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Who Or What Is 'Gwimbly'? The Forgotten '90s Video Game Mascot From 'Smiling Friends' Explained
A character introduced in the latest episode of the Adult Swim cartoon Smiling Friends has caused a ruckus online among both artists and video game fans. Introduced as the washed-up protagonists of a formerly popular '90s video game, Gwimbly is portrayed as a well-meaning weirdo who has fallen on hard times after being out of work for decades.
Many internet users are drawing parallels between Gwimbly and the Ubisoft character Rayman, joking about how Ubisoft became successful due to the success of Rayman but never revisited the IP again.
Gwimbly's disheveled and downright dirty appearance seen in contrast to his compelling backstory has inspired internet users to flesh out his past for him, with artists making fan art and memes about his glory days. Here's a quick look at Gwimbly, the internet's favorite video game character that never existed.
Who, Or What, Is Gwimbly?
Gwimbly is a character from the Adult Swim cartoon Smiling Friends, a '90s video game hero who has fallen on hard times. He made his debut on April 1st, in an episode titled, "Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition DX 4K (Anniversary Director’s Cut)."
In the episode, Pim tries to help Gwimbly better his life after seeing the forgotten video game hero resort to doing Cameos for a living. Pim takes him to the CEO of Insane Groundbreaking Games, the person who holds Gwimbly's IP rights, but their appeal for a new Gwimbly game is shot down by a CEO more concerned with "DLC and microtransactions."
Why Did Gwimbly Go Viral Online?
Many video game fans and artists were drawn to Gwimbly's character design and backstory, with some internet users drawing parallels between Gwimbly and a '90s game called Rayman. The game was created by Ubisoft, but some would even say that Ubisoft was actually created by Rayman, given that it was the company's first hugely successful project. But, like Gwimbly, Ubisoft has not released new Rayman material for decades.
Smiling Friends had to have been referencing Rayman and Ubisoft with this line right? pic.twitter.com/pb8hECqDBI
— Rayman for Smash Together (@RaymanForSmash) April 3, 2024
Soon after the episode's release on April 1st, fans began making fan art of Gwimbly and his in-show video game, as seen in a post by Redditor /u/baphylamb, who posted a mockup of a Gwimbly video game box cover to /r/SmilingFriends on April 2nd.
Gwimbly became a notably popular character among Smiling Friends fans online, inspiring fan art and memes that month. For example, on April 2nd, 2024, Redditor u/baphylamb posted a mockup of a Gwimbly video game box cover to /r/SmilingFriends,[1] garnering over 220 upvotes in two days (shown below).
What Are Some Memes And Fan Art Inspired By Gwimbly?
On April 3rd, X user @psychicpebble posted an animation joking about Gwimbly's "obscure DS game," complete with an honorary mention of Gwimbly's signature catchphrase, "Ooh ooh oooh!"
who remembers Gwimbly's obscure DS game? 🤔#smilingfriends @psychicpebble pic.twitter.com/dySfQItjl2
— violet! 🐝 (@violxiv) April 3, 2024
Later that day, X users @giacomobonus and @Droilius posted pieces of fan art depicting Gwimbly concept art as it might look for a '90s video game.
X user @SamE8189 even posted a piece of art depicting Gwimbly in the style of a '90s television cartoon, writing, "While I never really played any of his games, I loved watching Gwimbly in his old cartoon show."
Who Is Daniel Larson And Why Are People Comparing Gwimbly To Him?
Daniel Larson is a TikTok lolcow who has drawn comparisons with Gwimbly. Redditor /u/passivewithdesire made a post to a subreddit dedicated to Larson, writing, "I got major daniel larson vibes from gwimbly in last night’s episode of smiling friends, even when he films the live, it’s very daniel-esque."
What Is 'Gwimbly's Iconic Victory Dance' And How Did It Become A Meme?
"Gwimbly's Iconic Victory Dance," also known as "Ooh Ooh Ooh," originates from a scene in the same episode as his debut in which Gwimbly performs his iconic victory dance. After saying, "Well I don't do my iconic victory dance for nothing. Okay, I guess just this once I can do it for nothing," the scene became the basis for memes. The episode quickly spawned memes featuring Gwimbly's dance animation, which spread as a green screen format on platforms like TikTok.
@igreenscreenthings Iconic Victory Dance | Smiling Friends | Green Screen #smilingfriends #adultswim #smilingfriendsadultswim #dance #victory #meme #memecut #fyp ♬ Iconic Victory Dance – I Green Screen Things
@bebopsloan this is a self callout #bebopsloan #vrchat #virtualreality #theblackcat #vrchatcommunity ♬ Iconic Victory Dance – I Green Screen Things
For the full history of Gwimbly, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.
