What Is The 'Angry Dr. Mario' Meme And Where Did It Come From? The Viral AI-Generated Meme Explained

Dr. Mario is the biggest meme on X / Twitter right now, but he's not exactly happy about it. This week, an angry Dr. Mario face has blown up as the latest viral redraw meme and it's all thanks to an AI-generated video offering a funny look into the character's origin story. Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Angry Dr. Mario' Meme?

On May 14th, 2024, a Mario-related Instagram meme page posted an AI-generated slideshow video offering a comedic, very non-canon look at Dr. Mario's origin story. In the story, Luigi comes down with a serious illness, inspiring Mario to go through medical school to heal him. The path isn't easy, though, and in one frame, Dr. Mario looks downright angry.

This frame stuck out to viewers and went viral after an X user reposted it to the site. The post went viral, inspiring a lot of viewers to run with it and turn the angry Dr. Mario face, along with several other frames, into memes.

How Is 'Angry Dr. Mario' Used In Memes?

The video's virality on X inspired a wave of memes referencing the video. Some users began sharing various screenshots from the slideshow, such as one showing Luigi in a hospital bed or one where Dr. Mario holds a giant pill. Others took things a step farther and began redrawing the angry Dr. Mario's face in a variety of styles.

One of the most ambitious examples imagines angry Dr. Mario in an anime style. Another user put in the effort to recreate the entire AI-generated video in the video game Garry's Mod, resulting in a surprisingly high-quality meme. It's not every day you get to see Mario angry, so people are taking their chances and running with it.

i recreated this entire meme in GMod without AI https://t.co/l437iSFInf pic.twitter.com/aiTUkz8Ccl

— HondaNSXR (@Honda_NSXR) May 15, 2024

For the full history of angry Dr. Mario, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.