Breaking Down Walter White's Transformation From Breaking Bad Pilot To Finale

By the end of "Breaking Bad," Walter White has racked up a direct kill count of dozens either murdered at his behest or by his own hands, so to say he is irredeemable is something of an understatement. While it isn't quite enough to fall under "better late than never," Walt does manage to turn away from the dark side in his final hours on this mortal coil, completing his transformation into a tragic fallen anti-hero.

Like most narcissists, Walt is able to continue justifying his actions throughout the series, even the killing of Mike Ehrmantraut. But getting Hank killed serves as the impetus for a belated wake-up call, marking the turning point of Walt's final transformation, even if it wouldn't be fully realized until the series' penultimate episode "Granite State."

After months on the run, Walt phones Flynn in an effort to arrange a money drop-off that would see Walt's vision finally realized. But struck by Flynn's anger at Hank's death, Walt decides to turn himself into the police, but not before completing some final business. After arranging with Elliott and Gretchen to take care of his family financially, Walt admits his true motivations to Skyler, telling her he selfishly did it because it made him feel alive. As his final act in the series finale "Felina," he kills Lydia with ricin and saves Jesse from the Nazis, finally laying down and dying among the meth lab, freeing the world from the misery he wrought upon it.