Fans Still Love Jesse Pinkman on ‘Breaking Bad' Years Later

There's not a lot of morality in the world of Breaking Bad. Most of the characters in AMC's famous crime drama find new ways to plummet into an abyss with every successive episode. In a world where everyone was breaking bad, one man tried to break good.

Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) started out as Walter White's immature, drug-addicted sidekick. He did whatever Walter asked of him, hoping to not only gain a boatload of cash from Walt's meth venture but to find a father figure and a map for his life. Jesse always seemed to be looking in all the wrong places for answers, but it was his childlike sense of wonder and his heart of gold that made him stand out from the other rotten people in creator Vince Gilligan's world.

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Who can forget when Jesse went to pick up some cash from a drug deal, only to find the addicts' son lonely and looking for direction in the abandoned home. Jesse takes it upon himself to play with the child, look after him, and eventually get him help from the authorities after the child's parents die at the end of the episode. Jesse's empathy and ability to help others made him a rare exception in the world of murder and backstabbing that Breaking Bad was so known for.

As the series went on, Jesse and Walt seemed to be on polar-opposite paths of destruction. Walt kept digging himself deeper into the drug game, whereas Jesse tried to run away from his past. His choice to leave Walter's circle at the midpoint of season 5 is a catalyst for so much of the series's endgame.

As the years have passed and fans have had time to re-evaluate their feelings towards the show, Jesse has only grown in popularity. People can see him as a harrowing tale of what happens to good people who get themselves into terrible situations. Jesse followed the wrong person, and under proper guidance, he may have been saved. His story is one of extreme tragedy, and it sits with you for the rest of your life, no matter how many years have passed since Breaking Bad ended.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 13, 2026 at 5:33 PM.