A surgical instrument , comprising: an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis; a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective pivotal travel about an articulation axis that extends transversely relative to said shaft axis; and an articulation system , comprising: an articulation driver supported for selective longitudinal travel relative to said elongate shaft assembly in a distal direction and a proximal direction; a central articulation link pivotally and directly coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for pivotal travel relative thereto; an intermediate link pivotally and directly coupled to said articulation driver and said central articulation link; and an end effector driver link movably and directly coupled to said central articulation link and said surgical end effector, wherein the end effector driver link is configured to pull the end effector in a first direction of rotation about the articulation axis when the articulation driver is moved in the distal direction and to push the end effector in a second direction of rotation about the articulation axis when the articulation driver is moved in the proximal direction, wherein the second direction of rotation is opposite to the first direction of rotation. an elongate shaft assembly defining a shaft axis; a surgical end effector pivotally coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for selective pivotal travel about an articulation axis that extends transversely relative to said shaft axis; and an articulation system , comprising: an articulation driver supported for selective longitudinal travel relative to said elongate shaft assembly in a distal direction and a proximal direction; a central articulation link pivotally and directly coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for pivotal travel relative thereto; an intermediate link pivotally and directly coupled to said articulation driver and said central articulation link; and an end effector driver link movably and directly coupled to said central articulation link and said surgical end effector, wherein the end effector driver link is configured to pull the end effector in a first direction of rotation about the articulation axis when the articulation driver is moved in the distal direction and to push the end effector in a second direction of rotation about the articulation axis when the articulation driver is moved in the proximal direction, wherein the second direction of rotation is opposite to the first direction of rotation. an articulation driver supported for selective longitudinal travel relative to said elongate shaft assembly in a distal direction and a proximal direction; a central articulation link pivotally and directly coupled to said elongate shaft assembly for pivotal travel relative thereto; an intermediate link pivotally and directly coupled to said articulation driver and said central articulation link; and an end effector driver link movably and directly coupled to said central articulation link and said surgical end effector, wherein the end effector driver link is configured to pull the end effector in a first direction of rotation about the articulation axis when the articulation driver is moved in the distal direction and to push the end effector in a second direction of rotation about the articulation axis when the articulation driver is moved in the proximal direction, wherein the second direction of rotation is opposite to the first direction of rotation. <EOS>