History BadassCreed / Literature

** The meditation of the Feline Worldgate Team:

** The catchphrase of the [[Literature/HonorHarrington Audubon Ballroom]], "''Shall we dance?''" Though, admittedly, you could say ''anything'' and it would be badass if you happen to do it while charging head-on into a squad of SuperSoldiers with GunsAkimbo.

* The catchphrase of the [[Literature/HonorHarrington Audubon Ballroom]], "''Shall we dance?''" Though, admittedly, you could say ''anything'' and it would be badass if you happen to do it while charging head-on into a squad of SuperSoldiers with GunsAkimbo.
** "''Sneer and be damned,''" indeed! Though Victor Cachat never actually says it out loud, and, again, anything said while in the process of turning super-solders into blood pudding is almost guaranteed to be badass.
* Weber's good at this. One of the treecats, recognizing that the 'cats who adopt humans will have shorter-than-normal lifespans, says: "Perhaps our time will be short, but oh, how we shall blaze against the night!" (''Worlds of Honor'', "What Price Dreams")

* The [[PulpMagazine Pulp]] incarnation of Radio/TheShadow had "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. The Shadow never fails", in addition to the Radio Shadow's "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"

* In military thriller ''Literature/{{Victoria}}'', the Christian Marines militia has a semi-official motto, adopted from a manifesto by the German general Hans von Seeckt: ''Das Wesentliche ist die Tat''. It is explained as follows:
-->''Das Wesentliche ist die Tat'': The Essential Thing is the Deed. Not the ''idea'', not the ''desire'', not the ''intention''--the ''deed''.

* Literature/TheDraka

* From Literature/TheGrimnoirChronicles:

* From Literature/TheParasolProtectorate:

* The Oath of Atlantis, taken by all {{Honest Corporate Executive}}s, scholars, scientists, etc. who move there in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'', which sums up their philosophy of freedom and individualism (and hatred for oppression and power-seeking): "I swear -- by my life and my love of it -- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

* Djan Seriy Anaplian, Matter:

** "There is only one god, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: '''Not today.'''"

--->[[YouDidEverythingYouCould I accept that there are those I cannot protect.]]

** In addition to their official motto, the Lannisters also have the unofficial motto, "A Lannister always pays his debts." This is usually a threat, but if the Lannisters actually do owe you money, you'll be paid, and probably with interest.

-->''Sister in battle, I am shield and blade to you. As I breath, your enemies will know no sanctuary. While I live, your cause is mine.''

** And from [[Film/{{Dune}} the movie]], more of an entertaining psycho creed from the mentats... ''It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains. The stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains. The stains become a warning...''

-->''Das Wesentliche ist die Tat'': The Essential Thing is the Deed. Not the ''idea'', not the ''desire'', not the ''intention''--the ''deed''.

** Subverted in ''Discworld/TheLastHero'', with the creed (suggested by [[LovableCoward Rincewind]]) for the expedition to stop Cohen the Barbarian being ''Morituri Nolumus Mori'', translated from Latin to English it reads as "We who are about to die don't want to." Vetinari still lets it stand because it's an appropriate motto for a mission to prevent TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.
** The Nac Mac Feegle in ''Discworld/TheWeeFreeMen'': "Nae king, nae queen, nae laird, nae master. WE [[Music/TheWho WILLNA BE FOOLED AGAIN!]]" In fact, the Feegle have several Badass Creeds, and a habit of shouting them all out at once in a confused mess.
** LaResistance in ''Discworld/NightWatch'': "Truth! Justice! Freedom! Reasonably Priced Love! And a hard-boiled egg!"[[note]]The [[BandOfBrothels Seamstresses Guild]] objected to "Free" love, and Vimes added the bit about the Hard-Boiled Egg because while the appearance of the others seemed unlikely to him, the Hard-Boiled Egg at least stood a chance of showing up. It did, but it got shredded before he had a chance to eat it.[[/note]]

*** In ''Discworld/ReaperMan'': [[AC: There is no hope but us. There is no mercy but us. There is no justice. There is just us.]]

*** Dorfl lives this at the end of ''Discworld/FeetOfClay''.

** The fearsome [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarfish]] warcry in ''Discworld/FeetOfClay'': T'dr'duzk b'hazg t't! ([[Franchise/StarTrek Today is a good day]] [[SubvertedCatchphrase for someone else to die!]])

** Tiffany Aching in ''Discworld/{{Wintersmith}}'': "This I choose to do. [[EquivalentExchange If there is a price, this I choose to pay]]. [[HeroicSacrifice If it is my death, then I choose to die]]. Where this takes me, there I choose to go. I choose. This I choose to do."

** The creed of the [[BadassArmy Band of the Red Hand]]: ''Dovie'andi se tovya sagain"'': [[LetsGetDangerous It's time to toss the dice]].

* "Literature/RepublicCommandoSeries":

* ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'':

-->...down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. The detective in this kind of story must be such a man. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor--by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world.

--->[[MartialPacifist Life before death]], [[ComesGreatResponsibility strength before weakness]], [[HonorBeforeReason journey before destination]].

** "The North Remembers" The unofficial motto of the North. The people of this region have long memories. Honorable acts engender loyalty and injustices are not easily forgiven or forgotten.

* The Oath of Atlantis, taken by all {{Honest Corporate Executive}}s, scholars, scientists, etc. who move there in ''Literature/AtlasShrugged'', which sums up their philosophy of freedom and individualism (and hatred for oppression and power-seeking): "I swear -- by my life and my love of it -- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

--->[TheAtoner I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man. ]]

'[[TheAtoner I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man. ]]

* In ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'', the Knights Radiant have oaths (called Ideals) that represent their bonds to their [[BondCreature spren]], and grant them their powers.

** The Third Ideal of the Windrunners
---> I will protect even those I hate, if it is right to do so.

* In the ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', [[EliteArmy the Bridgeburners]] keep it simple:
-->First in, last out.

* In ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', [[EliteArmy the Bridgeburners]] keep it simple:

* In ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'', the Bridgeburners keep it simple: