We are sad to report that Duolingo's iconic owl mascot, Duo the Owl, has flown to the Good Place.
The language learning app announced news of the make-believe mascot's passing on Tuesday, although details as to the cause of death remain a mystery.
Duolingo is known for its cheeky antics on the internet, and this dark-humored stunt is among its most bizarre endeavors.
In a statement, the app's social media page, which now features an icon of the late mascot with X's for eyes, wrote:
"It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as The Duolingo Owl, is dead."
The app's TikTok account shared footage from Duo's "funeral" featuring Duolingo characters Lily and Zari as pallbearers.
The death statement continued:
"Authorities are currently investigating his cause of death and we are cooperating fully."
Duolingo shaded users of the app by suggesting they were complicit in the mascot's demise from slacking on studying habits.
"Tbh, he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson, but what do we know? We're aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments," they wrote and joked:
"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."
The final line left viewers scratching their heads.
Duolingo signed off with:
"We appreciate you respecting Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time."
@duolingo/TikTok
Dua Lipa joined the shenanigans by sharing Duolingo's statement and writing, "Til' death duo part," followed by a broken heart emoji.
@duolingo/TikTok
But it wasn't a random interaction.
The pair have been known to be besties due to their similar-sounding names.
Duo was never shy about expressing admiration for Dua, as seen in this TikTok from August 2024.
The singer's comment was shared and posted by Duolingo with the added caption:
"UPDATE: Officials have identified cause of death. More details to follow."
"Thank you for holding space for Dualingo."
@duolingo/TikTok
Following the sad news of the mascot's death, major brands sent condolences…and concerns.
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
A video posted on TikTok revealed what led to Duo's death, and it looks like murder.
The clip showed Duo being rammed by a Tesla Cybertruck, launching the lifeless mascot into the sky, space, and the gates leading to nowhere.
On Duolingo's X (formerly Twitter) account, a notice of death indicated Duo's full name was Duo Keyshauna Renee Lingo–a.k.a. Duo the Owl–who was born in 1000 BC.
The app asked mourners:
"In lieu of flowers, please do a Duolingo lesson."
@duolingo/X
The internet didn't know what to think at this point.
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
@duolingo/TikTok
Duolingo previously trolled social media users after experiencing a sudden surge in the app's usage to learn Mandarin.
It came after Republican President Donald Trump took office and extended the deadline for TikTok's divestiture, prompting TikTok refugees to migrate to the Chinese app RedNote in advance of a potential TikTok ban in the U.S. due to national security concerns.
When TikTokers fled to Duolingo to broaden their communication skills to maximize interaction with RedNote Chinese users, Duolingo quipped, "Oh so NOW you're learning mandarin."
And now, we're dead.
