TikTok trends: week of 24 August 2026

A viral meme based on a 3D animation video by RED SIDE comparing the running speeds of 70 cartoon characters across a desert. TikTok users dubbed the characters 'hussers' and created edits and debates about their speeds, especially focusing on characters like Po from Kung Fu Panda and Garfield.

A meme from a 2025 Kai Cenat stream where Kevin Hart tells him his breath stinks and repeatedly says 'say by the way again' to test it. The clip is looped so Kai Cenat infinitely says 'by the way again,' often with highly saturated edits and comments speculating on what it sounds like.

A trend where people compete in real-life tournaments to see who has more 'aura' (presence, style, and attitude) by performing dramatic poses, walks, dances, and confrontations, with judges and the public scoring their performance. It started as an internet joke in Brazil about 'farming aura' and became actual events.

Users search 'lunch in my city' and share local lunch spots to showcase and support independent businesses.

A split-screen with three landscape videos showing where the person went, what they wore, and what they ate, often used for fashion or restaurant content.

People stick colorful gems onto everyday items like skincare products, their faces, or even pets, inspired by Kylie Jenner's birthday cake.

A meme from a 2010s photo of a well-dressed man (Lockbourne Bachraz) on a sidewalk, captioned 'You know had to do it to em.' It became a defining meme of the decade, with Bachraz supporting it until his arrest.

A meme where X users replace the name of a horror character (Nikki Navarette) in a report about Universal's Halloween Horror Nights with other characters or people, like Joe Jackson or Anthony Bourdain, for comedic effect.

A thought experiment where you get $10 million but an immortal snail hunts you forever, killing you on touch. It originated on a Rooster Teeth podcast, spawned the 'decoy snail' spinoff, and resurged on TikTok.

A trend involving unsettling images of someone in a Cat in the Hat costume appearing in various locations, initially feared to be real but later revealed to be largely AI-generated, inspiring people to create their own creepy Cat in the Hat content.

A viral meme where various online fandoms (like JJK, One Piece, Naruto, Hazbin Hotel) unite to hate on the poorly-rated movie 'Lesbian Space Princess', using the phrase 'just this once' and creating cutaway edits to mock the film.

An edited image of Morty Smith from Rick and Morty wearing dark hair, tight jeans, and a Gucci shirt, which went viral in August 2026. The internet treated this simple style change as if it gave Morty immense 'aura' and 'drip', leading to dramatic edits, fan art, AI versions, and a fake Fortnite skin announcement, with the joke being that Morty was 'trying something new' and it worked too well.

Users list items they claim to be saving for (e.g., new clothes, accessories, heels) in a humorous or aspirational way, often used by brands to inject personality and promote products.

A transition trend where users show a before and after of getting ready, but intentionally make the transition fail or look like a blooper moment instead of a smooth cut, often done with partners or friends.

Users list contrasting or unexpected aspects of their identity (e.g., name, passport, accent, appearance) to highlight how they confuse others, often as a personality showcase for brands.

The Last Hope is an aesthetic centered on a semi-apocalyptic world where destruction has begun but hope remains. It blends Gen X soft club, 2000s animecore, and gothic details, using a palette of orange, yellow, black, white, and red, with themes of people persevering toward a better tomorrow despite ruin.