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"That's the problem... [nervous chuckle] I've been here too long for my own good. Three years of this madness, Surrounded by Idiots. We were kids. What did we know about anything? Why did there have to be people like this? Why? Why did I let myself devolve into such a half-assed piece of shit? It's too late now! Damned if I know what's right anymore. Who cares? It is what it is. No choice but to face what I've done as a Warrior. No path left but the one that leads to the end!"
— Reiner Braun, Attack on Titan, "Warrior"
"No, you're wrong! Who chooses to be this? Tell me! What do you think I am, huh? What? You think this is what we aspire to be? People loathe us, and why wouldn't they? We're monsters. We deserve to die for the things we've done. We're lost. We could live a thousand years and never again know peace. Try to imagine that darkness. The only light was our brief time as soldiers. It was never a lie! Do you understand? We're not who we said we were, but it wasn't an act! We genuinely thought of you as our friends. I'm not stupid. I know I have no right to ask forgiveness. But... please. I beg of you. If we were comrades... someone find us."
— Bertholt Hoover, Attack on Titan, "Charge"
"For the sake of the island, the Eldians... No, it wasn't just that... What was really beyond the walls... it was different from what I dreamed of... From what I saw in Armin's book... it was different... When I learned that humanity lived outside the walls... I was disappointed. I... I wished... for everything to somehow disappear. I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
— Eren Yeager, Attack on Titan, Chapter #131
What on Earth is this ugly form… Is this… the form of a samurai? Is this really what I wanted?
— Kokushibo, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Chapter 176
"I couldn't forgive them! This Earth I fought for with all my might, ruined by those beasts! I decided to exterminate them. But then I realized that what I did to the humans was the same thing God did to the demons... The strong ones think they have the right to kill the weaklings. Forgive me, Akira... I was an idiot."
"You planned all this out... just to make me a magical girl...?"
— Chisato Yonamine to Giess, Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka #23
"Am I... Am I... regretting all this...?!"
— Obito Uchiha, Naruto, Chapter #652
"Unforgivable! To be equated with that miserable creature! So humiliating!"
— Boris Tepes Dracula at the moment Horohoro points out that Kouji Yamada looks more like a vampire than he does in Shaman King
Comic Books
"You should have killed me. I was supposed to die with them! Fight! Show them the real you, animal!"
Renegade Doctor: Doctor, may I have a quick diagnosis, please?
Jeroen Thornedike: Shoot.
Renegade Doctor: What's happened to my thought processes? I keep trying to think of something horrible to say or one of my genocide fantasies and... Well, for some reason, I don't seem to be aroused by mass suffering anymore.
Jeroen Thornedike: That's because your senses have finally caught up with what it means to be completely enlightened for the first time in your miserable life, Doctor. I was the ultimate shaman, remember? The sum of every Doctor who had ever come before me; including you. Kind of hard to stay mad at the world when you empathize with every living creature in existence, isn't it?
Renegade Doctor: Oh god, you're right. All those wonderful things I could do and all I ever did was hurt people. It's absolutely unforgivable.
Jeroen Thornedike: Shoot.
Renegade Doctor: What's happened to my thought processes? I keep trying to think of something horrible to say or one of my genocide fantasies and... Well, for some reason, I don't seem to be aroused by mass suffering anymore.
Jeroen Thornedike: That's because your senses have finally caught up with what it means to be completely enlightened for the first time in your miserable life, Doctor. I was the ultimate shaman, remember? The sum of every Doctor who had ever come before me; including you. Kind of hard to stay mad at the world when you empathize with every living creature in existence, isn't it?
Renegade Doctor: Oh god, you're right. All those wonderful things I could do and all I ever did was hurt people. It's absolutely unforgivable.
— The Authority #20
I thought, I thought we would…
— Charise Carnes/Knightfall, Batgirl (2011) #34
"…Defense… rests… Not… guilty… Acquitted… it's my fault."
— Two-Face after being argued down from his charges against Jim Gordon by Harvey Dent, Batman: No Man's Land
Homelander: I was always terrified.. because I wasn't... I'd never have done any of this if I didn't think I'd already— If that wasn't me in the— Oh Jesus Christ Almighty. Do you know what this means?
Billy Butcher: It means you turned into a fuckin' psychopath by mistake.
Billy Butcher: It means you turned into a fuckin' psychopath by mistake.
— The Boys #65
"No. No. I—I don't want this— I'd never have— This is... my soul..."
— General Reginald Fortean reacts to the Below-Place, Immortal Hulk #24
"The ends justify the means. There were no ends. Just means. My means were monstrous. My... One should not have acted."
— Rigellian Recorder 451, Iron Man: The Secret Origin of Tony Stark
"Proud of being the man of tomorrow? Your fault... you bastard. The world changed... but you wouldn't. So they chose me. They chose the man who would kill over the man who wouldn't... and now they're dead. A million ghosts. Punish me. Lock me away. Kill me. Just make the ghosts go away."
