Unsurprisingly for a Breaking Bad spinoff, Better Call Saul featured several cameos and guest appearances by characters from its parent show. Following the pre-Breaking Bad lives of Saul Goodman a.k.a James McGill (Bob Odenkirk), Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), and Gustavo Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), the series regularly dropped in characters from the wider universe in small or substantial roles, building up to the fateful moment Walter White (Bryan Cranston) first walked into Saul Goodman’s office.
Some characters appeared in show-stopping cameos, while others popped up in more subtle ways. Kim and Jimmy’s Howard plan required the assistance of a very minor associate of Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), for example, while the final season’s flash-forwards featured far more prominent players in the Breaking Bad world. Aside from the obvious characters like Saul/Jimmy, Mike, and Gus, there were many enjoyable return appearances from Breaking Bad characters in Better Call Saul.
Tuco Salamanca
Better Call Saul didn’t waste time introducing characters from Breaking Bad, ending the pilot episode with Jimmy McGill being dragged into a house by the terrifying Tuco Salamanca (Raymond Cruz). Having taken two skateboarding con artist twins Cal and Lal under his wing, Jimmy crossed paths with Tuco when the brothers disrespected the drug kingpin’s grandmother. Jimmy negotiated with Tuco for the fate of the twins, talking the dealer down from death by torture to a broken leg. This was Jimmy’s first brush with the cartel, one which would begin his Saul Goodman transformation.
In Better Call Saul season 2, Tuco also played a part in Mike’s pre-Breaking Bad story. The former cop and future Breaking Bad fixer helped Ignacio Varga (Michael Mando) remove Tuco by goading him into a fight that landed him in prison. He remained in prison for the rest of Better Call Saul, being released at some point after the death of Lalo Salamanca, where he attempted to pick up the pieces of the family’s broken drug distribution network.
Gonzo & No-Doze
Tuco’s long-suffering lieutenants Gonzo (Jesus Payan) and No-Doze (Cesar Garcia) also appeared in Better Call Saul season 1, episode 2, “Mijo.” The fraught dynamic between the three was already present as Tuco, frustrated, told No-Doze to stop helping him with intimidating Cal and Lal. This foreshadowed the brutal beating of No-Doze and the accidental death of Gonzo in Breaking Bad seasons 1 and 2.
The Nurse
When Walt poisoned Brock in Breaking Bad season 4, he was rushed to Albuquerque’s Lovelace Medical Center, where a pediatric nurse (T.C. Victoria Warner) barred Jesse from joining Brock’s bedside. Years earlier, she had also remonstrated with Jimmy McGill when he stormed into his brother Chuck’s hospital ward to turn off all the electrical devices. This was one of many subtle, deep-cut appearances by minor Breaking Bad characters that were peppered across Better Call Saul, making its fictional world much richer.
Brenda
This is open to interpretation as Better Call Saul actor Sarah Minnich was credited as “Party Girl” in the credits to Breaking Bad season 4, episode 2, “Thirty-Eight Snub.” That said, given the aftermath of Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Jimmy’s plot against Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian) and the tragic fate of Better Call Saul‘s law firm HHM, it’s entirely possible that secretary Brenda lost her job. The despair at losing such a secure position at a prestigious law firm could have driven her to a wilder lifestyle, partying with Jesse Pinkman as he struggled to cope with his guilt over killing Gale Boetticher.
Kaylee Ehrmantraut
Mike’s granddaughter Kaylee was one of the few Breaking Bad characters to return to Better Call Saul played by a different actor. For obvious reasons, given the fact it was a Breaking Bad prequel, Kaylee was played by three different and younger actors throughout the Better Call Saul timeline. Kaija Roze Bales played Kaylee in Breaking Bad, and her younger self was played by Faith Healey, Abigail Zoe Lewis, and Juliet Donnenfeld in Better Call Saul seasons 1, seasons 2 to 4, and seasons 5 and 6 respectively.
