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Anime and Manga
"We're born free. All of us. Free. Some don't believe it, some try to take it away. To hell with them! Water like fire, mountains of ice, the whole bit. Lay your eyes on that, and you'll know what freedom is, that it's worth fighting for! Fight to live, risk it all for even a glimmer of real freedom! It doesn't matter what's waiting outside the gate, or what comes in! It doesn't matter how cruel the world can be, or how unjust! Fight. Fight. Fight. FIGHT! FIGHT!!!"
— Eren Jeager, Attack on Titan
"Even if I have no magical powers I'll become the Wizard King! Not giving up is my magic!"
— Asta, Black Clover
"If fate is a millstone, then we are the grist. There is nothing we can do. So I wish for strength. If I cannot protect them from the wheel, then give me a strong blade, and enough strength... to shatter fate."
— Kurosaki Ichigo, Bleach
"This isn't as much endurance as it is sheer willpower."
— Teresa on little Clare, Claymore
"Why can't you people JUST STAY DOWN?!"
— Cell, Dragon Ball Z
"Determination — A will of steel. Their determination is supporting them. They won't go down easily."
— Miyata Ichiro, Hajime no Ippo
Kyouko: I thought she'd be here. She sucks at giving up after all.
Mitsu: Well sorry for sucking at giving up!
Mitsu: Well sorry for sucking at giving up!
"The power of Medusa is fed by emotion. The emotions of a young girl who suffered the pain of Medusa for 8 years... and the emotions of a man who has come back from the depths of hell to save Kasumi. Do you honestly think your pathetic ego-trip can stop that?"
— Marco Owen, King of Thorn
"Hurry up and go, you damn nerd! I'll keep fighting. I'll break myself. Even if there's nothing left of me, I will win the way I want to. I'll destroy myself before I accept defeat at your hands, you got that?!"
"In my eyes... you're a proud failure! When I look at you, I get an intense feeling in my heart... Because you're not perfect... Because you fail... you have the strength to get back up... Because I believe that is what true strength is..."
— Hinata to Naruto
Pain: Just give up!
Naruto: You'd better give up... THINKING I'M GOING TO GIVE UP!
Naruto: You'd better give up... THINKING I'M GOING TO GIVE UP!
— Naruto
"Why are you alive? Why do you stand up to me every time I kill you?... How many times do I have to kill you until you're satisfied!?"
— Sir Crocodile, One Piece
"ACE! I don't care what you say! I'm going to save you, EVEN IF IT KILLS ME!"
— Luffy, One Piece
"No matter who escapes today, I would never allow Straw Hat to escape Marineford alive!"
—Akainu, One Piece
"If someone ever tells me it's a mistake to have hope, well, then, I'll just tell them they're wrong. And I'll keep telling them 'til they believe! No matter how many times it takes."
—Madoka Kaname, Puella Magi Madoka Magica
"I'm not quitting. Even if I fall, I'm gonna fall forward! Right Kimishima?"
— Kazuma, Scryed
Nia: The likelihood of my return is close to zero.
Simon: Maybe, but it isn't zero. And for me, that makes it the same as a hundred percent chance!
Simon: Maybe, but it isn't zero. And for me, that makes it the same as a hundred percent chance!
Simon: Force your way down a path YOU choose to take, and do it all yourself! That's the way Team Dai-Gurren rolls!
Nia: Even when trapped by karma's cycle...
Yoko: The dreams we left behind will open the door!
Leeron: Even if the universe stands against us...
Viral: Our burning blood will cut through fate!
Simon: We'll break through heavens and the dimensions!
All: And defy all who would stop us to grab hold of our path!
Simon: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann!
All: JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!
Nia: Even when trapped by karma's cycle...
Yoko: The dreams we left behind will open the door!
Leeron: Even if the universe stands against us...
Viral: Our burning blood will cut through fate!
Simon: We'll break through heavens and the dimensions!
All: And defy all who would stop us to grab hold of our path!
Simon: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann!
All: JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK WE ARE?!
"The probablity of success for this mission was 0%, but it seems theoretical calculations are meaningless when it comes to you guys."
— Lordgenome, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
A dreaming flower bud never gives up / Even when it seems she'll fail, she believes and goes on
— Opening to Yes! Pretty Cure 5 GO!GO!
"If you curl up because of fear, you won't be able to do anything. If you want to win, bring out your courage, and step forward!"
— Yuya Sakaki, Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Joey: Fight, Yugi!
Diva: Ignore your friends. The sensible move is to give up.
Yugi: [teeth gritted] Then I guess I don't have a lot of sense. I will never give up!
Diva: Ignore your friends. The sensible move is to give up.
Yugi: [teeth gritted] Then I guess I don't have a lot of sense. I will never give up!
Comic Books
"Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world — 'No, you move.'"
Tentacle Monster: Is that your super-power, boy? Too stupid to ever give up?
Jason: Heh... Maybe it is.
Jason: Heh... Maybe it is.
Parallax: Give up. You failed once, you'll fail again. Lay down and die. You're weak. You're scared. Give up now. Give up.
Hal Jordan: I...
Parallax: Give up, damn you!
Hal Jordan: I don't know how.
Hal Jordan: I...
Parallax: Give up, damn you!
Hal Jordan: I don't know how.
"On my planet, we never say die; we say KILL!"
"Wolf, Hawk, Fox, and Snake, can't stand in my way.
My body is weak, and it may break, but not today."
My body is weak, and it may break, but not today."
— Mouse Guard, "The Song of the Ivory Lass"
"Uh, sir...? It's him! It's him! After all we've done, he still won't give up!"
— Snively, Sonic the Hedgehog
"But then I thought of mother. I remembered all I had to live up to. A daughter of the House of El never quits. I wasn't about to be the first."
Nyxly: Surrender, Superman!
Superman: Maybe I will... Ten minutes after I'm dead! Not a second before!
Superman: Maybe I will... Ten minutes after I'm dead! Not a second before!
"No. Not even in the face of Armageddon. Never compromise."
— Rorschach, Watchmen
You know how many times I've heard that? "Rest in peace, Batman!" "There's no escape, Batman!" "Time to die, Batman!" Every night. Over and over. For so many years. "This is the end, Batman!" Every. Damn. Night. And yet. I'm still here.
— Batman, Batman (Tom King) #23
Azmodel: YIELD!
Superman: NEVER!
Flash: This is the guy who said he couldn't live up to his myth... He's wrestling an angel.
Superman: NEVER!
Flash: This is the guy who said he couldn't live up to his myth... He's wrestling an angel.
Lana Lang: Your choice, Kara, but you might ask yourself, what would your people want you want to do?
Linda: It's Linda.
Lana: If you're going to keep pretending you don't care about people, no, it's not. We're supposed to be fighters, not sit-around-and-mope-ers.
Linda: It's Linda.
Lana: If you're going to keep pretending you don't care about people, no, it's not. We're supposed to be fighters, not sit-around-and-mope-ers.
"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul I swear... until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share... I'll never stop fighting. Ever."
Reign: Only a Worldkiller can defeat another Worldkiller. Why continue a fight you cannot win?
Kara: "I guess... It's like my father always said..." (smashing Reign with a car) "I'm stubborn."
Kara: "I guess... It's like my father always said..." (smashing Reign with a car) "I'm stubborn."
Mister, maybe I'm too dumb to collapse — too ugly to die!! I'll let you figger out the reasons...
— The Thing, Fantastic Four #40
"You won't trick me that way. You want me to give up. Is that it? Well, it won't work... I'm Superman. I go down fighting!"
— Superman, The Jungle Line
"Did...didja say...give up...? 'Cause I can't do that. See...there's this pair 'a kids I know. Little...little scrappers. Never known nothin' but war. Can't...can't seem to get their faces outta my head... It's funny, ain't like I'm short 'a reasons to fight, right? You killed my friend...you wanna kill my family...why am I thinkin' about two strangers? Only...these two strangers got a chance now. Chance at a home...chance at a better life. And all I gotta do is not give up on 'em. All I gotta do is not die. So I guess I can't die. I'm the Immortal Thing. Put up ya dukes."
"If we stand for anything, it's the fact that it doesn't end! It never does!"
— Leander, Democracy
Mys-Tech member #1: The determination of these super-heroes is quite staggering... None of our simulations suggested they would get this far.
Mys-Tech member #2: That is ever the trouble with heroes. They will be so tiresomely heroic, they seem pathologically incapable of recognizing defeat.
Mys-Tech member #2: That is ever the trouble with heroes. They will be so tiresomely heroic, they seem pathologically incapable of recognizing defeat.
— Mys-Tech Wars #3
Comic Strips
Dilbert: Any luck trying to get fired?
Wally: No... but I'll get that severance package yet.
Wally: No... but I'll get that severance package yet.
— Dilbert, 10/22/1991
Fan Works
To join the Wild Hunt requires not just skill or experience, it is a requirement that all aspirants possess the will to see things through. To go on even when the mission is on the verge of failure. It is to know the difference between those who are doomed and those who are damned, and to know when to show mercy and when to disregard it utterly. It is to know when the enemy deserves mercy and when the enemy deserves utter annihilation. The Hunt does not accept weakness or failure, and the Good Hunter is the embodiment of this lonely yet bloody path. Once accepted, the agent forever leaves everything they have ever had behind.
Maybe I was never meant to survive Trost, maybe I should have died a while ago when I joined the Scouts; eaten by a Titan or killed by an MP. And maybe I should have died on the field against Annie instead of taking her place... But I didn't. I'm still here and so long as I'm here, I'll keep going!
— Mina Carolina, Dedicated Hearts made Fullmetal
"If my lord didn't need you, I'd kill you for that, elfling," [Xornoth] growled.
"So kill me then," Scott said, squaring his stance. His legs felt shaky, and the healing potion Sausage had given him was definitely worn off by now. He shook his head to clear it, the fever-heat of his skin lost in the greater heat of the nether. He wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball on the ground and sleep.
But he was nothing if not stubborn. You want to kill Scott Smajor, King of Rivendell and Champion of Aeor?
You have to cut off his fuel supply of spite first.
"So kill me then," Scott said, squaring his stance. His legs felt shaky, and the healing potion Sausage had given him was definitely worn off by now. He shook his head to clear it, the fever-heat of his skin lost in the greater heat of the nether. He wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball on the ground and sleep.
But he was nothing if not stubborn. You want to kill Scott Smajor, King of Rivendell and Champion of Aeor?
You have to cut off his fuel supply of spite first.
— Everything Turns to Gold, Chapter 18, "turning stale and it's cold"
"I would fight to make that bright and innocent past our future once again. Even if it means dashing myself against the evil and cruelty of this wasteland until there is nothing left of me. And then, when I am too broken to go on, I will float my dying body right down the throat of the darkness and make it choke on me."
— Little Pip, Fallout: Equestria
Jonathan: Do you think... do you think we can beat [Dio], father?
