Jonathan Aryan Jafari, born on March 24, 1990, is better known online as JonTron. He is an American YouTuber and comedian who started a YouTube series called JonTron. In this series, he reviews and makes fun of video games, movies, and other types of media.
Jafari helped create and was a co-host of the Let's Play webseries Game Grumps. He also co-founded the website Normal Boots, which focuses on video game entertainment. As of July 2025, his YouTube channel JonTronShow has 6.48 million subscribers and 1.40 billion views.
Early life
Jafari was born on March 24, 1990, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. His parents are Afshin and Irene Jafari. His mother's family is from Hungary, and his father's family is from Iran. He went to Palos Verdes Peninsula High School from 2004 to 2008.
Career
In 2003, Jafari created a Newgrounds account named "BirdmanXZ6" and uploaded five animations showing onions that looked like humans. In 2006, he made a YouTube account with the same name. In 2010, he posted game reviews on ScrewAttack.com, including GoldenEye 007, and met Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave, the creator of ScrewAttack.
On August 31, 2010, Jafari started a YouTube channel called JonTronShow. He chose the name "JonTron" because it reminded him of technology. The channel was originally planned to be named "JonTron 2.0." His first video reviewed the Nintendo 64 version of Daikatana, beginning his JonTron series. In each episode, Jafari reviews one game or games from a specific theme, franchise, or genre. He is often joined by his green-cheeked parakeet, Jacques, who speaks in a robotic voice. Jafari uses sketch comedy in his videos to show his reactions to the games he reviews. In an episode of Game Grumps, he mentioned that Jacques was originally supposed to speak in a jive voice, with Jafari’s face superimposed onto a character instead of glowing red.
In his early work, Jafari reviewed video games, especially those made by Nintendo and Rare, a British game developer. He praised Rare’s 1990s games but criticized their later titles, such as Star Fox Adventures and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. He also reviewed games based on popular franchises like Hercules, Barbie, Home Alone, Star Wars, and Conan the Barbarian, as well as lesser-known NES games like Monster Party and Takeshi’s Challenge. He reviewed unlicensed games, including Pokémon-themed games and films like Titanic and Disney movies. He noted that China was better at making unofficial Disney copies. Jafari also posted skits and film reviews, including Halloween specials where he reviewed Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?
According to Jafari, JonTron became well-known after a Reddit post about his review of the Super Nintendo game DinoCity reached the top of the website. In 2011, Jafari created two short-lived spin-off channels: "JonTronStarcraft" and "JonTronLoL," which featured him playing StarCraft and League of Legends. Both channels had fewer than 25,000 subscribers. JonTronShow reached 1 million subscribers in May 2014.
In 2013, Paul Tamburro of CraveOnline said JonTron’s reviews combined humor and insight, inspiring many imitators. Time magazine listed JonTron as the seventh most searched Internet meme in 2015.
In May 2015, Jafari launched a web series called JonTron’s StarCade, reviewing Star Wars games. The series included appearances by YouTubers like Egoraptor, Markiplier, and Kyle Hebert. It was produced by Maker Studios, a Disney subsidiary, and ended in December 2015 after nine episodes.
Jafari sometimes posts videos about topics he cares about, such as gaming. In 2016, he criticized Blizzard Entertainment for shutting down a popular World of Warcraft private server called Nostalrius. His video raised awareness and helped gather thousands of signatures on a petition.
From 2019 to 2020, Jafari expanded his show’s focus beyond traditional video games, covering topics like Flex Tape, Soulja Boy’s SouljaGame console, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, and the TV series Kid Nation. JonTron is often credited with making Flex Tape and Phil Swift famous online. His original video on Flex Tape has over 72 million views as of June 2024, with a sequel having over 29 million views and a cameo from Swift.
In late 2010, Jafari and Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave created NormalBoots, a group where they and other YouTubers posted content and earned money. Other members joined, but some left over time. The site closed in 2012 when Google AdSense offered better revenue options. NormalBoots was relaunched in 2014 for content not allowed on YouTube. Jafari left the group in 2017 to focus on his own channel.
Jafari met Arin "Egoraptor" Hanson, a YouTuber he had admired since the early 2000s, after Jafari’s review of DinoCity became popular. They started a Let’s Play series called Game Grumps in 2012, playing retro games with comedic commentary. Jafari left Game Grumps in 2013 to focus on JonTron, and Dan Avidan of Ninja Sex Party took his place. Some fans were upset about the sudden change.
Jafari has worked with other YouTubers, including Ethan and Hila Klein of h3h3Productions, where Hila was a producer for JonTron from 2015 to 2016. He appeared on James Rolfe’s Let’s Play series and in Angry Video Game Adventures. He also sang on The Gregory Brothers’ webseries Songify the News, and they remixed his review of the game Titenic, releasing it on iTunes.