Stacey Ehrmantraut
The widow of Mike’s son Matty only had a very brief scene in Breaking Bad, waving at Mike when he dropped Kaylee home in Breaking Bad season 3, episode 13, “Full Measure.” The character enjoyed a far more substantial role in Better Call Saul as the relationship between Mike and Stacey was explored in more depth, allowing viewers a greater insight into what motivated Mike in Breaking Bad. Played by Kerry Condon, most recently seen in The Banshees of Inisherin, Stacey was still grieving and fearful for the lives of herself and Kaylee in the wake of Matty’s murder, but also acted as emotional counsel and support for Mike throughout Better Call Saul.
Ken
Obnoxious stockbroker Ken (Kyle Bornheimer) clearly wasn’t humbled after being scammed by Kim and Jimmy in Better Call Saul season 2, episode 1, “Switch.” He later became an early victim of Walter White after cutting Walter up at the parking lot of his bank. Later in Breaking Bad season 1, episode 4, “Cancer Man,” Walter sabotaged Ken’s BMW by putting a damp squeegee between the conductors of the car battery. When Ken returned to his car, it burst into flames, complete with the obnoxious vanity plate “KEN WINS.” Maybe that was finally enough to convince Ken to change his ways.
Officer Saxton
When Walter White refused to be kicked out of the family home in Breaking Bad season 3, episode 3, “I.F.T,” Officer Saxton (Stoney Westmoreland) was incredibly unhelpful but did unwittingly give Skyler (Anna Gunn) the opportunity to reveal Walter’s criminal enterprise. She didn’t take Saxton’s offer, which shouldn’t have surprised the officer. He previously responded to a similarly suspicious call from Daniel Wormald (Mark Proksch), a proto-Walter White character whose baseball cards and pill stash was stolen by Nacho in Better Call Saul season 2, episode 1, “Switch.”
Krazy-8
Krazy-8 (Maximino Arciniega) was Jesse Pinkman’s original business partner before Walter White made the fateful decision to join the meth business. In Better Call Saul, it was revealed that prior to breaking out on his own with Jesse, Krazy-8 was a close friend of Nacho Varga and one of the dealers in the Salamanca drug empire. After the beating doled out to him by Nacho on the orders of Hector Salamanca, it was hardly surprising that he decided to go independent.
Hector Salamanca
As Better Call Saul prepared to introduce Gustavo Fring in season 3, Hector Salamanca (Mark Margolis) was an integral part of the build-up. Going into Better Call Saul, viewers may have assumed it would be revealed that Gus was responsible for Hector’s condition. However, the tensions between the Vargas and the Salamancas led to Nacho putting Hector in a wheelchair, while Gus saved his life, still holding out hope that one day he’d have vengeance for the death of his partner Max.
The Salamanca Cousins
Breaking Bad‘s terrifying mute enforcers the Salamanca cousins (Daniel and Luis Moncada) were also an inevitable addition to Better Call Saul, first appearing in season 2, episode 6, “Bali Ha’i” when they attempted to intimidate Mike Ehrmantraut by threatening Kaylee and Stacey. The twins appeared regularly throughout Better Call Saul, flanking the ailing Hector and delivering the cash Jimmy needed to guarantee Lalo’s bail.
Lawson
Lawson (Jim Beaver), who sold Walter White the M-60 needed to construct his remote-controlled machine gun in the Breaking Bad finale, popped up to assist Mike in Better Call Saul season 2. During Mike’s conflict with the Salamancas, he went to see Lawson to buy a sniper rifle to kill Hector. It’s presumably Lawson’s inclusion in the black book owned by Better Call Saul‘s vet that resulted in his contact details ending up in the hands of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad season 3.
Stephanie Doswell
Stephanie was another great example of the rich world created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. In Better Call Saul season 2, episode 7, “Inflatable,” a familiar realtor sold Mike’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter their idyllic new family home. Rather than cast another actor as a different realtor, they brought Jennifer Hasty back to play the realtor Stephanie Doswell, who had discovered Marie’s kleptomania during an open house in Breaking Bad.
