Ballerina Cappuccina, a surreal AI-generated ballerina with a cappuccino cup for a head, has captivated and divided TikTok’s attention. The latest viral meme in the chaotic “Italian brainrot” genre wave on the app, the whimsical and bizarre character catapulted to viral fame through surreal videos that blend absurdity with a complex fictional universe. She has a storied lore and relationships with other AI-generated characters, with some users raising concerns about underlying Islamophobic undertones hidden in the broader Italian brainrot trend.
Meme basics
- Meme/trend creator: @aironic.fun via TikTok
- Meme type: AI meme, Brainrot, Video meme, Meme challenge
- First appearance: March 19, 2025
- Origin source: TikTok
- Used to convey: Surreal humor, absurdist creativity, playful self-expression
- Peak popularity: Late March–April 2025
What does ‘Ballerina Cappuccina’ mean?
Ballerina Cappuccina is an invented character from the Italian brainrot trend genre. It is a niche TikTok phenomenon rooted in AI-generated nonsense characters. As brainrot, there is no real meaning behind the AI-generated character. However, it is used as a narrative story with other AI characters on TikTok.
@mr_lindsay_sped Replying to @Itsdannykantu Everyone wanted to know about #ballerinacappuccina so here she is! Stick around to the end to see me strut my stuff to the sound. 😅 #italianbrainrot #ballerinacappuccina #genalpha #genalphaslangs #teachersoftiktok ♬ оригинальный звук – WXRMANE
The original meme features AI-generated imagery of Ballerina Cappuccina pirouetting gracefully, set to exaggerated Italian narration. Many creators remix the original video or audio, pairing it with videos of themselves dancing, pets stretching, and so on. Others have used the character to build a broader narrative story around these AI-generated brainrot characters.
@aironic.fun Balerinna Cappucinna ☕#ai #memer #brainrot #tripitropitropatripa #trulimerotrulichina #skibidi #tralalerotralala #viral_video #fyp #foruyou ♬ Balerinna Cappucinna – AIronic Fun
Origin and spread
The original Ballerina Cappuccina video was posted by @aironic.fun on March 19, 2025. It has since been viewed over 45.3 million times and racked up over 3.8 million likes at the time of writing.
Soon after, more TikTokers joined in, garnering millions of views with interpretations of the character. By early April, even pet accounts had joined the trend: @aplakhonina went viral with a cat video syncing a leg-stretch with the cappuccino ballerina soundtrack, pulling in over 24.3 million views and 5 million likes.
Other popular Italian brainrot characters in the Ballerina Cappuccina family tree
Thanks to its infectious nature, Ballerina Cappuccina became a central figure in the larger Italian brainrot movement alongside characters like Bombardino Crocodilo and Trallalero Trallalà, a shark figure with legs wearing Nike shoes.
Ballerina Cappuccina has a sister named Espressona Signora. She was also originally in love with fellow performer Lololo, who was only interested in ballet. Ninja Cappuccino Assassino, meanwhile, was Ballerina Cappuccina’s kidnapper and eventual fiancé.
That isn’t enough for the cup-headed ballerina, however: she cheated on her fiancé with the original Italian brainrot character, shark Trallalero Trallalà.
Other characters in the Italian brainrot universe include Trippi Troppi Troppa Trippa, who looks like a trout-man with hairy arms and rules over the ocean. Brr Brr Patapim, who has a Green Man-like proboscis monkey appearance and roots for legs, is another central figure in Italian brainrot videos.
An additional AI-generated character who made an appearance during Ramadan, but who is from Indonesia, was Tung Tung Tung Sahur. This figure stands out as one of the creepier creations in the Italian brainrot universe. Shaped like a humanoid wooden figure and swinging a bat, he takes his name from the “tung tung tung” sound that is an imitation of the bedug drum. It is traditionally used in both Indonesia and Malaysia to wake people for sahur, the meal eaten before fasting at dawn during Ramadan.
The dark side of brainrot: Is it Islamophobic?
Ballerina Cappuccina reflects a broader Gen Z and Gen Alpha internet culture obsessed with absurdity, randomness, and brainrot content that is silly to the point of seeming to be fully nonsense.
Yet, this playful nonsense isn’t without complications, as critiques have emerged about potential underlying problems in the trend. Despite its lighthearted presentation, the Italian brainrot phenomenon, including Ballerina Cappuccina, faced accusations of Islamophobia.
The original Italian brainrot character, Trallalero Trallalà, began with the negative audio clip, which some creators have called out as haram, or religiously forbidden. Some noted that one of the characters, Bombardino Crocodilo, expressly references bombing Gaza. TikToker @akhialtamash has specifically called out this genre of trend as being very problematic and against Islam.
@akhialtamash Italian Brainrot: halal or haram? #italianbrainrot #haram ♬ original sound – Akhi Altamash
Christian leaders such as Pastor Simon Teller (@fathersimonteller) on Instagram have also criticized the trend for using religion for cheap laughs.
Meme examples
@italian.brainrot.tv The True story of balerina cappucina 💀💔 | #brainrot #simonclaw #johnpork #timcheese #pengu #tralalerotralala #bombardirocrocodilo #tungtungtung #fyp #memes @Bombardiro Crocodilo @tralalero tralala ♬ original sound – TRALALERO TRALALA !!!
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