3D Saul Goodman
Also known as: Saul Goodman 3D · 3D Saul
3D Saul Goodman is a viral video meme featuring a crudely rendered 3D model of Saul Goodman's head from *Better Call Saul* and *Breaking Bad*, bobbing and rotating on screen while a bass-boosted version of the show's theme song plays. The original clip was posted to YouTube in October 2021 by creator Itsnickford and quickly became an exploitable video template, spawning hundreds of edits throughout early 20221.
Overview
The meme centers on a 3D-rendered model of Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk's character from *Breaking Bad* and *Better Call Saul*) that zooms aggressively toward the camera, rotates, and moves around the screen. The animation is intentionally rough, not a polished CGI render but a low-fidelity model that looks like it was thrown together in Blender on a lunch break. This crudeness is the point. The clip plays over the *Better Call Saul* opening theme, usually bass-boosted to distortion3.
What makes it hit is the intensity. The 3D head zooms in with weirdly aggressive determination, like a lawyer who's about to make you an offer you can't refuse4. The gap between the show's serious, Emmy-nominated drama and this goofy floating head broke people's brains in exactly the right way4.
On October 17, 2021, YouTuber Itsnickford uploaded a video titled "Saul Goodman 3D" to YouTube2. The clip showed a 3D rendering of Saul Goodman's head zooming in and out of the foreground and moving around the screen, set to the *Better Call Saul* TV series theme song. The video picked up over 818,000 views within five months of posting2.
The video was reportedly created as a test or a piece of random 3D art, not a deliberate attempt at making a meme template4. But the internet grabbed it and ran.
Origin & Background
How It Spread
Media
How to Use This Meme
The 3D Saul Goodman video works as a punchline or reaction clip. Common uses include:
- Staring contests or face-offs: Edit 3D Saul alongside another character for a confrontation (like the Peternity x Patrick Bateman edit) - Entrance music: Drop the clip into a video when someone does something sketchy, legally dubious, or suspiciously smooth, as if Saul Goodman is arriving to represent them - Audio reaction: Use the bass-boosted *Better Call Saul* theme as a standalone audio cue in edits, often paired with other visuals - Remix template: Swap in different 3D character heads (like the Hank Schrader variant) using the same rotating-head format
The format typically works best when the 3D head appears suddenly and aggressively, matching the original's in-your-face energy.
Cultural Impact
Fun Facts
The original video by Itsnickford was reportedly just a 3D rendering test, not an intentional meme.
The comedy of the format relies on the contrast between *Better Call Saul*'s serious, award-winning reputation and the absurdity of a janky 3D head floating at you.
The r/okbuddychicanery subreddit, where much of the *Breaking Bad* meme culture lives, also produced the "Kid Named Finger" meme, which makes absolutely no sense and is beloved for exactly that reason.
Urban Dictionary's top definition for "3D Saul Goodman" leans heavily into hyperbolic praise, calling the 3D lawyer capable of giving "an immediate orgasm no matter your gender or race".
Derivatives & Variations
3D Hank Schrader (Sussy Baka):
YouTuber Smoah created a 3D Hank Schrader variant speaking the "Sussy Baka" Dean Norris quote, gaining over 41,700 views[2].
Simplified/Low-Def Saul:
Smoah also posted a deliberately lower-quality version of the 3D Saul model that became popular in its own right, hitting 224,000 views[2].
Staring Contest Edits:
The Peternity edit pairing 3D Saul against Patrick Bateman spawned a subgenre of character face-off videos[2].
Frequently Asked Questions
References (4)
- 1List of films with post-credits scenesencyclopedia
- 23D Saul Goodman - Urban Dictionarydictionary
- 33D Saul Goodman - Know Your Memeencyclopedia
- 4