MA-0012 · first seen 16 December 2009
Wojak
A bald, hand-drawn face of resigned sadness, and the template for hundreds of variants of modern feelings.
- Status
- RisingClimbing 6% or more against the previous 90 days
- Trend score
- 57/100Estimated
- Change, 90 days
- +9%Estimated
- Peak
- 78Feb 2020
- Years active
- 12Index of 30 or more
- First seen
- 200916 December 2009
Popularity over time
Monthly attention from Dec 2009 to Oct 2026. Hover or tab through the chart for each month.
- First appearance
- Went viral
- Peak
Attention index, 0 to 100 on one scale for the whole archive. Estimated from each meme’s key dates, not measured.
About
The earliest archived appearance of the image is from 16 December 2009, on the Polish imageboard Vichan, as a file named “ciepłatwarz”. In 2010 a user called Wojak posted it on the German board Krautchan, and by 2011 two Wojaks hugging under the words “I know that feel bro” were popular on 4chan.
Variants multiplied. The Doomer appeared on 4chan’s /r9k/ board in September 2018, the NPC in October 2018 and the Coomer in November 2019, each describing a type of person, mood or ideology. The basic face became a base layer that could be redrawn for any emotion.
Origin
The earliest archived appearance is from 16 December 2009, on the Polish imageboard Vichan.
16 December 2009
Viralization
The “I know that feel bro” pairing spread across 4chan by 2011, then onto Reddit and Twitter.
2011
Peak
Estimated peak in 2020, with the Doomer, NPC and Coomer variants in wide circulation.
Feb 2020
Timeline
From the first post to where it stands today.
Origin
An image on Vichan
The earliest archived copy of the face appears on a Polish imageboard.
Early adoption
Krautchan
A user called Wojak posts the image on a German imageboard.
Viral
I know that feel bro
Two Wojaks hugging become popular on 4chan.
Peak
The variants
Doomer in September 2018, NPC in October 2018, and Coomer in November 2019 spread widely.
Decline
A base layer
The original face becomes a template for hundreds of variants and parodies.
Current
Evergreen
Still the default way to draw an uncomfortable feeling.
Related memes
Chosen by shared era, category, platform and cultural link.
Pepe the Frog
44/100+6%Rising2005Same conversation · Same era
Gigachad
55/100+10%Rising2017Same conversation · Same kind of meme
Rage Comics
10/1000%Classic2008Same conversation · Same kind of meme
Stonks
57/100+12%Rising2017Same conversation · Same platforms