There have been few moments in recent history with such a deep and unprecedented impact on internet culture at large as the passing of Charlie Kirk last September.

Whether you loved him or hated him, both sides were whipped up into an inescapable frenzy following his assassination, while people who had never heard of Charlie Kirk were about to find him inescapable forever.

From the pro-Kirk song "We Are Charlie Kirk," which was mocked into oblivion, to "Kirkification" memes and his ascension into essentially a memetic brainrot character, Kirk's death quickly became the center of a sprawling online meme culture.

As the first anniversary approached today, the internet had already transformed the event into something resembling a holiday, giving rise to the term "Kirkiversary."

So, how did we get here, how has it lasted so long, and what is next for the internet in an A.K. world? Let's find out.

@thinkpiecetribe2 The Kirkyssey…#fyp #foryoupage #kirkiversary ♬ original sound – Thinkpiece Tribe

Where Does 'Kirkiversary' Come From?

Charlie Kirk was an American conservative political commentator and activist who founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and hosted debates at colleges and universities.

He had a large following among conservatives and Christians, while his opposition to abortion, DEI programs and gun control, along with his views on LGBTQ+ rights, made him a controversial figure.

Due to this controversial standing, Charlie Kirk and TPUSA were already targets of mockery and memes online in the years before his death.

On September 10th, 2025, Kirk hosted a debate at Utah Valley University's Fountain Courtyard. During the event, Kirk was suddenly shot and killed while answering a question about gang violence and mass shootings.

Footage of the shooting was widely circulated on social media and became the subject of widespread online discussion.

In the days following Kirk's death, some of his supporters promoted a martyrdom narrative around him and called for people to mourn or refrain from making jokes about his death. Critics and users who mocked Kirk were reportedly subjected to threats of doxxing, harassment and efforts to expose or boycott them.

@kaitincee Omg 🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: CHARLIE KIRK CONFIRMED DEAD Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, 31, has been confirmed gone after today’s attack. The announcement came just hours after chaos unfolded at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot in the neck. Details surrounding his death remain unconfirmed as the investigation continues. Source: @مصطفى؟ #charliekirk #BreakingNews #turningpoint #utahvalleyuniversity ♬ original sound – Krownskostumes

In the months following Kirk's death, numerous memes were made at his expense, while content supporting or defending him was often met with mockery.

This included "Kirkified" memes and other anti-Kirk edits, as well as the AI-generated song "We Are Charlie Kirk," which was created to honor Kirk but later became widely used to criticize and mock him and his supporters.

As the first anniversary of the event approached, many internet users began anticipating the date as if it were a real holiday, coining the term "Kirkiversary" (along with other spellings) to refer to the event around mid-August 2026.

neck started hurting and the kirkaversary is coming up pic.twitter.com/pBX52pquXz

— JAZ ⋆˚꩜｡ 🎰 || JUNSORA CEO 🥀🪽 (@meruemsbrainrot) August 15, 2026

How Is 'Kirkiversary' Used In Memes?

Discourse, memes and other content related to the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk's death continued spreading on social media in late August and early September 2026, leading up to the date on September 10th.

For instance, on September 4th, 2026, X / Twitter user @ivyphobic posted, "if you weren’t celebrating the day Charlie Kirk died then you can’t celebrate on the kirkiversary." The post received approximately 14.1 million views and 273,000 likes in four days.

if you weren’t celebrating the day Charlie Kirk died then you can’t celebrate on the kirkiversary pic.twitter.com/JYml0JnluB

— ivy (@ivyphobic) September 4, 2026

The term also spread to TikTok, where users posted videos mocking reactions surrounding Kirk's death and the approaching anniversary.

@robbieshapirospearpad ‼️JAY YOU SHOULDA MOVED‼️ Happy Kirkaversery🔫 #fypシ #kirk #fypシ゚viral #meme ♬ original sound – ri🐀👹🕸

One such example posted on September 7th, 2026, comes from TikTok user @munchy_monk, who shared a video mocking those who were upset when Kirk was killed but have since embraced it.

@munchy_monk #kirkaversary #charliekirk #deanwithers #kirk #munchymonk ♬ Matt Dusk Charlies Inferno OUT NOW – Matt Dusk

As September 10th approached, "Kirkiversary" and its alternate spellings continued circulating alongside memes and discourse surrounding the first anniversary of Charlie Kirk's death, stirring up backlash from fans of Kirk while his critics continue to mock him.

Kirkiversary pic.twitter.com/WDeZm2MGvT

— duck (@ExtremeBlitz__) September 10, 2026

As expected, social media platforms like X and TikTok have been flooded with Kirkiversary memes mere hours after the day began.

@havexuniverse

Charlie kirk anniversary song

♬ original sound – vexy

What Are Some Related Memes?

The impact of Charlie Kirk's death on internet culture cannot be understated. In just one year, countless memes, edits and other forms of online content about Kirk spread like wildfire, turning him from a political commentator into a recurring figure in internet meme culture.

Here are just a few of the major memes related to the Kirkiversary that one might stumble across during the event.

Charlie Kirk Face Swaps / Kirkified Memes

Charlie Kirk Face Swaps, also known as Kirkified Memes, Kirkification or Kirkify Memes, refers to a Photoshop and AI edit trend of face-swapping Charlie Kirk's likeness onto different memes and reaction images as an exploitable element.

The trend started on Twitter / X with a face swap of Kirk on the IShowSpeed Smiling Trying Not to Laugh clip in late September 2025, following his death earlier that month. Kirkified Memes spread to TikTok comment sections heading into October 2025, where the term "Kirkification" was coined.

"We Are Charlie Kirk" by Spalexma

"We Are Charlie Kirk" by Spalexma, is an AI-generated song honoring late right-wing political pundit and organizer Charlie Kirk, sung by a male AI voice. The song went viral on TikTok and Twitter / X in November 2025, but it has persisted across the web since then.

What Are Some 'Kirkiversary' Meme Examples?

@252sebby @Charlie Kirk #fypシ゚viral__ #creatorsearchinsights #252sebby #kirkaversary ♬ original sound – Zukenee Vault

@monkey_123457 WE are all ready 🥹 #kirkversiry #kirk #charlekirk ♬ original sound – monkey

@guekaralarps rest in piss 🥹🙏🥹🙏🥹🙏 happy kirkiversary guys 🎉 #kirkiverserary #meme #fyp #larp #kirkeversary ♬ оригинальный звук – kayla

@emperorpalpatineo The fact there's this many memes is CRAZY😭 #kirk #kirkiversary #charliekirk #meme #fypシ゚viral ♬ original sound – Malo_Waffler

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For the full history of the Kirkiversary meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry.