About

That Goomba Looks So Serene is a catchphrase used in a series of memes based on a clip of Elephant Mario kicking a sleeping Goomba in a clip from the upcoming 2023 Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In the memes, screaming sounds and other sound effects are added as Goomba flies into the sky.

Origin

On June 21st, 2023, Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros. Wonder was unveiled during a Nintendo Direct broadcast. In one part of the presentation, Mario turns into Elephant Mario upon gathering a pick-up item, runs up to a sleeping Goomba as a talking flower comments "This Goomba looks so serene." Mario then kicks the Goomba into the sky, as the flower concedes "Well then" (shown below). The broadcast accumulated over 1.5 million views on YouTube^[1] in five days, while a shorter trailer with the clip received over 7 million views on Twitter.^[2]

This Goomba looks so serene! Well then.

On June 21st, 2023, Twitter^[3] user @FunnyBoiJulius posted the earliest found edit in which a scream sound effect was edited upon the moment when Goomba flies off the screen. The tweet (shown below) gained over 50 retweets and 210 likes in five days.

“That Goomba Looks so serene.” pic.twitter.com/2pLRa8Dh6G

— FunnyBoiJulius (@FunnyBoiJulius) June 21, 2023

Spread

Starting on the same day, more users on YouTube and Twitter posted similar edits, adding various sound effects to the moment when Goomba flies away. On that day, YouTube^[4] user Nonevanity posted a Brap edit that received over 48,000 views in five days (shown below, left). Also that day, YouTube^[5] user KALEEB posted a version that earned over 38,000 views in the same period (shown below, right).

The meme format maintained popularity on YouTube through late June 2023, with multiple versions posted during that period.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References