# Gru's Plan > Gru's Plan is a 2018 four-panel exploitable meme featuring *Despicable Me's* Gru unveiling a flip-chart scheme that absurdly backfires by step three, leaving Gru staring bewilderedly at his own board. Gru's Plan is a four-panel exploitable meme template featuring the supervillain Gru from the 2010 animated film *Despicable Me* presenting a plan on a flip chart[1]. The format broke out on Reddit in March 2018 after u/FieldMarshalSixDans posted a screencap version to r/deepfriedmemes[2]. The joke structure follows Gru through three steps of a plan, where the third panel reveals an unintended or absurd conclusion, and the fourth panel shows Gru looking back at his own board in confusion. ## Origin *Despicable Me* hit theaters on July 9, 2010[2]. The presentation scene became the raw material for the meme nearly eight years later. On March 9, 2018, Reddit user FieldMarshalSixDans posted a four-panel version using screencaps from the scene to r/deepfriedmemes[1]. That same day, u/dankbob_memepants_ cross-posted it to r/memeeconomy, where it picked up over 18,000 upvotes and 250 comments within 24 hours[1]. - **Platform:** Reddit (r/deepfriedmemes, r/memeeconomy) - **Creator:** u/FieldMarshalSixDans (original post), u/dankbob_memepants_ (viral spread) - **Date:** 2018 ## Overview The meme uses four screenshots from *Despicable Me*, a film produced by Illumination Entertainment in which Steve Carell voices Gru, a supervillain who hatches a scheme to steal the moon[2]. In the original movie scene, Gru presents his plan via a flip chart to a man on a television screen and discovers someone has hidden a drawing of him sitting on the toilet among his presentation pages[1]. The meme format works by letting the creator fill in each of the three presentation panels with text. The first two panels set up a logical, sensible plan. The third panel breaks the logic with something absurd, self-defeating, or unexpectedly honest. The fourth panel, where Gru turns around and stares at the board with a confused or horrified expression, sells the punchline. The template's appeal lies in that moment of dawning realization: Gru is surprised by his own terrible plan. ## How It Spread The format spread fast across Reddit's meme ecosystem. On March 11, 2018, user very_niceu uploaded a Nazi-themed parody to r/dankmemes that pulled in upwards of 21,000 upvotes within a day[1]. The same day, charizard77 posted a daylight savings time version to r/memes that collected over 4,600 upvotes, while 4k60fpsHDR posted an education system edit to the same subreddit that gathered more than 6,000 upvotes[1]. By March 12, the template was already spawning meta-humor. A Droste effect version, where the meme recursively contained itself, appeared on r/MemeEconomy[1]. That same day, Redditor Pawaaar- posted an animated GIF version to r/me_irl that blew up with over 32,000 votes and 230 comments in just six hours[1]. The meme got a mainstream signal boost on March 14, 2018 when PewDiePie featured Gru's Plan in episode 12 of his *Meme Review* series alongside other trending formats like "Peter Hurts His Knee"[1]. The video pulled millions of views in its first day. ## How to Use The Gru's Plan template follows a simple four-panel structure. The first two panels show Gru pointing confidently at his presentation board, each containing a step of a plan that makes sense. The third panel is where the twist lands: a step that contradicts the plan, reveals a flaw, or says something absurd. The fourth panel shows Gru turning back to look at his board with a bewildered expression, as if he didn't write that himself. Common uses include: - Plans that start logical but end in self-sabotage ("Step 1: Study for the exam. Step 2: Open the textbook. Step 3: Watch YouTube for 6 hours. Step 4: *confused Gru*") - Ironic life decisions where the bad outcome is the point - Political or social commentary where the third panel exposes a contradiction The format typically works best when the third panel's absurdity catches you off guard but feels inevitable in hindsight. Blank templates are widely available on meme generator sites. ## Cultural Impact Gru's Plan became one of the defining presentation-style meme templates of 2018 and helped establish the broader category of "plan goes wrong" formats. The meme drew from a then eight-year-old movie, showing how animated films can generate meme templates long after their theatrical run[2]. PewDiePie's coverage on *Meme Review* pushed the format beyond Reddit's meme subreddits into YouTube's broader audience[1]. The template's versatility made it popular across different online communities. Its straightforward structure, where creators only need to fill in three text fields to make a joke, lowered the barrier for participation. The format also contributed to a wave of multi-panel exploitable memes that dominated Reddit in early 2018. ## Fun Facts - The original movie scene that inspired the meme involves Gru discovering a crude drawing of himself on the toilet hidden in his presentation, not an actual plan gone wrong[1]. - The meme went from first post to PewDiePie coverage in just five days (March 9-14, 2018)[1]. - The GIF version by Pawaaar- hit 32,000 votes in six hours, making it one of the fastest-growing posts on r/me_irl during that period[1]. - *Despicable Me* was the first feature film produced by Illumination Entertainment, the studio that later created the Minions franchise[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Gru's Plan? Gru's Plan is a four-panel exploitable meme template using screenshots of the character Gru from *Despicable Me* presenting a plan on a flip chart, where the third panel reveals an absurd or self-defeating step[1]. ### Where did Gru's Plan come from? The meme originated on Reddit on March 9, 2018, when u/FieldMarshalSixDans posted the four-panel format to r/deepfriedmemes[1]. ### What does Gru's Plan mean? The format expresses the idea of having a plan that sounds good at first but contains an obvious flaw. The fourth panel, where Gru looks confused at his own board, represents the moment of realizing something went wrong[1]. ### How do you use Gru's Plan? Fill in three panels with steps of a "plan." The first two should make sense, and the third should be absurd, contradictory, or self-defeating. The fourth panel is always Gru's confused reaction[1]. ### Is Gru's Plan still popular? The format peaked in March 2018 but is still widely recognized and occasionally used. It's considered a classic meme template in the presentation/plan format category[1]. ### Who made the Gru's Plan meme go viral? Reddit user u/dankbob_memepants_ cross-posted the format to r/memeeconomy on March 9, 2018, where it earned over 18,000 upvotes in 24 hours[1]. ### Did PewDiePie cover Gru's Plan? Yes. PewDiePie featured Gru's Plan in episode 12 of his *Meme Review* series on March 14, 2018, just five days after the format first appeared[1]. ### What movie is the Gru's Plan meme from? The screenshots come from the 2010 Illumination Entertainment film *Despicable Me*, directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, with Steve Carell voicing Gru[2]. ### What happens in the original movie scene? In the film, Gru presents his plan to steal the moon via a video call and discovers a hidden drawing of himself sitting on the toilet among his presentation pages[1]. ### What subreddit started Gru's Plan? The meme was first posted to r/deepfriedmemes on March 9, 2018, then cross-posted to r/memeeconomy the same day, where it gained major traction[1]. ## References 1. [Despicable Me (film)]() 2. [Gru's Plan - Know Your Meme]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/grus-plan Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library