Back in 2019, Duo first entered the internet via the “Evil Duolingo Owl” meme and later rose to fame in 2021 on TikTok. The owl has been beloved for its comical and timely posts regarding current events and viral trends, utilizing a very Gen-Z style humor. So how did this cherished mascot “die”?



On Tuesday, February 11th, Duolingo announced on social media that Duo the owl was dead. His fictional “mommy” singer Dua Lipa posted “Til death duo part” on X. The company went on to say that authorities were investigating his cause of death and that "he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know." Additionally, in the statement, they announced that you could sign up for Duolingo Max in his memory. 

This event generated a lot of buzz with conspiracy theories regarding the perpetrators of Duo’s “death.” Following the initial announcement, the company posted many memes and comedic videos about his “passing.” Finally on Wednesday, February 12th, Duolingo revealed the owl’s cause of death: he was hit by a Cybertruck. They implored people to post any leads on Instagram for the driver’s identity. 

Even though Duo is “dead” for now, it would not be surprising if he makes a miraculous recovery. A cryptic post by Duolingo mentioned the possibility of bringing Duo back to life with the caveat that you do your daily lesson on the language learning app. 

Regardless of the future of the owl, this event has created a global phenomenon; it is extremely rare that a company is capable of generating a worldwide conversation. Duolingo has achieved just that by mobilizing other brands, government organizations, and celebrities to show their support for the bird mascot. It will be interesting to see how Duolingo wraps up this storyline and something to keep an eye on.