The Low Taper Fade Is Still Massive: Tracing The Viral Meme That Consumed Ninja And The Internet

The "Ninja Low Taper Fade" meme is one of the most enduring and bizarre phenomena in recent internet history, a joke that has now spanned over two years and shows no signs of slowing down. As of December 10, 2025, this hyper-specific haircut joke, centered on the world-famous streamer Richard Tyler Blevins, a.k.a. Ninja, continues to generate millions of views and fuel a unique brand of post-ironic humor across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch. What started as a simple hypothetical question has spiraled into a cultural touchstone, proving that sometimes, the most massive memes are born from the most mundane, yet specific, details.

The longevity of the "Low Taper Fade" meme is a fascinating case study in modern viral culture, where the mere repetition of a phrase—"it is still massive"—becomes the joke itself. This deep dive will explore its unlikely origins, detail the biography of the streamer at its center, and explain why this particular haircut has become a comedic trope that just won't fade away.

Richard Tyler Blevins: Biography of the Man Behind the Meme

The "Low Taper Fade" meme is inextricably linked to the professional life and online persona of Richard Tyler Blevins, better known by his online alias, Ninja. His career trajectory from competitive gamer to one of the world's most recognizable content creators is a key context for understanding why he became the subject of such a specific, enduring joke.

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• Full Name: Richard Tyler Blevins
• Online Alias: Ninja (formerly NinjasHyper)
• Born: June 5, 1991
• Age (as of 2025): 34
• Hometown: Detroit, Michigan (raised in Grayslake, Illinois)
• Career: Professional Gamer, Online Streamer, YouTuber, Content Creator.
• Main Platforms: Twitch, YouTube, TikTok.
• Claim to Fame: Known for his high-energy streams and mastery of the game Fortnite, which propelled him to mainstream fame in 2018. He was one of the first streamers to sign major exclusive deals with streaming platforms.
• Key Entities: Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Fortnite, Halo, Valorant, Jessica Blevins (Wife/Manager).

Blevins’ massive visibility and status as a cultural icon made him the perfect, high-profile target for a joke about an extremely common, yet highly specific, style choice. The meme’s success relies on the contrast between his massive online empire and the triviality of a haircut.

The Massive Origin of the Low Taper Fade Joke

The "Ninja Low Taper Fade" meme did not originate from a bad haircut or a fan's observation, but rather from a piece of music. The original spark came from musician and content creator Ericdoa in early 2024. During a stream, Ericdoa performed a freestyle rap that included the line "Imagine if Ninja got a Low Taper Fade."

This single, bizarrely specific line immediately resonated with the internet. The phrase quickly evolved into a viral sound on TikTok, often accompanied by videos that comically imagined the dramatic, world-altering consequences of the renowned streamer getting the popular men's haircut. The humor was rooted in the unexpected pairing of a major celebrity with a mundane, yet highly-debated, style choice common in Barbershop Culture.

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The joke's popularity exploded, turning the phrase "low taper fade" into a copypasta and a universal comedic trope. The viral trend gained even more traction when Ninja himself acknowledged the joke. In a brilliant move of self-awareness, Ninja actually got the haircut and revealed it in a TikTok video for the NFL—a moment where the meme transcended digital irony to become reality.

Why the Low Taper Fade Meme is Still "Massive"

The low taper fade meme has demonstrated incredible longevity, a rare feat in the fast-paced world of Social Media Trends. Its survival is not accidental; it’s a result of several key factors that have cemented its status as a Cultural Icon.

The Power of Post-Irony and Repetition

The meme’s life was extended indefinitely by Ninja himself. He began to embrace the joke, appearing in numerous videos where he would repeat the phrase, often with exaggerated earnestness: "Dude, you know what's crazy? Is that that low taper fade like meme, dude, it is still massive. Yeah. MASSIVE..." This copypasta-style repetition became a secondary meme, where users would clown on Ninja for overusing his own joke, thereby keeping the original joke alive in a cycle of post-irony.

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The Hyper-Specificity of the Haircut

The low taper fade is a very specific, clean, and popular haircut, characterized by the hair gradually fading from the bottom of the head to the top, starting just above the ear. The meme’s humor lies in this specificity. It’s not just any haircut; it’s a low taper fade haircut. This specificity makes it a perfect, neutral vessel for all kinds of unrelated jokes and situations, proving that a small grooming change can become a massive cultural moment.

Spin-offs and Derivative Content

To maintain topical authority, the meme had to evolve. It spawned a variety of spin-offs and derivative content that kept the core joke fresh. These variations include:

• "Ninja Dragging the Low Taper Fade": A hyperbolic phrase used to describe someone "owning the look" so well that they are essentially carrying the entire trend.
• The "Strawberry Fade": A viral variation where the fade is humorously combined with other objects or concepts, demonstrating the meme's versatility.
• The "Warrior Cut": A related style that also features a low taper fade, showing how the meme has bled into discussions of other Haircut Styles.
• The "Still Massive" Parody: Countless Content Creators have made videos parodying Ninja's reaction, ensuring the phrase itself—"The Low Taper Fade is Still Massive"—remains in the digital lexicon.

The Ninja Low Taper Fade meme is a testament to the internet's ability to take the trivial and make it monumental. It’s a joke about a joke, about a haircut, about a famous Twitch Streamer, and its persistent "massive" status confirms that in the digital age, a good, specific, and self-aware meme can truly last forever.