Better Call Saul is nearing its sixth and final season, and fans are pretty excited. Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad was such a hit, he got going on a spin-off about how Jimmy Mcgill became dubious lawyer Saul Goodman in 2015, and it received widespread praise from fans and critics alike. One thing that Gilligan is a master at is characters. Both of his AMC shows have excelled at creating a world of understandable, complex, and funny characters, which is a great strength of all his projects.
Saul himself is a brilliant protagonist in his own right, but what’s also worth celebrating is the art of the supporting character, of which Better Call Saul has many. Some are hilarious, some are scary, and some are both. But one thing is for sure; they all play a part in making the show what it is.
10 Daniel Wormald Is A Clueless Goof
Daniel Wormald isn’t just brilliant comic relief but a great recurring wannabe criminal who constantly needs the help of Mike and Jimmy. His first appearance establishes his ineffectual nature and his need for Mike as a bodyguard. Therefore, later on, it’s no surprise that without Mike he gets himself into a lot of trouble and eventually gets his beloved baseball card collection stolen.
This character and his subplot are largely played for laughs, but it works and Daniel seems so believable. Viewers enjoyed watching this clueless goof try to enter the world of the cartel and how Jimmy gets him off the hook is hilarious.
9 Hector Salamanca’s Past Is Elaborated On
Fans were very pleased with how this prequel managed to fold in Breaking Bad characters effectively and purposefully, and Hector was one of these characters. Whilst fans were briefed with hints at his past, in Breaking Bad Hector was largely played the role of a cartel don who ultimately went out in a blaze of glory by killing Gus Fring.
Better Call Saul elaborated on his story, as audiences got to see him lead the cartel and conflict with Mike. His relationship and rising tensions with Nacho Varga were also a highlight of the show, and it added a lot of depth to Hector’s backstory.
8 Ernesto’s Compassion Made Fans Love Him
Ernesto does not play a large role in the show, and he does not appear in Breaking Bad either, but he is a definite fan favorite. Ernesto’s main job in earlier seasons consists of helping and aiding Chuck (Jimmy’s troubled brother). Despite essentially being Chuck’s assistant, Ernesto is imbued with a sense of realism and kindness.
Not only does Ernesto’s shy and awkward nature make him endearing, but later on viewers got to see how much he values Jimmy and his relationship with his brother, and it’s a very nice moment. Ernesto may not be a main character, but that by no means implies he lacks depth or humanity.
7 Lalo Salamanca Has Become A Serious Threat
With the final season of the show approaching, fans are excited to see Lalo take on the role of the main antagonist. This is a character who’s really grown more and more as a compelling threat to our main characters. Initially, Lalo came across as a well-mannered but mysterious cartel member who needed Jimmy’s legal expertise. However, the more he delved into Jimmy’s activities, the more he found that led him to believe that Jimmy wasn’t telling him the whole story.
This culminated at the end of the last season with a thrilling action scene in which Lalo survived an assassination attempt, and fans are certain he’s going to return in the final season with a vengeance.
6 Howard Hamlin Won The Fans Over
Howard Hamlin is a character who has really won over fans of the show. In the early seasons, Howard came across as a well-meaning but coldly robotic lawyer who was a source of constant annoyance for our main character, Jimmy. However as the show progressed Howard became more and more endearing, and this culminated at the end of Season 3.
By Season 4, people had started to realize that Howard really had a lot of heart, and he did a lot to try and help Jimmy and amend his own mistakes. In fact, in hindsight fans are starting to recognize that Howard’s relationship with Jimmy was largely derailed by Jimmy himself.
5 Chuck Mcgill Is Hard To Like, But Easy To Understand
Chuck Mcgill is the Skyler of Better Call Saul; fans hate him, yet he’s one of the most honest characters on the show. A former lawyer turned hermit, Chuck is Jimmy’s brother, and whilst he may be a little bossy and stuck up, it’s hard to deny it’s not for a good reason. The show goes to great lengths to establish why his relationship with his brother is so contentious, and it’s completely understandable. Jimmy is untrustworthy and somewhat troubled, and Chuck frequently suffers because of it.
There’s one great flashback concerning the Mcgill brothers in which they sit by their mother’s bedside in a hospital. It’s a small scene but it does a perfect job at establishing why Chuck sees his brother the way he does.
4 Gus Fring Continues To Be A Fan Favorite
Gustavo Fring was already a beloved character because of his recurring role in Breaking Bad. Fans love the ‘Los Pollos Hermanos’ manager turned drug dealer down to his cold manipulative manner, and Giancarlo Esposito’s brilliant performance. It took a few seasons for him to appear on Better Call Saul, but it was well worth the wait.
Gus’ rivalry with the Salamanca’s trade and his friendship with Mike were the two subplots he played the biggest role in in the show, and it did a great job fleshing out his backstory, his conflict with the cartel, and the early days of his relationship with Mike Ehrmantraut, and it was a joy to watch.
3 Nacho Varga Has His Own Plans
Nacho is a character created for Better Call Saul, and he is the key connection between Jimmy and the world of the cartel. His initial appearances establish Nacho as a friend of Tuco Salamanca’s who did Jimmy a favor and who is keen for some aid in return. Failing this, Nacho goes to Mike, and as this arc develops Nacho starts to take on a larger role in the show.
By Seasons 3 and 4, Nacho had become a fan favorite, and audiences thrilled at watching him climb the ranks of the cartel. A great example of a character going from a seemingly straightforward dealer to a man with his own struggles and goals.
2 Mike Ehrmantraut Has His Past Fleshed Out
Mike is a great character. Established in Breaking Bad, Mike Ehrmantraut is an ex-cop-turned hitman for Gus Fring, so fans of the show were surprised to see such a no-nonsense character start Better Call Saul as a parking attendant. Better Call Saul does a fantastic job at folding him into the show very naturally, as he starts to play a bigger and bigger role throughout. He begins to form his own subplots, going from an acquaintance of Jimmy’s to a criminal bodyguard to a security worker for Gus.
His backstory is also fleshed out, as we see him interacting with his daughter-in-law and her young child, and we grow to understand Mike’s complex motivation and moral code.
1 Kim Wexler Is Jimmy’s Compass
Some may be a little shocked to see Kim in the number one spot, but she is arguably the key to the show. Not only is she an interesting and accomplished character in her own right, but she plays a key role in Jimmy’s arc too. We find out that Kim is one of the few people in Jimmy’s life who’s always had his back, and as their relationship evolves into a romance, it’s clear that Kim is Jimmy’s motivator.
She not only directly influences his choices but usually Jimmy’s connection to her shifts his whole character. Fans are excited to see where Season 5 takes Kim, especially since we know she won’t be in Jimmy’s future because she was nowhere to be seen in Breaking Bad.