Death was an expected consequence for many characters in the dangerous world “Breaking Bad” took place in. But “Better Call Saul,” the prequel to that dangerous world, has yet to reach those same dangerous stakes (at least not by the 2nd episode of the third season for the main characters).
But when things do start to get dangerous, will there be amongst the characters who do not appear in “Breaking Bad” some who die before Jimmy becomes Saul Goodman?
What follows is a ranking of the main characters of “Better Call Saul” who I think have the best chance of dying before the end of the series, including the odds for how likely they are to pass before the end of “Saul’s” run.
Obviously, these are completely subjective, so I would love to hear your own thoughts and percentages in the comments.
Also, there’s a lot of speculation regarding future events in this article. So if you don’t want speculative spoilers, stop reading now.
1. Nacho (80% chance he dies)
I’ve had Nacho at the top of my list since he first appeared in the 2nd episode of the first season. Three guys were there with Tuco as he prepared to execute the skater twins out in the desert: No Doze, Gonzo, and Nacho.
No Doze and Gonzo both appeared in “Breaking Bad.” But Nacho, who is immediately shown to be like a right hand man working for Tuco, does not.
Then, we find out later in the season about Nacho’s side projects, and he wants Tuco killed in season 2. So, considering Tuco will survive to face off with Walt and Jessie in “Breaking Bad,” that leaves little chance Nacho makes it out of “Better Call Saul” alive.
Now, there always a chance Nacho could disappear before his discrepancies come to light. But I don’t see Hector or Tuco allowing that to happen.
2. Chuck (60% chance he dies)
Jimmy’s brother is oversensitive and stressed out all the time. So some sort of health related death (and not because of his “sensitivity to electricity”) is a strong possibility. There’s also the arrogant attitude Chuck carries that could lead him to say the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Of course, Chuck could also end up in some kind of home for the mentally unstable. That would be as good an explanation for his lack of appearances in “Breaking Bad” as death would be. But between the health risks that come with the stress Chuck puts himself under and the “holier-than-thou” attitude Chuck boldly proclaims, there’s a decent chance Jimmy’s brother doesn’t make it out “Better Call Saul” alive.
3. Gene (45% chance he dies)
I’m cheating a bit with this one, as “Gene” technically doesn’t fall in the “Better Call Saul” timeline. But we have just seen Jimmy/Saul’s undercover identity faint at work. That means he’s likely to appear in a hospital, requiring a review of personal records and possibly bringing some people around who’ve been looking for Saul Goodman.
I think death for Gene is far less likely than prison time. And I also love the possibilities of characters from Better Call Saul/Breaking Bad appearing by Gene’s side in the hospital, revealing they are still alive. But I think there’s at least a possibility “Gene,” miserable with his current existence, could take his own life. And Saul Goodman stepped on a lot of toes. So someone could find “Gene” in the present and take him out of his misery.
But so much of the Gene story is unknown to us at this point, so all of this is very speculative. But I am assuming there will be some resolution to “Gene’s” story before “Better Call Saul’s” final episode. So we’ll see if that resolution is the end of “Jimmy/Saul/Gene.
4. Kim (40% chance she dies)
I think we would all hate to see this tragic scene. And I believe the chances are better than not that Kim doesn’t meet her end in “Better Call Saul.”
Kim’s relationship with Jimmy is such that it seems more likely that Kim simply breaks up with the future Saul Goodman and leaves town. She has yet to interact with anyone of the shady people Jimmy works with and largely stays out of that part of Jimmy’s life (well, other than the occasional hustle and benefiting from the forging of documents that is).
But all it takes is one encounter with the drug world Jimmy’s immersing himself in for Kim to get caught in the crossfire.
So while I think there’s a chance Kim dies in “Better Call Saul,” I find it more likely for her to simply disappear from Jimmy’s life.
5. Howard (10% chance he dies)
I find the chances of Howard Hamlin dying in “Better Call Saul” very slim for two reasons:
1. Howard (at least up to this point) keeps himself clean from danger (I mean, just think of how awkward he looked trying to climb Chuck’s fence in “Witness.”)
2. Howard’s role in Jimmy’s life has really diminished since season 1. So Jimmy’s change to Saul is unlikely to affect Howard’s future.
Now, there’s always a chance any or all of these characters (especially Chuck, Kim, and Howard) are still in Jimmy’s life when we move to the “Breaking Bad” timeline. “Bad” is told largely from Walt and Jessie’s point of view, so maybe we just don’t see Saul eating dinner at home with Kim, discussing a long day of money laundering. And maybe Chuck is just left alone to suffer in his electricity free house while Jimmy carries on as Saul Goodman.
But do we honestly think that’s going to be the case? We all know Jimmy’s transformation will come with collateral damage. We will see if anyone loses his or her life because of it.