Fran
Fran (Debriana Mancini) had only one appearance in Breaking Bad, in season 5, episode 2, “Madrigal,” in which she served Mike and Lydia. She had a rapport with Mike, and it was revealed in Better Call Saul that Loyola’s Family Restaurant was a regular haunt of Mike’s. At Loyola’s Mike regularly chatted with Fran and met the likes of Hector Salamanca, Jimmy McGill, and Mike’s potential love interest, Anita.
Huell Babineaux
Better Call Saul revealed how Saul Goodman’s Huell (Lavell Crawford) first came into Jimmy McGill’s orbit. In Better Call Saul season 3, episode 5, “Chicanery,” Huell was hired to plant a cell phone on Chuck McGill (Michael McKean) before his bar hearing to cast doubts on the mental health of Jimmy’s brother. From there, Huell was a witness at Kim and Jimmy’s wedding, and assisted them with their scheme against Howard Hamlin, earning his place on Saul Goodman’s “A-Team.”
Victor and Tyrus
In contrast to Huell, Better Call Saul didn’t reveal how Gus Fring’s loyal Breaking Bad henchmen Victor (Jeremiah Bitsui) and Tyrus (Ray Campbell) came to work for the meth kingpin. They may have come into contact with Better Call Saul‘s Gus Fring when he was in Santiago, but it’s unclear exactly how the three men met. They were already in the employ of Los Pollos Hermanos in Better Call Saul season 3, leaving Mike the note that warned him against assassinating Hector Salamanca. Later, Mike followed Victor, only to be outsmarted by Fring’s enforcer, leading to the fateful meeting between Mike and Gus that set up their Breaking Bad relationship.
Juan Bolsa and Don Eladio
As Better Call Saul explored the cartel with the reintroduction of Gus Fring, it also reintroduced the figures of Juan Bolsa (Javier Grajeda) and Don Eladio (Steven Bauer). Gus’ barely concealed hatred of the two men lent their scenes a fascinating dynamic, as viewers knew that he would have his revenge on the cartel in Breaking Bad. In Better Call Saul, they manipulated Hector and Gus for their own financial gain. This self-interest meant that it wasn’t hard to see why Mike wanted Nacho to kill Juan Bolsa in Better Call Saul season 6.
Lydia Rodarte-Quayle
Lydia’s (Laura Fraser) role in the creation of Gus Fring’s superlab was revealed in Better Call Saul season 3, episode 6, “Off Brand,” when she introduced Gus to the laundry complex. Lydia’s role with Madrigal Electromotive was explained further in Better Call Saul, as she put Mike on the books for the company as a security consultant to launder money. Lydia later suggested assassinating Lalo Salamanca in prison, foreshadowing what would later happen to Gus’ former employees in Breaking Bad season 5.
Francesca
Saul Goodman’s no-nonsense secretary Francesca Liddy (Tina Parker) was one of the few people to properly stand up to Walter White in full Heisenberg mode, extorting him for money to fix the door in her office. Better Call Saul revealed how Francesca was initially hired for the fledgling firm of Wexler McGill before Jimmy’s suspension and Kim’s car crash forced the firm to close. Francesca returned in season 6, later informing Jimmy, then going by the alter-ego Gene Takavic, about the status of events back in Albuquerque post-Heisenberg.
Barry Goodman
Gus Fring’s mysterious doctor Barry Goodman (JB Blanc) was first introduced in Breaking Bad after Gus poisoned himself as part of his revenge plot against Juan Bolsa and Don Eladio. Better Call Saul shed more light on the character, but also offered up more questions. He was hired by Gus for a second opinion on Hector’s condition after Nacho’s attempt on his life. Barry also looked after Mike when he was sent to the quiet Mexican village in which there was a memorial to Gus’ lover Max. It was still unclear quite how Gus managed to assemble such a crack emergency medical team, but it was another hint at just how far Fring’s influence reached in the Breaking Bad universe.
Gale Boetticher
Gale Boetticher (David Costabile), Gus’s preferred replacement for Breaking Bad‘s Jesse Pinkman, was introduced in Better Call Saul season 4, episode 3, “Something Beautiful.” Like Walter White, Gale was teaching chemistry but at a university rather than an elementary school. Gus was initially reluctant to hire Gale to run the superlab but ultimately did so to be the superlab’s sole meth cook, sealing his tragic Breaking Bad fate.
