4th Wall Awareness

4th Wall Awareness
Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Marvel Comics) is aware that he is in a comic book and able to express his thoughts via captions.
Power/Ability to:	Be aware of the 4th wall.

"Hey! Yeah, you! I'm down here, busting my a** while you sit on yours, watching me jump around? How is that fair?!"

― Deadpool, Marvel vs. Capcom 3

"Do you know how many characters there are in the Simpsons Morty? There's like a-a BILLION CHARACTERS, M-Morty. There was an episode where Former President BUSH was their neighbor!"

― Rick Sanchez (Rick And Morty)

The ability to be aware that one's Universe is fictional, and potentially use this to act in otherwise impossible ways within their fictional universe. Sub-power of 4th Wall Manipulation and Reality Perception.

Also Called

• Comic/Story Awareness
• Fourth Wall Breaking
• Medium Awareness
• Metacognition
• Metaknowledge

Capabilities

The user is aware that one's Universe is a fictional/false one, allowing them to carry out acts that, within the Universe, would otherwise be impossible. Depending on the extent of the user's power, one could potentially gain the powers of Reality Warping and/or Omniscience within the context of their own false Universe.

Applications

• 4th Wall Interaction

Techniques

• Speech Prediction by reading the next lines in a script or looking at speech bubbles on the next page.

Associations

• 4th Wall Manipulation
• Insanity Empowerment
• Plot Device Techniques
• Reality Perception

Limitations

• Might increase the likelihood of being driven insane.
• Read Computer Data / Place Files
• Users may appear to be abnormal to everyone else.
• May be linked to normal senses.

Known Users

See Also: Medium Awareness.

