20 Timeless “Breaking Bad” Quotes to Live By
In a TV landscape filled with antiheroes, Breaking Bad's Walter White—a milquetoast high school chemistry teacher-turned-drug lord—stands alone. We're celebrating the groundbreaking series with the best Breaking Bad quotes on life, death, consequences and everything in between.
Quotable Breaking Bad Quotes
On overcoming your fears
“I have spent my whole life scared, frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen. Fifty years I spent like that—finding myself awake at three in the morning. But you know what? Ever since my diagnosis, I sleep just fine. And I came to realize, it’s that fear that’s the worst of it. That’s the real enemy. So, get up. Get out in the real world.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 2, Better Call Saul
On hubris
“Just because you shot Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James.”
— Mike Ehrmantraut, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Hazard Pay
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On responsibilities
“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.”
— Gustavo Fring, Breaking Bad, Season 3, Más
On keeping promises
“We flipped a coin, OK? You and me. You and me! Coin flip is sacred!”
— Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad, Season 1, And the Bag’s in the River
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On trauma
“You need to stop focusing on the darkness behind you. The past is the past. Nothing can change what we’ve done.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Blood Money
On appreciating the little things
“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.”
— Jane Margolis, Breaking Bad, Season 3, Abiquiu
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On knowing when to quit
“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?”
— Skyler White, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Gliding Over All
On regret
“Been thinking about a summer job I used to have marking trees in the woods. Tagging trees is a lot better than chasing monsters.”
— Hank Schrader, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Gliding Over All
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On living life on your own terms
“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.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 4, Hermanos
On personal freedom
“This is my own private domicile and I will not be harassed!”
— Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad, Season 3, Sunset
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On self-confidence
“I once told a woman I was Kevin Costner, and it worked because I believed it.”
— Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad, Season 3, Abiquiu
On change
“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.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 1, Pilot
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On learning from failure
“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.”
— Mike Ehrmantraut, Breaking Bad, Season 3, Half Measures
On seizing opportunity
“There is gold in the streets just waiting for someone to come and scoop it up.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Madrigal
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On the need for consequences
“The thing is, if you just do stuff and nothing happens, what’s it all mean? What’s the point?”
— Jesse Pinkman, Breaking Bad, Season 4, Problem Dog
On choosing your battles
“Some people are immune to good advice.”
— Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Confessions
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On toxic relationships
“You are a time bomb tick, tick, ticking. And I have no intention of being around for the ‘boom.’”
— Mike Ehrmantraut, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Madrigal
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On the importance of caution
“If you don’t know who I am, then maybe your best course… would be to tread lightly.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Blood Money
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On breaking the law
“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.”
— Saul Goodman, Breaking Bad, Season 2, Mandala
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On selfishness
“I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And I was really—I was alive.”
— Walter White, Breaking Bad, Season 5, Felina
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