What is the Blue Smurf cat meme? Viral TikTok trend explained

Smurf cats are taking over TikTok, the bottomless chasm that creates viral trends that define online behavior for a few weeks before they sink back into the abyss. So it should come as no surprise that a new one has found its way to the platform. This time, it's something that's been in existence for almost a decade but, recently, has exploded in popularity.

It's a blue smurf cat. The image of a simple blue cat-like creature called Shailushai, usually accompanied by Alan Walker's "The Spectre", and a Russian hashtag, #шайлушай is taking over the internet. The image was created in 2014, by Nate Hallinan, an artist who wondered how the blue creatures would look like if they actually existed.

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The simplicity and complexity of Nate Hallinan's Smurf Cat

The blue smurf cat is everywhere. At first, it was just TikTok but now the trend has spread onto other platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and X. A simple look at the feed or even comments sections of these platforms reveals the black beady eyes of the cute little blue cat-like creature staring back at you. The little guy even made its presence felt in games like Roblox and Minecraft.

Some users have even started to complain as these creatures were all they could ever see on their feed with others asking TikTok to end the trend.

As mentioned earlier, the blue creature, known as Shailushai or шайлушай, does not come alone, it's often paired exclusively, with Alan Walker's The Spectre. The song accurately captures the emotions resonated by Shailushai, "We live. We love. We lie.".

Its explosion in popularity is no joke as #smurfcat and #шайлушай have surpassed 691.9 million views and 443.1 million views, respectively.

The entity is exactly what it looks like a tiny blue smurf with the facial features of a cat wearing a mushroom for a hat. The image showcases the creature trotting down a tree with a dead snail, that proudly hangs from its pointy weapon as the result of a successful hunt.

As mentioned earlier, the creature was born in 2014 when artist, Nate Hallinan asked himself if the tiny blue creatures were real.

Nate Hallinan's official website even provides a complex and detailed answer on the fictional organism's biology. According to the website, the creatures are the result of the symbiotic relationship between two organisms. It states that they believe that the creatures place their "embryos in the button of a developing mushroom."

It may look like the thing is wearing a hat and pants but alas that is not the case. The website adds:

"The fungus provides camouflage and protective epidermal layers for the creature, while the creature provides nutrients and mobility for the spreading of spores."

The website also states that the creatures are hunter-gatherers. The little blue guy in the image is depicted to be returning from "a successful venture". The website notes that it was difficult to spot a smurf as they were cunning and apprehensive. On a rather sad note, the website states that there are not a lot of these little guys left as they are hunted for their medicinal properties.

However, it is worth noting that this creature is fictional and doesn't really exist.