You’ve probably seen the TikTok edits by now. One second, there’s a tiny, adorable blue shark with legs waddling across a screen to a bubbly soundtrack. The next, the beat drops, the screen flashes red, and suddenly you’re hearing the aggressive, gravelly bars of the late Chicago rapper King Von. It makes no sense. Or maybe it makes perfect sense?
The internet has a weird way of blending high-stakes street rap with cute cartoon mascots. In this case, we’re talking about Jeff the Shark King Von, a meme that has completely taken over the Marvel Rivals community and the wider drill-rap corner of social media.
If you're confused, don't worry. Honestly, most people were at first. But once you see Jeff "crash out" in a match, the comparison to a "demon" like King Von starts to click.
Who Exactly is Jeff the Shark?
Before we get into the rapper comparisons, we have to look at the source material. Jeff the Land Shark isn't just a random internet creation; he's a legitimate Marvel Comics character. Originally appearing in West Coast Avengers back in 2018, he was the pet of Gwenpool and later Kate Bishop.
Basically, he’s a shark with four legs. He’s "smol," he’s round, and he’s supposed to be the purest thing in the Marvel Universe.
Then Marvel Rivals happened.
When NetEase released the hero shooter, they included Jeff as a Strategist (healer) hero. On paper, he’s a support character meant to help his teammates. But his Ultimate ability, titled "It's Jeff!", changed everything. Jeff can dive into the ground, resurface, and literally swallow the entire enemy team whole. He can then carry them around and spit them off the edge of the map for an instant "Team Wipe."
It’s brutal. It’s efficient. It’s... kinda terrifying.
Why Do People Call Him King Von?
The nickname Jeff the Shark King Von started as a joke on Reddit and TikTok during the game's closed alpha and beta tests. Users noticed a hilarious contrast between Jeff’s "oblivious cuteness" (his actual passive ability name) and the absolute carnage he causes on the battlefield.
King Von, the legendary Chicago drill rapper who passed away in 2020, was known for his "Grandson" persona—a reputation for being a "menace" or a "demon" in the streets of O'Block. His music was characterized by high-intensity storytelling about "sliding" on rivals and "crashing out."
The meme was born when players started putting King Von’s song "Took Her To The O" or "Crazy Story" over clips of Jeff the Shark flanking an entire team and spitting them into the abyss.
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- The "Crash Out" Factor: In gaming slang, "crashing out" means losing your cool or going on a reckless, high-risk mission to kill the enemy. When a Jeff player ignores healing to go for a 5-man kill, they are "crashing out."
- The Menace Energy: There is something inherently funny about a character who looks like a plushie but plays like a serial killer.
- TikTok Edits: Editors began making "phonk" and "drill" montages of Jeff, specifically using King Von's voice to emphasize that this shark is "really like that."
The "Bloodhound Lil Jeff" Connection
To make things even more confusing for the uninitiated, there is a second layer to this. There was a real-life Chicago rapper named Bloodhound Lil Jeff (Jeffery Lamar Harris Jr.) who rose to infamy in 2024. He was often compared to King Von because of his aggressive lyrics and alleged involvement in real-world conflicts.
Tragically, Lil Jeff was killed in June 2024 during a "drill" in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Because he shared a name with the Marvel shark, the two "Jeffs" became inextricably linked in the meme-sphere.
Now, when you see a comment saying "Jeff really the King Von of Marvel Rivals," they are referencing both the legendary status of Von and the "crash out" reputation of the Chicago rapper who shared the shark's name. It’s dark humor, for sure. That’s just how the internet operates these days.
How to Actually Play Jeff Like a "King"
If you want to live up to the Jeff the Shark King Von title in-game, you can't just sit back and heal. You have to be a threat. Jeff is one of the few healers in Marvel Rivals who can single-handedly win a game through positioning.
Mastering the Ultimate
The "It's Jeff!" ability is your bread and butter. The best Jeff players don't use it in the middle of a fight where everyone can see them coming. They use Hide and Seek (his Shift ability) to crawl up walls and get behind the enemy team.
Wait for the enemy to group up on the payload or the capture point. Dive in, swallow the tanks and the healers, and find the nearest cliff. If there isn't a cliff, spit them into a corner where your teammates (like Venom or Iron Man) can blast them with their own Ultimates.
The Team-Up Meta
Jeff gets even scarier when he’s paired with the right heroes.
- With Venom: He gets "Guardian of the Deep," which links him to allies for massive continuous healing.
- With Groot: He can actually ride on Groot’s shoulder (the "New Friends" ability). This makes him much harder to hit while he's constantly spraying heals—or damage—from a high vantage point.
- With Storm: They can perform the "Jeff-nado," where Storm’s hurricane merges with Jeff’s swallow ability. It’s basically a vacuum cleaner of death.
The Cultural Impact of the Meme
It’s easy to dismiss this as just another "brainrot" meme, but it actually shows how gaming culture and hip-hop culture have become almost one and the same. You have kids in suburban basements playing a Marvel game while listening to Chicago drill music, creating a new kind of "digital folklore."
Developers at NetEase have even seemingly leaned into the "menace" persona. Jeff has received multiple "legendary" skins, including a Jeff O'Lantern costume, further cementing him as the mascot who is more than just a cute face.
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The meme has also helped Marvel Rivals stay relevant in a crowded market. Every time a "Jeff King Von" edit goes viral on TikTok, a new group of people discovers the game. They come for the shark, but they stay for the high-octane gameplay.
What’s Next for Jeff?
As of 2026, Jeff is firmly established as the face of the game. There are rumors of him appearing in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), with Marvel Studios executives hinting at a project featuring the Land Shark. Whether he’ll keep his "King Von" reputation in the movies remains to be seen—Disney might want to keep him a bit more "PG" than the fans do.
If you’re looking to get better at Jeff or just want to understand why your teammates are screaming "VON!" in the voice chat when the shark gets a triple kill, just remember: it’s all about the contrast. The cutest character in the game is also the most dangerous.
Next Steps for You:
- Check the patch notes: Jeff’s "Joyful Splash" damage and healing numbers get tweaked often to keep him from becoming too much of a menace.
- Watch the high-level VODs: Look for "Grandmaster" Jeff players to see the specific wall-crawling paths they use to set up their team-wiping Ultimates.
- Don't forget to heal: Even if you're chasing the "King Von" glory, your primary job is still keeping your team alive. If you "crash out" and die early, your team loses the point anyway.