Glyphs

Listed below is an explanation of the glyphs seen throughout Fringe as well as every time they actually appear in-universe, arranged by glyph and with pictures and timestamps wherever appropriate.

What are the glyphs?

Every episode of Fringe displayed a series of symbols, called glyphs, before each ad break. There were 8 symbols: an apple, a butterfly, a flower, a frog, a hand, a leaf, a seahorse, and smoke. Each glyph was also paired with a little yellow glowing dot in one of its four corners.

Every combination of glyph + dot location corresponded to a letter, meaning the glyphs were a cypher. The glyphs presented over the course of an episode spelled out a word that was related to that episode, the current arc, the current season, or sometimes the show as a whole.

Check out individual episode pages to see what words were spelled out for each episode, starting with season 1 episode 1, 'Pilot'!

The glyphs were also snuck into episodes as easter eggs for eagle-eyed viewers. Scroll down to see the glyph alphabet and every glyph easter egg in the series.

The Glyph Alphabet

A: Glyph symbol AB: Glyph symbol BC: Glyph symbol CD: Glyph symbol DE: Glyph symbol EF: Glyph symbol FG: Glyph symbol G
H: Glyph symbol HI: Glyph symbol IJ: Glyph symbol JK: Glyph symbol KL: Glyph symbol LM: Glyph symbol MN: Glyph symbol N
O: Glyph symbol OP: Glyph symbol PQ: Glyph symbol QR: Glyph symbol RS: Glyph symbol ST: Glyph symbol TU: Glyph symbol U
V: Glyph symbol VW: Glyph symbol WX: Glyph symbol XY: Glyph symbol YZ: Glyph symbol Z
A: Glyph symbol A
B: Glyph symbol B
C: Glyph symbol C
D: Glyph symbol D
E: Glyph symbol E
F: Glyph symbol F
G: Glyph symbol G
H: Glyph symbol H
I: Glyph symbol I
J: Glyph symbol J
K: Glyph symbol K
L: Glyph symbol L
M: Glyph symbol M
N: Glyph symbol N
O: Glyph symbol O
P: Glyph symbol P
Q: Glyph symbol Q
R: Glyph symbol R
S: Glyph symbol S
T: Glyph symbol T
U: Glyph symbol U
V: Glyph symbol V
W: Glyph symbol W
X: Glyph symbol X
Y: Glyph symbol Y
Z: Glyph symbol Z

Leaf

Original glyph: Leaf
Leaf glyph
Glyph sighting: Leaf
Leaf
S1E01 - Pilot
Timestamp: 1:20:58
Glyph sighting: Leaf glyph
Leaf glyph
S1E13 - The Transformation
Timestamp: 21:11
Glyph sighting: Leaf
Leaf
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 37:59
Glyph sighting: Leaf
Leaf
S4E01 - Neither Here Nor There
Timestamp: 37:18

Butterfly

Original glyph: Butterfly
Butterfly glyph
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S1E08 - The Equation
Timestamp: 41:26
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S1E09 - The Dreamscape
Timestamp: 02:40
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 37:59
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S2E14 - Jacksonville
Timestamp: 17:00
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S4E01 - Neither Here Nor There
Timestamp: 31:47
Glyph sighting: Butterflies
Butterflies
S4E01 - Neither Here Nor There
Timestamp: 01:13
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S4E07 - Wallflower
Timestamp: 42:44
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S4E07 - Wallflower
Timestamp: 03:00
Glyph sighting: Butterflies
Butterflies
S5E01 - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11
Timestamp: 16:25
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What
Walter Found There
Timestamp: 27:00
Glyph sighting: Butterfly
Butterfly
S5E11 - The Boy Must Live
Timestamp: 15:41

Apple

Original glyph: Apple
Apple glyph
Glyph sighting: Apple
Apple
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 37:59
Glyph sighting: Apple
Apple
S2E13 - The Bishop Revival
Timestamp: 18:38
Glyph sighting: Apple
Apple
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What
Walter Found There
Timestamp: 27:07

Flower

Original glyph: Flower
Flower glyph
Glyph sighting: Flower
Flower
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 38:01
Glyph sighting: Flower
Flower
S2E14 - Jacksonville
Timestamp: 22:05
Glyph sighting: Flower
Flower
S4E05 - Novation
Timestamp: 03:24
Glyph sighting: Flower
Flower
S4E07 - Wallflower
Timestamp: 02:54
Glyph sighting: Flower
Flower
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What
Walter Found There
Timestamp: 26:53

Frog

Original glyph: Frog
Frog glyph
Glyph sighting: Frog
Frog
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 38:01
Glyph sighting: Frog
Frog
S2E14 - Jacksonville
Timestamp: 22:05
Glyph sighting: Frog
Frog
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What
Walter Found There
Timestamp: 27:01
Glyph sighting: Frog
Frog
S5E09 - Black Blotter
Timestamp: 25:30
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S5E09 - Black Blotter
Timestamp: 32:09

Seahorse

Original glyph: Seahorse
Seahorse glyph
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S2E04 - Momentum Deferred
Timestamp: 38:01
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S2E13 - The Bishop Revival
Timestamp: 18:18
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S2E14 - Jacksonville
Timestamp: 22:02
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S3E06 - 6955 kHz
Timestamp: 23:19
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S3E11 - Reciprocity
Timestamp: 05:40
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S3E15 - Subject 13
Timestamp: 39:53
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S5E01 - Transilience Thought Unifier Model-11
Timestamp: 42:04
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What
Walter Found There
Timestamp: 26:46
Glyph sighting: Seahorse
Seahorse
S5E09 - Black Blotter
Timestamp: 32:09

Hand

Original glyph: Hand
Hand glyph
Glyph sighting: Hand
Hand
S2E14 - Jacksonville
Timestamp: 21:57
Glyph sighting: Hand
Hand
S2E22 - Over There (Part 2)
Timestamp: 34:33
Glyph sighting: Hand
Hand
S3E17 - Stowaway
Timestamp: 28:08
Glyph sighting: Hand
Hand
S5E06 - Through the Looking Glass and What
Walter Found There
Timestamp: 26:57
Glyph sighting: Hand
Hand
S5E13 - An Enemy of Fate
Timestamp: 31:58

Smoke

Original glyph: Smoke
Smoke glyph