In meme culture, there is usually one specific meme that dominates each month. For a generally 30-day period, memers and non-memers alike will see the joke everywhere, cleverly used and edited to fit as many situations as possible. However, January has been a special month, as two standout memes have been making the rounds for those looking to have a laugh. The first is Lamar Roasting Franklin, with the standout Grand Theft Auto 5 scene taking every form imaginable over the past several weeks. The second popular meme is, unsurprisingly, Inauguration Day Bernie Sanders.
While inauguration day was centered on Joe Biden taking on the role of President of the United States, it was Bernie Sanders who quickly caught the eyes of many. Wearing mittens, a large coat, and a mask, the crossed legs and arms completed the Senator’s hilarious appearance. The look instantly became the stuff of memes, with Bernie Sanders taking over video games and the rest of pop culture instantly. Having already been memed once via the “I am once again asking for your financial support” images, Sanders’ second time being the joke has provided plenty of excellent memes thus far.
RELATED: Dungeons and Dragons Fan Creates Item Based on Bernie Sanders' Mittens
A great meme from Twitter user @AlmostKirk sends Bernie Sanders to the world of Skyrim. Showing Sanders in place of Ralof, the character responsible for the “hey you, you’re finally awake” line in the game’s opening moments, the meme could not be any more perfect. The focused look on the Senator’s face makes him a perfect stand-in for the iconic Elder Scrolls moment, and his crossed arm pose only adds to the scene. Of course, Bernie’s signature gloves can be seen clearly as he rides toward the game’s very first dragon encounter.
While fans from several video game franchises got in on the fun of the Hidden Bernie Sanders meme, Pokemon players have been delivering some great memes at a consistent rate. One image from Twitter user @sr_valderrama, for example, sees the iconic “Who’s that Pokemon?” meme recreated with the Inauguration day Bernie in place of one of Game Freak’s iconic critters. Though he is only a silhouette in this meme, the pose is truly unmistakable.
Two more Pokemon memes come courtesy of Twitter user @Xen0du, with the images throwing Bernie directly into the world of Pokemon. Both images play on Bernie’s major political stance of free healthcare for all, with the politician making his pitch at the Pokemon Center. In the other meme, the Senator becomes a Gym Leader, offering to give series protagonist Ash Ketchum Health Care while two Pokemon stand to his side. Though both memes are built on the same premise, their different visual styles help them to feel different. A final meme from Twitter user @danmoydes showcases a fully drawn Grandmaster version of Bernie, with the artist doing a great job interpreting the meme.
As shown in the image above from Redditor DocDanMedicineMan, Bernie Sanders has been inserted into the Death Stranding universe, and it is hard to think of a better fit for the character. With the game’s political undertones being clear, seeing the Senator sitting with protagonist Sam Porter Bridges makes sense. However, the best Death Stranding-related Bernie meme takes place outside of the game. Created by Twitter’s @SoSnake13 and retweeted by Tommie Earl Jenkins, the actor who played Die-Hardman, Senator Sanders is seen sitting with Hideo Kojima and the the game’s main cast.
Bernie’s next appearances see him replacing Kingdom Hearts protagonist Sora and sharing some ice cream with friends. The first meme is an art piece from @GeekyColter that shows Bernie sitting in a throne with a Keyblade in each hand, and it is hard not to laugh when seeing the small crown positioned on the right side of Sanders’ head. At the same time, the piece is gorgeously made, with @GeekyColter successful in their “attempt at Nomura’s art style.”
The second image improves on a well-known Kingdom Hearts meme, as the Senator enters the cringey but memorable ice cream conversations of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days. While Roxas and Axel can be seen building up their bond on the tower balcony, Sanders can be seen looking angry and cold on the right-hand side of the image made by @tokyo_terror. Likely upset that he does not have one of the ice cream bars that the duo is always raving about, the hilarious image is certainly one that will get a laugh out of Kingdom Hearts fans.
RELATED: Super Bernie World Devs Announce New Platformer Kitsune Tails
The next Bernie meme sees some effort added in, as the Senator explores a cave inside Minecraft. While the heavily teased Bernie Sanders Minecraft gameplay never came, players can see the Senator himself searching for iron, coal, and the highly coveted diamonds. With creator @penguins_yay doing a solid job adding detail to the image, Sanders can be seen wielding a pickaxe and wearing a helmet. With the username Bernie displayed above and a Creeper looming in the background, there is plenty to appreciate about Sanders’ appearance in the block-filled world.
With the Bernie Sanders meme reaching its peak popularity, it makes sense that someone would decide to make him playable in one way or another. YouTuber User619 took on the challenge, modding Bernie into SoulCalibur 6 — with the result being truly incredible. In-game, Bernie is seen wearing his iconic outfit and sitting in a chair, making the same pose that sparked his cameos across the internet.
What makes this SoulCalibur 6 meme particularly funny is that, while Bernie performs several moves, he never leaves his iconic position. Delivering plenty of hits and taking just as much punishment, Bernie is thrown around the arena by members of SoulCalibur’s cast — though he never leaves the seated position. The chair, mittens, and mask stay attached to BerniUndertale Creator Toby Fox Provides Deltarune Development Update (gamerant.com)Undertale Creator Toby Fox Provides Deltarune Development Update (gamerant.com)e as he does battle, and this playable meme is truly a sight to behold because of that.
Bernie’s Undertale appearance is one of the absolute best, purely because of how well he fits into the world of The Underground. Rather than simply being photoshopped in, Redditor tinymugen created a 32-bit version of Bernie — gloves, mask, and all. The design looks incredible, helping Bernie blend into the world seamlessly, and the meme creator is certainly deserving of some praise for their work. Sitting at a table in a bar filled with characters like Greater Dog, Bernie’s appearance here is enough to make anyone want a proper easter egg whenever Deltarune is finally complete.
Another Bernie Sanders meme tied to a fighting game sees Sanders being placed in Mortal Kombat, though not as a kombatant. Instead, Bernie simply watches the fights. Whether he be sitting on Shang Tsung's throne or simply watching two fighters duke it out while waiting on a train in Mortal Kombat 9, the memes have proven to be a hilarious source of entertainment for fans of the franchise — and Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon is one of them.
An icon in the fighting game community responsible for some of the genre’s standout games, Boon tweeted out his own Sanders meme. Showing him on the throne while Scorpion clashes with the villainous mercenary Kano, Boon jokes that he “almost didn’t see him there.” With video game developers even joining in on the fun of the hidden Bernie trend, the meme clearly has a far reach and will likely get some use for some time to come.
Rounding out the list of Bernie Sanders’ most memorable video game memes is a piece of art from the talented Redditor Rabbitsister. Showing fans what Bernie would look like if he were a villager in Animal Crossing, the image os utterly adorable. With Bernie getting horns and a cuddly grey exterior, but keeping his signature outfit and crossed arms pose, it is hard to not want Nintendo to officially add him to the game’s villager lineup. For now, though, this cute art piece will likely be as close as fans get, with the image proving that there are few scenarios where this special meme will not be funny.
MORE: Sonic Fox Shouts Out Bernie Sanders after Winning Mortal Kombat 11 Championship