Rizz Alert! The Duolingo Owl Just Debuted a New Look and Outfit — Here's Why

The popular language learning app Duolingo makes learning a new language fun and easy thanks to its charming mascot, Duo the owl. While Duo loves cracking jokes with users, don't worry – the viral meme and internet theory that he will threaten you and your family if you miss a lesson is completely bogus.

Still, Duo loves to tease users playfully and get their attention. He just wants us to keep practicing.

That said, Duo has indeed been looking different lately. Users have noticed that their animated green feathered friend is suddenly sporting a tuxedo and a super neat bowtie.

"What happened to Duolingo? And why is he tryna rizz me up?" wrote one user on X, alongside a photo of Duo in his new fancy attire. Another user questioned: "Why is the Duolingo bird looking at me like this?"

Clearly, Duo's new look is causing a stir, especially among some female users. After all, it's not every day you encounter a man who checks all the boxes: intelligent (knowing every language!), beloved worldwide, and now, impeccably dressed.

But if you're wondering why Duo looks so different (read: handsome) on the app as of late, there's actually a good reason.

In January 2024, Duolingo users began noticing that the app was updated to now show Duo wearing a bowtie and tuxedo. What prompted the change?

A spokesperson for Duolingo provided the following comment to Distractify about Duo's spiffy attire. "While our iconic mascot Duo the Owl can often be seen sporting a red bikini in TikTok videos, he decided to dress up this New Year in a tuxedo to remind learners that language learning resolutions are a serious affair."

Yup, that's the reason for his glow-up. He is just trying to remind us that our commitment to learning a new language is no joke.

Duo also playfully acknowledged his new ensemble on X. Quote tweeting a photo that put his sharp new look in full display, Duolingo wrote "Tinder profile pic update, don’t mind me."

Users were clearly impressed by Duo's top-tier fashion sense. "Duo got the drip on, with the super Duolingo themed bowtie!" wrote one commenter.

This isn't the first time Duo has undergone a makeover in the app's icon. In October 2023, users were startled to see that Duo appeared to be melting on their screens. As it turned out, the melting was just a clever marketing ploy to encourage users to open the app and keep their language learning streak alive. Classic Duo!