The 'Speed Racer Is a Sociopath' meme stems from retrospective observations of the 1967 anime series Speed Racer (Mach GoGoGo). Fans noticed that the protagonist, Speed, frequently engages in extremely dangerous driving maneuvers that result in spectacular, often fatal, crashes for his opponents—all while maintaining a heroic and stoic persona. The meme gained traction on platforms like Tumblr and Reddit, where users shared clips and screenshots of Speed forcing cars off cliffs or into explosions without a second thought. It humorously recontextualizes the childhood hero as a cold, calculating competitor who prioritizes winning the race over human life, fitting perfectly into the 'darker than you remember' internet subculture.