Breaking Bad: Walter White’s 20 Most Memorable Quotes

Walter White from Breaking Bad was one of the most compelling protagonists on television, who viewers struggled with whether to root for or despise. His slow but scary descent from a timid high school chemistry teacher to a drug lord no one dare cross was riveting through every episode of the long-running AMC series. With Walter, it didn’t take more than a few words and a menacing look to have people, even the most hardened criminals, shaking in their boots. At first, it was his talent for making the purest blue meth that got the illegal drug trade interested in him. But he quickly flipped the script and his thirst for power took over.

He had pure intentions, but Walter’s sad past combined with his cancer diagnosis led him into territory he never would have ventured into. And, thankfully for viewers, his journey also led to some of the best dialogue ever on TV and some of the best Breaking Bad quotes.

Updated October 27, 2021 by Christine Persaud: Despite Breaking Bad having ended in 2013, fans still talk about the show to this day, solidifying its position as one of the best dramas ever to hit the small screen. Of course, the most compelling character on the show was Walter White, who also had plenty of notable quotes that are still referenced to this day. But there were also a few more subtle words he spoke that had far deeper meanings.

Updated on September 22, 2020, by Matthew Wilkinson: Walter White is an incredibly compelling character due in no small part to his dual personality. This leads to a real variety of quotes from him, with some being caring and sensitive, and others highlighting the crazier side of his personality when Heisenberg appears.

The show has only continued to grow in popularity with its legacy improving as time goes on, so we’ve revisited this article with a few more iconic lines from none other than “the one who knocks.”

20 Consequences 

“I told you Skyler, I warned you for a solid year: You cross me, and there will be consequences.” (Season 5, Episode 14 “Ozymandias”)

This is actually one time when Walter was looking out for someone else and not being entirely self-serving. While speaking to Skyler on the phone, knowing that authorities were listening in, he spoke these words to her.

The reason is that he wanted them to hear him speaking so angrily to her, as though she had no knowledge of what was going on and who he had become. Walt wanted to ensure that Skyler was painted only as a victim and never an accomplice. While he did a lot of bad things on the show, there are some valuable life lessons fans can learn from Walter White on Breaking Bad.

19 Run 

 “Run.” (Season 3, Episode 12 “Half Measures)

It was just one word but it was so powerful. After Walt took out two rival drug dealers and shoots one of them point blank, he looks to his partner Jesse and utters this word. He knows the level of danger has gotten too high, they are both out of their depth, and there’s real risk here.

It’s an act of selflessness that shows that, despite everything that has happened, Walt had some humanity left at that point. He cared about Jesse and wanted to make sure that the young man not only made it out safely but also didn’t have to deal with the most difficult parts of the job.

18 Winning

“I won.” (Season 5, Episode 14 “Ozymandias”)

Walt was sometimes a man of few words who could get his point across with a short statement and a menacing look. This is just what he did when he called Skyler on the phone to reassure her that the conflict, drama, and violence had come to an end because he won.

The line was a last act of a man desperate to finally feel a sense of power before he left the world. Walt felt so much of his life had been taken from him by his ex-girlfriend and partners so the joy on his face when he got to tell Skyler these words, even if it was more for himself than for her, truly personified how deeply Walt has fallen into his obsession.

17  There’s A Hell

“If you believe that there’s a Hell, we’re pretty much already going there.” (Season 5, Episode 7 “Say My Name”)

Walt had a way of manipulating Jesse and convincing him to stick around even when Jesse began to have reservations about what they were doing. One such time was when the pair witnessed cold-hearted Todd shoot an innocent boy on a bike simply because he came across them in the desert, which was Todd’s most iconic scene on Breaking Bad.

In order to keep Jesse on the hook, Walt reminded him that cooking meth was the only thing he has ever been good at his entire life and brought up the fact that they, themselves, had murdered a person or two. It was all Jesse needed to hear to once again bend to Walt’s demands.

16 Chemistry Is The Study Of Matter

“Well, technically chemistry is the study of matter. But I prefer to see it as the study of change.” (Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”)

This line, spoken early on in the series to Walt’s students while teaching a chemistry class, has more meaning than fans might have realized. Walter explains what chemistry is all about but, in a way, it also foreshadows his own personal transformation.

