“Breaking Bad” follows the life of Walter White (Bryan Cranston), who is toiling through life as a chemistry teacher. After being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, he becomes saddled with a mountain of medical bills. So, to give his family financial stability, White enters the methamphetamine drug trade. Audiences are taken on a journey where White starts as a chemistry teacher with some morals, then becomes a relentless and lethal kingpin. While the character’s journey is uncomfortable to watch at times, it has a way of pulling the audience in and wanting to root for him.
“Breaking Bad” is a great show for many reasons, some of which are the character storylines. For a show to keep audiences coming back for more, it has to provide compelling and complex plots, which is what the writers do with White. However, it’s not just White that leaves fans wanting more. You have Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), Hank Schrader (Dean Norris), Todd Alquist (Jesse Plemons), and plenty more supporting characters that make up an exhilarating show.
Not only does “Breaking Bad” give fans intense depth, but it also offers comedic relief and explosive plot points that come out of nowhere. The show’s writers were able to give incredible writing, handle tonal shifts, and deliver the perfect pacing. This ability allowed the audiences to see characters go on incredible and tumultuous journeys while exploring the concept that actions have consequences.
“Breaking Bad” had a tremendous cultural impact. The show was nominated for over 200 awards and won close to 100. Even those who have never seen the show have heard the name or, at the very least, seen a funny meme in its honor. While there are many great episodes from “Breaking Bad,” the ones on this list are the top-rated ones. (For another long-running popular series, read about the best episodes of “Lost.”)
To determine the best episodes of Breaking Bad, 24/7 Tempo reviewed data on audience reception from IMDb. Episodes were ranked based on average IMDb user rating as of March 2024. In the case of a tie, the episode with the greater number of audience ratings was ranked higher.
25. Box Cutter (Season 4, Episode 1)
- IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 28,589
24. Better Call Saul (Season 2, Episode 8)
- IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 29,822
23. Buried (Season 5, Episode 10)
- IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 30,303
22. Live Free or Die (Season 5, Episode 1)
- IMDb user rating: 9.2/10
- IMDb user reviews: 31,941
21. Sunset (Season 3, Episode 6)
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb user reviews: 26,774
20. Hermanos (Season 4, Episode 8)
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb user reviews: 26,995
19. Phoenix (Season 2, Episode 12)
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb user reviews: 28,278
18. Grilled (Season 2, Episode 2)
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb user reviews: 30,281
17. Crazy Handful of Nothin’ (Season 1, Episode 6)
- IMDb user rating: 9.3/10
- IMDb user reviews: 33,579
16. Blood Money (Season 5, Episode 9)
- IMDb user rating: 9.4/10
- IMDb user reviews: 33,992
15. End Times (Season 4, Episode 12)
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 30,634
14. Half Measures (Season 3, Episode 12)
- IMDb user rating: 9.5/10
- IMDb user reviews: 31,976
13. One Minute (Season 3, Episode 7)
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 32,843
12. Salud (Season 4, Episode 10)
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 34,115
11. Gliding Over All (Season 5, Episode 8)
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 35,562
10. Say My Name (Season 5, Episode 7)
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 36,509
9. Confessions (Season 5, Episode 11)
- IMDb user rating: 9.6/10
- IMDb user reviews: 36,543
8. Full Measure (Season 3, Episode 13)
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 36,113
7. Dead Freight (Season 5, Episode 5)
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 39,857
6. Crawl Space (Season 4, Episode 11)
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 40,049
5. Granite State (Season 5, Episode 15)
- IMDb user rating: 9.7/10
- IMDb user reviews: 52,685
4. To’hajiilee (Season 5, Episode 13)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 9.8/10
- IMDb user reviews: 53,945
3. Face Off (Season 4, Episode 13)
- IMDb user rating: 9.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 73,501
2. Felina (Season 5, Episode 16)
- IMDb user rating: 9.9/10
- IMDb user reviews: 137,621
1. Ozymandias (Season 5, Episode 14)
- IMDb user rating: 10.0/10
- IMDb user reviews: 212,325