Most Hated TV Character Poll Proves Breaking Bad Did 1 Thing Really Well (2024)

The news that one of Breaking Bad’s supporting characters made it into another poll of TV’s most hated characters is a testament to the overall quality of the series. Breaking Bad took the formula established by The Sopranos and built on it, gradually leading viewers to empathize with a seriously flawed antihero even as he committed inexcusable crimes. However, where The Sopranos never hid the terrible truth behind Tony’s work, Breaking Bad first introduced its protagonist as a seemingly harmless everyman before turning him into a monster. As Walter White evolved into Heisenberg, viewers were encouraged to excuse his amoral actions at every turn.

Part of what made Breaking Bad’s ending so effective was that the finale acted as a culmination of Walter’s character arc. Bryan Cranston’s character started the series as a disillusioned teacher and family man who, beneath a cheery veneer, seethed with internal resentment. As Breaking Bad’s story continued, Walt grew increasingly corrupted by power until eventually, he scarcely resembled the mild-mannered protagonist shown in the pilot episode. By the Breaking Bad finale, Walt had proven that he loved money, success, and the benefits that came with cooking meth more than his family, and a large part of the audience was right there with him.

Skyler White Is #3 On A Poll Of Most Hated TV Characters

The fact that Walt’s wife Skyler White topped a recent Ranker list of TV’s most hated characters proves how much Breaking Bad managed to get viewers on board with Walt’s mission. Ordinarily, a love interest who wants the antihero to stop focusing on his criminal empire and think about the welfare of his children would be beloved by a show’s fan base. However, Skyler wasn’t seen as a mere killjoy. She is still frequently cited as one of the most annoying, hated, and evil TV characters of all time, and much of this comes down to how Breaking Bad presents Walt’s journey.

Even though he fought fellow drug kingpins, Neo-Nazi gangs, and the DEA throughout the show’s five seasons, Skyler was commonly regarded as the greatest impediment to Walt accruing more money and power. Her actions being motivated by her desire to keep her family from being endangered by Walt's plans were effectively obscured by the show’s framing of her. Objectively, it'd be easy to see Skyler as the one who was in the right, yet the show managed to paint a different picture of her, resulting in a big part of the fanbase seeing her as a bore who willfully ruined Walt’s rise to the top.

Skyler's Reception Proves How Well-Written Breaking Bad's Walter White Is

The notion that people still root for Walt over Skyler speaks volumes about Breaking Bad’s ability to make him a sympathetic antihero before turning him into a full-blown villain. This was at least partially facilitated by Breaking Bad’s final season focusing on Todd and his Nazi uncle. Creating a set of villains who were even more unambiguously evil than Walt cast attention away from his own flaws and helped maintain his image as an unappreciated anti-hero. In reality, Breaking Bad’s main character was a monstrous figure defined by greed, resentment, hubris, and amoral ingenuity.