The Good Guy Putin meme is a popular derivative of the Good Guy Greg advice animal series. It features a specific photograph of Vladimir Putin looking pleasant or approachable, used to depict the Russian leader performing acts of exaggerated kindness or mundane helpfulness. The humor typically stems from the irony of portraying a powerful and often controversial global figure in the role of a laid-back, 'good guy' neighbor. The format first surfaced around 2011 on platforms like Reddit and Quickmeme, gaining traction as users applied the wholesome 'Good Guy' formula to various world leaders for comedic effect.