The Internet’s newest bad-girl crush is the E-Girl, whose aesthetic comes from a mix of influences like anime, cosplay, and the early 2000s. While her label kicked off as a derogatory nickname for attractive young females in typically male online spaces, the E-Girl and E-Boy rose up in the late 2010s as a social media aesthetics trend and Tik Tok subculture. We can also understand what makes the E-Girl tick through her predecessors in film, TV, and games who helped inspire this look, worldview, and attitude. We can even view her as a fresh take on old tropes like the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Weird Girl, and Outcast—but with unprecedented bodily autonomy, confidence, and personal empowerment. Here’s our Take on the real origins of the E-Girl, and how she represents where our society’s values are evolving today.