It’s hard to miss the statuesque image of Giga Chad, whose body seems reminiscent of Renaissance art. With his chiseled features and ultra-cut body, the super buff figure showcases a vision of a physically “perfect” man, pushing stereotypical male ideals to the limit.
In this piece, Bored Panda gets to know the Giga Chad meme icon in all his shredded glory, explores today’s modernized concepts of masculinity, and discovers how the internet’s reaction to such an elevated standard paints a distorted image of today’s modern man.
Who Is Giga Chad?
First and foremost, what is a Chad? According to the Dictionary, a Chad is a disparaging internet slang term for a popular, confident, sexually active young white male (1). However, on the internet, Chad is given a larger-than-life persona when prefixed by the Greek term Giga, which translates to “giant.”
The online image of this character of a “great man” is inspired by model Ernest Khalimov. Russian photographer Krista Sudmalis captured Khalimov as part of her art project “Sleek’N’Tears” Berlin. 1969, Khalimov was allegedly among several models photographed and photoshopped for the art project.
Image credits: @berlin.1969
Sudmalis’ image of the 6 feet 9 inches tall Khalimov made the rounds and has become the standing image of Giga Chad or Chad Thundercock, a parody character often considered a real-life person. Khalimov’s likeness embodied this Chad Thundercok, an archetypal ultra-masculine man.
The Giga Chad Online Spread
Khalimov’s image first appeared on Reddit on October 15, 2017, when an anonymous user posted a link to the Instagram account of Sudmalis’ art project @sleekntears. The post was uploaded to the /r/bodybuilding subreddit and received over 500 points and over 100 comments.
Upon seeing the post and image, commenters were impressed with Khalimov’s physique, saying, “How am I the same species as this guy?” “I was 100% sure it was CGI until I entered his IG account.” “A true genetic freak with 10 pack and all :D”
The 10-pack certainly got Khalimov talked about, and on October 16, 2017, his image was submitted to the /pol/ board on 4chan. Finally, the model was dubbed “Giga Chad” — “the perfect human specimen destined to lead us against the reptilians.”
An Instagram account, @berlin.1969, claims to be the real Giga Chad. It is said to be a parody account of Ernest Khalimov, using his face and physique. However, until proven otherwise, Giga Chad remains a fictional character, representing an idealized version of masculinity.
Investigating Khalimov’s identity also reveals a murky picture. Since little background is available on Khalimov prior to the art project, he seems to embody a constructed persona. In fact, further investigation indicates that the model himself is also a fabricated character.
However, the actual model photoshopped to perfection to become Khalimov — and later Giga Chad — could be Artur Farad, a fitness model based in Dubai. Photos from Farad's Instagram showcase his striking resemblance to the idealized bodies of Khalimov and Giga Chad.
Farad has also posted images of himself, aware of the circulating memes, and even posted an image of himself with a tattoo of Sleek’N’Tears, suggesting either at least a resemblance or a direct inspiration for or association with Giga Chad.
The Evolution of the Giga Chad Meme
From those initial Reddit posts and the mysterious Instagram identities, the image and concept of Giga Chad took off and crept into feeds and comments as memes.
One version of the meme involved editing the Giga Child image in a satirical attempt to level up compared to a particular baseline.
For instance, this “Average fan vs. Average Enjoyer” clip posted by @bobrossgaming1525 on YouTube on March 23, 2021, shows a typical man on the left and Giga Chad as the leveled-up version on the right, supposedly as an “average enjoyer.” The post has been viewed 298,182 times and liked 6,600 times.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElI18Qk-lm8[/embed]
Another version of the meme uses the Giga Chad name and image as a reaction that supposedly makes absurd statements acceptable. We see an example from Joyreactor by user Sraka, where anonymous commenters assumed a Giga Chad stance to comment on a statement supposedly. Because Giga Chad is the peg for perfection, whatever he says flies.
Redditors also posted the same anonymous thread, changing the statements to satisfy other funny comments and perspectives. This one by dewd546 shows a disparity in treating women. The post was uploaded on r/greentext in 2021 and got 2,400 upvotes.
Anyone noted to be aligned with or living up to the Giga Chad standard is considered alpha, while others were beta or second-rate by comparison. It breathed new life and lent new meaning to these older terms, making them relatable to today’s slang natives.
