Jesse Pinkman

Jesse Pinkman 

Jesse Bruce Pinkman (played by Aaron Paul) is Walter White's partner in his meth business. Jesse is a former chemistry student of Walter, though he failed Walter's class. Although he aspires to be and emulates the behavior and fashion of a street-wise hustler-gangster, he lacks sufficient violence and callousness to succeed: he often finds himself unable to kill or harm others and his frequent relapses into drug use are attempts at self-anesthesia following the traumatic experiences of the meth trade. He comes from an upper middle-class family but was kicked out of his home because of his drug use. Jesse lived in his late aunt's house that he inherited but was again forced out by his parents (who legally own the home) when they discovered that he was cooking crystal meth in the basement. He has a much younger, over-achieving brother named Jake with whom he gets along, despite their age difference and divergent paths in life.
Following the deaths of Emilio and Krazy-8, Jesse attempts reconciliation with his parents, but fails when his parents discover Jake's marijuana; he claims ownership to spare Jake from the consequences of his own fate. In season two, Jesse becomes romantically involved with his landlord, a recovering addict named Jane. The death of his friend, Combo, sends him spiraling into drug addiction, namely heroin, introduced to him by Jane. When Jane dies by asphyxiating on her own vomit following a heroin binge, Jesse blames himself for her death and descends further into a drug-fueled depression. Unknown to Jesse, Walt was present when Jane overdosed and did nothing to prevent her asphyxiation. Walt takes Jesse to a rehabilitation center where he is able to get clean. His experiences have taken their toll, and he resigns himself to a fate as a "bad guy", to remain in the drug trade to the bitter end. He remains downcast over Jane's death, and ends up cooking meth on his own while Walt remains "retired". Jesse is enraged when Gus gives half of the profits from Jesse's work to Walt. Jesse later learns that Gus only hired him to manipulate Walt to return to making meth, and Walt tells Jesse he's finished either working with him or using Walt's formula. He then plans to use the RV he and Walt purchased as a re-started mobile lab, but Hank Schrader has gotten a line on the vehicle, and only some fast thinking by Walt and Saul Goodman lure Hank away from the RV long enough for it to be completely demolished. Hank later savagely beats Jesse, and after Jesse blames Walt for his miserable fate, Walt convinces Gus to offer Jesse a job at a new, high-tech meth production lab; Jesse only accepts reluctantly and after Walt says Jesse's new meth is as good as his original Heisenberg recipe.
Unfamiliar with White's past and insecurities, he is constantly confused, enraged, and betrayed by his mentor's patronizing, jealous attitude towards him. He begins having sex with Andrea, a woman he meets at a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, who is revealed to be the elder sister of Combo's murderer, and also begins stealing small amounts of Gus's meth with a plan to sell it to recovering addicts. Jesse plans to murder two gang members, both employees of Gus, in retaliation for their murder of Combo, but is forced by Gus to make peace. When Andrea's 11 year old brother Tomas is murdered, Jesse assumes the two dealers are responsible and sets out to kill them. He is stopped when Walt intervenes and kills the gang members. After Walt tells him to run, Jesse temporarily disappears after the murders. Sometime later, having gotten the damage to his car from killing the two dealers repaired, Jesse and Walt meet. Their mutual lawyer and partner Saul arranges for them to meet at a laser tag business that Saul is encouraging Walt to buy as a money-laundering front. Walt and Jesse agree that Gus wants to kill them both, and their only way out is to remove Gale, leaving Walt as the only meth cook available to Gus. Jesse admits he can't kill Gale, and suggests Walt go to the DEA and become a State's witness. Walt vehemently swears never to turn to the DEA, and accepts the responsibility of killing Gale. When Walt is brought to the lab later that night by Victor and finds Mike waiting for him, Walt calls Jesse. He warns Jesse that Mike is going to kill Walt unless Jesse immediately kills Gale. Jesse shows up at Gale's apartment and kills him. Jesse's last name, like Walter's, is an homage to Reservoir Dogs