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| “ | My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. To all law enforcement entities, this is not an admission of guilt. I am speaking to my family now. Skyler, you are the love of my life. I hope you know that. Walter Jr., you're my big man. There are going to be some things that you'll come to learn about me in the next few years. But just know that no matter how it may look, I only had you in my heart. Goodbye. | „ |
| ~ Walter White in his first appearance. |
| “ | I did it for me. I liked it... I was good at it.... and I was really... I was alive. | „ |
| ~ Walter admitting to both Skyler and himself during their final goodbye that he cooked meth because he enjoyed it. |
Walter Hartwell "Walt" White, Sr., also known by his alias Heisenberg, is the main protagonist of the 2008 crime drama series Breaking Bad and a minor character in both its 2015 prequel/sequel spin-off series, Better Call Saul, and its 2019 sequel film, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
A brilliant-albeit-underachieving chemist working as a high school science teacher, Walt is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, which spurs him on to use his chemistry knowledge to cook and sell crystal meth, ostensibly to provide for his immediate family (wife Skyler, son Walt Jr., and daughter Holly) after his imminent death.
He ends up partnering with his former student Jesse Pinkman, developing a father-son or mentor-student bond with him, and the corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman. Walt also begins working for the drug lord Gustavo Fring, though this relationship turns sour very quickly and Walt ends becoming his arch-rival before killing him. Following this, he and Jesse team up with Fring's enforcer, Mike Ehrmantraut, to create a new drug ring. His criminal activities put him at odds with his DEA agent brother-in-law, Hank Schrader, who is trying to catch Heisenberg, initially unaware it is Walt.
Walt ultimately evolves into more of a villain due to his increased ruthlessness and ego-driven motives, becoming a power-hungry drug kingpin rather than an altruistic provider. Nonetheless, he never stopped caring about and protecting his loved ones. Throughout the series, Walt killed the rival dealers to save Jesse, killed Gus to ensure the safety of his entire family, and willingly offered to give up his entire 80 million dollars to convince the Neo-Nazi Jack Welker to spare Hank from execution. Above all, Walt ends his arc by killing Jack and his fellow Neo-Nazis gang to avenge Hank's death, ensure his family's safety, and free Jesse from his enslavement, sacrificing his own life in the process.
He was portrayed by Bryan Cranston, who also played Hal Wilkerson in Malcolm in the Middle, Joseph Brody in Godzilla, Li Shan in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, Vitaly in Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted and Chief in Isle of Dogs.
Appearance
Walter White is a caucasian man in his 50s. When the series started, he had a set of brown hair and a trimmed mustache. After his chemotherapy sessions started to cause his hair to fall out, he decided to shave the rest of it off and go completely bald, remaining like this for the rest of the show until the last 2 episodes. As the show progressed, Walt grew out his mustache and developed a beard. During the finale, Walter's hair had grown back and his beard appeared disheveled due to remaining in isolation for 6 months.
Personality
Walter is a complex individual. When the series began, he was a timid, mild-mannered teacher who loved his family, but was stressed due to having to simultaneously manage two jobs while taking care of the bills that they were behind on. He also felt undervalued and underappreciated by those in his life. Walt would often seem to be fairly miserable due to his mundane life and was very insecure, partly in thanks to his brother-in-law, Hank, who was more confident, macho and impressive, even to Walter's son, Walt Jr.. He also has an extreme ego and appears to be quite obsessive, focusing on his past mistakes, as he later reveals to Jesse he regularly checks how much Grey Matter Technologies is worth after he sold his share for $5,000 in the past, revealing his bitterness over his decision. He is very spiteful to Gray Matter's founders, Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz, believing that he was left out of an opportunity that was rightfully his.
