The Dearest Karthus Copypasta is a League of Legends copypasta written as an over-formal letter to a Karthus main teammate. It broke out on r/leagueoflegends in November 2023 after commentator Phreak told players to just type 'Karthus Ult' instead of pinging in-game.
Origin
On November 8, 2023, League commentator Phreak posted a 'Patch 13.22 Rundown' video where, at the 1:41:07 mark, he told viewers to just type 'Karthus Ult' as a workaround for the new chat restrictions[2]. The clip drew backlash for treating typed chat as a real substitute for the split-second ping system.
Later that day, Redditor BarbOssaEUW posted a critical thread on r/leagueoflegends about Phreak's 'sheer oversimplification of the use of communication,' which pulled roughly 13,900 upvotes over the next three weeks[1]. Redditor charmanderaznable replied with the mock letter itself, opening with 'Dearest Karthus,' and the comment climbed to about 11,500 upvotes as the copypasta itself[3].
- Platform: Reddit (with YouTube trigger)
- Creator: charmanderaznable (Reddit)
- Date: 2023
Overview
The Dearest Karthus Copypasta is a League of Legends copypasta written as a comically formal letter to a Karthus main teammate, framed as a mailed alternative to pinging them in-game[1]. The stiff, polite tone against the frantic pace of a MOBA match is the whole joke, since Karthus's global ultimate demands split-second coordination that no typed message could deliver[3].
It broke out on r/leagueoflegends in early November 2023, right after Riot's Patch 13.22 tightened chat restrictions and commentator Phreak told viewers to just type 'Karthus Ult' instead of pinging[2]. Reddit users piled on the suggestion within hours, and one comment reply became the running joke that spread across the League community[1].
How It Spread
Meme edits started appearing on r/leagueoflegends within hours. On November 8, 2023, Redditor Praelatuz shared a screenshot of the copypasta being sent in-game and triggering a chat restriction, pulling around 7,100 upvotes over three weeks[3].
The joke jumped platforms fast. On November 9, 2023, LoL streamer @Caedrel posted the copypasta on X, where it drew about 14,000 likes in the same window[4]. YouTuber DumbsLIVE followed on November 10 with a video acting out the bit by physically mailing a paper letter to Karthus, which pulled roughly 73,500 views in three weeks[5].
Similar skit videos surfaced on r/LeagueOfMemes and other League subreddits around the same time, keeping the 'Karthus ult' line in circulation through the end of 2023[6].
How to Use
People typically paste the full mock letter into League of Legends match chat when a Karthus teammate misses an ult call, or share screenshots and video recreations on r/leagueoflegends and X[3]. Common riffs include mail-out gags like DumbsLIVE's video of physically posting a paper letter to Karthus, and shorter edits that swap in other global-ultimate champions[5].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Dearest Karthus Copypasta?
A League of Legends copypasta written as an over-formal letter to a Karthus main teammate, meant as a satirical alternative to pinging them in-game[1].
Where did Dearest Karthus Copypasta come from?
Redditor charmanderaznable wrote it on November 8, 2023, in a comment on an r/leagueoflegends thread criticizing commentator Phreak's Patch 13.22 remark to just type 'Karthus Ult'[3].
What does Dearest Karthus Copypasta mean?
It mocks the idea that typed chat could replace pings, especially for Karthus whose global ultimate demands split-second calls that a full letter could never keep up with[2].
How do you use Dearest Karthus Copypasta?
People paste the mock letter into League chat as a joke response after a missed Karthus ult, or riff on the format in videos and screenshots on Reddit and X[4].
Is Dearest Karthus Copypasta still popular?
The copypasta peaked during Patch 13.22 in November 2023, drawing tens of thousands of upvotes and likes across Reddit and X within weeks[1].
