Across five seasons, Breaking Bad had plenty of highs and lows, and some of the series most epic moments define each season for critics and viewers.

In many ways, Breaking Bad is the perfect binge-watch. Walter White’s descent into villainy made for a fascinating character study and was packed with so many game-changing twists that fans couldn’t wait to tune in and find out what might happen next. From the dynamic between series protagonists, Walt and Jesse, to the epic confrontations with the numerous drug world crime bosses they encountered, the pair walked a fine line between sympathetic heroes and downright villains.

But when it comes to ranking all 5 seasons, what was the critics’ verdict? Combining the average critic scores found on Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic can pin down the show’s highs and lows. Even a series as critically acclaimed as Breaking Bad had its low points. And for a series about a high school chemistry teacher who unexpectedly became a meth baron, it’s only fitting that the results are surprising.

Updated on March 16, 2024 by Jenny Melzer: Nearly eleven years after the final episode of Breaking Bad aired, the franchise continues to buzz among fans and critics–especially after additions like El Camino and Better Call Saul adding to the overall story. One thing many continue to agree on, however, is how each season of the series that launched it all ranks. This list has been updated to expand on each season’s high points, as well as to incorporate CBR’s most current standards for formatting.

5Breaking Bad Season 1 May Have Been Its Weakest, But It Launched a Legacy

Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad are considered the best shows of all time, but only one can be deemed to be the best.

Though disagreement may rage among viewers, almost everyone — including critics — can agree that Breaking Bad‘s first season was its weakest, hence, it’s placement at the bottom of the list. The entire series would not have been possible without the foundation that Season 1 established, but Walter White and Jesse Pinkman were still just starting out as partners in crime.

Breaking Bad Season 1 Critical Reception

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 73%
Average: 79.5%

Season 1 of Breaking Bad may not have been the best of its five seasons, but the engaging characterizations, stylized cinematography and unique setup were all there as fans followed Walter’s journey into the world of crime. At almost half the length of subsequent seasons, potentially due to uncertainty on how viewers would react to a show about a teacher and his former student becoming drug bosses, Breaking Bad just hadn’t gained the spinoff-worthy status it would go on to earn in much later episodes and seasons, but all of that would change soon enough.

4Breaking Bad’s Second Season Had Viewers & Critics Hooked for the Long Haul

As the plot thickened in Season 2, Breaking Bad started to hit its stride. Its Rotten Tomatoes score spiked from 86 percent in Season 1 to 97 percent in Season 2. The meth business being in full swing allowed the show to settle into its central conceit and the characters thus settled into their roles within the story. While remnants of the meek chemistry teacher with cancer still lurked beneath the surface, Walter White firmly became the legendary Heisenberg in Season 2, Episode 5

Breaking Bad Season 2 Critical Reception

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Metacritic: 84%
Average: 90.5%

Skyler’s pregnancy and growing suspicion of Walt provided a rising tension paralleled by the introduction of Jesse’s girlfriend Jane Margolis, with the private lives of both Walt and Jesse conflicting with their mutual endeavor. This season also introduced Saul Goodman — and without him there would be no Better Call Saul. By the end of the season, all of the burgeoning drama quite literally exploded when two airplanes collided — underlining the show’s message of karmic retribution.

3Breaking Bad Season 3 Saw Walter White Reevaluate His Choices, but Only Briefly

One franchise star wants another prequel after earning Emmy nominations for both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

The Rotten Tomatoes score for Breaking Bad‘s third season rests at 100 percent, while the Metacritic score remains more reserved at 89 percent. Both numbers make it clear the middle season of the series set its hook thoroughly into any viewer. When Walt and Jesse’s business relationship with Gustavo Fring deepened, thanks to TNT’s crime series The Closer, Breaking Bad changed from a relatable tale of a desperate family man into a far more grandiose drama… and it was impossible to look away from the ongoing trainwreck of Walt’s life.

Breaking Bad Season 3 Critical Reception

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Metacritic: 89%

Average: 94.5%

The season contained the divisive “Fly” episode, which ably communicated its protagonist’s moral decline. Taking a normal and loving father and twisting him into a downright supervillain was one of the show’s greatest accomplishments, and the third season made that transition very clear. Even as Walt seemed determined to leave the criminal life behind him, it’s all but certain that his decision was only half-hearted. This season also saw Walt’s brother-in-law, Hank Schrader, caught in the crossfire when Fring brought the Salamanca twins, known as “The Cousins” into town, bringing Walt’s criminal activity even closer to home.

2Breaking Bad Season 5 May Tie With Season 4 As Far As Critics Are Concerned, But It Had Some Stellar Moments

Though everyone concurs that Breaking Bad steadily got better over its first three seasons, the fourth and fifth seasons are where critics disagree. The two cycles average out at 98 percent on both Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, but only the fourth season receives a full 100 percent, edging out the show’s epic finale. In comparing Season 4 with Season 5, it’s possible to see where the final installment faltered.

Breaking Bad Season 5 Critical Reception

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
Metacritic: 99%
Average: 98%

Breaking Bad grew increasingly sensational as its story expanded, and for some viewers, the final season likely pushed past the breaking point of believability. The neo-Nazis who served as antagonists may have been irredeemable forces fitting for Walt’s final stand, but their relatively flat characters paled in comparison to Giancarlo Esposito’s terrifying Gus Fring. Season 5 also did a major disservice to one of the series’ fan-favorites when Walt killed Mike Ehrmantraut. Mike may have been a criminal, and he was certainly no innocent, but the fact that he was doing it all for his granddaughter softened a lot of viewers.

1Season 4 Saw Walt & Jesse Embrace Their Nature In Some of the Series’ Most Brutal Scenes

Tensions between Walt and Gus finally came to a head in the show’s fourth season, so it’s no wonder that Breaking Bad‘s best season was also Gus’ biggest season. The season started with the episode “Box Cutter” demonstrating the cold brutality that Gus brought to the drug trade. It ended on the iconic shot of the meth lord straightening his tie before dying — and unlike Esposito’s Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, he didn’t come back.

Breaking Bad Season 4 Critical Reception

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
Metacritic: 96%
Average: 98%

Season 4 was the peak of both Walt and Jesse’s character arcs as both embraced their villainy in different ways. For Walt, it meant recognizing that his ambitions had grown beyond simply providing for and protecting his family. It contained the epic confrontation between Walt and Skyler and the iconic, “I am the one who knocks!” quote. For Jesse, it was a process of self-acceptance and moral responsibility. It makes sense that Breaking Bad peaked when both its characters fully broke bad, and that’s when critics enjoyed it the most. While there may be some debate among viewers, there’s little doubt that Breaking Bad’s fourth season reached heights of drama and characterization some shows never achieve, and that is more than enough to earn it a top spot in the rankings among both fans and critics.