Jesse's Best Father Figure On Breaking Bad Isn't Who You'd Think

The only reason fans got to know and love Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) — a man of few words and many suspicious talents — was because Jesse needed help.

After Jane's death, Walt calls lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), who sends in a clean-up guy: Mike. Originally, Saul was supposed to go himself, but Odenkirk was busy shooting How I Met Your Mother and wasn't available, so Banks was hired to play Mike. The gig turned from one-off to unusually long-term, as Banks appeared in episodes through season 5 (until the character's talents for avoiding a violent death finally came up short), and then went on to appear in spin-off Better Call Saul.

Mike's initial impression of Jesse was dismissive. He warned his boss Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) off of dealing with Jesse and Walt, seeing Jesse as just another untrustworthy junkie. But he slowly warmed to the troubled kid, and occasionally tried to guide him towards better life choices.

Walt was more overt about his affection for Jesse, but at the same time he constantly manipulated his young partner and dragged him further into his own dangerous world, all purely for selfish reasons. Mike, on the other hand, was externally aloof, but tried to get Jesse to see the trouble into which Walt was pulling him. His last interaction with Jesse is a perfect example: After Mike declares he's out of the meth business, Jesse tells Mike that he hopes to, "See you around." Mike, however, bluntly says he has no intention of reuniting once he's walked away, but he does offer Jesse some final advice that Walt would never have given him: "Kid, just look out for yourself."