Fourth wall

The player breaking the fourth wall.

Breaking the Fourth Wall is a term used when a character knows that they are in a video game and points it out. The fourth wall has been broken by several characters in the Animal Crossing series.

The term 'fourth wall' is from the 'missing wall' in a theater, that is, the wall separating the audience from the actors. In video gaming, the 'fourth wall' is the screen of the console.

Characters in Animal Crossing who break the fourth wall

• Mr. Resetti breaks the fourth wall several times. For example, when the player creates their character in Animal Crossing: City Folk, saves and then restarts the game, Resetti will appear, thanking the player for buying City Folk or Let's Go To The City. When resetting without saving, Resetti may also talk about how people cannot just reset in real life like they can in video games. If the player moves their character from Animal Crossing: Wild World, he refers to that game, too.
• The player breaks the fourth wall when they talk to the screen. An example is when a player catches a fish or bug or gets stung by a Bee, and shows it off to the screen, followed by a caption describing the catch or the character's feelings.
  • Another example of breaking the fourth wall is when the character buys coffee at The Roost. After the player tastes it, the player turns to the screen and remarks about the coffee, often about the taste, quality, or type.