The yell comes from Link, the young hero of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, the cel-shaded action-adventure entry in the Zelda series. His expressive voice clips were widely ripped for soundboards after the game's release, and this stretched yell stood out because it sounds both heroic and clumsy. It spread through gaming memes, fail compilations and short-form edits where a tiny heroic shout makes a fall funnier. It remains popular because it is instantly recognizable to Zelda fans, lasts under a second and adds cartoon energy without needing any dialogue.