— Magog, Kingdom Come #2
"All my life... I took up arms in your name... did everything — in return for power. You said I'd be King."
"What? Am I to be damned? But I am a righteous man. I am not like them. I live by a code. A code of honor. [...] But — I am a righteous man. If I'm damned, if I am truly damned... then what I do on Earth makes no difference."
— Bane, Secret Six (Vol. 3) #32
"Father... please believe me... I did not mean for this to happen. Asgard has fallen. As if Ragnarok itself had washed over your kingdom. Asgard is no more. And it is my fault. I led this battle to your door. Not to ruin Asgard but to save it. If you can hear me, father, do know, though mischief is my weapon... I meant only for Asgard to rule in greatness as it has done in the past. I could not perceive of these mere mortals adding such madness. I could not see that this monster was so all-powerful."
— Loki realizes his role in the Dark Reign a moment too late, Siege #4
Floronic Man: The plants will pour out oxygen, and all the animals will die. Only we shall remain. Don't you see? It's the only way. The only way to save the planet from those creatures.
Swamp Thing: And what... will change the oxygen... back into... the gasses that... we need... to survive... when the men... and animals... are dead?
Floronic Man: I... [begins to lose his connection to plants everywhere as they begin to die] No. Nnoooooooo!
Swamp Thing: And what... will change the oxygen... back into... the gasses that... we need... to survive... when the men... and animals... are dead?
Floronic Man: I... [begins to lose his connection to plants everywhere as they begin to die] No. Nnoooooooo!
— Swamp Thing (Vol. 2) #24
Lucien Draay: I... I can't change my future.
Zayne Carrick: You can't change your past! Look at what Haazen wants for you! I ran from my teacher — why can't you?
Lucien Draay: It's too late. It's all ruined. It's too late.
Zayne Carrick: You can't change your past! Look at what Haazen wants for you! I ran from my teacher — why can't you?
Lucien Draay: It's too late. It's all ruined. It's too late.
"Supergirl... gone! I no longer sense her brain pattern... as if she has ceased to exist...! Oh, my God! What have I done?! I... I killed her! I... no! She was a hindrance to my plans... Her death was expedient, the only logical action I could take! But what right...? How... could... I...? No! Stop it! You are... dead... let me be!"
— Barry Meltzer, Supergirl (1982) #23
"What have I done? What happened to me? WHAT HAVE THEY TURNED ME INTO?!"
— Shockwave, The Transformers: Dark Cybertron
"All the— All the harm I've done— I'm sorry—"
— Vandal Savage, Trinity of Sin: Pandora
"Who is that pretty girl in the mirror? Who can that pretty girl be? Such a pretty smile... such a pretty face... such a pretty... me. What am I doing here in an abandoned factory in the middle of nowhere? I was going to do something with my life. Help people. What am I allowing this living costume to turn me into? Am I going to turn out like... Brock."
—Leslie Gesneria/Agony, Venom: Separation Anxiety #3
Magneto: She—She is a child! What have I done?! Why did you not resist? Why did you not understand?! Magda — my beloved wife — did not understand. When she saw me use my powers, she ran from me in terror. It did not matter that I was defending her... I swore then that I would not rest 'til I had created a world where my kind — mutants — could live free and safe and unafraid. Where one such as you, little one, could be happy. Instead, I have slain you. I remember my own childhood — the gas chambers at Auschwitz, the guards joking as they herded my family to their death. As our lives were nothing to them, so human lives became nothing to me.
Storm: Magneto! Goddess — no! If you have a deity, butcher, pray to it!
Magneto: As a boy, I believed. As a boy, I turned my back on God forever. Kill me if you wish, wind-rider. I will not stop you.
Storm: Is this some sort of trick?
Magneto: Yes. Only it has been played on me. I believed so much in my destiny, in my own personal vision, that I was prepared to pay any price, make any sacrifice to achieve it. But I forgot the innocents who would suffer in the process. Can you not appreciate the irony, Ororo? In my zeal to remake the world, I have become like those I have always hated and despised.
Storm: Magneto! Goddess — no! If you have a deity, butcher, pray to it!
Magneto: As a boy, I believed. As a boy, I turned my back on God forever. Kill me if you wish, wind-rider. I will not stop you.
Storm: Is this some sort of trick?
Magneto: Yes. Only it has been played on me. I believed so much in my destiny, in my own personal vision, that I was prepared to pay any price, make any sacrifice to achieve it. But I forgot the innocents who would suffer in the process. Can you not appreciate the irony, Ororo? In my zeal to remake the world, I have become like those I have always hated and despised.
— Uncanny X-Men #150
"What... What have I done...? [...] Charles...? Charles will understand. Charles will forgive me..."
