Leeroy Jenkins

Last updated

Leeroy Jenkins
World of Warcraft character
Leeroy Jenkins WoW.webp
Leeroy Jenkins as an NPC in World of Warcraft
First appearance
  • Leeroy!! (video)
  • 2005
Created byBen Schulz
In-universe information
ClassPaladin

Leeroy Jenkins is a player character created by Ben Schulz in Blizzard Entertainment's multiplayer online video game World of Warcraft .

Contents

The character was popularized in a 2005 viral video of game footage. In the video, having been absent during a discussion of a meticulous battle plan, Leeroy returns and ruins it by charging into combat while shouting his name as a battle cry. The video became an Internet meme.

In response to the meme, Blizzard added Leeroy Jenkins into World of Warcraft as an official non-player character and as a minion card, and later as a hero in the online card game Hearthstone .

Origin

Ben Schulz at the 2007 BlizzCon Ben Shultz Leeroy Jenkins.jpg
Ben Schulz at the 2007 BlizzCon

The original video, titled Leeroy!!, was released by the World of Warcraft player guild "Pals for Life" [1] to video-sharing site Warcraftmovies on May 11, 2005. [2] The video features a group of players discussing a detailed battle plan for their next encounter while Leeroy is away from his computer, preparing a plate of chicken. This plan is intended to help Leeroy obtain a piece of armor from the boss monsters, but is ruined when Leeroy himself returns and, ignorant of the strategy, utters "Let's do this!" then immediately rushes headlong into battle shouting his own name in a stylized battle cry. As he runs in, one of the companions says "oh my God, he just ran in." After his companions sit silent for a moment in disbelief, they try to save him, but the chaotic nature of the fight leads into everyone being killed by the boss monsters. The guild chastises Leeroy for rushing into the fight without any planning, to which he retorts, "At least I have chicken!"[ citation needed ]

The Internet meme started with the release of the video clip called A Rough Go [3] to the World of Warcraft game forum in a thread titled "UBRS (vid) Rookery Overpowered! blue plz.", which presented the video in a serious context. [4] The thread requested that other players provide help with strategy and that Blizzard reduce the difficulty of the encounter. The video spread as an Internet meme, and Leeroy's response to the other players' chastisements, "At least I have chicken!", [3] was also much mimicked.

When asked in April 2008 about his actions in the video by National Public Radio, Ben Schulz said the players "were drinking 40s and just yelling at each other." [5] As time went on, some began suggesting that the video may have been staged, which Schulz refused to confirm or deny. [3] In December 2017, Schulz, along with Ben "Anfrony" Vinson, who recorded the video, released what he described as a first take or dry run of the video. [6] Vinson stated, "We didn't think anyone would believe it was real, we thought it was so obviously satire." [7]

Legacy

Leeroy Jenkins was included as a card within the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game released on October 25, 2006, with art by Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade fame. [8] A "Leeroy Jenkins" Legendary card was later released in Blizzard's online card game Hearthstone , as part of the game's base ("Classic") set, [9] [10] using the same art as that of the WoW Trading Card Game. [11] Upper Deck Entertainment released a World of Warcraft Miniatures game in fall 2008, which included a Leeroy Jenkins figurine. [12]

The May 2005 issue of PC Gamer UK featured an article on the video, titled "The Ballad of Leeroy Jenkins". The article took the position that the video was designed as a negative commentary on the kind of "nerd-guilds" whose members fastidiously plan raids with all the seriousness of actual military tacticians. They added that they felt Leeroy is the hero acting against the geekiness of his guild. [13] In a 2009 article in the Armed Forces Journal titled "Let's Do This!: Leeroy Jenkins and the American Way of Advising," Capt. Robert M Chamberlain links Jenkins to the American approach to advising the indigenous armed forces in Iraq. [14] IGN placed Jenkins 10th on their 2017 list of best Blizzard characters, noting that he represents the crossing of a line which typically separates a game's content and its community. [15]

In 2008, Blizzard added an achievement to World of Warcraft called "Leeeeeeeeeeeeeroy!", which awards the title of "Jenkins" to players who kill 50 of the rookery whelps from the video within 15 seconds. [16] Blizzard also added a "Leeroy Jenkins" card to their popular online card game Hearthstone . [17] In March 2022, Leeroy Jenkins debuted as a playable mercenary character in Hearthstone's Mercenaries game mode. [18]

