The viral Dokibird shocked meme explained

Dokibird is one of the most beloved vtubers, though many fans likely owe their introduction to seeing a meme of her shocked out of context.

Dokibird has had a long and rocky career. From her issues with Nijisanji when she used to go as Nijisanji’s former talent, Selen Tatsuki, to her very public scuffle with fellow vtuber Victoria Brightshield, the streamer has been on the news a lot. However, the viral meme is the biggest reason most fans and non-fans know her.

Here’s the context behind the Dokibird meme and how it went viral in such a short time.

What’s the context for the Dokibird shocked meme?

The Dokibird meme’s context can be boiled down to being a reaction to someone seemingly getting romantically rejected live.

The streamer started playing Apex Legends while on a stream on August 8, 2024. Roughly 35 minutes in, Dokibird heard a male and a female player speaking in the in-game voice chat. The topic of their conversation prompted the steamer to state she was the “third wheel.”

Eventually, the male asked the other player if she was still dating someone named Peter. This resulted in Dokibird’s avatar making the iconic shocked face, which some call the third wheel meme. In response, the other player stated she was with Peter, who was playing World of Warcraft next to her. What made things more humorous was how the male player didn’t say anything and disconnected.

Dokibird’s unique expression prompted various artists to try their hand at recreating the look. Naturally, most artists also added their unique touch, including art style. Some even drew other fictional characters making the same Dokibird meme, even if some didn’t know the context.

The Dokibird shocked face is now an iconic meme, shared countless times on the internet. Some vtubers even hopped on the trend to recreate the expression with their avatar, showcasing its effect on the community.

Who is the other person in the Dokibird shocked face meme?

One of the two Apex Legends players in Dokibird’s third-wheel stream reacted to the clip live.

The infamous Dokibird third wheel stream has four people, including the vtuber, two other Apex Legends players, and Peter. The Apex Legends player who seemingly rejected the other player is named Sammy while the other is called Salt. Sammy reacted to the Dokibird stream clip, though the video was deleted. Sammy’s reaction was reshared on YouTube, getting over 100,000 views in the process.

Sammy Reacts To Dokibird’s Third Wheel Date (ft. Herself, Salt & Peter)

While Sammy reacted positively to the stream and how Dokibird’s fans reacted, she claimed Salt wasn’t romantically interested in her. Salt and Sammy later went on Sammy’s Twitch stream to clarify that they were messing around and there wasn’t any bad blood.