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Illustrated image of Sykkuno surrounded by hearts
Illustration by Lucas DeJesus, Montserrat College of Art

The Shy Persona of Twitch Streamer Sykkuno Has Attracted a Huge Fanbase

Known for his awkward and sweet personality, the content creator has captured many hearts across the platform.

Sykkuno’s kindhearted and socially awkward personality separates him from everyone else in the online entertainment industry. He is a YouTuber and Twitch streamer who plays video games with other streamers, including Valkyrae and members of OfflineTV. Through streaming games — like GTA, Valorant and Rust — and making chatting content, Sykkuno has amassed 2.67 million YouTube subscribers and 3.4 million Twitch followers. The timid streamer’s platform has grown its viewership with the release of the game Valorant and even more so from playing Among Us with his friends last year.

His humble and pure-hearted attitude charms his audience and separates him from other streamers who have outgoing and hyperactive personalities.

His positive and friendly energy influences viewers — he laughs at his own mistakes and jokes while making his viewers feel included in those moments.

Shy Sykkuno

It’s pretty clear Sykkuno is shy and struggles in social situations, especially since he had been streaming for years without a face-cam up until just recently. In many public appearances, he comes across as sensitive and nervous.

During the “Stella Transforms” livestream show, Stella Chuu transformed Sykkuno into an anime character and playfully picked on his awkward quirks. When she introduced him to the audience, he nervously reacted by giving a one-word response (“yup”). Throughout the livestream, Sykkuno hid his smile with his hand and displayed reserved body language when put in the spotlight. When Chuu later joked and teased him, he stammered and tried to purse his lips to prevent smiling again.

As part of the “Rajjchelorette Showfeaturing Jadeyanh, Sykkuno participated against other streamers for Jadeyanh’s heart. When the other participants began to argue, Sykkuno remained polite and quiet unless spoken to. Most of the participants did not buy his modest and gentle persona and tried to coax him into saying something contrary to his kindhearted character. Yet he held strong, and he refused to call fellow participant Minx a bitch and claimed he would legitimately feel terrible doing so.

Minx later told him he’s too pure and innocent for the “Rajj Show” and deserves better. The other participants even praised his cuteness and attractiveness, but he downplayed the flattery by degrading his appearance. When discussing a previous long-distance relationship, Sykkuno joked, “It helped that she didn’t have to look at me.” This is just one of the many occasions Sykkuno has refused to accept compliments.

Similarly, in an interview with CodeMiko, Miko tried to persuade Sykkuno to accept he is a popular streamer who has many fangirls crushing on him. Sykkuno, however, dodged the praise and claimed girls aren’t really into him. He is so humble and modest that he can’t even admit his popularity.

Before Sykkuno became friends with multiple streamers, he only had LilyPichu as a friend. Without Lily’s encouragement, Sykkuno believes he would not have revealed his face on stream. He has also gained the confidence to form friendships with her support. Now, he has more friends prod him to step outside his comfort zone and help him with his own personal character development. Yet, Sykkuno’s bashfulness still comes through when he receives overly effusive appreciation from his friends. Still, many fans find Sykkuno’s reactions adorable.

Sykkuno’s fans admire and respect his ability to venture outside his comfort zone and confront his social anxiety by participating in livestream shows. No matter how many times Sykkuno is awkward in public, his fans and friends applaud him for the small steps he takes. Even his shy and introverted fans join him in stepping out of their own comfort zones. They relate to his struggles and feel less reluctant to take risks, which makes them admire him more.

The Sykkuno Effect

When people first see Sykkuno, they find it difficult to believe how nice he is. Some even assume he puts on an act to get views. When they realize his genuine nature and calming presence are real, they are starstruck and begin to look up to him.

 

Reddit user EderRengifo posted a theory that explains why viewers have a strong interest in Sykkuno. He believes viewers compare themselves to the streamer and notice he’s more empathetic and caring than they are. Sykkuno reassures his audience with his friendliness and supportive advice to be better versions of themselves. EderRengifo claims viewers change their mindset from “I cannot be as nice as this guy” to “I want to be as nice as this guy” after witnessing his optimistic and easygoing personality.

Despite his awkwardness, Sykkuno has gradually transformed his shyness and nervousness into charisma over the past year. One way to be charismatic is to permit oneself to experience vulnerability. Some people believe admitting certain emotions is a weakness. However, Sykkuno disagrees and has openly shared himself in sensitive states. He lets himself be vulnerable with, and in front of, others, especially during livestreams where he expresses his emotions and gratitude to his friends.

For example, in his birthday livestream last year, Sykkuno openly shed a few tears after receiving birthday messages and art from friends and fans. He considers himself extremely lucky to have such amazing friends and does not hold back from admitting it. Viewers cherish his authenticity and vulnerability and respect him for sharing emotions they’d be too scared to express.

His authenticity is also evident in his words. Some of his best moments come from his playful banter and mischievous acts with friends. For example, his compassion and humor shone bright as he played with Valkyrae, Ludwig, Fuslie and Kkatamina in Dead by Daylight.

Throughout the game, Sykkuno made witty remarks, like, “Leslie, you chose the same character as me. I intentionally chose a weaker character to have a more fun game.” When he became the killer, Sykkuno said, “Oh no, I lost Mina. Where’d she go? Where on Earth did she go?” before throwing an ax at her. Sykkuno clearly did not want to win the game. He just enjoys messing with his friends, which highly entertains his viewers. Sykkuno is charming as he reveals bursts of enthusiasm in jokingly torturing his friends.

After winning the last round, Sykkuno told his friends, “I don’t think I should be the killer anymore. I think the killer’s not good for my health.” Leslie responded, “Yeah, I don’t think it is either.” This silly banter is another reason why fans await Sykkuno’s next livestream. They’re excited to witness his playful side in the games he plays with friends.

Many fans are attracted to Sykkuno’s awkward yet joking personality. He is a great role model for fans to follow. He is a diamond in the rough and surrounds himself with friends that amplify his authentic and selfless personality. He has a kind soul and always wants the best for others, which is why many people love and want to be like him

Sophie N. Munoz, University of Texas at San Antonio

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Sophie N. Munoz

University of Texas at San Antonio
English Major, concentration in Creative Writing

She/Her ~ {6w5} ~ INTJ ~ Introvert

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