Using chemistry, Walt not only found himself changing his financial position and setting his family up to be taken care of after he was gone, he also saw it change his personality, confidence, and desire and obsession with power. There was a lot more brewing behind this comment than meets the eye.

15 I Am The One Who Knocks

“You clearly don’t know who you’re talking to, so let me clue you in. I am not in danger, Skyler. I am the danger. A guy opens his door and gets shot, and you think that of me? No! I am the one who knocks!” (Season 4, Episode 6 “Cornered”)

One of the most famous monologues of the series, and one of the most known Walter White quotes, it’s often quoted as simply “I am the one who knocks” or “I am the danger.”

This was the first time that Skyler truly got to see what her husband had become. And the terrified look on her face combined with the sheer evil in his villainous eyes said more than even the words could. Walt? Afraid? No, no, no, Skyler. It’s everyone else who should be afraid.

14 Climb Down

“Right now, what I need, is for you to climb down out of my ass. Can you do that? Will you do that for me honey? Will you please, just once, get off my ass? You know? I’d appreciate it. I really would.” (Season 1, Episode 2 “Cat’s in the Bag”)

Some of Walter White’s comments towards Skyler throughout the entire series really are truly memorable, especially when his facade slips. This one particularly showcases that his arrogance and audacity know no bounds — not even his wife of many years is spared. It’s one of the early Breaking Bad dialogues but foreshadows Walt’s descent to come.

13 Your Plans Are Not Plans

“Smoking marijuana, eating Cheetos, and masturbating do not constitute plans in my book.” (Season 2, Episode 9 “Four Days Out)

Talk about odd couples: Walter is an intelligent high school chemistry teacher and family man who probably never even got a parking ticket in his life, while Jesse is a drug dealing, drifting teenager with no life plans whatsoever. This line is probably as close to comedic as fans would get from Walter. And it’s one of many Breaking Bad conversations Walt had with Jesse trying to school him on the realities of life.

12 Eyebrows

“F*** you, and your eyebrows.” (Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”)

This is one of the most iconic moments from early on in Breaking Bad as Walter White makes his feelings about his boss at the carwash perfectly clear.

Walter is shown as a polite and calm individual up until this point, for the most part, so seeing him totally flip out is a hint at what’s to come, with the eyebrows comment certainly bringing on a lot of laughs.

11 Tread Lightly

“If you don’t know who I am, then maybe your best course would be to tread lightly.” (Season 5, Episode 9 “Blood Money”)

Walter, er, Heisenberg, isn’t one to be trifled with. And when someone – anyone – decides that they can mess with him, he makes sure they understand it won’t happen. The famous quote only took two words, but the delivery, and the stare that came with it, was enough to have anyone shaking in their boots. It’s one of the best Breaking Bad quotes that fans continue to repeat to this day.

10 Genetics

“Is this just a genetic thing with you? Is it congenital? Did your, did your mother drop you on your head when you were a baby?” (Season 2, Episode 9 “Four Days Out”)

Walter White and Jesse Pinkman had a very love/hate relationship throughout the series, and this quote sums that up nicely. He mocks Jesse’s intelligence a lot throughout the series, and this is a very harsh example of it. However, it does highlight exactly how Walt behaves, having totally lost his filter concerning what he will say to others.

9 Accepting Fear

“I have spent my whole life scared, frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen, 50 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. What I came to realize is that fear, that’s the worst of it. That’s the real enemy. So, get up, get out in the real world and you kick that bastard as hard you can right in the teeth.”  (Season 2, Episode 8 “Better Call Saul”)

In this deep monologue, Walter, speaking to his brother-in-law Hank, admits that being diagnosed with cancer has led him to forget all of his fears, and just live.

Live for the moment and do what needs to be done. Of course what he feels “has to be done” is a far cry from what his by-the-book cop bro-in-law feels. But that’s a whole other story.

8 Feeling Alive

“I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it. And, I was really…I was alive.” (Season 5, Episode 16 “Felina”)

Walter did start out with the purest of intentions, looking to leverage his science skills to make a few quick bucks he could leave for his wife and children once cancer took his life.

