The “my new character” meme went viral on X in 2023 and has now begun circulating on TikTok, where netizens have even started to cosplay as the trend’s ‘chill guy.’
TikTokers have grown increasingly interested in the “my new character” meme, causing it to go even more viral than it already was.
Originally, the meme, which is artwork of a dog with a human body, was shared on X in 2023 by user ‘PhillipBankss.’ The artist claimed that this was a design of his new character, describing him as a “chill guy that lowkey doesn’t give a f*ck.”
The character in question resembles Arthur from the iconic ‘90s cartoon, as well as Charlie from the animated adult series Smiling Friends.
my new character. his whole deal is he's a chill guy that lowkey doesn't give a fuck pic.twitter.com/aUAb7yFJpJ
— philb (@PhillipBankss) October 4, 2023
It wasn’t long before the ‘chill guy’ exploded in popularity. Fans of ‘my new character’ even created an enemy of his known as “my old character,” who is said to be more serious, unchill, and way less cool.
Individuals have also begun cosplaying as ‘my new character,’ leading TikToker Noah Glenn Carter to believe there might be quite a few folks dressing up as the character for Halloween this season.
While there are many viral examples of the ‘my new character’ meme, some of them had a bit more exposure than others.
TikToker ‘zoxwoxington’ went viral this September for the ‘my new character’ video they put together. During this, the character could be seen in a field with the sun shining down on him. The character then gave life advice by suggesting that viewers chase “the thing that lights you up.”
TikTok user ‘judddddddde’ went as far as dressing similarly to ‘my new character.’ “Today’s fit inspired by my new character, his whole deal is he’s a chill guy that lowkey doesn’t gaf,” the TikToker said.
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“I could only dream of being as chill as him, tho,” he added.
‘Chill guy’ creator to “take down” people using it for profit
While almost everybody is now using the chill guy meme, from average social media users to major global brands, the creator has requested that people credit him when they use the character.
He has also threatened to take down people using it to gain a profit. “Just putting it out there, chill guy has been copyrighted… I’ll be issuing takedowns on for-profit related things over the next few days.”
He added: “Not like brand accounts using him as a trend … mainly unauthorized merchandise and s**tcoins.”
not like brand accounts using him as a trend, that's kinda something i dont really care about (i do just ask for credit. or xboxes.). mainly unauthorized merchandise and shitcoins
— philb (@PhillipBankss) November 21, 2024
Since the meme started going viral, there has been an alternative crypto coin created called ‘Just a chill guy’ that has reached a market cap of over $400m, which is likely what Banks is referencing.
While the ‘my new character’ meme continues to soar online, there are plenty of other memes that have also recently gone viral.
There’s the ‘humans saw this’ meme, where TikTokers insert critical thought into a backdrop of a beautiful landscape. And, there is even a platform within the platform called ‘GifTok’ for memes that are made with gifs.