The Jack-O crouch (also known as the Jack-O pose) is a suggestive pose made popular by the character Jack-O’Valentine in the fighting game Guilty Gear. Added to the gaming series in 2016, fans couldn’t help but notice her unique posture and poke fun at it.
Where is Jack-O from?
Guilty Gear is a series of fighting games that was first debuted by Arc System Works in the late 1990s. The game’s premise is a post-apocalyptic world where magic has replaced much technology. It focuses on a bounty hunter called Sol Badguy who chases down “Gears,” or magical creatures.
Due to the popularity of the series, it was later adapted into both manga and animated drama form. The 2016 release of Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR introduces Jack-O’Valentine, an enigmatic attempt to partially resurrect another character, Aria. At times, she wears a jack-o-lantern mask over her face.
Where did the Jack-O Challenge come from?
In Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR, Jack-O battles with a ball and chain, as well as subcharacters. In some battles, Jack-O poses with her backside in the air and legs straight while her front half lays down, her arms crossed in front of her. The pose caught the eye of fans.
It was highlighted in a 2019 YouTube video by @muchyjr_, who does the pose alongside Potemkin in the fan video.
Fans continued to react to the pose as they got acquainted with the game.
As people continued to play the game in the following years, there were plenty of comments about the pose. Many found it humourous, while some discussed its effectiveness and how it impacts gameplay.
In 2021, Jack-O was introduced as a DLC character in Guilty Gear Strive. The character’s look was slightly redesigned, but her iconic pose was brought back, catching players’ attention. Fan artists started drawing other characters, first from the Guilty Gear universe and later from other animated series and animes.
The Jack-O Pose Challenge took a turn when people started trying to accomplish the pose themselves. It’s harder than it may appear, as many discovered when attempting it themselves.