Breaking Bad is one of those programs that sucks you in with superb writing, iconic performances, and multi-dimensional characters. But come on—some of these characters, particularly the ones on the outside of the inner circle, made us clench our teeth. While Walter White’s transformation from shy high school chemistry teacher to drug lord feared by all is TV gold, not all the supporting characters received the same amount of affection (or respect). Others creeped us out, some annoyed us, and a few were simply hard to watch. Whether they appeared on screen for a couple of episodes or hung in until the very end, these supporting characters left a mark, but not always in a good way. Let’s number down the 10 most unpopular supporting characters of Breaking Bad, beginning with the one that irritated nerves the most.
10. Declan
Declan may be the most forgettable meth dealer in a show full of ones that are not. Arrogant and dull, he walks into the meth game like he’s the kingpin, attempting to fill Gus Fring’s shoes. Big mistake. He doesn’t have the class, the intelligence, and the danger of the kingpins who preceded him. His condescending demeanor is immediately off-putting, and audiences were more than glad to watch him get taken down a notch—or a dozen. His departure came quickly and was akin to a collective gasp of relief.
9. Skyler White
Skyler’s inclusion on this list may spark some controversy, but there’s no denying the conflicted emotions that fans had regarding her. She’s no villain, not exactly, but her choices, actions, and perpetual push-pull with Walt annoyed many viewers. Some viewed her as an afterlife moral compass in a deteriorating world, while others thought she was holier-than-thou and self-righteous. Much of the hate stemmed from how she pushed Walt’s buttons, and let’s be real, many weren’t prepared for their anti-hero face to receive pushback at home. She’s messy, multidimensional, and far from flawless, perhaps because she elicited such intense reactions.
8. Walter White Jr.
Walt Jr., or Flynn, is a decent kid in a nasty world, but to many fans, he turned out to be one of the least compelling aspects of the show. He’s not evil, per se—he’s just sort of. Presently, he spends all of his time on screen eating breakfast, asking his dad questions, or losing his cool. His character development never really gets off the ground, and although it’s normal for a teen to be stuck in the middle, audiences frequently found themselves wanting more definition or leadership for him. He’s not despised per se, but as much as a wasted potential in a show that has razor-sharp character building.
7. Don Eladio
Don Eladio is charm and menace, the sort of bad guy who grins as he signs your kill warrant. He’s flashy, arrogant, and sure of his invincibility. That arrogance made him so easy to loathe. What particularly infuriated fans was how nonchalantly he ordered human beings killed, lounging beside a pool, sipping tequila. But ultimately, his fall was brought about by someone witsier—and seeing that poetic justice unfurl was profoundly gratifying.
6. Gretchen and Elliott Schwartz
Gretchen and Elliott were only in a few episodes, but they made an impression—and one that was not favorable. Walt’s former business associate embodies all that he loathes: success, prosperity, and a life he feels was taken from him. Whether that is the case or not is debatable, but their attitude—at least in the later seasons—was smug and condescending. Fans disliked how they tried to distance themselves from Walt’s legacy, even after indirectly benefiting from it. Their final face-to–face with Walt? Pure tension.
5. The Cousins (Leonel & Marco Salamanca)
These two silent killers are creepy, intense, and truthful. A bit too much. With their identical suits, identical expressions, and mutinous silence, the Cousins at times seemed to belong to another series entirely. They were frightening, yes, but also had none of the depth that Breaking Bad is famous for. Nevertheless, you can’t help but appreciate how far they went, particularly with their gory showdown with Hank. Iconic? Yes. Loved? Not so much.
4. Ted Beneke
If there is a face that is shouting “bad choice,” it is Ted Beneke. Skyler’s old boss (and temporary boyfriend), Ted, is perhaps most well-remembered for stringing together a series of dumb decisions, especially where the IRS was concerned. Rather than accepting Skyler’s assistance and cleaning up his mess, he allows pride and idiocy to rive him headlong into catastrophe. Viewers found his plot tedious and infuriating, especially because it pulled Skyler further into the underworld. When his story finally concluded, most fans were relieved to feel as if they’d been let out of storytelling purgatory.
3. Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
Lydia is one of those characters who puts you on edge just for watching her. Always nervous, always glancing over her shoulder, she’s a corporate executive who orders hits as matter-of-factly as she orders tea. Her paranoia provides added tension, but her character just never became popular with fans. She didn’t have the gravitas of previous villains, and the constant need to get out of doing dirty work made her more of a nervous wreck than a legitimate threat. By the end, everyone but the most die-hard fans was just tired of her schtick.
2. Jack Welker
Jack is evil, pure and simple. As the neo-Nazi leader who takes Jesse to rock bottom and kills Hank in cold blood, he doesn’t even bother concealing his cruelty. Yet, unlike most of the show’s other villains, Jack isn’t all that deep—he’s simply bad, and that made him feel more like a plot device than a fully fleshed-out human being. Fans didn’t hate him necessarily because he was complicated—they hated him because he was everything they despised, all wrapped up in one cruel bundle.
1. Kenny
And leading the list of most hated is Kenny—Jack’s second-in-command and arguably the sadist henchman of the entire series. While Jack at least went through the motions of having some semblance of order, Kenny was just violence with no moral code to speak of. He reveled in pain, was instrumental in tormenting Jesse, and never exhibited a glimmer of remorse. Even in El Camino, his smaller role is sufficient to make your skin crawl. If ever there was a character that everyone cheered for to be brought down, it was this individual.
In a series full of morally ambiguous, multi-dimensional characters, these side players were the ones that stood out, often for the worst. Whether they had us eye-rolling, screaming at the TV, or sitting in stunned silence, they helped fuel the fire that made Breaking Bad the ride it was. Love them or hate them, they made their mark—and sometimes, that’s all it takes.