History Main / NinjaProp

* In ''ThePiratesOfPenzance'', there is a part the Pirate King engages in a sword fight with ''the baton-wielding conductor of the orchestra''. This was [[ThrowItIn originally improvised]] by John Clark, the actor who originated the role on Broadway. Sullivan, who personally conducted the orchestra during the opening performance, so enjoyed hamming it up a little that he convinced Gilbert to rewrite the script to include it.

* A ''{{The Wizard of Id}}'' strip has a guard in a tower with a Z over his head. The invaders report that the guard is asleep, and go to attack. Cut to the tower, where the guard is ''holding up a fake speech bubble with a Z on it.''

* In the ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' episode "200", there is a segment re-imagining the pilot as a marionette show, in the style of ''TeamAmericaWorldPolice''. Everything is going fine until the team go through the Stargate for the first time... at which point the wormhole closing severs their marionette strings, and they fall in a heap on the other side.\\
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* ''{{Wizards of Waverly Place}}'': Justin is sitting with his girlfriend in front of fake French scenery. Because this is what one would expect as French scenery in a low-budget show such as this, this seems completely natural... until it is revealed that this actually is a fake French scenery in-story that Justin set up in the sub shop.

* The narrator in ''{{Into the Woods}}''. Counts as a prop because [[spoiler:he's forcibly pulled out of his narrator role and ''used'' as a prop, that is, the characters sacrifice him to an enraged giant]].

* Infamously used in ''{{I Wanna Be the Guy}}'' when obvious parts of the background, [[spoiler:such as the Moon and a fake Windows error message]], directly attack the Kid. As does a save point.

* BatmanArkhamAsylum features a ''vicious'' InterfaceScrew where the Scarecrow's Fear Gas causes the game to crash and restart, complete with graphics glitches that make the player worry the game's burned out his graphics card.

* ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'' '''loves''' this trope.

* Nemen Yi from ''{{Keychain of Creation}}'' uses the page dividers (gutters) as a throwing weapon [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0228.html here.]]
* ''{{Cyanide and Happiness}}'' uses this frequently.

* ''TheSimpsons'':
-->''(looking at a family portrait where Bart holds up an "I Stink" dialogue balloon behind Homer)''\\
'''Homer:''' I don't remember saying that.

Compare ChekhovsGun. Sometimes invokes MediumAwareness. SomeoneElsesProblem may be an in-universe related trope. See also MetafictionalDevice.

Compare ChekhovsGun. Sometimes invokes MediumAwareness. SomeoneElsesProblem may be an in-universe related trope. See also MetafictionalDevice. In videogames, InterfaceScrew may qualify as a NinjaProp, especially when the game simulates effects from external sources/other programs.

Compare ChekhovsGun. Sometimes invokes MediumAwareness. SomeoneElsesProblem may be an in-universe related trope. See also MetafictionalDevice.

* The characters in ''{{Asterix}}'' sometimes use the comic's panel dividers to support themselves.

This is where {{Painting the Fourth Wall}} meets [=~Chekhov's Gun~=].

Compare [=~Chekhov's Gun~=]. Sometimes invokes MediumAwareness. SomeoneElsesProblem may be an in-universe related trope. See also MetafictionalDevice.

* In ''[=~National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1~=]'', during the climax, Colt sneaks into the villain warehouse and two German, Nazi-esque guards exchange small talk, complete with subtitles. However, after they leave the scene, the subtitles remain, and Colt trips on them like they're part of the scenery.

* ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' episode 14 has a scene where a woman is being interviewed about a gangster. Of course, like in many Monty Python skits the woman is played by a man in drag. So the audience would just think of this as the case here... right up until he says "... and what's more, he knew how to treat a female impersonator."

* In the ''{{Stargate SG-1}}'' episode "200", there is a segment re-imagining the pilot as a marionette show, in the style of ''TeamAmericaWorldPolice''. Everything is going fine until the team go through the Stargate for the first time... at which point the wormhole closing severs their marionette strings, and they fall in a heap on the other side. (It should be noted that the strings originally weren't too noticeable on screen, and had to be digitally enhanced to be more visible, in order for this gag to work.)
* ''WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'': Justin is sitting with his girlfriend in front of fake French scenery. Because this is what one would expect as French scenery in a low budget show such as this, this seems completely natural... until it is revealed that this actually is fake French scenery in-story that Justin set up in the sub shop.

