# Ellie Smirk

Ellie Smirk, also known as Ellie Smirking or The Last of Us Smirk, is a reaction image of The Last of Us Part 2 character Ellie Williams smirking at the viewer during a 2020 bathroom mirror cutscene[1]. The screencap bounced around Pinterest and r/thelastofus for over a year before TikTokers and X users adopted it in late 2025 as a go-to reply for anyone looking suspicious or untruthful. By October 2025, a tweet pairing the image with a Dan and Phil joke had picked up over 30,000 likes[4].

## Origin
Pinterest user iza.ᐟ shared the first known upload of the Ellie Smirk image on March 29th, 2024, with the post collecting 379 likes over the following year[1]. The screencap comes from The Last of Us Part 2's Chapter 2 sequence titled 'Seattle Day 1 – The Birthday Gift,' where players steer Ellie's face through a series of expressions in a bathroom mirror while she waits for Joel[3]. Naughty Dog developed the 2020 game; iza.ᐟ captured and shared the frame, though whether they produced the first meme-use edit of the image remains unconfirmed[6].

- **Platform:** Pinterest (first upload) / TikTok and X (viral spread)
- **Creator:** Unknown
- **Date:** 2024

## Overview
Ellie Smirk shows up most often in TikTok comment threads and X replies as a reaction to lying, shady behavior or someone refusing to own an obvious truth[6]. The expression, a half-grin with raised eyebrows aimed straight at the camera, reads as both knowing and accusatory, which lets the picture work equally well as 'I caught you' and 'you're being a bit sus right now.' A widely shared Reddit slideshow captioned the look 'omg she's so silly how could she be a serial killer,' a wink at Ellie's revenge-driven body count in the game[2].

Edits lean into fandom callouts and visual gags. Low-quality reposts carrying TikTok comment watermarks are a common sight on X[4], and video versions include one where the smirk duplicates like a cell undergoing mitosis[5]. Captions range from parasocial YouTuber accusations to playful jabs between friends, with most usage sticking to reply contexts instead of standalone image macros.

## How to Use
Users most often paste Ellie Smirk into a TikTok comment or X reply when accusing someone of lying or acting shady. Captions often target parasocial YouTubers, true-crime figures or friends dodging an admission, as with the X breakout tweet pairing the image with a jab at Dan and Phil's British accent[4].

## Frequently Asked Questions
### What is Ellie Smirk?
Ellie Smirk is a reaction image of The Last of Us Part 2 character Ellie Williams smirking directly at the camera, taken from a 2020 bathroom mirror cutscene[1].

### Where did Ellie Smirk come from?
Pinterest user iza.ᐟ shared the first known upload on March 29th, 2024, with the frame originating in the game's 'Birthday Gift' chapter where players control Ellie's facial expressions[1][3].

### What does Ellie Smirk mean?
The image works as a reply when accusing someone of lying or being suspicious, with the smirk reading as a knowing 'I caught you' expression[6].

### How do you use Ellie Smirk?
Users paste the image into TikTok and X comment threads as a reaction to shady behavior, often with captions about fandom targets like Dan and Phil[4].

### Is Ellie Smirk still popular?
The image hit its usage peak in October 2025, with @lesbinof's tweet topping 30,000 likes and @fartknightmaster's mitosis edit passing 7,000 likes on TikTok[4][5].

## References
1. [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/942870871979308044/](<https://www.pinterest.com/pin/942870871979308044/>)
2. [https://www.reddit.com/r/thelastofus/comments/1ftvzwz/omg_shes_so_silly_how_could_she_be_a_serial_killer/](<https://www.reddit.com/r/thelastofus/comments/1ftvzwz/omg_shes_so_silly_how_could_she_be_a_serial_killer/>)
3. [https://www.ign.com/wikis/the-last-of-us-part-ii/The_Birthday_Gift](<https://www.ign.com/wikis/the-last-of-us-part-ii/The_Birthday_Gift>)
4. [https://x.com/lesbinof/status/1977859047014404099](<https://x.com/lesbinof/status/1977859047014404099>)
5. [https://www.tiktok.com/@fartknightmaster/video/7562445861981064479](<https://www.tiktok.com/@fartknightmaster/video/7562445861981064479>)
6. [https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ellie-smirk](<https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ellie-smirk>)
7. [https://www.pinterest.com/pin/29273466323339126/](<https://www.pinterest.com/pin/29273466323339126/>)
8. [https://www.tiktok.com/@starlitgabs/video/7507455800344857902](<https://www.tiktok.com/@starlitgabs/video/7507455800344857902>)
9. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyXwGJ7tPoU](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyXwGJ7tPoU>)

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Source: https://meme.com/memes/ellie-smirk
Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library