AboutWhat does the meme depict?
The "Over 9000" meme features a moment from the anime series Dragon Ball Z, where the character Vegeta, donned in a Saiyan battle armor, is seen shouting in disbelief and rage. The context is that he is viewing the power level of Goku, his rival, through a handheld device known as a scouter, which unexpectedly displays a power level 'over 9000'. This expression of shock and the phrase itself have become symbolic of exaggerating the magnitude or intensity of a given situation.
OriginWho did it first?
The phrase "It's over nine thousand!" was initially delivered by the character Vegeta in the 21st episode of the Dragon Ball Z series, titled "The Return of Goku," which aired on April 19th, 1997. The episode features the return of Goku to Earth to battle the Saiyan villains Vegeta and Nappa. In a pivotal scene, after learning his friend Piccolo was killed, Goku's immense grief and fury amplify his power levels, which Vegeta reads through his scouter, leading to his iconic exclamation. The specific scene was popularized through an upload on YouTube by a user named Kajetokun on October 17, 2006. This catchphrase has since transcended the anime to become a widely recognized meme used to denote something excessively high or large. Furthermore, the scene was originally intended to have a power reading of "over 8000," which was reflected in the Japanese version of the anime and manga, but it was translated differently in the English dub, creating this famous variation.[1]
Origin: 2006