Deformed Frieren: The Meme That Surpassed the Famous “Ugly Sasuke”
If you were online in 2017, you definitely remember the legendary “Ugly Sasuke” — that horribly distorted drawing of Sasuke that became one of the biggest anime memes ever. The original artist was never found, but the meme became eternal.
Well… a worthy successor has finally appeared. And it came straight from Sousou no Frieren.
The internet has now embraced Deformed Frieren, a badly angled sketch that exploded across social media and revived the chaotic energy of Ugly Sasuke. The meme went so far that even Frieren’s English voice actress joined in on the fun.
How the Meme Started: The Impossible Angle
Everything began when the user “Big-Black-banana-man” stole a sketch from artist SpaceDev1 and reposted it on the subreddit r/animation, which made the post go viral.
Yes — the screenshot circulating with the caption “How do you guys draw from different angles?” was actually stolen. But even so, the real creator was eventually identified and received recognition for his attempt.
The original drawing was first posted by SpaceDev1 in the Frieren subreddit, then stolen and reposted — and that repost is what blew up.
From there, it spread to Twitter/X, and the internet took over.
The sketch — weird, distorted, and automatically funny — went viral instantly. Artists began creating their own versions, as you can see in the gallery below:
Naturally, fans compared the phenomenon to the eternal Ugly Sasuke. And thus, Deformed Frieren was officially born.
When the Meme Escapes the Fandom (and Reaches the Industry)
The real turning point came when Mallorie Rodak, Frieren’s English voice actress, changed her official profile picture to Deformed Frieren — captioned:
“New profile pic”
This same actress loves Frieren so much she has even cosplayed as her.
A simple private joke becomes a shared cultural reference.
Why This Angle Defeats Everyone
Technically, drawing a face tilted downward with forced perspective is one of the hardest things in art. The nose, jaw, eyes — everything warps easily.
That’s why the meme works so well: it’s a universal artistic failure, instantly recognizable and impossible not to laugh at. In a world full of polished illustrations — many generated by AI — Deformed Frieren stands out precisely because it is the opposite:
Raw, imperfect, and deeply human. This kind of “fun failure” creates instant connection. People want to imitate it, remix it, and join the trend.
なぜかわからないけど
上を見上げたフリーレンのイラストがたくさん流れてきているので、以前３Dで作ったフリーレンで便乗３Dはあおり顔に弱いのでリグでめちゃ変形して整えます https://t.co/5Uy2l8APAx pic.twitter.com/QeR0dbwJ9L
— ヒロ@3DCGキャラモデラー | HIRO JAPAN (@h1i9r8o1) November 17, 2025
Original Artist Thanks the Community
SpaceDev1, posting under his Twitter handle, shared a thank-you message along with new drawings of Fern and Stark:
“My drawing went viral. It even became a meme. Thank you for that.
Thank you for sending me tips on drawing faces and perspective.
I’m glad it inspired so many of you to try this difficult angle.
I was extremely flattered that Mallorie Rodak used it as her profile picture. I only shared it as a silly post, but wow… the feedback and tips were overwhelming.
I didn’t think this drawing would touch so many people. I added a goofy Stark drawing to complete the family. Thank you for all the support!”