George: Of course I do. You are a Joestar, and us Joestar men never give up, especially one as strong and courageous as you, JoJo.
Hearing the commander's voice, [Rei] stirred. Her one good eye opened and scanned the room fitfully, unable to focus. She settled her blurry gaze on the fluorescent lights above her head and waited as long as she could for the throbbing in her skull to ebb just a bit. It didn't, but she had to answer. She was driven. It was her purpose, her reason for being. Pain was irrelevant, a signal that her body was damaged, nothing more.
— Last Child of Krypton, Chapter 1
Superman: It's been... so long in there.
Supergirl: I know. I can't imagine... Great Rao, Kal. How did you survive?
Superman: I'm still not sure. I just... didn't want to give up. Luthor was out there. I had to survive so that I could stop him. But... that wasn't all of it. There were people like Lois out there. And Jimmy, Bruce, Perry... all my friends. And you. Even though you were half a galaxy away. I knew I'd never see you again, if I gave up and died. But there was more to it than that. I'm Superman, Kara. And if I made a habit of giving up... well, I wouldn't be much of a Superman, would I?
Supergirl: I know. I can't imagine... Great Rao, Kal. How did you survive?
Superman: I'm still not sure. I just... didn't want to give up. Luthor was out there. I had to survive so that I could stop him. But... that wasn't all of it. There were people like Lois out there. And Jimmy, Bruce, Perry... all my friends. And you. Even though you were half a galaxy away. I knew I'd never see you again, if I gave up and died. But there was more to it than that. I'm Superman, Kara. And if I made a habit of giving up... well, I wouldn't be much of a Superman, would I?
"Hylia is wrong, and your father is wrong, and Ganon is wrong. He will never break. For a hundred years or ten thousand, he will fight for us. For you. He will never fall. He'll just... suffer."
— Mipha (regarding Link), The Princess Who Carries the Blood of the Goddess
"Neither will I throw away the Hermit thing nor my promise. I will not betray that girl!"
— Kasen, Suikakasen
"What's so godsdamned funny?" Vegeta demanded in a gurgle. He spat out a mouthful of blood as Boo slowly stopped laughing. His eyes widened and he gawked, mouth falling open in disbelief as Vegeta dug his fingers into the dirt and pushed himself slowly back to his feet. Every inch of his body screamed in pain and blood was flowing down his face and matting in his hair but he didn't care. He was still breathing. He was still in the fight. "Did you think I was just going to roll over and die, damn it?!"
"Why... won't... you... just... FALL!?" snarled a bloody, exhausted Lucci, swaying on his feet.
Ten feet ahead, an even bloodier and more exhausted T-Bone shook on his own feet. Sheer willpower was the only thing keeping him standing; every bone, muscle, and inch of his body screamed in agony. "I could say... the same to you..."
Ten feet ahead, an even bloodier and more exhausted T-Bone shook on his own feet. Sheer willpower was the only thing keeping him standing; every bone, muscle, and inch of his body screamed in agony. "I could say... the same to you..."
"I used to be able to kill people. And they stayed dead when I did. And I was good at it too. That stopped after I fought Straw Hat. I stabbed him and left him in a sinkhole. I dehydrated him and left him in the sand. I poisoned him and left him in a crumbling mausoleum. And he kept coming back."
— Crocodile, This Bites!
Film — Animated
"I will find Atlantis on my own, if I have to rent a rowboat!"
— Milo Thatch, Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Captain Haddock: Alright then, what's the plan?
Tintin: There is no plan.
Captain Haddock: Of course there's a plan. You've always got a plan.
Tintin: Not this time. Sakharine has the scrolls, they'll lead him to the treasure, it could be anywhere in the world. We'll never see him again. It's over
Captain Haddock: Huh. I thought you were an optimist.
Tintin: You were wrong, weren't you? I’m a realist.
Captain Haddock: Ah, it's just another name for a quitter.
Tintin: You can call me what you like. Don't you get it? We failed.
Captain Haddock: Failed. There are plenty of others willing to call you a failure. A fool. A loser. A hopeless souse. Don't you EVER... say it of yourself. You send out the wrong signal, that is what people pick up. Don't you understand? You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it. There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin. You can never let it defeat you.
Tintin: There is no plan.
Captain Haddock: Of course there's a plan. You've always got a plan.
Tintin: Not this time. Sakharine has the scrolls, they'll lead him to the treasure, it could be anywhere in the world. We'll never see him again. It's over
Captain Haddock: Huh. I thought you were an optimist.
Tintin: You were wrong, weren't you? I’m a realist.
Captain Haddock: Ah, it's just another name for a quitter.
Tintin: You can call me what you like. Don't you get it? We failed.
Captain Haddock: Failed. There are plenty of others willing to call you a failure. A fool. A loser. A hopeless souse. Don't you EVER... say it of yourself. You send out the wrong signal, that is what people pick up. Don't you understand? You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it. There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin. You can never let it defeat you.
The Joker: You're crazy! I'm your only chance to get out of here! Let me go or we'll both die!
Batman: Whatever it takes!
Batman: Whatever it takes!
"I will find the right tree. I must and I will.
I will ford any stream! Climb any hill!
Go over Niagara Falls on a log!
Penetrate the impenetrable fog!
Brave the terrors of Sinister Bog!
I will find the Christmas tree we seek!
I will find the right tree if it takes us a week!
No matter what... no matter where...
Just as sure as my name... (whispers to his son for a reminder of his name) is Papa Q. Bear!"
I will ford any stream! Climb any hill!
Go over Niagara Falls on a log!
Penetrate the impenetrable fog!
Brave the terrors of Sinister Bog!
I will find the Christmas tree we seek!
I will find the right tree if it takes us a week!
No matter what... no matter where...
Just as sure as my name... (whispers to his son for a reminder of his name) is Papa Q. Bear!"
— Papa Q. Bear, The Berenstain Bears' Christmas Tree
Buzz: Come on, men! Did Woody give up when Sid had me strapped to the back of a rocket?
Everyone: (reluctantly) No.
Buzz: And did he give up when you all threw him out of the back of that moving van?
Mr. Potato Head: Oh, you had to bring that up.
Buzz: No he didn't!
Everyone: (reluctantly) No.
Buzz: And did he give up when you all threw him out of the back of that moving van?
Mr. Potato Head: Oh, you had to bring that up.
Buzz: No he didn't!
But the thing that makes Woody special is he'll never give up on you. Ever. He'll be there for you, no matter what.
—Andy, Toy Story 3
"Well, he was right about one thing: I don't know when to quit!"
—Judy Hopps, Zootopia
Bunty: In all my life, I've never heard such a fantastic... LOAD OF TRIPE! Oh, face the facts: the odds of us getting out of here are a million to one!
Ginger: [calmly] Then there's still a chance.
James Gordon: Are you in pain?
Batman: I work through pain.
Batman: I work through pain.
"The Megamind I know would never run from a fight, even if he knew he had no chance of winning! It was your best quality!"
—Roxanne Ritchi, Megamind
When has it ever been easy?
Hasn't it always been hard to be us?
When you go against the grain
There's always somebody around you can't trust
That's why we've got to have each other
While we'll figure this out, we must
Because we are the Crystal Gems
And we never give up
We never give up on our friends
As long as one of us is standing to brandish the star
We'll find a way
To save the day
That's who we are!
Hasn't it always been hard to be us?
When you go against the grain
There's always somebody around you can't trust
That's why we've got to have each other
While we'll figure this out, we must
Because we are the Crystal Gems
And we never give up
We never give up on our friends
As long as one of us is standing to brandish the star
We'll find a way
To save the day
That's who we are!
—Bismuth, "Who We Are," Steven Universe: The Movie
"That was incredible! [Donkey Kong] kept beating you senseless and you just kept getting back up?! You just don't know when to quit!"'
—Peach to Mario, The Super Mario Bros. Movie
"Little engines CAN do big things!"
— Thomas, Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Film — Live-Action
Brother Gaspar de Carvajal: Things are not turning out as we expected. We see nothing but hunger and death. We lose men, but, never see the enemy. Until now, El Dorado has only been an illusion.
Don Lope de Aguirre: The conquest of Mexico was no illusion. If we turn back now, others will come, and they'll succeed. And we'll remain nobodies. Even if this land is only trees and water we'll conquer it.
Don Lope de Aguirre: The conquest of Mexico was no illusion. If we turn back now, others will come, and they'll succeed. And we'll remain nobodies. Even if this land is only trees and water we'll conquer it.
"You're missing the point! There's no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and maybe it's too much for us but it's all on you. Because if we can't protect the Earth, you can be damned well sure we'll avenge it!"
"I'm gonna fight. The only way I know how. Ever since I was a boy, all I knew was how to fight. Fight, fight, fight. And when I got tired, I would fight some more. And now that the Man has got our backs to the wall, I ain't gonna let him hurt the kids. I'm gonna take him down. I'm gonna take them all down."
—Black Dynamite, Black Dynamite
"The question is not how far. The question is, do you possess the constitution, the depth of faith, to go as far is as needed?"
—Il Duce, The Boondock Saints
Rudolf Abel: Standing there like that, you reminded me of the man that used to come to our house when I was young. My father used to say, "Watch this man." So I did. Every time he came. And never once did he do anything remarkable.
James Donovan: And I remind you of him?
Rudolf Abel: This one time, I was at the age of your son, our house was overrun by partisan border guards. Dozens of them. My father was beaten, my mother was beaten, and this man, my father's friend, he was beaten. And I watched this man. Every time they hit him, he stood back up again. So they hit him harder. Still he got back to his feet. I think because of this they stopped the beating. They let him live. Стойкий мужик note , I remember them saying. Which sort of means like uh, "standing man"... standing man...
James Donovan: And I remind you of him?
Rudolf Abel: This one time, I was at the age of your son, our house was overrun by partisan border guards. Dozens of them. My father was beaten, my mother was beaten, and this man, my father's friend, he was beaten. And I watched this man. Every time they hit him, he stood back up again. So they hit him harder. Still he got back to his feet. I think because of this they stopped the beating. They let him live. Стойкий мужик note , I remember them saying. Which sort of means like uh, "standing man"... standing man...
I can do this all day.
Peggy Carter: What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?
Steve Rogers: If that's what it takes.
Steve Rogers: If that's what it takes.
"No matter how big a guy might be, Nicky would take him on. You beat Nicky with fists, he comes back with a bat. You beat him with a knife, he comes back with a gun. And if you beat him with a gun, you better kill him, because he'll keep comin' back and back until one of you is dead."
— Sam "Ace" Rothstein, Casino
"He calls you the one man in the world that he would least like to have after him. An intelligent, methodical, painstaking, passionate detective who would rather die than give up."
—Fetisov to Bukarov, Citizen X
"Never give up, never surrender!"
