Leeroy Jenkins

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For other persons named Leroy Jenkins, see Leroy Jenkins (disambiguation).
Ben Schultz, creator of Leeroy Jenkins at BlizzCon 2007.

Leeroy Jenkins, sometimes misspelled Leroy Jenkins and often elongated with numerous additional letters, is an Internet phenomenon named for a character created by player Ben Schultz in Blizzard Entertainment's popular MMORPG, World of Warcraft. The character has become popular thanks to a machinima video of the game that circulated around the Internet. The phenomenon has since spread beyond the boundaries of the gaming community into other online and mainstream media.

Contents

[edit] History

The Internet phenomenon started with the release of a video clip online to the World of Warcraft forums. The video was released by the World of Warcraft Alliance player guild "PALS FOR LIFE" on the Laughing Skull PvP realm. It features a group of players discussing a detailed battle strategy while one of their members, Leeroy, is away from his computer. Their plan is ruined when Leeroy returns and, ignorant of the strategy, immediately charges headlong into battle shouting his own name as a battle cry. His companions rush to stop him, and his subsequent actions ruin the meticulous plan and the encounter ends in failure for the group. His response to the other players' reactions, "at least I have chicken", was also much parodied.

[edit] Merchandise

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The character's popularity resulted in his inclusion in the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.[1] Reflecting the video in which he appears, Leeroy is a detriment to the rest of the player's team, exhausting them for the current and following turns. For gameplay reasons, his effects are not entirely negative: although no one else can attack, Leeroy can attack instantly should the player repeat Leeroy's famous shout, and his attack is unusually high compared to the cost of playing him. However, his health is such that opponents should deal with him easily on subsequent turns.[2] Upper Deck Entertainment released a World of Warcraft Miniatures game in late 2008, which included a Leeroy Jenkins figurine. As a reference to Leeroy's famous claim, the figure is seen holding a chicken leg in his left hand.[3]

[edit] Reaction

The August 2005 issue of PC Gamer UK featured an article on the video, titled "The Ballad of Leeroy Jenkins." The article took the position that the video was designed as a negative commentary on the kind of "nerd-guilds" that meticulously and statistically plan out raids with all the seriousness of actual military tactics. They added that they felt Leeroy is in fact the hero of the piece, acting against the geekiness of his guild.[4]

[edit] In popular culture

Jeopardy! clue to World of Warcraft question mentioning Leeroy Jenkins. Aired on November 16, 2005.

Leeroy Jenkins was mentioned as part of a clue on the November 16, 2005 episode of the game show Jeopardy! as part of their college week tournament, though no contestant rang in.[5]

The South Park episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft," was a parody of the World of Warcraft series as a whole, with the episode's antagonist a griefer named Jenkins.[6][7]

Leeroy Jenkins later found himself immortalized in the very game that started it off. Blizzard added the attainable title of Jenkins to players who could kill 50 of the famous dragon whelps from the movie within 15 seconds, with the achievement "Leeeeeeeeeeeeeroy!" being attained for the same feat.[8] Leeroy himself has yet to get this achievement.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Leeroy Jenkins". World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Database. http://wowtcgdb.com/carddetail.aspx?id=27. Retrieved on 3 March 2009. 
  2. ^ "World of Warcraft Trading Card Game Preview: Leeroy Jenkins". August 14, 2006. http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wow/en/news/article.aspx?aid=1019. Retrieved on 2006-10-10. 
  3. ^ "Leeroy Jenkins". World of Warcraft Miniatures Game. http://entertainment.upperdeck.com/wowminis/includes/miniviewer.aspx?id=087. Retrieved on 3 March 2009. 
  4. ^ Pearson, Craig (August, 2005). "The Ballad of Leeroy Jenkins". PC Gamer UK. 
  5. ^ (2006-11-18.) "Guerilla gaming." Guardian Unlimited (news website). Mentions the Jeopardy question without specific details. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.
  6. ^ Ross Miller (2006-10-02). "South Park: make love, not Warcraft (update 1)". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/02/south-park-make-love-not-warcraft/. Retrieved on 2006-11-12. 
  7. ^ "South Park official FAQ". southparkstudios.com. http://www.southparkstudios.com/fans/faq/archives.php?id=53561. Retrieved on 2007-12-20. 
  8. ^ Amanda Miller (2008-10-14). "Five easy achievements you can snag right now". WoWInsider. http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/10/14/snag-five-easy-achievements/. Retrieved on 2008-10-16. 
  9. ^ Leeroy on WOW Armory. Collected 29 Dec 2008.

[edit] External links

Sister project Look up Leeroy Jenkins in
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