PDF download Download Article
Meme expert Tobi Nwodo shares some of the most iconic characters from memes
PDF download Download Article

While some of your favorite characters may be best known for their roles in books or movies, we’re here to talk about characters who became iconic as memes. Whether they started as comic series protagonists or MS Paint drawings, these 29 characters have gained widespread recognition as hilarious memes. We partnered with a meme expert to help us create this breakdown of 29 of the funniest meme characters and their origin stories.

Funny Meme Characters

Meme expert Tobi Nwodo says that some of the most iconic meme characters include Gigachad, Quandale Dingle, Doge, Nyan Cat, Trollface, and Big Chungus. Meme characters have a range of origin stories, but they mostly come from webcomics, popular cartoons and movies, and social media posts of humorous, niche illustrations.

1

Pepe the Frog

PDF download Download Article
  1. Pepe the Frog is an anthropomorphic frog from Matt Furie’s comic series, Boy’s Club. Pepe has been around since the early 2000s, and many internet users still use reaction photos like “Feels Good Man,” Angry Pepe, and Sad Frog.[1]
    • Origin Story: Matt Furie created Pepe the Frog along with 3 other teenage monster characters named Brett, Andy, and Landwolf for his 2004 comic series. Hopefully Pepe’s anthropomorphic buddies don’t resent his rise to fame—we’re sure he remembers the little people.

    Meet the wikiHow Expert

    Tobi Nwodo, aka Hyperstrides, is an influencer and content creator with over 600,000 followers across YouTube and TikTok. His videos usually cover topics like internet culture, memes, trends, and slang.

  2. Advertisement
  1. Meme Man is a 3D rendering of a human head and the mascot of the Facebook page, “Special meme fresh.” He typically shows up in absurd and surreal memes with misspelled words, like stonks memes with Meme Man in front of the stock market.[3]
    • Origin Story: Meme Man’s earliest rendition appeared in the Facebook group, “Special meme fresh,” in 2014. His 3D head originates from a 4chan board and spread through Facebook, Tumblr, and Reddit.
  2. Advertisement
4

Trollface

PDF download Download Article
  1. Trollface is an MS Paint illustration meant to represent internet trolls. The image is used to depict characters as trolls in rage comics, or for users to call themselves or others a troll.[4]
    • Nwodo says that classic memes like Trollface have endured for so long “because they became part of internet culture as a whole.” He adds that the meme community frequently references old memes, which “adds to their popularity and makes sure they’re never forgotten.”[5]
    • Origin Story: An Oakland-based artist named Carlos Ramirez originally drew Trollface as part of an MS Paint webcomic to poke fun at internet trolls.
  1. Doge is a Shiba Inu giving an infamous side eye. Nwodo says that he’s a classic and iconic meme character.[6] Doge has widespread popularity on Tumblr, where the Shiba Inu appears with comic sans captions representing its inner monologue.[7]
    • Origin Story: The word “doge” as a misspelling of dog comes from a 2005 episode of Homestar Runner’s puppet show. But the iconic Shiba Inu we all know and love is a 2010 image of Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Satu’s rescue dog, Kabosu.
  2. Advertisement
  1. “Gigachad” is, essentially, the ultimate (or at least stereotypical) specimen of masculinity. The meme is based on pictures of the Russian model Ernest Khalimov, but the term can be applied to anyone—as long as they’re a muscular male with a square jaw and piercing eyes.[8]
  1. Dat Boi is a 3D rendering of a unicycling frog. He often appears with the catchphrase, “Here comes dat boi!” Dat Boi has multiple Facebook pages dedicated to him, plus music videos on YouTube.[11]
    • Origin Story: Dat Boi the frog first appeared on the Facebook page, “Fresh Memes About the Mojave Desert and Other Delectable Cuisines,” in 2016 and originates from the Animation Factory Essential Collection 3. However, the name Dat Boi and the catchphrase “here comes dat boi” predated the image on FunnyJunk and Tumblr.
  2. Advertisement
8

Distracted Boyfriend

PDF download Download Article
  1. Distracted Boyfriend is a stock photo of a man checking out another woman to the dismay of his presumed girlfriend. This meme has taken on endless variations, with users often using it to illustrate things that distract them.
    • Origin Story: The image of Distracted Boyfriend was taken by photographer Antonio Guillem and posted to iStock in 2015. The first captioned version appeared in a Turkish Facebook group in 2017.[12]
9

