AI lovers and Zootopia fans alike are going to bat for an AI-generated GIF of the fox character Nick Wilde scuba dancing after an artist reanimated it with their own two hands.

The GIF has been going viral on sites like TikTok alongside the scuba dance since early March, and now it's become the center of the "AI vs. traditional animation" debate on X / Twitter.

So, what exactly is the Nick Wilde GIF, and what are people debating? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Nick Wilde Scuba Dance' Reaction Meme?

In early March 2026, a reaction GIF of Nick Wilde, the anthropomorphic fox protagonist of the Zootopia movies, doing the viral scuba dance. The scuba dance is a dance performed by plugging your nose and waving your free hand out in front of your face.

This dance went viral on TikTok throughout early 2026, and was even featured in many renditions of 2025's controversial "Flip the Camera" trend.

The GIF is AI-generated, but quickly became a lot of TikTokers' favorite reaction meme, inspiring videos in which users directly reference it and share how funny they find it.

@hello234999999 #trend #scuba #Viral #makemefamous #like ♬ SCUBA JUKE – h5wk

How Is The 'Nick Wilde Scuba Dance' Meme Discussed Online?

Amid its virality, the GIF was reanimated and posted by X / Twitter user and artist @Khyle_stufff on March 9th, 2026, receiving over 100,000 likes and 12 million views in just two days.

While many X users loved the reanimated GIF and its style, others preferred the original. They started quote-reposting the GIF with commentary about how much more "soulful" they find the original, AI-generated version.

This inevitably sparked a war between AI lovers and haters. Some defended the artist, noting how much more time and effort they put into the reanimated GIF and reminding people that AI art steals other artists' works to generate content.

Some claim that people choosing the AI GIF over the animated GIF acts as a warning sign of the growing acceptance and embracement of AI content.

Meanwhile, some of the animation's haters simply believe that the new animation style is bad and the GIF was never funny to begin with.

ok i made it, maybe a follow? pic.twitter.com/DRqDdnwE0G

— Khyle Stuff (COMMS OPEN) (@Khyle_stufff) March 9, 2026

What Are Some More 'Nick Wilde Scuba Dance' Reactions?

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For the full history of the Nick Wilde Scuba Dance meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.