In a rare display of cross-platform clarity, the internet has come together to name and meme a specific flavor of social media brainrot known as "The Goomba Fallacy."

Coined in early 2024, it's what happens when someone encounters two conflicting opinions online and assumes they must come from one person or one community.

They then decide the whole platform is stupid, except for them, the sole beacon of logic in a sea of contradictions. But for reasons unknown, visual shorthand for this delusion features a trio of befuddled Goombas.

Yes, the squat, brown and mushroom-like enemies from Super Mario have now been repurposed as mascots highlighting poor media literacy.

So, where did this meme originate anyways, and why did the creator use Goombas to make their point? Here's the origin of "The Goomba Fallacy" meme.

Where Did the Goomba Fallacy Originate?

Back in January 2024, X user @infrarogue89 posted a tweet about how game journalists criticize Palworld, calling it plagiarism and a soulless cash grab, but defend The Last of Us: Remastered, even though it is the same game with slightly different graphics.

A day later 2024, X user @NopeSignal posted a comic about how the aforementioned tweet just didn't make sense, showing two people posting contradicting takes on Twitter, and a third person, confused and condescending, concluding that "everyone is stupid except for me."

Three days later, @supersylvie_ quote-tweeted the meme but with Goombas instead of Wojaks. "What if instead of wojaks they were something cool like goombajaks and looked like this," they wrote, inadvertently introducing a graph that would soon define a genre of internet exasperation.

How Did the Goomba Fallacy Meme Spread?

From its humble X origins, the Goomba Fallacy spread across platforms with surprising speed. On May 20th, 2024, @SuperSquidoodle reposted the image on X, declaring it had "irreversibly changed" how they interpret online arguments, and 30,000 others agreed.

Tumblr picked it up in July of 2024, with the user @thejonymyster using the meme to illustrate a post about how perceived hypocrisy on the internet is often just two people disagreeing.

By October, Tumblr user @catboypalug stated that the meme had "codified" a new internet term. But even as late as April 2025, creators like @CaptainClaood had to make explainer videos for internet users who couldn't quite understand the meme's confusing layout, even beyond Goomba usage.

https://t.co/y8pHIn5TuI pic.twitter.com/3W8JUL5p00

— Claood (@CaptainClaood) April 25, 2025

What Are Some More Examples Of The 'Goomba Fallacy' Meme In Use?

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