AboutWhat does the meme depict?
Nuclear Gandhi is a meme based on a fictional version of the Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi as depicted in the Civilization video game series. In these games, he is famously known for his propensity to use nuclear weapons. This portrayal is humorously contradictory to Gandhi's historical image as a staunch pacifist. The meme typically features images or references to Gandhi in the context of him threatening or using nuclear weapons against other nations in the game.
OriginWho did it first?
The Nuclear Gandhi meme originates from a mythical glitch in the video game Civilization II. It was falsely believed that a coding error caused Gandhi's aggression level, which starts at the lowest possible point due to his peaceful nature, to overflow from the lowest to the highest value due to a reduction during game progression. This supposed glitch would make Gandhi extremely aggressive, often using nuclear weapons disproportionately. The story became a popular and humorous anecdote among players, even though it was later confirmed by the game's creator, Sid Meier, that such a bug never actually existed. This confirmation was provided by Sid Meier in an interview in September 2020, although by then, the tale had already cemented itself in gaming folklore.[1]
Origin: 1996