Remember when TikTokers were asking men how often they think about the Roman Empire? Well, there's a new question for the boys going viral on social media right now and it's all about choosing between being a cowboy, samurai or pirate. Here's why the question is going viral and what men are answering.

What Is The 'Cowboy, Samurai or Pirate' Question?

The "cowboy, samurai or pirate" question first went viral in July 2023 when influencer Megan Bitchell posted a now-viral video to TikTok. In the video, she claims that you can get to know a man you're interested in by asking him whether he'd rather be a samurai, pirate or cowboy.

Whether the video was intended as a joke or not, it gained over 8 million views in the next five months and inspired genuine responses from TikTokers. People began Stitching the video with their thoughts on the question and their answers to it, with many picking the samurai as the ultimate choice. A Reddit poll was even started that month asking the question, in which samurai won with over 900 votes, with cowboy coming in second.

@megitchell Boys, sound off in the comments about which one you would rather be!!! #datingadvice #satire #comedy ♬ original sound – meg bitchell

How Is 'Cowboy, Samurai or Pirate' Used Online?

The "samurai, cowboy, pirate" question went viral again in December 2023 when TikToker @notcarurosu posted a video presenting the question as a way to get to know a man's "true personality." The video was screenshotted and posted around social media, inspiring discourse everywhere from TikTok to X (Twitter) as men offered their answers.

The trend continued to gain interest on TikTok, where people started recording their significant others answering the question. In one video, a man seriously debates the options before settling on samurai, only doing so because his girlfriend wouldn't allow him to be a pirate captain. Clearly, there's a lot to think about with the "samurai, cowboy, pirate" question and men are not taking it lightly.

@dontbebias69 all i learned from this is that my bf is indecisive af #foryoupage ♬ original sound – paige

@freshout_the_oven #stitch with @meg bitchell Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk #samurai #pirate #cowboy #history #choose #warrior #theboys #boys ♬ original sound – Jordon B

@rizzotherat420 valid #cowboy #samurai #pirate #fyp ♬ national anthem – KT

@grace.yvonne why does it make so much sense tho. is it just me or 🤠 #cowboy #samurai #pirate #relatable #type #slay #fyp #merrychristmas #justagirl ♬ last xmas – kpopvrycs❄️

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For the full history of cowboy, samurai or pirate, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.