Behind the former pseudonym “Aligator1024” is Viktor Roth (30), who is now better known as “VIK” or “iBlali”. A Let’s Play of Mother 3, in 2009, paved the initial path for the successful German YouTuber.
Important info about VIK at a glance:
- As Aligator1024, he created Let’s Plays for various games, especially on Nintendo consoles: Kirby, Mario, or Ninja Gaiden. In between, he uploaded small, funny clips of himself and his “brother” and content creator Suishomaru.
- During his “Let’s Play” phase, he also ran a second channel named “Bl4li” where he uploaded small comedy sketches. However, he eventually deleted the YouTube channel.
- On the channel iBlali, which he founded in 2011, the former Let’s Player had his breakthrough. Funny comedy clips, lively FAQs under the title “Ali-Tells” or songs by “Dönerbuden-Ali” were published on the channel.
- Shortly thereafter, also in 2011, he opened the YouTube channel “BlaVlog,” which is now called VIK. He continues to produce content there even in 2022.
- Today, he is also active on Twitch as a streamer, reacting to YouTube videos, playing various games, or chatting with his community.
Many would say “PogChamp” to Viktor Roth’s videos, but what does that even mean? Find out in our video:
That was Aligator1024 on YouTube
Fifteen years ago, Roth published his very first YouTube video on Aligator1024. However, it wasn’t a Let’s Play but a showcase of a glitch in Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo GameCube.
His first Let’s Play was for the game Mother 3, and even back then his audience celebrated his humor and classic voice modulation. However, his commentary was relatively calm compared to later projects, like Wario Land 4.
VIK was not only one of the first Let’s Players on YouTube but also one of the first streamers. In 2010, he streamed occasionally on justin.tv, the precursor to Twitch (via YouTube).
In addition, VIK had a second channel on YouTube: Bl4li, where he released comedy sketches. These are now only partially available as re-uploads, as he deleted the channel.
How did the new comedy channel iBlali come about?
After reaching 20,000 subscribers, he started a poll on Aligator1024 asking whether he should start a comedy channel – iBlali. Time and again, VIK let his lively, comedic style shine through on Aligator1024 when he uploaded subscription specials or sketches on Bl4li.
He created some inside jokes and his comedy character “Dönerbuden-Ali,” who spoke in a more crude and aggressive manner than the “normal” VIK. With Dönerbuden-Ali, his fast speech, and humor in tow, VIK founded his channel iBlali, with which he celebrated his absolute breakthrough.
iBlali on YouTube – Sausages, Dönerbuden-Ali, and Ali-Tells
On April 29, 2011, VIK uploaded his first short video on iBlali, where he talked about the Minecraft trend. Not even a month later, on May 19, he already celebrated his first 10,000 subscribers (via YouTube). By December 20 of that same year, VIK had reached a whopping 100,000 subscribers – rapid growth for the YouTube landscape of that era (via YouTube).
iBlali featured various formats like Ali-Tells, in which he answered viewer questions from the comments with funny clips. “Do you like sausage?” is probably the most repeated question that appeared time and again as a gag.
In 2014, he even appeared as his comedy character Dönerbuden-Ali at the VideoDays of Gamescom and sang “Hände hoch” live in front of 15,000 viewers. He was joined by successful YouTuber Julien Bam.
Not only there did VIK collaborate with well-known YouTubers. His comedy clips on iBlali also featured appearances by ApeCrime, his former girlfriend Yuki, or Taddl. To this day, he has attracted 2.51 million subscribers to his channel.
A typical video from iBlali:
The end of classic iBlali and the birth of VIK
How did the classic iBlali come to an end? Over time, VIK stated that he changed as he got older. Scripted comedy didn’t interest him for three years at all (via YouTube).
However, he continued to release videos because he still enjoyed it and they performed well. When he tried to bring content to iBlali that he could identify with more, he said:
“The views were rapidly declining, and there was a lot of criticism. Many unsubscribed, and that worries you, especially when you make a living from it. Yes, then you pull back a bit and stick with Ali-Tells, which everyone wants to see, always.”VIK
It was only when he actively filled the channel VIK with stream highlights that he really noticed his struggle. There, he was simply “himself” and talked freely instead of having to say every sentence five times, as was the case with the scripted sketches on iBlali.
When he felt too bad about the overall situation on iBlali and no longer had fun with it, he decided to change something.
What changed? He became more active on his VIK channel and his last well-known Ali-Tells came out on March 2, 2019. He celebrated a comeback with Ali-Tells on iBlali on April 28, 2021, but that activity did not last long.
On February 12, he uploaded the last video to iBlali titled “I am not iBlali…” and explained there once again that he slipped into a role in the videos. iBlali was a “super emotional, super childish, and extroverted” role that was completely different from the private person VIK.
He no longer felt the old jokes about Dönerbuden-Ali and sausages and is just a completely different person today than he was back then. That is not surprising, as 11 years have passed since the start of iBlali. Back then he was 19 years old; today he is 30.
VIK does not want to bring “dumb comedy” to iBlali in the future but rather “more infotainment, more opinion, with a touch of comedy. In general, simply more content that fits more to my current self.”
You can watch the video here:
How did VIK come about?
VIK was previously BlaVlog, on which he uploaded small vlogs in between. At the end of 2016, the channel was named “Bücherclub,” where only “trash videos” with YouTubers Toni and Nia or serious “talk vlogs” appeared in between.
After a while, however, the Bücherclub dissolved, and VIK only released videos where he appeared alone. He then wanted to incorporate his passion for video games into his YouTube videos and published stream highlights from Twitch, where he played Nintendo games, on VIK.
Here you can watch his video about it:
What is VIK doing in 2022?
What is VIK doing on YouTube? In 2022, VIK has his own merch shop and is currently actively running two YouTube channels: VIK and iBlali Reactions.
On VIK, he does pretty much whatever he feels like: Sometimes he talks about serious topics, shows highlights from his gaming streams, or uploads reactions to “Help Me” episodes or other (exciting) topics.
On iBlali Reactions, he exclusively publishes reactions to other YouTube videos.
How are the two channels doing in terms of numbers?
- VIK: Between 4 and 5 million views per month, 997,000 subscribers (via Social Blade).
- iBlali Reactions: Between 600,000 and 1.2 million views per month, 117,000 subscribers (via Social Blade).
He himself says that iBlali performed better in terms of views and was his peak, yet he is grateful that after all these years, he can still generate so many views with VIK. He sees that as a privilege.
What is VIK doing on Twitch? VIK is also actively engaged on Twitch as an official partner of the platform, currently having around 1,000 viewers watching his streams simultaneously (via SullyGnome). There, he runs “React Mondays” on many Mondays, where he reacts to different videos.
Furthermore, he faces various crazy challenges in Super Mario Odyssey, plays Among Us or Mario Party with his friends. He also occasionally does “real talk” streams where he discusses more serious topics with his viewers.
VIK still has a loyal community that supports him in his streams and videos – even after over 13 years on YouTube, for which the YouTuber and streamer has expressed his gratitude to his viewers several times.
Another veteran on YouTube is GermanLetsPlay, who, however, is leaving the platform indefinitely: One of the first major German Let’s Players is quitting – “A childhood legend is leaving YouTube”
