Actress Bella Ramsey as the protagonist Ellie in HBO's The Last of Us (TLOU) TV series now has a few "iconic" lines as the show concludes its second season.

One of them is "I'm Gonna Be a Dad," which has sparked numerous memes and discussions since the episode aired in late May 2025.

Depending on who you ask, the line is either great television or an abomination. A middle ground is hard to come to for these two parties currently reacting to the moment online, as he dialogue has many fangirling over Ramsey, while others are cringing hard.

The polarizing reaction gets to the heart of why the show's season two has caused the uproar that it has, which is mostly aimed at the young actor playing Ellie.

Let's explain what's going on and why the "I'm Gonna Be a Dad" scene has become a meme lately.

What's The 'I'm Gonna Be A Dad' Scene And Episode?

The "I'm Gonna Be a Dad" scene comes from the fourth episode of season two of TLOU, titled "Day One." It involves the character Dina, portrayed by actress Isabela Merced, telling Ellie, portrayed by Bella Ramsey, that she's pregnant with another character named Jesse's baby.

Ellie takes the news well, saying, "I'm gonna be a dad," because she and Dina have recently been getting "closer."

Where Did The 'I'm Gonna Be A Dad' Meme Come From?

After the episode aired, some viewers, however, did not enjoy the scene. In one tweet, a Twitter user showed in-game Ellie and Dina holding an Asian baby with the scene's line as the caption. "Don’t put game Ellie here with that trash dialogue," one user replied.

The user was expressing frustration with what they deemed to be bad writing — and they were not alone. However, the conversation quickly turned to "woke" and "anti-woke" discourse.

Identity politics aside, the TV scene differs from what happened in the real The Last of Us video game series when Dina told Ellie she was pregnant. In-game, Ellie was shocked by the announcement and didn't immediately embrace the fact. This seemed to frustrate nnumerous long-time fans of the franchise.

What Are Some More 'I'm Gonna Be A Dad' Memes?

The uproar over the "I'm Gonna Be A Dad" scene has led to memes that have combined with the general disdain for actress Bella Ramsey among many online. The pushback has been brewing across the internet since the start of the second season.

While many enjoy Ramsey's portrayal of Ellie, others are not captivated by her onscreen presence or her character's actions that sometimes differ from her video game counterpart.

Some of the criticism is constructive, but the most viral criticism has been aimed solely at Ramsey's appearance. "Rather be dead than look like this," wrote a Twitter user in a viral tweet from March.

This history of mocking Bella Ramsey's face is one of the leading themes in the "I'm Gonna Be a Dad" trend, which has appeared across sites like Reddit, 4chan and Twitter.

Some are using AI to make Ramsey into deformed creatures (like Sloth from The Goonies), while others are photoshopping her onto the Kevin James Smirking meme.

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For the full history of I'm Gonna Be A Dad, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.