A backslash in front takes the meaning away from a character:
\*no emphasis\*, \[no bracket\], \# no heading, \| no column separator*no emphasis*, [no bracket], # no heading, | no column separator
What has to be escaped
| Character | Otherwise |
|---|---|
* _ | emphasis |
[ ] | link |
# at the start of a line | heading |
- + at the start of a line | list item |
` | code |
| in tables | column separator |
$ | formula |
%% | comment |
The other way
Inside inline code nothing needs escaping:
`*none of this applies here*`*none of this applies here*
That is why every example on these pages sits in a code block — otherwise each of them would render itself instead of showing itself.