TikTokers have revived two ancient meme characters that are over a decade old as the hottest new object-labeling format on social media.

The memes revolve around a 2011 art piece showing Nyan Cat flying away from Tac Nayn and are being used to represent an intrusive thought, bad urge or something else negative that might haunt you.

But who made the Nyan Cat vs Tac Nayn art, how did the meme get started and what song is it set to? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Nyan Cat vs. Tac Nayn' Meme?

For those who don't know, Nyan Cat is an animation of a cat with a poptart body flying through space and leaving behind a trail of rainbows.

When it dropped in April 2011, Nyan Cat quickly became one of the biggest memes of all time. That same month, a reverse meme to Nyan Cat called "Tac Nayn," meant to be an evil counterpart to Nyan Cat, also went viral.

In August 2011, DeviantArt user jrbarker immortalized the rivalry between the two cats in a piece of art known as "Nyan Cat vs. Tac Nayn," which shows Tac Nayn chasing Nyan Cat.

This art would largely live in obscurity until March 2025, when TikToker @iamaunicorn_xo posted a version of it set to "Hero" by Skyper captioned, "how it feels having friends who are lowkey haters." The meme gained millions of views in two weeks and sparked a trend on the platform shortly after.

How Is 'Nyan Cat vs. Tac Nayn' Used In Memes?

As a meme, the exploitable Nyan Cat vs. Tac Nayn artwork is used as both an image macro and an object-labeling format.

Some of the most viral examples of the meme feature labels on each cat. Tac Nayn is often used to represent an urge, intrusive thought or something else negative that Nyan Cat is then trying to escape.

The meme became increasingly popularized in the last two weeks of March 2025 and has continued to grow in early April. It's even spread outside of TikTok to sites, including Instagram and Reddit, where it's steadily becoming more prevalent for a wide array of jokes.

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For the full history of Nyan Cat vs. Tac Nayn, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.