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When fans were introduced to Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad Season 2, Episode 8, 'Better Call Saul', they instantly fell in love with him. They wanted to know more about him, and the makers obliged. Two years after Breaking Bad ended, a spin-off called Better Call Saul premiered in 2015.
The show was a critical and commercial hit and was six seasons of thrill, drama, comedy, and heartbreaking tragedy. Better Call Saul was a show about people who are walking a thin line toward hell, with Saul Goodman's arc being the central storyline.
His transformation from Jimmy to Saul is both exciting and tragic, and it is portrayed as a modern Greek tragedy. Everyone on the show has deep flaws and pays gravely for them. They want to do the right thing, but their desperation doesn't make it easy for them. Hence, each character crashes slowly in a grand fashion.
Who had the saddest arc in Better Call Saul?
Many characters in the Breaking Bad universe as a terrible end, and this tradition was continued in Better Call Saul. The show had heartbreaking character arcs that left a lasting impact on the fans and made the series memorable.
But whose arc was the saddest? Who was exploited by the rigged system the most? And who lost his paradise because of some wrong decision he made? The answer is many, but let's focus on the top five today.
5) Howard Hamlin
Howard Hamlin was the coconut of Better Call Saul—polished and tough on the outside, but surprisingly kind and soft at his core. Too bad he 'opened up' too late in the show. In the beginning, Hamlin is introduced as a crafty corporate lawyer with a love for tan suits and an ego bigger than New York City. So, what's the tragedy? Besides his tan suits, the biggest tragedy in his life was getting caught in other people's crossfire.
He is portrayed as a perfect rival for Jimmy, but is soon revealed to be a decent guy. Although he loves to be smug and enjoys power, he also never fails to do the right thing. The reason for his downfall was that he trusted the system and got caught in a scheme created by Jimmy and Kim.
From making him think that he is being followed to getting him shot dead by a drug kingpin, his death was abrupt, shocking, and completely unnecessary. Another great legal talent was wasted.
4) Mike Ehrmantraut
Mike is one of the most heartwarming characters in Better Call Saul. He is the best friend everyone should have in their lives. He is trustworthy, calm, and the kind of person who will help you change your tire and hide a body in a single day. His backstory of being an ex-cop taking care of his daughter-in-law and granddaughter is sweet as well as emotional.
His motive was the same as Walt's at the beginning of the series; he wanted to provide for his family and keep them safe. But just like Walt, Mike also had unusual methods of doing that. His idea of providing for his family meant making a living through working for drug cartels and taking targets out with a sniper rifle.
He eventually dies while finishing a job for the cartel, but that's not the kicker. The sad part is that throughout his tenure as a hitman, he knows he is wrong, but due to his circumstances, he chooses to do so anyway. Mike's loyalty and professionalism toward his work were admirable, but his guilty conscious reminded him of what he had become.
3) Nacho Varga
Nacho Varga had the confidence to become something great, but life had other plans. He was intelligent, trustworthy, and had a part of his human side alive. He only wanted three things in life: to stay alive, to protect his dad, and to become a powerful villain, and he succeeded in achieving one of those targets. Take a wild guess which one was that.
He had the confidence but not a strategic mind to be a part of a drug cartel and was constantly one move away from being caught or killed. The poor guy was caught between the Salamancas and Gus Fring and became a casualty because he was the only one who played the game with integrity.
He didn't get to do things his way for most of Better Call Saul, especially during his time with the cartel, but his desperate need to get out of this life made him take a stand for himself. All he ever was in control of was his life, so as a defiant gesture towards the cartel, he put a gun to his head and ended his life, finally doing something on his terms.
2) Chuck McGill
Chuck McGill's tragedy is a classic case of sibling rivalry gone very wrong. In Better Call Saul, Chuck is a brilliant lawyer, but his resentment toward his younger brother Jimmy overpowers his intelligence. He could have become a big shot in the legal world, but his constant need to expose Jimmy and put him down hindered his chances of becoming one.
Chuck strongly believed that his younger brother was a con man (and he wasn't entirely wrong), but his hatred didn't come from justice; it came from insecurity. All he ever did was gaslight Jimmy and wreck his career, only to end his own life in the most brutal way in the end. He set his house on fire, with him inside.
His death is painful both literally and figuratively. It's painful to watch because it was a rare, avoidable death in Better Call Saul; he could have lived and even thrived if only he could stop himself from hating Jimmy. He couldn't stand Jimmy's success, and that killed him more than the fire.
1) Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill/Gene
The number one spot for the saddest arc on Better Call Saul goes to none other than the devil himself, Saul Goodman a.k.a Jimmy McGill a.k.a Gene. A remarkable legal mind in crisp suits and a Bluetooth device, Saul was an embodiment of immense talent with a tendency for self-sabotage.
His story starts as a scrappy, lovable hustler with a law degree and a heart to do the right thing. His intentions are always to do right by his clients, including Kim, but every time, fate has a different plan for him. Chuck's resentment, Howard's condescension, and the rigidity of the system forced Jimmy McGill to become Saul Goodman.
He was smart, creative, and empathic, and had the quality of beating the system from within, but being an associate of drug dealers and murderers turned him into a scared nobody stealing from departmental stores for survival. In the end, when he admits the truth and takes the fall for everything marks his powerful redemption, but at the cost of losing everything, including himself.
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A great spin-off to the legendary Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul is a story that needed to be told. A show full of moral dilemmas, the show gave fans memorable characters who died not because they were bad, but because they wanted to be human. Different reasons brought their downfalls, and the saddest part is that they all knew a way out but didn't take it.
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