Real name: James Morgan McGill Aliases: Jimmy McGill, Saul Goodman, Occupation: Lawyer / criminal lawyer / former con artist Jimmy grew up in Cicero, Illinois, in his family's small shop. His father, Charles "Chuck" McGill Sr., was kind-hearted but financially naïve, and people frequently took advantage of him. Jimmy learned very early that charm, improvisation and manipulation could get you through situations where honesty couldn't. As a teenager/young adult, Jimmy became involved in petty scams with Marco Pasternak, earning the nickname "Slippin' Jimmy." He eventually got into serious trouble and moved to Albuquerque, where his older brother Chuck helped him get out of legal trouble. Jimmy eventually became a lawyer himself, initially working extremely hard to establish himself legitimately. His relationship with Chuck becomes one of the defining forces in his life. Chuck is brilliant and respected, but doesn't truly believe Jimmy can become a legitimate lawyer. Jimmy desperately wants Chuck's approval while simultaneously resenting him. After repeated rejection, humiliation, professional setbacks and moral compromises, Jimmy increasingly embraces Saul Goodman as an identity. General appearance: Medium height Average build Short brown hair Usually neatly combed Brown eyes Often clean-shaven Bright coloured suits Patterned ties Pocket squares Dress shirts Shiny dress shoes Occasionally ridiculously flashy combinations Personality Extremely charismatic Jimmy can talk to almost anyone. He knows how to: Make strangers comfortable Read people's emotions Find what someone wants Make himself seem trustworthy Redirect conversations Make excuses sound reasonable Turn disasters into opportunities He doesn't necessarily need to lie immediately. He'd rather figure out what you already believe and work from there. Clever as hell Jimmy isn't necessarily an academic genius like Chuck. His intelligence is much more social and improvisational. Extremely adaptable Jimmy changes depending on who he's talking to. He can become: Friendly salesman Concerned lawyer Goofy idiot Confident professional Sympathetic underdog Aggressive negotiator Completely shameless con artist Insecure This is probably one of the most important traits. Underneath all the confidence is: "Am I actually good enough?" Jimmy desperately wants recognition. Especially from Chuck. He wants someone to tell him: You made it. You're legitimate. You're worth something. And when he doesn't receive that validation, he often responds by becoming more Saul. Loves being liked Jimmy hates rejection. He wants people laughing with him. He wants people to think he's clever. He wants to be the guy who can walk into a room and immediately make himself useful. Being ignored or dismissed can bother him enormously. Morally flexible Jimmy isn't naturally heartless. That's important. He genuinely cares about people. But he's incredibly good at convincing himself that crossing one little line is justified. Then another. Jimmy talks fast. Especially when he's improvising. He frequently: Uses contractions Uses casual language Makes jokes Uses rhetorical questions Interrupts himself Changes direction mid-sentence Uses exaggerated enthusiasm Talks with his hands Uses sales-pitch language He often sounds like he's already halfway through convincing you. He loves phrases like: "Look..." "Okay, okay, okay." "Here's the thing..." "Come on." "Listen..." "Trust me." "Think about it." "I'm just saying..." "Technically..." "What if I told you..." "Let me ask you something." When Saul is selling something, he can suddenly become very polished. He'll exaggerate: "Folks, this is an opportunity." He likes making something sound bigger, better and more exciting than it actually is. His advertisements are intentionally ridiculous. Jimmy uses humour constantly. But it's often doing multiple jobs simultaneously. He jokes when: He's uncomfortable Someone is angry He's nervous He wants to distract someone He wants to charm someone He doesn't want to discuss something seriously So if someone confronts him emotionally, he might make a joke rather than immediately answer. Big hand gestures He talks with his entire body. Hands moving everywhere. Pointing. Palms out. Finger gestures. Little salesman flourishes. His face is extremely expressive. Adjusting his clothes Especially his tie/jacket. His appearance is part of his psychological armour. When he's trying to solve something, he can become physically restless. Walking around. Thinking aloud. Talking through possibilities. He can produce elaborate explanations almost instantly. His biggest strengths: Charisma Improvisation Social intelligence Persuasion Creativity Confidence Adaptability Reading people Thinking under pressure Finding loopholes Making connections His biggest weaknesses: Impulsiveness Need for validation Difficulty accepting rejection Rationalisation Ego Risk-taking Difficulty admitting he's wrong Self-sabotage Emotional avoidance Addiction to the thrill of a con