About

Aura Monster or Subaru Walking Up Stairs, also known as Subaru Stairs Meme and Re:Zero Stairs Meme, refers to a meme based on a scene featuring the character Subaru Natsuki from the anime and light novel series Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World. The meme spread across platforms such as TikTok and Reddit in 2025 and 2026, where the scene was frequently reposted and remixed.

Due to the meme's virality in the mid-2020s, the staircase scene became one of the most widely edited and shared images connected to Re:Zero prior to the release of the corresponding anime episodes, where the manga arc takes place. The nickname "Aura Monster" eventually became an informal fandom label for Subaru in relation to the specific scene.

Origin

The meme originates from promotional artwork and illustrations connected to Arc 6, also known as the "Pleiades Watchtower arc," which was adapted from the manga in the anime series' fourth season. The original image depicts Subaru Natsuki walking up a staircase during a climactic moment, adapted from Chapter 42 of the web novel.

Before the anime adaptation aired in May 2026, official light novel illustrations of the scene circulated widely online among fans of the series.

Fan animators later recreated the still image as short animated clips inspired by stylized "aura" edits similar to those associated with the animated series Invincible.

On November 16th, 2024, YouTuber^[1] @imjsnw uploaded a video titled "Re:Zero Fan Art Animation【MMV】," which featured the animation of Subaru walking up the stairs. The video received over 1.1 million views in less than two years. The animation would later become the primary source for later edits.

Spread

On August 1st, 2025, TikTok^[2] user @memzir uploaded a clip of the video with a caption about a family function. The video received over 1.1 million views and 87,200 likes in about 10 months.

On September 23rd, 2025, YouTuber^[3] @haihuynh7484 uploaded an edit utilizing the fan animation set to the song "PRETTY BOY V3" by Tuxy Music, which would become closely associated with the meme and character Subaru Natsuki. The video has received over 1.9 million views in under seven months.

On November 9th, 2025, TikTok^[4] user @conupon uploaded a video of an animated crossing sign with the "PRETTY BOY V3" song playing in the background and the video description "subary," signaling to the meme's ubiquitous nature and instant recognizability. The video received over 10.8 million views and 1.5 million likes in a bit over six months.

As the edits became increasingly ironic, the phrase "Aura Monster" became closely associated with the staircase scene and Subaru, despite the original context of the moment being serious within the story itself.

On December 22nd, 2026, TikTok^[5] user @justasollyguy uploaded an edit of the animation with one of the first instances of the "Aura Monster" title being given to Subaru. The video received over 257,100 views and 10,600 likes in less than five months.

The meme saw a resurgence in 2026 following the release of Re:Zero Season 4, which features the now iconic scene in full animation.

On May 2nd, 2026, TikTok^[6] user @lvs_79 posted a video commenting on the fact that the episode depicting the stair scene, which had yet to air, already has a 10-star rating on IMDb. The video received over 2.4 million views and 296,200 likes in less than two weeks.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References