What does a Yamcha death pose mean? Internet erupts as James Gunn's 'Superman' trailer references iconic meme

On Thursday night, December 19, the teaser trailer for James Gunn's Superman, starring David Corenswet, was posted to YouTube. However, 20 seconds into the trailer, Corenswet could be seen doing the famous Yamcha death pose.

The Yamcha Death Pose is a meme and image series based on a still image of the Dragon Ball Z character Yamcha. In the picture, he is seen lying on the ground after a fatal battle with another character, Saibaman. Yamcha or another character is usually positioned in the crater in the meme, signifying a great failure or weakness. Yamcha had three death threats, one of which turned him into a joke on the internet years later.

Now, once the video of Superman doing the pose went viral, people immediately took to X to react to the same. They also excitedly pointed out the fact and wrote the same.

“They got Supes to hit the Yamcha pose #SupermanMovie,” one wrote excitedly.

“James Gunn really gave David Corenswet the Yamcha death pose,” stated one, matter of factly.

“Why they give Superman the Yamcha death pose.. LMAOOO,” asked one jokingly.

Others also preached to the choir. One said that the superhero also joined the new meme, while another pointed out that Krypto the Puppy is also in the new trailer.

“New Superman joins the famous Yamcha death pose club,” stated another netizen.

“Superman on the ground like yamcha? Krypto? Look like he cooking to me,” stated another X user, referring to a puppy called Krypto who featured in the trailer alongside Corenswet.

“Not the Yamcha death pose bro,” said one user.

“#Superman hit the Yamcha death pose,” another user added.

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James Gunn's Superman trailer referenced the popular Yamcha death pose meme

The trailer of James Gunn's new movie was released (Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

The Superman trailer brings in a number of people in addition to introducing David as Clark Kent. Lex Luthor, Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, Metamorpho, Engineer, Mister Terrific, and a furry figure named Krypto are among the characters shown during the clip.

One minute into the teaser trailer, the superhero is shown lying in the snow, bloodied and apparently exhausted from a protracted battle. In the distance, a storm could be seen building while he whistled. Krypto then steps in to save the day.

In Gunn's movie, Kent is also seen enacting the famous meme and doing the Yamcha death pose. For the unphased, the image series called Yamcha's Death Pose was inspired by a still image of the DragonBall Z character Yamcha lying on the ground following a mortal wound sustained during a fight with the antagonist Saibaman. Yamcha is seen lying inside a crater in the viral photos.

The well-known scene is from the "Saibamen Attack!" episode of the beloved anime series Dragon Ball Z’s Saiyan saga. It debuted on October 18, 1989, in Japan. However, it wasn't until July 21st, 2005, that the program was broadcast on American television.

Saiyans Vegeta and Nappa attacked the Z warriors, including Yamcha, using an extraterrestrial race known as "Saibamen”. Following one of these assaults, The alien employed a method of self-destruction, while Yamcha's guard was down, killing both characters. This is when the viral image of Yamcha's body in its well-known position is formed.

Yamcha's death posture originated in early 2009 as a variant of the slang term used to describe someone who has tried something ridiculous or impossible on the Japanese video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga.

As per Know Your Meme’s April 16, 2011 article, the character's weakness in contrast to other Saiyan-blooded characters, like his friends Goku and his kid Gohan, is probably what led to associating the pose of Yamcha with Failure.

On the other hand, there were other examples in the series where Yamcha died besides the death pose incident. From that point on, Yamcha would die twice more, including once when he was transformed into chocolate and consumed. An android also killed Yamcha by blasting through his chest. He is eventually brought back with the Namekian Dragon Balls.

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Meanwhile, the new Superman movie will be released on July 11, 2025.