— Commander Taggart, Galaxy Quest
The Baroness: He (Snake Eyes) gave up!
Storm Shadow: He NEVER gives up. [Their car gets blind-sided by a train, tossing it on its roof.]
Storm Shadow: He NEVER gives up. [Their car gets blind-sided by a train, tossing it on its roof.]
"This is CHRISTMAS! The season of perpetual hope! And I don't care if I have to get out on your runway and HITCHHIKE! If it costs me everything I own, if I have to sell my soul to the devil himself, I am going to get home to my son!"
— Kate McCallister, Home Alone
CASE: It's not possible.
Cooper: No. It's necessary.
Cooper: No. It's necessary.
"There is nothing except this. There's no art opening, no charity, nothing to sign. There's the next mission, and nothing else."
"John is a man of focus, commitment, sheer will... something you know very little about."
"I'll fight until the very end."
— Kaiji Itō, Kaiji: Final Game
[Sam and Frodo have collapsed from exhaustion on the slopes of Mount Doom]
Sam: Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream! Do you remember the taste of strawberries?
Frodo: No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water... nor the touch of grass. I'm... naked in the dark, with nothing, no veil... between me... and the wheel of fire! I can see him... with my waking eyes!
Sam: Then let us be rid of it... once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!
Sam: Do you remember the Shire, Mr. Frodo? It'll be spring soon. And the orchards will be in blossom. And the birds will be nesting in the hazel thicket. And they'll be sowing the summer barley in the lower fields... and eating the first of the strawberries with cream! Do you remember the taste of strawberries?
Frodo: No, Sam. I can't recall the taste of food... nor the sound of water... nor the touch of grass. I'm... naked in the dark, with nothing, no veil... between me... and the wheel of fire! I can see him... with my waking eyes!
Sam: Then let us be rid of it... once and for all! Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can't carry it for you... but I can carry you!
Smith: Why, Mr. Anderson? Why? Why? Why do you do it? Why? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. Temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose, and all of them are as artificial as the Matrix itself. Although, only a human mind can invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson! You must know it by now! You can't win! It's pointless to keep fighting! Why, Mr. Anderson, why, WHY DO YOU PERSIST?!
Neo: Because I choose to.
Neo: Because I choose to.
Sunday: What the hell did your father tell you to make you try so damn hard?
Brashear: "Be the best!"
Brashear: "Be the best!"
Black Knight: (after losing both arms and a leg) Right, I'll do you for that!
Arthur: You'll what?
Black Knight: C'mere!
Arthur: What are you gonna do, bleed on me?
Black Knight: I'm invincible!
Arthur: You're a loony.
Black Knight: The Black Knight always triumphs! Have at you! ...Come on, then.
(Arthur chops the Black Knight's remaining leg off, leaving him a surly torso sitting on the ground)
Black Knight: ...Alright, we'll call it a draw.
Arthur: Come, Patsy!
Black Knight: Oh, I see! Running away, eh?! You yellow bastard! Come back here and take what's comin' to ya! I'll bite your legs off!
Arthur: You'll what?
Black Knight: C'mere!
Arthur: What are you gonna do, bleed on me?
Black Knight: I'm invincible!
Arthur: You're a loony.
Black Knight: The Black Knight always triumphs! Have at you! ...Come on, then.
(Arthur chops the Black Knight's remaining leg off, leaving him a surly torso sitting on the ground)
Black Knight: ...Alright, we'll call it a draw.
Arthur: Come, Patsy!
Black Knight: Oh, I see! Running away, eh?! You yellow bastard! Come back here and take what's comin' to ya! I'll bite your legs off!
"When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. That sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that's what you're going to get, lad, the strongest castle in all of England!"
—King of Swamp Castle, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Robin Hood: Do you yield?
Friar Tuck: I'd rather roast in hell.
Friar Tuck: I'd rather roast in hell.
"I saw you beat that man like I never saw no man get beat before, and the man kept coming after you."
— Tony Duke to Apollo Creed, Rocky II
“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and Keep. Moving. Forward. That’s how winning is done! Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth! But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you are because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that!”
Rocky Balboa, Rocky Balboa
"I don't like to lose."
— Admiral James T. Kirk, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
"As long as you can still grab a breath, you fight. You breathe ... Keep breathing."
—Hugh Glass, The Revenant
Loki: Satisfaction is not in my nature.
Thor: Surrender is not in mine.
Thor: Surrender is not in mine.
Dormammu: You will never win!
Doctor Strange: No. But I can lose. Again... and again... and again... and again, forever. And that makes you my prisoner.
The Ancient One: You think I was wrong to cast him out?
Karl Mordo: Five hours later, he's still on your doorstep. There's a strength to him.
Karl Mordo: Five hours later, he's still on your doorstep. There's a strength to him.
"What's done is done when we say we're done."
— Ethan Matthew Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
"I want people in our simulators working reentry scenarios. I want you guys to find every engineer who designed every switch, every circuit, every transistor and every light bulb that's up there, then I want you to talk to the guys in the assembly line who actually built the thing. Find out how to squeeze every amp out of both these goddamn machines. I want this mark all the way back to Earth with time to spare! We never lost an American in space, we're sure as hell not gonna lose one on my watch. Failure is not an option."
— Gene Krantz, Apollo 13
"Please, Lord, help me get one more."
— Desmond Doss approximately 75 times, Hacksaw Ridge
Kyle Reese: [after Sarah tries to escape and bites Reese's hand, in a stolen car] Cyborgs don't feel pain. I do. Don't do that again.
Sarah Connor: [weakly] Just let me go!
Kyle Reese: Listen, and understand! That Terminator is out there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until YOU are dead!
Sarah Connor: [weakly] Just let me go!
Kyle Reese: Listen, and understand! That Terminator is out there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until YOU are dead!
John Connor: Are you ever afraid?
The Terminator: No.
John: Not even of dying?
Terminator: No.
John: You don't feel any emotion about it one way or another?
Terminator: No. I have to stay functional until my mission is complete. Then it doesn't matter.
The Terminator: No.
John: Not even of dying?
Terminator: No.
John: You don't feel any emotion about it one way or another?
Terminator: No. I have to stay functional until my mission is complete. Then it doesn't matter.
"You idiot, I'm not giving up yet. Theres a bunch of guys I have to kill first!"
—Sanjuro, Yojimbo
"I had no idea you were so strong willed. I can see that once you make up your mind about something, nothing will change it for you. My compliments."
—Miss Tanner, Suspiria (1977)
"I'll take you to Mom no matter what."
—Seok-woo, Train to Busan
"There is a prison in a more ancient part of the world, a pit where men are thrown to suffer and die. But sometimes a man rises from the darkness. Sometimes the pit sends something back."
—Alfred Pennyworth on Bane, The Dark Knight Rises
Supt. Nicholson: Your son Dan is about to be released from prison, your son Jim is still serving a sentence, your son Ned - has a price on his head, and you've already lost one husband. In all humanity, madam, I must counsel you to leave this district. It can only mean disaster to remain here.
Mrs. Kelly: A Kelly never runs away.
Mrs. Kelly: A Kelly never runs away.
"Now remember, when things look bad and it looks like you're not gonna make it, then you gotta get mean. I mean plumb, mad-dog mean. 'Cause if you lose your head and you give up, then you neither live nor win. That's just the way it is."
—Josey Wales, The Outlaw Josey Wales
"It's a beautiful land, Wilson. They're not going to get it, you know. They're not going to get their hands on it. We shall fight till the last. We shall keep firing until we've only got one round each. We shall save that for ourselves."
— Captain George Mainwaring, Dad's Army (1971)
Literature
'Badasses, much like the Goonies, never say die. To that end, they never say diet, and their color recognition vocabulary is limited to just six words. They don't flinch, cry, hesitate, show fear, or act like they notice when it's raining. Even if it's raining really, really hard. Nothing bothers them, nobody stands in their way, and they refuse to yield when the situation is ten light-years beyond hopeless. No matter what the odds are, they won't accept anything less than victory at all costs.
"Because my soul is my own. You cannot steal it from me. You cannot change it. You cannot buy it. I am mine. I have fought long and hard against horrors even you would respect. I have been beaten, but I have not yielded. I'm not going to start yielding now."
— Harry Dresden, The Dresden Files
Agent Rick: You never know when to quit, do you?
Lieutenant Murphy: Of course I do. Never.
Lieutenant Murphy: Of course I do. Never.
"You will not break me. Fuck you all."
— Carl, Dungeon Crawler Carl
"You guys see this thing? I'll tell you what. If you want it, it's yours. It's right here. Come and get it, motherfuckers. Actually, you know what? I have a better idea. No need to come to me because I'll be coming to you. That's my pledge to you and to everyone else watching this. By the time the sixth floor collapses, every single hunter who dares to set foot on the same floor as us will be dead. This I swear on my life. One by one, I will break you. I will break you all."
— Carl, Dungeon Crawler Carl book 4: The Gate of the Feral Gods
"I am going to get those banks. I'm telling you, and I'm telling those banks, and I'm telling God and all the saints, and I'm telling everybody who wants to hear it. I'm not giving up. I'm going to be here twice a month, every month, for the rest of my life if it takes that long, and you fucking people are going to be here with me, and those fucking banks are going to be waiting over there, and one of these times, I'm going to rob those two banks."
— Phil Giffin Help I Am Being Held Prisoner
"Lei varai barbu. [...] Like most such expressions, the exact translation was rather meaningless — "the true bearded one" — but the connotation was precise. The one you went with, when the family's life or honor was at stake. The one who might die in the doing, to be sure, since fortune was a fickle thing. But would neither flinch, nor hesitate, nor cry in pain or fear. Not ever. And who, even if he failed, would strike such terror in the family's enemies that they would never forget the penalty to be paid."
— Honor Harrington: Crown of Slaves
But even as hope died in Sam, or seemed to die, it was turned to a new strength. Sam's plain hobbit-face grew stern, almost grim, as the will hardened in him, and he felt through all his limbs a thrill, as if he was turning into some creature of stone and steel that neither despair nor weariness nor endless barren miles could subdue.
— The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
"This is Stannis Baratheon. The man will fight to the bitter end and then some."
— Tywin Lannister, A Song of Ice and Fire
"You may win the occasional victory against us, Vorrik, but I promise you: the Empire will always strike back."
— Gilad Pellaeon, Star Wars: Force Heretic I: Remnant
"Tell the wind and the fire when to stop, not me."
— Madame Defarge, A Tale of Two Cities
"You know those stories where the vor lord gives his daughter's suitor three impossible tasks? Never do that to Miles."
— Simon Illyan, A Civil Campaign
"The survivors were those who learned to fight dirty, and live, and fight another day, and win, and win, and win, and for whom nothing, not comfort, or security, not family or friends or their immortal souls, was more important than winning. Dead men are losers by definition. Survival and victory. They weren't supermen, or immune to pain. They sweated in confusion and darkness. And with not one-half the physical resources Marilac possesses even now, they won."