Jenkins has also been referenced in popular culture outside of World of Warcraft, including a question on Jeopardy! , mentions on television programs such as How I Met Your Mother and Barry , in a World of Warcraft-based Toyota Tacoma truck advertisement, [19] deleted scenes from 2009 movies Year One and Monsters Vs. Aliens [20] [21] and appearances in video games not developed or published by Blizzard, such as Mass Effect . [22] [23] [24] Part of the Family Guy episode "Veteran Guy" is based on Leeroy!! video. [25] On March 12, 2012, Jon Stewart's The Daily Show used Leeroy Jenkins in a clip when talking about the Republican Convention. [26] During the prolonged vote for the Speaker of the House of the 118th United States Congress in January 2023, Representative Jared Huffman evoked the meme when voting for candidate Hakeem Jeffries. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blizzard Entertainment</span> American video game publisher and developer

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California, and a subsidiary of Activision Blizzard. Originally founded in 1991, the company is best known for producing the highly influential massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft (2004), as well as the multi-million selling video game franchises Diablo,StarCraft and Overwatch. The company also operates Battle.net, an online gaming service.

<i>World of Warcraft</i> 2004 video game

World of Warcraft (WoW) is a 2004 massively multiplayer online role-playing (MMORPG) video game produced by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the Warcraft fantasy universe, World of Warcraft takes place within the world of Azeroth, approximately four years after the events of the previous game in the series, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. The game was announced in 2001, and was released for the 10th anniversary of the Warcraft franchise on November 23, 2004. Since launch, World of Warcraft has had ten major expansion packs: The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), Warlords of Draenor (2014), Legion (2016), Battle for Azeroth (2018), Shadowlands (2020), Dragonflight (2022), and The War Within (2024). Two further expansions, Midnight and The Last Titan, were announced in 2023.

Warcraft is a franchise of video games, novels, and other media created by Blizzard Entertainment. The series is made up of six core games: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble. The first three of these core games are in the real-time strategy genre, where opposing players command virtual armies in battle against each other or a computer-controlled enemy. The fourth and best-selling title of the franchise is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), where players control their character and interact with each other in a virtual world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BlizzCon</span> Annual gaming convention by Blizzard Entertainment

BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its major franchises including Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corrupted Blood incident</span> Virtual epidemic in World of Warcraft

The Corrupted Blood incident took place between September 13 and October 8, 2005, in World of Warcraft, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment. When participating in a certain boss battle at the end of a raid, player characters would become infected with a debuff that was transmitted between characters in close proximity. While developers intended to keep the effects of the debuff within this boss's game region, a programming oversight soon led to an in-game pandemic throughout the fictional world of Azeroth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cow level</span> Hidden level in the video game Diablo II

The secret cow level, or simply the cow level, is a level featured in the action role-playing hack and slash video game series Diablo, developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It first appears as postgame content in 2000's Diablo II, where it is officially known as the "Moo Moo Farm". Players may access the level after collecting a special combination of items to conjure a portal leading to the level. The player character is confronted upon arrival by a large horde of armed anthropomorphic cows led by a boss character called the "Cow King".

<i>World of Warcraft Trading Card Game</i> Collectible card game

The World of Warcraft Trading Card Game is an out-of-print collectible card game based on Blizzard Entertainment's MMORPG, World of Warcraft. The game was announced by Upper Deck Entertainment on August 18, 2005 and released on October 25, 2006. Players can play against each other one-on-one, or can join others in order to defeat dungeon/raid "bosses" based on those in the MMORPG. In March 2010, Upper Deck lost the license from Blizzard Entertainment. The license was acquired by Cryptozoic Entertainment later in the month, with the company announcing that planned card sets would be released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Kaplan</span> American video game designer (born 1972)

Jeffrey Kaplan is an American video game designer and former vice president of Blizzard Entertainment, a position he held until he left the company in 2021. He designed elements of World of Warcraft and is the former lead director of Overwatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle.net</span> Online gaming platform by Blizzard Entertainment

Battle.net is an Internet-based online game, social networking service, digital distribution, and digital rights management platform developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The service was launched on December 31, 1996, followed a few days later with the release of Blizzard's action-role-playing video game Diablo on January 3, 1997. Battle.net was officially renamed to "Blizzard Battle.net" in August 2017, with the change being reverted in January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illidan Stormrage</span> Fictional character

Illidan Stormrage is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment.

