# 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla > 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla is a 2020 Reddit thought experiment turned viral debate asking who would win between one hundred unarmed men and a single silverback gorilla, dividing the internet into pro-gorilla and pro-human camps. 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla is a viral thought experiment asking who would win in a fight between one hundred unarmed men and a single silverback gorilla. The question first appeared on Reddit in 2020 and went viral on TikTok in 2022 before exploding across all major social platforms in April 2025[2]. The debate split the internet into pro-gorilla and pro-human camps, spawned countless memes, attracted responses from celebrities and politicians, and even prompted real primatologists to weigh in[2]. ## Origin The earliest known version of the question appeared on Reddit's r/whowouldwin subreddit in 2020, posted by u/probablycashed[1]. The "who would win" format had a long history on that subreddit, but this particular matchup struck a nerve. The concept jumped to TikTok on February 22, 2022, when @yuri5kpt2 posted a video with the caption: "So I need to hear everyone else's thoughts. Who wins in a fight? 100 grown men or 1 gorilla?" That video picked up over 115,700 likes over the following three years[3]. - **Platform:** Reddit (first known post), TikTok (viral spread) - **Creator:** u/probablycashed (first known Reddit post), @yuri5kpt2 (first known TikTok video) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview The premise is dead simple: take 100 average adult men, no weapons, no tools, and pit them against one silverback gorilla in a fight to the death. Who walks away? The question taps into a mix of morbid curiosity, macho posturing, and genuine debate about human cooperation versus raw animal power. Answers range from confident declarations that humans would swarm and overwhelm the gorilla to horrified insistence that 100 men would get torn apart one by one[3]. The debate format makes it endlessly remixable. People post simulations, reaction videos, hypothetical strategies, and memes mocking both sides. ## How It Spread The question simmered on TikTok through early 2025. On January 28, TikToker @tredouglass posted his take arguing in favor of the gorilla, earning around 10,100 likes[3]. Things escalated on April 20 when @rationalsniper declared that "100 humans will get dogwalked by a single gorilla," pulling in roughly 68,400 likes within a week[3]. By late April 2025, the debate had fully detonated. On April 24, @mavsrunthenba posted a reaction video using Robert Downey Jr. looking shocked, captioned about watching your friend "get his faced ripped off" during the hypothetical fight. That clip grabbed over 96,000 likes in three days[3]. On April 26, @lov3charlee fired back for Team Human, asking "Do y'all not know David Goggins?" and racking up 33,200 likes in a single day[3]. The debate crossed over to Twitter/X on April 25 when @DreamChasnMike tweeted his take that 100 men could win "if everybody just gotta be dedicated to the shit," a post that exploded to over 70.1 million views and 120,000 likes in two days[3]. Quote tweets flooded in with memes and reactions. @rogueprincce responded with photos of a gorilla and the caption "I need you niggas to be serious," pulling 208,000 likes in one day[3]. Reddit caught the wave too. The tweet hit r/BlackPeopleTwitter on April 26, earning 5,300 upvotes[3]. Threads popped up on r/CharacterRant, r/CasualConversation, and r/whenthe, where a meme mocking pro-gorilla debaters scored 4,400 upvotes and 140 comments in nine hours[3]. The question also went viral on Facebook and YouTube during the same period[1]. ## How to Use The 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla meme typically takes a few forms: 1. **Hot take video**: Record yourself arguing for one side. The more passionate and confident, the better. Reference specific gorilla stats (bite force, arm strength) or human advantages (endurance, teamwork, "David Goggins energy"). 2. **Reaction format**: Use clips of actors or celebrities looking shocked, then caption it with a scenario from the hypothetical fight ("When the gorilla grabs two guys and throws them at the rest"). 3. **Simulation content**: Post or share CGI/game simulations of the fight. These tend to favor the gorilla dramatically, which fuels more debate. 