Ira
Ira (Franc Ross) was the pest controller who provided Walt and Jesse with a front to continue their meth business in Breaking Bad season 5 after the superlab was discovered. He was also a career burglar who helped Jimmy McGill to steal a rare Hummel figurine, first introduced in Better Call Saul season 1, episode 5, “Alpine Shepherd Boy.” It turned out to be a lucrative job for both Ira and Jimmy, and Ira inadvertently gave Jimmy the idea to sell burner phones after telling him he had a different cell phone for each job.
Nick
Nick (Eric Steinig) was a member of Gus’ security team, and was shot dead by Don Eladio’s sniper Gaff (Maurice Compte) in Breaking Bad season 4, episode 9, “Bug.” He had a more substantial role in Better Call Saul, working as part of the security detail assigned to the construction of Gus’ meth superlab. Nick also helped dispose of Howard Hamlin’s body in Better Call Saul season 6, episode 8, “Point and Shoot.”
Ed Galbraith
Better Call Saul fans appeared to be convinced that Ed Galbraith, the man who disappeared Saul Goodman, Walter White, and Jesse Pinkman, would do the same for Kim Wexler. However, the death of actor Robert Forster made that less likely. The character did appear in Better Call Saul season 4 when he received a call from Jimmy McGill requiring a new identity after he’d been compromised. Ultimately, Jimmy decided to face the problem head-on, something that led to his arrest and imprisonment in the Better Call Saul finale.
Jodi Nichols
As with Mike’s granddaughter, Sunshine Realty’s Jodi Nichols was played by two different actors in Breaking Bad (Beth Bailey) and Better Call Saul (Audrey Walters). However, the implication was that the Jodi Nichols, who attempted to sell Jesse’s aunt’s house while Krazy-8 was imprisoned in the cellar, was the same Jodi Nichols who tried and failed to sell a palatial home to Kim and Jimmy in Better Call Saul season 5, episode 2, “50% Off.”
Tim Roberts
Albuquerque police department’s homicide detective Tim Roberts (Nigel Gibbs) had been investigating cartel activities for years before approaching Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) for help with Gale Boetticher’s murder in Breaking Bad season 4, episode 5, “Shotgun.” In Better Call Saul, Roberts was investigating the murder of Fred Whalen by Lalo Salamanca. This was a murder that Lalo got away with, thanks to the creative efforts of Jimmy McGill.
Hank Schrader and Steve Gomez
In Better Call Saul season 5, episode 3, “The Guy for This,” DEA agents Hank Schrader (Dean Norris) and Steve Gomez (Steven Michael Quezada) interrogated Krazy-8, whose arrest was designed by Lalo Salamanca to disrupt Gus’ drug operation. Although they seized a considerable amount of drugs thanks to Krazy-8’s information, Hank was disappointed not to have caught out Gus’ henchman, Diego. Hank and Steve eventually unmasked Gus Fring’s drug network in Breaking Bad. Hank and Steve’s DEA colleague Harry Lipenstein (Robert Sanchez), who played a small recurring role in Breaking Bad, also appeared alongside them in Better Call Saul season 5, episode 4, “Namaste.”
Peter Schuler
As head of Madrigal’s fast food division, Peter Schuler (Norbert Weisser) was heavily involved with Gus Fring’s Los Pollos Hermanos and the meth empire it was a front for. In Breaking Bad season 5, episode 2, “Madrigal,” Schuler took his own life rather than be questioned by the authorities about his connection to Gus Fring. In Better Call Saul season 5, episode 7, “JMM,” Gus and Peter met to discuss the delays to the superlab. Understandably nervous about being caught, Peter was asked if he remembered Santiago, which implied that the two men had faced dangerous situations together in their past.
