Wojak, also called Feels Guy, is an MS Paint drawing of a bald man with a sad expression used as a reaction image for feelings like melancholy, regret, and loneliness.

Where did Wojak come from?

The drawing was originally found on the imageboard Vichan as 'twarz.jpg' and popularized by a user named Wojak on the German imageboard Krautchan, with the earliest archived post dating to April 26, 2010.

What does Wojak mean?

In Polish, 'wojak' roughly translates to 'warrior,' and the '-k' suffix adds a childish or diminutive meaning.

How do you use Wojak?

Wojak is typically posted as a standalone reaction image, often with a 'tfw' ('that feel when') caption spelling out the specific sad or awkward situation.

Is Wojak still popular?

Wojak is still one of the most-remixed meme templates online, with over 200 related entries catalogued on Know Your Meme as of February 2023.

Wojak

2010reaction imageclassic

Published October 7, 2026

Wojak, also known as Feels Guy, is a crude MS Paint drawing of a bald man with a melancholy expression that spread from the German imageboard Krautchan in 2010 and became one of the most-remixed reaction images on 4chan and Reddit. First used by a Krautchan poster to express loneliness, the character spawned hundreds of variations including Smug Wojak, Country Feels, and the Wojak Comics format that still dominates meme output more than a decade later.

wojak reaction memes ms paint memes imageboard memes exploitable templates

Overview

Wojak, also called Feels Guy, is a crudely drawn MS Paint illustration of a bald man with a downturned mouth, used as a reaction image for feelings like melancholy, regret, and loneliness3. A search for 'wojak' on Know Your Meme pulls over 200 entries as of February 2023, pointing to how far the character has been remixed beyond the original drawing3.

The most recognizable variants pull from the same bald template. 'I Know That Feel Bro' pairs two expressionless Wojaks in a hug and is used to signal empathy with someone else's suffering1. 'I Wish I Was at Home (Playing Videogames)' is an exploitable comic strip where the character stands awkwardly at parties or in crowds3. Country Feels drops Wojak at a desk surrounded by stereotypes of a specific nation, and Smug Wojak flips the expression for self-satisfied moments3.

The character also crossed streams with Pepe the Frog. In November 2014, Pepe's Smug Frog variant began appearing opposite Wojak in the 'Poo Poo Pee Pee' comic series, often made as pushback against Pepe's spread into mainstream social media3. Starting in August 2019, the Yes Chad meme spawned the wider Wojak Comics format, a template of simple panels where multiple Wojak characters stand in for opposing viewpoints3.

Gallery

Origin & Background

Platform

Vichan / Krautchan (viral spread)

Date

2010

The exact artist behind Wojak is unknown. An AMA posted to Reddit by someone claiming to be the Krautchan user Wojak said the drawing was originally found on the imageboard Vichan under the filename 'twarz.jpg,' Polish for 'face'3. That user re-posted it to the German-language imageboard Krautchan, where the earliest archived appearance dates to April 26, 20103. In Polish, 'wojak' roughly translates to 'warrior,' with the diminutive '-k' suffix carrying a childish or small connotation5.

An earlier MS Paint comic now treated as the first known 'I Wish I Was at Home' entry had already landed on the humor site Sad and Useless on December 16, 2009, showing the same bald character standing alone in a corner at a party2.

How It Spread

After Krautchan, the image jumped to other international boards including Italy's Pastachan4 and Russia's Dobrochan, where it picked up the names 'Wojak's face' and 'ciepła twarz' ('warm face')3. By 2011, a version showing two bald men embracing with the caption 'I know that feel, bro' was circulating on 4chan, usually attached to posts about being single or lonely1. The 'that feeling when' phrasing split from the drawing itself and grew into a standalone verbal meme on Twitter and Facebook1.

On February 2, 2012, Redditor Voyack ran an AMA on /r/datfeel claiming to be the original Krautchan Wojak3. Bustle covered the origin story on October 3, 20131, and a Facebook page named 'Feels Guy' went up on November 19, 20133. Smug Wojak surfaced on /r9k/ and [s4s] in early August 2014 as a positive counterpart to the sad original3, and the /r/Wojak subreddit launched on March 14, 2015, as a dedicated hub for Photoshop variants3.

The format mutated hard from 2019 onward. The Yes Chad meme in August 2019 pulled Wojak into multi-panel comic strips, opening the door for the Wojak Comics genre and later subcharacters built off the same bald template3.

Timeline

2009-12-16

Earliest known 'I Wish I Was at Home' MS Paint comic submitted to the humor site Sad and Useless.

2010-04-26

Earliest archived Krautchan post of the Wojak drawing by a user going by the name Wojak.

2012-02-02

Redditor Voyack posts an AMA to /r/datfeel claiming to be the Krautchan Wojak.

2015-03-14

The /r/Wojak subreddit launches for Photoshopped Wojak edits.

2019-08

The Yes Chad format spawns the broader Wojak Comics genre.

How to Use This Meme

Wojak is typically posted on its own as a reaction to sad, awkward, or self-pitying situations, often paired with a 'tfw' ('that feel when') caption spelling out the specific scenario1. Common conventions include swapping in a variant that fits the mood: 'I Know That Feel Bro' for empathy posts1, Smug Wojak for pleased or superior reactions3, and Country Feels or Wojak Comics panels when the joke needs more than one character.