Political views
In an interview with Breitbart News, Jafari said he voted for Barack Obama in both elections and supported Bernie Sanders during the 2016 primaries. However, he stated he does not consider himself conservative or liberal, instead making decisions based on each situation individually.
Jafari talked about politics during a livestream hosted by Carl Benjamin on January 27, 2017. On March 12, 2017, he posted a tweet defending a quote from Iowa representative Steve King, who had said, "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies," regarding U.S. immigration policy. Later, Jafari appeared on Twitch streamer Destiny’s channel to explain his views. He said, "Nobody wants to become a minority in their own country," and expressed disagreement with white people being called racist for wanting to remain a majority. He believed this reaction was unfair compared to how majorities in other countries are treated. Jafari also made claims about people of Mexican descent in the U.S., saying some want to separate parts of America and return them to Mexico. He mentioned seeing statistics that wealthy Black people commit more crimes than poor white people and asked if European colonization of Africa was a good thing.
Soon after, many news outlets criticized his comments, especially his claim about crimes committed by wealthy Black people. The Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League called his statements about Mexican Americans a racist myth and conspiracy theory. Jafari responded by calling the Southern Poverty Law Center "the worst" and sarcastically said they were "the most unbiased institution of all time." His fanbase also reacted negatively, with some partners reporting a loss of subscribers. Kotaku reported that many longtime fans felt uncomfortable with his views and could no longer support his content. On March 19, Jafari posted a YouTube statement addressing some of his controversial comments. On May 18, 2017, NormalBoots announced Jafari would no longer play as an active member of the group but would remain as an honored founder. They said this was a "mutual understanding" and that he had not been removed.
In response to the controversy, the game Yooka-Laylee was updated on the same day as its April 2017 release, replacing Jafari’s voice for a minor character. The game received many refund requests after his removal. Jafari remained as a voice talent in A Hat in Time, which caused mixed reactions. Some people said they would not buy the game if he was included. In November 2017, Jafari appeared on a podcast with h3h3Productions, where he said he should not have discussed certain topics without preparation and expressed that while he does not hold racist views, he believes people should "talk about these things without witch hunting each other."
Personal life
In July 2013, around the same time Jafari left Game Grumps, he said he moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Jafari is married to Charlotte "Bear" Claw; their wedding ceremony happened on October 23, 2019. On Christmas Day in 2024, the couple announced they were expecting a child together. Their son, William Albert Jafari, was born on April 16, 2025.
Date
Jonathan Aryan Jafari, born on March 24, 1990, is better known online as JonTron. He is an American YouTuber and comedian who started a YouTube series called JonTron. In this series, he reviews and makes fun of video games, movies, and other types of media.
Jafari helped create and was a co-host of the Let's Play webseries Game Grumps. He also co-founded the website Normal Boots, which focuses on video game entertainment. As of July 2025, his YouTube channel JonTronShow has 6.48 million subscribers and 1.40 billion views.
Early life
Jafari was born on March 24, 1990, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. His parents are Afshin and Irene Jafari. His mother's family is from Hungary, and his father's family is from Iran. He went to Palos Verdes Peninsula High School from 2004 to 2008.
Career
In 2003, Jafari created a Newgrounds account named "BirdmanXZ6" and uploaded five animations showing onions that looked like humans. In 2006, he made a YouTube account with the same name. In 2010, he posted game reviews on ScrewAttack.com, including GoldenEye 007, and met Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave, the creator of ScrewAttack.
On August 31, 2010, Jafari started a YouTube channel called JonTronShow. He chose the name "JonTron" because it reminded him of technology. The channel was originally planned to be named "JonTron 2.0." His first video reviewed the Nintendo 64 version of Daikatana, beginning his JonTron series. In each episode, Jafari reviews one game or games from a specific theme, franchise, or genre. He is often joined by his green-cheeked parakeet, Jacques, who speaks in a robotic voice. Jafari uses sketch comedy in his videos to show his reactions to the games he reviews. In an episode of Game Grumps, he mentioned that Jacques was originally supposed to speak in a jive voice, with Jafari’s face superimposed onto a character instead of glowing red.
In his early work, Jafari reviewed video games, especially those made by Nintendo and Rare, a British game developer. He praised Rare’s 1990s games but criticized their later titles, such as Star Fox Adventures and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. He also reviewed games based on popular franchises like Hercules, Barbie, Home Alone, Star Wars, and Conan the Barbarian, as well as lesser-known NES games like Monster Party and Takeshi’s Challenge. He reviewed unlicensed games, including Pokémon-themed games and films like Titanic and Disney movies. He noted that China was better at making unofficial Disney copies. Jafari also posted skits and film reviews, including Halloween specials where he reviewed Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark?
According to Jafari, JonTron became well-known after a Reddit post about his review of the Super Nintendo game DinoCity reached the top of the website. In 2011, Jafari created two short-lived spin-off channels: "JonTronStarcraft" and "JonTronLoL," which featured him playing StarCraft and League of Legends. Both channels had fewer than 25,000 subscribers. JonTronShow reached 1 million subscribers in May 2014.