— Miles Vorkosigan, The Borders of Infinity
Chevalier pulled his sword from the ground, swayed, and very nearly fell over. Defiant caught him. Old friend, Chevalier thought, though he didn't have the breath to speak. Anyone else might have spoken up, told him he didn't have to do this, that it was madness. Defiant was silent, supporting Chevalier, helping him right himself. Defiant understood this much. The need, the drive. Chevalier took his first step with Defiant's help. The second was only partially supported. The third was on his own.
— Worm
'Reams had been written about the girl's delicate psychological condition and about what shrinks called her "basic fire conflict," a fancy way of saying that her father had told her not to and the Shop people were telling her to go ahead... all of it complicated by her guilt over the incident at the Manders farm. Rainbird bought none of it. It wasn't the drugs, it wasn't being locked up and watched constantly, it wasn't being separated from her father.
She was just tough, that was all.
She had made up her mind somewhere along the line that she wasn't going to cooperate, no matter what. The end. Toot finnee. The psychiatrists could run around showing her inkblots until the moon was blue, the doctors could play with her medication and mutter in their beards about the difficulty of successfully drugging an eight-year-old girl. The papers could pile up, and Cap could rave on and on.
And Charlene McGee would simply go on toughing it out.
She was just tough, that was all.
She had made up her mind somewhere along the line that she wasn't going to cooperate, no matter what. The end. Toot finnee. The psychiatrists could run around showing her inkblots until the moon was blue, the doctors could play with her medication and mutter in their beards about the difficulty of successfully drugging an eight-year-old girl. The papers could pile up, and Cap could rave on and on.
And Charlene McGee would simply go on toughing it out.
"You ain't never gonna be strong, bubba. Some people and plants take hold in the sun. Some wither up and die. You dyin. You know you are, and still you won't move into the shade. Why? Why you pulling this crap on your system?"
"Yeah, I bet you do. And God help anyone who gets in your way."
Andy smiled his small, composed smile, and asked Stammas what would happen to a block of concrete if a drop of water fell on it once every year for a million years. Stammas laughed and clapped Andy on the back. "You got no million years, old horse, but if you did, I believe you'd do it with that same little grin on your face. You go on and write your letters. I'll even mail them myself if you pay for the stamps."
Which Andy did. And he had the last laugh, although Stammas and Hadley weren't around to see it.
"The predicaments, risks and ordeals peculiar to the events of war bring about an emergence of the inner ‘enemy’, which, in the forms of the instinct of self-preservation, cowardice, cruelty, pity and blind riotousness, arise as obstacles to be vanquished just as one fights the outer enemy. It is clear from this that the decisive point is constituted by one’s inner orientation, one’s unshakeable persistence in what is spiritual in this double struggle, so that an irresistible and blind changing of oneself into a sort of wild animal does not occur, but, instead, a way is found of not letting the deepest forces escape, a way of seeing to it that one is never overwhelmed inwardly, that one always remains supreme master of oneself, and, precisely because of this sovereignty, one remains able to affirm himself against every possible limitation."
—Julius Evola, Metaphysics of War
Ax: <My people have a saying - grace is the acceptance of the inevitable.>
Marco: <Yeah? Well, I don't accept. That's what they want. They want the entire human race to lie down and accept the inevitable. I have a saying for you. I got it from a fortune cookie. 'Fall down seven times, get up eight.' You know what that means? That means you don't ever just lie there. You always get up. You always come back for more. You never surrender. Maybe you die, but you never surrender.>
—Animorphs #5: The Predator
"Ten spears go to battle, and nine shatter. Did that war forge the one that remained? No, Amaram. All the war did was identify the spear that would not break."
—Kaladin, Oathbringer
You goddamned idiots, she thought. Too clever for your own good. No wonder you let Quentin in, you're just like him, you can't stop outsmarting yourselves. You think you can buy off my life with this? With a bunch of fat envelopes? You are perhaps under the impression that I will accept these in lieu of the magic kingdom that is my rightful inheritance? Oh my no. Not on your life, mister. This is a standoff, a waiting game, and I've got all day. You're looking for a quick fix to the Julia problem, but no such fix exists. You'd best settle in, my friend, because Julia is playing the long game.
"They found one body about twenty miles north of where Mac Lennan had been, and another a little farther on. And when they were on the point of giving up, they found Wee Wullie. He was walking north, or rather, he was staggering north, and he was carrying the fourth chap in a fireman’s lift.
“He was in a fearful state. His face was black, his tongue and mouth were horribly dried up, all his gear was gone, of course, and he must have been on the very edge of collapse. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t speak — but he could march. God knows how long he’d been without water, or how long he’d been carrying the other fellow; he was so done that when they found him they had to stop him, physically, in his tracks, because they couldn’t make him understand. One of them said afterwards” — the second-in-command hesitated and drew on his cheroot — “that he believed Wee Wullie would just have gone on for ever.”
“He was in a fearful state. His face was black, his tongue and mouth were horribly dried up, all his gear was gone, of course, and he must have been on the very edge of collapse. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear, he couldn’t speak — but he could march. God knows how long he’d been without water, or how long he’d been carrying the other fellow; he was so done that when they found him they had to stop him, physically, in his tracks, because they couldn’t make him understand. One of them said afterwards” — the second-in-command hesitated and drew on his cheroot — “that he believed Wee Wullie would just have gone on for ever.”
"One more... One more."
—Wei Shi Lindon, Cradle: Soulsmith note
Live-Action TV
"The War. The humans, I think, knew they were doomed. But where another race would surrender to despair, the humans fought back with even greater strength. They made the Minbari fight for every inch of space. In my life, I have never seen anything like it; they would weep, they would pray, they would say goodbye to their loved ones, and then throw themselves - without fear or hesitation - at the very face of death itself, never surrendering. No one who saw them fighting against the inevitable could help but be moved to tears by their courage. Their stubborn nobility. When they ran out of ships, they used guns. When they ran out of guns, they used knives and sticks and bare hands. They were magnificent. I only hope that when it is my time, I may die with half as much dignity as I saw in their eyes in the end. They did this for two years; they never ran out of courage. But, in the end, they ran out of time."
— Londo Mollari, Babylon 5
"They might be able to stop you comin' t'me, but nothin's goin' t'stop me comin' t'you."
— Tracey Stubbs, Birds of a Feather, "Out"
"Working covert ops, you learn to exploit weakness. You manipulate greed, fear, pride, to make people do what you want. But when you're dealing with true believers, those weaknesses aren't there. All you can do is help, or get out of the way."
— Michael Westen, Burn Notice, "Truth and Reconciliation"
"Oh for heaven's sake. He just can't do it, can he? That man. That impossible man. He just can't give in."
— River Song, Doctor Who, "Forest of the Dead"
"The Doctor is never more dangerous than when the odds are against him."
— The Master, Doctor Who, "The Deadly Assassin"
"There's this emperor, and he asks this shepherd's boy... "How many seconds in eternity?" And the shepherd's boy says... "There's this mountain of pure diamond. It takes an hour to climb it, and an hour to go around it. Every hundred years, a little bird comes and sharpens its beak on the diamond mountain. And when the entire mountain is chiseled away, the first second of eternity will have passed." You must think that's a hell of a long time. Personally, I think that's a hell of a bird."
"I don't play to get even. [grabs Freddie by the shirt] Mama plays to win."
"You don't know who you're dealing with. Don't tell me what I can't do!"
— John Locke, Lost
Green Ranger: You know better than anyone how powerful I am! Why don't you just give up the fight?
Tommy: That's the one thing I'll never do.
Tommy: That's the one thing I'll never do.
Kane: Do you ever give up?
Daniel: Not 'till I'm dead. (Beat) And sometimes not even then.
Daniel: Not 'till I'm dead. (Beat) And sometimes not even then.
— Stargate SG-1, "Ethon"
"I never did know when to quit."
— Dean, Supernatural
"I'm sick to my stomach with what happened tonight. I ruined somebody's 20 year anniversary that they'll never get back. But I feel that I'm not done chef. I take full responsibility for what happened but I really, really don't want to go. I had the worst service of my life. I am so disappointed in myself that I am literally cringing. Cringing at watching you at the pass and I'm fucking you on every fucking table because I couldn't get my shit together. I don't want that to ever happen again and I have enough determination to ensure that it won't fucking happen again! That's why I still want to be here; because my fire isn't out!"
— Paul, Hell's Kitchen
"There is only one god, and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: 'Not today.'"
— Syrio Forel, Game of Thrones
"I have an enemy and I won't stop until he's dead or I am."
— Sun, Sense8
Poe: Mr. Kovacs has a singular force of will.
Mickey: What does that even mean?
Ava: He's a suicidal idiot who never ever gives up.
Mickey: What does that even mean?
Ava: He's a suicidal idiot who never ever gives up.
"You cannot break my conviction."
— Gentoku Himuro/Kamen Rider Rogue, Kamen Rider Build
"As much as I admire your habit of charging at every obstacle in you path, like a colt in full gallop... Has it ever occurred to you [Galadriel] that you're not battling trolls or Orcs, but Men?"
— Halbrand/Sauron, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Thomas LeRoy: We have to stop him.
Patrick Harper: You can't stop Captain Sharpe, sir. You can walk away from him, or you can stand behind him, but don't ever try to get in his way.
Patrick Harper: You can't stop Captain Sharpe, sir. You can walk away from him, or you can stand behind him, but don't ever try to get in his way.
"Riku... That's the name my wife and I came up with. We thought we'd name our own son that, when he was born. A name that'd represent having your feet on the ground, standing firm. So that no matter what trouble he'd run into, he'd stand again. That was what we wanted it to mean!"
— Sui Asakura to his adoptive son, Ultraman Geed
"I'm... not going to give up. I can't give up. Not as long as the truth is out there."
— Fox Mulder, The X-Files
Music
"Watch the end through dying eyes
Now the dark is taking over
Show me where forever dies
Take the fall and run to heaven
All is lost again, but I'm not giving in
I will not bow, I will not break
I will shove the world away
I will not fall, I will not fade
I will take your breath away"
Now the dark is taking over
Show me where forever dies
Take the fall and run to heaven
All is lost again, but I'm not giving in
I will not bow, I will not break
I will shove the world away
I will not fall, I will not fade
I will take your breath away"
— Breaking Benjamin, "I Will Not Bow"
"You never bend, you never break
You seem to know just what it takes
You're a fighter!
It's in the blood, it's in the will
It's in the mighty hands of steel
When you're standing your ground
And you never get hit when your back's to the wall
Gonna fight to the end and you're taking it all!"
You seem to know just what it takes
You're a fighter!
It's in the blood, it's in the will
It's in the mighty hands of steel
When you're standing your ground
And you never get hit when your back's to the wall
Gonna fight to the end and you're taking it all!"
