It's Over 9000!

Origin

‘It’s over 9000!’ comes from an English dub of Dragon Ball Z, in which the character Vegeta reads Goku’s combat ‘power level’ on a scanning device and reacts with disbelief. In the original Japanese and some other versions the number was reportedly 8,000, but the widely memed dub line rounded it up to 9,000. Clips of the exaggerated, shouting delivery spread around 2006. The line became one of anime’s most quoted meme moments.

Meaning & usage

The phrase is used as over-the-top hyperbole to describe anything extremely high, intense, or off the charts. It is often shouted or written in Vegeta’s incredulous tone for comic emphasis. Beyond anime fandom, it became general internet shorthand for ‘an absurdly large amount.’ Its exaggeration is the whole appeal, a number so big it broke the scanner.

Notable examples

The ‘What, nine thousand?!’ exchange has been endlessly remixed, dubbed over other footage, and referenced in games, songs, and advertising. It regularly appears on lists of the most iconic anime meme quotes.