15 details and mistakes you probably missed in 'Fight Club'

Arrows pointing at the name tags on The Narrator in "Fight Club" (1999).
"Fight Club" premiered in 1999. Fox 2000 Pictures
  • "Fight Club" (1999), starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, is full of subtle details and mistakes. 
  • Fans might've missed Tyler briefly appearing in several scenes before The Narrator meets him.
  • Norton actually punched Pitt during the movie's first fight scene, which made the final cut.
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If you're watching the DVD, the film starts with a warning from Tyler.

Alternate warning screen from Tyler in "Fight Club" (1999).
Viewers got a warning from Tyler before the film started. Fox 2000 Pictures

After the anti-piracy warning on the "Fight Club" DVD, there's an additional fake alert from Tyler.

Toward the end, it reads, "Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're alive," which is the same advice he gives the members of Project Mayhem in the film.

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The Narrator uses different names for each of his support groups.

The narrator using different name tags in "Fight Club."
The Narrator rotated through different name tags. Fox 2000 Pictures

Marla appears to use her real name at every meeting she attends, but The Narrator always has a fake identity on his name tags.

He writes Cornelius for the testicular-cancer group, Travis for the tuberculosis one, Lenny for the sickle-cell meetings, and Rupert for the general cancer group. 

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Images of Tyler appear multiple times before his introduction.

Tyler appearing in one singular frame in "Fight Club" (1999).
Tyler briefly flashes in scenes before he's formally introduced. Fox 2000 Pictures

Before Tyler is introduced, he briefly appears whenever The Narrator is describing his insomnia.

Tyler first appears on-screen in a single frame when the doctor tells The Narrator about support groups, then again during the first meeting. A slightly longer image of Tyler is shown in a commercial when The Narrator talks about waking up in a different place.

Moments before the two finally meet on a plane, Tyler is also seen along the walkway in the airport.

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Some meetings occurred simultaneously, which should've made splitting them with Marla easier.

Meeting times in "Fight Club" (1999) on paper.
Some meetings took place at the same time. Fox 2000 Pictures

When The Narrator first views the support-group meeting schedule, there are several listed for the same time, such as Tuesday's Glorious Day and Taking Flight.

This may have been a prop error, as Marla and The Narrator never mention this when they agree to split the schedule.

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Marla's phone number appears in other movies.

The phone number 555-0134 on a note in "Fight Club" and polaroid in "Memento."
The same phone number appears in "Fight Club" and "Memento." Fox 2000 Pictures; I Remember Productions, Llc

Marla wrote the phone number 555-0134 on a piece of paper for The Narrator. This same phone number appears on a Polaroid picture in "Memento" (2000).

The phone number can be seen in other movies as well, such as "Harriet the Spy" (1996).

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The Narrator's yin-yang coffee table survives his condo's explosion.

Yin-yang table before and after the explosion in "Fight Club" (1999).
The yin-yang table made it out of the explosion almost untouched. Fox 2000 Pictures

When talking about decorating his apartment, The Narrator mentions his "clever" coffee table that's in the shape of the yin-yang symbol.

That same coffee table is later shown as the only recognizable piece that survived the explosion in his condo. Some of the legs are broken and there are a few singe marks, but it's largely intact. 

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Tyler lives on Paper Street, a term that hints at the plot twist.

Tyler's business card in "Fight Club" (1999).
Tyler's Paper Street address has an underlying meaning. Fox 2000 Pictures

Tyler's business card for Paper Street Soap Co. shows the business' address as 537 Paper Street, which is the house that he and the rest of Project Mayhem end up living in.

A paper street often refers to a road that doesn't actually exist but is on a map to help plan future roadways. By referring to something nonexistent, the address may also hint at the fact that Tyler isn't real. 

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Edward Norton apparently actually punched Brad Pitt while filming their first fight scene.

The narrator punching Tyler in "Fight Club" (1999).
Edward Norton actually punched Brad Pitt in the first fight scene between The Narrator and Tyler. Fox 2000 Pictures

Norton told Jimmy Fallon in 2019 that director David Fincher told him to actually throw a punch, which landed on Pitt's ear.

Pitt's genuine exclamation, "You hit me in the ear," made it into the final cut of the movie.

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The blood on Tyler's face disappears and reappears during the fight with Lou.

The blood on Tyler's face disappearing in "Fight Club" (1999).
The blood on Tyler's face disappears within seconds. Fox 2000 Pictures

Lou — the owner of the bar where Tyler sets up the first Fight Club — beats Tyler for using the basement space behind his back.

Tyler's face is bloody after the second punch, but the blood completely disappears during a close-up scene. It reappears after the third blow.

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The Narrator reacts in moments when Tyler is injured.

Tyler getting hit and the narrator wincing in "Fight Club" (1999).
When Tyler gets punched in the stomach (left), The Narrator winces as if he also got hit (right). Fox 2000 Pictures

The Narrator appears wounded whenever Tyler is, which is another hint that they're the same person. 

When Tyler's getting beat up by Lou, The Narrator seems to jerk his head or body as if he's the one being injured. 

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Starbucks appears throughout the movie but is noticeably missing during an important scene.

Starbucks cup in "Fight Club" (1999) and a coffee shop in another scene that isn't Starbucks.
Project Mayhem demolished Gratifico Coffee, not Starbucks. Fox 2000 Pictures

Starbucks cups are seen throughout the movie. Per Screen Rant, Fincher even told Empire magazine that a Starbucks cup was visible in almost every scene of the film. 

But when the Project Mayhem members destroy a coffee shop later in the film, they target a Gratifico Coffee, not a Starbucks.

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Bob's eyes open and close when the group is looking at his dead body.

Bob's eyes open and closed in "Fight Club" (1999).
Bob's eyes are open when his body gets brought in but are closed right after. Fox 2000 Pictures

Bob gets shot and killed by police during his Project Mayhem assignment.

When his body is carried into the kitchen, his eyes are open, but when the camera pans over his face again a few seconds later, his eyes are closed.

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The Narrator never gives his name when introducing himself.

The narrator on the phone in "Fight Club" (1999).
The Narrator never reveals his real name. Fox 2000 Pictures

The Narrator never reveals his name throughout most of the movie. This sets up the plot twist that he and Tyler are the same person, as Marla later reveals that he introduced himself to her as Tyler Durden.

There are also moments in the movie where characters don't acknowledge Tyler's presence, such as when a man pushes past them on the bus but only apologizes to The Narrator.

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The Narrator is pulled out of the driver's seat after the car accident.

The Narrator and Tyler driving and crashing in "Fight Club" (1999).
The Narrator is the passenger before the crash but was pulled out of the driver's side. Fox 2000 Studios

Tyler purposefully crashes a car with The Narrator in the passenger's seat and two Project Mayhem members in the back.

Although Tyler's driving, The Narrator gets dragged out of the driver's side after the crash, seemingly implying that The Narrator was the one driving the car all along.

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When Marla boards the bus, Project Mayhem is already there and waiting to kidnap her.

Project Mayhem inside and outside of the bus in "Fight Club" (1999).
Project Mayhem members can be seen inside and outside of the bus before Marla's kidnapped. Fox 2000 Pictures

The Narrator thinks that Marla's able to take a bus to safety until Tyler reveals that he had the Project Mayhem members kidnap her.

Multiple men appear to stand up and begin surrounding Marla when she boards the bus, showing that Tyler had apparently already planned her abduction.

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