealed that he was always suppressing his more sinister traits, proving he was never truly a good person. Walt’s worst Breaking Bad lies further highlighted his flaws and showed he wasn’t afraid to hurt people – even those close to him – and upon reflection, I don’t think it was ever worth rooting for the protagonist.

Walter White Was Never Meat To Be A Likable Character In Breaking Bad

Although His Circumstances Were Awful, Walter’s Atтιтude Was Questionable Right From The Start

Walter White undoubtedly has some likable qualities, as his cunning, intelligent nature was enjoyable to watch when used against Breaking Bad‘s worst criminals, and his ability to see good in people was an endearing trait. However, while the show did make it hard not to become invested in his story, the protagonist was never likable. Despite loving his family, Walt had an incredibly toxic relationship with them that unraveled as the seasons rolled on. Likewise, his pride and inflated ego drove him further into criminality, even when he had far more reasonable ways to pay off his debt.

Rather than making rational decisions that the audience would support, Walt was consistently frustrating to watch, despite being understandable. It was easy to recognize his motivations alongside why he made each decision, but this never made him relatable. Walt made so many mistakes throughout Breaking Bad that had viewers tearing their hair out and wishing he would be more reasonable, yet it was impossible not to care about where his story was going.

Even though he consistently let us down and proved to be incredibly stubborn, the show was so well-written that we couldn’t help but root for him at times, even when it felt wrong. The fact that we know he will keep screwing up and ruining lives, yet we continue to hope he’ll find redemption is what makes Breaking Bad so special, and while Walter White was far from perfect, his complex nature was impossible not to be captivated by.

Walter White Got Worse – But He Was Never Worth Rooting For In The First Place

His Descent Into A Drug Kingpin Only Dehumanized Him Further

Although Walt’s actions became more unforgivable the longer the show went on, he was never really worth cheering for to begin with. His situation was undeniably bleak, but there are plenty of season 1 moments that prove Walt was always evil, or at least far from the great man he portrayed himself as. Using his chemistry skills to make drugs was a unique way to try and pay off his medical treatment, but it’s hardly the first thought of most ordinary people. He also blackmailed Jesse – a student – to help him, suggesting he was always problematic.

Moments like letting Jane die and poising Brock are clearly among Walt’s worst acts, but even in the first few episodes, he attacked his son’s bullies and killed Krazy-8, which showed his hostile side. At first glance, it’s easy to feel sympathy in these moments and defend the idea of him standing up for his son or trying to secure his own survival, but the truth is he was never really a good man. Walter is undoubtedly a great protagonist, but he’s still an incredibly flawed person who chose pride over a normal life with his family.

Breaking Bad Was So Good, It Made Us Care About A Despicable Character

For All Walter’s Flaws, It Was Hard Not To Get Wrapped Up In His Story

By the time Breaking Bad finally ended, Walt was easily one of the most despicable characters on the show, yet we still cared for him the entire time. This doesn’t mean we prayed for a happy ending and his final scene was arguably the perfect send-off, but even after everything he’d done, the audience remained invested in Walt. The show didn’t try to pretend he was some secret hero or that his actions were justifiable, but it made sure the audience knew why Walt made such questionable decisions and even put him in several situations where he was the underdog.

Despite knowing he was a bad person, I still found myself sympathizing with Walt from time to time and caring about his fate, which is a testament to how good Breaking Bad is. Vince Gilligan created a protagonist who was irrational, cold, and sometimes sadistic, yet he was fascinating to watch and maintained a few redeemable qualities throughout the series. Without such great writing and performances, a protagonist like Walter White would never work, but Breaking Bad pulled it off, which is why Heisenberg remains one of the most popular TV characters of all time.