Who Is 'Contestant Number 42' And Why Are People Calling Him A 'Mr. Beast Villain?' Viral TikToker 'Merch6903' Explained

TikTokers have picked a new villain to celebrate on the app and this time, he comes from a MrBeast video. Contestant number 42, a 42-year-old man named Jimmy Merchel, spent most of the game mercilessly eliminating contestants and he's become the subject of edits because of it. But what exactly makes him a villain? Here's what you need to know.

Who Is 'Contestant Number 42?'

On April 20th, 2024, a new MrBeast videos was released on YouTube titled "Ages 1 – 100 Decide Who Wins $250,000." In the video, 100 people ranging in age were locked in cubes with only a bed and challenged to stay in the cubes as long as possible to win $250,000. Throughout the game, Mr. Beast presented numerous challenges and sums of money to try and get people to leave for smaller sums of cash.

Contestant 42 repeatedly refuses to leave for anything less than the grand prize. At one point, Mr. Beast has players spin a wheel and decide whether or not to eliminate another player. Number 42 continually convinces Number 43 to eliminate other players, including an 11-year-old, telling 43, "Now is not the time to develop a heart." He later loses the game after failing another challenge that would have won him a separate $250,000 prize.

How Is 'Number 42' Discussed Online?

The way Number 42 convinced Number 43 to eliminate several other contestants, including an elderly person and a crying 11-year-old, just by talking to her, struck some viewers as particularly devious. His determination to win was seen as villainous by some, who began posting edits of Number 42 on TikTok, touting him as the ultimate Mr. Beast villain. Many of these videos are made in celebration of the contestant, with people seeing him as evil in an endearing way.

Shortly after the episode was uploaded, Number 42's TikTok page, @Merch6903, was found. He gained over 100,000 followers in the two days following his MrBeast appearance and his videos skyrocketed in views. He also hopped on TikTok LIVE to discuss the game and the edits, thanking everyone for the support and for "making him famous" and expressing some frustration over the loss, but ultimately taking it well.

For the full history of Number 42, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.