— Stan Bush, "The Touch"
"On Your Mark! So long there's a dream,
We never give up,
And we'll reach it over steep slopes.
I believe we shall make it there."
We never give up,
And we'll reach it over steep slopes.
I believe we shall make it there."
— CHAGE & ASKA, "On Your Mark" (unofficial English translation by neo1024)
"Oh, I've played on with a heart attack, I've played on with a crutch,
I've gone out there with two wooden legs, and I barely got a touch!
I've played with busted kneecaps and I've played with a broken head,
I have played when the club doctor called me clinically dead!
I've had malaria 'gainst the Eagles, broke my neck against the Crows,
Had a triple multi-bypass compund fracture of my nose,
I've had ulcers on me blisters and an abcess on the brain,
I've had both arms amputated - I'm impervious to pain!"
I've gone out there with two wooden legs, and I barely got a touch!
I've played with busted kneecaps and I've played with a broken head,
I have played when the club doctor called me clinically dead!
I've had malaria 'gainst the Eagles, broke my neck against the Crows,
Had a triple multi-bypass compund fracture of my nose,
I've had ulcers on me blisters and an abcess on the brain,
I've had both arms amputated - I'm impervious to pain!"
— Greg Champion, "With a Brace Upon My Knee", in reference to Jim Stynes and to the tune of "Oh, Susanna!"
and to the tune of "Oh, Susanna!""I can't hold on much longer
But I will never let go!"
But I will never let go!"
"The thing I treasure most in life cannot be taken away
There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice
To change myself, I'd rather die
Though they will not understand
I won't make the greatest sacrifice
You can't predict where the outcome lies
You'll never take me alive"
There will never be a reason why I will surrender to your advice
To change myself, I'd rather die
Though they will not understand
I won't make the greatest sacrifice
You can't predict where the outcome lies
You'll never take me alive"
— Disturbed, "I'm Alive"
"You can sound the alarm
You can call out your guards
You can fence in your yard
You can hold all the cards
But I won't. Back. Down.
Oh, no I won't. Back. Down."
You can call out your guards
You can fence in your yard
You can hold all the cards
But I won't. Back. Down.
Oh, no I won't. Back. Down."
— Eminem, "Won't Back Down"
"So hats off to the bull, no giving up
Either way, it makes ya mad, well some of us
Hats off to the bull, keep giving all
What ya say when we make amends?"
Either way, it makes ya mad, well some of us
Hats off to the bull, keep giving all
What ya say when we make amends?"
— Chevelle, "Hats Off To The Bull"
I've been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet
A pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing
Each time I find myself
Flat on my face
I pick myself up and get
Back in the race
A pawn and a king
I've been up and down and over and out
And I know one thing
Each time I find myself
Flat on my face
I pick myself up and get
Back in the race
—Frank Sinatra, "That's life"
"What if I say I'm not like the others
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender"
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender"
— Foo Fighters, "The Pretender"
"Never give up! Never give in! Won't stop believing cause I'm gonna win!"
— Masterplan, "Spirit Never Dies"
"Unsinkable ships sink.
Unbreakable walls break.
Sometimes the things you think would never happen,
Happen just like that.
Unbendable steel bends.
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable,
I've learned to never underestimate,
The impossible"
Unbreakable walls break.
Sometimes the things you think would never happen,
Happen just like that.
Unbendable steel bends.
If the fury of the wind is unstoppable,
I've learned to never underestimate,
The impossible"
— Joe Nicholls, "The Impossible"
"I'm black and blue, beat up, but still I take the blows,
'Cause all I need is blood and sweat and skin and bone!
I'll take this rage, rattle your cage, nobody said it's easy,
It's do or die, only the strong survive!
Get ready for the last stand!
Get ready, I'm your hangman!"
'Cause all I need is blood and sweat and skin and bone!
I'll take this rage, rattle your cage, nobody said it's easy,
It's do or die, only the strong survive!
Get ready for the last stand!
Get ready, I'm your hangman!"
— Ozzy Osbourne, "Let Me Hear You Scream"
"I won't give up, no I won't give in,
Till I reach the end, then I'll start again.
No I won't leave, I wanna try everything,
I wanna try even though I could fail."
Till I reach the end, then I'll start again.
No I won't leave, I wanna try everything,
I wanna try even though I could fail."
The sun'll come out, nothing good ever comes easy
I know times are rough but winners don't quit
So don't you give up, the sun'll come out
But we've been struggling endlessly
Someday we'll find the love
'Cause after the storm's when the flowers bloom
I know times are rough but winners don't quit
So don't you give up, the sun'll come out
But we've been struggling endlessly
Someday we'll find the love
'Cause after the storm's when the flowers bloom
— Kali Uchis, "After the Storm"
"Batman beat the hell out of me, and knocked me to the floor. I got back up and knocked him to the floor. He was being such a jackoff!"
— Wesley Willis, spoken midway through "I Whupped Batman's Ass"
"But I won't be kept down.
I'll just keep on rising.
Failure ever fading.
Growth in every pain.
I won't be kept down.
Embers keep igniting.
Suns will sink to shade.
But always rise again.
Always rise again.
Always rise again..."
I'll just keep on rising.
Failure ever fading.
Growth in every pain.
I won't be kept down.
Embers keep igniting.
Suns will sink to shade.
But always rise again.
Always rise again.
Always rise again..."
So, you can throw me to the wolves
Tomorrow I will come back
Leader of the whole pack
Beat me black and blue
Every wound will shape me
Every scar will build my throne...
Tomorrow I will come back
Leader of the whole pack
Beat me black and blue
Every wound will shape me
Every scar will build my throne...
— Bring Me the Horizon, "Throne"
"Who's the cat that won't cop out
When there's danger all about?
SHAFT!
Right on!"
When there's danger all about?
SHAFT!
Right on!"
—Isaac Hayes, Theme from Shaft''
"My heart is a furnace, hot as hell in my world of conflict
One goal is what keeps me going
Take back what I lost to the bosses of greed and fear, yeah
Don't ask why I'm ready, but I'm ready to take them down now
The time for a new start is constantly drawing nearer
A river in a dry land
The last ace in a lost hand
When the hope of new beginnings burned our feet
Now we need it
A heartbeat for a tin man
An oasis in a singed land
Remind us what we're here for
Creating new life
Creating rivers in the desert"
One goal is what keeps me going
Take back what I lost to the bosses of greed and fear, yeah
Don't ask why I'm ready, but I'm ready to take them down now
The time for a new start is constantly drawing nearer
A river in a dry land
The last ace in a lost hand
When the hope of new beginnings burned our feet
Now we need it
A heartbeat for a tin man
An oasis in a singed land
Remind us what we're here for
Creating new life
Creating rivers in the desert"
— Lyn Inaizumi, "Rivers in the Desert", Persona 5
"So far away we wait for the day
For the lives all so wasted and gone
We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days
Through the fire and the flames we carry on"
For the lives all so wasted and gone
We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days
Through the fire and the flames we carry on"
— DragonForce, "Through the Fire and Flames"
“It doesn't matter now what happens; I will never give up the fight
There is no way I will run away from all of my frights
Long as the voice inside me says "go", I will always keep on runnin'
There is no way to stop me from goin' to the very top.”
There is no way I will run away from all of my frights
Long as the voice inside me says "go", I will always keep on runnin'
There is no way to stop me from goin' to the very top.”
— Tony Harnell, “It Doesn’t Matter"
But I'm gonna win, I'm gonna try
I'll never lose, I'll never die
You've seen me before, you'll see me again
I'll never give up, I'll never give in
'Til I'm bloody and bruised
'Til I've broken my bones
'Til I won't be abused
'Til I'm laughing alone
I'll never lose, I'll never die
You've seen me before, you'll see me again
I'll never give up, I'll never give in
'Til I'm bloody and bruised
'Til I've broken my bones
'Til I won't be abused
'Til I'm laughing alone
— Rob Cantor, "I'm Gonna Win"
Don't you know I'm still standin' better than I ever did?
Lookin' like a true survivor, feelin' like a little kid
And I'm still standin' after all this time
Pickin' up the pieces of my life without you on my mind
I'm still standin' (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Lookin' like a true survivor, feelin' like a little kid
And I'm still standin' after all this time
Pickin' up the pieces of my life without you on my mind
I'm still standin' (yeah, yeah, yeah)
— Elton John, "I'm Still Standin'"
So remember
No surrender
My defining moment
I will stand up
Overcome my past
This indifference to the end
If it takes forever
No surrender
Now or never
My last stand!
No surrender
My defining moment
I will stand up
Overcome my past
This indifference to the end
If it takes forever
No surrender
Now or never
My last stand!
—Robbie Wyckoff, "My Last Stand"
Poetry
"'Tis a lesson you should heed:
Try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try, try again."
Try, try again.
If at first you don't succeed,
Try, try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try, try again."
— William Edward Hickson, The Singing Master
"Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair."
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair."
— Langston Hughes, "Mother to Son"
"An' then there was my junior year,
Billy had a brand new car.
It was late, the road was wet,
I guess the curve was just too sharp.
I walked away without a scratch.
They brought the helicopter in.
Billy couldn't feel his legs.
They said he'd never walk again.
But Billy said he would an' his mom and daddy prayed,
An' the day we graduated, he stood up to say:
'Fight on my men, Sir Andrew said,
A little I'm hurt but not yet slain.
I'll just lie down and bleed awhile,
And I'll rise and fight again.'"
Billy had a brand new car.
It was late, the road was wet,
I guess the curve was just too sharp.
I walked away without a scratch.
They brought the helicopter in.
Billy couldn't feel his legs.
They said he'd never walk again.
But Billy said he would an' his mom and daddy prayed,
An' the day we graduated, he stood up to say:
'Fight on my men, Sir Andrew said,
A little I'm hurt but not yet slain.
I'll just lie down and bleed awhile,
And I'll rise and fight again.'"
— Marv Levy quoting an unknown English poem
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
— Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ulysses
Somebody said that it couldn't be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't", but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it!
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't", but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with a trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it!
— Edgar Albert Guest, It Couldn't Be Done
Professional Wrestling
"It doesn't matter how many times I get knocked down. What matters is how many times I get back up!"
"If I had a dime for every time I got knocked down and didn't get back up...I'd have...ZERO DIMES!"
— Enzo Amore, WWE Raw
"Thank you sir, may I have another?"
— Tommy Dreamer, during his Singapore Caning Match with The Sandman, ECW Hardcore TV, August 30, 1994.
"I looked down at my Chicago Bears sweat-shirt — back in the days when they were two and twelve, in the waning days of Dick Butkus — and my Chicago Bears white sweatshirt had suddenly turned red and children were running from me, scared, ah, I was bleeding, I was in pain and I was loving it. Because I felt like I'd finally found something in my life that I could do better than everybody else. Handle pain."
