Arthur Fist

2016Reaction image / image macrosemi-active

Also known as: Arthur Fist · Clenched Fist · Arthur's Fist

Arthur Fist is a 2016 reaction-image meme depicting Arthur Read's clenched fist from the PBS animated series *Arthur*, symbolizing suppressed frustration and bottled-up rage.

Arthur's Fist is a reaction image featuring a close-up screenshot of Arthur Read's clenched fist from the PBS children's show *Arthur*. The image went viral in July 2016 after Twitter user @AlmostJT posted it with a caption about its emotional relatability1. It quickly became one of the defining memes of that summer, spreading across Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram as a universal shorthand for suppressed frustration and bottled-up anger.

TL;DR

Arthur Fist a reaction meme featuring Arthur from the children's show Arthur making an angry, clenched-fist expression.

Overview

The meme uses a single frame from the animated series *Arthur* showing the title character's tightly clenched fist in close-up. No face, no context, just a cartoon aardvark's balled-up hand. That simplicity is exactly what makes it work. Users pair the image with captions describing situations that trigger intense but suppressed irritation, the kind of anger you swallow rather than express10. The format captures a very specific emotional register: not explosive rage, but the quiet fury of biting your tongue when someone repeats your joke louder and gets the laugh, or when a coworker replies "per my last email"12.

The image comes from one of the darkest episodes in the show's history. In "Arthur's Big Hit," Arthur punches his younger sister D.W. after she breaks his model airplane. The clenched fist is the moment right before impact, a freeze-frame of restrained anger about to boil over4. That tension between control and chaos is what gives the meme its punch.

The source image dates back to September 6, 1999, when Season 4, Episode 1 of *Arthur* titled "Arthur's Big Hit" first aired on PBS4. In the episode, Arthur's sister D.W. breaks his Bell X-1 model airplane, and Arthur clenches his fist before punching her off-screen. The episode was notable enough to receive a rare TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence, one of only three *Arthur* episodes to get that classification1.

The scene kicked around YouTube for years as the basis for various YouTube Poop remixes, but the standalone fist image didn't become a meme until July 27, 20169. That's when Twitter user @AlmostJT posted the screenshot with the caption: "This is just a pic of Arthur's fist but idk how I feel that it's just so relatable. So many emotions in one fist"2. The original tweet has since been deleted, but it set off a chain reaction that turned a 17-year-old cartoon frame into one of the year's biggest memes8.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter (viral spread), PBS's *Arthur* (source material)
Key People
AlmostJT, Marc Brown
Date
2016
Year
2016

The source image dates back to September 6, 1999, when Season 4, Episode 1 of *Arthur* titled "Arthur's Big Hit" first aired on PBS. In the episode, Arthur's sister D.W. breaks his Bell X-1 model airplane, and Arthur clenches his fist before punching her off-screen. The episode was notable enough to receive a rare TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence, one of only three *Arthur* episodes to get that classification.

The scene kicked around YouTube for years as the basis for various YouTube Poop remixes, but the standalone fist image didn't become a meme until July 27, 2016. That's when Twitter user @AlmostJT posted the screenshot with the caption: "This is just a pic of Arthur's fist but idk how I feel that it's just so relatable. So many emotions in one fist". The original tweet has since been deleted, but it set off a chain reaction that turned a 17-year-old cartoon frame into one of the year's biggest memes.

How It Spread

Things moved fast after @AlmostJT's tweet. The very next day, July 28, Reddit user axedowg posted the fist image to r/BlackPeopleTwitter with the caption "when people say 'Harambe was just a gorilla,'" pulling in over 4,800 upvotes and 130 comments within five days. That same day, the @Arthur__Hands Twitter account launched, dedicated entirely to posting variations of the Arthur fist.

Media coverage came almost immediately. Paper Magazine and The Daily Dot both published articles about the trend on July 28, 2016. On July 30, another r/BlackPeopleTwitter post showed a photoshop of Arthur's fist punching North Korea, earning over 6,300 upvotes. By August 1, The Verge ran a piece calling it "the best new meme in a long line of Arthur memes," noting that the show had already been deeply embedded in internet culture through accounts like Arthur Scenes and references by Chance the Rapper.

