sigma

The Sigma emote represents the "Sigma Male" archetype in internet culture. It portrays a man with a distinctive facial expression featuring upward-angled eyebrows and a pouted, smug mouth (similar to the 😙💨 emoji combination). In Twitch chat, this emote symbolizes someone who embodies the traits of a "sigma male" - a person who is supposedly powerful, successful, independent, and operates outside traditional social hierarchies.

The Sigma emote is based on the character Patrick Bateman from the film "American Psycho" (played by Christian Bale), who became the poster child for sigma male memes. The specific facial expression gained massive popularity following a November 2022 TikTok video by creator @argenby that garnered over 95 million views. The creator acknowledged that the American Psycho movie inspired his sigma face expression.

The emote is not a standard Twitch global emote but is available through third-party extensions like BetterTTV (BTTV), FrankerFacez (FFZ), or 7TV, which allow communities to create and use custom emotes beyond Twitch's standard offerings.

The broader sigma concept emerged as an evolution of the alpha/beta male social hierarchy, initially appearing as "grindset" memes celebrating hustle culture before evolving into its current form.

The Sigma emote is typically used in Twitch chat in the following contexts:

• When a streamer or chat member does something perceived as socially detached but impressive
• To indicate approval of a "lone wolf" mentality or independent decision-making
• During moments that align with "sigma grindset" culture (prioritizing goals over social connections)
• Ironically, to mock or parody the concept of sigma male behavior
• When referencing characters like Patrick Bateman or other fictional characters associated with the sigma archetype
• In response to cold, calculated, or emotionally detached actions