Top 10 Breaking Bad Villains

After an enforcer named Victor is, ahem, let go by Gus, Tyrus takes over the position. Like Gus, Tyrus came off as quiet yet intimidating. He excelled at spying on people and could easily sneak up on anyone he wanted. Tyrus also seemed to take pleasure in antagonizing others. Whether he was forcing Walt to hide in dirty laundry, electrocuting people or preparing a poison needle, Tyrus had a sly smile on his face. While we don't know much about his backstory or ambitions, he was unquestionably loyal to Gus. That’s why it’s fitting that Tyrus’ reign of terror ended when he died at Gus's side.

#9: Lydia Rodarte-Quayle

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When you needed a large distribution network to peddle your meth, you’d turn to Lydia. As head of logistics at Madrigal Electromotive, she originally used her legitimate business connections to support Gus’ drug empire. But once his empire fell, Lydia brokered an uneasy alliance with Mike, Jesse and Walt. Unlike most “Breaking Bad” enemies, Lydia was nervous, overly cautious and couldn’t stomach violence. But that doesn’t mean she wasn’t ruthless. Lydia had no problem throwing her allies under the bus. She ordered a successful hit on her former business associates and tried to the same to Mike and Walt. Lydia’s reliance on underhanded tactics meant her allies could never turn their backs on this businesswoman.

In the first episode, Jesse tries to partner with Krazy-8 and his cousin Emilio to distribute meth. But that deal falls apart when Emilio accuses Walt and Jesse of being snitches. Before Krazy-8 can shoot them, Walt fatally poisons Emilio and imprisons Krazy-8 in Jesse’s basement. His capture let us see a different side of the villain. Krazy-8 presents himself as personable and thoughtful. He even tries to discourage Walt from cooking meth. But when Krazy-8 gets a chance at freedom, he drops the nice facade and tries to lash out. Walt is then forced to strangle him with a bike lock. By forcing him to take lives, Krazy-8 helped start Walt’s descent into darkness.

Cartel leader Eladio Vuente had one of the longest criminal runs on the series. Two decades before Walt even thought about meth, Don Eladio was co-running the Juárez Cartel. Although the don seemed cordial and playful, he could turn ruthless at any moment. Gus learned this the hard way when Eladio ordered Gus’ partner Max to be shot during a meeting. While the don lived a life of luxury across the border, his immense cartel influence made him a constant threat to his American associates. As untouchable as Eladio seemed, Gus eventually found a way to force the long-running cartel leader into a permanent retirement.

#6: Jack Welker

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Shortly after Jack’s first appearance, he ordered members of his white supremacist gang to take out ten imprisoned men for a big payday. That was just the beginning of his savage streak. Jack threatened the lives of women and children, enslaved Jesse and fatally shot Hank after Walt begged him not to. But what cemented Jack as a truly despicable person was his nonchalant attitude towards murder. He never shows remorse when he pulls the trigger. The only time Jack showed concern about killing someone was when he worried Walt's blood might mess up his carpet. While other villains on this list have at least one redeeming quality, we can’t name a single one of Jack’s virtues.

Hector Salamanca was once a fearsome enforcer for the Juárez Cartel. He was so loyal to his job and family that he’d rather take jailtime than rat them out. But Hector was also so cruel that he nearly drowned one of his nephews just to make a point. After years of terrorizing people, Hector suffered a stroke that left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak. Although he could only communicate using a bell, he was still a huge threat. Hector prevented Tuco from being poisoned, killed mercilessly and defied the DEA multiple times. But his most impressive accomplishment was taking Gus down with just one finger.

If you look up the definition of monster in the dictionary, you’ll see Todd’s cold eyes staring back at you. When he first joined Walt’s crew, he seemed like a soft-spoken guy who was too eager to impress his boss. But when he shot a young boy to cover up a robbery, we saw how monstrous he could be. After convincing his uncle to enslave Jesse, Todd killed Jesse’s ex-girlfriend to keep him in line. He also threatened Walt’s infant daughter to keep Skyler quiet. Through it all, the most infuriating thing about Todd is he frequently apologizes to his victims while hurting them. to say, Needless we weren’t sorry to see him meet a violent end.

#3: Marco & Leonel Salamanca AKA The Cousins

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Wherever these twin brothers go, death is sure to follow. Leonel and Marco Salamanca were a pair of mostly silent assassins for the Juarez Cartel. Although the deadly pair mainly operated in Mexico, they journeyed to America to avenge their cousin Tuco’s demise. On the way, they killed a literal truckload of people just because they were recognized. Once they arrived, the twins tried to take out Walt before Gus redirected their fury onto Hank. Fortunately, Hank was able to mortally wound and severely injure Marco and Leonel respectively. If it wasn’t for Hank and Gus, these twins may have continued to silently take lives with their silver axe and brutal methods.

The most unpredictable villain of the series was drug distributor Tuco Salamanca. He could go from happily snorting his own product to having a violent outburst faster than you can say “tight”. During one of Tuco’s insane mood swings, he beat one of his men to death just for speaking out of turn. After Walt and Jesse try to do business with him, Tuco threatens, assaults and kidnaps both of them. With a combination of luck and quick thinking, they're able to escape his violent grip. Despite his vicious nature, Tuco genuinely cared about and provided for his family. Seeing as some of that family was in the Juarez Cartel, it’s easy to see where Tuco inherited his violent streak.

You couldn't tell Gus Fring was a notorious drug kingpin by looking at him. But he prefers it that way. Gus spent years building up a reputation as the charitable founder of the Pollos Hermanos restaurant chain. Behind the scenes, he was building a drug empire so powerful that his former enemies wanted to work with him. Gus balanced both lives by making such complex moves that even his closest allies couldn’t predict what he would do next. He also kept a constant air of professionalism whether he was discussing money or murders. And while Gus wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, he preferred diplomacy over violence.Although his Empire eventually crumbled, he was arguably the best person to wear the crown of drug kingpin.