The rumors are true. Duolingo’s iconic mascot, known for his silly antics, has passed on.
The language-learning app Duolingo announced on Tuesday that its make-believe mascot, Duo the Owl, mysteriously died and a cause of death has not been determined.
“It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved mascot, Duo the Owl,” a Duolingo spokesperson said in a statement. “For years, he tirelessly reminded millions to do their language lessons − sometimes with gentle nudges, sometimes with sheer, unhinged persistence. But even the most relentless of birds can only take so much.”
In a social media statement, Duolingo said Duo’s death is under investigation. In a follow-up post shared to X on Tuesday, Duolingo said “We’re currently investigating Jimmy,” but did not elaborate.
“We’re aware he had many enemies,” Duolingo said in jest. “Tbh (to be honest), he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know.”
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The company jokingly encouraged users to share their credit card number “so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory.” (A company spokesperson confirmed this was a joke and encouraged users not to disclose their credit card information).
In a TikTok video shared Tuesday, Duolingo characters Lily and Zari − seen throughout Duolingo lessons − carry Duo’s coffin to be placed in a pickup truck bed and driven away.
Internet reacts, mourns
Duo the Owl’s loss would mean nothing if the internet didn’t ban together to mourn him, as several brands have weighed in to share their condolences.
“But where can we RSVP to the funeral reception,” Squishmallows commented on Instagram, followed by “How else am I supposed to talk to my customers” from retail company Fashion Nova.
Baskin Robbins commented, “Only the good (birds) die young” and Cheez-It shared, “They died doing what they loved.”
Even the University of Miami left a note on Duolingo’s TikTok; “Duo, we cannot take this rn (right now). It’s literally our centennial this year.”
Does ‘Squid Game’ have something to do with Duo’s death?
Though many brands have left notes of love on Duolingo’s social media posts, Netflix went a step further, raising eyebrows among users.
In an Instagram post dedicated to the owl, Netflix shared a video of Duo being eliminated from the hit Korean series, “Squid Game.” The caption reads, “sending my condolences fr (for real).”
Whether the post is just an ode to the owl or a sneaky clue has yet to be determined, and Netflix did not immediately respond when contacted by USA TODAY for comment on Tuesday.
Who was Duo the Owl?
Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo, more commonly known as Duo the Owl, was born in 1000 BC, according to an X post made by Duolingo on Tuesday. The silly, animated green owl is known for (quite aggressively) reminding users to complete their daily lessons.
While Duolingo jokes its mascot was born in 1000 BC, Duo actually debuted in 2011, the year the app launched, according to Apple Developer. But Duo looked a bit different then. The original Duolingo logo featured a 2-D owl whose eyes and mouth spelled out “DUO.” A year later, the first 3-D version of Duo was released with a realistic owl body and two wide eyes that stared right into a user’s soul.
In 2014, Duolingo decided to “gamify” their mascot, making him cuter and more animated, according to Apple Developer. By 2018, the Duo the Owl users know and love (or fear) was released.
In recent years, Duo grew increasingly popular as he parodied pop culture references, appeared in outrageous memes and even partnered with Netflix to promote “Squid Game.”
Duo has also been known to idolize pop star Dua Lipa, as the two share similar names.
In its social media statement, Duolingo shared: “We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time.” As of Tuesday afternoon, Lupa had not posted about the deceased mascot.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
