The Brief: This meme utilizes a series of images from the animated film How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World to convey a sense of encouragement.

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DEEP DIVE

This image macro meme is a two-tier compilation of still images from the 2019 film, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World. 

In the first image, the black dragon excitedly spreads his wings and smiles. The white dragon is not impressed and/or confused by the black dragon’s declaration, as evidenced in the bottom left image – a reaction similar to the Me Explaining reaction response. The bottom right image of someone throwing a thumbs up to the black dragon as if to encourage them, is the meme’s punchline.

This meme was popularized on the Dank Memes Subreddit.

Somebody help me from dankmemes

Multiple Meanings

The meme can be used to convey encouragement between friends or family. In this case, the “thumbs up” character attempts to encourage or cheer up the black dragon because of the white dragon’s reaction.

how i make frens? from dankmemes

How long til this format dies? from dankmemes

For the Elon Musk Reddit fans.

All hail from dankmemes

This one’s for all of the Avengers: Endgame stans.

Here goes nothing. from dankmemes

In another popular version of the meme, the “thumbs up” character is pranking or roasting the black dragon.

Getting ’em everytime from dankmemes

Still salty about that one from dankmemes

Other Variations & Crossovers

Redditors have combined this meme format with other popular memes. While the meme’s meaning is the same, sometimes the images have been swapped out.

*innocent whistling* from dankmemes

With Me and the Boys.

Boys are there 👌 from dankmemes

Original by u/Shure_Lock from dankmemes

Another Endgame reference.

Supportive thumbs up from dankmemes

This person’s live-adaptation FTW.

Ya’ll surely understand it, right? from dankmemes