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JonTron | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jonathan Aryan Jafari (1990-03-24)March 24, 1990 (age 35) |
| Occupation | YouTuber |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| YouTube information | |
| Channels | |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Genres | |
| Subscribers | 6.48 million |
| Views | 1.40 billion |
| Last updated: April 18, 2025 | |
Jonathan Aryan Jafari (born March 24, 1990), better known online asJonTron, is an AmericanYouTuber andcomedian. He created the eponymousYouTubeweb seriesJonTron, where he reviews and parodies video games, films and other media.
Jafari is the co-creator and former co-host of theLet's Play webseriesGame Grumps, and co-created the video game entertainment website Normal Boots. As of July 2025[update], his YouTube channelJonTronShow has 6.48 million subscribers and 1.40 billion views.[1]
Jafari was born inRancho Palos Verdes, California, on March 24, 1990, to Afshin and Irene Jafari.[2] He is ofHungarian descent on his mother's side, andIranian descent on his father's side.[3] He attendedPalos Verdes Peninsula High School from 2004 to 2008.[4]
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Jafari created aNewgrounds account under the name "BirdmanXZ6" in 2003, and uploaded five animations depictinganthropomorphic onions. In 2006, he made aYouTube account under the same name. Jafari uploaded videos onScrewAttack.com in 2010, reviewing games such asGoldenEye 007 and at ScrewAttack, he met creator Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave.
On August 31, 2010, Jafari created a YouTube channel called JonTronShow. He stated that he chose the nameJonTron because it was "reminiscent of technology" and that the show was originally going to be calledJonTron 2.0.[5] He uploaded a two-part review of theNintendo 64 version of the gameDaikatana, the first installment in hisJonTron series. In each episode ofJonTron, Jafari reviews singular games, as well as games of a particular theme, franchise, orgenre. He is usually accompanied by hisgreen-cheeked parakeet, Jacques, who speaks with a robotic voice. Jafari usually incorporates elements ofsketch comedy into these episodes, to display his reactions to the video game that he is reviewing.[citation needed] According to Jafari, in an episode of the Internet gaming webseriesGame Grumps, Jacques was originally to speak in a stereotypicaljive voice, with Jafari's mouth being super-imposed onto the character's face, rather than his eyes glowing red whenever he talked.[6] In his early days, he reviewed video games, showing fondness forNintendo games and those developed by British game developerRare mainly the games they made during the 90s, while being very critical of the games made since then likeStar Fox Adventures andBanjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Jafari has reviewed numerous video game adaptations of popular franchises, such asHercules,Barbie,Home Alone,Star Wars andConan the Barbarian, as well as relatively unknown games for theNES likeMonster Party andTakeshi's Challenge.[7][failed verification] He has also reviewed various unlicensed games, particularly based on thePokémon franchise, as well as the 1997 filmTitanic andDisney films.[8][9] In the latter, he observed China as being "farther away fromU.S. jurisdiction, and much better at Disney bootlegging" and also remarked on unofficial online games based on the company's films.[10] Jafari occasionally uploads skits, as well as film reviews. For his Halloween Specials, he reviewed the anthology horror television seriesGoosebumps andAre You Afraid of the Dark?.[citation needed]
According to Jafari, in an episode ofGame Grumps,JonTron began achieving notability after a post onReddit featuring Jafari's review of theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System gameDinoCity reached #1 on the website.[11] In 2011, Jafari created two now-defunct spin-offLet's Play channels. The first, "JonTronStarcraft", has two videos of Jafari playingBlizzard Entertainment'sreal-time strategy gameStarCraft. The second channel, "JonTronLoL", has four videos of Jafari playing theMOBA gameLeague of Legends.[12] Both channels have fewer than 25,000 subscribers. JonTronShow reached 1 million subscribers in May 2014.[12]
In 2013 Paul Tamburro ofCraveOnline said "Mixing a large dollop of offbeat humour with a light sprinkle of insightful commentary,JonTron's reviews of games of old have inspired many imitators, but none have proven to be more hilarious."[13]Time magazine listedJonTron as 2015's seventh most searchedInternet meme on Google.[14]
In May 2015, Jafari released a spin-offweb series on his YouTube channel titledJonTron's StarCade, in which he reviews games based on theStar Wars franchise.[15] The webseries included cameos from numerous other Internet personalities and actors, such asEgoraptor,Markiplier,Nathan Barnatt,Ross O'Donovan, andKyle Hebert. The series was produced byMaker Studios, asubsidiary ofThe Walt Disney Company, and concluded in December 2015, after nine episodes.
