It isn't difficult to argue that Breaking Bad is one of Bryan Cranston's finest pieces of work. Walter White remains a chilling household name 11 years after the show's finale. Thislasting popularity is mostly due to the strength of the central characters, developed by the talented Vince Gilligan and his team of writers, who ensured Breaking Bad aged well. The show introduces many complex and morally ambiguous characters, but it's often accepted that Gus Fring is the Breaking Bad universe's best villain. However, one scene from season 5, episode 5, reveals a darker antagonist.
Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) commits heinous crimes throughout the Breaking Bad timeline, and his calculated cruelty ensures that he's hailed as the series' most formidable antagonist. From discontinuing a rival's medical treatment to murdering his most loyal employee in cold blood, Gus is responsible for a good proportion of the show's darkest moments. His sustained manipulation throughout Breaking Bad often overshadows brutal moments at the hands of other villains. Most notable is the murder of a child executed by Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons), which shows that Todd is actually Breaking Bad's most sinister villain.
Todd Was Breaking Bad's Most Sinister Villain, Not Gus
Todd's Lack Of Empathy Sets Him Apart From Gus Fring
It's obvious throughout Jesse Plemons' screen time in Breaking Bad that Todd is completely devoid of empathy, allowing his heightened capacity for killing, and making his actions largely unpredictable and horrifying. It quickly becomes apparent that Todd can commit the most horrific crimes with little remorse, with seemingly little understanding of the consequences of his actions. Todd's established to be desperate for the approval of his uncle, andbeing eager to please makes him that much more dangerous — as he will stop at no means to achieve this.
Gus Fring’s rise and fall showcased in Breaking Bad was foreshadowed in its prequel, Better Call Saul, thanks to the final words of Hector Salamanca.
Todd's inherent characterization puts him one step ahead of Gus. Giancarlo Esposito's villain has increasingly complex motivations, which, coupled with his sense of honor, make him a master of manipulation and corruption. While Gus' more strategic methods benefit him in the long run, Todd's simplistic approach makes him more unsettling. He is unfiltered, and involved in a dangerous criminal organization, ready to carry out any orders. This ultimately makes him more of a threat to Walter and Jesse (Aaron Paul), and his presence on the show adversely affects the characters even after his eventual demise.
Todd Delivered The Most Sinister Breaking Bad Moments
Jesse Pinkman Suffered The Most Because Of Todd's Actions
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There are many excellent Breaking Bad scenes that define the show, and the series expertly masters the pacing, by building the tension and releasing it at the perfect moments to subvert expectations. The shocking deaths in Breaking Bad include both heroes and villains, but the more minor deaths signal a higher degree of intricacy within the narrative. Although sometimes expected of the villains, their crimes are still chilling. Yet no scene in Breaking Bad matches Todd shooting a young child after witnessing the group's heist.
This scene alone establishes how dangerous Todd's character really is, and Jesse's reaction to the boy's death makes the scene even more haunting. This singular moment indicates Todd's true brutality, foreshadowing his later crimes. Todd goes on to shoot Andrea (Emily Rios) in front of Jesse because he refuses to cooperate, and helps his uncle imprison and torture Jesse for months. The accumulation of his actions, although contained to season 5, outweighs most other sinister moments in Breaking Bad.
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
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