The 4th Wall

[Crystal Kingfisher]

Breaking the 4th wall is when a character from a book, game, TV show, movie, etc. states that he/she knows they're fictional. Some of the most popular stuff that does this is:

The Metal Gear Solid series

- In MGS1, Baker tells Snake to look on the back of the game's case for Meryl's codec number.

- In MGS2, there are some codec conversations where the Colonel tells you to turn off the console if you've been playing too long.

- In MGS3, because it's a prequel, if you do a certain thing (like for instance, if you try to kill Ocelot) the Colonel will tell you you've created a time paradox.

- In MGS4, when you re-visit

Shadow Moses Island

, Otacon will tell you to change the disc and then remembers that they're on a PS3 game.

Billy & Mandy

This is the one Cartoon Network show with the most 4th wall jokes.

- In the episode "Educating Grim", Grim says he doesn't go to school, and then Billy says "In this episode, you do!"

- In the episode "He's Not Dead, He's My Mascot", Mandy walks out of the screen and says "That's it, I'm out of this cartoon."

- In the episode "Keeper of the Reaper", before the commercial break, the judge tells the viewers to take a bathroom break while Fred Fred Burger is urinating.

- In the episode "Wishbones", before the commercial break, the skull says "Let's watch some commercials and then get back to the show."

There are lots more but I'm just going to keep it simple. What are some more 4th wall jokes you can think of?

[The Conductor]

In many Sonic games, if you do no touch the controller Sonic will yell "I'm outa here" and leap of the screen, before doing such, he will stare impatentially at the player.

[Diogenes]

I enjoyed some of the 4th wall breaking in Super Paper Mario. There's maybe two or three times in the game when a character will refer specifically to the controls (such as pressing A to flip from 2D to 3D), it's implied that Mario asks what this "A" button is, and the character responds with something to the effect that some being that's watching them will understand. In a way it's a gentle nudging as they don't come out and say "player" or anything like that, but it's also really blatant as well.

[Badnik Mechanic]

I'm not sure if the title is right. But in an old PSX videogame called "The Last Report" one of the characters actually says to the other.

"Are you aware that we're in a terrible game?"

The other replies.

"Aware, I'm most pissed off about it if you ask me!"

I saw it in a magazine, not actually seen it myself so I can't validate how accurate that is, or if the game is right, the game may have been clock tower but I think it was the last report.

There was a lot of 4th wall breaking in Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, random one liners such as "How should I know I'm a turtle, not a cartoon writer."

Sometimes breaking of the 4th wall can be used to great dramatic effect, the idea that a character who you have sympathised with is speaking directly to you as apposed to simply watching them, it engages you on a more emotional level. But in video games especially, it's just done for laughs.

[Vasco]

In many Sonic games, if you do no touch the controller Sonic will yell "I'm outa here" and leap of the screen, before doing such, he will stare impatentially at the player.

That would be on Sonic CD only, no?

On topic, I can only recall Garfield now. He often "interacts", so to speak, with the reader.

[Reverest]

Billy & Mandy

This is the one Cartoon Network show with the most 4th wall jokes.

- In the episode "Educating Grim", Grim says he doesn't go to school, and then Billy says "In this episode, you do!"

- In the episode "He's Not Dead, He's My Mascot", Mandy walks out of the screen and says "That's it, I'm out of this cartoon."

- In the episode "Keeper of the Reaper", before the commercial break, the judge tells the viewers to take a bathroom break while Fred Fred Burger is urinating.

- In the episode "Wishbones", before the commercial break, the skull says "Let's watch some commercials and then get back to the show."

I belive Chowder has broken that record. I don't remember all of them, but he dedicated a whole episode of when he broke the show by blowing up his huge brain.

I think the 4th Wall jokes are awesome. They make it seem more fun and reallistic... and funny.

[DC111]

The end of Sonic Chronicles broke the fourth wall and didn't bother to put it back up. I thought it was funny.

[Kevin]

Animainics was known for breaking the 4th wall many times throughout the series. On the subject itself though, I find it amusing when the 4th wall is broken as long as it's not overused.

Edited April 20, 2009 by Kevin

[Mollfie]

^ same, I like it aslong as it's not abused.

[Wyde]

Ah, fourth wall smashing. Thankfully a form of wit in media that to me still isn't dead. One particular instance I half remember came from the already mentioned Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, though I can't remember the episode. ;_: When Grim asks Mandy why they should bother looking for Billy, who is once again lost forever, she responds something on the lines of:

"'The Grim Adventures of Mandy' just doesn't sound the same."

Made me chuckle when I watched that, I must say.

[Reverest]

The funniest 4th Wall breaking that I've seen, was the episode where Billy killed the school mascot and had to find a new one so he turn a really old one back to life. They were saying "Where's Mandy? It's not much of a show without her" the entire episode.

[DarkOverord]

The end of Sonic Chronicles broke the fourth wall and didn't bother to put it back up. I thought it was funny.

ALL THE WAY THROUGH CHRONICLES

God dammit Tails, if I said it once I said it a million times. NO I DON'T WANNA SAVE >=(

[Trixie The Fox]

Lol, I remember Ed Edd and Eddy used to do that a lot. xD

[ovarloard]

Plenty of 4th wall-breaking in this story, 'specially in Chapter 2.

[Cortez]

Heh, I started this topic on the old forums . The episode of Billy and Mandy where Mandy tells Grim to stop making magical fires for dramatic effect was one of my favorites. That show was probably one of the few cartoons I've seen that has managed to pull off 4th wall breaking tastefully rather than abusing it to the point where its just not funny, like Banjo and Kazooie N&B .

