Breaking Bad Characters API

openapi: 3.2.0
info:
  title: Breaking Bad Characters API
  description: Community-built REST API exposing characters, quotes, episodes, and deaths from the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul television universe.
  version: 1.0.0
  contact:
    name: Tim Biles (original maintainer)
    url: https://github.com/timbiles/Breaking-Bad--API
  license:
    name: BSD-3-Clause
    url: https://github.com/timbiles/Breaking-Bad--API/blob/master/LICENSE.rst
  x-generated-from: documentation
  x-last-validated: '2026-05-29'
  x-status: deprecated
  x-deprecation-note: The hosted service at breakingbadapi.com is unreachable as of 2026-05-29 (DNS does not resolve). Schema and operations are preserved here for historical reference and to support nostalgic/educational re-implementations.
servers:
- url: https://www.breakingbadapi.com/api
  description: Original community-hosted endpoint (unreachable as of 2026)
tags:
- name: Characters
  description: Characters from the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul universe.
paths:
  /characters:
    get:
      operationId: listCharacters
      summary: List Characters
      description: Returns a list of every character from the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul universe.
      tags:
      - Characters
      parameters:
      - name: limit
        in: query
        description: Maximum number of characters to return.
        required: false
        schema:
          type: integer
          minimum: 1
          example: 10
      - name: offset
        in: query
        description: Number of characters to skip before starting to collect the result set.
        required: false
        schema:
          type: integer
          minimum: 0
          example: 0
      - name: name
        in: query
        description: Filter characters by full name. Use `+` for spaces (e.g. `Walter+White`).
        required: false
        schema:
          type: string
          example: Walter+White
      - name: category
        in: query
        description: Filter by series — `Breaking+Bad`, `Better+Call+Saul`, or both joined by `,`.
        required: false
        schema:
          type: string
          example: Breaking+Bad,Better+Call+Saul
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Array of character records.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/Character'
              examples:
                ListCharacters200Example:
                  summary: Default listCharacters 200 response
                  x-microcks-default: true
                  value:
                  - char_id: 1
                    name: Walter White
                    birthday: 09-07-1958
                    occupation:
                    - High School Chemistry Teacher
                    - Meth King Pin
                    img: https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cast_bb_700x1000_walter-white-lg.jpg
                    status: Presumed dead
                    nickname: Heisenberg
                    appearance:
                    - 1
                    - 2
                    - 3
                    - 4
                    - 5
                    portrayed: Bryan Cranston
                    category: Breaking Bad
                    better_call_saul_appearance: []
                  - char_id: 2
                    name: Jesse Pinkman
                    birthday: 09-24-1984
                    occupation:
                    - Methamphetamine Manufacturer
                    - Distributor
                    img: https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cast_bb_700x1000_jesse-pinkman-lg.jpg
                    status: Alive
                    nickname: Cap n' Cook
                    appearance:
                    - 1
                    - 2
                    - 3
                    - 4
                    - 5
                    portrayed: Aaron Paul
                    category: Breaking Bad
                    better_call_saul_appearance: []
        '429':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/RateLimited'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /characters/{id}:
    get:
      operationId: getCharacterById
      summary: Get Character By Id
      description: Returns a single character by numeric id.
      tags:
      - Characters
      parameters:
      - name: id
        in: path
        required: true
        description: Numeric character id.
        schema:
          type: integer
          example: 1
      responses:
        '200':
          description: Character record (array with a single element, as returned by the upstream service).
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/Character'
              examples:
                GetCharacterById200Example:
                  summary: Default getCharacterById 200 response
                  x-microcks-default: true
                  value:
                  - char_id: 1
                    name: Walter White
                    birthday: 09-07-1958
                    occupation:
                    - High School Chemistry Teacher
                    - Meth King Pin
                    img: https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cast_bb_700x1000_walter-white-lg.jpg
                    status: Presumed dead
                    nickname: Heisenberg
                    appearance:
                    - 1
                    - 2
                    - 3
                    - 4
                    - 5
                    portrayed: Bryan Cranston
                    category: Breaking Bad
                    better_call_saul_appearance: []
        '404':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/NotFound'
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
  /character/random:
    get:
      operationId: getRandomCharacter
      summary: Get Random Character
      description: Returns one randomly selected character.
      tags:
      - Characters
      responses:
        '200':
          description: One character record, wrapped in an array.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: array
                items:
                  $ref: '#/components/schemas/Character'
              examples:
                GetRandomCharacter200Example:
                  summary: Default getRandomCharacter 200 response
                  x-microcks-default: true
                  value:
                  - char_id: 17
                    name: Saul Goodman
                    birthday: 11-12-1960
                    occupation:
                    - Lawyer
                    img: https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cast_bb_700x1000_saul-goodman-lg.jpg
                    status: Alive
                    nickname: Slippin' Jimmy
                    appearance:
                    - 2
                    - 3
                    - 4
                    - 5
                    portrayed: Bob Odenkirk
                    category: Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul
                    better_call_saul_appearance:
                    - 1
                    - 2
                    - 3
                    - 4
                    - 5
                    - 6
      x-microcks-operation:
        delay: 0
        dispatcher: FALLBACK
components:
  responses:
    NotFound:
      description: The requested resource was not found.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          examples:
            NotFoundExample:
              summary: Default 404 response
              x-microcks-default: true
              value:
                message: Not Found
    RateLimited:
      description: Rate limit exceeded. The original upstream enforced 10,000 requests per day per IP and returned 429 until the 24-hour window rolled over.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          examples:
            RateLimitedExample:
              summary: Default 429 response
              x-microcks-default: true
              value:
                message: Rate limit exceeded. Try again in 24 hours.
  schemas:
    Error:
      type: object
      description: Generic error envelope.
      properties:
        message:
          type: string
          description: Human-readable error message.
          example: Not Found
    Character:
      type: object
      description: A character from the Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul series.
      x-schema-source: documentation
      x-source-url: https://github.com/timbiles/Breaking-Bad--API
      properties:
        char_id:
          type: integer
          description: Unique numeric id for the character.
          example: 1
        name:
          type: string
          description: Character's full name.
          example: Walter White
        birthday:
          type: string
          description: Character's birthday in M-D-YYYY format.
          example: 09-07-1958
        occupation:
          type: array
          description: List of the character's known occupations.
          items:
            type: string
          example:
          - High School Chemistry Teacher
          - Meth King Pin
        img:
          type: string
          format: uri
          description: URL of the character's portrait image (JPG).
          example: https://images.amcnetworks.com/amc.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/cast_bb_700x1000_walter-white-lg.jpg
        status:
          type: string
          description: Whether the character is alive, deceased, or presumed dead.
          example: Presumed dead
        nickname:
          type: string
          description: A known nickname.
          example: Heisenberg
        appearance:
          type: array
          description: List of Breaking Bad seasons in which the character appeared.
          items:
            type: integer
          example:
          - 1
          - 2
          - 3
          - 4
          - 5
        portrayed:
          type: string
          description: Actor who portrayed the character.
          example: Bryan Cranston
        category:
          type: string
          description: Comma-separated list of series the character appears in.
          example: Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul
        better_call_saul_appearance:
          type: array
          description: List of Better Call Saul seasons in which the character appeared.
          items:
            type: integer
          example: []