The ‘Animals Going Goblin Mode’ account has a whopping 531k followers on Instagram. That’s a huge number, considering that the page was created not too long ago, in September 2022. It just goes to show how much internet and social media users enjoy animal content.

Add a unique twist and you can potentially draw in a huge crowd. That is, if the content is relatable and humorous enough.

‘Goblin mode’ photos and videos are often (though not always) low quality, unfocused, and blurry. All of this gives the content a raw sort of vibe. The pics might not be overly artistic, but they’re oozing with character and emotions.

This focus on the energy rather than the technical aspects of the photos means a low entry barrier for ‘goblin-content’ posters who see their pets or local wildlife acting strangely. You just need to be quick enough to snap the pic!

Though the ‘Animals Going Goblin Mode’ Instagram project is very popular, it isn’t the only one posting funny and weird animal content.

For example, there is a similarly titled ‘Animals Going Goblin Mode’ (@mischiefanimals) account on X (formerly Twitter). The latter was created in April 2022, and at the time of writing, it has 1.3 million followers.

‘Goblin mode,’ which can refer to both people and animals, could be found online even way back in 2009. Though, back then, folks were still unsure of what exactly the phrase meant.

The term started spreading like wildfire in October 2021 and went massively viral in February 2022. It’s very likely that you’ve heard it being thrown about here and there.

What the phrase meant a few years ago and what it means now is subtly different. ‘Know Your Meme’ explains that ‘goblin mode’ is a slang term denoting a person or animal that acts wild, feral, hyperactive, bizarre, or menacing.

However, the BBC points out that ‘goblin mode’ can also describe someone who is unapologetically self-indulgent. They’re lazy, slovenly, or greedy. Like a goblin!

The meme became so widespread and beloved that it was actually declared the Oxford Word of the Year in 2022. It was the first time that the Oxford word of the year was chosen by the public.

The phrase won against two other terms (‘Metaverse’ and ‘#IStandWith’) after getting a jaw-dropping 318,956 votes, or 93% of the total. It was an overwhelming gobbo victory.

The phrase is directly linked to the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing global lockdowns. After all the restrictions began to ease, some people faced a new reality that they despised.

Having spent so much time cooped up at home, they found that they simply didn’t want to go back to their old lives and how things used to be. Instead, they wanted to embrace their inner goblin. That means being lazy, greedy, and realistic without guilt instead of keeping up a pristine and perfectionistic image.

“We were hoping the public would enjoy being brought into the process, but this level of engagement with the campaign caught us totally by surprise,” the president of Oxford Languages, Casper Grathwohl, commented on the overwhelming response during the popular vote. A lot of people loved the idea of ‘goblin mode.’

“The strength of the response highlights how important our vocabulary is to understanding who we are and processing what's happening to the world around us. Given the year we've just experienced, 'goblin mode' resonates with all of us who are feeling a little overwhelmed at this point. It's a relief to acknowledge that we're not always the idealized, curated selves that we're encouraged to present on our Instagram and TikTok feeds,” Grathwohl said.

When’s the last time you saw an animal going full-out goblin, dear Pandas? How derpy and mischievous are your pets and local wildlife? Do you embrace your own inner goblin, or do you shy away from it?

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the topic. So, if you have the strength to climb out of ‘goblin mode’ for a moment, crawl down to the comment section to leave your thoughts.