The meme hit peak search interest in early August 2016 according to Google Trends, then dropped sharply before settling into periodic revivals. But it kept finding new life through celebrity adoption. On February 21, 2017, Chrissy Teigen posted an Arthur's Fist joke responding to comparisons between her husband John Legend and the cartoon aardvark, pulling in over 216,000 retweets.

The biggest celebrity moment came on November 7, 2017, when LeBron James posted the clenched fist image to his Instagram with the caption "mood". The timing was suspicious: it came minutes after Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics won their ninth straight game, and James had missed shootaround that morning for a "personal matter." NBA Twitter went wild with speculation. Was LeBron mad about the Cavs' rough start? Was he still stewing over the Irving trade?

James defused things with characteristic nonchalance. "I like Arthur," he told reporters after a win over the Bucks. "That's OK, right?" He then posted a compilation of photos showing himself clenching his fists throughout his career, suggesting he'd meant the fist as a symbol of being pumped up, not frustrated. SB Nation ran a piece speculating that LeBron might not actually understand how memes work, noting that his interpretation was more literal than the internet's typical usage. Draymond Green of the Warriors piled on with a parody post of his own.

On April 25, 2018, Legend leaned fully into the joke by starring in a Google Duo commercial where he tries on outfits for Teigen via video chat, eventually settling on jeans and a yellow sweater (Arthur's signature look). The ad ends with a close-up of Legend's fist, recreating the meme in live action. The video picked up over 19,000 retweets and 50,000 likes. Legend even changed his Twitter bio to "no relation to Arthur".

Platforms

RedditTwitterTumblrFacebookTikTokInstagram

Timeline

1996-01-01

Arthur TV series airs; episode with clenched-fist scene broadcasts

2010-01-01

Image begins circulating on Tumblr as reaction macro

2017-present

Maintains consistent popularity across all platforms

2018-01-01

Arthur Fist reached mainstream popularity and media coverage

2019-01-01

Brands and companies started using Arthur Fist in marketing

2021-01-01

Arthur Fist entered the broader pop culture conversation

2025-01-01

Arthur Fist is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The Arthur Fist format captures moments of suppressed rage — situations where you are furious but forced to keep it together. The key is restraint, not explosive anger.

1

Find or save the screenshot of Arthur's clenched fist

2

Write a caption describing a situation that makes you angry but requires composure (workplace frustrations, family dinners, group projects)

3

Use a pattern like 'When [infuriating thing happens] but you can't say anything' or pair a quote with the fist image

4

Post the image with your caption as a tweet, status update, or group chat reply — no editing of the image needed

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The Arthur Fist meme helped kick off a broader wave of *Arthur* memes that dominated the summer of 2016. The show had already been a quiet presence in meme culture through accounts like Arthur Scenes on Twitter and a brief mention by Chance the Rapper on "Ultralight Beam" (where he rapped "I been this way since Arthur was anteater," incorrectly calling the aardvark an anteater). But the fist meme pushed *Arthur* content into the mainstream meme conversation in a way nothing had before.

The r/BlackPeopleTwitter community played a major role in shaping the meme's early spread and tone. Multiple publications compared the Arthur fist to the Mr. Krabs "confused" meme from SpongeBob, noting that both drew from 90s cartoons and combined nostalgia with flexible emotional range.

Celebrity adoption gave the meme unusual mainstream longevity. LeBron James' Instagram post generated national sports coverage from ESPN and SB Nation. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen turned the Legend-looks-like-Arthur comparison into a running bit that peaked with the Google Duo commercial in 2018. The meme also spawned merchandise including t-shirts and stickers featuring the clenched fist.

Full History

The story of Arthur Fist starts not with the internet, but with a children's show. *Arthur*, based on Marc Brown's book series, premiered on PBS in 1996 and ran for 25 seasons before ending in February 2022. The show followed Arthur Read, a third-grade aardvark navigating school, family, and friendship in the fictional city of Elwood City. It was a staple of '90s childhood, and its wholesome reputation made what came next all the funnier.

The key scene aired on September 6, 1999, in "Arthur's Big Hit". D.W. destroys Arthur's model airplane. Arthur, pushed past his limit, clenches his fist and punches her. It was a shocking moment for the show, and it earned a rare TV-Y7 content rating. But for nearly two decades, the scene was mostly known through YouTube Poop remixes and nostalgic clip compilations.

