What's The 'Leave Me Alone' Meme From 'Akira?' Who Started It And How Did It Go Viral?

The famous anime movie Akira has been long overdue for a trending meme template, finally coming to fruition this month with the viral "Leave me alone!" The meme is simple. It shows the film's protagonist having flashes of his future. However, meme creators have started inserting their own humorous visions instead.

It's been going viral on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, among other platforms, but where did it start and how can you make a meme using the format? Let's explain.

What's The Original 'Leave Me Alone' Scene From Akira?

Back in 1988, the anime film Akira was released, based on the precursor manga series under the same name. If you're unfamiliar with the film, it takes place in a futuristic and dystopian version of Tokyo where a member of a biker gang named Tetsuo Shima transitions into a telekinetic beast.

The "Leave me alone" meme comes from the English-dubbed version of the film in a scene where Tetsuo is having flashes to his chaotic future. He grabs his head and screams, catching his balance on a nearby wall.

Who Started The 'Leave Me Alone' Meme From Akira?

Although the movie Akira predates the modern internet, a loyal online fanbase for it has blossomed over the years. This, in turn, led to the "Leave me alone" scene being used in memes in early 2023.

Currently, the first known meme to use the scene was uploaded by YouTuber Aeinzalot on December 23rd, 2022. This original rendition flashed a purple image of the Handheld Pupper, who's also known as Geeble due to the popularity of the recent Alienposting trend. It's ultimately unclear if the YouTuber is the meme's original creator, but they are currently the first discovered uploader.

The aforementioned video started to make the rounds on social media, being reposted elsewhere and going viral. In turn, the meme format blossomed across the web, ranging from Tumblr to the depths of iFunny.

What Is The Akira 'Leave Me Alone' Meme Template?

Since the meme format has become commonplace, many are wanting to make a meme of their own, inserting their favorite image macro into the flash-forwards of Tetsuo. Luckily, there are plenty of greenscreen templates to exploit.

For the full history of "Leave me alone" from Akira, be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.