Editor's Note: This entry contains spoilers for Tokyo Ghoul; read at your own caution.

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If you're looking to ruin your day with a piece of heartbreaking media, you could do a lot worse than scrolling through examples of the "State I Found Bro In" meme.

The exploitable image macro format has been garnering popularity on sites like Reddit, X / Twitter and TikTok since 2024 and has recently been blowing up as a way for people to show off the most emotionally gutwrenching things they've ever experienced.

But what is the meme exactly, how does it reference the anime series Tokyo Ghoul and why is it so popular? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'State Bro Found Me In' Meme And Where Does It Come From?

At the end of Tokyo Ghoul season two, a major character meets his unfortunate end. In one emotional scene, the protagonist Kaneki carries the character's lifeless body through the snow in what's become one of the most heartbreaking moments in the series. The scene became the subject of remakes in 2024 on sites like TikTok, with some being serious and some being ironic.

At the end of 2024, the phrases "The State Bro Found Me In" and "The State I Found Bro In" also started to become more popularized in memes.

Then, in February 2024, a meme was posted to and quickly deleted from TikTok combining a remake of the Tokyo Ghoul scene and the phrase, reading, "the state I found bro in after the Lana Del Rey girl," comedically suggesting Lana Del Rey fans are crazy. This sparked the meme as it spread over the following year.

How Is 'The State Bro Found Me In' Used In Memes?

The "state bro found me in" meme may be a reference to Tokyo Ghoul, but you don't need to have seen the show to enjoy the format.

Essentially, the meme is used as a way to share something, like a TV show or video game, that's caused you a severe emotional reaction. The subject of the emotional devastation is written after the phrase "the state bro found me in" or "the state I found bro in."

Sometimes the emotional subject is written into the meme and other times an image of the subject is edited onto the meme. On TikTok, the meme has been further recreated by users, who are placing similar captions over footage of themselves carrying someone through the snow.

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For the full history of the State I Found Bro In meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.