Who Is 'Waltuh' And Why Is He So Popular?

Who Is ‘Waltuh?’

He's the ultimate strong and silent type: the fixer and hitman with a heart of gold who accompanies Walter White down into the darkness of the meth trade. Mike Ehrmantraut, played by Jonathan Banks, is one of the most memorable onscreen presences in the Breaking Bad universe. But he has become something quite different online this summer.

Where Did ‘Waltuh’ Come From?

The phrase first began circulating on 4chan in 2018, as users parroted the way actor Jonathan Banks says the name “Walter.” Banks’ character, Mike Ehrmantraut, says the name Walter a lot because the main character of Breaking Bad is Walter White. Fans of Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad prequel, developed a particularly notable fixation on the character.

Is Mike Ehrmantraut In Other Memes?

Mike’s memorable face, along with several remarkable quotes said by the character, have entered into a variety of memes that had little to do with fictional drug manufacturers in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mike Ehrmantraut became a scolding, sullen presence in anime meme circles, often placing punchlines in previously-established memes. Perhaps his strong, authoritative old man energy serves as a humorous contrast with the chicanery and tomfoolery on anime meme forums.

Users on Reddit also meme about Mike being named "Finger," deconstructing a meme trend based on a pun. Originally, Kid Named X memes poked fun at daily phrases (see below):

But Mike was soon renamed Finger in a variety of other non-punning memes. Perhaps this was because his bald head reminds people of a fingertip, or just because of how weird a sound “finger” is when you repeat the word several times.

Growing out of the overall Mikeposting trend, the phrase "Put your dick away, Walter" came from an online poster doing an imitation of Ehrmantraut telling Walter White they’re not going to have sex.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7122186696262765870

The dialogue never appeared in the show, but has popped up everywhere from YouTube to TikTok to Instagram.

How Do You Use A ‘Waltuh’ Meme?

There seem to really be no clear rules about how, when or whether to utilize a ‘Waltuh’ meme. However, a common thread seems to be that ‘Waltuh’ memes do best when they are about something as far away as possible from the Mike Ehrmantraut character and the Breaking Bad universe.

The man’s name is not Finger, not even the thirstiest fanfictioneers would ever seriously ship him and Walter White and his vibe is the exact opposite of an anime girl’s. And yet, many dank Mike Ehrmantraut memes get a lot of mileage from these themes.

Why Is ‘Waltuh’ So Powerful?

A big reason why Waltuh may be so powerful is because the character has been kept alive for many years. At this point, a lot of people kind of grew up with him: the first episode of Breaking Bad where Mike appeared aired in 2009, and the last season of Better Call Saul wrapped up this summer. That makes thirteen years of ‘Waltuh.’

And if the memes continue at the rate we're seeing them now, we may have thirteen more to look forward to.