10 Smartest TV Detectives

10. Hank Schrader (Breaking Bad)

The evolution of Walter White to Heisenberg is the primary arc of Breaking Bad, but Vince Gillian and co pulled off almost as impressive a transformation with Hank Schrader. Starting off, he’s Walt’s brash brother in law, a well meaning oaf who can’t quite get his head around the bookish, quiet Walter.

By season five, he’s pretty much the hero of the piece. Far from the meathead we first met, he’s just about the smartest man in Albuquerque, seeing through Gus Fring’s personable disguise and finally figuring out Walter during a moment of toilet-based inspiration.

What’s more, Hank cuts a ludicrously determined figure. He’s shot, he’s discredited, he deals with a highly dysfunctional family, but doesn’t let any of this get in the way of cracking the case. Breaking Bad does a great job of evolving, rather than rewriting, the character. Hank is still one of the boys, but there’s far more to him than that.

His murder is the moment many fans lose any shred of support for Walter, and it’s easy to understand that. Hank grows into a truly honourable figure, but the cruel world of Breaking Bad is too much for him to overcome.