Todd Alquist

Lore & Background

Todd begins working with Walter, Jesse, and Mike after demonstrating discretion and initiative as a pest exterminator. Following the train heist where he murders Drew Sharp, Jesse leaves the operation, but Todd stays on as Walter's assistant to learn how to cook meth. After Walter retires, Todd briefly works for Declan before being fired; Lydia Rodarte-Quayle then orders Jack Welker's gang—including Todd—to kill Declan and steal his lab equipment so they can continue producing high-quality blue meth for her network. When Jesse is captured after Hank Schrader and Steve Gomez are killed, Todd suggests keeping him alive to improve production quality instead of killing him as Walter wanted. Todd develops an unsettling romantic interest in Lydia, even lingering over a mug stained with her lipstick. He maintains a soft-spoken manner while participating in brutal acts such as executing Andrea Cantillo to punish Jesse's escape attempt and threatening Skyler White to prevent her from informing police about Lydia.

In Their Own Story

Todd drives Jesse out of his cage under the pretense of helping with chores, takes him to Todd's apartment, and calmly reveals he strangled his cleaning lady for discovering hidden money. He forces Jesse to help dispose of the body in the Painted Desert. While there, Jesse retrieves Todd's gun left in the car, but Todd coerces him into dropping it and offers to buy him pizza. In flashback scenes from El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, these events are shown as part of Jesse's captivity. Later, in the present timeline of El Camino, Jesse returns to Todd's apartment to retrieve the money Todd had hidden.

Reader's Guide

Todd Alquist serves as a narrative mirror to several main characters including Mike, Jesse, Walter, and Skyler due to his reflection of their mannerisms. His defining trait is his complete lack of remorse and sociopathic tendencies; he views violent acts like murder as necessary tasks to preserve mission success rather than moral failings. Critics have praised the character, naming him one of the best television villains and describing him as "the most weirdly likeable sociopath." He represents a rare moment of overt sensuality in the show through his fixation on Lydia. The Atlantic noted Todd kept Drew Sharp's spider after the murder as a symbolic trophy. Jesse Plemons described Todd as pragmatic, someone who enjoys having jobs to do and tasks to complete.

Did You Know?

• Todd was introduced in Breaking Bad season 5 as a pest exterminator for Vamonos Pest Control.
• He killed Drew Sharp, a young boy who witnessed the train heist for methylamine.
• Vince Gilligan described Todd as 'the most weirdly likeable sociopath' and an 'ambush predator'.
• Todd kept Drew Sharp's spider after the murder, which critics interpreted as preserving a trophy.
• Jesse Plemons reprised his role in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie through flashback scenes of Jesse's captivity.