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In Better Call Saul, Jimmy McGill's transformation to Saul Goodman is not just a change of name — it is a result of his intense development that stems from personal ambition, heartbreak, and failures.
Breaking Bad introduced Saul as a dynamic criminal lawyer. It peeled the layers of his characters back to present the man that he truly is. The transformation was not easy: It was marked by rebellion, the desire for survival, and a strong will to survive.
From Slippin’ Jimmy to struggling lawyer
Saul Goodman was preceded by 'Slippin’ Jimmy. He was a small-time con artist in Cicero who had a thrilling energy for scamming people. Chuck, Slippin Jimmy’s brother, brought him back to the world of respectability, eventually making him get a law degree and live a sober life.
For a moment, Jimmy actually thought of it seriously. Jimmy went on to receive a law degree from the University of American Samoa (the show doesn’t let you forget it), and climbed up the ladder to finally reach Chuck's prestigious firm, Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM).
But, sadly for Jimmy, the world of the law never truly accepted him. He felt alienated after Chuck didn’t see a changed man in Jimmy. Jimmy was not fighting clients or courtrooms — he was fighting an entire system built to keep people like him out.
The Chuck-sized chip on Jimmy’s shoulder
Chuck was the principal reason why Jimmy transformed into Saul. Chuck was sick with a medical condition named Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. This condition left him almost in house rest and bitter.
His almost depressive mood did not let him see or accept Jimmy as a legitimate lawyer. Chuck sabotaged Jimmy’s career from behind the curtains, blocking his progress at HHM and belittling his past efforts
Of course, Jimmy’s frustration and resentment grew like a wildfire. Every time he tried to follow what was correct, his brother was there to induce a new wound in him. He always reminded Jimmy that he was good for nothing.
The betrayal hit him personally when he learnt of Chuck's involvement in the sabotage that derailed his career. It was at this point that Jimmy’s fate was set in stone.
Kim Wexler: The heartbreak and the enabler
Kim Wexler is another reason that propelled Jimmy’s metamorphosis into Saul Goodman. Kim was deeply loved by Jimmy, but their relationship was a cocktail of flaws, misaligned personal ambitions, and a bond that was bound to fall flat.
Kim was attracted to Jimmy’s underdog energy but always tested his ethical limits. Jimmy, meanwhile, was always bending and breaking the rules. At times, Kim joined Jimmy in crime, absorbing herself, the thrill of a good scam.
But deep down, she always knew she did not want to commit wrongful scams. Their connection kept Jimmy tethered to a decent version of his character, but the pull of Saul Goodman was bound to take over.
When Kim left Jimmy, the absence caused Jimmy mental damage and especially after what happened to Howard Hamlin. The severance of ties with Kim also marked the severance of Jimmy’s last tie to his better self.
When did the law become a joke to Saul Goodman?
Jimmy’s career was never a cakewalk — it was always like an uphill battle. Even sticking strictly to the law, working within the system, the legal community never accepted him.
He was suspended from practicing law, but after a reinstatement hearing drama, Jimmy was pushed towards embracing a persona where he didn’t need acceptance. Therefore, we had Saul Goodman, the version of Jimmy that is anything but meek.
This was not rebellion — it was a rightful reinvention. As Saul Goodman, he could just use every tool he knew as a conman and still be accepted. This changed Saul. He didn’t ask for respect — he grabbed it. He earned a fortune through scams. His cheap suits, the loud commercials, and the low-rent clientele weren’t mere decorations — they were his armor.
The game changed with the cartel
The world of law pushed him up to a certain place in life. But the encounter with the cartel completely rewrote his character and career, from a shady lawyer to an underworld fixer. His legal expertise once saved underdogs, but now it has become a tool for criminals.
Once he became Saul, he consciously got involved with notorious people like Lalo Salamanca, which eventually put him in life-or-death situations. Soon, Jimmy was laundering money for the cartel, and he frequently got engaged with infamous figures like Mike Ehrmantraut and Gus Fring.
At this point, even the viewers know that a transformation has taken place and that there is no returning from this place in his life as Saul Goodman. Through his character, and the clever surname ‘goodman,’ the show tries to invoke a deep reflection on questions of identity and survival.
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Also read: Breaking Bad callbacks to The Godfather that most fans never caught
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