"Stitch me up, doc, I got a match tonight!"
— "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, after getting busted open during an afternoon match.
Radio
"No matter what happens, no matter the odds, we never, ever, ever give up!"
— The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Doctors, Big Finish Doctor Who, "Zagreus"
"He won't give in without a fight, and he won't give in."
— Herman Cain Show promo
"There's a special place in hell reserved for those dumb enough to die trying to out-stubborn Lieutenant-Commander Renee Minkowski."
— Doug Eiffel, Wolf 359
Tabletop Games
"No rest. No mercy. No matter what."
— Akroma, Magic: The Gathering
"The Fates tried to cut her string but found the thread had turned to iron."
— Magic: The Gathering, "Mortal's Resolve"
"If there can be no victory, then I will fight forever."
— Koth of the Hammer, Magic: The Gathering
"What is the strongest weapon of mankind? The god-machines of the Adeptus Mechanicus? No! The Astartes Legions? No! The tank? The lasgun? The fist? Not at all! Courage and courage alone stands above them all!"
"Somewhere in the universe a coin flip lands on its side."
"Somewhere in the universe a drop of water saves a life."
"Somewhere in the universe a pebble stops a landslide."
"Maybe it is because someone believed hard enough."
"Maybe it is because everything is secretly fair."
"Maybe it is because the universe is a vast place."
"Yesterday, I was very cold."
"Yesterday, I was very hungry."
"Yesterday, I wanted to run away."
"Today, I am going to believe hard enough."
"Today, a pebble will stop a landslide."
"Today, I am not going anywhere."
— Poem in honor to Ollaius Pius, Warhammer 40,000
"The planet broke before the Guard did."
—Fandom saying, regarding the Fall of Cadia
''Duty is not a word coined in idleness; duty being the first grace the Emperor extends to the newborn, and the last connection with Him to comfort the dying, and so the forsaking of it is damnation in evident form.
— The Book of Law, Warhammer 40,000
"We are the rats and the cockroaches of the magical world. Our penchant for thinking, showing and acting with utter adherence to Asha makes us repugnant to the lapdogs of disorder and falsehood. We are stomped on repeatedly, and yet we never die. Not only can we survive in the harshest environments, but we make a point of doing so on a regular basis. Any setting where the beliefs of the common people hasn't been usurped by the Technocrats works for us. If that means that we have to establish our homes in places others consider inhospitable, so be it. When you have the freedom to use it with impunity, magic makes any place comfortable."
—Mage: The Ascension - Lost Paths
Theatre
"Even though we started at the very same time
Alexander Hamilton began to climb
How to account for his rise to the top?
Maaaaan, the man is non-stop!"
Alexander Hamilton began to climb
How to account for his rise to the top?
Maaaaan, the man is non-stop!"
— Aaron Burr, Hamilton, "Non-Stop"
"To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star"
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go
To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star
This is my quest
To follow that star
No matter how hopeless
No matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march into Hell
For a heavenly cause
And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm
When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this
That one man, scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star"
— Man of La Mancha, "The Impossible Dream"
You can build me up,
you can tear me down.
You can try, but I'm unbreakable.
You can do your best,
but I'll stand the test.
You'll find that I'm unshakable.
When the fire's burnt,
when the wind has blown,
when the water's dried,
you'll still find stone...
My heart of stone.
you can tear me down.
You can try, but I'm unbreakable.
You can do your best,
but I'll stand the test.
You'll find that I'm unshakable.
When the fire's burnt,
when the wind has blown,
when the water's dried,
you'll still find stone...
My heart of stone.
—Jane Seymour, Six, "Heart of Stone"
Video Games
"Do you know what sort of creature waits to die? Sheep."
—Apollyon, For Honor
Oracle: Bruce! Can you hear me? Your vitals... They're dropping! It's like they're in freefall! You need to find whatever you're looking for now!
Batman: [cough] ...How long have I got?
Oracle: Oh, thank God! ...I'm not going to sugar-coat it; at this rate, I'd say minutes. Seriously, Bruce, you need to tell me what you want me to do. What do I get Robin to do? You know, if you don't...
Batman: ...I'll make it.
Batman: [cough] ...How long have I got?
Oracle: Oh, thank God! ...I'm not going to sugar-coat it; at this rate, I'd say minutes. Seriously, Bruce, you need to tell me what you want me to do. What do I get Robin to do? You know, if you don't...
Batman: ...I'll make it.
"The healthy human mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day on earth. But I think that's a luxury, not a curse. To know you're close to the end is a kind of freedom. Good time to take... inventory. Out-gunned. Outnumbered. Out of our minds. On a suicide mission. But the sand and rocks here stained with thousands of years of warfare... they will remember us. For this. Because out of all our vast array of nightmares, this is the one we choose for ourselves. We go forward like a breath exhaled from the earth. With vigor in our hearts and one goal in sight: We. Will. Kill him."
— Captain John Price, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
"All it takes is a will of a single man."
— Vladimir Makarov, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
"If history is to change, let it change! If the world is to be destroyed, so be it! If my fate is to perish... I must simply laugh! I'm coming for you, Lavos!"
— Magus, Chrono Trigger
"Nothing stands in the path of an avalanche."
—The Leper, Darkest Dungeon
Patches never lost heart, and never looked back. He marched in one direction, and that direction was dead ahead. Did you see him passing by?
— Patches' Ashes description, Dark Souls 3
"Many fall in the face of chaos; but not this one. Not today."
— The Ancestor on a hero who's gained the Stalwart virtue, Darkest Dungeon
"What manner of man is he who defies Death through sheer force of will?"
—The Academic, regarding the Flagellant, Darkest Dungeon II
Shizuo: Hey, ain't that actually a good thing? Because I ain't got a clue how flowers are any better than weeds.
Tatsuya: What do you mean?
Shizuo: Because, you gotta really tend to a potted flower whereas weeds can grow anywhere. No matter how you think of it, ain't weeds stronger? You pull them and pull them and they'll soon keep growing back again.
Tatsuya: What do you mean?
Shizuo: Because, you gotta really tend to a potted flower whereas weeds can grow anywhere. No matter how you think of it, ain't weeds stronger? You pull them and pull them and they'll soon keep growing back again.
Lorath Nahr: Doesn't our friend ever tire? I've hardly seen [him/her] rest since we've met.
Tyrael: Now you why angels and demons fear the nephalem, Lorath.
Tyrael: Now you why angels and demons fear the nephalem, Lorath.
"He is the infernal engine, can't you see? He never stops. He only gets worse."
— The Limbic System on the Player Character, Disco Elysium
Pan-Galactic Alliance Representative: U-Unable to process. Are you going to oppose the entire universe!?
Valvatorez: I sure will! And I'll keep opposing you until you bastards change your decision!
Valvatorez: I sure will! And I'll keep opposing you until you bastards change your decision!
"He set forth without pity upon the beasts of the nine circles. Unbreakable, incorruptible, unyielding, the Doom Slayer sought to end the dominion of the dark realm."
— The Slayer Testament, Doom (2016)
"Your only redeeming trait was how you would never give up. Am I wrong?"
— Sherman, regarding the game's protagonist, Fang, Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force
"The sorrow of a thousand thousand worlds weighs heavy. And yet you can walk on."
— The narration, referring to the Warrior of Light, Final Fantasy XIV
"I don’t need encouragement. I’d fight to the end no matter what. Ashera, you can’t stop me. It doesn’t matter if you’re a goddess. It doesn’t matter if I have no way to win. Fighting defines me, and I will not lose."
— Ike, Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
"You cannot kill hate. Not hate on the scale of Alma."
— Genevive Aristide, F.E.A.R.
"The hands of death could not defeat me. The sisters of fate could not hold me. And you will not see the end of this day. I will have my revenge!"
— Kratos declaring his vengeance, God of War 3
Megaera: Listen to me, Zagreus. Your mother is long gone. You're never getting out of here, and even if you did, what hope could you possibly have in finding her up in the world out there?
Zagreus: I've hope enough. Not that it's any of your business anymore.
Zagreus: I've hope enough. Not that it's any of your business anymore.
— Hades
Riku: No vessel, no help from the Heartless... So tell me, how’d you get here?
Beast: I simply believed. Nothing more to it.
Beast: I simply believed. Nothing more to it.
"Your body submits, your heart succumbs... so why does your mind resist?"
— Xehanort to the Lingering Will, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Terra-Xehahnort: HOW? You fell to the dar-
(the Guardian performs a Facepalm of Doom, followed by tearing the bindings from its face)
Guardian: One... day... I... will... set... this... right. One day... I will set this right! I will return to this land, and protect my friends!
(the Guardian performs a Facepalm of Doom, followed by tearing the bindings from its face)
Guardian: One... day... I... will... set... this... right. One day... I will set this right! I will return to this land, and protect my friends!
Kirby has defeated Kracko countless times, but as long as the clouds still hang in the sky, Kracko will never give up the fight!
—Pause Description for Kracko DX, Kirby: Triple Deluxe
"When lost in utter darkness, there is nothing left but forward."
— Nautilus, League of Legends
"I have not... come this far... to die now."
— Nick, Left 4 Dead 2
"Hear this! I will kidnap Peach OVER and OVER again until I pull it off! And no one can stop me! Losing is not an option! And neither is giving up!"
"You will only see a turian's back when he's dead."
"A stubborn enough person can survive just about anything. Rage is a hell of an anesthetic."
— Zaeed Massani, Mass Effect 2
Leviathan: Your confidence is singular.
Shepard: I've earned it - out there fighting, where you should be.
Leviathan: It is clear why the Reapers perceive you as a threat. Your victories are more than a product of chance.
Shepard: I've earned it - out there fighting, where you should be.
Leviathan: It is clear why the Reapers perceive you as a threat. Your victories are more than a product of chance.
— Mass Effect 3, "Leviathan" DLC
"SNAAAAAAAKE! It's NOT over yet!"
— Liquid Snake while battling Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid
"Always said you were an optimist. Know what that is, mate? It's about sizing up a situation that's bloody impossible and saying 'Yeah alright, I'll have a go!' I'm exactly the same way."
—Brûz the Chopper, Middle-earth: Shadow of War
What happens here is one thing... But don’t think our spirit can ever be broken!
"Test subject is abnormally stubborn. She never gives up. Ever."
I'll never retire! I can win at least once more! C'mon!!
— Gabby Jay, Super Punch-Out!!
Killdrones don't feel pain, don't feel fear. They will keep trying to kill you until you make it physically impossible for them to function.
An ordinary person can do an impossible thing. Not in a sudden moment of brilliance, but with time and persistence. It's like erosion. It's taken me years. It might take me decades.
All the research, the interviews, the trials, the errors. I know how now. The word is sparagmos.
."Two air pirates, a Silvite, two crazy old men, a snot-nosed brat, and an airsick prince! Valua doesn't stand a chance against us!"