<i>Hearthstone</i> Digital collectible card game by Blizzard Entertainment

Hearthstone is a 2014 online digital collectible card video game produced by Blizzard Entertainment, released under the free-to-play model. Originally subtitled Heroes of Warcraft, Hearthstone builds upon the existing lore of the Warcraft series by using the same elements, characters, and relics. The game is available on the Windows, macOS, iOS and Android platforms, featuring cross-platform play. It has been a critical and commercial success, with Blizzard reporting more than 100 million Hearthstone players as of November 2018, and the game has become popular as an esport, with cash prize tournaments hosted by Blizzard and other organizers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sylvanas Windrunner</span> Character in Warcraft series of video games

Sylvanas Windrunner is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. Originally introduced in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, she received a dramatic redesign in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, followed by a minor redesign in World of Warcraft: Legion. Once a high elf ranger-general of Silvermoon, Sylvanas was murdered by Arthas Menethil when she led a doomed resistance against his invasion. In one climactic battle, that left the capital city of Silvermoon in ruins, he managed to finally beat the elven general, ripping her soul out and transforming her into a banshee. This newest agent of the Lich King was empowered by hatred of the living and an everlasting desire to rule over her new people. In The Frozen Throne, Sylvanas was able to regain her free will and body, and founded the Forsaken faction of undead while styling herself as the "Banshee Queen" and "Dark Lady". With her new undead forces vowing to take revenge on the Lich King, they set out to wage war against the Scourge. Throughout nearly the entirety of Legion and the first one-third of Battle for Azeroth, she was also the Warchief of the Horde, standing as one of the most powerful political leaders in all of Azeroth following the death of Vol'jin during the opening events of Legion. She effectively abandoned the role in patch 9.1, Chains of Domination, resulting in the title of Warchief being retired and replaced by the Horde Council while leadership of the Forsaken is inherited by Desolate Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jaina Proudmoore</span> Character in Warcraft

Jaina Proudmoore is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. Within the games, she is the most powerful sorceress alive. She is currently Lord Admiral, ruler of the Kul Tiras kingdom. Jaina was formerly the leader of the Kirin Tor, a faction of mages ruling over the city of Dalaran. She swore to defeat the Burning Legion and its sinister agents any way she could and helped defeat and banish the demons. Once a diplomat, she advocated for peace between the Alliance and the Horde, and she later joined the Alliance after the destruction of her city of Theramore at the hands of the Horde. The character has become one of the most iconic and noted characters in Warcraft lore, and has received positive critical reception from gamers. Jaina's other appearances include the collectible card game Hearthstone and the crossover multiplayer online battle arena video game Heroes of the Storm. Jaina was voiced by Carrie Gordon Lowrey in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and World of Warcraft, and is currently voiced by Laura Bailey in the subsequent World of Warcraft expansions, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthas Menethil</span> Fictional character

Arthas Menethil is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. He was once a paladin of the Silver Hand and the crown prince of Lordaeron, but he was corrupted by the cursed blade Frostmourne in a bid to save his people. He later became the Lich King, one of the most prominent antagonists in Warcraft lore. Arthas also appears as a playable character in the crossover multiplayer online battle arena game Heroes of the Storm. The critical reception of the character has been mostly positive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kripparrian</span> Romanian-Canadian Twitch streamer

Octavian Morosan better known by his online username Kripparrian, is a Romanian-Canadian Twitch streamer, YouTuber and video game personality. He is known for his achievements on Diablo III, World of Warcraft, and Hearthstone, as well as winning the "Favorite Hearthstone Stream" and Most "Engaged" Viewers categories, and coming second in the "Highest Stream View Average" category at the Blizzard Stream Awards in 2014. In June 2017 he achieved over one million followers on Twitch and as of October 2024, he has over 1.5 million followers.

Gameplay of <i>Hearthstone</i>

Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2014, available for Microsoft Windows and macOS PCs and iOS and Android smartphones. The game is free-to-play, with players gaining in-game currency and card packs via winning matches and completing quests, while real-world money can be spent to acquire additional card packs and cosmetic items. The game has been critically well-received and financially successful, estimated in August 2017 to earn nearly US$40 million per month. As of November 2018, Blizzard has reported more than 100 million Hearthstone players. Blizzard has continued to expand the game with the addition of multiple expansions, adventures and game modes.

<i>World of Warcraft Classic</i> 2019 massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment

World of Warcraft Classic is a 2019 MMORPG video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Running alongside the main version of the game, Classic recreates World of Warcraft in the state it was in during the release of its first expansion, The Burning Crusade. It was announced at BlizzCon 2017 and was released globally August 26, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Brode</span> American video game designer

Ben Brode is an American video game designer. He was the game director and public face of Hearthstone until 2018 when he left to found his own game studio, Second Dinner, where he is now Chief Development Officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anduin Wrynn</span> Warcraft character

Anduin Llane Wrynn is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. First appearing in the original launch of World of Warcraft in 2004, Anduin is the son of Tiffin and Varian Wrynn, and the king of the human kingdom of Stormwind. Following Varian's disappearance, young Anduin is crowned king of Stormwind. He succeeds his father following his death in World of Warcraft: Legion, as well as his position as leader of the Alliance. Anduin also appears as a playable character in the crossover multiplayer online battle arena game Heroes of the Storm. The character is voiced by Josh Keaton.

Thrall (<i>Warcraft</i>) Fictional character in the Warcraft universe

Thrall, born as Go'el, is a fictional character who appears in the Warcraft series of video games by Blizzard Entertainment. Within the series, Thrall is an orc shaman who served for a time as a Warchief of the Horde, one of the major factions of the Warcraft universe, as well as the leader of a shaman faction dedicated to preserving the balance between elemental forces in the world of Azeroth known as the Earthen Ring. Originally introduced in promotional material released by Blizzard Entertainment as the protagonist of the canceled video game Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans, which was co-developed by Blizzard and Animation Magic from 1996 until 1998, Thrall's first proper appearance is in the 2001 novelization of the canceled video game's narrative authored by American novelist Christie Golden. The novel's story is set during his youth, where he is depicted as a slave who was raised by an abusive human military officer, but eventually rebelled and escaped captivity.

References

  1. ↑ Messner, Steven (May 11, 2020). "Leeroy Jenkins, World of Warcraft's greatest meme, turns 15 today". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 6, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Leeroy!!". May 11, 2005. Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Joel Warner (March 8, 2007). "The Legend of Leeroy Jenkins". Archived from the original on January 18, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  4. ↑ Abduhl (May 10, 2005). "WoW BlueTracker: UBRS (vid) Rookery Overpowered! blue please". Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  5. ↑ "My ROFLCon Weekend: Breakfast with Tron Guy". The Bryant Park Project. National Public Radio. April 28, 2008. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  6. ↑ Anf Pal (December 22, 2017), Leeroy Jenkins First Take/Dry Run (NEW), archived from the original on December 27, 2017, retrieved November 19, 2022
  7. ↑ Schreier, Jason (December 25, 2017). "The Makers Of 'Leeroy Jenkins' Didn't Think Anyone Would Believe It Was Real". Kotaku. Archived from the original on December 25, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  8. ↑ Ziebart, Alex (June 28, 2011). "WoW Archivist: The legacy of Leeroy Jenkins". Engadget . Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  9. ↑ Marshall, Cass (March 25, 2021). "Hearthstone's 2014-era Classic mode is now live". Polygon . Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  10. ↑ Mejia, Ozzie (March 17, 2020). "Hearthstone sends Leeroy to Hall of Fame, reworks Priest class". Shacknews . Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  11. ↑ Deschamps, Marc (May 11, 2020). "World of Warcraft's Leeroy Jenkins Video Celebrates 15th Anniversary". ComicBook. ViacomCBS. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  12. ↑ Miller, Amanda (February 8, 2008). "A closer look at the WoW miniatures". Engadget . Retrieved November 19, 2022.[ permanent dead link ]
  13. ↑ Pearson, Craig (August 2005). "The Ballad of Leeroy Jenkins". PC Gamer UK.
  14. ↑ Chamberlain, Robert (June 19, 2009). "Let's Do This! Leeroy Jenkins and the American way of advising". Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2022.(registration required)
  15. ↑ "Top 25 Best Blizzard Characters". IGN . November 3, 2017. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  16. ↑ Miller, Amanda (October 14, 2008). "Five easy achievements you can snag right now". WoWInsider. Archived from the original on October 17, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  17. ↑ Clark, Tim (November 12, 2014). "Time's up for Leeroy Jenkins as Blizzard finally nerf him and Starving Buzzard". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on November 19, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  18. ↑ "22.6 Patch Notes". March 17, 2022. Archived from the original on June 27, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  19. ↑ Beale, Scott (October 10, 2007). "World of Warcraft Toyota Tacoma Commercial". Laughing Squid . Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Leeroy Jenkins Hits DVD With Year One and Monsters vs. Aliens". The Escapist Forums. October 29, 2009. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  21. ↑ Rea, Jasmine Maleficent (October 27, 2009). "Year One Deleted Scene: Leeroy Jenkins". VentureBeat . Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Jeopary! round: Computer gaming category – 1000$". J! Archive. November 16, 2005. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  23. ↑ Ziebart, Alex (June 28, 2011). "WoW Archivist: The legacy of Leeroy Jenkins". Engadget. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved September 2, 2017.
  24. ↑ Bramesco, Charles (April 22, 2018). "Barry Recap: Shakespeare's Whiff". Vulture . Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  25. ↑ Family Guy - Leeroy Jenkins WOW Parody - 1080p , retrieved September 7, 2023
  26. ↑ Gray, Michael (March 8, 2012). "Leeroy Jenkins appears on The Daily Show". Engadget . Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  27. ↑ Lee, Jonathan (January 4, 2023). "House member cites Leeroy Jenkins meme during speaker vote". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on January 4, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.