Everything changed on July 27, 2016, when @AlmostJT tweeted the screenshot. The tweet was simple but struck a nerve. People saw the fist and immediately recognized the feeling it represented: not screaming anger, but the silent, internal kind. Within a day, Reddit's r/BlackPeopleTwitter became ground zero for the meme's spread. User axedowg's Harambe-themed post on July 28 was the first major variation, and it took off. The @Arthur__Hands Twitter feed launched the same day, pumping out dozens of versions.

By late July 2016, mainstream media was paying attention. The Daily Dot wrote that the fist "really says it all," comparing Arthur memes to SpongeBob memes for their blend of nostalgia and flexibility. The Verge noted that *Arthur* had already been "engrained in the pop culture conversation" through other memes and references, like Chance the Rapper name-dropping the character (incorrectly calling him an anteater) in "Ultralight Beam". The Arthur Fist was just the latest and most powerful entry in this lineage.

The meme peaked in early August 2016 according to Google Trends, then dipped, but kept coming back in waves. Its versatility was the key. The simple cartoon fist could be paired with almost any frustrating scenario, and the format required zero design skills. Just add a caption and post.

Celebrity involvement pushed the meme further into the mainstream. On February 21, 2017, Chrissy Teigen posted an Arthur Fist joke responding to people who said her husband John Legend looked like Arthur. Her tweet pulled in over 216,000 retweets. Legend leaned into the comparison. His Twitter bio at one point read "no relation to Arthur". Then on April 25, 2018, Legend starred in a Google Duo commercial where he dressed as Arthur, complete with jeans and a yellow sweater. The ad ended with a close-up of his clenched fist, bringing the meme full circle. It earned over 19,000 retweets and 50,000 likes. Bustle covered the ad, noting that Legend had "a pretty good sense of humor about it".

The LeBron James incident added another chapter. On November 7, 2017, LeBron posted the Arthur fist image to Instagram with the single-word caption "mood". This was during a rocky stretch for the Cleveland Cavaliers, right after Kyrie Irving's Boston Celtics won their ninth straight game. NBA Twitter went wild with speculation. Was LeBron frustrated with his team? Was this a shot at Kyrie? When asked postgame, LeBron gave a deadpan response: "I like Arthur. That's OK, right?". He then posted a compilation of his own fist-pumping photos alongside Arthur's fist, suggesting he meant it as a celebratory gesture. SB Nation ran a piece titled "LeBron James may not understand memes," arguing that LeBron interpreted the fist as pumped-up excitement rather than frustration. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors even poked fun at the whole thing on Instagram.

The meme's format also evolved. While the original was a standalone reaction image, users began adding text overlays, creating photoshopped mashups, and deep-frying the image for ironic effect. SpongeBob's clenched fist became a rival format on r/BlackPeopleTwitter. The Arthur Fist even spawned merchandise: t-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, and phone cases appeared on platforms like Redbubble and Etsy.

Even after *Arthur* aired its final episode in 2022, the meme shows no signs of fading. It still circulates on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram as shorthand for quiet, contained fury. Its simplicity, nostalgia factor, and universal relatability make it one of the rare "evergreen" memes that never really goes out of style.

Fun Facts

"Arthur's Big Hit" was one of only three *Arthur* episodes to receive a TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence. The other two were "Arthur's Underwear" and "Attack of the Turbo Tibble Twins".

The scene that spawned the meme had been used in YouTube Poop remix videos for years before @AlmostJT turned the still frame into a reaction image.

John Legend's Twitter bio at one point read "no relation to Arthur" as a nod to the persistent comparisons.

Chrissy Teigen's Arthur fist tweet about Legend pulled in over 216,000 retweets, making it one of the most viral celebrity uses of the format.

The meme went from a deleted tweet to mainstream ESPN coverage in less than 16 months.

Derivatives & Variations

Text-overlaid versions of Arthur Fist for specific contexts

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Deep-fried and high-contrast versions

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Mashups combining Arthur Fist with other reaction memes

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Side-by-side comparisons using Arthur Fist and other images

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Modified versions with slight color or brightness adjustments

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Frequently Asked Questions

Arthur Fist

2016Reaction image / image macrosemi-active

Also known as: Arthur Fist · Clenched Fist · Arthur's Fist

Arthur Fist is a 2016 reaction-image meme depicting Arthur Read's clenched fist from the PBS animated series *Arthur*, symbolizing suppressed frustration and bottled-up rage.

