- A humorous way to describe a minor inconvenience, frustration, or embarrassing moment that the speaker jokingly claims will lead them to become evil or drastically change their personality for the worse.
- It frames a small problem as the catalyst for a fictional dramatic transformation.
Explanation
Origin
- Comes from superhero comics and movies where villains often have a specific event (an origin story) that caused them to turn evil (e.g., a lab accident, betrayal, tragedy).
- The phrase gained popularity online, particularly on platforms like Twitter and Tumblr, around the mid-to-late 2010s.
- It uses hyperbole to make light of everyday annoyances, tapping into the shared cultural understanding of superhero tropes.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- This is gonna make me go feral. (Humorous, implying losing civility)
- I'm losing my shit over this. (Expressing strong frustration, vulgar)
- That just grinds my gears. (Expressing annoyance, reference to Family Guy)
Milder:
- This is so frustrating!
- What a pain.
- That's really annoying.
Situational Appropriateness
- Highly informal, humorous.
- Best used among friends or online where the context is understood.
- Avoid in professional or serious settings.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Someone unfamiliar with the meme or superhero tropes might take it literally or find it overly dramatic if they miss the humor.
Examples
- My coffee machine broke right before my big presentation. This is my villain origin story.
- They were out of my favorite ice cream again. Definitely my villain origin story.
- Someone took the parking spot I was clearly waiting for. This is my villain origin story.
Dialogue
Person A: I spent an hour looking for my keys, and they were in my pocket the whole time.
Person B: Haha! Oh man, that's rough.
Person A: Seriously. This is my villain origin story. I'm never trusting pockets again.
Person B: Fair enough. Maybe invest in one of those key finders? Before you unleash your evil plan on the world.
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: My dog ate my homework... literally. My college professor won't believe this. This is my villain origin story 😩 #collegelife #dogshaming
- Instagram Story caption over a picture of spilled coffee: This is my villain origin story. Monday morning strikes again.
- Reddit comment: Someone replied 'ok boomer' to my genuine question. Yep, this is my villain origin story.
Response Patterns
- Laughter or amusement.
- Agreement with the perceived injustice: Oh no! That's the worst!
- Playing along: What will your villain name be? or Don't turn evil!
- Sharing a similar story: That happened to me last week!
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After hearing the expression:
- Ask for more details about the minor incident: Oh no, what happened exactly?
- Offer mock sympathy: The horror! How will you ever recover?
- Continue the joke: So, world domination plans start tomorrow?
Conversation Starter
- No. Typically used in response to a specific event or when telling a story about one.
Intonation
- Often delivered with a mock-serious or deadpan tone, emphasizing villain or origin.
- Can also be said with exaggerated despair or annoyance. This is my VILLAIN origin story.
Generation Differences
- Most common among Millennials and Gen Z who are familiar with internet humor and superhero tropes.
Regional Variations
- Primarily used in online communities, widespread across English-speaking internet users, especially US/Canada.