Memetic Badass

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Chuck Norris has power and toughness, but nobody was brave enough to ask for specifics.


"What have you heard? That bad guys would rather confess than be interrogated by him? That his steely gaze can cool a room by five degrees? That he can only be killed by a silver bullet, like a werewolf? They're all true, except for the silver bullet part. Might give him indigestion or heartburn, but I don't think it'd kill him. Any other questions?"
Tony DiNozzo on Gibbs, NCIS

A specific form of Memetic Mutation when the fandom of a series exaggerates a character that is simply Badass, and sometimes not at all impressive, to preposterously epic god-like levels. Despite the name, it doesn't necessarily have to be a widely known Internet meme, and is sometimes just an in-joke among the fan-base. In some cases, the writers agree.

Often overlaps with Fan Wank. Fear too the Memetic Molester.

In-universe, this can be the result of being Shrouded in Myth, or a God Mode Sue if done poorly.

When done to a historical character, it's a Historical Badass Upgrade.

Compare Memetic Sex God, Testosterone Poisoning.


Examples of Memetic Badass are listed on these subpages: