Meme to Mainstream: ‘Skibidi Toilet’ Heads to Hollywood and Toy Store Shelves

Teachers, parents, and others who have interacted with members of Generation Alpha have likely heard a new addition to their vocabulary: Skibidi. While the meaning of the word is vague, its origins are clear.

Skibidi Toilet is an animated YouTube series created by Alexey Gerasimov, also known as “Boom!” The series features the rivalry between Skibidi Toilets — toilets with human heads coming out of them — and the Alliance — humanoid figures with cameras, speakers, and TVs for heads. 

The first episode of Skibidi Toilet launched on YouTube on Feb. 7, 2023. Two years and more than 70 episodes later, DaFuq!?Boom!, the channel that hosts Skibidi Toilet, has more than 45 million subscribers and more than 18 billion views. Before Gerasimov even started the Skibidi Toilet series, he caught the eye of Invisible Narratives, a production studio created by producer Adam Goodman and filmmaker Michael Bay, and its revenue and merchandising arm, INVIZ.

Invisible Narratives acquired the rights to Skibidi Toilet in 2023. According to Goodman and Bay, the series had the power to expand far beyond YouTube.

“It was so out there, yet it felt genuinely disruptive in a way that perfectly aligns with what we do at Invisible Narratives: finding authentic IP where the audience already is and supercharging it,” Goodman says. “We knew right away it was more than a funny meme; it had the potential to grow into something truly massive.”

Bonkers Toys also quickly noticed the rising popularity of Skibidi Toilet. Bonkers is a toy company that primarily makes licensed toys based on digital-first brands like Ryan’s World, Aphmau, and LankyBox. 

“Our specialty is finding what we call ‘new media’ brands,” says Bonkers Toys’ Head of Brands Dan Meyer. “That’s where we play. Once we started looking at it (Skibidi Toilet), we were like, ‘Wow, this has all the elements of a disruptive action figure brand.’ … It was just so wacky and whimsical, and those are the types of elements that work in our industry.”

At Licensing Expo last year, Invisible Narratives and Bonkers Toys announced that a line of Skibidi Toilet toys would hit shelves in time for the holiday season. The initial launch in October included the Skibidi Toilet Mystery Surprise Toilet, a toilet featuring a spring-loaded head filled with mini-figures, stickers, and more; two collections of mystery figures; a line of  action figures; and a collection of mystery plush. 

“Being a mid-sized toy company, we can operate with a little bit more agility,” Meyer says. “We started talking to the INVIZ guys and Alexey towards the end of ʼ23. I think we struck a chord because we had a lot of credibility in the creator and new media industry. They also recognized that we could make it happen based on our history and our place in the competitive landscape. We got a deal together pretty quickly. Right away, early in 2024, we just started working on stuff together.”

Since the original launch, Bonkers Toys has unveiled the Skibidi Toilet Battle set, which includes three Mini Titan Figures, and the Skibidi Toilet Battle Bucket, which has 20 figures from both sides of the Skibidi Toilet vs. Alliance conflict. Skibidi Toilet also appeared in Fortnite in December with new character outfits, Back Bling, and weapons.

David Middleton, the owner of Midco Toys, a toy store chain in the U.K., knew the toys would be a smash hit before they were available. 

“When Bonkers first showed me the products last February in Nuremberg [at Spielwarenmesse], I was already well aware of the demand and knew instantly that this was something people were already crying out for,” Middleton says. 

His prediction was true, and Bonkers’ Skibidi Toilet collection was one of Midco Toys’ bestsellers throughout the holiday season. 

Critics have flouted Skibidi Toilet as ridiculous both online and in the entertainment industry, even referring to it as “brain rot.” Middleton says these critics have it all wrong.

“People don’t understand,” Middleton says. “Skibidi Toilet is a new IP that uses digital media in a way that people over a certain age struggle to understand. The content is on trend, so much so that the older generation cannot get on board. Digital media is the future.”

Both Goodman and Meyer also likened the creation of Skibidi Toilet to the foundation of now-beloved toy brands, including Transformers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

“For everyone, that’s like, ‘Yeah, but it’s so weird.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, flashback to the late ‘80s when something came out that was about teenagers that were mutants, and they were also ninjas and they were turtles. That was kind of wacky too, but that’s what works,” Meyer says.

The year ahead features big things for Skibidi Toilet, including a new lineup of toys from Bonkers, a collection of Funko Pop! vinyl figures, and potentially the start of production for Skibidi Toilet movies and TV series. Regardless of all these big developments for the franchise, Skibidi Toilet has already won over the hearts of its audience.

“Kids love Skibidi Toilet because it’s entirely theirs — it’s not some retread of a decades-old cartoon that their parents grew up with,” Goodman says. “It’s fresh, weird, and has this wild, random energy that resonates with younger audiences in ways most traditional franchises can’t.” 

A version of this feature was originally published in the 2025 edition of The BIG Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue! Want to receive The Toy Book in print? Click here for subscription options!