Arthur's Fist is a reaction image featuring a close-up screenshot of Arthur Read's clenched fist from the PBS children's show *Arthur*. The image went viral in July 2016 after Twitter user @AlmostJT posted it with a caption about its emotional relatability. It quickly became one of the defining memes of that summer, spreading across Twitter, Reddit, and Instagram as a universal shorthand for suppressed frustration and bottled-up anger.

TL;DR

Arthur Fist a reaction meme featuring Arthur from the children's show Arthur making an angry, clenched-fist expression.

Overview

The meme uses a single frame from the animated series *Arthur* showing the title character's tightly clenched fist in close-up. No face, no context, just a cartoon aardvark's balled-up hand. That simplicity is exactly what makes it work. Users pair the image with captions describing situations that trigger intense but suppressed irritation, the kind of anger you swallow rather than express. The format captures a very specific emotional register: not explosive rage, but the quiet fury of biting your tongue when someone repeats your joke louder and gets the laugh, or when a coworker replies "per my last email".

The image comes from one of the darkest episodes in the show's history. In "Arthur's Big Hit," Arthur punches his younger sister D.W. after she breaks his model airplane. The clenched fist is the moment right before impact, a freeze-frame of restrained anger about to boil over. That tension between control and chaos is what gives the meme its punch.

The source image dates back to September 6, 1999, when Season 4, Episode 1 of *Arthur* titled "Arthur's Big Hit" first aired on PBS. In the episode, Arthur's sister D.W. breaks his Bell X-1 model airplane, and Arthur clenches his fist before punching her off-screen. The episode was notable enough to receive a rare TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence, one of only three *Arthur* episodes to get that classification.

The scene kicked around YouTube for years as the basis for various YouTube Poop remixes, but the standalone fist image didn't become a meme until July 27, 2016. That's when Twitter user @AlmostJT posted the screenshot with the caption: "This is just a pic of Arthur's fist but idk how I feel that it's just so relatable. So many emotions in one fist". The original tweet has since been deleted, but it set off a chain reaction that turned a 17-year-old cartoon frame into one of the year's biggest memes.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter (viral spread), PBS's *Arthur* (source material)
Key People
AlmostJT, Marc Brown
Date
2016
Year
2016

The source image dates back to September 6, 1999, when Season 4, Episode 1 of *Arthur* titled "Arthur's Big Hit" first aired on PBS. In the episode, Arthur's sister D.W. breaks his Bell X-1 model airplane, and Arthur clenches his fist before punching her off-screen. The episode was notable enough to receive a rare TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence, one of only three *Arthur* episodes to get that classification.

The scene kicked around YouTube for years as the basis for various YouTube Poop remixes, but the standalone fist image didn't become a meme until July 27, 2016. That's when Twitter user @AlmostJT posted the screenshot with the caption: "This is just a pic of Arthur's fist but idk how I feel that it's just so relatable. So many emotions in one fist". The original tweet has since been deleted, but it set off a chain reaction that turned a 17-year-old cartoon frame into one of the year's biggest memes.

How It Spread

Things moved fast after @AlmostJT's tweet. The very next day, July 28, Reddit user axedowg posted the fist image to r/BlackPeopleTwitter with the caption "when people say 'Harambe was just a gorilla,'" pulling in over 4,800 upvotes and 130 comments within five days. That same day, the @Arthur__Hands Twitter account launched, dedicated entirely to posting variations of the Arthur fist.

Media coverage came almost immediately. Paper Magazine and The Daily Dot both published articles about the trend on July 28, 2016. On July 30, another r/BlackPeopleTwitter post showed a photoshop of Arthur's fist punching North Korea, earning over 6,300 upvotes. By August 1, The Verge ran a piece calling it "the best new meme in a long line of Arthur memes," noting that the show had already been deeply embedded in internet culture through accounts like Arthur Scenes and references by Chance the Rapper.

The meme hit peak search interest in early August 2016 according to Google Trends, then dropped sharply before settling into periodic revivals. But it kept finding new life through celebrity adoption. On February 21, 2017, Chrissy Teigen posted an Arthur's Fist joke responding to comparisons between her husband John Legend and the cartoon aardvark, pulling in over 216,000 retweets.

