'Hēi lōu' is ironic internet slang derived from the English word 'heilou'—a phonetic rendering of 'hello'—but repurposed to mockingly label low-level, uncritical followers or minions, especially those who blindly echo online influencers or authority figures. Though the characters 嘿 (hēi) and 哩 (lōu) individually mean 'hey' and are often used as sentence-final particles, together they carry no literal meaning; their humor lies entirely in absurdity and tone.

The term evokes imagery of nameless, faceless henchmen—like cartoon wolves or crows in a villain’s gang—hence its association with the 'Animals' topic. It's frequently used in memes, comment sections, and livestream chats to tease peers for unthinking conformity or performative loyalty. While originally mocking, some users now adopt it self-deprecatingly ('I’m just a hēi lōu') to signal playful humility or group belonging.