The Best Internet Memes of 2021

2021 was yet another long, pandemic-filled year. The memes kept us sane.

By Harpreet Singh | Updated: 23 December 2021 14:19 IST

Photo Credit: Youngkyu Park/Netflix

Squid Game, one of the most popular shows of 2021, inspired several memes in 2021

Highlights

2021 felt like a longer, pandemic-filled version of 2020
We've handpicked some of the funniest memes we saw this year
Squid Game inspired some of the funniest memes we've seen in 2021

2021 was supposed to be the year we started recovering from the train-wreck of a year that was 2020. Instead, it turned out to be a much longer version of the past year. This long and somewhat difficult year had its share of hilarious memes that became a few constant sources of joy for most of us. The Internet has always delivered when it comes to becoming a great escape. Today, we're taking a look at some of the best Internet memes we loved to laugh at and share in 2021. In case you've got your personal favourites, drop them in the comments below.

Happy side, sad side bus meme

An inspirational illustration from 2013 turned into a hilarious meme later this year. The meme involves two people sitting inside a bus, with one person facing the mountainside and the other one facing the Sun, rolling hills, and other things. The idea is simple yet hilarious when you look at some of the memes out there.

i made one lol pic.twitter.com/LhUZuvVTgt
— Gama ???? (@itsmegama) November 28, 2021

Anakin and Padmé

One of the popular Internet memes this year was one based on a Star Wars prequel movie. This one referenced Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) in Attack of the Clones in a scene where they're discussing politics in the Star Wars universe. The popular scene revolved around Anakin arguing about dictatorship while Padmé says that democracy is better. The facial expressions of the two actors in the scene helped this scene become a classic meme in 2021.

I've enjoyed the memes, but the original dialogue between Anakin and Padme is raw, emotional, illuminating, one of the best scenes in all of Star Wars pic.twitter.com/7TbT8Suf4F
— Alex Blechman (@AlexBlechman) June 8, 2021

Oprah interviews Harry and Meghan

Oprah has given us some truly memorable moments on TV. This year, however, it was her interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry that drew millions of viewers on TV and sparked a whole series of memes. Oprah's reactions inspired some of the hilarious memes we've seen in 2021.

Which Oprah are you? I've been 1 all day. pic.twitter.com/jzc8ZWHVs8
— mistleho ho ho (@Connichameleon2) March 8, 2021

March 2020 / March 2021

Everything literally changed in March 2020, yet nothing much changed in March 2021. The comparison inspired a series of memes that were loved and shared all across the Internet. The memes reflected how it felt like life had hit the pause button in March 2020, and we just couldn't get out of it. The memes involved everything from burned out work-from-home themes to lockdown rants.

March 1st March 1st
2020 2021 pic.twitter.com/Bv8TS7TBqB
— Librarianshipwreck (@libshipwreck) March 1, 2021

It was Agatha all along

WandaVision inspired at least one big meme during 2021. Kathryn Hahn's stage-wink resulted in a series of hilarious memes this year. The meme was based on the whole intention-versus-truth theme, with the captions setting up the premise. We won't talk much about it just in case you haven't seen the Marvel series yet, and let you enjoy some of the popular versions of the meme instead.

me telling my computer i'll update everything tomorrow pic.twitter.com/5NIGfcJfB7
— Kristen Arnett (@Kristen_Arnett) February 28, 2021

When Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp went down

In October this year, some of the major apps and services on the Internet went down. Meta's Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp were some of the biggest names on the list. While it felt like the end of the world for a brief time, it was also a very exciting time for meme creators. Twitter was filled with memes, which included Twitter itself, and Reddit was lit too. Once everything went back up, it was miserable all over again as we went back to doomscrolling.

pic.twitter.com/MqH8tqzkAY
— Efe Doğru (@Efe_dogru1) October 4, 2021

Kim Kardashian at Met Gala

The Meta Gala is probably the most meme-able event of the year. This year, while everyone had their chance, it was Kim Kardashian who stole the show. Her outfit at Met Gala sparked off a series of hilarious can't-unsee memes on the Internet. Kim wore an all-black dress from head to toe, with a mask that covered her face entirely. The outfit literally hid her, yet she got all the attention.

me and my anxiety when i go out #MetGala #MetGala2021 pic.twitter.com/nqP8JQ2Fc3
— merry kristen???? (@kristen_siebs) September 14, 2021

Ship stuck in Suez Canal

When it felt like life was stuck in 2021, a real-life situation helped the Internet build another classic meme. A giant ship called Ever Given (operated by Evergreen) managed to jam one of the world's most popular shipping lanes, the Suez Canal. It was serious yet funny, as it reflected something we were all going through at that point in time.

best meme so far #SuezBLOCKED #suez #EVERGIVEN pic.twitter.com/B7WojE9t6x
— dup (@dup4dup) March 26, 2021

Squid Game

Squid Game was undoubtedly one of the most popular shows in 2021. While it broke Netflix records, it also helped inspire a large number of memes throughout 2021. Some of those memes could spoil the show for you, so we recommend you don't randomly Google for them. We've shared a generic one below that should give you an idea without giving away too much.

me starting squid game vs me after squid game #SquidGame pic.twitter.com/3U3J57r3iH
— eunhax???? (@purplemintx) September 23, 2021

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Further reading: Memes, Best of 2021, Star Wars, Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, WandaVision, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Meta, Kim Kardashian, Met Gala, Suez Canal, Ever Given, Squid Game, Netflix

Harpreet Singh

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Harpreet is the community manager at Gadgets 360. He loves all things tech, and can be found hunting for good deals when he is not shopping online. He has written about deals and e-commerce in India for many years, as well as covering social media and breaking technology news. More