What In God's Name Is 'Gandalf Big Naturals'? The Surreal Photoshop 'LOTR' Meme Explained

"Gandalf Big Naturals" is the sort of magical phrase that when you read it, you think it can't possibly mean what it literally says, and yet, yes, there is a meme in which Gandalf from Lord of the Rings (played by Sir Ian McKellan) is photoshopped to have huge breasts.

So what exactly is this meme and how did it come to be? Let's dive into it, shall we?

Where Did 'Gandalf Big Naturals' Come From?

"Gandalf Big Naturals," which notably uses the slang "big naturals" that refers to "large natural breasts," comes from artist @becca.teeth, who explained in an interview with Autostraddle that they came up with the idea while recovering from top surgery.

It's likely they first posted it in late 2021 — while we can't find the original post, references to and reposts of the meme were posted to Tumblr in late December 2021.

The meme began spreading widely once print shop Raw Paw advertised it, and by the end of the year, @becca.teeth remarked on the joy they felt starting the meme.

How Has 'Gandalf Big Naturals' Remained A Meme?

Since "Gandalf Big Naturals" first hit the internet, it's remained lodged in the meme ecosystem, as photoshops and art contributing to the meme continued to get posted. Perhaps most importantly, it's remained a popular Halloween costume.

As we've tracked the meme, we've noticed it sees surges of interest every Halloween, making it one of the rare meme costumes with legs beyond the year (or week) its inspiration is popular.

This makes sense — it strikes a three-way balance between sexy, nerdy and funny, and even if others don't recognize the meme, "sexy Gandalf" is still a humorous concept on its own under the "sexy Halloween costume parodies" trend.

For the full history of Gandalf Big Naturals, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.