The Shocked Pikachu aka Surprised Pikachu meme, explained

Pikachu’s gobsmacked expression is almost universally relatable. Given the longevity of the Pokemon series, it’s not a huge surprise that Pikachu has been the star of many memes. But if you’ve ever wondered about the origins of the now-viral Surprised Pikachu meme (or Shocked Pikachu meme, if you prefer), we’ve got you covered. 

Here’s everything you need to know.

Where did the Surprised Pikachu meme come from?

The Surprised Pikachu/Shocked Pikachu meme came from the original Pokemon anime, which first aired in 1997. The cartoon was a hit, following protagonist Ash Ketchum on his journey to become the best there ever was.

What Pokemon episode is Surprised Pikachu from?

The image of Pikachu, however, was taken during an earlier season of the show. According to ScreenRant, during the tenth episode, titled Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village, Ash and his partner Misty are trying to catch Bulbasaur. At first, our two heroes don’t have much luck and Bulbasaur easily fights them back.

Our titular characters were shocked by this turn of events. And Pikachu—visible in the bottom right corner of the screen—is seen making the face from the meme. Within the context of the episode of course, he’s meant to be experiencing genuine shock. 

When did the meme become popular?

Though its origins date back to the ’90s, Shocked Pikachu didn’t make its appearance on the internet until 2018. According to Know Your Meme, a Tumblr user, named Angela, is the brainchild behind the meme. 

Angela said that her love for Pokemon gave birth to Shocked Pikachu. In an interview, Angela said that she rewatched the original Pokemon and noticed that the character “looked a bit… off.” She then started screen-grabbing scenes of Pikachu and other Pokemon that confirmed that suspicion.

The Pikachu picture, she said, was posted as a reaction to a joke about purposefully bending an object that you knew would break if you bent it. Her post—with the added picture—went viral, and the rest is history.

How the Shocked Pikachu meme grew beyond Tumblr

The meme is everywhere nowadays; one TikTok user even got a tattoo of it. Surprised Pikachu has been spotted on social media platforms like Facebook, X—formerly known as Twitter—Reddit, and TikTok.  

In 2019, the Surprised Pikachu meme was so popular that it reached the point of suspension. In March of that year, an X user reported that posting the meme could get users suspended for gore. 

According to GAMERANT, another X user was allegedly suspended earlier this year for posting the same photo. 

How do people use the Surprised Pikachu meme?

The meme is most commonly used to express the feeling of being amazed or surprised at something that should have otherwise been obvious. Here are some more recent examples:

Surprised Pikachu is a versatile meme used to convey both harsh realities and inevitable consequences.

Regardless, Pikachu’s expression is universally relatable—which is likely part of the reason it went viral to begin with. 

The Shocked Pikachu meme is a testament to the internet’s power in all things viral or business branding. Nonetheless, it probably isn’t going away anytime soon—so it doesn’t hurt to know its origins and how to use it properly.

Surprised Pikachu template:

Editor’s note: This article is regularly updated for relevance.

Related memes:

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• The ‘Sad Hamster Meme’ is TikTok’s adorable new way of expressing their inner feelings
• Magical Harry Potter memes

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