On Feb. 11, Duo, formerly known as The Duolingo Owl, was reported to have passed away after a gray, stainless-steel, shatter-resistant, 2025 Tesla Cybertruck collided with him.
After death, Duo’s marketing team changed the Duolingo app’s face to a deathly look and started the hashtag “RIPduo.”
“He probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know,” the post regarding Duo’s death said. “We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments.”
In place of loathing, the post requested readers’ credit card number for Duolingo Max in his memory and ended with an appreciation towards respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy.
Dua Lipa responded on X, saying, “Til’ death duo part” with a following broken heart emoji.
“I’ve always had two main goals,” Duo said. “Get people to do their lesson and get Dua Lipa to notice me.”
In a heartbreaking update on Feb. 13, the remaining characters at Duolingo Headquarters were reported to have passed away. Falstaff’s cause of death was illegal hunting. No bidet in a restroom defeated Zari. Lily passed away from a sincere hug by a cute child.
That same day, Duo’s marketing team developed plushies and custom coffins with proceeds going into funding more “stupid marketing ideas.”
“We’re monetizing grief because we are a corporation,” the team said. “Why process your emotions when you can process a payment?”
Luis Von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, “otherwise known as Duo’s Daddy,” updated followers on Feb. 14.
“In the end, Duo finally answered the question he posed to so many of us,” he said. “Spanish or Vanish?”
Von Ahn shared his understanding of Duo’s “persistent threats” toward learners.
“It was never personal,” he said. “His mission was clear: make education accessible one terrifying notification at a time.”
Von Ahn said he and his team were carrying the torch forward as a company, as a team and as friends.
“Rest assured, no employees were affected by this — except maybe emotionally,” Von Ahn said. “We’re excited to rise up to the occasion in the face of the loss of our twerking, fuzzy, lime green, fictional, crusty owl-friend.”
In a historic turn of events, Duo rose from his coffin on Feb. 24.
“Faking my death was the test, and you all passed,” he said. “Y’all really think I’d let a Cybertruck take me out.”
Furthermore, Duo said he had to do something drastic and thought: why not kill one green bird with two stones?
“I’ve collected many enemies throughout the years, and it would be easy to blame any one of them,” Duo said. “Not enough of you were doing your lessons, so I had to go to extreme measures.”
Unsuspecting so many people would jump at the opportunity to be the cause of his death, Duo realized he had to hide the real truth in case anyone went investigating.
“I realized my friends were being asked too many questions,” he said. “They were too nice to lie, so it was apparent I had to make them fake their deaths.”
Duo deeply thanked Dua Lipa and some random follower of many years, rounding off by addressing the accusations.
“Was there some drama? Sure,” Duo said. “Did some people get falsely arrested along the way? Maybe. Did I sell custom coffins? I had to pay off the Cybertruck rental somehow. I guess you could say I put the fun in funeral.”