After his chemo diagnosis, Walt's personality begins to shift. He has moments where he becomes more aggressive and wrathful, lashing out at his boss and making a scene at the car wash he worked at before quitting. This is due in part to his worry over burdening his family with debts once he's dead, not wanting them to suffer once he's gone. Thus, using his chemistry skills, he began cooking meth with Jesse in the hopes he could make enough money for his family in a short amount of time. As time passed and his meth empire grew, Walter began to genuinely enjoy making drugs and became more arrogant, his goal of helping his family becoming more of an excuse to keep doing what he did to feel, as he eventually puts it, "alive." While he felt remorse for a fair amount of his actions, he became increasingly sinister and ruthless, and could eventually kill people without a second thought, even taking pride in it.
Despite his increasingly dark and selfish personality, Walter still had some humanity left and never stopped caring for his family, refusing to hurt them in any way, shape, or form. For instance, he threatened Saul when the lawyer suggested they kill Hank once he found out Walter was Heisenberg. His care for his family eventually extended to Jesse, with Walter seeing him like his own son. Just like with Hank, when Saul suggested they kill Jesse and give him the "Old Yeller treatment" (as he was seeking revenge/justice after learning that Walter poisoned Brock Cantillo, a child), Walt threatened the lawyer, menacingly telling him to never suggest such a thing again. However, Walt ends up trying to kill Jesse after believing it to be the only option, but tries to do it in the most painless way possible.
Despite the two's extremely complex relationship, including many moments where Walt used Jesse or manipulated him, Walt has proven he does care about him and has protected him time and time again. On numerous occasions, Walter has put his own life on the line to ensure Jesse stays alive. One example is when he insisted to both Tuco Salamanca and Gus that without Jesse, they don't have him. Another instance is when he realized Jesse was going to try and kill a couple of Gus' drug dealers in retaliation to them murdering a kid they used to sell drugs. He rushes out to save him before he can get shot, killing the two before they can cause him any harm, once again sticking his neck out for him and making himself an enemy of Gus in the process.
Even though he gives Jesse up to the Neo-Nazis near the end of the show, he's clearly ashamed of himself afterwards which is seen when he gets in his car. When he looks in the rear view mirror, he moves it so he doesn't have to see his own reflection, showing how disgusted he is with himself. He would later undo this mistake and rescue Jesse after seeing how they tortured him, giving him back his freedom at the cost of his own life, with the duo's last interaction being them nodding at one another in respect - despite all the pain and suffering they caused one another, they did indeed care for one another, had a genuine bond, and parted on bittersweet terms.
Quotes
| “ | Walter: Now. Say my name. Declan: ...You're Heisenberg. Walter: You're goddamn right. |
„ |
| ~ One of Walter's most infamous quotes. |
| “ | Who are you talking to right now? Who is it you think you see? Do you know how much I make a year? I mean, even if I told you, you wouldn't believe it. Do you know what would happen if I suddenly decided to stop going into work? A business big enough that it could be listed on the NASDAQ goes belly up. Disappears! It ceases to exist without me. No, you clearly don't know who you're talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger! A guy opens his door and gets shot and you think that of me? No. I AM THE ONE WHO KNOCKS! | „ |
| ~ Walter's infamous speech to Skyler. |
| “ | But you know the business... and I know the chemistry. I'm thinking... maybe you and I, could partner up. | „ |
| ~ Walt enters the meth business by giving Jesse a chance to join him. |
| “ | I am... awake. | „ |
| ~ Walt "explaining" to Jesse why he decided to cook meth. |
| “ | Get off the toilet! GET OFF THE TOILET! | „ |
| ~ Walt to Jesse threatening to flush the meth down the toilet. |