* The ping pong ball example from ''TheMuppetShow'' in TheCoconutEffect may count.

* ''{{The Order of the Stick}}''
** The MostTriumphantExample of this trope would probably be the diamond from the cast page, which [[ImpossibleThief Haley Starshine stole]] ''from herself'' in order to pay for a spell in the main comic.

** In the comic book compendium of this web comic, the party uses the narrator to distract the monster guarding the entrance to the dungeon.
** Lien knew that Qarr was up to no good from his sinister-looking speech bubble (red text on a black background).

** In conclusion: ''The Order of the Stick'' '''loves''' this trope.

[[folder:WesternAnimation]]

There are certain things we're used to seeing in certain media: speech bubbles and captions in comics, wires that make people "fly" in shows, and stage hands that move props and sets around in theater. This last one is where the trope gets its name. The classic outfit associated with {{Ninja}} (black, tight suit & a mask with a slit for the eyes) actually comes from stage hands in Japanese theater. They wore black so that the audience knew to ignore them. Imagine the shock of the audience, then, when the non-entity setting the castle walls in place for scene 4 suddenly pulls out a katana and kills one of the characters.

[[folder:Theatre]]

* Infamously used in ''IWannaBeTheGuy'' when obvious parts of the background, [[spoiler: such as the moon and a fake Windows error message]], directly attack the Kid. As does a save point.

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* ''{{Ever17}}'': You don't see face of the main character, you don't hear his voice. It's okay, many [[VisualNovel Visual Novels]] are like that... Then comes TheReveal

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* The narrator in ''IntoTheWoods''. Counts as a prop because [[spoiler: he's forcibly pulled out of his narrator role and ''used'' as a prop, that is, the characters sacrifice him to an enraged giant]].

* Whereas in ChronoTrigger, one of the enemies you can face in Magus castle are '''fake save points'''.

* Also appears in Syonbon Action. The clouds come to life and kill you if you happen to jump into them.
* In ''{{MUGEN}}'' [[DeathNote Light Yagami]] reads his opponent's life bar to see what their name is so he can write it in his [[ArtifactOfDeath Death Note.]]

* The MostTriumphantExample of this trope would probably be the diamond from ''{{The Order of the Stick}}'''s cast page, which [[ImpossibleThief Haley Starshine stole]] ''from herself'' in order to pay for a spell in the main comic.
** In one comic, a mute Haley holds a mental argument with herself while on the road, drowning out Elan's BlahBlahBlah dialogue. In the final panel, it's revealed that he's literally been saying "blah blah blah" the entire time, hoping to set a new world record in consecutive use of the word.
** In the comic book compendium of this web comic, the party uses the narrator to distract the monster guarding the entrance to the dungeon
** Lien knew that Qarr was up to no good from his sinister looking speech bubble (red text on a black background).

** In conclusion: Order of the Stick ''loves'' this trope.

* Nemen Yi from ''KeychainOfCreation'' uses the page dividers (gutters) as a throwing weapon [[http://keychain.patternspider.net/archive/koc0228.html here.]]
* CyanideAndHappiness uses this frequently

* ''TheSimpsons''
--> (Looking at a family portrait where Bart holds up an "I Stink" dialogue balloon behind Homer)\\
'''Homer''': I don't remember saying that

* ''Ever 17'': You don't see face of the main character, you don't hear his voice. It's okay, many [[VisualNovel Visual Novels]] are like that... Then comes TheReveal

* Cyanide and Happiness uses this frequently

* ""Cyanide and Happiness"" uses this frequently

* ""Cyanide and Happiness" uses this frequently

* Infamously used in ''IWannaBeTheGuy'' when obvious parts of the background, [[spoiler: such as the moon and a fake Windows error message]], directly attack the Kid.

* ''IWannaBeTheGuy'' is ''full'' of these. Yes, you get attacked by a save point.
* Similarly, ''FinalFantasyVIII'' has a horribly surreal moment after the characters leave reality: the first thing you see when you get back to your feet is a save point, which ''multiplies'' as you step on it. Doesn't do anything else, it's just MindScrew.