Originally formed by John Gossard and Rob Williams 1996. Released one song, an early version of "No One Can Be Called as a Man While He'll Die", on the Wintergrief tape compilation released by Nahitfol Productions in 1997. The two joined up with Antoine Reuben and Jim Mack to form an active band, but this formation was short lived and dissolved after several months. After Gossard left the band the others went on to form Black Goat. After the split John began composing new material with Josh Smith, soon adding Sarah Wiener on bass and Sam Foster on drums, and later Mindy Ingalls on keyboards. Two live rehearsal home dubbed demos were recorded and distributed only by the band to friends, tape trades and select record labels. Prior to recording their seminal album Dead as Dreams Ingalls left the band to be replaced by Casey Ward.
"Dead as Dreams" was released again as a home dubbed tape and a CDR in early 1999, but soon after both Smith and Foster quit the band to focus on their other bands The C4AM95 (later The Fucking Champs) and Sangre Amado, respectively.
At this point Gossard disbanded Weakling and joined Sarah Wiener (now playing drums) in her existing project The Gault. Two years after it's recording, tUMULt Labratories released Dead as Dreams on CD and double vinyl.

In the brief time of Weaklings existence they never toured, however they played locally nearly a dozen times along with bands like Mayhem, Enslaved, Noothgrush, Exhumed, Amber Asylum (who Wiener later joined), Slough Feg, Hammers of Misfortune(still named Unholy Cadaver), Black Goat, Noisegate, Thy Infernal, Vile and more.

There are no plans for a Weakling reunion, but John is still active with the black doom band Dispirit.