Then, from Giga Chad’s rib came the concept of the female version of Giga Chad, in this image posted on Reddit on r/dankmemes in 2021. A photo of a female Giga Chad surfaced with the same brand of perfection. The image received 25,000 upvotes, brandishing girl power to the same Giga extreme.
A Giga girl was named Giga Stacy. The resulting meme of Giga Stacy is touted to be computer-generated and has even been made into digital currency assets, like Giga Chad. Forbes reported in 2024 that Gigachad became a digital asset utilizing the strength of memes and “Chad” energy (2).
According to Coincheck, Giga Stacy is a woman who is a 10 out of 10 on the decile scale, a goddess on Earth who would hardly acknowledge the existence of an average male (3). With her super-modelesque stance and superior vibe, no beta male has ever dared to approach out of fear of losing face; she is absolute perfection.
The Giga Perfection Cult
The Giga Chad and Giga Stacy memes gave birth to the male and female ideals of perfection. In one regard, they became images to aspire for, especially when it came to physicality and fitness.
The Giga lifestyle apparel brand was riding on this wave, which kicked off in 2022. The Giga style and its social channels played off of the image of Giga Chad, using CGI versions to sell their wares.
Another way the Giga concept has manifested itself is via fitness goals, positioning Giga Chad and his corresponding female version as body pegs.
For instance, TikTok user @perryhermony dubs himself the legendary Giga Chad and showcases high-power workouts and clips like this one (below), uploaded on June 18, 2023, which has been viewed 17.5 million times.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@perryhermony/video/7256873960980188418?_r=1&_t=8rN5TuzxBLD[/embed]
Yet another way the Giga concept plays up perfection is by using the term and image as a satirical nod to “can-do/think/say-no-wrong.” This meme sticker sample created by epicmemesshirt1 and posted by Redbubble on Pinterest proves that point.
Cultural Relevance of Giga Chad
The Giga Chad meme reflects both admiration and satire of traditional masculinity. Because having Giga Chad’s Adonis-like physique seems almost otherworldy, the internet was quick to box him into this impossible ideal and stereotype.
Author of “Breaking the Male Code: Unlocking the Power of Friendship,” Rob Garfield, penned a piece in The Guardian saying that masculinity is a construct that can be imagined, reimagined, and reshaped over generations, much like this concept of today’s Giga Chad (4).
Garfield adds that in itself, masculinity as a whole isn't toxic because traditional behaviors associated with masculinity are pretty lovely and appreciated. However, he cautions that it’s extremism and what we do with it that makes masculinity toxic.
By amplifying traits like physical strength, stoic confidence, and a nonchalant attitude, the Giga Chad meme plays with this modern concept of masculinity, juxtaposing the idea of an “ideal” man in a humorous way. It’s harmless as long as diverse shapes, sizes, and ideals are accepted.
Susan Krauss Withborne, PhD., writes in Psychology Today that the hubris hypothesis is what makes masculinity toxic. This hubris manifests when one compares himself favorably and explicitly with others (5). And it’s hubris expressed at the expense of others that makes bragging so objectionable.
The internet’s widely satiric landscape levels the playing field. Accepting the Chad ideal has a duality: either you use it as a peg to be better or diss it altogether as an unattainable standard against today’s celebration of authenticity.
References
- Dictionary. "Slang Dictionary: Chad." Dictionary.com, Novermber 18, 2020. | https://www.dictionary.com/e/slang/chad/
- Forbes. "Digital Assets: Gigachad Price & News." Forbes, updated November 13, 2024. | https://www.forbes.com/digital-assets/assets/gigachad-giga/
- Coincheck. "Gigastacy." Coincheck.com. | https://coincheckup.com/coins/giga-stacy/about
- Rob Garfield. "It’s time to rethink modern masculinity." The Guardian, https://amp.theguardian.com/society/2023/feb/16/its-time-to-rethink-modern-masculinity
- Susan Krauss Whitborne. "Why Some People Think They’re Superior." Psychology Today, March 4, 2017. | https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/fulfillment-at-any-age/201703/why-some-people-think-theyre-superior?amp