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Villain Overview

The lesson is: if you're gonna be a criminal, do your homework.
~ Mike Ehrmantraut cautioning Daniel Wormald.
Moral of the story is, I chose a half measure when I should have gone all the way. I’ll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, Walter.
~ Mike warning Walter White and encouraging him to take action against Jesse Pinkman.
I have people. I have people waiting for me. They don't know what I do, they never will. They're protected, but I do what I do so they can have a better life and if I live or if I die it really doesn't make a difference to me as long as they have what they need. So when it's my time to go, I will go knowing I did everything I could for them. Now, you ask me how I keep going? That's how.
~ Mike to Saul Goodman.

Michael "Mike" Ehrmantraut is a major character in the crime drama series Breaking Bad, the deuteragonist of its prequel series Better Call Saul and a minor character in its 2019 sequel film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

A former corrupt police officer from Philadelphia, Mike moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico after avenging the death of his son to support his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, eventually deciding to financially provide for his family by becoming a mob enforcer-for-hire.

Eventually, using his newfound connections to the criminal underworld, Mike would go on to meet Gus Fring and rise the ranks within his drug empire, becoming his right-hand man, as well as taking the role as the head of Los Pollos Hermanos' corporate security as a front for his activities. He also works as a private investigator, cleaner and fixer for Saul Goodman, his lawyer and long-time associate.

He was portrayed by Jonathan Banks, who also portrayed Zack in Beverly Hills Cop, Dirk Moran in Flipper, Mark Michelette in Freejack, Pappy McAllan in Mudbound, and Black Mask in Catwoman: Hunted. In Metastasis, he was portrayed by Edgardo Román.

Personality[]

As a former beat cop, Mike maintained an extensive, up-to-date knowledge of forensic evidence, surveillance equipment, and police procedure. He was also well trained in all types of combat situations, once using science and long strategy to take down a large number of hostiles sans fuss. He was also shown to act like a family man, so he could anticipate how Walter might act when confronted or emotional.

For the majority of both shows, Mike carries himself as someone who's aloof, somewhat quiet, intimidating, dry-witted, professional, tactical and always one step ahead. Although rarely showing emotions, Mike is not completely emotionless, which is easily seen when interacting with his granddaughter Kaylee or her daughter-in-law Stacey. It's also been shown that the sole topic of his son's death is enough to push Mike over the edge, even to Kaylee and Stacey.

Mike has often helped Saul, but his true loyalty is to Gus. Although Mike doesn't seem to feel any conflict related to the crimes he commits, he's also not interested in gratuitous cruelty or shooting everyone up to climb the drug-dealing hierarchy - he's just doing what it takes to support himself and his family. safe boss. Also, he adores and cares a lot about his granddaughter.

Being someone very intelligent, he is closer to Gus than any other criminal associate. Gus has total trust in Mike, to the point of letting him be in his Los Pollos office alone and with his computer. Gus develops his plans and strategies often following Mike's advice.

On one occasion, Gus asks Mike to look into his own story, if possible, to make sure the DEA wouldn't be able to find anything either. Unable to find a single detail of Gus's life in Chile, Mike assures him that no one will find out. Mike seems to be familiar with the cartel as he is able to identify Joaquin Salamanca at a glance. In addition, he has connections to various gun shops in the area.

Victims[]

Better Call Saul[]

  • Troy Hoffman - Shot in the neck and twice in the chest by Mike Ehrmantraut, avenging his son.
  • Jack Fensky - Shot to death by Mike Ehrmantraut, avenging his son.
  • Werner Ziegler - Shot in the back of the head by Mike Ehrmantraut under orders from Gus Fring.
  • Matador - Shot in the neck.
  • Jefe - Shot in the chest.
  • Three unnamed mercenaries - Shot with a sniper rifle to rescue Saul Goodman and Lalo Salamanca's bail money.
  • Tiburón - Shot to death after being lured into an ambush by Jimmy.

Breaking Bad[]

  • Leonel Salamanca - Poisoned with an unknown substance on Gus Fring's orders.
  • Four cartel assassins - Shot repeatedly to save Duane Chow.
  • Two cartel assassins - Shot to death in a truck ambush.
  • Gaff - Garroted by Mike Ehrmantraut.
  • Chris Mara - Shot repeatedly by Mike Ehrmantraut.

Overall[]

  • Total - 18

Relationships[]

Family[]

  • Unnamed parents
  • Unnamed wife
  • Matt Ehrmantraut (son)
  • Stacey Ehrmantraut (daughter-in-law)
  • Kaylee Ehrmantraut (granddaughter)

Allies[]

Enemies[]

Quotes[]

