Why Is This 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' Catchphrase Still Spreading After 18 Years? 'There Is No War In Ba Sing Se' And Its Memes Explained

For many years now, a particular catchphrase has been circulating the internet, hypnotizing people into believing that it's all going to be okay. Times have changed drastically since the phrase first appeared in 2006, and though it often feels like society is collapsing to many, there is one thing everyone knows with absolute certainty: "There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

But where does this iconic reference stem from and why is it still so prevalent online in memes and jokes?

Here's the origin of the phrase, and why it's being used to call out our delusions of safety.

Where Does The Phrase "There Is No War In Ba Sing Se" Come From?

The most common variation of this meme originates from the children's animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. In the season two episode "City Walls And Secrets," an official in the city of Ba Sing Se attempts to hypnotize a character into believing that there truly is no war in Ba Sing Se, a city that is very much at war, but pretends it isn't by isolating behind the city walls.

The phrase is a recurring catchphrase in the second season of the show, and this particular moment became preserved forever as a GIF online:

Another version of the catchphrase exists as an image macro, featuring a character named Joo Dee, a citizen of Ba Sing Se who seems to have fallen for the propaganda:

From there, people began sharing the GIF and meme to express disapproval of someone's opinions online, or to reference specific sociopolitical issues that many have ignored over the years.

When someone misses an obvious cue of some sort, this GIF calls them out, implying that they've brainwashed themselves into believing a very fake truth.

It's not exclusive to Avatar: The Last Airbender fans by any means, but the meme does tend to circulate within the fandom, especially to help them cope with that questionable M. Night Shyamalan film adaptation of the series.

How Is "There Is No War In Ba Sing Se" Used As A Catchphrase?

Think of it like the infamous K.C. Green comic This Is Fine. Though the dog might sip his tea and pretend the house is not on fire, sooner or later, the flames will consume him.

Thus, as Ba Sing Se denies the existence of a war, this same war, with a presence obvious to outsiders, will later consume it.

For the rare few who are both meme-savvy and knowledgeable about politics, this comes up in sociopolitical discussions. It's also a good way for someone to end a random online argument when it's clear they're losing because it'll confuse the opponent while allowing them to flee the comment section.

To learn more about 'There is no war in Ba Sing Se,' be sure to check out "Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.