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| “ | Jesse, you asked me if I was in the meth business or the money business... Neither. I'm in the empire business. | „ |
| ~ Walter White |
Heisenberg's Empire, also known as Walter White's Drug Empire, are the main protagonists of the crime drama series Breaking Bad.
They were a drug manufacturing and distributing organization founded by Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, the former meth cooks of drug kingpin Gustavo Fring's fractured drug empire. White assassinated Fring with the aid of Pinkman and Fring's longtime rival Hector Salamanca after a falling out between the two led to open hostilities. He absorbed some of Fring's assets into his empire, including Fring's head of security and main enforcer Mike Ehrmantraut. After allying with Declan's crew and Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, White's empire, despite being far less organized or expansive as Fring's syndicate, ultimately became much more successful, becoming the most successful drug manufacturing and distributing operation in United States history. They also allied with other small criminal organizations, such as Jack Welker and his gang who were occasionally hired out to provide muscle and perform various illegal tasks for the empire, as well as with Welker's nephew Todd Alquist who operated independently from the gang to an extent and served as an agent and thug of the empire.
By early 2010, the empire had collapsed as many of it's top players exited the drug business or turned against each other. Welker's gang wiped out Declan's crew and stole Walt's money, enslaving Jesse and forcing him to cook for them. Welker and his friends profited off of this for months with the help of Lydia until Walt returned in September and massacred them all, freeing Jesse and avenging his fallen empire.
History[]
Establishment and success[]
Members of Heisenberg's Drug Empire.
Following the death of drug kingpin Gustavo Fring and the destruction of his crime syndicate, his former employee Walter White stepped in to fill the power vacuum left behind - partnering with both his protégé Jesse Pinkman and also Gus' head of security Mike Ehrmantraut to set up a new criminal organization. They soon found themselves working with businesswoman Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, drug kingpin Declan and his crew, and a group of white supremacists led by Jack Welker. The group's first course of action was to conduct a train heist to steal 1,000 gallons of methylamine, an ingredient they would need in their production. The robbery was a huge success, and the participants celebrated their glorious victory. Unfortunately, a young boy named Drew Sharp witnessed the crime; he was instantly killed by Jack's nephew, Todd Alquist, after the latter shot him dead. Jesse and Mike were so disgusted by the murder that they decided to leave the game, but Walt decided to continue with the business.
Soon the empire set up operations, using Vamonos Pest as a front for their cooking of Blue Sky from time to time; Walt and Todd handled the production, while Lydia worked in distribution alongside Declan and his crew. Meanwhile, criminal attorney Saul Goodman continued to operate as Walt's consigliere - managing all legal matters in relation to the business. Jack and his Gang worked as enforcers for the empire, and were given important tasks by Walter.
Later on, after Walt kills Mike in a confrontation between them, Walt ordered the assassinations of the remnants of Gus' associates in the hopes of tying up all loose ends connecting his new business to the legacy of Gus. This action resulted in the DEA losing track of the empire, allowing it to enjoy three months of economic prosperity. When Walter's estranged wife Skyler White showed him the extent of his success, he decided to retire from the game with his millions.
After Walt's retirement[]
In light of Walt's departure from the business, Declan took control of the empire., but he soon found himself in debate with Lydia over Todd's permissions to cook. Lydia attempted to drag Walt back into the game with no avail, and when Declan denied Todd the position of cooking again, Lydia ordered Jack and his gang to eliminate Declan and massacre his crew at their lab in an Arizona junkyard. Lydia would promptly take over the empire, with Jack and his men as her partners.
Trouble soon emerged when Walt came at odds with his brother-in-law ASAC Hank Schrader, a DEA agent who had been determined to expose the notorious criminal mastermind known as "Heisenberg" - who turned out to be Walt from the beginning. Once Hank had finally discovered that Walt was Heisenberg all along, he and his DEA partner Steven Gomez resolved to put an end to Walt's criminal reign at all costs, teaming up with a reformed Jesse to do so. They spent the next few weeks conducting a campaign to bring Walt down, culminating in the team luring Walt out to To'hajiilee Indian Reservation, the site where Jesse and Walt first cooked meth, by pretending to burn Walt's money. They managed to apprehend Walt, preparing to transport Walt to jail. However, Walt had called Jack and his gang for help, who soon arrived despite Walt calling them off. A brief but intense gunfight ensued, with Jack's gang quickly overwhelming Hank and Gomez with their superior firepower. Gomez was shot and killed while Hank was injured but alive. He crawled towards Gomez's shotgun, but Jack stepped in to confiscate the weapon as his gang secured the area. Walt exited Hank's truck and tried to barter for Hank's life, promising to give Jack all of his $80 million in exchange for letting Hank go. Jack accepted this deal but said it was down to the "fed". Walt angrily stated "It's Hank. His name is Hank.", prompting Jack to ask Hank if he was amenable to this deal. Hank defiantly said "My name is ASAC Schraeder, and you can go fuck yourself." Hank accepted his incoming death, telling Walt "You're the smartest guy I ever met... and you're too stupid to see, he made up his mind ten minutes ago." He then turned to Jack and told him to do what he has to do, but Jack shoots him mid-sentence. Walt fell to the ground in pain, mourning Hank's death. After collecting himself, Walt told Jack that he still hasn't followed through a hit on Jesse that Walt previously paid for. Walt points out Jesse hiding under Walt's car, and Jack had his goon Lester pull Jesse out. Jack pointed his pistol at Jesse's head and asked Walt if he is ready for Jesse to die. Walt nodded in confirmation, but Todd stepped in and convinced Jack to keep Jesse alive so that they could find out what he told Hank. Jack agreed to this but said it is down to Walt. Walt allowed them to take Jesse on the condition that they kill him afterwards. Before Jesse was taken away, Walt admitted to him that he watched his girlfriend Jane overdose on meth and choke to death on her own vomit, saying that he could've saved her but didn't in order to protect himself. Jack still stole Walt's money, leaving him one barrel with $11 million and abandoned him in the desert while taking Jesse away to his compound.
