Everyone knows the Three Monkeys. But what about the fourth, the fifth… and even the sixth?
Have you seen the Three Monkeys? Of course – it’s a classic.
The “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” motif is known to almost everyone. But increasingly, you can come across extended versions — with a fourth, fifth, or even sixth monkey. Each adds something new to the original message and carries a different meaning.
Some aim to round out the classic symbol, others take a tongue-in-cheek approach. And still others simply reflect the spirit of our times.
Where did the additional monkeys come from? What do they really symbolize? And can we still speak of the “Three Wise Monkeys” today if… there are more of them?
🧠 The Fourth Monkey – Where Did It Come From?
We all know the classic Three Wise Monkeys, symbolizing the principles:
“see no evil,” “hear no evil,” “speak no evil.”
This is a very old motif with roots in Confucian teachings, and its best-known form is the 17th-century carving on the wall of the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan.
But sometimes a fourth monkey appears alongside the three. Where did it come from? Is it part of the original symbol?
The answer is: no. The fourth monkey did not appear in traditional depictions — it is absent from the Nikkō carving and does not occur as a figure in Buddhist or Confucian texts. It emerged later, probably in the 19th or 20th century, as an extension of the original idea.
Why Monkeys? The Linguistic Riddle of “saru – zaru”
Although the Three Monkeys have become a worldwide symbol, many people wonder:
why monkeys and not other animals?
The answer lies in Japanese — and it’s a clever one.
The word “saru” (猿) means monkey.
Meanwhile, Japanese negative verb forms — as in the expressions:
mizaru (I do not see),
kikazaru (I do not hear),
iwazaru (I do not speak) —
all end with “-zaru.”
This wordplay made monkeys the natural choice to embody these principles. It’s a linguistic–symbolic puzzle that cannot be translated literally, yet works perfectly in the Japanese cultural context.
That’s why the Three Monkeys are not random creatures — they arose from the fusion of language, philosophy, and imagery. And their later extensions (a fourth, fifth…) only reinforce this unique motif.
🧩 What does the fourth monkey symbolize?
The fourth monkey is most commonly called Shizaru (less often: Sezaru) and represents the principle:
👉 “do no evil” – “do not commit evil.”
It is usually depicted with arms folded (across the chest, the belly, or simply crossed) — symbolizing refraining from harmful actions.
Sometimes its hands are placed in other, unusual positions — for example covering the groin — which in some interpretations signifies “do not lust” or “mastery over instinct.”
This is neither a joke nor a fable — although the figure of Shizaru has no historical source, its meaning rests on real moral principles present in Confucian philosophy:
“SEE NO EVIL, HEAR NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL — AND DO NOT ACT UNETHICALLY.”
Thus, the fourth monkey can be seen as the logical completion of this ethical quartet.
🧩 When exactly did people start depicting the fourth monkey?
There is no single point in time—or a single artist—who first introduced the fourth monkey.
The earliest known depictions with four figures appeared in Western publications and popular culture in the 20th century, e.g., as sculptures, illustrations, and figurines. In Japan, the classic three still predominate.
Some claim that Mahatma Gandhi mentioned a fourth monkey, but that’s more likely an overinterpretation — Gandhi did use the Three Monkeys as a moral allegory, yet there is no evidence that he promoted a four-monkey variant.
🌐 Is the fourth monkey part of the Three Monkeys symbolism today?
Yes — in the Western world, where the Three Monkeys motif has become part of pop culture, the fourth monkey is very popular today.
It appears in sculptures, on T-shirts, in tattoos, memes, graphics, and even in philosophical texts on ethics. It is often not named, but the arms-folded gesture speaks for itself: “I do no evil” — an active refusal to engage in harmful action.
🧩 Other Variants – the Fifth, the Sixth, and Beyond?
In various sources — mainly online — there are also humorous variations:
🙊 Smell no evil — a monkey covering its nose
🙈 Feel no evil — covering the whole body or the belly
💩 Shit no evil — a purely memetic, tongue-in-cheek parody
These aren’t symbols based on any tradition — they’re creative (sometimes absurd) additions made by internet users and designers.
📸 Gallery of Variants – All Monkeys Beyond the Classic Three
Below you’ll find a gallery dedicated to extended versions of the classic Three Monkeys motif. We’ve gathered all known variations here — from the symbolic fourth monkey Shizaru, through creative five-monkey variants, to the most unusual combinations from pop culture and the internet.
For now, we present them together in a single gallery. If the material grows, we plan to split them into separate sections:
🟠 Monkeys in a “four” configuration
🔵 Five-monkey versions
🟣 Memes, parodies, and other “variations on the theme”
📬 Got something interesting? Send it our way!
If you’ve encountered such versions of the monkeys in art, pop culture, tattoos, advertising, or in real life — and you’d like to enrich our website — send us your photos, screenshots, or any other information. Every contribution matters to us!
Email: welcome@threemonkeys.center
Or use the form in the Contact section.
And us? We’re sticking with the classic!
Although all these extensions are interesting and surprising—sometimes funny, sometimes truly profound—we’re staying faithful to the original. Because the Three Monkeys are not just a symbol, but the heart of our entire project. But… it’s worth knowing what else is out there in the monkey world—and where it all came from. 😉
