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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “Devastated Elmo” is a common card of the Memes World series 76, number 22557 of the collection, and the 55th best-known meme of its 298 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “Devastated Elmo” meme mean?
Elmo's slumped posture and hanging arms convey sadness with disarming innocence. People post it to show they feel let down, ignored, or invisible while someone else gets all the attention. Edits drop Elmo into gloomy scenes: a breakup, a lost game, a friend who forgot a plan. The contrast between a cheerful mascot and his despair is what makes it land. The meme plays heartbreak for laughs, exaggerating an ordinary little letdown until it feels hilariously tragic and oddly relatable to anyone who has been left out.
Where does the “Devastated Elmo” meme come from?
The photo shows a person in an Elmo costume at Times Square in New York watching a passerby take a picture with someone dressed as Woody from Toy Story. The image appeared on blogs as early as 2013. On July 26, 2014, user Brian_Buckley posted the original on r/photoshopbattles, where it earned over 1,800 points. On May 17, 2017, user KingMactastic posted an edit titled “Devastated Elmo” there that passed 63,500 points within 24 hours and drew more than 700 comments. Complex and Teen Vogue covered it, and Know Your Meme added the entry the next day, on May 18, 2017. The meme owes its life mostly to community edits that placed Elmo in every imaginable situation, sad or absurd.
- July 26, 2014The original photo is posted on r/photoshopbattles.
- May 17, 2017The “Devastated Elmo” edit goes viral on the same forum.
- May 18, 2017The Know Your Meme entry is added.
How to use the “Devastated Elmo” meme
- Post Elmo in front of a letdown to show a small heartbreak.
- Reply to a friend who cancels plans with the Elmo image.
- Illustrate a fan's sadness after a loss.
- Edit the photo into an absurd scene on a Photoshop forum.
Also searched as
- Sad Elmo
- Elmo Times Square
- Costumed Elmo
- devastated elmo
- devastated elmo meme
- sad elmo meme
- elmo times square meme
- devastated elmo origin
- devastated elmo photoshop battle
- elmo woody times square
The “Devastated Elmo” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 22557 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Common |
| Collection | Memes World series 76 |
| Fame | 63/100 · #55 of 298 |
| Recycle value | 5 MemeCoins (15 in Shiny) |
How to get the “Devastated Elmo” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; Devastated Elmo comes out of the Memes World series 76 as a common card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 5 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “Devastated Elmo”
More cards of the Memes World series 76
Frequently asked questions
What is Devastated Elmo?
It is a photo of a costumed Elmo looking crushed, turned into a popular edit for expressing disappointment.
Where was the photo taken?
At Times Square in New York, according to Know Your Meme.
Who started the viral edit?
User KingMactastic, who posted “Devastated Elmo” on r/photoshopbattles on May 17, 2017.
Why is Elmo sad?
He is watching someone take a photo with a Woody character instead of with him.
How do I get the Devastated Elmo meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “Devastated Elmo” is a common card of the Memes World series 76. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the Devastated Elmo card?
It is a Common card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: Know Your Meme — Devastated Elmo · checked on October 18, 2026.
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Want Devastated Elmo in your collection?
Open your free pack: 5 meme cards, no account needed.