Cartoons/Comics

• Lucky (101 Dalmatians: The Series)
• Perdita (101 Dalmatians: The Animated Storybook)
• Ice King (Adventure Time)
• Snail (Adventure Time)
• The Genie (Aladdin)
• Norbert Beaver (The Angry Beavers)
• Various characters (Animaniacs)
• The Ant and the Aardvark (The Ant and the Aardvark)
• Bean the Dynamite (Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog)
• Various characters (Arthur)
  • Arthur
• Basil Karlo/Clayface (The Batman)
• Batman and Ambush Bug (Batman: The Brave and the Bold)
• Shaggy Rogers (Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!)
• Scooby-Doo (Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!)
• Professor Paradox (Ben 10)
• Various characters (Big Mouth)
• Blaze and other characters(Blaze and the Monster Machines)
• Various characters (Casper the Friendly Ghost)
  • Casper
• CatDog (CatDog)
• Various characters (Chowder TV series)
• Rallo Tubbs (The Cleveland Show)
• Various Characters (Danny Phantom)
  • Danny Fenton/Phantom
• Animal Man (DC Comics)
• Bat-Mite (DC Comics)
• Black Hand (DC Comics)
• Eternity Girl (DC Comics)
• The Joker (DC Comics)
• Harley Quinn (DC Comics)
• Lobo (DC Comics)
• Lyssa Drak (DC Comics)
• Mr. Mxyzptlk (DC Comics)
• Phantom Stranger (DC Comics)
• Dora (Dora The Explorer)
• Various characters (Dora the Explorer/Go Diego Go!/Dora and Friends: Intro the City)
• Ed (Ed, Edd, n' Eddy)
• Edd/Double D (Ed, Edd, n' Eddy)
• Eddy (Ed, Edd, n' Eddy)
• Rolf (Ed, Edd, n' Eddy)
• Kitty Cheshire (Ever After High)
• Madeline Hatter (Ever After High)
• Various characters (Family Guy)
• Freakazoid (Freakazoid)
• Amy Wong (Futurama)
• Garfield (Garfield, The Garfield Show)
• Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)
• Various Characters (The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy)
• Blue Falcon (Johnny Bravo)
• Don Knotts (Johnny Bravo)
• Weird Al Yankovic (Johnny Bravo)
• Several characters (Johnny Test)
  • Johnny Test
  • Dukey
  • Susan Test
  • Bling-Bling Boy
• Alexandra Cobot (Josie and the Pussycats)
• Snooper and Bladder (Hanna-Barbera)
• Various characters (Hanna-Barbara)
• Mr. Simmons (Hey Arnold!)
• Horrid Henry (Horrid Henry)
• Perfect Peter (Horrid Henry)
• Various characters (Looney Tunes)
• Various characters (The Loud House)
  • Lincoln Loud
  • The Casagrandes (The Loud House) five episodes only
• White Spy, Black Spy and other Characters (Mad 2010)
• Forbush Man (Marvel Comics)
• Gwen Poole/Gwenpool (Marvel Comics)
• Howard the Duck (Marvel Comics)
• Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk (Marvel Comics)
• Loki (Marvel Comics)
• Louise Mason/Blonde Phantom (Marvel Comics)
• Rick Jones (Marvel Comics)
• Uatu the Watcher (Marvel Comics)
• Miranda (Marvel Comics)
• Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Marvel Comics)
• Wyatt Wingfoot (Marvel Comics)
• Mr. Freeman (Mr. Freeman)
• Applejack (My Little Pony: Pony Life)
• Discord (My Little Pony series)
• Pinkamena Diane "Pinkie" Pie (My Little Pony series)
• The Storm King (My Little Pony series)
• Kai-Lan (Ni Hao, Kai-Lan)
• Holo Jane (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes)
• K.O. (OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes)
• Most characters (Pearls Before Swine)
• Various characters (Phineas and Ferb)
• Mikey (Pig City)
• Various characters (Pink Panther and Pals)
• The Powerpuff Girls (The Powerpuff Girls)
• Various other characters (Powerpuff Girls)
• Bell (Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi)
• Gir (Powerpuff Girls Doujinshi)
• Pucca (Pucca)
• Scooby-Doo Detective Agency (A Pup Named Scooby-Doo)
• Saxton Hale (Team Fortress 2 Comics)
• Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)
• Beth Smith (Rick and Morty)
• Laser Lips (Rickety Rocket)
• Various characters (Robot Chicken)
• Various characters (Rugrats)
• Velma Dinkely (Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?)
• Various characters (Scott Pilgrim)
• Various characters (The Simpsons)
• Most characters (Sonic Boom)
• Mr. Allen and Mr. McDonald (South Park)
• Eddie Brock/Venom (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
• Spongebob Squarepants (Spongebob Squarepants)
• Various Characters (Static Shock)
  • Virgil Hawkins/Static
  • Rubberband Man
  • Ebon
• Sardonyx (Steven Universe)
• Sunstone (Steven Universe)
• Erotica Jones (Stripperella)
• Various characters (Supermansion)
• Control Freak (Teen Titans)
• Teen Titans (Teen Titans GO!)
• Ninja Turtles (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Various other characters (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)
• Tom Cat and Jerry Mouse (Tom and Jerry)
• Various characters (Tom and Jerry Kids)
• Various characters (Total Drama)
• Clover (Totally Spies!)
• Alex (Totally Spies!)
• Sam (Totally Spies!)
• Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Ultimate Spider-Man TV series)
• Miles Morales/Kid Arachnid (Ultimate Spider-Man TV series)
• Uncle Grandpa (Uncle Grandpa)
• Various characters (Wacky Races 2017)
• Various characters (The Wacky World of Tex Avery)
• Lord Dominator (Wander Over Yonder)
• Wander (Wander Over Yonder)
• Muhammad "Juki" Marzuki (Si Juki Comics)

Anime/Manga/Manhwa/Manhua

• Mine (Akame Ga Kill)
• Yuzuki Fuwa (Assassination Classroom)
• Various characters (Bastard!!)
• Yamada no Ero-gami (B-gata H-kei)
• Various characters (Case Closed)
• Junko Enoshima/Monokuma (Dangan Ronpa)
• Kusuo Saiki (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.)
• Various characters (Dr. Slump)
• Kirihime Nastuno (Dog & Scissors)
• Various characters (Dragon Ball series)
• Xiaomei (Edens Zero)
• Various Characters (Gintama)
• Hackadolls (Hackadoll: The Animation)
• Daishi Kobayashi (Hime-chan's Ribbon)
• Hikaru Hibino (Hime-chan's Ribbon)
• Choco (Last Period)
• Najimi Ajimu (Medaka Box)
• Various characters (Nanbaka)
• Lala (Ojamajo Doremi)
• Various other characters (Pokemon)
  • James
  • Jessie
  • Meowth
• Komatsu (Toriko)
• Lionet Ban (Saint Seiya)
• Saiki Kusuo (Saiki Kusuo no Psi Nan)
• Most characters (Sgt. Frog)
• Alba (Senyuu)
• Ruki (Senyuu)
• QT (Space Dandy)
• Nozomi Yumehara (Yes! Pretty Cure 5)
• Komachi Akimoto (Yes! Pretty Cure 5)
• Rin Natsuki (Yes! Pretty Cure 5)
• Karen Minazuki (Yes! Pretty Cure 5)
• Urara Kasugano (Yes! Pretty Cure 5)
• Bunbee (Yes! Pretty Cure 5)
• Mucardia (Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GoGo!)
• Various haracters (Yongbi the Invincible)
• Akari Akaza (Yuru Yuri)

