Befunge-98, 4 distinct characters (1047 characters in total)
"@@@,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@+++,,,,"+++++++,"@@@+++,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@@+++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++++++++,"@@+,,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@+"+,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@@++,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@++,,,,,"+++++++,"@@@+,,,"++++++,"@@@+,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@@@++,,"++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"++,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"@@@+,,,"++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@@++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++++++++,"@@@+++,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@@@+++,"++++++,"@@@,,,,"++++++,"@+,,,,,,"+++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@@@+,,,"++++++,"@@@++,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"@++,,,,,"+++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@,,,,,,,"+++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@,"+,"@@+++,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"@+++,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"@@@,,,,,,,,"++++++++++,"@@,,,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++,"@@@+,,,"++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,@
If non-terminating answers are allowed, then this can be done in 3 distinct characters:
"++++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"+++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,"+++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"+++++,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"++++++,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,"++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"++,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"+++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"+++++++,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++,"+++++++,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++,",,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++++++,"++++,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++++++++,"+,,,,,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++++,"+++,,,,,,,,,"+++++++++++,
Uses this Befunge-98 interpreter. At first, I joined the 4-character competition with an @
at the end to terminate . This program repeatedly outputs The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog\r
, where the terminating \r
deletes the previous sentence. Therefore, the sentence is written once.