The Optical Illusion of Six Girls and Only Five Pairs of Legs

Optical illusions have a way of making us question what we’re seeing, even when we’re sure our eyes are working just fine. They fool the brain not because we’re careless or inattentive, but because our vision and our mind sometimes interpret the same scene in completely different ways. And now, one simple photo has the internet scratching its head.

It shows six girls sitting close together on a couch. Nothing unusual there—until you try to count their legs. No matter how many times people looked, only five pairs of legs seemed to appear. One pair was mysteriously missing.

What followed was a wave of confusion online, with thousands trying to figure out how six people could appear to have only five sets of legs.

Why These Illusions Work

According to the Queensland Brain Institute, optical illusions happen “when our brain and eyes try to speak to each other in simple language, but the interpretation gets a bit mixed-up.” In other words, our brain tries to quickly make sense of what the eyes deliver, and in the process, details can get blurred or misinterpreted.

We humans are built to detect motion and patterns quickly—it’s a trait that helped our ancestors survive. But when images are crowded, overlapping, or full of similar shapes, the brain sometimes takes shortcuts. It fills in gaps, blends lines together, or simply overlooks details it decides aren’t important.

That’s exactly what seems to have happened with the now-famous “missing legs” photo.

The Picture That Confused the Internet

The viral image first gained traction on Reddit, where users debated endlessly about the strange leg count. With six girls sitting side by side, you’d expect twelve legs clearly lined up in front of them. Instead, viewers could only identify ten.

Was one girl sitting on her legs?
Were two girls sharing the same pair of legs?
Was it a trick of lighting?
Or was something else going on?

Theories poured in. Some suggested Photoshop. Others claimed the girl in the middle had somehow folded her legs in a way that made them invisible.

But eventually, someone offered a simpler explanation.

The Most Believable Solution

A user named ElMangosto stepped in with a detailed breakdown—one that many agreed finally solved the puzzle.

His explanation focused on the second girl from the left. Her legs weren’t missing at all, he said. They were simply hidden behind the legs of the girl sitting at the far left. Because both girls wore similar colors, the legs visually blended together, tricking the eye.

Here’s the breakdown, left to right:

The first girl has her legs crossed. Her pants have no tear in the knee.
The second girl has one visible leg—and the other is tucked behind the first girl’s legs. Her pants do have a tear at the knee, which blends with the fabric of the first girl’s jeans. A white sock on one foot helps identify where her leg actually is.
The third girl is leaning toward the center, adding to the overlap and making it even harder to separate whose legs are whose.

Once the eye follows the details—such as the clothing tear and the white sock—the illusion begins to unravel. The missing legs haven’t disappeared. They were simply hiding behind the person next to them.

A Brain Teaser Solved

For many who saw the explanation, it was finally enough to make sense of the confusing photo. Others still couldn’t see it right away, proving just how powerful these illusions can be.

And that’s the beauty of optical tricks. They give us a glimpse into how our eyes and brain team up—and sometimes trip each other up. A casual picture of friends on a couch becomes a small puzzle, a moment of mystery in the middle of an ordinary scene.

If you still can’t see the hidden pair of legs, you’re not alone. That’s why illusions spread so quickly—they challenge all of us, regardless of age or sharp eyesight. Share the puzzle with friends and see if they can solve it. Sometimes another set of eyes is all it takes.