Extradiegetisch

Extradiegetisch (English: extradiegetic or non-diegetic) is a narratological and media-studies term describing elements that exist outside the fictional world of a story. The word contrasts with intradiegetic, which denotes elements that belong to the diegesis—the events, sounds, or narrators experienced by characters within the story world.

In film and television, extradiegetic features commonly include musical scores, opening credits, onscreen text, and voice-over narration when the speaker is not a character in the story world. In literature, an extradiegetic narrator is one who tells the tale from a level external to the events represented, offering commentary or organizing plot without being part of the depicted action. The concept traces to structural narratology, where analysts distinguish narrative levels to clarify perspective and authority.

Functionally, extradiegetic devices can frame a narrative, guide audience interpretation, create irony, or establish mood while remaining invisible to characters. Filmmakers and writers use them to control pacing, supply background information, or produce effects that would be impossible from within the diegetic perspective. The boundary between extra- and intradiegetic can sometimes be deliberately blurred for stylistic or metafictional purposes, prompting audiences to question narrative reliability and the relationship between storyteller and story.