Spoilers for Breaking Bad
Jesse Pinkman and Walter White are the two main characters of Breaking Bad. They are especially significant and add depth to the show with their contrasting and fluid personalities. They represent contrasting ideals ranging from morality to ambition. Throughout the show, their dynamic reflects larger themes of survival, power, and the human ability to change.
Walter White starts out as a high school chemistry teacher, and as the series progresses, he becomes a methamphetamine kingpin. This transition into a completely different identity is a perfect example of the corrosion of morality he faces, with each decision he makes throughout the show becoming increasingly narcissistic and self-centered as a result of the high expectations he must meet both from the cartel and his family. At the start of the series, Walter is presented as a sympathetic character. However, throughout the show, this narrative changes as he drifts away from this into a persona he calls Heisenberg, a ruthless drug lord. Heisenberg illustrates the aftermath of an unchecked ego, his justification for his actions as "being for his family" quickly becomes an empty excuse for said ego.
Jesse Pinkman, in contrast, starts as a mediocre meth dealer and becomes Walter's partner-in-crime. Unlike Walter, who becomes increasingly detached and narcissistic, Jesse remains emotionally vulnerable and generally guilty about their criminal activity. He is constantly making emotional and moral trade-offs throughout the series that intrinsically affect the relationship dynamic he and Walter have. He and Walter have a sort of father-son dynamic that neither of them really had with their own family, all while having a twist of toxicity as Walter often manipulates Jesse's feelings towards their criminal activity for his own benefit. Jesse’s yearning for a better life contrasts with Walter’s growing coldness, highlighting the emotional toll of moral compromise that remains persistent throughout the show.
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