You have a gun to his father's head. That doesn’t sit with me. You wanna keep Varga for the long run, I don't think fear is a great motivator.
~ Mike talking to Gus about his treatment of Nacho Varga and the usage of threats.
Look. We all make our choices. And those choices, they put us on a road. Sometimes those choices seem small, but they put you on the road. You think about getting off... but eventually, you're back on it. And the road we're on led us out to the desert, everything that happened there and straight back to where we are right now. And nothing–nothing–can be done about that. Do you understand that?
~ Mike to Saul.
Saul Goodman sent me.
~ Mike's first words in Breaking Bad.
Um... I used to be a beat cop a long time ago. I’d get called on domestic disputes all the time. Hundreds, probably, over the years. But there was this one guy, this one piece of s-it that I will never forget. Gordie. He looked like Bo Svenson. You remember him? Walking Tall? You don’t remember? … Anyway, big boy, 270, 280, but his wife–or whatever she was–his lady–was real small. Like a bird. Wrists like little branches. Anyway, my partner and I’d get called out there every weekend, and one of us would pull her aside and we’d say: "Come on, tonight’s the night we press charges." And this wasn’t one of those deep down, he loves me setups. We got a lot of those, but not this. This girl was scared. She wasn’t going to cross him. No way, no how. Nothing we could do but pass her off to the EMT’s, put him in a car, drive him downtown, throw him in a drunk tank, he sleeps it off, next morning, out he goes. Back home. But one night, my partner’s out sick, and it’s just me. And the call comes in and it’s the usual crap. Broke her nose in the shower kind of thing. So I cuff him, put him in the car and away we go. Only that night we’re driving into town and this sideways asshole is in my back seat humming "Danny Boy." And it just rubbed me wrong. So instead of left, I go right, out into nowhere. And I kneel him down and I put my revolver in his mouth and I told him, "This is it. This is how it ends." And he’s crying, going to the bathroom all over himself. Swearing to God he’s going to leave her alone. Screaming–much as you can with a gun in your mouth. And I told him to be quiet, that I needed to think about what I was going to do here. And of course, he got quiet. Goes still and real quiet. Like a dog waiting for dinner scraps. And we just stood there for a while. Me acting like I’m thinking things over and Prince Charming kneeling in the dirt with s-it in his pants. And after a few minutes, I took the gun out of his mouth and I say, "So help me, if you ever touch her again, I will" such and such and such and such, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
~ Mike to Walter White.
Uh huh. Of course. Just trying to do the right thing. But two weeks later, he killed her. Of course. Caved her head in with the base of a Waring blender. We got there, there was so much blood, you could taste the metal. Moral of the story is–I chose a half measure when I should have gone all the way. I'll never make that mistake again. No more half measures, Walter.
~ Mike to Walter White.
You... are trouble. I'm sorry the kid doesn't see it, but I sure as hell do. You are a time bomb, tick-tick-ticking. And I have no intention of being around for the boom.
~ Mike to Walter on not becoming his business partner.
Just because you shot Jesse James... don't make you Jesse James.
~ Mike to Walter.
All of this, falling apart like this, is on you.
~ Mike to Walter.
We had a good thing, you stupid son of a bitch! We had Fring, we had a lab, we had everything we needed, and it all ran like clockwork! You could have shut your mouth, cooked, and made as much money as you ever needed! It was perfect! But no! You just had to blow it up! You! And your pride, and your ego! You just had to be the man. If you’d done your job, known your place, we’d all be fine right now!
~ Mike explaining to Walt how he's responsible for their current situation.
Shut the f-ck up... and let me die in peace.
~ Mike's last words before he dies of his injuries after being fatally shot by Walt.

Trivia[]

  • He is one of the only five characters to appear in both television series and the Netflix film El Camino, the others being Ed Galbraith, Walter White, Jesse Pinkman, and Austin Ramey.
  • In the Better Call Saul episode "Talk", the episode begins with a flashback set in the 70s focused on a young Mike Ehrmantraut with his son, Matt, as a child. However, Mike's face is obscured during the flashback, and it is unknown who the portraying actor was.

External Links[]

Navigation[]

            BreakingBadLogo / Better Call Saul logo Villains

Heisenberg's Empire
Walter White | Jesse Pinkman | Skyler White | Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman | Mike Ehrmantraut | Todd Alquist | Lydia Rodarte-Quayle | Badger | Skinny Pete | Combo | Huell Babineaux | Patrick Kuby | Declan | Vamonos Pest

The Cartel
Dons/Leadership
Don Eladio | Hector Salamanca | Juan Bolsa | Lalo Salamanca
Salamanca Family
Hector Salamanca | Tuco Salamanca | The Cousins | Lalo Salamanca | Joaquin Salamanca | Gonzo
Others
Nacho Varga | Krazy-8 | Emilio Koyama | No-Doze | Tortuga | Gaff | Arturo Colon | Ximenez Lecerda | Carlos | Blingy | Benicio Fuentes | Miguel | Mouse | Sticky | Arlo | Ron

Los Pollos Hermanos
Leadership
Gus Fring | Mike Ehrmantraut | Peter Schuler | Max Arciniega
Others
Walter White | Jesse Pinkman | Lydia Rodarte-Quayle | Nacho Varga | Victor | Tyrus Kitt | Rival Dealers | Tomás Cantillo | Gale Boetticher | Chris Mara | Duane Chow | Nick | Dennis Markowski | Dan Wachsberger | Ron Forenall | Harris Boivin | Raymond Martinez

Neo-Nazis/Jack Welker's Gang
Jack Welker | Todd Alquist | Kenny | Matt | Frankie | Lester | Neil Kandy | Casey

Jimmy McGill's Contacts
Chuck McGill | Kim Wexler | Francesca Liddy | Saul Goodman Productions | Ed Galbraith | Ira | Betsy and Craig Kettleman | Cal and Lars Lindholm | Marco Pasternak | Jeff | Buddy

Other
Spooge | Spooge's Lady | James Kilkelly/Jimmy In-'N-Out | Old Joe | Gordie | Lawson | Scary Skell | Tucker | Caldera | Hoffman & Fensky | Daniel Wormald | Clarence | Sobchak | The Con Man | Espinosa Gang | Rocco, Zane and Jed | Gangbangers | Mrs. Wexler | Colombian Gang

See Also
Metástasis Villains

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