| “ | All right, I’ve got the talking pillow now. Okay? We all, in this room, we love each other. We want what’s best for each other, and I know that. I am very thankful for that. But what I want, what I need, is a choice…. Sometimes, I feel like I never actually make any of my own–choices, I mean. My entire life, it just seems I never, you know, had a real say about any of it. Now this last one–cancer–all I have left is how I choose to approach this…. Skyler, you’ve read the statistics. These doctors talking about surviving. One year, two years, like it’s the only thing that matters. But what good is it to just survive if I am too sick to work, to enjoy a meal... to make love? For what time I have left, I want to live in my own house. I want to sleep in my own bed. I don’t want to choke down thirty or forty pills every single day and lose my hair and lie around too tired to get up and so nauseated that I can’t even move my head. You cleaning up after me? Me–some dead man, some artificially alive, just marking time? No. No. And that’s how you would remember me. That’s the worst part. So that is my thought process, Skyler. I’m sorry. I just–I choose not to do it. | „ |
| ~ Walter to Skyler and the rest of his family as he admits he wants to be able to make his own choice for once and not take chemo in order to enjoy whatever time he has left. |
| “ | Walter: Let's get something straight. This... the chemistry, is my realm. I am in charge of the cooking. Out there on the street, you deal with that. As far as our customers go, I don't want to know anything about them. I don't need to see them. I don't want to hear from them. I want no interaction with them whatsoever. This operation is you and me, and I'm the silent partner. You got any issues with that? Jesse: Whatever, man. Walter: No matter what happens, no more bloodshed. No violence. |
„ |
| ~ Walter's goal to no longer have to resort to violence. |
| “ | I have spent my whole life scared – frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen. Fifty years I spent like that. Finding myself awake at three in the morning. But you know what? Ever since my diagnosis, I sleep just fine. What I came to realize is that fear, that's the worst of it. That's the real enemy. So, get up, get out in the real world and you kick that bastard as hard as you can right in the teeth. | „ |
| ~ Walter encouraging Hank to overcome his fear. |
| “ | Marie, I survived. I had my lobectomy at this hospital. Remember that? Remember how scared we all were? I didn’t want to act like it, but I was terrified. All that week, all I could think of was how they were actually going to cut me open and take out a part of me that was with me my entire life. I couldn’t get that image out of my head. I think the scariest part was when they took me into pre-op–lying there, waiting for them to anesthetize you, knowing that you may never wake up again. Actually, what I really remember about that day is driving to the hospital. Skyler, you remember me wanting to drive that day? Anyway, there we are–driving up Central and we hit every green light. I mean, every single light that we hit–green. It’s just–When does that happen? Just like, bang, bang, green the entire way. And the whole time, all I could think about was–Why today? Why? Why can’t I just spend a few extra minutes in the car with my family? I never wanted to be stuck in traffic so bad in my life. At least I was with my family. I had that. Anyway, I survived this place. And I’m not half the man your husband is. | „ |
| ~ Walter reasurring Marie that Hank will be okay. |
| “ | You got one part of that wrong. This... is not meth. | „ |
| ~ Walt to Tuco Salamanca, moments before blowing up his safehouse. |
| “ | We tried to poison you... we tried to poison you because you’re an insane, degenerate piece of FILTH, and you deserve to die. | „ |
| ~ Walter admitting his and Jesse's plan to kill Tuco in order to distract him and give Jesse enough time to fight back. |
| “ | Doctor, my wife is seven months pregnant with a baby we didn't intend. My fifteen-year old son has cerebral palsy. I am an extremely overqualified high school chemistry teacher. When I can work, I make $43,700 per year. I have watched all of my colleagues and friends surpass me in every way imaginable, and within eighteen months, I will be dead. And you ask why I ran? | „ |
| ~ Walt explaining why he "ran way" into the desert. |
| “ | Stay out of my territory. | „ |
| ~ Walt intimidating two amateur drug dealers. |
| “ | Mike: Just what the hell was that exactly!? Walter: You might wanna hold off. Mike: Yeah? (Clocks gun) Why? Walter: Because your boss is gonna need me. 6353 Juan Tabo, apartment six. (Mike and Victor glance for a moment until they stare at Walter, realizing that he has sent Jesse to kill Gale) ...Yeah. |
„ |
| ~ Walt stops Mike from shooting him when he reveals Jesse's location - Gale's apartment - revealing to Mike and Victor that Walter has sent Jesse there to kill Gale in order to stop Gus from killing Walt himself. |
