Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.With Breaking Bad having concluded way back in 2013, and Better Call Saul ending in 2022, it's now possible to compare the two shows directly. It's important to note that both are great in their own ways (even if one somehow still doesn't have any Emmys), and are heavily linked, as Better Call Saul is set (mostly) before Breaking Bad, and features many returning characters from the original show.

Given Breaking Bad succeeds as a crime-thriller tragedy with a fast-paced plot, and Better Call Saul works as a slower-paced, character-focused drama (with some dark comedy), the following list doesn't aim to argue that one is better than the other. It's a matter of personal preference, but it's hard to deny that there are certain things Better Call Saul does better, but also some areas where it isn't quite as great as its parent show. To highlight the quality of both shows, here are five things it improves, and five ways it arguably lags behind.

Updated May 9, 2023, by Jeremy Urquhart:

Better Call Saul vs Breaking Bad is an inevitable conversation that many fans of the two shows are likely to have, now that both have concluded. Rather than answering a question as simple as "Is Better Call Saul better than Breaking Bad?", it's more worthwhile to highlight the unique strengths and shortcomings of both. Ultimately, most would agree that both shows are easily worth anyone's time, and that in the end, the whole Breaking Bad vs Better Call Saul debate might not be worth having, given it's likely a matter of personal taste, in the end.

Better Than 'Breaking Bad'

A Less Predictable Arc for the Main Character

While the prequel nature of the show restricts what some characters can do, Better Call Saul sidesteps this for its main character, Jimmy McGill. Right from the start, he's going by a name other than Saul Goodman, and the show hints at what the character does after the ending of Breaking Bad, too.

These flash-forwards - shot in black and white - were a great way of keeping viewers hooked. Viewers would have known Jimmy would become Saul before the series was over, but they didn't know how, and they certainly didn't know what would happen to him after Breaking Bad. It meant Jimmy/Saul's journey was always an interesting one, and made him a compelling protagonist for the show to center on.

The Relationship Between Jimmy and Kim

Breaking Bad had its fair share of strong relationships. The central one was perhaps Walt and Jesse, who went through a great deal together, and had a dynamic that became more strained as the show went on. Similarly, Walt and Skyler's pairing made for some of the show's best scenes, especially in the later seasons, even though Skyler was (unfairly) the subject of intense dislike by some of Breaking Bad's fans (she never did anything as criminal as Walt, for one thing).

Yet Better Call Saul's central pairing of Jimmy and Kim was one of the best in either show, and they're two characters who are universally praised. It helps that Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn are both great actors, and the journey their two characters take together is believable, sometimes heartwarming, and ultimately very bittersweet. They each work together to elevate the show considerably.

Varied and More Confident Visuals

Breaking Bad could be a great-looking show. It often had the feel of a Western, with generally excellent use of color, and got a ton of mileage out of contrasting sweeping wide shots with often uncomfortably in-your-face close-ups.

It had its own visual language, but certain choices may have pushed things a little too far (the infamous yellow filter used for scenes set in Mexico, for example, or the fact that many shots were distractingly handheld for little discernible reason). Better Call Saul's visual style was more subtle and confident, and was arguably the better-looking show as a result. The use of black and white for many of its acclaimed final episodes was a well-received artistic decision, too.

A Less Predictable Final Season

Breaking Bad was a show that was always going to end with at least some tragedy, and its final season was inevitably going to have Walter White emerge as a full-blown villain. It wasn't so much a show about what was going to happen or when, but how it was going to happen, and who was going to be hurt as a consequence of Walt's actions.

Better Call Saul, on the other hand, managed to build to a less predictable final season. There were some jarring deaths, shocking plot twists, and large time jumps on the show that all served to keep viewers on their toes, all making for a great final season in the process.

Deeper Character Development for Some 'Breaking Bad' Characters

Truth be told, some Breaking Bad characters didn't stick around as long as was ideal. It introduced and disposed of certain characters pretty quickly: both Mike and Gus, for example, each appear in less than half of the show's total episodes.

It's safe to say fans wanted to see more of the characters they liked, and thankfully, Better Call Saul provided them with more screen time. Mike in particular became a far deeper and more complex character thanks to Better Call Saul, as an excellent episode like season 1's "Five-O" demonstrates.

Helped Shake Up the Idea of Prequels by Including Post 'Breaking Bad' Material

The idea of an "interquel" is nothing new, and certainly isn't something that Better Call Saul invented. There are films within series that end up taking place between the start and end of a bigger story or pre-existing films, like the Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries, and films based on TV shows are sometimes set during the show's events, like The Cowboy Bebop Movie.

The way Better Call Saul emerges as something that's not entirely prequel - but not entirely sequel - by the end of the show's run is one of its best attributes, though. The fact it shows events that happen after Breaking Bad's finale and gives closure to certain characters (like Marie) arguably makes it an essential watch for all fans of that original show.