[Terry Alpha]

Ever seen Drawn Together? Now that's a show where the fourth wall gets constantly broken XD

I saw one in Chwoder very recently, in the episode "Gazpacho Stands Up" where Gazpacho notices the CN screen bug and says he has tried to remove it but he couldn't.

[Cake]

Team Rocket have always been rather notorious for breaking the fourth wall. I've caught them on a few occasions making a comment about it was their episode to shine, and such. XP

[saskia]

In Mother 3 the characters sometimes address the player directly.

I'd go into it more but I think that might still be considered spoiler territory.

Edited April 21, 2009 by saskia

[KittyNakajima]

Geez, why has no one mentioned Danger Mouse just yet? That show had loads of 4th Wall breaking, and even smashing to a degree. I can't really think of specific gags, but I know that besides the characters sometimes addressing the audience a lot of it was actually coming from the narrator. I remember a few instances where he'd bemoan his status as the narrator of the show, or even the fact that the characters got impatient with his outbursts.

Yeah...I could probably go on and on, but I'll stop myself before I go into DM fangirl mode.

Also, I thought Sonic's initial reaction to landing on Chip in Unleashed was pretty 4th wall to a point. Did I fall on him was such a cute and blunt line.

[SuperStingray]

Ah, I love fourth wall humor. One of my favorite cartoons of all time does that a lot: Sheep in the Big City. Pity it was so short-lived. That show was just so batshit insane it's amazing it could keep a straightforward plot. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend you find it. Basically, it's about a sheep (named Sheep) that lives in a big city (hence the name) because he ran away from the farm he was raised on to avoid being captured by a secret military organization led by General Specific (Yes that's his name. There's also a Private Public and Major Minor, as you'd expect.) In the city, Sheep tries to get by and even has a love interest: a poodle. Unfortunately, her owner despises sheep and whenever Sheep comes near her, she beats him with her stainless steel wig. But what really makes the story so hilarious is its constant fourth wall breaking, parodying, running gag and lampshading humor. Hell, they even show the narrator talking directly from his booth at times, and the show even has fake commercials advertising ridiculous products like shrimp-flavored soda. The show also always ends with a Swedish guy ranting about weird things like cuticles, meatballs and plaid.

Ever seen Drawn Together? Now that's a show where the fourth wall gets constantly broken XD

I miss that show. Terribly underrated. Edited April 21, 2009 by A Ham Sandwich

[Terry Alpha]

Team Rocket have always been rather notorious for breaking the fourth wall. I've caught them on a few occasions making a comment about it was their episode to shine, and such. XP

My favorite one was when Meowth complained about his nose, then he said something like "oh, that's right...the artists decided to not put me a nose" XD

I don't remember the exact episode, but it was in a really old one.

I also remember seeing one in Dexter's Lab some years ago, in the episode "Dee Dee & the Man", where the replacement sister asks Dexter if his laboratory is the same one from the TV. There were actually more, like the ending of "The Continuum of Cartoon Fools", but I don't remember them all now u_u

[123654]

I enjoyed some of the 4th wall breaking in Super Paper Mario. There's maybe two or three times in the game when a character will refer specifically to the controls (such as pressing A to flip from 2D to 3D), it's implied that Mario asks what this "A" button is, and the character responds with something to the effect that some being that's watching them will understand. In a way it's a gentle nudging as they don't come out and say "player" or anything like that, but it's also really blatant as well.

I remember that part. I chuckled.

I like clever uses of fourth wall-breaking. Another example from Super Paper Mario I loved was the characters' referring to death as your "game ending".

[Brainfog]

There is a Marvel character that breaks it a lot, apparently;

Deadpool. He rocks.

[CreamyBagel]

Ah, I love fourth wall humor. One of my favorite cartoons of all time does that a lot: Sheep in the Big City. Pity it was so short-lived. That show was just so batshit insane it's amazing it could keep a straightforward plot. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend you find it. Basically, it's about a sheep (named Sheep) that lives in a big city (hence the name) because he ran away from the farm he was raised on to avoid being captured by a secret military organization led by General Specific (Yes that's his name. There's also a Private Public and Major Minor, as you'd expect.) In the city, Sheep tries to get by and even has a love interest: a poodle. Unfortunately, her owner despises sheep and whenever Sheep comes near her, she beats him with her stainless steel wig. But what really makes the story so hilarious is its constant fourth wall breaking, parodying, running gag and lampshading humor. Hell, they even show the narrator talking directly from his booth at times, and the show even has fake commercials advertising ridiculous products like shrimp-flavored soda. The show also always ends with a Swedish guy ranting about weird things like cuticles, meatballs and plaid.

I loved that show it was awsome I wish it was still on.

I remember an episode of Ed, Edd n Eddy where Eddy says something like "Put you in the pokey" and Edd replies "Wrong show Eddy"

And in The Simpsons episode 'Who shot Mr. Burns' Dr. Hibbert points to the camera and says "I can't solve this mystery, can you?" but then the camera changes to show he's talking to Chief Wiggum.

[MetallicWrath]

Theres Futurama: Bender's Big Score at the beginning they poke fun of the fact Fox cancelled the show and then brought it back.

Leela: "So what does this mean for us and our many fans?" (she stood in front of electric fans)

Professor: "It means were back on the air, yes flying through the air on our mighty spaceship"

Bender: "We're back baby!"

I though it was quite funny.

Edited April 21, 2009 by MetallicWrath