The Gladeg emote (more commonly spelled as "Gladge") is a popular expression used in Twitch chat that depicts a green Pepe the Frog character with a wide, satisfied grin and glistening, often teary eyes. This emote conveys a feeling of emotional happiness, being touched, or overwhelmed in a wholesome way. It's essentially the "happy-crying" or "emotionally moved" version of Pepe.
Gladge is part of the extensive family of Pepe the Frog emotes that have become staples in Twitch culture. The original Pepe character was created by artist Matt Furie in 2005 for his comic "Boy's Club," but has since evolved into countless variations across internet culture.
The Gladge variant specifically emerged as a third-party emote available through extensions like 7TV, FrankerFaceZ (FFZ), and BetterTTV (BTTV). It's not a standard Twitch global emote but gained popularity through these extension platforms. The exact creator and first appearance date aren't well-documented, but it became widely used around 2020-2021 as part of the expanding Pepe emote universe.
Gladge is typically used in the following contexts:
Viewers often spam Gladge in chat when they collectively experience these positive emotional moments, creating a sense of shared appreciation and warmth in the community.