— Vyse, Skies of Arcadia
"When I get down to work, there's just no stopping me!"
— Red Savarin, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
(So break through it all!)
Don't stop, we're on a mission!
Overdrive and overrun the competition!
Counting up the damage when it's done!
(So break through it all!)
We can't pretend to listen!
Sorry if it puts you in an imposition!
We won't stop until the battle's won!
Don't stop, we're on a mission!
Overdrive and overrun the competition!
Counting up the damage when it's done!
(So break through it all!)
We can't pretend to listen!
Sorry if it puts you in an imposition!
We won't stop until the battle's won!
— "Break Through It All", Sonic Frontiers (vocals by Kellin Quinn)
"To lose is not an option."
Gnome 1: Oh shit, the kid is still following us!
Gnome 2: He's not gonna stop until he finds a way to become normal size again! That means he's coming after YOU, Warlock!
Gnome Warlock: What?! Ah FUCK!
Gnome 2: He's not gonna stop until he finds a way to become normal size again! That means he's coming after YOU, Warlock!
Gnome Warlock: What?! Ah FUCK!
"None of this would've happened if you had just stopped."
— Lieutenant-Colonel John Konrad, Spec Ops: The Line
"The universe never gave us a chance, but we're still alive and kicking. We got tossed to the far end of the galaxy, dropped smack dab between two ugly alien armies, and we're not all dead yet? Tell me that don't say something about us."
— Red Quinton, StarCraft
"Aaaaauuuuuuurrghhh! I am so angry I am cooking in my own succulent juices! The Goombas have lost...Again?! Is this our destiny?! To be trampled by oppressive feet for all eternity? No, we will definitely triumph next time! Yes, next time! The Goombas' fate is not defeat, but perseverance!"
—Gomboss on losing to Mario, Super Mario 64 DS
"Don't give up
We still have a chance to make it
I can feel us all rising up
Now, don't give up
Even though the odds have left us
Feeling so small, but we can't stop now"
We still have a chance to make it
I can feel us all rising up
Now, don't give up
Even though the odds have left us
Feeling so small, but we can't stop now"
— "Rising Up", Tales of Zestiria
Starscream: Impossible! No one has ever survived to reach this place!
Megatron: You shall soon learn, Starscream... I decide what is possible and what isn't!
Megatron: You shall soon learn, Starscream... I decide what is possible and what isn't!
The failure of the insurrection was no surprise however, and few knew that better than Sisyphus himself. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, that even if they miraculously survived this encounter, they had no chance of winning a full scale war against all of Heaven. Yet he thrust his full heart and soul into battle with a wide smile on his face.
To him, fighting an impossible battle with full knowledge of its futility and taking joy in just the act of resistance itself is the ultimate rebellion against the oppressor. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
To him, fighting an impossible battle with full knowledge of its futility and taking joy in just the act of resistance itself is the ultimate rebellion against the oppressor. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.
— Terminal entry for Sisyphus Prime, ULTRAKILL
"I'll show you how determined monsters truly are!"
— Undyne just before her Boss Battle, Undertale
"I know your type. You're, uh, very determined, aren't you? You'll never give up, even if there's, uh... absolutely NO benefit to persevering whatsoever. If I can make that clear. No matter what, you'll just keep going. Not out of any desire for good or evil... but just because you think you can. And because you can... you have to. But now, you've reached the end. There is nothing left for you now. So, uh, in my personal opinion... the most "determined" thing you can do here? Is to, uh, completely give up. and... do literally anything else."
"But it refused."
"See, that's what's good about you. Heroes... monsters... Overseers... witches... You're in way over your head. You don't even have powers, like I do, but you keep trying. Even when it's hopeless. I really... admire... that... about you."
— Miriam to The Bard, Wandersong
Arthas: That woman is starting to vex me greatly.
Kel'Thuzad: She is persistent. Reminds me of you, death knight.
Arthas: Shut up, you damned ghost.
Kel'Thuzad: She is persistent. Reminds me of you, death knight.
Arthas: Shut up, you damned ghost.
— Warcraft III
"All is not lost. Not yet."
— Darion Mograine, World of Warcraft
"I'll let you in on a little something. The yakuza game, it's not like boxing. The man who gets beat down isn't the loser. The guy who can't tough it out until the end, he's the one who loses. Eh? Don't you think? In the yakuza life, there are no KO's. I'll tell you what, Kiryu. To me, a finger or two don't mean shit. Having Awano or Shibusawa beat me to the captain's spot? Couldn't give a fuck... As long as I'm alive, I'll keep getting up for more. Which is why you... A half-ass like you's the one thing I can't stand. Now DIE, you little shit!"
—Daisaku Kuze, Yakuza 0
Visual Novels
"The evil gods were just too strong.
The good god suffered much pain, and was cast down again and again.
It was covered in wounds, and drenched in blood, yet the good god never gave up.
Again and again it rose to its feet. Again and again it forced back its tears, clenched its teeth, and with sword in hand did battle with the evil gods.
As the evil gods looked upon the good god, they began to feel fear.
Its suffering should be unbearable.
It should be crying out in terrible pain.
So how..... How does it keep standing?"
The good god suffered much pain, and was cast down again and again.
It was covered in wounds, and drenched in blood, yet the good god never gave up.
Again and again it rose to its feet. Again and again it forced back its tears, clenched its teeth, and with sword in hand did battle with the evil gods.
As the evil gods looked upon the good god, they began to feel fear.
Its suffering should be unbearable.
It should be crying out in terrible pain.
So how..... How does it keep standing?"
— Elder Gods Ending, Demonbane
"And so. He realizes that there will be no end to the attacks. This enemy will not stop. The enemy will never stop on his own."
— Archer on Shirou, Fate/stay night
"I pour determination into my dying body."
— Shirou, Fate/stay night
"Fine! Bring it on, then! I'll show you whose mind is the strongest! I will not yield an inch of my future!"
— Miyo Takano, Higurashi: When They Cry
"In five minutes, I would be dead. What could I do in five minutes? How could I save myself? I gave a raspy, quiet laugh. Even with death staring me in the face, I seemed to be determined to struggle right up until the very end."
— Sigma, Virtue's Last Reward
"A dragon never yields. Even when wounded, a dragon bites down hard and never lets go 'til its dying breath. It glares, it roars, and it latches its jaws firmly on its prey 'til the bitter end. That's what lawyers do to get to the truth!"
"Giving up... Giving up. Look at me, there are no such words in my dictionary! Because, if you keep believing in your dream, it will come true!"
— Amakasu Masahiko, Soushuu Senshinkan Gakuen Hachimyoujin
"The worst of times are when lawyers have to force their biggest smiles."
—Mia Fey and later Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney
All Willys know what they want—but only a handful of them have the willpower to push towards it, and the speed to act as soon as they are able.
— Willy's Ambitious build, Memory Leak
Web Animation
"The more you knock me down, the more I get back up
The more you shut me up, the more I'm gonna shout
The more you take from me, the more I'm gettin' back
The more you try to break me, you're gonna see...
You won't break me!"
The more you shut me up, the more I'm gonna shout
The more you take from me, the more I'm gettin' back
The more you try to break me, you're gonna see...
You won't break me!"
— Red vs. Blue Season 10 trailer, "The More"
"As long as I'm alive, you're all dead."
— Sharkface, Red vs. Blue
"At the start of college, he asked himself what were going to be the most important things for humanity in his lifetime, was he decided that were the internet, sustainable energy and space exploration. Then instead of being distracted by girls in college and giving up on his dream like a normal person, he was distracted by girls in college and still did at anyway."
— Casually Explained: Elon Musk
"I'm gonna get it! I'm gonna do it my way! I DON'T CARE IF GRAVITY SAYS YOU CAN'T, I'M GONNA!"
"The victors" appeared to be declaring themselves victorious. Meanwhile "the vanquished" were getting ready for round five.
Webcomics
"You know, your girlfriend's determination is ASTOUNDING? How does she do THAT REALLY?"
— Beitus discusses Vihnie with Rodard, Hackbent
Quintet: Don't you know when to give up?
Mega Man: Don't ask me questions with answers that don't exist.
Mega Man: Don't ask me questions with answers that don't exist.
"He's like the Energizer bunny, a Rolex watch, and Jackie Chan mixed together."
— Xykon on O-Chul, The Order of the Stick
"Well, it's like my dad says: We gods may have a lot of bad qualities... but we sure ain't quitters."
— Thor, The Order of the Stick.
"Failure is not an option.
It is mandatory.
The option is whether or not to let failure be the last thing you do."
It is mandatory.
The option is whether or not to let failure be the last thing you do."
— Maxim 70 from Schlock Mercenary's 'Seventy Maxims of Maximally Effective Mercenaries'
Basitin Councilor: We were told you'd been fatally wounded!
King Adelaide: Yes, I'd been told that as well. I chose to ignore it and continue living.
King Adelaide: Yes, I'd been told that as well. I chose to ignore it and continue living.
— Twokinds
Mho was not the strongest of sqids, or the fastest. He definitely wasn't the smartest. However, he was persistent and that's just as important since we're telling his story while many stronger, smarter and faster sqids have been lost to history.
— Sam Starfall (telling a sqid legend), Freefall
Redwen: How the hell do you do that Angie? How do you manage to stay so damn wholesome no matter what?
Angela: I have to. For all of us. Because what good would I be as a Paladin... ...if I allowed hardship or sorrow to break my heart?
Angela: I have to. For all of us. Because what good would I be as a Paladin... ...if I allowed hardship or sorrow to break my heart?
Web Original
"FALL SEVEN TIMES. STAND UP EIGHT."
"His shin wouldn't stop bleeding and he wouldn't stop smashing it into Piotrowski. You could tell he hated it, but Rob Kaman doesn't care - he will beat you with his own open wound just to teach you both how weak you are."
"Never give up, no matter how bleak the situation. You just never know..."
— Shoryuken.com Pro Tip #7, EVO 2007, wherein Justin Wong comes back from a 2-0 deficit to win in MvC2... using Cyclops
There is no more time to be scared
The pain ends now, I am prepared
I'll go forward with all our strength
I'll make you see your end of days
I'll make sure our hopes aren't shattered
Pierce the evils you have gathered
The pain ends now, I am prepared
I'll go forward with all our strength
I'll make you see your end of days
I'll make sure our hopes aren't shattered
Pierce the evils you have gathered
— Singer (implied to be Ribbon), Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards, Zero-Two's Theme, GaMetal Remix Ft. Edobean
"Nanoha is freaking badass. Upon seeing seeing her attacks do squat against a nigh invulnerable opponent, the first thing that pops through her mind is effectively 'More Dakka.'"
on paper, Chuck wasn’t the fastest guy on the field, but he hauled ass all the way to Oklahoma without getting caught. when it comes to long-distance football, whatever’s on paper often goes out the window. it comes down to who really wants it the most. who’s willing to run for 19 hours a day, and who prefers to call it in and ask for another squad on your team to run ‘em down.
nobody wanted it more than Chuck, turns out
nobody wanted it more than Chuck, turns out
— Juice, 20020, Chapter 5
Coach E: Y’all really sat around on the field for, what, 2,000 years so you could pull that?