Big Chungus

PDF download Download Article
  1. Nwodo says that Big Chungus is one of the most classic and iconic memes.[13] It’s an image of an overweight Bugs Bunny, and it can be used for anything. It’s a versatile and silly meme that doesn’t really mean anything.
    • Origin Story: In the 1941 Looney Tunes episode “Wabbit Twouble,” Bugs Bunny expands his body to make fun of the portly Elmeer Fudd. In 2018, screenshot of the moment was captioned with Big Chungus, and the new meme was created.
  2. Advertisement
11

This is Fine Dog

PDF download Download Article
  1. This is Fine Dog is a seemingly nonchalant anthropomorphic dog in a room engulfed in flames. Perfect for users in denial, This is Fine Dog can be applied to any situation where things feel out of control but you want to keep your cool.
    • Origin Story: This meme comes from K.C. Green’s 2013 Gunshow comic titled “The Pills are Working,” or “On Fire.” The entire comic features the dog expressing his acceptance of the situation, even as he melts from the fire.[15]
  2. Advertisement
13

Mocking SpongeBob

PDF download Download Article
  1. Mocking SpongeBob is a screen capture from the show SpongeBob Squarepants of SpongeBob acting like a chicken. Also known as SpongeMock, Mocking SpongeBob is used to mock opposing opinions or perspectives.
    • Origin Story: This image comes from a 2012 episode of SpongeBob Squarepants called “Little Yellow Book,” when Squidward finds out that SpongeBob acts like a chicken when he sees plaid. It first appeared as a meme on Twitter in 2017 with the caption “How I stare back at little kids when they stare for too long.”[18]
  2. Advertisement
14

Disaster Girl

PDF download Download Article
  1. Disaster Girl is a smirking little girl photoshopped in front of various disasters. Placing her at the scene of catastrophes, users typically use Disaster Girl to demonstrate their or someone else’s role in some sort of mishap.
    • Origin Story: Disaster Girl’s original disaster scene was a burning house. The picture of the little girl, Zoe, was captured by Dave Roth in 2005 during the local fire department’s live drill. Roth uploaded the picture to Zoomr in 2007 with the title, “Firestarter.”[19]
15

2-Eyed Mike Wazowski

PDF download Download Article
  1. 2-Eyed Mike Wazowski is Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc. with Sulley’s face photoshopped onto his. It is a popular reaction image, often used to express disapproval.
    • Origin Story: This meme is from a still of Mike and Sulley in the 2002 movie Monster’s Inc. In 2019, a Facebook user uploaded the still with Mike and Sulley’s faces swapped, and in the following days a cropped version of just Mike gained popularity.[20]
  2. Advertisement
16

Shrek Oop Face

PDF download Download Article
  1. Shrek Oop Face is the character Shrek making a surprised facial expression with an extreme side eye. Users primarily use this meme to express surprise or speechlessness about controversial social media opinions.[21]
    • Origin Story: Shrek is the titular character in the 2001 film, Shrek. The oop face screen capture features him making a shocked expression to Donkey and began circulating as a reaction meme in 2014 on a FunnyJunk forum.
17

Chill Guy

PDF download Download Article
  1. Chill Guy is a nonchalant, smirking anthropomorphic dog with his hands in his pockets. Chill Guy, also known as “My New Character,” is used to show a casual attitude regardless of the situation at hand.
    • Origin Story: Chill Guy first appeared on X in 2023 from user @PhillipBankss, who drew the character and added the caption, “My new character. His whole deal is he’s a chill guy that lowkey doesn’t give a f*ck.”[22]
  2. Advertisement
18

Evil Kermit

PDF download Download Article
  1. Evil Kermit, or Constantine, is a Kermit the Frog lookalike in a dark cloak talking to regular Kermit. Constantine is Kermit’s nemesis, and the still of the two of them talking is often used to depict users’ inner monologue about their secret impulses.
    • Origin Story: Kermit the Frog was created by Jim Henson, and this screen capture comes from the 2014 musical comedy, Muppets Most Wanted. The scene first appeared as a meme on Twitter in 2016 with the caption, “me: sees a fluffy dog / me to me: steal him.”[23]
19

