"The Lion Does Not Concern Himself" Meme Explained

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How an iconic Game of Thrones quote led to a viral TikTok meme

Co-authored by Bertha Isabel Crombet, PhD Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: October 23, 2025 Fact Checked

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Trending TikTok Meme

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Meme Origins

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Sigma Lion Meme

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If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you’ve probably seen a ton of videos with the phrase “The lion does not concern himself with…” This silly trend pokes fun at the seriousness of a quote from Game of Thrones, but what exactly does it mean? In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about the meme and its origins, as well as the related “sigma lion” meme. After all, the lion deserves to have his burning pop culture questions answered!

“The Lion Does Not Concern Himself” Meme Meaning

"A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep" is a quote from Game of Thrones about leadership and power. The TikTok meme twists the quote and pokes fun at its seriousness by replacing the second half with absurd or relatable scenarios. Here are some examples of the type of posts you might see:

The lion does not concern himself with the negative effects of caffeine.
The lioness doesn’t concern herself with reducing her screen time.
The lion does not concern itself with curbs while driving.

Section 1 of 3:

“The Lion Does Not Concern Himself” TikTok Meme

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“The lion does not concern himself” pokes fun at a serious quote. "A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep" was originally a quote from Game of Thrones about leadership, confidence, and power. At first, it was popular in “grindset” or “manosphere” spaces on social media, with people posting it in a serious way. Eventually, the quote was posted so much that it became cringey, and users started a new TikTok trend poking fun at it.^{[1]
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Research source} Now, folks post videos of themselves with the phrase “The lion does not…” followed by a bad habit, silly personal concern, or absurd thought to playfully mock the way the quote used to be used.
- One of the most popular TikTok creators driving the popularity of this meme is @ckwon117, who even changed his username to “TheLion.”
- He’s made several funny posts participating in this trend, including this one stating, “The lion does not concern himself with effective time management,” and this one stating, “The lion does not concern himself with the fact that he can hear his heartbeat sometimes.”
- Sometimes, you might see the phrase shortened to just “the lion.” For example, user @nyashnavigator is believed to be one of the first users to post this meme in September 2025. His post, which has since received over 750K likes, states: “The lion ignores the cough he’s consistently had for the past 4 months.”
- This meme is now seen as an example of brainrot humor, which is experiencing a surge of popularity on TikTok.

Section 2 of 3:

Origins of "The Lion Does Not Concern Himself" Quote

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The meme refers to a Game of Thrones quote. In George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, the character Tywin Lannister says, “A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep” after his son, Jaime Lannister, says it doesn’t bother him that people call him a “kingslayer” behind his back. In the Game of Thrones TV series, this scene takes place in Season 1, Episode 7.^{[2]
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- The quote suggests that the strong shouldn’t care about what the weak have to say and encourages us to believe in ourselves and live life authentically. It can be used to convey leadership, individuality, and perseverance, especially in the face of criticism or adversity.
- In a more negative sense, it can also convey a sense of ruthlessness in the pursuit of power or influence over others.
- The lion symbolizes the king of the jungle, a leader standing tall above all, while “sheep” is often used to describe people of a lesser intellect and ambition who tend to follow others instead of paving a path for themselves.^{[3]
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Section 3 of 3:

What is the "sigma lion" meme?

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An earlier meme features the quote over a black-and-white image of a lion. Before the TikTok trend emerged in September 2025, the “sigma lion” meme appeared earlier in the year. It features different “the lion does not” quotes over black-and-white pictures of lions. Many of the memes riffed on the popular sigma male mindset quote, “The lion does not turn around when the small dog barks.”^{[4]
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- The sigma lion was created as a result of the “sigma male” classification trend, which defines a sigma male as an alpha male’s equal, except sigmas choose to live outside the confines of hierarchy and society. John Wick is a prime example of a sigma male.
- New versions of the meme feature absurd, controversial, and even borderline sociopathic statements, like “The lion does not wipe,” and “The lion does not tip minimum wage workers.”
- The meme originally gained traction on X and continued to spread on TikTok and Instagram.