How Did This Jojo Line Go Viral? 'My Name Is Yoshikage Kira' Explained

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a cult classic manga and anime. It is known for its incredibly iconic main characters and even more iconic villains for every part. One such villain who has also been an incredibly prominent character in meme culture is Yoshikage Kira, the main villain of part four of the anime, Diamond Is Unbreakable.

But why is this character so popular in memes? And how did his monologue turn into such an iconic copypasta? Here's everything you need to know.

What Is Jojo's Bizarre Adventure?

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese Manga and Anime series created by Hirohiko Araki. As of today, there are nine parts to the Jojo franchise and several animated and video game adaptations. The series has also had an incredible cultural and online impact, especially when it comes to memes. Some examples of memes include the "It just works" meme (shown below, left) and the Dio walk (shown below, right).

Jojo's cultural significance is also seen in its massive cult following. It is currently the second-longest-running manga series run by Shueisha, the publisher of Jump Comics. The series is also constantly mentioned in various other mangas and animes, whether it's through a direct reference a sudden change in art style, or other forms of shoutouts.

Who Is Yoshikage Kira?

Yoshikage Kira is the main antagonist of the fourth part of the Jojo series, Diamond Is Unbreakable. The origin of the meme comes from chapter 345 of the manga, which was released on January 1st,1994. Throughout the chapter, Yoshikage enters a lengthy monologue about his personal life, explaining his daily routine, hobbies and interests (shown below).

My name is Yoshikage Kira. I'm 33 years old. My house is in the northeast section of Morioh, where all the villas are, and I am not married. I work as an employee for the Kame Yu department stores, and I get home every day by 8 PM at the latest. I don't smoke, but I occasionally drink. I'm in bed by 11 PM, and make sure I get eight hours of sleep, no matter what. After having a glass of warm milk and doing about twenty minutes of stretches before going to bed, I usually have no problems sleeping until morning. Just like a baby, I wake up without any fatigue or stress in the morning. I was told there were no issues at my last check-up. I'm trying to explain that I'm a person who wishes to live a very quiet life. I take care not to trouble myself with any enemies, like winning and losing, that would cause me to lose sleep at night. That is how I deal with society, and I know that is what brings me happiness. Although, if I were to fight I wouldn't lose to anyone.

How Is His Line Used In Memes?

In memes, Yoshikage's monologue is often used as a copypasta, particularly in the anime community, but it has also spread since then in a variety of different formats and different takes. On May 28th, 2016 an anonymous user on 4chan combined the monologue from American Psycho with Yoshikage's monologue. (shown below)

On August 27th, 2016, Redditor Commanderofpie posted the monologue in the /r/copypasta subreddit (shown below). The meme would then get more traction in the following months as a prominent copypasta in the anime community.

For the full history of Yoshikage Kira's famous line, check out Know Your Meme's full encyclopedia entry for more information.