If the algorithm on TikTok is showing you weird videos of cosplayers in knight armor or guys with fake beards, capes and fishing nets, you’re like thousands of others. “Gnomes vs. Knights” is a new phenomenon on the platform and is developing into a huge event.
What’s going on on TikTok right now?
Where does this strange trend come from? At the end of June, TikToker crawly_possessed posted a first video of himself in a costume: crawling on his knees with a bright green cape, a pointed hat that he had taped to his head and a pink fishing net as a magic wand.
After a few strange videos before, Crawly reached several million users with this clip, and the video went viral in no time. Here we explain the whole story behind the green internet wizard. Here you can see the clip that started it all:
However, the clip quickly received responses, including from people in knight’s armor who suddenly started hunting the gnomes, threatening, for example, “Crawly, I will find you. The forest will not protect you.” (via TikTok). Some of the videos featured elaborate costumes, winged helmets, and flaming swords (via TikTok).
But the gnomes didn’t take this lying down and responded – with warnings about the knights’ traps and calls for resistance. There are now entire categories on the topic of Gnomes vs. Knights and events that are much bigger than the meme.
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Funny clip develops into a digital war with dozens of factions
The “war” between gnomes and knights has now grown to such an extent that new factions have formed. In a clip, TikToker mason marshal explains the confusing connections:
“We now have two sides, the gnomes and the knights. […] We see gnomes running through the forest with the music and running into traps. We see knights hunting gnomes. The lore goes pretty deep.
The gnomes say that the knights are stealing their land, that wizards are experimenting on them. Now these sites exist and other parties are coming in and joining in. […] Gnomes have a few allies, I think that’s official now. Wyverns are on their side, and the Mouse Kingdom – although the Mouse King is supposed to be on the knights’ side, there might be misinformation here. […]
Then you have the knights. The wizards seem to be fraternizing with the knights, but the new drama in the wizard community is that the wizard king has been murdered. So whoever killed the king, the wizards are going to go after them. […] The knights also claim that the dragons are on their side.”
The TikToker goes on to explain that things are now going much deeper. Goblins, rangers, elves and dwarves are now also getting involved, but have not yet decided on a side. Apparently, a major attack by the gnomes is set to start today, July 4th – so expect even more content on your devices.
Even Crawly probably didn’t expect that a single clip would trigger such a series of events and attract so many people, but it did help the TikToker to become very well known. And the trend isn’t harming anyone (yet) – unlike much more dangerous ideas that are circulating: Life-threatening TikTok trend: 14-year-old student dies from “one-chip challenge”