AboutWhat does the meme depict?
The 'Sanctuary Guardian' meme features a soundtrack from the 1994 video game Earthbound, specifically a track played during certain boss battles. The meme utilizes this music in what are known as ironic demotivational poster edits, typically highlighting bizarre or unexpected situations with captions like "WHAT," "HOW," and other expressions of confusion or astonishment. A popular variation, known as 'Witch Turns Dog Into Wood,' emerged, gaining traction especially on platforms like YouTube and Reddit.
OriginWho did it first?
The soundtrack 'Sanctuary Guardian' originates from the role-playing video game 'Mother 2: Gyigas Strikes Back,' released in Japan on August 27, 1994, and later in North America on June 5, 1995, under the name EarthBound. The track is featured during battles with six of the eight Sanctuary Guardians in the game. It is a remix of 'Battle With a Dangerous Foe' from the original 1989 Mother game. The meme itself began spreading after an unknown user created an ironic demotivational poster meme featuring a clip from Martin Cabello III. This video was then re-uploaded on February 25, 2020, by YouTube user boto. The following day, it was shared on Twitter (now X) by @StrangestMp4 and garnered significant attention. Another user, Diram290 on Twitter (now X), further popularized the meme by posting an uncropped version with the full caption 'WHAT, you are actually dead.'[1]
Origin: 2020