Gave Bob Odenkirk More to Do Beyond Comedic Relief

It's certainly the case that Breaking Bad surprised people by showing a different side of Bryan Cranston than many were used to. Prior to 2008, he was best known for starring in the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, and that certainly contrasted with his performance in the far darker (though sometimes comedic) Breaking Bad.

The range of Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul, on the other hand, is arguably even more surprising. He was known for being a comedian and featuring in various cult shows and movies before Breaking Bad, with his role on that show largely being one of comedic relief. He can be funny in Better Call Saul, sure, but it shows a more serious side to the character, and Bob Odenkirk's performance - and the various emotions he has to display - emerges as one of Better Call Saul's biggest strengths.

Not as good as 'Breaking Bad'

Less Compelling Antagonists

Breaking Bad, at the end of the day, had a better assortment of antagonists. Even minor Breaking Bad villains who were in less just a few episodes - like Tuco or the Salamanca twins - were very memorable, and Gus Fring's role as a villain for the middle third of the show gave it some of its best episodes.

Sure, the Neo-Nazis in season 5 might have been a step-down from Gus, but by the show's final season, Walter White had essentially taken on the role of the show's main antagonist; he was too far gone to be an anti-hero. Chuck McGill served as a villain for the first half of Better Call Saul, and was arguably just a little much, and too irritating and obnoxious to understand where he was coming from, or even "love to hate." The villain situation improved once he was gone, but the damage had already been done.

A Sometimes Very Slow Pace

Even those who prefer Better Call Saul to Breaking Bad would have to admit it's a slower-paced show. It's by design, and it's something that some people are going to appreciate more than others.

For some viewers, coming to Better Call Saul after the usually fast-paced and thrilling Breaking Bad may feel jarring. It's certainly a slow burn, with the vast majority of viewers feeling like the payoffs in the final couple of seasons make the slower earlier seasons worth sticking with. Still, it can be hard to see where it's going at a couple of points, especially in some of the more laid-back episodes found in seasons 2 and 3.

Lacked an Episode as Impactful as "Ozymandias"

For as devastating as Better Call Saul could get, though, it never quite equaled Breaking Bad's most devastating hour: the third last episode of its final season, "Ozymandias."

It's one of the heaviest, most intense, and best episodes in TV history, as it's the one that aims to shake viewers by showing things finally tumble down around Walt; the point in the show where nothing could ever be the same again. It'd be hard for any show to deliver a single episode like "Ozymandias," so the fact Better Call Saul never quite equaled it is ultimately understandable.

Less Tension Because of Its Prequel Nature

Better Call Saul may have kept the fate of its main character a mystery throughout its run, thanks to its flash-forwards, but not everyone fared so well. Many characters from Breaking Bad showed up in Better Call Saul, and often, we already knew how their stories ended (given how many people died in Breaking Bad).

This meant that the show lacked some suspense, compared to Breaking Bad. Sure, there were characters new to Better Call Saul whose fates weren't known, but you're never left wondering whether characters like Gus, Mike, or Hector are going to survive Better Call Saul, given we see them all die during Breaking Bad.

Occasional Over-Reliance on Fan Service

Returning characters could be something of a curse, as well as a blessing. Better Call Saul could sometimes stray a little too far into fan service, especially in its otherwise strong final season, when it seemed like the writers wanted to feature almost every character from Breaking Bad, usually as cameos.

It's a small nitpick, and there are likely numerous fans who loved every single cameo Better Call Saul threw their way. For others, however, some were better and more meaningful than others, and the less vital cameos could feel like they were just there to make fans happy, rather than being essential for the show's narrative.

It Doesn't Have the Same Level of Rewatchability

Because of the pacing found in Better Call Saul, the idea of rewatching it can be a daunting one. Knowing that it seriously picks up in later seasons could be enough to have one feel motivated to stick a rewatch out, but the pacing can be intentionally challenging, and that's then combined with the natural obstacle of all rewatches: you know where it's going to end up.

Breaking Bad's a rollercoaster ride the first time through, and then can benefit from being revisited and admiring how it puts all its pieces in place, setting up explosive consequence after explosive consequence. It's a little faster and more fun, and it has the natural advantage of being an older show, meaning it might well be a more desirable TV show to revisit for some fans (whereas Better Call Saul may need a few more years to marinate before a second watch).

It Took Longer to Get Really Good

Most will agree that Breaking Bad picked up in its second season, but that first season still had a ton to offer. It was darkly comedic, frequently intense, and had a pilot episode that perfectly set up the show's central premise. It got off to a reasonably quick start, and then from season 2 onwards, only kept accelerating.

With Better Call Saul, the audience was likely more trusting of the writers, feeling safe in the knowledge that they knew where they were going. As such, the writers didn't seem to mind taking their time. It ended up rewarding patient viewers for sure, with the show's best moments largely found in the last couple of seasons, but it could be a somewhat slow burn to get there at times.

NEXT: Spin-Off Series That Surprisingly Lasted Longer Than the Original