Yutaro Katori (Is This a Pigeon?)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Is This a Pigeon features anime character Yutaro Katori gesturing to a butterfly asking if it’s a pigeon. This screen capture has been popularized as a reaction image to make fun of users’ blatantly incorrect assumptions and to express confusion.
    • Origin Story: Yutaro Katori is a character from the 1990s Japanese series, The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird. The “is this a pigeon?” quote comes from Season 1, Episode 3 and was uploaded on Tumblr as a meme for the first time in 2011.[24]
  2. Advertisement
20

Rick Astley (Rickrolling)

PDF download Download Article
  1. Rick Astley sings the song, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which has become part of an ongoing internet bait and switch prank called Rickrolling. Users post a hyperlink to a supposedly relevant topic, but it redirects to the music video starring Rick Astley.
    • Origin Story: Rick Astley released “Never Gonna Give You Up” in 1987. The first Rickroll was allegedly in 2006 when YouTuber Erik Helwig prankcalled a radio station and played the song.[25]
21

Lisa Simpson’s Presentation

PDF download Download Article
  1. Lisa Simpson’s Presentation is a screen capture of Lisa Simpson presenting a blank screen. Users photoshop text onto the screen to share their hot takes in meme format.
    • Origin Story: Lisa Simpson is a character in the animated series, The Simpsons. The presentation screen capture is from the 2001 episode, “Bye, Bye, Nerdy,” when Lisa gives a presentation on the history of bullying.[26]
  2. Advertisement
22

Pointing Spider-Man

PDF download Download Article
  1. Pointing Spider-Man is an image of 2 people in a Spider-Man costume pointing at each other in shocked recognition. It usually appears with a caption poking fun at 2 similar people meeting, or as a reaction meme when somebody says something the user already agrees with.
    • Origin Story: This particular Spider-Man is from the 1960s Spider-Man cartoon. The meme comes from the 1967 episode, “Double Identity,” where a villain impersonates Spider-Man. It began to spread as a meme in the 2010s.[27]
23

Sitting Wolf

PDF download Download Article
  1. Sitting Wolf is a contemplative werewolf staring forlornly into the distance. Also known as Lone Wolf or Emo Wolf, the Sitting Wolf meme is used to parody deep thoughts and ironize things users might be sad about.
    • Origin Story: Sitting Wolf was created by DeviantArt artist WolfRoad in 2015, when it immediately began to spread as a meme with inspirational quotes in Spanish. It became more widespread with English captions in 2022.[28]
  2. Advertisement
24

Quandale Dingle

PDF download Download Article
  1. Nwodo says that Quandale Dingle is one of the most iconic meme characters.[29] The memes usually feature images of a Black man with hunched posture and a distorted nose, and they’re captioned with “updates” on what Quandale has been up to.
    • Origin Story: It all started when someone shared a computer login screen with the name “Quandale Dingle.” People started posting pictures of distorted faces that were supposedly of Quandale (who is apparently a real person), and a new meme was born.[30]
25

Bad Luck Brian

PDF download Download Article
  1. Bad Luck Brian is a blond, teenage boy with braces. Users add captions to his photo to describe embarrassing and unfortunate circumstances.
    • Origin Story: Bad Luck Brian’s real name is Kyle Craven, and the meme is his 7th grade yearbook photo. His friend, Ian Davies, first posted it as a meme on Reddit in 2012 with the caption, “Takes driving test / Gets first DUI.”[31]
  2. Advertisement
26

Patrick Bateman Walking

PDF download Download Article
  1. Patrick Bateman Walking is a video of Patrick Bateman solemnly walking through his office while the Katrina and The Waves song, “Walking on Sunshine,” plays over his headphones. Users have edited this clip to play at various speeds, with different songs, and to portray Bateman in different videogame settings.
    • Origin Story: Patrick Bateman is the main character in the 2000 psychological thriller, American Psycho, which features Christian Bale as Bateman, a serial killer. This clip became a meme in 2020 when X user @LaidBackTeaTime posted the video with a different song and the caption, “Wow he is literally me…”[32]
27

