The Daleks are the iconic alien enemies from the BBC science fiction series Doctor Who, first appearing in 1963. Created as ruthless, armoured mutants bent on universal domination, they became famous for their grating voices and their single-word battle cry, exterminate. The phrase has since escaped the show itself, becoming shorthand in British culture and online for merciless destruction. Meme creators and video editors keep using it because the voice is instantly recognisable even without a visual, giving any joke about being wiped out an immediate sci-fi punch.