Hank Schrader

Lore & Background

Hank started as an ambitious, fearless agent under ASAC George Merkert and SAC Ramey. Though tough on the outside, he struggled with vulnerabilities like cold feet before marrying Marie and later developed PTSD after killing Tuco Salamanca and surviving a shootout in El Paso where an informant's head was used as a bomb. He found solace in home brewing "Schraderbräu" beer and, after being shot by the Salamanca cousins, took up mineral collecting. His investigation into Heisenberg led him to wrongly arrest a school janitor, assault Jesse Pinkman leading to his suspension, and eventually connect Gale Boetticher's lab notebook to Gus Fring. His pursuit of truth was dangerous; he killed one Salamanca brother and was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by Leonel and Marco. While recovering, he leaned on Walt to investigate the Los Pollos Hermanos chain, unaware that his discovery threatened both his life and Walt's secret identity.

In Their Own Story

Hank leaned against his unmarked car during a raid based on a tip from Krazy-8, watching as Jesse Pinkman escaped. Later, after killing Tuco Salamanca in a shootout, he was transferred to El Paso where panic attacks led him to flee a joint operation that ended with an informant's beheaded head triggering an explosion. Back in Albuquerque, he tracked an RV used by Walt and Jesse to a junkyard, only to have it destroyed while distracted by a fake call about Marie. When the Salamanca cousins attacked him, Hank killed one brother but was left paralyzed until physical therapy helped his recovery. He later found Gale Boetticher's notebook, suspecting Gale was Heisenberg, until Walt drunkenly suggested Gale was just copying the real Heisenberg.

Reader's Guide

Henry R. Schrader served as a special agent and supervisor of investigations for the DEA in Albuquerque. He is married to Marie and has no children. He is close to his family-by-marriage: Walter White, Skyler White, and Walter Jr. Initially, Hank viewed Walt as a mild-mannered teacher and teased him regularly. After learning Walt was dying of terminal lung cancer, he promised to care for the family. His investigation into blue meth led him through various dead ends, including the wrongful arrest of a janitor and a failed attempt to get Badger to reveal Heisenberg's identity. Following his shooting by the Salamanca cousins, Hank struggled with paralysis and PTSD, using mineral collecting as a hobby. He eventually used Gale Boetticher's murder notebook to connect the dots between Gale, Gus Fring, and the Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant chain, relying on Walt's help to investigate while remaining unaware that Walt was the target he sought.

Did You Know?

• Hank home brews his own beer under the name 'Schraderbräu'.
• After being shot by the Salamanca cousins, Hank took up mineral collecting to pass the time.
• Hank was temporarily paralyzed from the waist down after killing one of the Salamanca brothers in a gunfight.
• Hank wrongly arrested a school janitor while his initial lead for 'Heisenberg' traced back to Walt's school.
• Dean Norris returned to play Hank as a guest star in Season 5 of the spin-off series Better Call Saul.