Breaking Badis widely regarded as one of the best television shows ever made, which meant that when the prequel seriesBetter Call Saulwas announced, it had an almost impossible standard to live up to. Somehow,Better Call Sauldid just that, building upon established canon in satisfying ways while carving out its own unique place in the franchise.
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Much of this success comes down to Bob Odenkirk’s portrayal of Jimmy McGill, one of the funniest, sleaziest, most cunning, and most touching characters to appear on TV. His dialog plays a huge role in his popularity thanks to the exceptional writing inBetter Call Saulas well as Odenkirk’s performance. Here are the character’s best quotes throughout the series.
Updated on June 05, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:Vince Gilligan has done it again. Not only has he created a show that can be considered a worthy accompaniment to the brilliance of Breaking Bad, but many people would argue that Better Call Saul even transcends the quality of its predecessor by being consistently brilliant and free of the minor faults that plagued Breaking Bad early on in its run. The main character himself, Saul Goodman, is one of the best parts of the show. His complex personality bleeds through each and every scene he’s featured in, and here are some of the best dialogues this amazing character says throughout the series.
15"…This Time, It Will Be Too Much. And You Will Die There. Alone."
Saul shares a complex dynamic withhis brother, Chuck McGill. Initially looking up to his brother as a role model, Jimmy’s perception of his near-perfect brother is shattered when it’s revealed that his brother was impeding his entry into this profession all along.
This causes a new wave of hatred to rise up in Saul, blaming Chuck for most of the bad and unfortunate things that have happened in his life. It’s a sad turn of events, causing Jimmy to spew out hateful things on Chuck’s face time and time again.
14"No Wonder Rebecca Left You! What Took Her So Long?!"
During their legal and personal battles,Chuck manages to con Jimmy into admitting that he had edited the Mesa Verde papersto make Chuck look bad. This came during a heartfelt moment where Jimmy genuinely felt that Chuck and he had finally made a positive stride in their relationship.
This betrayal hurts Jimmy, who goes out of his way to go to Chuck’s house and yells a bunch of spiteful insults at him after his brother doesn’t let him enter the house. Of course, it’s also oddly poetic to see Jimmy at the receiving end of a con after carrying out so many of his own.
13"For Ten Minutes Today, Chuck Didn’t Hate Me. I Forgot What That Felt Like."
Regardless of the history Chuck and Jimmy share, there’s no denying that the latter still looks back fondly on the fun times he shared with his elder brother. This is precisely what makes their conflict so hard to watch, given how much of an impact this tiff has on Jimmy.
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He utters this telling line to Kim when she asks if he’s okay. It’s a moment that humanizes Jimmy’s character and shows the audience that his feelings about his brother are more complex than they may seem on the surface.
12"Getting Arrested — That Makes People Look Guilty, Even The Innocent Ones And Innocent People Get Arrested Every Day."
This is a dialogue said by Jimmy in the very first episode and gives a great glimpse into his character early on. He strives to become a lawyer for noble reasons while also trying to avoid the sins of his past.
Given how many brushes he’s had with the law, it’s easy to see why Jimmy feels this way. In his mind, he’s also one of the people that the law might portray as guilty when he genuinely believes he’s anything but a bad man.
Better Call Saulis a show with impeccable dialogue. The fact that this dialogue manages to be clever and funny at the same time is a hallmark of good writing that Vince Gilligan and the team working onBetter Call Saulshould be proud of.
Even something as simple as a bad lawyer joke sounds like absolute gold when coming out of Jimmy’s mouth. Context makes everything, and it’s the way Bob Odenkirk delivers this dialogue that makes it so memorable.
10"S’all Good, Man."
With three words, Jimmy McGill names his show and seals his fate. Prequels often struggle with how much exposition to include, neither wanting to bore viewers already familiar with the original nor exclude viewers who are brand new to the series.“S’all good, man,” is the perfect solution.
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The quote comes in an understated moment, with Jimmy giving his new name as Saul Goodman and offering, “S’all good, man,” as the only justification. ForBreaking Badfans who know just what kind of lawyer Saul Goodman will be, it’s a dark glimpse of things to come.
9"FYI, Old People Adore Me."
To win in court, it always helps for a lawyer to have charm. That’s good news for Jimmy, because he has plenty of it, even if his charm is mixed with sleaze and has plenty of hidden motives. There are definitely those who see through his act or don’t appreciate what he’s selling. Senior citizens are the exception.
For whatever reason, Jimmy knows exactly how to charm and amuse them, a plot device that’s been used in some ofthe show’s best episodes.Given how often Jimmy needs to manipulate someone into getting what he wants, this is actually a useful skill,and it’s one that’s gotten Jimmy out of jams on numerous occasions throughout bothBetter Call SaulandBreaking Bad.
8"He’s Actually–Believe It Or Not–Somewhat Taciturn."
Breaking Badcreated tons of memorable characters, whether they were at the center of the action or merely bit players who popped up once and then disappeared again.One of the most memorable is highly-skilled career criminal Mike Ehrmantraut.
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“Look,” Jimmy says at one point, “don’t let Mr. Ehrmantraut’s dancing eyes and bubbly bon vivant personality fool you. He’s actually–believe it or not–somewhat taciturn.” This quote is one of Jimmy’s best because of how understated the joke is. Mike is deadpan even in the most extreme situations, including during murders, so of course, a comedian like Jimmy can’t help but poke fun at him.
7"Hail Satan. I Submit To The Dark Side."
“Hail Satan. I submit to the dark side,” is Jimmy’s response when asked by Chuck if he is working on a case or Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill. Jimmy’s relationship with the firm is thorny, to say the least, and when forced by necessity to work with HHM,Jimmy can’t help but acknowledge how ugly a business that is.
Quotes like this one put Jimmy’s sarcasm on full display, letting him attack the very decisions he’s endorsing. Jimmy isn’t dumb, and he understands the drawbacks and risks of even his best ideas, so when it comes to joining forces with HHM, he has to fire the shot.Better Call Saulmighttake inspiration from cinema,but its humor is all its own.
6"Perfection Is The Enemy Of Perfectly Adequate."
Better Call Saulexpands upon the universe established inBreaking Badin fantastic ways, swelling the already huge and talented cast with another fine addition: Chuck, Jimmy’s troubled older brother. Jimmy and Chuck rarely see eye-to-eye, and the tension between them is one of the best parts of the series.
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It’s to Chuck that Jimmy says, “Perfection is the enemy of perfectly adequate,” andthe statement says so much not only about the brothers' relationship and their differences but also Jimmy’s worldview.Jimmy is a man of tremendous talent who hasn’t always had much to show for his skills and intelligence, so the struggle between perfection and mere adequacy is always in the back of his mind.
