The sound comes from Link, the hero of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, released for Nintendo 64 in 1998. In game Link yells when falling, taking damage or being thrown back, and players remember those short cries as part of the adventure. Online, editors isolated and stretched the scream into a standalone meme clip, sharing it on soundboards and in videos where an overlong yell fits any disaster. Its link to a beloved game keeps it recognisable even outside Zelda clips.