Miis, the customizable avatars from Nintendo, have been a staple of the gaming experience for years. They first gained traction on the Wii and continued through to the Switch. While Miis were initially designed as quirky, simple avatars, they’ve been a source of humor, creativity, and—occasionally—outright weirdness. Over time, many players have used Miis to start or engage in trends, sometimes with strange and hilarious results. The following are some of the weirdest times Miis have tried to start a new trend.
1. The Mii Meme Revolution
When the Mii channel launched on the Wii, it quickly became clear that people weren’t just using Miis for fun but to express their creativity and humor. This was the birth of what could only be described as the Mii meme revolution. Some of the earliest examples were Miis that resembled famous celebrities or characters from popular culture, but with a twist. Imagine a Mii of Darth Vader with a disturbingly accurate expression of joy or a Mii of Shrek dressed in an outfit that looked like it belonged to a quirky, awkward office worker. This trend caught fire in online communities like Miiverse (RIP), and soon, people were creating Miis of virtually anything. However, it didn’t stop there; the Mii meme trend eventually evolved into something stranger.
Some players took things to the next level by creating “Mii horror” memes, where Miis would be placed in unsettling situations. Picture a Mii in the background of a photo with an eerie, unnerving look, causing a bizarre tension as players tried to figure out the meaning behind it. The randomness and absurdity of these memes were the driving force behind Miis’ strange attempt to start a broader cultural trend.
2. The “Mii Battle Royale” Craze
When the Wii U launched, players flocked to games like “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U” and “Mario Kart 8,” but some players took a different route altogether. The “Mii Battle Royale” trend, which started as a niche meme within certain Mii communities, involved users creating a massive roster of Miis based on various characters, including some very strange and obscure ones. These Miis would then be “pitched” against each other in fights, often depicted through screenshots or fan art of them throwing punches in exaggerated poses.
This trend was weird for many reasons—most notably, the idea of turning something as innocent and customizable as the Mii into battle-ready avatars. The concept itself was a far cry from the light-hearted, friendly nature Miis were originally intended for. Despite that, it became a short-lived but memorable attempt to merge the charm of Miis with the intense action of battle royales, much to the amusement (and confusion) of the wider gaming community.
3. Mii Dating Simulators
Perhaps one of the more bizarre trends was the creation of Mii dating simulators. In the world of custom avatars, Miis were relatively easy to manipulate and customize, which made them the perfect candidates for a dating sim twist. The idea was simple: create a set of Miis, assign them quirky personalities, and then simulate a dating scenario. However, as some users went deeper into the trend, things took a very strange turn.
Some Mii dating games featured a surreal level of detail—Miis would develop strange, exaggerated backstories that no one would have ever expected. There was even a trend of “Mii Weddings,” where users created elaborate ceremonies with Miis as the central characters. These Mii dating games were highly awkward and often over-the-top, leading to hilarious but unsettling results. While some might say this was an innocent, albeit odd, way to push the boundaries of what Miis could be, the whole concept still feels like a weird, unexplained attempt to make something entirely pure into something weirdly romantic.
4. Mii-Inspired Fashion Shows
Fashion shows are a staple of pop culture, but there was a time when Miis tried to create their own trend within this glamorous industry. With Miis having the ability to dress up in a variety of outfits, from casual attire to wacky costumes, players took it upon themselves to create full-fledged “Mii fashion shows.” These events would showcase Miis in bizarre, sometimes unflattering outfits, resulting in a spectacle that was both humorous and odd.
In many ways, the Mii fashion show trend seemed like a bizarre attempt to break away from the typical “glamour” of real-world fashion shows and embrace the fun, quirky nature of Miis. Participants would often dress their Miis in outrageous costumes such as clown suits, medieval armor, or even outfits resembling famous figures, which had no place in high fashion. These strange parades of pixels and colors captured the essence of Mii creativity, but they were undeniably bizarre.
5. Mii-Lore and Alternate Universes
Miis, by design, were often seen as blank slates—avatars that could take on any role. However, some players went so far as to create complex, multi-layered “lore” and alternate universes involving Miis. These personal Mii stories could get very weird, with Miis becoming characters in sprawling narratives that often defied logic. These stories ranged from Miis acting as the protagonists in their own bizarre adventures to creating entire Mii universes where the avatars were locked in a constant cycle of strange events.
What made this trend especially odd was that the stories would sometimes be nonsensical, weaving together elements from popular culture, video games, and absurdity. Picture a Mii hero who saved the world from an interdimensional pizza apocalypse, or a villainous Mii trying to overthrow an empire made entirely of fruit-based warriors. These alternate universes were over-the-top, and the very idea of Miis being placed into complex, world-building scenarios created a level of absurdity rarely seen in traditional gaming narratives.
6. Mii Karaoke Night
Karaoke is a fun social activity that brings people together, but the Mii karaoke night trend, which began as a fun way to simulate a musical performance using Miis, soon spiraled into one of the weirdest Mii fads. The concept was simple: create a virtual stage for Miis to “perform” on, picking songs for them to “sing” along to. The catch? The Miis didn’t sing; they just danced or stood there while a song played in the background.
As with most Mii-related trends, things quickly took a bizarre turn. Some players would use the feature to make Miis “perform” to some of the most outlandish, niche, or inappropriate songs—sometimes, even songs that were never intended for a light-hearted Mii karaoke night. Watching a tiny, pixelated Mii “sing” songs like death metal or rap tracks was the kind of weird content that was both hilarious and unsettling. This odd subculture around Mii karaoke nights didn’t last long, but it was a strange time to be part of the Mii scene.
7. Mii Horror Story Remixes
Given how simple and childlike Miis look, it’s hard to believe they could ever be scary. But that didn’t stop players from trying to turn Miis into characters in a horror story. The “Mii Horror Story” trend revolved around placing Miis in creepy or unsettling environments, giving them nightmarish expressions or situations, and using them to tell dark, often absurd, tales.
Some Mii horror stories were designed to elicit genuine fear, with players using odd settings, distorted sound effects, or strange plot twists. Others took a more comedic approach, creating “scary” Miis by having them engage in bizarre, nonsensical activities. One infamous trend even involved players taking Miis from family-friendly games like “Wii Sports” and placing them in dark, twisted versions of those environments—imagine a Mii playing tennis in a foggy, abandoned arena with disturbing music playing in the background. It was a unique and strange twist on the typical Mii experience, with some of the resulting videos becoming cult classics in the online Mii communities.
Conclusion
Miis may have started as innocent avatars meant to represent players in Nintendo games, but their journey through various gaming consoles has been anything but normal. From bizarre meme wars to strange dating sims and terrifying horror stories, Miis have been used to try and create a multitude of weird trends. While these attempts at starting new trends may not have always gone as planned, they add to the rich and often hilarious tapestry of Mii culture that continues to delight players worldwide.
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