The sound comes from Minecraft, where it plays when the player character takes damage from a fall, a mob or another hazard. Because the game became one of the most watched and played titles online, its short damage grunt was quickly recognised outside the game itself. Clips of gameplay, fail compilations and edited memes reused it as shorthand for getting hurt, and it later spread to short-form video as a quick reaction sound. It remains popular because it is instantly understood even by viewers who have never played Minecraft.