The State I Found Bro In memes show someone carrying another as though they’re emerging from battle. Inspired by anime series Tokyo Ghoul and brought to life by creators online, this meme is for the moments when you or your bro have been through it and need that support to make it to the end.
Meme basics:
- Meme Creator: @razorfuzze/TikTok
- Meme Type: Exploitable, Macro, Catchphrase
- First Appearance: Oct. 2023
- Origin Source: TikTok
- Peak Popularity: February 2024
Origin and context
Various movies and TV shows have drawn on moments where someone emerges triumphantly from a battle or an intense event carrying someone in their arms cradle-style (also known as bridal-style).
A moment from a season two episode of the anime Tokyo Ghoul featuring Kaneki carrying a fatally injured Hide. It began being used in memes in October 2023.
It became paired with a rising catchphrase, The State I Found Bro In. The phrase is meant to be paired with an image that depicts someone in a particular state relative to what they had been through or experienced.
The phrase’s earliest appearance seems to be from @krackedclub, in a tweet that reads, “‘Bro I can handle a severely mentally ill women’ the state I found bro in.”
Meme spread and variations
@vuwumy version
Because of its association with the Tokyo Ghoul moment, many people who recreate the moment for content do so in the snow to get the full effect.
!['the state i found bro in after listening to frying pan asmr vid [it should have been me]'](https://uploads.dailydot.com/2025/01/the-state-i-found-bro-in-5.jpg?auto=compress&fm=pjpg)
The meme received a viral boost in February 2024, when @vuwumy recreated the Tokyo Ghoul moment, with the same song in the background.
The since-deleted TikTok version went viral in and of itself, creating another variation of the meme.
The State I Found Bro In: Sleepy Scrooge
Another popular variation of the meme pairs The State I Found Bro In with the sleepy Scrooge meme. The meme features a tired-looking man wearing an Ebenezer Scrooge Costume. He also holds a cable up, as if he is trying to see. The costume is a nightgown with an old-school nightcap.
Meme examples
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