Live Television/Movies

• Satan (The Adventures of Mark Twain)
• Charile B. Barkin (All Dogs Go To Heaven)
• Allegra (Allegra's Widow)
• Barney (Barney's Great Adventure)
• Baby Bop (Barney's Great Adventure)
• Steve (Blue's Clues)
• Joe (Blue's Clues)
• George Beard (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie)
• Harold Hutchins (Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie)
• Protector Killbots (Chopping Mall)
• Clarissa and Ferguson Darling (Clarissa Explanins It All)
• José Manuel Alcántara (Couse Completed)
• Clark Willson (Creepshow 2019)
• Most characters (Dani's House)
• Bernie Mac (The Bernie Mac Show)
• Deadpool (Deadpool 2016)
• Earl Sinclair (Dinosaurs)
• First, Fourth, Sixth, Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors (Doctor Who)
• K9 (Doctor Who)
• Oswin Oswald (Doctor Who)
• Tlotoxl (Doctor Who)
• The Valeyard (Doctor Who)
• Weeping Angels (Doctor Who)
• Kate, Gregory, Gemma and Mark King (Don't Blame Me)
• Grinch (Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas 1966 and 2000)
• Cat in the Hat (Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat 2003)
• Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)
• Cynthia (The Feeding 2006)
• Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)
• The Narrator/Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
• Ghostwriter Team (Ghostwriter)
• Ranger Bob (Grizzly Park)
• Various characters (Gullah Gullah Island)
• Martin Kelly (Hey Dad...!); formerly
• Various characters (Henry Danger/Danger Force)
• Kevin McCallister (Home Alone)
• Julie Matahimik-Valentino (Home Sweetie Home)
• Frank Underwood (House of Cards)
• Marty Kaan (House of Lies)
• Samantha 'Sam' and Ben Hazelton (In Your Dreams)
• George Jetson (The Jetsons Movie)
• Claire Dearling (Jurassic World)
• Crocodile (Lake Placid 3)
• Malcolm (Malcolm in the Middle)
• Al Bundy (Married... with Children)
• Martin Payne (Martin)
• The Mask (The Mask 1994)
• Neo (The Matrix)
• Tamatoa (Moana)
• Taylor Fry (Mortified)
• Elliot Alderson (Mr. Robot)
• Agnes Brown (Mrs. Brown's Boys)
• Mr. Peabody and Sherman (Mr. Peabody & Sherman)
• Shelby Woo (The Mystery Flies of Shelby Woo)
• Fran Fine (The Nanny)
• Sonja (The Nasty Girl)
• Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street/Freddy's Nightmares:the Series)
• Saskia Litras (Noah and Saskia)
• Allyson Miller (Now You See It)
• Jack Parker (Pants on Fire)
• Various Characters (Pee-Wee's Playhouse)
• Phil Diffy (Phil of the Future)
• Various characters (Power Rangers)
• Jamie Grover (Quints)
• Rango (Rango)
• Raptor (Raptor Ranch)
• Razorteeth (Razorteeth)
• Cat (Red Dwarf, Back to Earth)
• Kryten (Red Dwarf, Back to Earth)
• Lister (Red Dwarf, Back to Earth)
• Rimmer (Red Dwarf, Back to Earth)
• Fleetwood Yak (Rock Dog)
• Bronson Twist (Round the Twist); one off
• Zack Morris (Saved by the Bell)
• Hannah 'Belle' Baxter (Secret Diary of a Call Girl)
• Various characters (Secret Girlfriend)
• Various Characters (Sleepover Club)
• Tia Andrea Landry and Tamera Ann Campbell (Sister Sister)
• Otis the Dog (Son of the Mask)
• Harold Crick (Stranger than Fiction)
• Harley Diaz (Stuck in the Middle)
• Cryptkeeper (Tales from the Crypt)
• Niles Talbot (Tales from the Crypt)
• Janet/Jeremy McKay (Tales from the Crypt)
• Gregory West (The Twilight Zone)
• Bryan Brown (Twisted Tales)
• Shante Smith (Two Can Play That Game/Three Can Play That Game)
• Wayne Campbell (Wayne's World)
• Captain Neweyes (We're Back a Dinosaur's Story)
• Zack Greenburg (The Zack Files)
• Zeke Falcone (Zeke and Luther)
• Luther Waffles (Zeke and Luther)