Jafari occasionally uploads videos in which he comments on matters that he finds important, which are usually related to gaming. This occurred most recently in 2016, with a video made in response toBlizzard Entertainment shutting down private servers of themassively multiplayer online role-playing gameWorld of Warcraft. Jafari mostly criticized the shutdown of one of the most popular private servers,Nostalrius, which was a copy of the 1.12 version of the game.[16] Jafari's video helped to raise awareness on this subject, and lead to thousands of signatures on aChange.org petition.[17]
Throughout 2019 and 2020, Jafari has continued to broaden the range of media covered on his show, instead of solely traditional video games. Notable examples of topics areFlex Tape, rapperSoulja Boy'sSouljaGame console,[18] actressGwyneth Paltrow's companyGoop and its web seriesThe Goop Lab, actorDan Aykroyd'sCrystal Head Vodka brand, and the 2007 TV seriesKid Nation.[citation needed]
JonTron is largely credited with public awareness ofFlex Tape and Phil Swift,[citation needed] and its transformation into anInternet meme. The original video[19] on the subject has received over 72 million views as of June 2024, and the sequel[20] has over 29 million, and features a cameo from Swift himself.
NormalBoots was created in late 2010 by Jafari and Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave to act as a hub where Jafari and Hargrave could post content and receive advertisement revenue.[21][22] Soon after its creation, Indie Games Searchlight and Cold Morning joined the group. In June 2011, the YouTube channel Continue? joined, while in August of the same year, Underbelly joined. In October 2011, Cold Morning left, and in June 2012, Underbelly left. However shortly after each departure new YouTubers joined, with The Completionist joining in November 2011, andDid You Know Gaming?, joining in July 2012. The site was closed down in November 2012, asGoogle AdSense offered better revenue options for the content creators.[23]
NormalBoots was relaunched on January 24, 2014, so that the members could upload videos that weren't "YouTube-friendly". Jafari alongside the remaining members of NormalBoots, apart from Indie Games Searchlight, came back, with two new YouTubers joining, ProJared and Satchell Drakes.[24] On May 17, 2017, the group announced that they were going to reconnect due to the creators drifting apart. A new YouTube channel was created to unite the creators. During this time Jafari decided to leave to focus on his own channel but would still remain as a founding member.[25]
Jafari met animatorArin "Egoraptor" Hanson, of whom he had been a fan since the early 2000s, when the latter messaged him on YouTube shortly after his review ofDinoCity grew popular.[11] The two eventually became close friends, and in July 2012, Jafari and Hanson announced they would be starting a Let's Play series titledGame Grumps through videos on both their channels. On July 18 of the same year, Jafari and Hanson uploaded their first serials ofGame Grumps:Kirby Super Star,Mega Man 7 andThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.[26] On the Game Grumps channel, Jafari and Hanson played games together, typically ones that were retro or nostalgic in style, along with comedic commentary.
On June 25, 2013, Jafari leftGame Grumps in order to focus onJonTron, and was replaced byNinja Sex Party singerDan Avidan on the same day.[27] Some fans criticized the sudden and unexpected announcement, as well as the channel announcing the debut of the spin-off seriesSteam Train on the same day that Jafari's departure was disclosed.[28]
Jafari has collaborated with multiple YouTube channels, including Ethan and Hila Klein's channelh3h3Productions. From October 2015 to August 2016, Hila Klein was a producer forJonTron. He has made an appearance onJames Rolfe's Let's Play seriesJames & Mike Mondays.[29] He made acameo appearance inAngry Video Game Adventures. Jafari was a featured vocalist in an episode ofThe Gregory Brothers' viral webseriesSongify the News. At the same time, The Gregory Brothers remixed Jafari's review of thebootlegged game,Titenic, and it was released on iTunes.[30]
Jafari has donevoice-over work forDid You Know Gaming?, covering episodes onThe Legend of Zelda,Banjo-Kazooie,Donkey Kong,Pokémon,Pikmin,Animal Crossing,Dragon Quest,Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, and games of Disney franchises. He has covered the development ofStar Wars for their spin-off seriesDid You Know Movies? on fellow YouTube channel,The Film Theorists.[31][32]
In 2013, before his departure fromGame Grumps, Jafari and Hanson appeared in a promotional video produced byPolaris for theWarner Bros. moviePacific Rim. Around the same time, Jafari appeared inNinja Sex Party's music video for "Let's Get This Terrible Party Started", which was directed by Hanson.[28] To promote the2013 World Series, Jafari appeared in ana cappella cover of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", produced byPepsiCo and musicianMike Tompkins, and uploaded to Maker Studios' Maker Music channel.[33]
In November 2016, Jafari released an album calledLove Is Like Drugs with The Gregory Brothers, which reached number two on theBillboardchart of comedy albums of the week of November 26.[34] Later, on December 2, 2018, he collaborated with pitchmanPhil Swift in the video "Flex Tape II: The Flexening".[35]