Spooge
After he got Lalo Salamanca off the murder charge, Jimmy McGill established his reputation as criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, attracting a wide array of questionable characters through his doors. One of these was Spooge (David Ury), “just Spooge,” who would later hold up Skinny Pete in Breaking Bad series 2, episode 5, “Breakage.” When Jesse attempted to get the drugs back, he witnessed Spooge’s brutal Breaking Bad death when his head was crushed by an ATM he was attempting to break open.
Teacher
When Kim broke down on the bus back to the airport toward the end of Better Call Saul season 6, episode 12, “Waterworks,” she was offered comfort by a fellow passenger. The bus passenger was played by Holly Rice, who also played one of Walter White’s colleagues at J.P. Wynne High School. She was seen briefly in Breaking Bad season 3, episode 1, “No Más,” at a special school assembly to mark the Wayfarer 515 disaster. She had the requisite experience in dealing with tragedies for comforting Kim about her guilt over Howard’s shocking death.
Wendy
In Breaking Bad, the meth addict and sex worker Wendy (Julia Minesci) was one of Jesse Pinkman’s frequent associates and provided him with an alibi when he and Walt were kidnapped by Tuco. Wendy returned to Better Call Saul to help Kim and Jimmy frame Howard Hamlin. Hiring Wendy and driving Howard’s car in full costume, Jimmy threw Wendy from the vehicle in front of Kim and Clifford Main (Ed Begley Jr.) to give the impression that Howard Hamlin was in the self-destructive throes of drug addiction.
Emilio Koyama
Emilio Koyama (John Koyama) held the distinction of being the first person to be killed by Walter White. A former school friend of Jesse Pinkman’s, he worked with Jesse cooking meth before their lab was raided by Hank and the DEA in Breaking Bad‘s pilot episode. In Better Call Saul, Kim bumped into Emilio as he entered the office of Saul Goodman & Associates, a callback to how Jesse was inspired to hire the lawyer after he twice successfully defended his old school friend. Intriguingly, the gap between Emilio’s first and last appearances also set a new Breaking Bad record.
Austin Ramey
Austin Ramey (Todd Terry) was one of Hank’s fellow DEA agents based in the El Paso office, and first appeared in Breaking Bad season 2, episode 3, “Bit by a Dead Bee,” in which he debriefed Hank on the shooting of Tuco Salamanca. Later, Austin was one of the agents who vowed to Marie that he would do everything to find the bodies of Hank and Steve. In the Better Call Saul finale, Ramey was present at Jimmy McGill’s trial, watching as justice was finally delivered for Hank and Steve.
Marie Schrader
Also present at the trial of Jimmy McGill was Marie Schrader (Betsy Brandt), Skyler White’s sister-in-law and Hank’s widow. She was the only member of the extended Walter White family to return to Better Call Saul in the post-Breaking Bad timeline. While it was known she took a deal, what happened to Skyler White after Breaking Bad was mostly unknown. It was unclear if Marie and her sister ever reconciled, but in watching Jimmy be sent down for his role in Walter White’s empire, she took some small comfort in justice being done.
Jesse Pinkman
Conceivably, Jesse Pinkman could have appeared in the post-Breaking Bad timeline of Better Call Saul‘s final episodes. However, a return to Albuquerque or a surprise appearance in Nebraska would have risked the freedom he found in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. So, instead, Aaron Paul’s cameos in Better Call Saul season 6 were in flashbacks. The first involved Jessie and Walter first kidnapping Saul Goodman, and the second was an earlier moment prior to Breaking Bad where he met Kim Wexler outside the office of Saul Goodman & Associates toward the end of Better Call Saul‘s penultimate episode, “Waterworks.”
Walter White
Walter White’s Better Call Saul cameos were handled brilliantly and never felt like hollow fan service. In both the RV scene after kidnapping Saul and the scene in Ed Galbraith’s safe house, he was shown to be arrogant and condescending toward both Jesse and Jimmy. It was that arrogance and hubris that would ultimately lead to his demise. In reminding viewers of Walter’s crimes in Better Call Saul‘s final episodes, the stark black-and-white cinematography of the trial scenes hammered home just how evil Breaking Bad‘s protagonist truly was.
