15 Shows With Morally Questionable Main Characters Like Breaking Bad

1. House of Cards

In the political halls of Washington D.C., Frank Underwood, a cunning and ambitious politician, makes Machiavelli look like a kindergarten teacher. After being passed over for the Secretary of State position, Underwood, with the help of his equally scheming wife Claire, initiates a ruthless game of power, manipulation, and revenge.

Through deceit, backdoor deals, and an utter lack of scruples, the Underwoods climb the political ladder, leaving a trail of casualties in their wake. We're talking about career assassinations, real assassinations, and alliances more brittle than thin ice. It's politics at its most sinister.

2. Dexter

Dexter Morgan, a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, has a dark hobby – he's a serial killer. But here's the kicker: he only kills other murderers. Bound by a moral code instilled in him by his adoptive father, Dexter hunts down those who have escaped the justice system. Every episode is a dance between Dexter managing crime scenes, family life, and his "dark passenger". The blood, the close calls, the double life – it's all there in a package tied up with a bloody bow.

3. Sons of Anarchy

In the world of biker gangs, illegal arms dealing, and turf wars, Jax Teller is royalty. As the vice president of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, he grapples with his loyalties, the legacy of his late father, and his own moral compass which, by the way, is as shaky as a leaf in a hurricane. We witness Jax's struggle to reconcile his actions with his intentions, leading the gang through violent exploits and criminal dealings while trying to protect his family and maintain club loyalty. It's a highway to hell with leather jackets and roaring engines.

4. Mad Men

Don Draper, a dashing and successful ad executive, epitomizes the Golden Age of Madison Avenue. Behind the tailored suits and charming persona, Draper is a concoction of infidelity, alcoholism, and stolen identity. Yes, you heard that right – he's not really Don Draper. As the series unfolds, we see the unravelling of his professional and personal life, showcasing the corrosive effects of his moral compromises and the era's pervasive misogyny and racism. It's a cocktail of deceit, shaken not stirred.

5. The Sopranos

Tony Soprano's not your average family man. Balancing the demands of his mob boss lifestyle with those of his family isn't for the faint of heart. We're plunged into a world where crime, family drama, and psychotherapy sessions blend together, each episode pulling us deeper into the gritty underworld of New Jersey's mob scene. From "waste management" contracts to violent enforcements, Tony's complex character, riddled with panic attacks and mother issues, sets the stage for moral ambiguity and raw, unfiltered drama.

6. Ray Donovan

Ray Donovan, a fixer for a powerful law firm that handles celebrities and wealthy clients, is the man you call when you're in a bind. A pro at making problems disappear, he struggles with his own ghosts and family issues. His father, a criminal and a thorn in his side, and his brothers, each with their own bag of issues, keep pulling him back into a world of crime and dysfunction. The L.A. glitz and glamour veil a gritty underworld that Ray navigates, battling moral dilemmas and his own inner demons.

7. Boardwalk Empire

Nucky Thompson is both the treasurer of Atlantic City and a powerful gangster, straddling the line between politics and crime. The prohibition era serves as a backdrop to his empire of illegal booze, gambling, and corruption. Nucky's no saint – he's as slippery as an eel, with the charm to match. He contends with mobsters, federal agents, and politicians, weaving through a web of alliances and betrayals, where trust is as scarce as a sober man on New Year's Eve.

8. Better Call Saul

Slippin' Jimmy McGill isn't the moral compass of Albuquerque. He's a small-time lawyer hustling to champion his career and morphing into the sleazy lawyer Saul Goodman we know from Breaking Bad. Jimmy's not above bending or breaking the law. Every courtroom drama, every shady deal pulls us into the tumultuous transformation of a man grappling with his identity and morality, painting a portrait of a character both tragic and comic.

9. Shameless

Frank Gallagher, a single father of six children, is more child than parent. With alcoholism and absence defining his parenting style, his kids learn to fend for themselves. Frank's not one to pass up a scam or a scheme to avoid work and responsibilities. We watch as his children navigate the messy and chaotic world he's both directly and indirectly orchestrated, a symphony of dysfunction, resilience, and raw, unapologetic survival.

10. Narcos

Welcome to the drug-fueled world of Pablo Escobar, a man whose name is synonymous with the Colombian cocaine trade. Every calculated move, every violent enforcement paints a portrait of a man as charismatic as he is terrifying. His rise to power is marked by bodies and betrayal, pulling us into a world where power, corruption, and narcoterrorism reign supreme. It's a terrifying gaze into the abyss of absolute power and moral decay.

11. Peaky Blinders

Thomas Shelby, the leader of the Birmingham criminal gang, the Peaky Blinders, isn't your run-of-the-mill gangster. In post-WWI England, he's a war hero and a criminal, a politician and a gangster, and his moral compass is as sharp as the razor blades sewn into his cap. The violent takeover of territories, the cold-blooded dealings, and the complex family dynamics plunge us into a world where power and family collide in a dance as graceful as it is deadly.

12. The Americans

Elizabeth and Philip Jennings aren't the suburban parents they appear to be – they're Soviet spies. Under the guise of a normal family, they conduct espionage, seductions, and killings. Each mission, each cover, draws us into the Cold War tension and the personal turmoil of maintaining a family while being loyal to a distant homeland. It's a blend of domestic life and spy thriller, a dance between family bonds and national loyalty.

13. Luther

DCI John Luther, a brilliant but impulsive detective, walks a fine line between genius and insanity. His methods, unconventional and often illegal, make him as dangerous as the criminals he hunts. Every case, every moral compromise, every relationship tests the limits of his sanity, giving us a front-row seat to the mental and emotional unraveling of a man held together by the threads of his convictions.

14. Breaking Bad

Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher turned methamphetamine manufacturer, is a man with nothing to lose. Diagnosed with terminal cancer, he teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman in the deadly but lucrative world of meth production. Each batch cooked, each life taken, each "I am the one who knocks" moment draws us into the catastrophic transformation of a desperate man into a ruthless drug lord.

15. Mindhunter

Holden Ford, an FBI agent, delves into the psychology of murder and gets uneasily close to all-too-real monsters. His unorthodox approach and obsession with understanding the criminal mind put him at odds with the bureau, blurring professional and personal boundaries. As he interviews serial killers and delves into their twisted psyches, the darkness bleeds into his own life, revealing the unsettling truth that studying monsters can turn you into one.