Better Call Saul Proved What Made Breaking Bad So Good – And It Was Not Just Walter White

While Breaking Bad may be remembered primarily for portraying Walter White’s descent into his Heisenberg persona, the flawless execution of Better Call Saul proved that the original show’s quality wasn’t all because of its main antihero protagonist. Since Better Call Saul was a prequel to Breaking Bad, it revolved around side characters featured in Breaking Bad, including Jimmy McGill, aka “Saul Goodman,” Mike Ehrmantraut, and Gustavo “Gus” Fring. While those three resonated with fans, there was no guarantee that elevating them to main characters would be a good decision.

Between the time that Breaking Bad ended and Better Call Saul began, there was skepticism that the spinoff would ever get out of its predecessor’s shadow. Not only did the prequel show manage to stand out on its own, but Better Call Saul proved to be so good that it was no longer watched just because of its ties to Breaking Bad. That wouldn’t have been possible had it not been for the characters originally introduced in Breaking Bad proving to hold their own when they took the mantle, and they didn’t do it all themselves.

Better Call Saul’s Returning Breaking Bad Characters Confirm The Original Show’s Biggest Legacy

The Prequel Made Already Likable Characters Even Better

Some of Better Call Saul‘s main characters already shined in Breaking Bad but thrived when given more screen time in the spinoff. “Saul Goodman” stood out in Breaking Bad as the show’s comic relief, but Better Call Saul demonstrated what factors went into how he went from the well-meaning Jimmy McGill to the sleazy “Saul.” Mike Ehrmantraut was a key Breaking Bad character, but Better Call Saul detailed his downfall into becoming Gustavo “Gus” Fring’s right-hand man in his drug empire. Gus didn’t get the same development, but Better Call Saul showed how even someone as seemingly bulletproof as him could get frightened.

Saul, Mike, and Gus showing a different side of themselves further demonstrated that Breaking Bad‘s supporting cast was full of excellent characters. While it wasn’t like they were one-dimensional one-off characters in Breaking Bad — far from that — their stories in Better Call Saul demonstrated that even the side characters in Breaking Bad were fully fleshed out. Most impressive of all, Better Call Saul didn’t need to make those three more compelling than they already were, but their stories elevated them to the same level of compelling that Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were.

Better Call Saul’s Original Characters Made The Breaking Bad Prequel Even Better

Character’s Exclusively In Better Call Saul Only Enhanced It

While the returning Breaking Bad characters proved to be even more compelling when more of their story was told, they couldn’t have done that without the help of the new characters introduced in Better Call Saul. The additions of Chuck McGill, Kim Wexler, Howard Hamlin, Nacho Varga, and Lalo Salamanca brought exciting character dynamics to the previously introduced characters and themselves. Their additions overall brought a new flavor to the Breaking Bad universe, and it was clear how much their stories impacted those who would appear in Breaking Bad.

Because it was known it wouldn’t last, watching for the moment Jimmy and Kim’s relationship in Better Call Saul fell apart made the show both exciting and tragic. Knowing how intelligent and ruthless Lalo Salamanca was as a villain made Better Call Saul suspenseful to see how he was stopped. Knowing how they operated and that they’re not in Breaking Bad, part of Better Call Saul‘s exciting climax was seeing Chuck’s, Nacho’s, and Howard’s fates. All Better Call Saul had to do was not ruin its precursor’s essence to succeed, but through the new additions and the development of already-established characters, it was much more than a Breaking Bad prequel.