| “ | Alright, let's talk about Gale Boetticher. He was a good man and a good chemist. He didn't deserve what happened to him. He didn't deserve it at all. But I'd shoot him again and tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. When you make it Gale versus me, or Gale versus Jesse, Gale loses! Simple as that. This is on you, Gus, not me, not Jesse. I mean really, what'd you expect me to do? Just simply roll over and allow you to murder us? That I wouldn't take measures – extreme measures – to defend myself? Wrong! Think again. | „ |
| ~ Walter justifying himself and Jesse to Gus after Gale's death to prevent themselves from getting killed. |
| “ | Then what else should I not worry about, Saul, hm? Should I not worry that Gus plans to murder me at the first chance he gets? Should I not worry that my drug-addicted partner doesn't seem to care whether he lives or dies? You should see his house. It's like skid row! He has actual hobos living there! Now how long before Gus decides that he's too big of a risk? That guy Mike, that grunting dead-eyed cretin, sucker punching me in the face! I've got Gus wielding a box cutter! I mean...Western Union! Message received! Let me ask you, when did this stop being a business, hm? Why am I the only person capable of behaving in a professional manner? | „ |
| ~ Walt complaining to Saul about the issues he's currently dealing with. |
| “ | No, no, it's, uh... Oh, that was the moment. That night. I should never have left home. Never gone to your house. Maybe things would have... Oh, I was... I was at home watching TV. Some nature program about elephants... and Skyler and Holly were in another room. I can hear them on the baby monitor. She was singing a lullaby. Oh, if I had just lived right up to that moment... and not one second more. That would have been perfect. | „ |
| ~ Walter emotionally recounting when he went to Jesse's place the same night Jane died. |
| “ | Skyler: Was this you? What happened? Walter: I won. |
„ |
| ~ Walt explaining to Skyler that he won the battle against Gus, implying that he killed him himself. |
| “ | We're done... when I say we're done. | „ |
| ~ Walter White intimidates Saul when the latter attempts to renounce their partnership. |
| “ | Jesse, you asked me... if I was in the meth business, or the money business? Neither. I'm in the empire business. | „ |
| ~ Walter White telling Jesse about his newfound resolve to further establish his drug empire after dismissing the latter's suggestion that he should quit from the business. |
| “ | If that's true... if you don't know, who I am... then... maybe your best course... would be to tread lightly. | „ |
| ~ Walt intimidating his brother-in-law Hank after the latter finally discovers the former was Heisenberg all along. |
| “ | My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Arroyo Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. This is my confession. If you’re watching this tape, I’m probably dead– murdered by my brother-in-law, Hank Schrader. Hank has been building a meth empire for over a year now, and using me as his chemist. Shortly after my fiftieth birthday, Hank came to me with a rather shocking proposition. He asked that I use my chemistry knowledge to cook methamphetamine, which he would then sell using his connections in the drug world, connections that he made through his career with the DEA. I was astounded. I–I always thought Hank was a very moral man, and I was particularly vulnerable at the time–something he knew and took advantage of. I was reeling from a cancer diagnosis that was poised to bankrupt my family. Hank took me on a ride-along and showed me just how much money even a small meth operation could make. And I was weak. I didn’t want my family to go into financial ruin, so I agreed. Every day, I think back at that moment with regret. I quickly realized that I was in way over my head and, Hank had a partner named Gustavo Fring, a businessman. Hank sold me into servitude to this man, and when I tried to quit, Fring threatened my family. I didn’t know where to turn. Eventually, Hank and Fring had a falling out. From what I can gather, Hank was always pushing for a greater share of the business, of which Fring flatly refused to give it, and things escalated. Fring was able to arrange, uh, I guess… I guess you call it a hit on my brother-in-law, and failed, but Hank was seriously injured, and I wound up paying his medical bills, which amounted to a little over $177,000. Upon recovery, Hank was bent on revenge. Working with a man named Hector Salamanca, he plotted to kill Fring, and did so. In fact, the bomb that he used was built by me. And he gave me no option in that. I have often contemplated suicide, but I’m a coward. I wanted to go to the police, but I was frightened. Hank had risen in the reigns to become the head of the Albuquerque DEA, and about that time to keep me in line, he took my children from me, for three months he kept them. My wife, who up until that point, had no idea of my criminal activities, was horrified to learn what I had done. Why Hank had taken our children. We were scared. And I was in hell. I hated myself for what I had brought upon my family. Recently, I tried once again to quit, to end this nightmare, and in response, he gave me this. I can't take this anymore. I live in fear every day that Hank will kill me. Or worse, hurt my family. All I could think to do was to make this video and hope that the world will finally see this man for what he really is. | „ |