In 2013, Paul Tamburro of CraveOnline said JonTron’s reviews combined humor and insight, inspiring many imitators. Time magazine listed JonTron as the seventh most searched Internet meme in 2015.
In May 2015, Jafari launched a web series called JonTron’s StarCade, reviewing Star Wars games. The series included appearances by YouTubers like Egoraptor, Markiplier, and Kyle Hebert. It was produced by Maker Studios, a Disney subsidiary, and ended in December 2015 after nine episodes.
Jafari sometimes posts videos about topics he cares about, such as gaming. In 2016, he criticized Blizzard Entertainment for shutting down a popular World of Warcraft private server called Nostalrius. His video raised awareness and helped gather thousands of signatures on a petition.
From 2019 to 2020, Jafari expanded his show’s focus beyond traditional video games, covering topics like Flex Tape, Soulja Boy’s SouljaGame console, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, and the TV series Kid Nation. JonTron is often credited with making Flex Tape and Phil Swift famous online. His original video on Flex Tape has over 72 million views as of June 2024, with a sequel having over 29 million views and a cameo from Swift.
In late 2010, Jafari and Austin "PeanutButterGamer" Hargrave created NormalBoots, a group where they and other YouTubers posted content and earned money. Other members joined, but some left over time. The site closed in 2012 when Google AdSense offered better revenue options. NormalBoots was relaunched in 2014 for content not allowed on YouTube. Jafari left the group in 2017 to focus on his own channel.
Jafari met Arin "Egoraptor" Hanson, a YouTuber he had admired since the early 2000s, after Jafari’s review of DinoCity became popular. They started a Let’s Play series called Game Grumps in 2012, playing retro games with comedic commentary. Jafari left Game Grumps in 2013 to focus on JonTron, and Dan Avidan of Ninja Sex Party took his place. Some fans were upset about the sudden change.
Jafari has worked with other YouTubers, including Ethan and Hila Klein of h3h3Productions, where Hila was a producer for JonTron from 2015 to 2016. He appeared on James Rolfe’s Let’s Play series and in Angry Video Game Adventures. He also sang on The Gregory Brothers’ webseries Songify the News, and they remixed his review of the game Titenic, releasing it on iTunes.
Political views
In an interview with Breitbart News, Jafari said he voted for Barack Obama in both elections and supported Bernie Sanders during the 2016 primaries. However, he stated he does not consider himself conservative or liberal, instead making decisions based on each situation individually.
Jafari talked about politics during a livestream hosted by Carl Benjamin on January 27, 2017. On March 12, 2017, he posted a tweet defending a quote from Iowa representative Steve King, who had said, "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies," regarding U.S. immigration policy. Later, Jafari appeared on Twitch streamer Destiny’s channel to explain his views. He said, "Nobody wants to become a minority in their own country," and expressed disagreement with white people being called racist for wanting to remain a majority. He believed this reaction was unfair compared to how majorities in other countries are treated. Jafari also made claims about people of Mexican descent in the U.S., saying some want to separate parts of America and return them to Mexico. He mentioned seeing statistics that wealthy Black people commit more crimes than poor white people and asked if European colonization of Africa was a good thing.
Soon after, many news outlets criticized his comments, especially his claim about crimes committed by wealthy Black people. The Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League called his statements about Mexican Americans a racist myth and conspiracy theory. Jafari responded by calling the Southern Poverty Law Center "the worst" and sarcastically said they were "the most unbiased institution of all time." His fanbase also reacted negatively, with some partners reporting a loss of subscribers. Kotaku reported that many longtime fans felt uncomfortable with his views and could no longer support his content. On March 19, Jafari posted a YouTube statement addressing some of his controversial comments. On May 18, 2017, NormalBoots announced Jafari would no longer play as an active member of the group but would remain as an honored founder. They said this was a "mutual understanding" and that he had not been removed.
In response to the controversy, the game Yooka-Laylee was updated on the same day as its April 2017 release, replacing Jafari’s voice for a minor character. The game received many refund requests after his removal. Jafari remained as a voice talent in A Hat in Time, which caused mixed reactions. Some people said they would not buy the game if he was included. In November 2017, Jafari appeared on a podcast with h3h3Productions, where he said he should not have discussed certain topics without preparation and expressed that while he does not hold racist views, he believes people should "talk about these things without witch hunting each other."
Personal life
In July 2013, around the same time Jafari left Game Grumps, he said he moved from Los Angeles to New York City. Jafari is married to Charlotte "Bear" Claw; their wedding ceremony happened on October 23, 2019. On Christmas Day in 2024, the couple announced they were expecting a child together. Their son, William Albert Jafari, was born on April 16, 2025.
More
articles
Sega Genesis Classics
Atari 50
List ofCastlevaniamedia