But in this scene, he finally admits to Skyler that once he started, and the business got going, he realized it was more for him. After years of seething about missing out on millions from his previous company, being backstabbed by his former girlfriend and business partner/friend, and loathing his job as a chemistry teacher, he finally felt like he meant something.

7 Building An Empire

“Jesse, you asked me if I was in the meth business, or the money business… Neither. I’m in the empire business.” (Season 5, Episode 6 “Buyout”)

We learn the root of Walter’s quest for power: back in his early days, he sold his stake in Gray Matter Technologies, a company for which he deserved half of the credit, for peanuts. His former partner Elliott Schwartz and the lab assistant, who Walter was dating at the time, got married and went on to make billions from the company.

It was a recipe for jealousy and the growth of a massive chip on Walt’s shoulder. Needless to say, Walter’s desire to earn money to take care of his family grew like a weed into a desire to prove something to himself – even if it was achieved by making ultra-pure blue meth that made him a legend in the drug trade.

6 We Tried To Poison You…

“We tried to poison you. We tried to poison you because you’re an insane, degenerate piece of filth, and you deserve to die.” (Season 2, Episode 2 “Grilled”)

Bravely spoken to the unstable Tuco once he discovered that Walter and Jesse tried to kill him, it’s important to note that this was in Walter’s early days as a drug cooker.

He was likely scared for his life as he uttered these words. But they gave Jesse just enough time to smack Tuco in the head with a rock so they could escape and eventually take over the enterprise.

5 Cruel Intentions

“I watched Jane die. I was there. And I watched her die. I watched her overdose and choke to death. I could have saved her. But I didn’t.” (Season 5, Episode 4 “Ozymandias”)

Viewers cringed when they watched Walter witnessing Jane choking on her own vomit from an overdose, one of the most heart wrenching major character deaths on Breaking Bad. He struggled with whether to help or not, but he opted not to, believing she was too much of a distraction for Jesse. When he finally told Jesse the truth, the tension was palpable.

4 One Step Forward

“It’s always been one step forward and two steps back” (Season 2, Episode 11 “Mandala”)

While Walt was trying to build his empire, he kept facing challenges at every turn. As he said in this quote, every time he felt like he had moved a step forward, something happened to take him two steps back. It took some time for Walt to find his footing, but as he continued to transform through the series, he was finally able to gain the power he so craved. And this often involved him finally flipping the script to put himself always ahead of rivals and what someone was plotting to do to take him down.

3 I Am Heisenberg

“Say my name.” (Season 5, Episode 7 “Say My Name”)

One of the most iconic lines from the series, Walter didn’t need monologues to get his point across. All it took were a few words and a menacing stare. And these words could put the fear into even the most hardened criminals. Walt becoming so amoral is one of the saddest things about Walter White on Breaking Bad. Nonetheless, he was Heisenberg, and didn’t want anyone to ever forget it.

2 Territory

“Stay out of my territory.” (Season 2, Episode 10 “Over”)

This is a simple sentence that Walter White delivers to a couple of low-profile drug dealers who are trying to buy the ingredients to cook their own meth. However, it is unbelievably impactful. It showcases the quick switch in personality as he initially starts out giving advice to the man on what to buy and where from. However, he then heads outside in full Heisenberg mode, delivers one powerful line, and walks away. It showcases the full turn beginning with his character and really displays how powerful he has become at that point.

1 Last Words

“My name is Walter Hartwell White. I live at 308 Negra Aroya Lane, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87104. To all law enforcement entities, this is not an admission of guilt. I am speaking to my family now. Skyler, you are the love of my life. I hope you know that. Walter Jr., you’re my big man. There are going to be some things that you’ll come to learn about me in the next few days. But just know that no matter how it may look, I only had you in my heart. Goodbye.” (Season 1, Episode 1 “Pilot”)

The last words cut like a knife. In a way, Walter is apologizing for hurting his family. But in another warped way, he isn’t admitting any wrongdoing. He’s simply saying that no matter what he did, he loved his family. Maybe so. But Walt got to a point of no return where the danger and thrill of it all took over him. It was just too difficult to resist. Ironically, just like a drug.

About The Author