Incomputer animation, aT-pose is a default posing for a humanoid3D model'sskeleton before it is animated.^[1] It is called so because of its shape: the straight legs and arms of a humanoid model combine to form a capital letter T. When the arms are angled downwards, the pose is sometimes referred to as anA-pose instead. Likewise, if the arms are angled upward, it is called aY-pose. Generic terms encompassing all these (especially for non-humanoid models) includebind pose,blind pose, andreference pose.

The T-pose is primarily used as the default armature pose forskeletal animation in 3D software, which is then manipulated to create animation. The purpose of the T-pose relates to the important elements of the body beingaxis-aligned, thereby making it easier to rig the model for animation, physics, and other controls. Depending on the exact geometry of the model, other poses such as the A-pose may be more suitable for vertex deformation around areas such as the shoulders.

Outside of being default poses in animation software, T-poses are typically used as placeholders for animation not yet completed, particularly in3D animatedvideo games.^[2] In somemotion capture software, a T-pose must be assumed by the actor in themotion capture suit before motion capturing can begin.^[3] There are other poses used, but the T-pose is the most common one.

Starting in 2016 and resurfacing in 2017, the T-pose has become a widespreadInternet meme due to its bizarre and somewhat comedic appearance, especially in video game glitches where a character's animation is unexpectedly supplanted by a T-pose.^[4][5]

In a prerelease video of the gameNBA Elite 11, the demo was filled withglitches, notably one unintentionally showing a T-pose in place of the proper animation for the model of playerAndrew Bynum. The glitch later gained fame as the "Jesus Bynum glitch".^[6][7] PublisherEA eventually cancelled the game as they found it unsatisfactory. A similar occurrence happened withCyberpunk 2077.^[8]

In the2023 Formula One season, driverGeorge Russell performed a T-pose in the opening credits of the series' TV broadcasts.^[9] This quickly became a meme within the motorsports community. Russell repeated the pose after claiming pole position at the2024 Canadian Grand Prix^[10] and winning the2024 Austrian Grand Prix.^[11]

• Vitruvian Man, a diagram by Leonardo da Vinci with the figure of a man making a T and ajack