The biggest celebrity moment came on November 7, 2017, when LeBron James posted the clenched fist image to his Instagram with the caption "mood". The timing was suspicious: it came minutes after Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics won their ninth straight game, and James had missed shootaround that morning for a "personal matter." NBA Twitter went wild with speculation. Was LeBron mad about the Cavs' rough start? Was he still stewing over the Irving trade?

James defused things with characteristic nonchalance. "I like Arthur," he told reporters after a win over the Bucks. "That's OK, right?" He then posted a compilation of photos showing himself clenching his fists throughout his career, suggesting he'd meant the fist as a symbol of being pumped up, not frustrated. SB Nation ran a piece speculating that LeBron might not actually understand how memes work, noting that his interpretation was more literal than the internet's typical usage. Draymond Green of the Warriors piled on with a parody post of his own.

On April 25, 2018, Legend leaned fully into the joke by starring in a Google Duo commercial where he tries on outfits for Teigen via video chat, eventually settling on jeans and a yellow sweater (Arthur's signature look). The ad ends with a close-up of Legend's fist, recreating the meme in live action. The video picked up over 19,000 retweets and 50,000 likes. Legend even changed his Twitter bio to "no relation to Arthur".

Platforms

RedditTwitterTumblrFacebookTikTokInstagram

Timeline

1996-01-01

Arthur TV series airs; episode with clenched-fist scene broadcasts

2010-01-01

Image begins circulating on Tumblr as reaction macro

2017-present

Maintains consistent popularity across all platforms

2018-01-01

Arthur Fist reached mainstream popularity and media coverage

2019-01-01

Brands and companies started using Arthur Fist in marketing

2021-01-01

Arthur Fist entered the broader pop culture conversation

2025-01-01

Arthur Fist is still actively used and shared across platforms

View on Google Trends

How to Use This Meme

The Arthur Fist format captures moments of suppressed rage — situations where you are furious but forced to keep it together. The key is restraint, not explosive anger.

1

Find or save the screenshot of Arthur's clenched fist

2

Write a caption describing a situation that makes you angry but requires composure (workplace frustrations, family dinners, group projects)

3

Use a pattern like 'When [infuriating thing happens] but you can't say anything' or pair a quote with the fist image

4

Post the image with your caption as a tweet, status update, or group chat reply — no editing of the image needed

Create Your Own

Cultural Impact

The Arthur Fist meme helped kick off a broader wave of *Arthur* memes that dominated the summer of 2016. The show had already been a quiet presence in meme culture through accounts like Arthur Scenes on Twitter and a brief mention by Chance the Rapper on "Ultralight Beam" (where he rapped "I been this way since Arthur was anteater," incorrectly calling the aardvark an anteater). But the fist meme pushed *Arthur* content into the mainstream meme conversation in a way nothing had before.

The r/BlackPeopleTwitter community played a major role in shaping the meme's early spread and tone. Multiple publications compared the Arthur fist to the Mr. Krabs "confused" meme from SpongeBob, noting that both drew from 90s cartoons and combined nostalgia with flexible emotional range.

Celebrity adoption gave the meme unusual mainstream longevity. LeBron James' Instagram post generated national sports coverage from ESPN and SB Nation. John Legend and Chrissy Teigen turned the Legend-looks-like-Arthur comparison into a running bit that peaked with the Google Duo commercial in 2018. The meme also spawned merchandise including t-shirts and stickers featuring the clenched fist.

Full History

The story of Arthur Fist starts not with the internet, but with a children's show. *Arthur*, based on Marc Brown's book series, premiered on PBS in 1996 and ran for 25 seasons before ending in February 2022. The show followed Arthur Read, a third-grade aardvark navigating school, family, and friendship in the fictional city of Elwood City. It was a staple of '90s childhood, and its wholesome reputation made what came next all the funnier.

The key scene aired on September 6, 1999, in "Arthur's Big Hit". D.W. destroys Arthur's model airplane. Arthur, pushed past his limit, clenches his fist and punches her. It was a shocking moment for the show, and it earned a rare TV-Y7 content rating. But for nearly two decades, the scene was mostly known through YouTube Poop remixes and nostalgic clip compilations.

