A few days ago, a TikTok account posted a video in which a little green gnome enters a clothing store. The video has since received nearly 80 million views. What is crawly_possessed all about?
Maybe you have already seen videos of the little green gnome wizard on TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), or other social networks. The little guy with a white pointed hat, green cape, and pink net has been going viral for several days now.
The most popular TikTok has already gathered 80 million views – closely followed by other videos in the double-digit millions. And this, even though the TikTok account crawly_possessed behind it has only recorded “just” three million likes.
Who is crawly_possessed? The TikTok account from Poland had already recorded fairly high view numbers before his wizard breakout. Even his first videos, where he simply falls over in public and starts twitching or starts dancing behind counters, are watched a lot.
His first big breakthrough and probably also the reason for his name is a video from October 2023, in which he crawls across a store floor. In November 2023, he then starts his first call: “Who wants to crawl with me?”.
Several videos later, he has already built a large crawling-following. The hype has become so great that a Telegram group was founded. The crawling people around crawly_possessed now see themselves as a cult and have made it into news articles like on digg.com and thetab.com.
The Birth of the Green Gnome
The first video of crawly_possessed’s current artistic figure appeared on June 27, 2024. Before that, there were several attempts to go viral with a black demon or people in surgical gowns. The real breakthrough comes with the little green gnome.
“Found a hiding place from the stupid knights,” titles the video in which no knights can be seen at all. Apparently, the hiding place was good. In the comments, many people find his gait or the way he falls over hysterically funny.
In just six days, the video gathers over 20 million clicks. Since then, there has been new wizard content every day. And it always revolves around the knights that Crawly either wants to catch or that he himself is hunting.
Why are the videos so successful? Why Crawly enjoys such massive popularity is pure speculation. In the comments under the TikToks, many say: “That’s me as a baby.” However, they (probably) only partially refer to their own childhood. The phrase is also an internet meme referring to another artistic figure with a white cape and green hat – that is, the reversed colors of Crawly – which became famous through a reaction and the exclamation of a child “This is me as a baby” (via TikTok).
Others celebrate the videos for the reactions of the surrounding people, who either ignore the little gnome or try to shoo him away. Individual people and their reactions are highlighted in the video. Lastly, the Dungeonsynth music in the videos probably also plays a role.
By the way, Crawley is now so famous that other large companies and accounts, such as the language learning app Duolingo, are referencing and imitating the videos on TikTok. Also, well-known influencers like Ishowspeed have already made videos with the wizard (via TikTok).
By now, there are even videos featuring the ominous knights and many other TikTok accounts that try to cause chaos in stores as little gnomes. Also, fan content in Minecraft or Elden Ring can already be found when you search for Crawly. So, the enchanting gnome and his absurd view numbers are likely to stay with us for a while.
