7 Best Twists on Breaking Bad (And Two of Them Are in One Episode)

Few TV series come close to the creative highs achieved by Breaking Bad. The writing, directing, casting, and acting are all top-notch from beginning to end. Series creator Vince Gilligan does the seemingly impossible as he deftly walks the fine line between creative merit and commercial success, delivering a finished product that functions as an immersive piece of infinitely re-watchable art. Throughout the course of five phenomenal seasons, Gilligan and co. deliver pulse-pounding tension and more than a few twists and turns. In fact, the series is so rife with unforeseen developments that we feel compelled to reflect on some that have stood the test of time.

With that in mind, we are counting down the seven best plot twists on Breaking Bad. Read on to see what made the cut. It should go without saying, but full spoilers for the series follow.

7) Walt Mows Down a Pair of Dealers to Save Jesse

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) is a character with a strong moral compass. He isn’t someone who goes out of his way to abide by the law, of course, but he has a firmly pronounced sense of right and wrong, particularly when it comes to children. In Season 3, Episode 12, Jesse is outraged by meth impresario Gus Fring’s (Giancarlo Esposito) cynical decision to use children in the drug trade. Jesse becomes even more outraged when he learns that Gus and his associates had young dealer Tomás (Angelo Martinez) killed when he was no longer of use to them. Unwilling to let that ride, Jesse decides to take matters into his own hands.

Before Jesse can successfully put his revenge plot into motion, Walt (Bryan Cranston) arrives on the scene and runs over the dealers Jesse was about to roll up on, shooting the one who doesn’t die instantly. Walt very likely saves Jesse’s life with that violent act, seeing as the dealers are gearing up to fire at Jesse right as Walt arrives and intervenes. The entire sequence is surreal, unfolding in what almost feels like slow motion. Walt’s arrival comes as a shock, upending expectations in the best way possible.

6) Hank Learns the Truth About Walt

Breaking Bad is built around an intensely unsettling cat-and-mouse dynamic between Walt and his DEA agent brother-in-law, Hank (Dean Norris). Their dynamic ebbs and flows, with the two often grappling for the upper hand. Their relationship forever changes in Season 5, Episode 8 when Hank is using Walt’s bathroom and discovers a book that late chemist and meth cook Gale Boetticher (David Costabile) gifted Walt, complete with an inscription that helps Hank put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Prior to that pivotal moment, Walt has consistently evaded detection. Yet, that seemingly innocuous ordeal opens Hank’s eyes and changes both of their lives forever. There is so much buildup to that reveal, making it feel plenty surreal to watch it finally pay dividends. Though the inscription isn’t enough to finger Walt as the elusive meth mogul Heisenberg, it’s enough to damage Hank and Walt’s relationship beyond the point of repair.

5) Hank’s Death

This beloved series is more than willing to kill off a recurring character integral to the narrative, and that’s a huge part of why the show is universally regarded as compelling, quality television. The idea that a character with an ongoing arc might be here today and gone tomorrow makes for an unpredictable and exciting viewing experience.

Even though the series is known for its cavalier approach to who lives and dies, few expected Hank’s arc to play out quite like it does. Season 5, Episode 14 sees the dogged ASAC meeting an untimely end at the hands of violent white supremacist Jack Welker (Michael Bowen). It’s shocking to see Hank’s arc end like that after he played such an integral role in the series for five seasons. Although Hank is always keen to follow the rules, his proximity to Walt leads to his ultimate undoing.

4) Jesse Kills Gale

As we mentioned previously, Jesse has a strong moral compass. He isn’t a character you’d typically expect to act out violently, however, in Season 3, Episode 13 Jesse finds himself in a no-win situation. Walt reveals to Jesse that he fears Gus plans to replace both of them with Gale, which will surely lead to an untimely demise for both. With Walt under surveillance, he’s unable to execute a murder plot and tasks Jesse with taking Gale out.

Gale is very much a pacifist and Jesse typically only uses violence as a last resort, so watching the normally non-violent Jesse take out the unassuming Gale shocked fans of the show for good reason. Though Jesse saw it as an act of self-preservation, it’s still a lot to take in and something few of us saw coming when the character was first introduced earlier in Season 3.

3) Jane’s Death

There are several points during the series where viewers point to Walt passing the point of redemption. One of those line-crossing exchanges transpires when he decides that Jesse would be better off without his girlfriend, Jane (Krysten Ritter). It’s one thing to think that, it’s another to actively facilitate their separation by sitting back and allowing her to choke on her own vomit while she’s in a drug-induced stupor.

In Season 2, Episode 12, Walt has the chance to save Jane from an untimely death and instead watches her die. Although the audience has some idea of how Walt feels about Jane and also understands his penchant for violence, this is a turn of events that few could see coming. 

2) Walt Kills Gus Fring

Following Gus’s introduction in Season 2, fans eventually came to realize that either Walt or Gus was going to have to go. And since Walt has the home-court advantage, we knew Gus was likely going to be the one who kicked rocks. With that said, few could have predicted that Gus would go out in such an epic fashion.

In Season 4, Episode 13, Walt teams up with his rival Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) to put an end to Gus’s reign of terror. Walt rigs a bomb to Hector’s mobility device, ensuring that they both perish in the blast. What makes Gus’s eventual demise so shocking is the fact that he seems to have walked away from the blast unscathed … until we see that half of his face is missing!

1) Walt Poisons Brock to Manipulate Jesse

Walt has a very tender side, which we see on occasion. He loves his family fiercely, and he starts his life of crime with designs on setting them up after he’s gone. With that said, he eventually starts to like it … a lot. We watch Walt gradually sacrificing his humanity for the rush he gets from rising to prominence as an all-powerful meth kingpin.

We see just how low Walt is willing to stoop in Season 4, Episode 13 when he poisons Jesse’s girlfriend’s son, Brock (Ian Posada), with designs on framing Gus to win Jesse’s support in the plan to kill the restauranteur and meth manufacturer. That ultimately works, but Walt has to sell whatever remains of his soul to make it happen. The moment where we see a shot of Walt’s garden revealing that he poisoned Brock with a Lily of the Valley plant is easily one of the most profound reveals in the series.

There you have our top seven picks for the best twists that transpire throughout Breaking Bad’s epic run. Did your favorite make the cut? Let us know in the comments section below.