Manipulative Mindset

Throughout the course of Breaking Bad, we see how Walter’s manipulative mindset helps him weasel out of the most terrifying and life threatening situations. Confronting Tuco Salamanca and manipulating him into thinking a bag of volatile fulminated mercury was methamphetamine was an early display of Walter’s manipulative nature. His relationship with Jesse Pinkman is also an example of his character. Throughout the show, he keeps manipulating Jesse, his right hand man, by capitalising on his vulnerability and desire for approval. For example, Walter manipulated Jesse’s emotions using the ricin cigarette trick - making Jesse believe that he lost the poisonous cigarette and that he nothing to do with the murder of Brock, a young child who Jesse treated like a son. 

 

Deductive and Calculative Maniac

Another key character trait of Walter that is evidently highlighted throughout the show is his ability to always remain two steps ahead of everybody. When Walter realises that his brother Hank, an officer of the law, starts to close in on him, Walter manipulates him and reveals a video tape with a fake confession of him stating that it was Hank’s idea to start a drug empire, and that he was the mastermind behind it. Another example is when he outsmarts Gus Fring, the shows most iconic villain. When Walter realises that he cannot defeat Gus due to the lack of resources and influence in the drug world, he forms an alliance with Hector Salamanca, an old cartel member who has a personal (and professional) vendetta against Gus. Together, they plan and execute Gus’s execution by strapping a bomb to Hector’s chair. 

 

Pride over Principles

A turning point in the TV show is when Walter kills Mike, revealing his unstrained ego and hunger for power. It showcases his pride and impulsive nature when he is undermined and given a hard (but necessary) reality check. His incautious actions shows how he has evolved from a sweet and caring chemistry teacher to a man who is driven by his pride, ego, and dominance to rule the world. 

 

Assertion of Identity

There are many scenes throughout the show where Walter constantly asserts his position and his identity as the notorious Heisenberg. One iconic scene that showcases this characteristic of Walter is when he is arguing with his wife Skyler, as he suddenly tells her “I am not in danger Skyler, I am the danger. A guy opens his door, gets shot and you think that of me? No. I am the one who knocks!” This infamous dialogue displays just how assertive and dominant Walter is. He has a desperate need to be feared and respected, thus depicting how deviated he is from the man he originally was. 

 

Conclusively, all these points unravel the psychosis of Walter White and his psychotic persona. His cold manipulative tactics, his calculative mindset and his desperate hunger for power showcases just how even the most simplest of men can become the most heartless villains ever. What started as a means to provide for his family slowly turned into a reluctant pursuit for power, leading to the destruction of his own world. Was it all worth it? For Walter, the answer was pretty obvious - he became the man he had once feared.