GigaChad
GigaChad is the nickname for the black-and-white, impossibly chiseled portrait from the Sleek'N'Tears art project by photographer Krista Sudmalis. The image reached Reddit's r/bodybuilding on October 15-16, 2017, and 4chan's /pol/ named the face 'Gigachad' soon after. The photos are heavily edited art-project images, and the identity attached to the face was long assumed rather than confirmed — the account itself only addressed it later, so accounts differ on the details.
Names & aliases
What’s it called?
One umbrella name, many instance formats — here is how the names nest.
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UmbrellaChad memes
The black-and-white muscular jawline portrait(s) from the Sleek'N'Tears art project
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InstanceGigaChad
KYM entry name; the /pol/ coinage from October 16, 2017.
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Instanceberlin.1969 / Ernest Khalimov
KYM: 'a nickname associated with the art project berlin.1969 / Ernest Khalimov' — Khalimov is the name attached to the model, though the project's photos span several models.
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InstanceAverage Enjoyer
KYM: the March 2021 'Average Fan vs. Average Enjoyer' video format that revived GigaChad as its 'enjoyer' face.
Usage
How to use it
Tone
ironic admiration.
Where it lands
Reacting to someone doing the most alpha possible thing, usually with a knowing wink.
How it evolved
October 15-16, 2017: the @sleekntears Instagram page (Russian photographer Krista Sudmalis's Sleek'N'Tears project) reaches Reddit r/bodybuilding, and 4chan's /pol/ names the face 'Gigachad'.
Easy to get wrong
The photos are heavily edited art-project images, not candid shots of a real superman, and the face's identity was long an assumption. The term also carries incel-forum baggage from 2017-2018 — ironic usage dominates now, but the tone can flip.
Origin
Origin & timeline
- 2017October 15-16, 2017: the @sleekntears Instagram page (Russian photographer Krista Sudmalis's Sleek'N'Tears project) reaches Reddit r/bodybuilding, and 4chan's /pol/ names the face 'Gigachad' — Instagram art project, then r/bodybuilding and 4chan; later Lookism Forums and Reddit at large
- 2017October 15, 2017: a Redditor links @sleekntears to r/bodybuilding (495+ points); October 16: a /pol/ post calls him 'Gigachad... the perfect human specimen' and Lookism Forums dub him 'Ultra Chad' (KYM).
- 20182018: r/Bossfight posts 'Gigachad, the destroyer of virgins' (February 17) and r/braincels circulates a 'Full Explanation of GIGACHAD' image (April 27); 4chan's /int/ laments his existence in May (KYM).
- 2021February-March 2021: Socialism Done Left's 'Average Fan vs. Average Enjoyer' video (190,000+ YouTube and 134,000+ Twitter views in a month, set to Bring Me The Horizon's 'Can You Feel My Heart') turns GigaChad into the eternal Enjoyer (KYM).
- 2021Until April 2021 the person posting as Khalimov stayed silent about the memes and disabled Instagram comments (KYM).
Verifiable sources
Templates
Make your own
- No canonical blank template for this meme — captions go on any image of the subject.
We link out to generators and blank templates; meme images are never rehosted on memefern.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the GigaChad meme?
A nickname for the ultra-muscular, chiseled-jaw man from the Sleek'N'Tears photo art project. Coined 'Gigachad' on 4chan's /pol/ on October 16, 2017, it represents the ultimate Chad — the internet's ironically perfect male (KYM).
Is GigaChad a real person?
The photos are real photographs but heavily photoshopped, and they come from an art project by Russian photographer Krista Sudmalis (the berlin.1969 / @sleekntears accounts). The name Ernest Khalimov became attached to the face, but KYM notes the project involves several models and the identity was long assumed rather than confirmed.
Where did the GigaChad meme come from?
October 2017: the @sleekntears Instagram page hit Reddit's r/bodybuilding on October 15, and a /pol/ poster named the face 'Gigachad... the perfect human specimen destined to lead us against the reptilians' on October 16 (KYM).
What is the Average Fan vs Average Enjoyer meme?
A 2021 video format contrasting a wheezing 'fan' with a stoic 'enjoyer' slideshow of GigaChad photos, set to Bring Me The Horizon's 'Can You Feel My Heart.' Socialism Done Left's February 7, 2021 version passed 190,000 YouTube views in a month and revived GigaChad mainstream (KYM).
What does GigaChad mean?
A Chad is slang for a hyper-masculine, successful man; 'GigaChad' dials that up to an impossible, often ironic extreme. KYM links it to the older 'Chad Thundercock' archetype.