Was That A Better Call Saul Reference In Attack On Titan's Latest Episode?
Hit anime series "Attack on Titan" is currently in the midst of its fourth and final season, the first half of which aired through the beginning of 2021, before the series took an extended break, restarting in January 2022 (via IMDb). As with previous seasons, this final batch of "Attack on Titan" episodes is proving to be highly popular among viewers, as evidenced by Season 4 Part 1 winning anime streaming service Crunchyroll's annual Anime of the Year award for 2021.
While much has changed in the world of "Attack on Titan" since its first season, still at the series' core are its titular titans. When the titans are introduced in Season 1, they're brainless, lumbering giants that subsist on eating living humans. "Attack on Titan" manga author Hajime Isayama once revealed that he came up with the idea for his titans after witnessing the behavior of a drunk person at an internet cafe. Their inability to communicate served as the basis for his humanoid monsters.
In Season 4 Episode 24, which aired on February 13, one particular titan became a subject of fan speculation online, after viewers began to notice its resemblance to "Better Call Saul" protagonist Saul Goodman.
Fans think this titan looks like Saul Goodman on purpose
On February 13, shortly after the premiere of Season 4 Episode 24, Twitter user @Xemmypoo posted "They put Bob Odenkirk in Attack on Titan," comparing an image from the "Attack on Titan" manga to a screencap of that afternoon's episode, both of which feature a titan with a face similar to that of "Better Call Saul" protagonist Saul Goodman (portrayed by Bob Odenkirk). In response, user @Sex_PistoIs wrote "This is what I've been waiting for since S4 came back," suggesting that they anticipated this titan to show up in the anime based on its prior manga appearance.
In fact, Reddit user balticago started a thread on the "Attack on Titan" subreddit titled "This titan looks exactly like Bob Odenkirk" in October of 2021 consisting solely of a similar picture of the Saul Goodman titan's manga debut. At that time, user MatemanAltobelli responded, "It's supposed to be him," proposing that their resemblance is no coincidence. User herrsebbe elaborated further, recounting how "It's very likely intentional, since other famous actors, memes and characters pop up too. Off the top of my head, Nicholas Cage and a good chunk of the Game of Thrones cast appear as titans too. One of the Marley generals is clearly Mads Mikkelsen."
The Saul Goodman titan's recent appearance in the "Attack on Titan" anime is arguably even more timely now than it was in the manga, with "Better Call Saul" Season 6 currently on the horizon.