The Duolingo Owl Is Dead — And One Star Is Particularly Sad
The popular language app announced the death of its mascot on Tuesday, prompting both grief and relief from aspiring language learners across the world.
'It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead,' the company shared in a statement on social media.
Suggesting foul (fowl?) play may have led to the avian avatar's tragic end, Duolingo added, 'Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating fully.'
'Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know,' the announcement continued.
While memorializing its mascot, the app acknowledged many people's disdain for its dearly departed Duo, who was known for his persistent, often desperate and at times passive-aggressive lesson reminders.
an important message from Duolingo pic.twitter.com/jTTT680yVs
— Duolingo (@duolingo) February 11, 2025
'We're aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments,' Duolingo's statement went on. 'If you feel inclined to share, please also include your credit card number so we can automatically sign you up for Duolingo Max in his memory.'
'We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa's privacy at this time,' it concluded.
After getting name-checked, the 'One Kiss' singer had to pay her respects to her longtime friend.
'Til' death duo part,' she wrote in a repost on X.
While Duo may have had a hard time convincing some users to commit to their language lessons, business experts have called the company's commitment to the character a masterclass in marketing.
Matt Williams, a visiting professor at the College of William & Mary, told NPR, 'They've done an amazing job at doing what brands are all trying to do, which is creating a personality that breaks through this hugely cluttered media landscape that we live in, that people either love or hate.
'And that polarization is part of the point because that's what gets people talking about this,' he added.
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