Breaking Bad cast: which Better Call Saul characters appear including Hank and Mike - and who doesn’t return?

Netflix series Better Call Saul is a both a prequel and sequel to Breaking Bad, and both shows share several key characters
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Better Call Saul has just come to a dramatic end, with the finale released on Netflix in the UK on 16 August, and many fans may want to go back and watch Breaking Bad to fill the void.

Many characters who were key players in Breaking Bad went on to have guest roles in the prequel series, while some characters, like the titular lawyer, had a bigger presence in the newer show.

Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez returned in Better Call SaulHank Schrader and Steven Gomez returned in Better Call Saul
Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez returned in Better Call Saul
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Better Call Saul also introduced us to several characters who had no role in Breaking Bad, leaving fans to speculate as to why they did not appear in the original show.

**Spoilers for season six of Better Call Saul**

Which Better Call Saul characters are in Breaking Bad?

Jimmy McGill

Of course Jimmy is in Breaking Bad - he is introduced in a season two episode entitled Better Call Saul.

Bob Odenkirk’s character was such a fan favourite that producers decided to go ahead with a prequel series exploring Jimmy’s origins, his transition into Saul Goodman, and answering what happened to him after the events of Breaking Bad.

Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman in Better Call SaulBob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul
Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman in Better Call Saul

Mike Ehrmantraut

Mike works for Saul and Gus throughout Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul - the private investigator and hitman has talents that make him indispensable to both parties.

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In Better Call Saul we learn more about Mike’s background - how he became a dirty cop, taking bribes, and how he encouraged his son, Matt to do the same, shortly before Matt was killed by police who didn’t trust him to keep quiet.

Jonathan Banks as Mike EhrmantrautJonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut
Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut

Gus Fring

Gus is the main protagonist in seasons 2-4 of Breaking Bad - he is a drug lord who forces Walt and Jesse to work for him cooking meth.

In Better Call Saul we see how Gus established himself as the main player in the Albuquerque drug trade, through his war with the Salamancas. He remains something of an enigma and most of his past remains shrouded in mystery, unlike other characters who are laid bare in the prequel series.

Gustavo Fring A.K.A. The Chicken Man Gustavo Fring A.K.A. The Chicken Man
Gustavo Fring A.K.A. The Chicken Man

Huell Babineaux

Huell first appears in Breaking Bad as Saul’s bodyguard - he hired him after Mike threatened to break his legs. He also steals ricin which is used to poison Brock Cantillo, in a move which turns Jesse against Walt.

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In Better Call Saul, Huell appears sporadically through seasons 3-6, working odd jobs for Jimmy which include pickpocketing, and helping him in his crusade against Howard.

Lavell Crawford as Huell BabineauxLavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux
Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux

Tuco Salamanca

Tuco is a recurring character in the first two seasons of Breaking Bad. Just out of prison he takes over what is left of the Salamanca family’s drug trade. After the DEA catches up with him, he is killed by Hank after an intense shootout.

In Better Call Saul, Tuco meets Jimmy when one of the latter’s schemes goes wrong. Jimmy is able to talk himself out of being killed. Tuco is eventually brought down by Mike, who goads him into attacking him in front of police, leading to his arrest.

Raymond Cruz as Tuco SalamancaRaymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca
Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca

Hector Salamanca

Hector is a key player in Breaking Bad - the frail patriarch of the Salamanca family, and sworn enemy of Gus. In season four he kills Gus is a brutal murder suicide, removing a major obstacle for Walt and Jesse.

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In Better Call Saul, we learn how Hector ended up in a wheelchair - he was spiked by Nacho, although saved from dying by Gus in a sadistic move that kept him breathing, but paralysed for life.

Mark Margolis as Hector SalamancaMark Margolis as Hector Salamanca
Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca

Jesse Pinkman

Jesse is one of the two anti-protagonists in Breaking Bad - working with Walt on his scheme to eke as much money from crystal meth as he can. Though Walt has lost all his scruples by the end of the series, Jesse can’t stomach some of the means that are employed in the name of making money.

Jesse appears in several episodes in the last season of Better Call Saul - he doesn’t add much to the story and is really there for fan service. Jesse was given a proper send off in the spin-off movie El Camino, which followed his life post-Breaking Bad.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in Breaking BadAaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad
Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad

Walter White

Walt was the centre of Breaking Bad - the show followed his transition from a mild mannered chemistry teacher to a drug lord and a killer.

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Walt also made a few cameo appearances in the last season of Better Call Saul - in one significant scene he speaks to Jimmy about regret, and seems disgusted to learn that his lawyer has always been a bad guy.

Hank Schrader

DEA agent Hank Schrader, and Walt’s brother-in-law is the man who finally uncovers Heisenberg, though he and his partner Steve Gomez are ultimately killed in a shootout before they can bring Walt to justice.

In Better Call Saul, Hank and Gomez briefly appear in season five of Better Call Saul - the pair intercept a ‘drop’ collecting $700,000 that had been intended to line Gus’ pockets, and unintentionally doing their bit to escalate the war between Gus and the Salamancas.

Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez returned in Better Call SaulHank Schrader and Steven Gomez returned in Better Call Saul
Hank Schrader and Steven Gomez returned in Better Call Saul

Gale Boetticher

Gale was a meek meth cook in Breaking Bad - Gus had planned for him to take over Walt’s operation, although with a shrewd bit of manoevering on Walt’s part , he convinces Jesse to kille Gale.

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We find Gale in Better Call Saul working at a chemistry lab at a New Mexico university - he is visited by Gus who offers him the opportunity to cook meth in a superlab, though he tells him he will have to wait until the lab is ready.

Gale in Better Call SaulGale in Better Call Saul
Gale in Better Call Saul

Which Better Call Saul characters don’t feature in Breaking Bad?

Many fan favourites from Better Call Saul did not feature in Breaking Bad - in most cases this was because they were killed off, with one notable exception.

Howard Hamlin, the lawyer who Jimmy and Kim target for much of the series became a character that fans loved to hate before quickly feeling quite sorry for. Howard died suddenly when he was shot in the head by Lalo and Jimmy and Kim’s apartment.

Chuck, Jimmy’s domineering brother was also absent in Breaking Bad, having killed himself in the season three finale. Other major characters who slipped off their mortal coil during Better Call Saul include Nacho (shot himself in the head during an epic showdown), and Lalo (shot through the neck by Gus).

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Kim Wexler is perhaps the most popular Better Call Saul character not to feature in Breaking Bad, and many fans were worried that she too would be killed off in the final season of the show. Fortunately, she met a slightly better fate, and had gone off grid, living a quiet life down in Florida. It’s not glamorous, but at least she’s not dead.

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