The “Does He Know?” meme is a reaction image featuring Paul Dano as the Riddler from the 2022 film The Batman, captioned with the interrogative phrase “Does he know?”. This meme format emerged from a YouTube thumbnail and evolved into a versatile tool for questioning someone’s awareness or knowledge about a particular topic, often with humorous or sarcastic undertones.
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Does He Know Meme Origin
The meme originated from a YouTube video posted on March 7, 2022, by the pop culture analysis channel New Rockstars. The video, titled “The Batman: Does Riddler Actually KNOW Batman = Bruce?”, used a thumbnail showing a perplexed Riddler with the text “Does he know?”. New Rockstars’ distinctive thumbnail style—featuring all-caps yellow text over screenshots—unintentionally created perfect meme material. The channel had previously spawned similar viral thumbnails like the “What was he cooking?” meme.
Spread Across Platforms
The meme first gained traction on Tumblr when user campyvillain compiled New Rockstars thumbnails, including the Riddler image, in a post that received over 15,000 notes. It subsequently migrated to Twitter (now X), where user @SohSketch used it as a reply on June 26, 2022, earning over 27,500 likes and cementing its status as a reaction format. The image’s spread continued through retweets, likes, and creative variations throughout 2022.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Meme Name | Does He Know? |
| Origin Date | March 7, 2022 |
| Source Channel | New Rockstars (YouTube) |
| Character/Actor | The Riddler (Paul Dano) |
| Original Context | The Batman film theory video |
| First Viral Platform | Tumblr |
| Primary Meaning | Questioning someone’s awareness/knowledge |
| Popular Variation | “He knows” (inverse version) |
| Typical Use Case | Reacting to obliviousness or errors |
| Target Audience | Gen Z and Millennial internet users |
Meaning and Usage
At its core, the meme functions as a rhetorical device that adds humor and doubt to online discussions. Users deploy it to playfully question whether someone is privy to information that seems obvious to everyone else, essentially calling out obliviousness. The format is particularly popular for mocking egregious errors or highlighting when someone appears clueless about a situation. The meme resonates strongly with Gen Z and millennial audiences who appreciate its indirect, ironic communication style.
Also Read: Selena Green Vargas Meme Meaning and Origin
Variations
A notable variant emerged in September 2022 when users began captioning the same image with “he knows” instead. This inversion completely flips the meaning—rather than questioning someone’s ignorance, it suggests the person is quietly aware and possibly playing dumb. The meme’s versatility has allowed it to adapt to countless scenarios, from sports and fandom discussions to political debates and niche internet jokes. Users have also created edits featuring different characters beyond the Riddler, further expanding its cultural reach.
