AboutWhat does the meme depict?

The 'Brace Yourselves, Winter is Coming' meme, also known as 'Imminent Ned,' features an image macro of Eddard "Ned" Stark, played by Sean Bean, from the HBO series Game of Thrones. In the image, Ned Stark appears in medieval attire reflective of his character, often seen with a stern or forewarning expression. The meme uses the phrasal template 'Brace Yourselves, X is Coming,' typically to forewarn or proclaim the impending arrival of a highly anticipated event, a product, or an internet meme.

OriginWho did it first?

The phrase 'winter is coming' originates as the motto of House Stark, the central family in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series and the HBO adaptation, Game of Thrones. 'Winter is coming' was also the title of the series' pilot episode, which premiered on April 17, 2011, and was widely promoted in trailers and posters. The meme trend began with an image macro of an owl captioned with 'winter is coming' posted to Quickmeme in July 2011. However, it did not gain popularity until it featured a promotional portrait of Ned Stark. The viral spread of this template started with its use following the U.S. East Coast earthquake on August 23, 2011. For a visual depiction of the phenomenon, a YouTube video captures the usage of the original phrase in Game of Thrones.^[1]

Origin: 2011