| ~ Walt elaborates a fake confession that incriminates Hank as "Heisenberg" in a video watched by Hank and his wife, Marie. |
| “ | I watched Jane die. I was there. And I watched her die. I watched her overdose and choke to death. I could have saved her. But I didn't. | „ |
| ~ Walt spitefully reveals to Jesse that he watched his girlfriend Jane Margolis die. |
| “ | WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? WE'RE A FAMILY!! (pauses for a moment to see that his wife and son are terrified of him) We're a family. | „ |
| ~ Walt's reaction to both Skyler and their son turning their backs on him after they learn that Hank is dead, in addition to Flynn finally seeing the extent of his father's criminal nature. |
| “ | What the hell is wrong with you? Why can't you do one thing I say? This is your fault! This is what comes with your disrespect! I told you Skyler, I warned you for a solid year, you crossed me there will be consequences. What part of that didn't you understand? Maybe now you'll listen. Maybe now you'll use your damn head. You know, you never believed in me. You were never grateful for anything I did for this family. "Oh no! Walt! Walt! You have to stop! You have to stop this! It's immoral! It's illegal! Someone might get hurt!" You're always whining and complaining about how I make my money, dragging me down while I do everything. And now, now you tell my son what I do? After I've told you and told you to keep your damn mouth shut? You stupid bitch! How dare you? | „ |
| ~ Walt's famous phone call with Skyler as he curses her for everything that has happened, though this is actually a ploy in order to exonerate her and their children from his criminal activities under lawful investigation. |
| “ | God, you think I WANT to run?! This is the last thing that I want! This, this changes nothing. What I do, I do for my family. My money goes to my children. Not just this barrel, all of it! I'm going to kill Jack and his entire crew. And I'm going to take back what is mine and give it to my children and then and only then am I through. Do you understand? | „ |
| ~ Walter to Saul as the former expresses his desire to avenge Hank and get his money to his family. |
| “ | Call it a Beau Geste, call it liberal guilt, call it whatever you want, but do it. And, you are not to spend a single dime of your own money. If there are taxes or lawyer's fees owed, you'll take it from here. They use my money. Never yours. | „ |
| ~ Walt persuades his former partners Elliott and Gretchen Schwartz to secretly provide his estranged family with strictly his own drug money, thus accomplishing his initial goal from when he first entered the meth trade. |
| “ | Well... goodbye Lydia. | „ |
| ~ Walter White's last words. |
| “ | You're really lucky, you know that? You didn't have to wait your whole life to do something special. | „ |
| ~ Walt to Jesse in El Camino, indirectly admitting to him his regrets about not having done anything noteworthy in his lifetime. |
Gallery
Trivia
- Bryan Cranston won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, tying him with Dennis Franz for the record in this category, thanks to his performance as Walter White.
- Creator of the series, Vince Gilligan, has stated that his intention with Walter White's transformation throughout the show was to turn Mr. Chips into Scarface. Unlike Scarface, however, Walter White partially redeems himself in the Breaking Bad series finale.
- Walter's counterpart in Metástasis, the Colombian remake of Breaking Bad, is Walter Blanco. "Blanco" is Spanish for "white".
- Walter White is widely considered to be one of the greatest anti-heroes in television history, thanks to his writing, character development and Bryan Cranston's performance.
- Walt's gunshot wound in the finale is at his right side of his lung and is also on the opposite side of the same spot where he shot Mike.
External Links
- Walter White on the Villains Wiki
- Walter White on the Inconsistently Admirable Wiki
- Walter White on the Inconsistently Heinous Wiki
- Walter White on the Breaking Bad Wiki
- Walter White on Wikipedia
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Walter's Family Officers Lawyers Heisenberg's Empire Other |
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