Where Does 'Death Knocking On Doors' Come From? The Exploitable Grim Reaper Meme Explained

Any fan of anything has probably seen this meme format: Death, knocking on doors, ready to claim its next victim (note: whether this meme is positive or negative is highly dependent on whether the thing you like is good or not).

The exploitable image macro format typically used in object-labeling memes has proven exceptionally malleable to sports, video games and even politics (among many other topics in its long-running usage online).

At this point, it's well-established in meme culture, while its origins are less well-known. Here, we'll break down where this meme comes from and how it's used around the web.

Where Does 'Death Knocking On Doors' Come From?

The original "Death Knocking On Doors" image, also known as "Grim Reaper Knocking on Door," was a political cartoon criticizing American foreign policy. Though its original author is unknown, it was first posted on Argentinian social networking site Taringa in August 2013.

The image shows Death, portrayed in a robe that bears the American flag, knocking on doors that represent different countries. Several country's doors have blood trails coming out of them, representing how America has "ruined" them, and "Egypt" is next in line.

How Has The Meme Developed?

Nearly every iteration of the meme is used to joke about a consistent pattern of failure for subjects within a certain group, and the next thing in that group will also fail.

In the below example, death, object labeled "Disney Sequels," is "killing" Disney's beloved movies by unnecessarily turning them into franchises and continuing to make more and more sequels.

There have also been some variations on the comic that add an unexpected twist, like characters on the other side of the final door.

In an example shown below, Death, labeled Fortnite, has an unpleasant surprise on his "killing games" spree when he tries to "kill" Grand Theft Auto.

For the full history of Death Knocking On Doors, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.