(violin music) - Search the phrase,
"Technoblade never dies," on YouTube and you'll find
tens of thousands of videos that have over 100
million collective views. They all refer to the late Technoblade, a 23-year-old Minecraft
creator who won legions of fans thanks to his gaming talent, humor, and courageous life story. - Let's go, Techno! - He was talented and
also very entertaining. - [Skeppy] He would just
make you smile and laugh. - He was so much more than
just a content creator, so much more than just
a Minecraft YouTuber. - Technoblade never dies. - Technoblade never dies. - Technoblade never dies. (orchestral music) - But to understand the
evolution of the phrase, which has now become a phenomenon, we have to go back to October of 2013, when the then-14-year-old Technoblade uploaded the first video
to his namesake channel. - [Technoblade] Hey, guys. I'd just like to preface this video with an explanation of what goes on because when I am concentrated,
I don't talk at all. - [Narrator] And as the teenager grew, so too did his audience, drawn in by his magnetic humor
and exceptional gameplay. - [Technoblade] And I'm
already only getting by by the skin of my teeth, and
teeth don't even have skin. That's how you know it's messed up. - [Narrator] In 2017, we find
the first mention on YouTube of what would become the iconic phrase, "Technoblade never dies." - [Technoblade] The one rule of SkyWars: Technoblade never dies. (upbeat music) No, no, no. (laughs) Subscribe to Technoblade. - And as Technoblade absolutely dominated Minecraft. - [Technoblade] Don't mind me. Just obliterating this poor player. - The seemingly literal phrase gained traction among
his fast growing fandom. - [Skeppy] Technoblade never dies. And he wouldn't, he wouldn't. No one was doing what he was doing. He was unmatched. - He even amazed his
fans by beating Minecraft on Hardcore Mode using a steering wheel. - [Technoblade] Oh wait, it's
just straight up right here. Look at this, I've got
my own figurine now. I'm like Batman. - On August 8th, 2019, Technoblade surpassed
one million subscribers and received his gold Play Button. - [Technoblade] Well, guys, we did it. One million subscribers. I am now officially a big boy. - The next year, he was invited to join Dream SMP, which features some of
the world's best players. It was here his oft-cited refrain would become synonymous with his gameplay. - [Technoblade] Technoblade never dies. Never question me again. Iron armor, no helmet, doesn't matter. I do not die. - The live streams grew even beyond the game itself, by inspiring art based on the
mostly improvised plot lines of the role play-themed server. - [Technoblade] I have a pickaxe and I'll put it through your teeth. - And later that year
came a now-legendary duel. YouTube superstar Mr.Beast
challenged Technoblade and Dream SMP founder, Dream, to a head-to-head battle
royale with the winner emerging as YouTube Supreme Minecraft Champion. - No! - Technoblade, you animal! - Techno never dies. - Over the following months, Technoblade's channel rocketed to over eight million subscribers, at which time his growing
legion of supporters turned what was a creator's catch phrase into a fandom's rallying cry, perpetuating the slogan, "Technoblade never dies,"
across social media, in YouTube comments, and even fan art. Then suddenly in June of
2021, Technoblade vanished. (somber music) So, what had become of
Minecraft's greatest player? Well, he returned to update his fans in the widely viewed
video, where I've been. - [Technoblade] The reason my arm hurts is because I have cancer. I feel a bit silly talking about this with Minecraft in the background. - Technoblade revealed he had been diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. The video logged over 15 million views with over 50,000 mentions
of his iconic refrain, "Technoblade never dies,"
popping up across social media. Fans had reimagined the mantra for a new chapter in the
story of Technoblade, repeating it in support of
the beloved Minecraft creator. And Technoblade made sure
to share his new journey with his audience, touching
millions in the process. - [Technoblade] I've
maxed out the pity factor. The only way it could get
worse is if I was still bald, but I've been off chemo so
my hair actually grew back. - And his supporters rallied around him with competitions and fundraisers. - Hey, we hit the goal. (cheering) - Let's go! - Through Technoblade's efforts, over a million dollars has been raised for the Sarcoma Foundation of America. (orchestral music) Tragically, Technoblade
would succumb to his illness. On June 30th, 2022, a final video appeared on
Technoblade's YouTube channel. - Hi, I'm Technoblade's dad. He wrote a message and he asked
me to read it to all of you. "Hello everyone, Technoblade here. "If you're watching this, I am dead. "Thank you all for supporting
my content over the years. "If I had another hundred lives, "I think I would choose
to be Technoblade again "every single time." - The outpouring of
grief was instantaneous. Both his friends and supporters responded in disbelief and anger, but they'd find creative
outlets for their pain. - [Technoblade] Sky Block teaches us that no matter how
ridiculous the odds may seem, within us resides the power
to overcome these challenges and achieve something beautiful that one day we'll look
back at where we started and be amazed by how far we've come. ♪ It's not over ♪ ♪ This isn't the ♪ ♪ Farewell ♪ - And Technoblade's signature slogan evolved into its final form. - [Technoblade] Technoblade never dies. - Repeated in tribute
to the enduring legacy of the great Minecraft player. In the first days after his passing, Technoblade's final video
amassed over 125,000 comments with the phrase, "Technoblade never dies." Since his death, an
average of 300 new videos with Technoblade never dies in the title are uploaded every day. (mellow music) It's as if the gaming community is keeping the memory of Technoblade alive so that he remains among them, even if only in spirit. Before his passing, Technoblade unlocked all of
his unlisted earlier videos. - Hello, hi. - Creating a time capsule
of his life on YouTube. So, with the immortal phrase,
"Techno Blade lives on," he lives on in over 900 videos that continue to bring smiles to faces. He lives on within the gaming community that he was a part of, and that continues to support
cancer research in his name. And he lives on each time someone uploads their first Minecraft video to YouTube, inspired by the gameplay, the humor, and the charm of their favorite gamer. (mellow music)
