|
"Mature Content Warning!"
The article Jesse Pinkman contains some content involving a mature subject or situation and may not be suitable for younger viewers. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. |
| “ | Jesse: Say the words! Say YOU want this! Nothing happens until I hear you say it! Walter: I want this. |
„ |
| ~ Jesse's final words to Walt, refusing to kill him. |
Jesse Bruce Pinkman is the deuteragonist of the crime drama series Breaking Bad, the main protagonist of its 2019 sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and a minor character in its prequel/sequel series Better Call Saul.
He was a small-time meth dealer in Albuquerque when his former chemistry teacher, Walter White, forced him to become his partner in manufacturing high-quality meth. Their partnership evolved into a student/mentor or son/father dynamic, yet they remained frequently at odds. Their operation, though profitable, led Jesse down an increasingly dark path where he witnessed and experienced significant trauma, including losing his girlfriend Jane to an overdose, being forced to kill fellow chemist Gale Boetticher, and enduring captivity by a gang of neo-Nazis. Over the course of his journey, Jesse began to display more conscience, remorse, and humanity than his mentor, Walter White.
Jesse and Walt worked as meth manufacturers for kingpin Gustavo Fring before his death, and later formed their own drug empire with the help of Fring's former enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut, the business front Vamanos Pest, and their corrupt lawyer Saul Goodman. However, after learning that Walt had poisoned a 6-year-old boy named Brock to manipulate Jesse into turning against Gus, Jesse teamed up with Walt's brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank Schrader, to take down Walt. This decision led to Jesse's enslavement by the neo-Nazi gang, to whom Walt had sold Jesse, expecting him to be tortured and executed.
After enduring brutal imprisonment and forced labor under Jack's gang, Jesse was ultimately freed during Walter White's final showdown with the neo-Nazi group. The two former associates parted ways on understanding terms, and Jesse escaped to Alaska to start a new life, finally breaking free from the cycle of violence and drug trafficking.
He was portrayed by Aaron Paul.
What Makes Him a Seinen Hero?[]
- Heroic/Anti-Heroic: His heroic actions include helping the "Peakaboo" child escape from neglectful, drug-addicted parents by anonymously alerting the police, trying to avenge the death of Tomas Cantillo, a young child murdered by two rival drug dealers, collaborating with Hank to reveal Walt's identity as Heisenberg, enduring six months of enslavement to protect Brock from Neo-Nazis, and strangling Todd Alquist to death to avenge Drew Sharp, Andrea and Sonia - accomplishing all this with far fewer resources than Walt.
- Cynical: His faith in Walt gradually diminishes as he witnesses Walt's moral decay throughout the series.
- Insightful: Through deep reflection on how the drug trade devastated his life and the lives of innocent people, he chooses to abandon dealing drugs and relocates to Alaska after securing sufficient funds. This decision enables his fresh start as Mr. Driscoli in El Camino. He showcases his insightfulness in various key moments, such as when he starts berating the idea of mere self-acceptance in his group therapy sessions, claiming that he deserves consequences, and telling Walt to his face that he is only concerned with himself when he advises Jesse to leave, seeing through his manipulative facadé.
- Sophisticated/Mature: Despite occasional immature moments, he generally maintains composure and demonstrates better emotional control than Walt, especially in El Camino.
- Pessimistic: He consistently expects negative outcomes in situations.
- Realistic: He voices to Walt that one must either confront or flee from their problems.
- Strong Sense of Willpower: His determination is evident when he endures six months of imprisonment and abuse from Jack and Todd, accepting this torment just to ensure Brock's safety from the Aryan Brotherhood. Despite everything he goes through, he ultimately escapes a hardened survivor.
- Pragmatic: His approach to killing demonstrates practicality - murdering Gale (done only to protect Walt) and killing Todd out of justified vengeance for his cruelty and numerous victims.
- Morally Ambiguous: Before his eventual redemption, Jesse is complicit in many serious crimes, such as drug trafficking and murder, though he retains many redeeming qualities and feels remorse for most of what he did.
- Has Anger Issues: He engages in physical confrontations with Walt and notably assaults Saul violently to extract a confession about Walt's poisoning of Brock.
- Lustful: He shows physical attraction through intimate relations with Jane prior to her death.
- Reckless: He makes many impulsive decisions that put himself at risk, such as trying to kill the rival dealers despite being outnumbered and trying to outmaneuver Gus and Walt.
- Tragic Past: His history is marked by deaths of loved ones due to drug trade involvement, severe physical trauma (particularly Hank's beating in Season 3), Walt's emotional manipulation, and six months of torture and abuse as a Neo-Nazi slave, resulting in PTSD.
- Has Trust Issues: Following his enslavement under Jack, he distrusts Neil, and progressively loses faith in Walt over the course of the series due to his toxic and manipulative behavior. This extends to Gus, whom he stops trusting despite their Mexican cartel operation with Mike.
- Hard-Boiled: He is treated like an emotional punching bad for most of the series until El Camino, where he eliminates Neil Kandy and Casey unfazed and with ease without falling for their tactics.
- Vengeful: His deep-seated hatred for Todd, stemming from Andrea and Drew Sharp's murders, culminates in Todd's brutal death in the finale where he chokes him to death and snaps his neck.
- Has an Outfit with Black/Red/Blue: He occasionally wears red clothing, and frequently wears black, especially all throughout El Camino and during his enslavement.
External Links[]
- Jesse Pinkman on the Heroes Wiki
- Jesse Pinkman on the Villains Wiki
- Jesse Pinkman on the Inconsistently Admirable Wiki
- Jesse Pinkman on the Villainous Benchmark Wiki
- Jesse Pinkman on the Breaking Bad Wiki
- Jesse Pinkman on Wikipedia