Surprised Pikachu

PDF download Download Article
  1. Surprised Pikachu is a closeup of Pikachu making a stunned facial expression with his mouth agape. It has been used as a reaction meme for users to express their shock at the predictable consequences of their actions.
    • Origin Story: Pikachu is a character from the anime series, Pokémon. This screen capture comes from Season 1, Episode 10, titled “Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village.” Surprised Pikachu became widespread as a meme after a Tumblr user popokko posted it as a reaction to breaking something that they tried to forcibly bend.[33]
  2. Advertisement
  1. Labubus are collectible monster toys that are frequently used as charms on handbags and backpacks. They have been the source of inspiration for various memes that typically involve users making fun of the online obsession with the toy.[34]
    • Origin Story: Labubu is actually a fictional character from Kasing Lung’s 2015 children’s stories, The Monsters. The Chinese company, How2Work started selling Labubu toys the same year, but they did not spark the internet craze until 2024 when K-Pop star, Lisa from BLACKPINK posted one on her Instagram story.[35]
29

Woman Yelling at Cat

PDF download Download Article
  1. Woman Yelling at Cat is an image of a crying woman being restrained as she seemingly points at a confused cat. The image of the woman and the cat have repeatedly been paired as a reaction meme format to express disapproval, even though they are not actually related.
    • Origin Story: The woman in the photo is Taylor Armstrong from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The screen capture is from a 2011 episode where Armstrong cries during an argument and has to be restrained and calmed down. The cat, Smudge, was introduced to the meme in 2019 when Twitter user @MISSINGEGIRL paired the images.[36]
  2. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

You Might Also Like

Iconic Memes60 Popular Memes That Defined a Generation
Funniest Looking Cartoon CharactersFunniest Looking Cartoon Characters: 30 Iconic Goofballs
Meme QuizName the Meme Quiz
Funniest Cartoon Characters56 Hilarious Cartoon Characters from TV & Movies
Most Popular MemesThe Top 30+ Memes of 2025
Funny Hear Me Outs30 Unhinged & Funny “Hear Me Out” Characters
SadgeWhat does Sadge Mean?
Famous Bald CharactersFamous Bald Characters (Who Make the Chrome Dome Look Cool)
MonkawWhat Does "MonkaW" Mean on Twitch?
Hear Me Out CharactersWild Hear Me Out Character Ideas To Use On Your “Hear Me Out” Cake
Cursed Emojis39 of the Best Cursed Emojis to Post Online
Big Nose Characters50 Famous TV and Cartoon Characters With Large Noses
Funny Tattoo IdeasThe Funniest Tattoos to Make People Laugh
Crazy Hear Me OutsThe Craziest & Most Embarrassing Hear Me Out Characters
Advertisement

References

  1. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pepe-the-frog
  2. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/wojak
  3. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meme-man
  4. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/trollface
  5. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  6. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  7. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/doge
  8. https://en.meming.world/wiki/Giga_Chad
  9. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  1. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  2. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/dat-boi
  3. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/distracted-boyfriend
  4. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  5. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/arthurs-fist
  6. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/this-is-fine
  7. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  8. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/nyan-cat
  9. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mocking-spongebob
  10. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/disaster-girl
  11. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/mike-wazowski-sulley-face-swap
  12. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/shrek-meme-face
  13. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/just-a-chill-guy-my-new-character#fn1
  14. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/evil-kermit
  15. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/is-this-a-pigeon
  16. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/rickroll
  17. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/lisa-simpsons-presentation
  18. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/spider-man-pointing-at-spider-man
  19. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sitting-wolf
  20. Tobi Nwodo. Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert. Expert Interview
  21. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/quandale-dingle
  22. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/bad-luck-brian
  23. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/patrick-bateman-walking
  24. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/surprised-pikachu
  25. https://www.buzzfeed.com/arsheenkaur44/labubu-memes-and-tweets-are-still-going-strong-and-these
  26. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/subcultures/labubu-toys
  27. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/woman-yelling-at-a-cat

About This Article

Tobi Nwodo
Co-authored by:
Meme, Brainrot, and Slang Expert
This article was co-authored by Tobi Nwodo and by wikiHow staff writer, Samantha Fulton, BA. Tobi (Hyperstrides) Nwodo is an influencer and content creator based in Los Angeles, CA. Tobi first got his start making videos about gaming and Fortnite, and later transitioned into commenting on internet culture, memes, trends, and slang. He has over 9 years of social media experience. His videos aim to educate and entertain his audience of over 600k followers across YouTube and TikTok, and he can be seen breaking down brain rot characters or explaining the newest memes or slang. Tobi is currently studying business at the University of Southern California.
How helpful is this?
Co-authors: 3
Updated: March 18, 2026
Views: 474
Categories: Internet Memes
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 474 times.

Is this article up to date?

Advertisement