What Does Wabi-Sabi Mean on TikTok? All About the Viral Trend

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Meme content creator Tobi Nwodo breaks down the trend and shares its ancient & animated origins

Co-authored by Devin McSween Reviewed by Tobi Nwodo

Last Updated: December 15, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Wabi-Sabi Meaning
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• Wabi-Sabi TikTok Trend
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• Trend Origins
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• What are TikTokers saying about it?
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• Video

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If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you may have seen the wabi-sabi trend, which is the newest viral content taking over the app. But if you’re not exactly sure what the trend is about, or even what wabi-sabi means, we’re here to help! In this article, we’re breaking down the viral trend, including its origins and what TikTokers have to say about it, with insights from meme content creator Tobi Nwodo. Keep reading to find out more!

The Wabi-Sabi TikTok Trend

Meme content creator Tobi Nwodo says the wabi-sabi TikTok trend is about finding beauty in your “imperfections.” In the videos, users show off a “flaw” that they love and think makes them unique. The videos use audio from an episode of The King of the Hill that explains the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi.

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Section 1 of 4:

What does wabi-sabi mean?

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1. 
   Wabi-sabi is a Japanese term that refers to finding beauty in imperfection. According to Nwodo, “Wabi-sabi is a Japanese aesthetic tradition that sees beauty in imperfect things.” It encourages people to accept and appreciate things that are imperfect, incomplete, and temporary. Wabi-sabi is a popular idea that’s reflected in Japanese art and architecture, where the focus is often on recognizing the beauty in simple things and appreciating the forces of nature.

   • Nwodo explains that wabi means “beauty, humility, and imperfection,” and sabi means “the beauty of age.”
   • Nwodo also notes that wabi-sabi is “a derivative of 'Kintsugi,' the art of mending broken pottery with gold.”

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Tobi Nwodo (Hyperstrides) is a meme, brainrot, and slang content creator with over 9 years of social media experience. He breaks down the newest memes and slang to his audience of over 600k followers across YouTube and TikTok.
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Section 2 of 4:

What is the wabi-sabi trend on TikTok?

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1. 
   The wabi-sabi trend is all about celebrating your “imperfections” or “flaws.” In November 2025, the concept of wabi-sabi took TikTok by storm, with TikTokers sharing what makes themselves wabi-sabi. Nwodo says that “the wabi-sabi trend shows something that's usually seen as perfect in slide one, but then shows something that's usually seen as imperfect in slide two.” As he explains, “It's meant to show the beauty in imperfections.” Ultimately, the trend is a sweet reminder to love yourself and recognize that no one is perfect. There’s definitely beauty in that!

   • Most videos involve the TikTok user highlighting their “flaw” or “imperfection” in a loving way. Nwodo says the videos are backed by an audio from The King of the Hill that says, “'I like mine, it's got some wabi-sabi to it.'”
   • For example:
     • In this TikTok video by @amara_artspots, she calls her vitiligo “wabi-sabi” and emphasizes how it makes her beautiful.
     • In this video by @shalyna.fortino, she shows off her stretch marks and describes them as “wabi-sabi.”
     • In a video by @naoaalexandra, she describes her crooked teeth as “wabi-sabi” and shares how they’re her favorite feature.
   • The trend doesn’t just have to be about yourself! For instance, this TikTok video by @cowabungacaitlin is about her “wabi-sabi” dog, who loves to turn their head upside down.

Section 3 of 4:

Where did the wabi-sabi TikTok trend come from?

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1. 
   1
   The wabi-sabi trend comes from a clip of King of the Hill. In an episode of the animated show, Hank and Bobby Hill grow roses. Bobby likes that his rose is a little off-center, saying, “It’s got wabi-sabi.” He then explains the concept to Hank. The audio started gaining traction on TikTok in October 2025 when TikTok user @footy.io0 posted a fan edit of the clip from King of the Hill plus a clip of an interview and footage of basketball player Kyrie Irving.

   • In the audio from King of the Hill, Bobby likens wabi-sabi to the crack in the Liberty Bell. He says, “It’s the small imperfections that make you love something even more,” which is what gives something personality.
2. 
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   The wabi-sabi trend was popularized by TikToker @p3rsussy. On November 11, 2025, @p3rsussy posted a video showing off her “imperfect” teeth using the King of the Hill audio. The video got over 10 million views, and people started to use the audio from her video to make their own videos about their wabi-sabi features and traits. Thus, the wabi-sabi trend was born.

   • There are now over 120,000 videos that use @p3rsussy’s audio!
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Section 4 of 4:

What do people think about the wabi-sabi TikTok trend?

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1. 
   While lots of people have embraced the trend, there’s been some backlash. The wabi-sabi trend has been super popular on TikTok, with lots of users embracing the idea. They see their videos as a positive way to accept and celebrate themselves, and inspire others to do the same. That said, some people believe the trend isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

   • Some users have taken to calling other people wabi-sabi. While they might be well-intentioned, Nwodo says, “Others have expressed that they see it as a dis to call someone imperfect.”
   • Other people worry that users will categorize their unhealthy traits or bad behaviors as wabi-sabi, ultimately romanticizing things that should be fixed or changed.
   • Some TikTok users complain that the term has gotten too popular, too fast, and is now just a buzzword that’s lost its true meaning.
   • Other users, like @zacharyhall, note how it’s funny that the wabi-sabi trend is popular at the same time as the “flip the camera around” trend, which is popular for embarrassing unsuspecting strangers. This shows how people respond to “flaws” differently: some celebrate them, while others criticize them.

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