TV - Movies
The Only
Characters On
The Simpsons To
Have Five Fingers
By MIKAEL TRENCH
As the creator of "The Simpsons" and two other animated sitcoms, "Futurama" and "Disenchantment," Matt Groening's animation style is instantly recognizable with its simple, yet distinct shapes and expressions. One of the most common cartoon traits his characters have is that they only have four fingers on each hand to maintain simplicity, however, "The Simpsons" has broken that continuity.
In "The Simpsons," only God's design is consistently shown with five fingers. His first appearance was in the Season 4 episode "Homer the Heretic," and he usually only appears when someone questions religion. Additionally, Jesus is occasionally shown to have five fingers as well, but not to the extent that we see in God's design.
God's five-finger design was intentionally chosen as a means of making him more unique and allowing him to be distinguished as a divine figure, according to the commentary track on "The Complete Fourth Season" DVD set for "Homer the Heretic." Even as a small detail, it nonetheless adds to the already-lively world of "The Simpsons" that has helped make it such a beloved show.