Breaking Bad’s Walter White is one of the iconic TV protagonists of the 21st century, creating a viewer’s dilemma as to either root for him or despise him. The incredibly compelling character’s dual personality led to some of the best dialogue ever on TV.
Breaking Bad is an American crime drama television series created and produced by Vince Gilligan. It premiered in 2008 and has a total of five seasons and 62 episodes.
The series is one of the best TV dramas of the 21st century, through creation of the show’s main character, Walter White – a mild-mannered chemistry teacher who turns to a life of crime after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Walter’s sad past combined with his diagnosis led him into territory he never would have ventured into. At first it was his talent for making the purest blue meth that got the illegal drug trade interested in him. This process quickly insinuated a thirst for power that took over as he transitioned into a drug lord not to me messed with. No more than a few words and a menacing look from Walter, caused even the most hardened criminals to shake in their boots.
There’s no doubt we’ve heard some truly iconic lines over the show run ranging from caring and sensitive to outrageous, yet bizarrely accurate. We’ve listed the best ones which you may surprisingly learn a thing or two about from from, if you consider the logic behind the words.
1. Smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos, and masturbating do not constitute plans in my book.
2. Jesse, you asked me if I was in the meth business or the money business… Neither. I’m in the empire business.
3. If you don’t know who I am, then maybe your best course would be to tread lightly.
4. I am not in danger, I am the danger.
5. There is gold in the streets just waiting for someone to come and scoop it up.
6. Right now, what I need, is for you to climb down out of my ass. Can you do that? Will you do that for me, honey? Will you please, just once, get off my ass? You know? I’d appreciate it. I really would.
7. I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And, I was really…I was alive.
8. We’re all on the same page. The one that says, if I can’t kill you, you’ll sure as shit wish you were dead.
9. When you have children, you always have family. They will always be your priority, your responsibility. And a man—a man provides. And he does it even when he’s not appreciated, or respected, or even loved. He simply bears out and he does it.
10. Say my name.
11. We flipped a coin, OK? You and me. You and me! Coin flip is sacred!
12. I have spent my whole life scared, frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen, 50-years I spent like that.
13. We’re done when I say we’re done.
14. You need to stop focusing on the darkness behind you. The past is the past. Nothing can change what we’ve done.
15. And a man, a man provides. And he does it even when he’s not appreciated, or respected, or even loved. He simply bears up and he does it. Because he’s a man.
16. The thing is, if you just do stuff and nothing happens, what’s it all mean? What’s the point?
17. 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!
18. Why should we do anything more than once? Should I just smoke this one cigarette? Maybe we should only have sex once if it’s the same thing? Should we just watch one sunset? Or live just one day? Because it’s new every time. Each time is a new experience.
19. If you’re committed enough, you can make any story work.
20. As to your dead guy: occupational hazard. Drug dealer getting shot? I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say it’s been known to happen.
21. The moral of the story is…I chose a half measure when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, Walter.
22. Some people are immune to good advice.
23. To all law enforcement entities, this is not an admission of guilt.
24. 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.
25. Finding myself awake at three in the morning. But you know what? Ever since my diagnosis, I sleep just fine.
26. Is this just a genetic thing with you? Is it congenital? Did your, did your mother drop you on your head when you were a baby?
27. Even government doesn’t care that much about quality. You know what is okay to put in hot dogs? Huh? Pig lips and assholes. But I say, hey, have at it bitches ’cause I love hot dogs.
28. I am speaking to my family now. Skyler, you are the love of my life. I hope you know that.
29. You are a time bomb tick, tick, ticking. And I have no intention of being around for the ‘boom.
30. 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 you can right in the teeth.
31. I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner and it worked because I believed it.
32. Sending him on a trip to Belize.
33. I am the one who knocks.
34. Well, technically, chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change.
35. If you try to interfere, this becomes a much simpler matter. I will kill your wife. I will kill your son. I will kill your infant daughter.
36. We tried to poison you. We tried to poison you because you are an insane, degenerate piece of filth and you deserve to die.
37. So you do have a plan! Yeah, Mr. White! Yeah, Science!
38. There is more money here than we could spend in 10 lifetimes. Please tell me: how much is enough? How big does this pile have to be?
39. You’re the smartest guy I’ve ever met. And you’re too stupid to see… he made up his mind ten minutes ago.
40. Been thinking about a summer job I used to have marking trees in the woods. Tagging trees is a lot better than chasing monsters.
41. You don’t need a criminal lawyer. You need a criminal lawyer.
42. I have lived under the threat of death for a year now. And because of that, I’ve made choices.
43. Electrons—they change their energy levels. Molecules change their bonds. Elements—they combine and change into compounds. Well, that’s all of life, right? It’s the constant. It’s the cycle. It’s solution, dissolution, just over and over and over. It is growth, then decay, then transformation.
44. I hide in plain sight, same as you.
45. Ah, like I came to you, begging to cook meth. Oh, hey, nerdiest old dude I know, you wanna come cook crystal? Please. I’d ask my diaper-wearing granny, but her wheelchair wouldn’t fit in the RV.
46. Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass, age what, 60? He’s just gonna break bad?
47. I’ve been living with cancer for the better part of a year. Right from the start it’s a death sentence. That’s what they keep telling me. Well, guess what? Every life comes with a death sentence. So, every few months I come in here for my regular scan knowing full well that one of these times—hell, maybe even today—I’m gonna hear some bad news. But until then, who’s in charge? Me. That’s how I live my life.
48. I’m not saying it’s not bad. It’s bad. But it could be worse.
49. Right on. New Zealand. That’s where they made Lord of the Rings. I say we just move there, yo. I mean, you can do your art, right? Like, you can paint the local castles and s**t. And I can be a bush pilot.
50. The fun’s over. From here on out, I’m Mr. Low Profile. Just another douche bag with a job and three pairs of Dockers. If I’m lucky, month from now, best-case scenario, I’m managing a Cinnabon in Omaha.
51. Shut the fuck up and let me die in peace.
52. Just because you shot Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James.
53. 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!
54. Darth Vader had responsibilities. He was responsible for the Death Star.
55. Tread lightly.
56. Nah, come on man. Some straight like you, giant stick up his ass at like what, sixty, he’s just gonna break bad?
57. Did you know that there’s an acceptable level of rat turds that can go into candy bars? It’s the government, jack.
58. I uh… I eat a lot of frozen stuff… It’s usually pretty bad, I mean the pictures are always so awesome, you know? It’s like “hell yeah, I’m starved for this lasagna!” and then you nuke it and the cheese gets all scabby on top and it’s like… it’s like you’re eating a scab… I mean, seriously, what’s that about?
59. Congratulations, you’ve just left your family a second-hand Subaru.
60. This is my own private domicile and I will not be harassed…bitch!
61. You know what Walt? Someone needs to protect this family from the man who protects this family.
62. Scientists love lasers.
63. 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 days. But just know that no matter how it may look, I only had you in my heart. Goodbye.
64. They’re minerals, Marie! Jesus!
65. You are not the guy. You’re not capable of being the guy. I had a guy, but now I don’t. You are not the guy.
66. Well, it's just basic chemistry, yo.
67. I mean, it’s just..it’s the constant, it’s the cycle. It’s solution, dissolution, just over and over and over. It is growth, then decay, then transformation. It is fascinating, really.