The Beta Arceus meme stems from the massive 2020 Nintendo 'Gigaleak,' which revealed early development sprites from Pokémon Diamond and Pearl. Among these was the prototype design for Arceus, the god of all Pokémon, which appeared as a translucent, blob-like figure significantly less regal than its final version. Fans quickly embraced this unfinished look, viewing it as either terrifyingly eldritch or hilariously abstract. It is commonly used to represent something in its raw, unfiltered, or chaotic form, often captioned with jokes about seeing the 'true face of God' or the stark contrast between expectation and reality.