Wojak
The foundational 'Feels Guy' — a simple crying face that became the most versatile meme template on the internet.
A simple bald figure, often pensive or crying, representing emotional vulnerability online. Has spawned a vast ecosystem of character variants — Doomer, Boomer, Zoomer, NPC, Chad, Virgin — each serving as a distinct internet archetype with its own community and meaning.
History
The original Wojak image is attributed to a user on European imageboards, spreading to the German imageboard Krautchan around 2010. The name is derived from a Polish word. The 'Feels Guy' variant became the universal internet expression of sadness.
Cultural scores
Editorial estimates of cultural weight — Current Popularity tracks how much people are posting about this now, not historical fame.
Current Popularity = how actively people are posting about this today. Influence = lasting footprint. Cringe = online reception. Brainrot = absurdist energy. Scores last reviewed 2026-07-25. How scoring works
Timeline
~2010
Original Wojak image appears on European imageboards
2011–2013
'Feels Guy' becomes the default expression of internet sadness
2016–2018
First wave of variants emerge: Doomer, Boomer, Zoomer, NPC
2019–2022
Wojak template explodes — Chad vs Virgin, Coomer, Trad Wife, and countless more created
2023+
Remains one of the most actively used meme templates on the internet
Examples
- “Doomer Wojak staring into the void at 3am”
- “NPC Wojak — blank expression, repeated canned dialogue”
- “Chad vs Virgin — the foundational Wojak comparison format”
Media
The NPC Wojak variant — a major offshoot that later inspired NPC streaming culture.
Related entries
Culturally linked — not random recommendations.
Trollface
MemeThe smirking face of internet trolling — the default symbol for 'you've been tricked' across early internet culture.
Pepe the Frog
MemeThe most versatile meme character in internet history — from webcomic frog to cultural icon to political controversy to ongoing reclamation.
Doomer / Bloomer
MemeWojak variants for pessimism (Doomer) and optimism (Bloomer) — internet archetypes for nihilism vs. choosing to improve.
Soyjak
MemeThe open-mouthed, excited Wojak variant — Soyjak — used to mock over-the-top enthusiasm and the endless Wojak derivative wars.
Virgin vs Chad
MemeThe Wojak comparison panels pitting a nervous Virgin against a confident Chad — internet archetyping turned into a meme factory.
NPC
SlangCalling someone an NPC means they seem scripted, basic, or incapable of original thought — like a background video-game character.
References
Sources behind this entry. Prefer primary reporting and established culture archives over rumor.
- Wojak — Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org