Everything changed on July 27, 2016, when @AlmostJT tweeted the screenshot. The tweet was simple but struck a nerve. People saw the fist and immediately recognized the feeling it represented: not screaming anger, but the silent, internal kind. Within a day, Reddit's r/BlackPeopleTwitter became ground zero for the meme's spread. User axedowg's Harambe-themed post on July 28 was the first major variation, and it took off. The @Arthur__Hands Twitter feed launched the same day, pumping out dozens of versions.

By late July 2016, mainstream media was paying attention. The Daily Dot wrote that the fist "really says it all," comparing Arthur memes to SpongeBob memes for their blend of nostalgia and flexibility. The Verge noted that *Arthur* had already been "engrained in the pop culture conversation" through other memes and references, like Chance the Rapper name-dropping the character (incorrectly calling him an anteater) in "Ultralight Beam". The Arthur Fist was just the latest and most powerful entry in this lineage.

The meme peaked in early August 2016 according to Google Trends, then dipped, but kept coming back in waves. Its versatility was the key. The simple cartoon fist could be paired with almost any frustrating scenario, and the format required zero design skills. Just add a caption and post.

Celebrity involvement pushed the meme further into the mainstream. On February 21, 2017, Chrissy Teigen posted an Arthur Fist joke responding to people who said her husband John Legend looked like Arthur. Her tweet pulled in over 216,000 retweets. Legend leaned into the comparison. His Twitter bio at one point read "no relation to Arthur". Then on April 25, 2018, Legend starred in a Google Duo commercial where he dressed as Arthur, complete with jeans and a yellow sweater. The ad ended with a close-up of his clenched fist, bringing the meme full circle. It earned over 19,000 retweets and 50,000 likes. Bustle covered the ad, noting that Legend had "a pretty good sense of humor about it".

The LeBron James incident added another chapter. On November 7, 2017, LeBron posted the Arthur fist image to Instagram with the single-word caption "mood". This was during a rocky stretch for the Cleveland Cavaliers, right after Kyrie Irving's Boston Celtics won their ninth straight game. NBA Twitter went wild with speculation. Was LeBron frustrated with his team? Was this a shot at Kyrie? When asked postgame, LeBron gave a deadpan response: "I like Arthur. That's OK, right?". He then posted a compilation of his own fist-pumping photos alongside Arthur's fist, suggesting he meant it as a celebratory gesture. SB Nation ran a piece titled "LeBron James may not understand memes," arguing that LeBron interpreted the fist as pumped-up excitement rather than frustration. Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors even poked fun at the whole thing on Instagram.

The meme's format also evolved. While the original was a standalone reaction image, users began adding text overlays, creating photoshopped mashups, and deep-frying the image for ironic effect. SpongeBob's clenched fist became a rival format on r/BlackPeopleTwitter. The Arthur Fist even spawned merchandise: t-shirts, sweatshirts, stickers, and phone cases appeared on platforms like Redbubble and Etsy.

Even after *Arthur* aired its final episode in 2022, the meme shows no signs of fading. It still circulates on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram as shorthand for quiet, contained fury. Its simplicity, nostalgia factor, and universal relatability make it one of the rare "evergreen" memes that never really goes out of style.

Fun Facts

"Arthur's Big Hit" was one of only three *Arthur* episodes to receive a TV-Y7 rating for cartoon violence. The other two were "Arthur's Underwear" and "Attack of the Turbo Tibble Twins".

The scene that spawned the meme had been used in YouTube Poop remix videos for years before @AlmostJT turned the still frame into a reaction image.

John Legend's Twitter bio at one point read "no relation to Arthur" as a nod to the persistent comparisons.

Chrissy Teigen's Arthur fist tweet about Legend pulled in over 216,000 retweets, making it one of the most viral celebrity uses of the format.

The meme went from a deleted tweet to mainstream ESPN coverage in less than 16 months.

Derivatives & Variations

Text-overlaid versions of Arthur Fist for specific contexts

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Deep-fried and high-contrast versions

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Mashups combining Arthur Fist with other reaction memes

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Side-by-side comparisons using Arthur Fist and other images

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Modified versions with slight color or brightness adjustments

A variation of Arthur Fist

(2016)

Frequently Asked Questions