Memes usually die in a week. They burn bright, get posted by your uncle on Facebook, and then vanish into the digital graveyard. But the Yu-Gi-Oh It Should Have Been Me meme is different. It’s got staying power because it captures a very specific, very raw kind of jealousy that every gamer—and honestly, every human—has felt at least once.
You know the feeling. You’re watching someone else get the reward you worked for. Or maybe they’re just standing next to someone you find incredibly attractive.
The origin of this specific Yu-Gi-Oh explosion isn't actually from the 20-year-old anime. It didn't come from Yugi Muto or Seto Kaiba. It came from a 2017 trailer for Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links. Specifically, it came from a character named Joey Wheeler.
Where the screaming started
In the trailer for the "Battle City" event in Duel Links, there is a brief, high-energy cutscene. Joey Wheeler (Katsuya Jonouchi in the Japanese version) is shown clutching his head, teeth gritted, tears streaming down his face. He looks like his soul is being ripped out through his ears. He screams, "It should have been me! Not him! It's not fair!"
Wait. That's the meme version.
In reality, the scene is a bit more nuanced, but the internet did what the internet does: it stripped away the context and turned Joey into the patron saint of "down bad" energy.
Joey is actually reacting to the fact that he isn't the one dueling. He’s a brawler. He’s a guy who lives for the heart of the cards. Seeing someone else take the spotlight—especially when he feels he’s earned his stripes—is what triggers that iconic facial expression. The voice acting in the English dub, handled by the legendary Wayne Grayson, carries this hilarious, over-the-top desperation. It’s perfect. It’s a 10/10 on the melodrama scale.
People started taking that audio and that specific frame of Joey’s face and layering it over... well, everything.
Why Yu-Gi-Oh It Should Have Been Me went nuclear
The meme really found its footing on platforms like TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). It became the universal response to "shipping" or fan service.
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Let's say a popular anime character gets into a romantic relationship with another character. The fans who wanted to be with that character don't just say "I'm jealous." They post the Yu-Gi-Oh It Should Have Been Me clip. It’s a way of poking fun at your own obsession. It’s self-deprecating. It says, I know I'm being dramatic, and I'm going to lean into it.
There’s a psychological component here, too. The "It should have been me" sentiment resonates because gaming culture is built on FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). When a streamer pulls a 1-in-10,000 rarity card from a booster pack, the chat doesn't just type "congrats." They flood the screen with Joey Wheeler’s sobbing face.
It’s the ultimate "I’m happy for you, but mostly I’m mad it wasn't me" signal.
The versatility of a breakdown
You’ll see this meme used in three distinct ways.
- The Romantic Jealousy: This is the most common. A fictional character (or a real celebrity) gets a partner. The fan community uses Joey to express their "heartbreak."
- The Gacha Rage: Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel and Duel Links players are notorious for this. Someone pulls a Royal Rare "Blue-Eyes White Dragon"? Cue the Joey scream.
- The Genuine Injustice: Sometimes, it’s used when something actually unfair happens in the pro circuit. A player loses to a "top deck" (drawing exactly the card they need at the last second). The fans use the meme to signal that the winner didn't deserve it.
It's fascinating how a character who was originally designed to be a "tough guy" from Brooklyn became the face of emotional fragility. Joey Wheeler was always the underdog. He didn't have the money of Kaiba or the ancient Egyptian magic of Yugi. He had grit. So, when he breaks down, it feels more "human" than when the other characters do.
Honestly, the meme has outgrown the game. I’ve seen people use the Yu-Gi-Oh It Should Have Been Me format who have never even held a physical Trading Card Game (TCG) card in their lives. They don't know what a "Pot of Greed" does (does anyone?), but they know that crying blonde guy represents their internal monologue when life goes sideways.
Technical breakdown: Why it ranks so well
From a content perspective, this meme is a "long-tail" powerhouse. It taps into "cringe culture," "stan culture," and "gaming salt."
Salt. That's the keyword.
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In the gaming world, being "salty" means being upset about a loss. Joey Wheeler is the King of Salt. When we look at the analytics of why people search for this, they aren't looking for a history lesson on the Battle City arc of 2002. They are looking for the template. They want the reaction image. They want to feel seen in their jealousy.
The meme also benefited heavily from the "voice-over" trend. Talented VAs on YouTube and TikTok started re-recording the line with even more gravel and even more spit. It turned a 3-second clip into a 15-second piece of performance art.
Misconceptions about the Joey Wheeler scream
A lot of people think this line is from the original 4Kids dub of the anime.
It isn't.
If you go back and watch the original 200+ episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, you won't find this exact sequence. It’s a creation of the modern era. The Duel Links mobile game needed high-quality assets to keep players engaged, so they recorded new lines and created new animations.
This is actually a common trope in meme culture—the "Mandela Effect" of memes. We project our memories of a show onto new content. Because Joey was always complaining about something in the early 2000s, our brains just assume he’s been saying "It should have been me" for twenty years.
Actually, the original Joey Wheeler was much more likely to say something about "Nyquil" or "Brooklyn Rage." This new, desperate Joey is a product of the 2010s gacha game era.
How to use the meme without being "mid"
If you’re going to use the Yu-Gi-Oh It Should Have Been Me reaction, timing is everything.
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Don't use it for small things. Using it because your friend got a free taco is weak. Use it when the "universe" has clearly conspired against you. Use it when someone wins the lottery by playing their birthdate numbers. Use it when your "crush" from a 90s anime gets a remake and they look better than ever but they're still not real.
The best memes are the ones that lean into the absurdity of our own emotions.
Beyond the scream: The impact on Yu-Gi-Oh
Konami, the company behind the game, is well aware of the meme. They’ve leaned into the "Joey is a meme" angle in their marketing. They know that a frustrated fan is a fan who is still playing.
The meme has kept Joey Wheeler relevant in a way that his actual cards haven't. Let’s be real: "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" isn't winning many world championships these days. It’s a cool card, but it’s been power-crept into oblivion. But Joey’s face? That’s "meta." That’s top-tier.
It’s a bridge between the "old heads" who grew up with the show and the "new blood" who just like funny videos.
Actionable insights for the digital collector
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this specific corner of the internet, here is how you can actually engage with it:
- Audit your reaction folder: If you don't have the high-quality GIF of Joey's face, you’re missing out on the primary tool for 2026 digital discourse.
- Watch the Duel Links trailers: Beyond just this meme, the animation quality in these trailers is surprisingly high. It’s where most of the "new" Yu-Gi-Oh lore and character beats actually live.
- Understand the "Salt" culture: If you’re a creator, look at how "It should have been me" can be used to drive engagement. Negative emotions—when played for laughs—often get more shares than simple positivity.
- Check the voice actor's work: Wayne Grayson is a treasure. Following the people who actually bring these memes to life gives you a better appreciation for why the audio hits so hard.
The Yu-Gi-Oh It Should Have Been Me phenomenon isn't going anywhere because jealousy is eternal. As long as someone is winning while we are losing, Joey Wheeler will be there to scream on our behalf. It’s not just a meme; it’s a lifestyle choice. Next time you see someone pull a Secret Rare from a pack they bought at a gas station, you know exactly what to do. Get those tears ready. Practice your Brooklyn accent. Scream it to the heavens. It's the only way to heal.