Manny: About that.
Coach E: All these days we spent marching out here, I kept telling my players it’s all about who wants it more. Who wants it more, who wants it more.
There’s so much about y’all I don’t understand, but I know nobody on Earth wants it like you do.
I mean, what is that?
You waited 2,000 years for this?
What makes you want to do this?
Manny: Ha.
We ask each other that all the time. I like to say that him and me are so damn crazy, of course we married each other. Nobody else would take us.
I just need to try something impossible. That’s what it is for me. I need to find one of the rules of the world and break it.
Manny: About that.
Coach E: All these days we spent marching out here, I kept telling my players it’s all about who wants it more. Who wants it more, who wants it more.
There’s so much about y’all I don’t understand, but I know nobody on Earth wants it like you do.
I mean, what is that?
You waited 2,000 years for this?
What makes you want to do this?
Manny: Ha.
We ask each other that all the time. I like to say that him and me are so damn crazy, of course we married each other. Nobody else would take us.
I just need to try something impossible. That’s what it is for me. I need to find one of the rules of the world and break it.
— 20020, Chapter 12
Still, when life hands you lemons, sometimes all you can do is shrug and make some freakin' lemonade. Sure she'll question herself, and maybe she'll apologize for the hot steaming mess she made of things after, but when trouble strikes all you can really do is soldier on and see it to its end. This sort of patient endurance, if appropriately cultivated by Citayla, will become the foundation for an unshakeable, well-reasoned dragon once she gets a few years and a butt-ton of failures tucked away in her back pocket. Nothing speaks like experience, nothing teaches like having to pick up from the bottom of the pit and climb back out again, and she'll have it in spades.
— Character summary of Ilyscaeth, PernWorld MUSH
, PernWorld MUSHMost who played the game progressed a couple of screens into it before becoming fed-up by having to constantly reboot and tossing the disk in disgust, writing off the experience as a shoddily programmed farce. However, there is one thing about the world of computers that remains true, no matter the era: some people who use them have way too much time on their hands.
A young man by the name of Michael Nevins decided to see if there was more to Pale Luna than what met the eye. Five hours and thirty-three screens worth of trial-and-error and unplugged computer cords later, he finally managed to make the game display different text.
A young man by the name of Michael Nevins decided to see if there was more to Pale Luna than what met the eye. Five hours and thirty-three screens worth of trial-and-error and unplugged computer cords later, he finally managed to make the game display different text.
Web Video
Woolie: No! But Goku would get back up! Naruto would get back up! Bleach would get back up! Edward Elric would get back up!
Matt: Aah, fuck it, I'm getting back up!
Woolie: Yeeah!
Matt: Aah, fuck it, I'm getting back up!
Woolie: Yeeah!
"I'm not giving up. I want you to know that."
— GrayStillPlays, on several occasions
Western Animation
Annie: There is no way I am leaving you alone, Zach. We are walking out of these woods together.
Zach: Come on, you're just being stubborn.
Annie: No, Zach. I'm determined.
Zach: Come on, you're just being stubborn.
Annie: No, Zach. I'm determined.
"Never give up without a fight."
— Inscription on Zuko's dagger, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Megatron: [quoting the Covenant of Primus] "And there came a hero who said, 'Hurt not the Earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, nor the very fabric of time.' But the hero would not prevail."
Optimus Primal: Finish the quote, Megatron. "Nor would he surrender!"
Optimus Primal: Finish the quote, Megatron. "Nor would he surrender!"
"That man has the constitution of a vending machine!"
— Cobra Commander on Sgt. Slaughter, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, "Arise Serpentor, Arise"
Dr. Destiny: But you're different. You don't have any special powers.
Batman: Oh, I have one, Johnny. I never give up.
Batman: Oh, I have one, Johnny. I never give up.
"That man won't quit as long as he can still draw a breath. None of my teammates will! Me? I've got a different problem..."
Shining Knight: Do your worst, I'll not let you harm another.
General Wade "The General" Eiling: I do what I do in service to my country... (The General catches Shining Knight's sword and slams him to the ground). Save yourself a hospital stay and stand down. That magic armor won't help you.
Shining Knight: Have at thee! (Shining Knight rushes at The General, but is beaten to the ground)
The General: You're a relic. In this world power is the only thing that matters. You and those other no-name heroes, you're just people, in the great scheme of things nothing you do has the least bit of significance. (Shining Knight is punched down the street) I'll waste you and a billion like you before I let any power rival America's. It's my duty.
Shining Knight: You don't know what the word means.
The General: You can't win.
Shining Knight: I'll die as befits a knight, defending the weak. (Shining Knight attempts to stand, but collapses to his knees)
The General: Why don't you give up?
Shining Knight: Why don't you?
General Wade "The General" Eiling: I do what I do in service to my country... (The General catches Shining Knight's sword and slams him to the ground). Save yourself a hospital stay and stand down. That magic armor won't help you.
Shining Knight: Have at thee! (Shining Knight rushes at The General, but is beaten to the ground)
The General: You're a relic. In this world power is the only thing that matters. You and those other no-name heroes, you're just people, in the great scheme of things nothing you do has the least bit of significance. (Shining Knight is punched down the street) I'll waste you and a billion like you before I let any power rival America's. It's my duty.
Shining Knight: You don't know what the word means.
The General: You can't win.
Shining Knight: I'll die as befits a knight, defending the weak. (Shining Knight attempts to stand, but collapses to his knees)
The General: Why don't you give up?
Shining Knight: Why don't you?
— Justice League Unlimited, "Patriot Act"
Zaheer: Give up. It's over.
Tenzin: As long as I'm breathing, it's not over.
Tenzin: As long as I'm breathing, it's not over.
"Give up? General Specific never says "I give up!" Uh... except as an example of what I never say!"
— General Specific, Sheep in the Big City
Zhan Tiri: Come, child! Give up while you still can!
Rapunzel: There's something you should know: I'm not big on giving up!
Rapunzel: There's something you should know: I'm not big on giving up!
"I don't know the meaning of the word "surrender!" ...I mean, I know it, I'm not dumb... Just - not in this context."
— The Tick
"But get back up on your feet, because it's the getting back up that counts. And that shows you've got heart. That's what helps keep you going. Fall down seven times... get up eight."
"C'mon Uncle Donald! So you have the worst luck in the world, who cares?! No matter how bad things get, like really, really bad, you keep going! It's kind of ridiculous! You've never had the common sense to give up before, why start now?"
—Louie, DuckTales (2017), "House of the Lucky Gander!"
Louie: You do realize there's a difference between quitting and dying, right?
Scrooge: Not to me.
Scrooge: Not to me.
"You can attack us and we may fall, but Equestria will still stand, united in friendship. And we won't stop until we defeat you, no matter how many ponies you take down!"
—Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, "The Ending of the End - Part 1"
"Monster Machines NEVER give up! We just keep on rolling!"
"I didn't hear no bell."
—Randy, South Park
"Ninja never quit!"
—Multiple People throughout Ninjago
"Listen up, Chip! If I can find a way to launch a chicken into space, I can find a way to stop you!"
—Cricket Green, Big City Greens, "Chipocalypse Now"
Real Life
"In truth, I am nothing but a plodding mediocrity — please observe, a plodding mediocrity — for a mere mediocrity does not go very far, but a plodding one gets quite a distance. There is joy in that success, and a distinction can come from courage, fidelity and industry."
— Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo
"Whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..."
— Sir Winston Churchill, Speech to the House of Commons of the British Parliament, 4 June 1940
"Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour, and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."
— Sir Winston Churchill again
"If you're going through hell, keep going."
— Sir Winston Churchill once more
"Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard."
"Just as much can be achieved through perseverance as through talent."
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
"I believe in one thing only, the power of human will."
"I think I'd have had to have my foot amputated before I came off this pitch."
— Chelsea captain John Terry, 2006
"To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; and to forgo even ambition when the end is gained — who can say this is not greatness?"
"Determination gives you the resolve to keep going in spite of the roadblocks that lay before you."
— Denis Waitley
"Without arrogance or the smallest deviation from truth it may be said that no history now extant can furnish an instance of an army's suffering such uncommon hardships as ours has done, and bearing them with the same patience and fortitude. To see men, without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie on, without shoes, by which their marches might be traced by blood from their feet, and almost as often without provisions as with them, marching through the frost and snow, and at Christmas taking up their winter-quarters within a day's march of the enemy, without a house or hut to cover them, till they could be built, and submitting to it without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience, which in my opinion can scarce be paralleled."
"Porque ele é brasileiro e não desiste nunca."
(Because [he] is Brazilian and never gives up.)
(Because [he] is Brazilian and never gives up.)
— A series of advertisements on Brazilian television
"In any weather you will see us with a grin
Risking hair and skin
If we're behind, then never mind, we'll fight and fight and win!"
Risking hair and skin
If we're behind, then never mind, we'll fight and fight and win!"
— Richmond Tigers theme song
"Animals flee this hell, the hardest stones cannot endure it; only men endure."
"I'll fucking do it, darling."
— Freddie Mercury's response to Brian May's doubts that he was well enough to sing "The Show Must Go On". He ended up nailing the vocal track; May recalls he "went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal."
"You know you never defeated us on the battlefield,' said the American colonel. The North Vietnamese colonel pondered this remark a moment. 'That may be so,' he replied, 'but it is also irrelevant."
— Colonel Harry G. Summers Jr. and Colonel Tu, April 1975, described in the book On Strategy
"Eĉ guto malgranda, konstante frapante, traboras la monton granitan."
(Even a small drop, by constantly striking, pierces the granite mountain.)
(Even a small drop, by constantly striking, pierces the granite mountain.)
— L. L. Zamenhof, La vojo
"Nanakorobi yaoki."
(Fall down seven times, get up eight.)
(Fall down seven times, get up eight.)
— Japanese proverb
"Here is one thing everyone inside Anfield knows, including our opponents. This Liverpool never stops. This Liverpool never quits. This Liverpool gives everything at all times."
— Liverpool FC manager Jürgen Klopp, just before they overturned a 3 goal deficit against Barcelona
"Today, I'm minding my business doing pull-ups, sitting here doing pull-ups, five, six, seven, eight, on the minute. This guy wants to jump in. We get to thirty minutes, he looks at me, thinks we're almost done. We get to an hour, he says to me "How many can you do?" I say "One more than you!"
— David Goggins
"I need ammunition, not a ride."
— Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, responding to a US evacuation offer in the early days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
"The victor is not victorious if the vanquished does not consider himself so."
— Quintus Ennius