Video Games

• Sonic the Hedgehog (Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog)
• Capp'n (Animal Crossing)
• Mr. Ressetti (Animal Crossing)
• Piraka (Bionicle Heroes)
• Providence (Bravely Second)
• Trisha/Ishatr (Catherine)
• The Author (Comix Zone)
• Coco Bandicoot (Crash Bandicoot)
• Dr. Neo Cortex (Crash Bandicoot)
• Ebenezer Von Clutch (Crash Bandicoot)
• Tiny Tiger (Crash Bandicoot)
• Cthulhu (Cthulhu Saves the World)
• Monika (Doki Doki Literature Club!)
• Sayori (Doki Doki Literature Club!)
• Cranky Kong (Donkey Kong Series)
• Player character (Dragonfable)
• Gilgamesh (Final Fantasy series)
• Fry (Futurama: The Game)
• Bender (Futurama: The Game)
• Leela (Futurama: The Game)
• Higokumaru (Honkai Impact 3rd)
• Midori Gurin (Yandere Simulator)
• Professor Farnsworth (Futurama: The Game)
• Marcela/Princess Gum Drop (Great Greed)
• Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)
• Kyu (Huniepop)
• Go Shijima (Kamen Rider Drive)
• Various Characters (Kid Icarus: Uprising)
• Nugget (Kindergarten)
• Kirby (Kirby Series)
• Psycho Mantis (Metal Gear Solid)
• Mosley "Mo" Mobile (Mobile Mysteries)
• Ren Homura (Monster Strike); when in narrator mode
• Darkest Faerie (Neopets: The Darkest Fatie)
• Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia)
• Several characters (Hyperdimension Neptunia)
• Postal Dude Jr. (Postal Series)
• Phil Eggtree (Riddle School)
• Sam "Serious" Stone (Serious Sam series)
• Squid Baron (Shantae series)
• Jack Frost (Shin Megami Tensei)
• Coach Frank (Skate 3)
• Chill Bill (Skylanders)
• Kaos (Skylanders)
• Pop Fizz (Skylanders)
• Callie (Splatoon)
• Marie (Splatoon)
• Various characters (Sunset Overdrive)
• Pamela the Turkey (Super Farm)
• Slade (Teen Titans: Calling All Titans game)
• Flowey/Asriel (Undertale)
• Sans (Undertale)
• Papyrus (Undertale)
• Gerson (Undertale)
• Some characters (Valkyrie Crusade)
  • Beelzebub
  • Card Collector
• Chris Jericho (WWE SVR 2009)
• CM Punk (WWE SVR 2009)
• John Cena (WWE SVR 2009)
• Triple H (WWE SVR 2009)
• Santino Marella (WWE SVR 2010)
• Edge and Christian (WWE SVR 2011)

Literature

• Cassie (Animorphs)
• George Beard (Captain Underpants)
• Harold Hutchins (Captain Underpants)
• Gideon Fell (John Dickson Carr novels)

Web Animations/Comics

• Various Characters (The Big Lez Show)
• Vikki (Let's Play)
• Various characters (Order of the Stick)
• Michael J. Caboose (Red vs. Blue)
• Genkins (Red vs Blue)

Other

• Various characters (0/1)
• Shaun (AnimaShaun)
• Mechakara (Atop the Fourth Wall)
• Luna (Bio-Cats RP)
• Sarah (The Chosen 5 RP)
• Various Characters (Disney)
• Edd (Edd Egg)
• Most characters (Randomverse)
• Rosencrantz (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead)
• Guildenstern (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead)
• The Player King (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead)
• SCP-001 - The Database (S Andrew Swann's Proposal) (SCP Foundation)
• Lisa Loud and Lynn Loud (The Science House)
• Slender Man (Slender Mythos)
• Most characters (Stupid Mario Brothers)
• Calum (Toon)
• Mabel "Madea" Simmons (Tyler Perry franchise)
• Flowey/Asriel ("Undertale")

Gallery

Wade Wilson/Deadpool's (Marvel Comics) awareness that he is in a comic...

... can be distracting.

She-Hulk (Marvel Comics) is the original 4th wall breaker in Marvel.

Loki (Marvel Comics)

Loki (Marvel Comics)

Uatu the Watcher (Marvel Comics)

Pinkie Pie (My Little Pony series) can view and shatter the fourth wall.

Discord (My Little Pony series), like Pinkie Pie, is capable of breaking the 4th wall.