4. **Meta-commentary**: Make fun of the discourse itself. Mock people who are too invested in either side, or joke about the absurdity of the question dominating the internet. ## Cultural Impact The debate crossed from internet joke to mainstream news coverage within days of going viral. Multiple major outlets covered the story, and actual primatologists gave on-the-record assessments of the hypothetical scenario[1]. The White House using the meme for political messaging on May 1, 2025 marked a notable moment of government social media accounts co-opting internet discourse[1]. Senator Tim Sheehy's video response showed the meme reaching into legislative circles as well[1]. The gaming industry responded quickly. Blizzard's Overwatch 2 event, pitting 100 Soldier 76s against Winston, turned the thought experiment into playable content[1]. Destructoid's editorial about 100 Marios vs Donkey Kong showed the template spreading into gaming journalism[1]. Conservation groups tried to redirect the energy. Robert Irwin's reframing of the question toward gorilla protection and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's optimism about awareness showed organizations attempting to leverage viral absurdity for genuine cause promotion[1]. ## Fun Facts - The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund hoped the viral debate would boost interest in real gorilla conservation efforts[1]. - Primatologists generally agreed that a gorilla in this scenario would try to run away rather than fight, since gorillas are not naturally aggressive and "pick their battles"[1]. - Ron Magill's proposed winning strategy for the humans involved forming a "human straightjacket" around the gorilla[1]. - Urban Dictionary's top definition for the meme labels it both the "debate of the century" and "brain rot" in the same entry[2]. - The original 2022 TikTok by @yuri5kpt2 sat relatively unnoticed for three years before the concept suddenly detonated in April 2025[3]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla? It's a viral thought experiment asking who would win in a fight to the death between 100 unarmed adult men and one silverback gorilla. The question originated on Reddit and went massively viral on TikTok, Twitter/X, and other platforms in April 2025[3]. ### Where did 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla come from? The first known post appeared on Reddit's r/whowouldwin subreddit in 2020 by u/probablycashed[1]. It reached TikTok in February 2022 via @yuri5kpt2 and went viral across all platforms in April 2025[3]. ### What does 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla mean? The meme is a genuine debate question that doubles as a humor format. People argue passionately for either side, while others make jokes about the absurdity of the discourse itself[3]. ### How do you use 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla? Pick a side and argue it in video form, post reaction memes about the hypothetical fight, share simulations, or make fun of how seriously people are taking the debate[3]. ### Is 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla still popular? Yes. The meme reached peak virality in late April and early May 2025, attracting responses from the White House, MrBeast, Elon Musk, and real primatologists[1]. It was still driving major engagement across platforms during that period. ### Who would actually win, 100 men or 1 gorilla? Primatologists suggest the 100 men would likely win if they coordinated and swarmed the gorilla, which would probably try to flee. However, the humans would suffer deaths and serious injuries from the gorilla's bite force and strength[1]. ### Did the White House really post about 100 Men vs 1 Gorilla? Yes. On May 1, 2025, the official White House Twitter account referenced the debate to promote immigration enforcement messaging, comparing it to deportation statistics[1]. ### What did MrBeast do with the gorilla meme? MrBeast posted a joke tweet asking for 100 male volunteers to fight a gorilla, which got over 17 million views. Elon Musk replied with "Sure, what's the worst that could happen?" and PETA criticized MrBeast for the post[1]. ### Did any scientists respond to the debate? Several primatologists and wildlife experts gave serious assessments. Tara Stoinski of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund said humans could win through coordination, while Cat Hobaiter noted the men would lose if forced to attack one at a time[1]. ### What did Jake Paul do? Paul posted an Instagram video standing near a gorilla, implying he wanted to fight it. Commenters mocked him, with one suggesting he "come back later when the gorilla retires," referencing his 2024 fight against Mike Tyson[1]. ### Did any video games reference the meme? Blizzard announced a special Overwatch 2 livestream for May 6, 2025, where 100 Soldier 76 characters fought the gorilla character Winston[1]. Destructoid also ran a debate about 100 Marios vs Donkey Kong[1]. ## References 1. [100 men versus a gorilla]() 2. [100 Men vs 1 Gorilla - Urban Dictionary]() 3. [100 Men vs 1 Gorilla - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/100-men-vs-gorilla Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library