Wojak is an internet meme that originated from an MS Paint illustration of a bald man with a sad expression on his face. The original Wojak illustration is a simple, black-outlined cartoon drawing of a bald man with a wistful expression. The origin of the Wojak illustration is unknown, but it is believed to have first appeared on the English-speaking board /int/ of the defunct German imageboard Krautchan around 2010.
Wojak memes as a genre have grown to include various remixes and edits to the character. The character is often used as a reaction image to represent feelings such as melancholy, regret, or loneliness. Wojak Comics is a series of memes depicting simple interactions between various Wojak characters.
The name Wojak comes from the Polish word “wojak,” which translates to “warrior” in English. The meme found international popularity in 2011 with the depiction of the so-called Feels Guy. Soyjak is a variation of Wojak that combines Wojak-style illustrations with features of a soy boy or “nu-male”.
Wojak has been paired with many popular 4chan expressions. The meme has grown to include various remixes and edits to the character. There is a YouTube video that explains the history of Wojak memes.