A cuddly, bipedal mushroomlike creature from the Pokémon universe has become the latest fixation among those who are scouring the social media profiles of the 26-year-old accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Social media has seized on a picture of the Pokémon character Breloom as part of a wide-ranging online effort to rally around — and possibly find the motive of — Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old who was charged with murder after being apprehended at a McDonald’s restaurant in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on Monday.
That image has now been lauded by some as a symbol of the broader systemic frustrations with the U.S. health care system that have dominated social media since a gunman brazenly assassinated Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two, outside a New York City hotel in daylight.
“Breloom is trending and is now the symbol of resistance,” one person wrote in a caption on TikTok, which contained hashtags of both the Pokémon’s name, as well as Mangione’s.
Others have sought to find meaning in the image, with some theorizing that the picture is actually a message echoing Mangione’s writing that detailed his frustrations with the U.S. health care system — even seeking to tie the Pokémon’s number (286) to a Bible verse.
Still, others theorized that Breloom's presence on Mangione's X header could be related to an affinity for psychedelics based on some of the people he followed on the platform and some of his Goodreads interests. In addition, because Pokémon have the ability to evolve, Breloom initially takes its first form in the Pokémon world as a creature called "Shroomish," a perturbed-looking mushroom. Shroomish later evolves into Breloom.
The Pokémon Co. did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Breloom’s newfound popularity and connection with Mangione.
The image first gained notice as part of the banner image at the top of what is believed to be Mangione’s X profile, where Breloom sat alongside a picture of him and another picture of an X-ray that appears to be a spinal fusion procedure.
Mangione was first identified by authorities Monday and has since been charged with murder. His naming triggered an immediate internet rush to find out more about him. Before his identification, many online had already posted their admiration for the gunman who shot Thompson, with online sleuths who relish in tracking people down showing little interest in finding the shooter’s identity.
Much of that admiration has now shifted to Mangione, along with attempts to look through his relatively large online footprint for hints of a motive. Social media users have looked through platforms like a Goodreads account that appears to belong to Mangione, which tracks books he read, a now-defunct Reddit account where he appeared to discuss having chronic spine pain and a spinal fusion, and his X account, which featured the picture of Breloom.
It’s unclear if Mangione had any intent in sending a message with the image of a member of the wildly beloved Pokémon franchise, which has had a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Internet celebrities like Logan Paul have spent millions on Pokémon cards and the 28-year-old brand is a staple of social media.
Much of the speculation around Breloom has centered on its designated number. Each of the 1,164 Pokémon are assigned a number in a catalog known as the Pokédex. For example, arguably the most popular and easily recognizable Pokémon, Pikachu, is designated as Pokémon No. 25. (The first iteration of Pokémon had only 151 creatures but more have been added over the years.)
That’s led to a variety of theories about what 286 could mean, including one post on X with more than 22 million views that implies the number points to a health insurance code about denied coverage.
Others have focused on Breloom as a symbol of class strife. On TikTok, where the hashtag Breloom has been used more than 2,000 times, some have set the image of Breloom to the song “Do You Hear The People Sing” from “Les Miserables,” a song about revolution. Some have even begun making fan art of the Super Mario character Luigi with the Pokémon.