Soon afterwards, the empire began to collapse. Walt escaped the desert by buying a Native American man's truck. He returned to his house, but his wife Skyler, having had enough of Walt's abuse and manipulation with the breaking point being Hank's death, attacked Walt with a kitchen knife. Walt managed to subdue her, but his son Walt Jr. pulled him off and called the police. The two were distracted, giving Walt the opportunity to kidnap his daughter Holly and flee with her. Skyler tried to pursue Walt out of the house, causing him to smash into her car before driving away. Walt planned to disappear with Holly, but decided to leave her at a fire department for pickup while he fled alone.
Walt went to Saul's contact Ed the Disappearer. He paid him to help him escape New Mexico with a new identity. Walt spent the next few days in Ed's secret bunker, being joined by Saul soon after, who was also fleeing. Walt then moved to rural New Hampshire, henceforth leaving behind the legacy of his life as a kingpin.
Destruction[]
Months after his escape, Walt returned to New Mexico to end his story once and for all. He barged into a meeting between Lydia and Todd in a café, whereupon Walt proceeded to spike Lydia's tea with ricin under the façade of proposing a new efficient way of producing Blue Sky. That night, Walt launched an attack on the Neo-Nazi compound, killing all but Jack and Todd with a mounted machine gun he had illegally purchased and saving Jesse from a fatal shot. Jesse would strangle Todd to death, avenging the deaths of both Jesse's girlfriend Andrea and Drew himself in the process. Moments later, Walt executed Jack to avenge the deaths of both Hank and Gomez respectively.
With the white supremacist gang all but wiped out, Walt and Jesse parted ways; Jesse escaped on his own whereas Walt himself would bleed to death in the meth lab of the compound, ironically in the same place he felt the most alive.
Aftermath[]
The empire had caused the deaths of many players of the criminal game both during and at the end of its reign, both directly and indirectly. Walter White's involvement as the kingpin soon fell into the public spotlight, with one news report stating Walt's drug empire was the biggest meth dealing operation in the entirety of the United States' history. Some time after the events of El Camino, Lydia would die from her tea poisoning.
Following Walt's death and the destruction of his empire, Saul and Jesse were among the few survivors of the game. Saul managed to escape to Omaha with assistance from Ed and assume the identity of Gene Takavic, but was unable to bring with him the riches and assets he had acquired during his time working with the criminal underworld; these belongings of Saul would later be seized by the authorities, who would eventually apprehend Saul that resulted in him getting jailed for his involvement with Walt's empire. Elsewhere, Jesse would eliminate his remaining captors Neil Kandy and Casey after coming across them during the aftermath of his ordeal. Thereafter he fled to Alaska to start a new life from himself, finally free from the drug trade at long last.
With nobody to produce it, Blue Sky fell from the black market - with regular-lower quality meth taking its place.
Membership[]
- Walter White - founder and original boss
- Jesse Pinkman - founding member and former cook
- Mike Ehrmantraut - founding member and former distribution manager
- Saul Goodman - founding member and legal advisor
- Lydia Rodarte-Quayle - manager of distribution and third boss
- Declan - distributor and second boss
- Skyler White - owner of A1A car wash, and money launderer
- Ira - manager of Vamonos Pest
- Todd Alquist - primary cook and Vamonos Pest crew member
- Jack Welker - gang leader and enforcer
- Kenny - gang member and enforcer
- Frankie - gang member and enforcer
- Matt - gang member and enforcer
- Lester - gang member and enforcer
- Huell Babineaux - bodyguard and fixer
- Patrick Kuby - enforcer and fixer
- Fernando - Vamonos Pest crew member
- Sandor - Vamonos Pest crew member
- Shattuck - gang member and contact
- 32 Unnamed Neo-Nazis - gang members and hitmen
- 8 Unnamed Arizona Men - distributors and muscle