The Storm King (My Little Pony series) is happy to demonstrate this while being inside a comic book.

Ajimu (Medaka Box) is aware that she is in a manga and will be animated.

Neo (The Matrix) is aware that The Matrix is a false existence, and as such can manipulate its reality, stopping bullets in their paths.

The title character of the film Rango is aware of the fact that he's a fictional character in the film.

Many Kid Icarus: Uprising characters like Pit and Viridi, often break 4th wall by making video games references or mentioning that they're in a video game themselves.

Sonic talking to the audience in the show's segment "Sonic Sez".

Lyssa Drak (DC Comics)

The Joker (DC Comics)

Kirihime Nastuno (Dog & Scissors) - "The protagonist has enter the story."

Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)

Scott Pilgrim (Scott Pilgrim comics) frequently shows an awareness that he's in a fictional universe, telling other characters to "read the book" when they ask questions regarding the events.

The Squid Sisters (Splatoon), Callie (left) and Marie (right), are aware that they are in a video game and occasionally reference that fact.

The Twelfth Doctor (Doctor Who) tells the viewers to Google the Bootstrap Paradox.

Neptune (Hyperdimension Neptunia) breaks the fourth wall.

Uncle Grandpa (Uncle Grandpa) is shown to be aware of the fact that he is in a cartoon, and would sometimes acknowledge the fictional world around him and the viewer.

Sardonyx (Steven Universe) is implied to have limited awareness of the fictional nature of her show, making references to it as she gets to know Smoky Quartz, such as referring to one of the voice actors and to Cartoon Network itself.

Tamatoa (Moana) is slightly aware that he is in a Disney film.

Control Freak (Teen Titans) is completely aware that he is in an animated series and has even found a way to cancel the original Teen Titans and reboot it which resulted in the creation of Teen Titans Go!

Teen Titans (Teen Titans Go!)

Mine's (Akame Ga Kill!) Wheel of pain (With Gangan Joker's Mangas)

Card Collector H.png

Card Collector (Valkyrie Crusade) is aware she is in a game, and even thinks that her power should be used on it.

Lincoln Loud (The Loud House) frequently speaks to the viewer as a means of coping with his large family, and eventually passed the secret on to his friend, Ronnie Anne Santiago.

On April Fools' Day, Luan Loud's (The Loud House) comedy becomes strong enough to break the Fourth Wall.

The Squid Baron (center) (Shantae series) is aware he lives in a videogame, which often rubs off on Shantae.

Frank Underwood (House of Cards) frequently blurts his ambitions to the audience, and no one's the wiser.

Elliot Alderson (Mr. Robot) often likens the audience to an imaginary friend.

While not fully conscious of their fictional nature, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) do possess a limited awareness of the absurd nature of the events that surround them.

From his actions and words, it is made clear that the Player King (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) is aware that he, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are fictional characters acting out a story on repeat.

Due to her mental instability, Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice) can see and speak to the player.

Sans (UNDERTALE) frequently acknowledges gameplay devices, such as LV and EXP.

Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty) is fully aware that he is a fictional character in a cartoon and makes a habit of mentioning it whenever possible or during the final episode of the season.

Johnny Test (Johnny Test) "Now that's how you end a story."

Dukey (Johnny Test) "It's like this everyday in this house."

Susan Test (Johnny Test) "Thought it was a sweet ending to this story."

Bling-Bling Boy (Johnny Test) "It took me 4 seasons to kiss Susan."

Santino Marella (WWE SVR 2010) "You're what some loser would create in a video game!"

He then looks at the viewers and gives them a wink.

Chris Jericho (WWE SVR 2009) talking to the viewers.

CM Punk (WWE SVR 2009) talking to the fans while holding the camera.

John Cena (WWE SVR 2009) shoving the camera.

Triple H (WWE SVR 2009) "I've been down the Road to Wrestlemania countless times, but this time, you've got control. It's time to play the game!"

Edge (WWE SVR 2011) "Dude, we totally fooled the player into thinking we weren't going to reunite!"

Edge: "You see that weirdo staring at us through the TV?" Both Edge and Christian look at them.

Harley Diaz (Stuck in the Middle)

Clarissa Darling (Clarissa Explains It All)

Scooby Doo (Scooby-Doo)

Shaggy Rogers (Scooby-Doo)

The Casagrandes (The Loud House) five episodes only

Jerry Mouse (Tom and Jerry)

Tom Cat (Tom and Jerry)

Sylvester the Cat (Looney Tunes)

Videos

Simpsons Couch Gag - Rick and Morty - Adult Swim