Jafari playedBanjo-Kazooie in June 2014 on aTwitch stream, to collect donations forTeach For America'sGoFundMe campaign. Jafari stated that if the $25,000 proposed goal was hit, he would reprise a cover ofKaty Perry's song "Firework" originally recorded for his 2011 review ofDinoCity. The full version of the cover was uploaded to Jafari's YouTube channel on February 14, 2016.[36]
In 2016, Jafari was featured as a character alongside other NormalBoots collaborators in thedating sim andvisual novelAsagao Academy.[37][38]
Jafari has provided voice-over work forA Hat in Time, a video game by Gears for Breakfast.[39]
In an interview withBreitbart News, Jafari stated that he voted forBarack Obama both times, and that he supportedBernie Sanders in the2016 primaries, but has said that he does not identify asconservative orliberal, preferring instead to decide on a case-by-case basis.[40]
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Jafari discussed politics on a livestream hosted byCarl Benjamin on January 27, 2017. On March 12 of the same year, Jafari posted atweet defending a quote from Iowa representativeSteve King, who had tweeted in regards to the United States' policy on immigration: "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies."[41][42] Jafari later appeared onTwitchstreamerDestiny's channel to explain his views; he said that, "Nobody wants to become a minority in their own country", and stressed that he took issue with white people being labeled as racist for wanting to remain a majority. He saw this reaction as hypocritical with how the majorities of other countries are regarded. Jafari also made racial assertions about people of Mexican descent who live in the United States, claiming that there are "large swathes of them who want to break parts of America off back into Mexico."[43] He also commented that he had seen statistics that wealthy black people commit more crimes than poor white people, as well as asking rhetorically whether the colonization of Africa by European countries was a good thing.[44]
Shortly afterwards, many outlets criticized his statements, specifically questioning his claim about crimes committed by wealthy black people.[21][45][46][47] TheSouthern Poverty Law Center andAnti-Defamation League described Jafari's claim about Mexican Americans as a racist myth and conspiracy theory.[48][49][50]In response to this, Jafari stated that the Southern Poverty Law Center is "the worst" and sarcastically described them as "the most unbiased institution of all time".[51] There was also backlash within his fanbase, with partners noting a loss of subscribers.[41][52]Kotaku reported that many of Jafari's longtime fans felt uncomfortable with these views and could no longer support his content.[53] Jafari posted a statement on YouTube on March 19, addressing some of his controversial arguments from the stream.[40][54] On May 18, 2017, NormalBoots announced that Jafari would not play as an active member anymore, though he would still play as an honored founder of the group. They stated that this was a "mutual understanding" and that he had not been kicked out.[25][22]
In response to the controversy, an update to the gameYooka-Laylee was issued the same day as the game's April 2017 release, replacing Jafari's voice parts for a minor character.[55][56][57][58][59] The game was flooded with requests for refunds following his removal.[60] Jafari was kept as a voice talent inA Hat in Time despite the controversy, which resulted in mixed reactions. Some said they would refuse to purchase the game if he was included.[61] In November 2017, Jafari appeared on a podcast withh3h3Productions where he spoke further about his statements, stating that he should not have gone into the subjects he went into without any prior preparation, and that while he did not hold any racist views, he wishes people could "[talk] about these things withoutwitch hunting each other".[62]
In July 2013, coinciding with Jafari's departure fromGame Grumps, he announced that he had moved from Los Angeles toNew York City.[63][64]
Jafari is married to Charlotte "Bear" Claw; the ceremony took place on October 23, 2019.[65] On Christmas Day 2024, the two revealed that they are having a child together.[66] On April 16, 2025, their son William Albert Jafari was born.[citation needed]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–present | JonTron | Himself | OfficialYouTube channel |
| 2012–13 | Game Grumps | Himself | 636 episodes; co-host; also creator and theme music composer |
| TOME: Terrain of Magical Expertise | Sniperwheel | 3 episodes | |
| 2012–16 | Did You Know Gaming? | Himself | 12 episodes |
| 2014 | With Lyrics | Wii Shop Channel customer | 1 episode |
| Nostalgia Critic | Himself | 4 episodes; Nostalgiaween intro | |
| 2015 | Songify the News | Himself | Episode 8: Of Murder & Catfish |
| Did You Know Movies? | Himself | Episode:Star Wars On-Set Secrets | |
| 2015–16 | Cinemassacre | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 2016 | Smart Guys | Guy | Episode 3: "Recruitment" |
| 2018 | HowToBasic | Himself | Episode: "Face Reveal" |
| OneyPlays | Episode: "Oney Plays Newgrounds Games with JonTron" |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club | Jon | |
| 2017 | Yooka-Laylee | Space Outhouse | Replaced with another voice in day 1 patch.[67] |
| A Hat in Time | Receptionist Bird |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2.0 | Injured Spec Op (voice) | Television film |
Jafari, who is half Iranian, half Hungarian himself, later backtracked on some of these views, saying "I wasn't prepared for a debate of this sort with these sort of sensitive topics at hand."
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