Duolingo’s Beloved Owl Duo Declared Dead, Sparks Grief and Humor

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Duolingo, the popular language-learning app, announced Tuesday that its beloved mascot, Duo the owl, has died. Known for his green color and adorable persona, Duo had become a symbol of the app’s push to make language learning accessible and fun.

The news of Duo’s death comes as Duolingo embarks on a corporate rebranding, similar to Twitter’s transformation into X after Elon Musk‘s acquisition. The company stated, “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you that Duo, formally known as the Duolingo Owl, is dead.” Further details about the cause of death have not been disclosed, but the company remarked humorously that “he probably died waiting for you to do your lesson.”

Duolingo, founded in 2011, surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many opted to learn new languages during lockdowns. The app currently offers more than 100 courses covering over 40 languages through short, engaging lessons. The company’s social media announcement about Duo’s passing quickly went viral, gathering over 47 million views by Wednesday morning.

“We’re aware he had many enemies, but we kindly ask that you refrain from sharing why you hate him in the comments,” the statement continued. It cheekily concluded by inviting fans to honor Duo’s memory through the app’s premium subscription service, Duolingo Max, saying, “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.”

In a nod to popular singer Dua Lipa, who has been humorously linked to Duo through brand lore, Duolingo requested that followers respect “Dua Lipa’s privacy at this time.” Last July, Duolingo had described Lipa as Duo’s “unrequited love interest.” Following the announcement, Lipa expressed her condolences in a post saying, “‘Til death duo part,” accompanied by a broken-heart emoji.

Duolingo plans to divulge more details about the circumstances surrounding Duo’s death on its social media channels. A representative for the brand commented, “Over the years, we’ve built brand lore around Duo being in love with [Lipa] … and we’re just as shocked (and honored) as anyone that she’s acknowledged his tragic fate.”

Despite the news of Duo’s death, Duolingo reassured its users that the app remains alive and well: “Duo might be dead, but our brand is very much alive (and still as unhinged as ever),” the representative stated.