— Ultimate Magneto deliriously forgets that he murdered Charles Xavier at the start of his scheme, Ultimatum #5
Film — Animated
Lex Luthor: I could have made everyone see! If it wasn't for you, I could have saved the world!
Superman: If it had mattered to you, Luthor, you could have saved the world years ago.
Luthor: ...you're right.
Superman: If it had mattered to you, Luthor, you could have saved the world years ago.
Luthor: ...you're right.
"I'm sorry. I wanted you to look up to me. I let you down, man."
— Aaron Davis/Prowler to Miles, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Film — Live Action
Literature
"It's too late. She did it. She gave her life. I watched her for almost two hours. I kept expecting her to change her mind. But she did it. She gave her life for this little human girl. And because she thought she could make peace with one enemy at least. Right at the end, right before the two hours were up, I told her to stop. I told her she'd proven herself to me. I begged her to stop, to demorph. But I'd forgotten. I don't think the caterpillar could hear. At least not speech. She didn't know that I had seen enough. And now..."
— Karen/Aftran-942, Animorphs #19: The Departure
Alexios/Deimos: I have done terrible things. Sister, it could have been so different.
Kassandra: It still can, Brother.
Alexios: [shakes his head sadly] I told you that one of us must die here. None possessed the strength to better me... until I fought you on Sphakteria. You were my equal there. And then at Amphipolis. Had Kleon not struck me down, you would have beaten me.
Kassandra: It matters not. Think of what could lie ahead for us. A family as we were meant to be.
Alexios: [begins to cry] I cannot be what you want me to be. The weeds burrow too deep.
Kassandra: It still can, Brother.
Alexios: [shakes his head sadly] I told you that one of us must die here. None possessed the strength to better me... until I fought you on Sphakteria. You were my equal there. And then at Amphipolis. Had Kleon not struck me down, you would have beaten me.
Kassandra: It matters not. Think of what could lie ahead for us. A family as we were meant to be.
Alexios: [begins to cry] I cannot be what you want me to be. The weeds burrow too deep.
— Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (Novelization)
"Throughout my life, I sought power and profit for myself, for my rate. Now, at long last, I think I understand the meaning of a crime against the Mantle. After this, no need to seek balance. I will await my penance here."
— Master Builder (born Faber-of-Will-and-Might), Halo: Silentium
"What have you done? What have you done! [...] You will not get the better of me, boy. You... will... not.... I... shall... not... give... in... [screams in rage] No! I didn't.... Make it stop! Make it stop. The pain... [...] The voices ... the voices are terrible. I can’t bear it.... Pain... so much pain. So much grief.... Make it stop! Make it stop!"
— Galbatorix is forced by magic to feel all of the pain he has caused, The Inheritance Cycle: Inheritance
Why was he doing this to make money? He had the brains to make it in legitimate business, come up with his own ideas, his own niche. He'd learned in here he could even have been one hell of an actor. Instead, here he was... here he was. And it wasn't even particularly smart. This business was risky as hell: all it really offered was utterly obedient fans. And how long could he keep living like this? He was forty-two years old now. A lifetime of fucking people over. Would he ever be able to stop looking over his shoulder, even if he stopped tomorrow?
'Moral crisis,' he said to his empty office. 'I'm having a moral crisis.' The absurdity of it made him want to laugh. His throat burned from suppressing the laughter, which was another feeling Daniel Mason had not experienced for a long time. Suppressing tears gave that same feeling, so he stopped suppressing them, and let them fall.
'Moral crisis,' he said to his empty office. 'I'm having a moral crisis.' The absurdity of it made him want to laugh. His throat burned from suppressing the laughter, which was another feeling Daniel Mason had not experienced for a long time. Suppressing tears gave that same feeling, so he stopped suppressing them, and let them fall.
— Inside Out, by Will Elliott
One moment you're gleefully shredding the throat of an inattentive saleswoman. The next, you're lost in thought, with a mouthful of neck and a noseful of cheap perfume. Your feet are planted firmly on the floor, your fangs secure in the vein—but your mind is a million miles away.
It should be an enjoyable moment, but for some reason it isn't. The only thing you can focus on is the sound of your own voice, echoing inside your head as you wonder, Who am I? What kind of wretch lives like this? Must I truly go on this way forever? and, worst of all, What sort of monster have I become?
It should be an enjoyable moment, but for some reason it isn't. The only thing you can focus on is the sound of your own voice, echoing inside your head as you wonder, Who am I? What kind of wretch lives like this? Must I truly go on this way forever? and, worst of all, What sort of monster have I become?
— The New Vampire's Handbook
Megan: We've been beaten, yes. But we haven't failed, Jonathan. Failure is refusing to fight. Failure is remaining quiet and hoping someone else will fix the problem.
David: Refusing to act. Yes, that's failure, Prof. Like... perhaps... refusing to enter a contest, even though you dearly wanted the prize? You never entered. Were you afraid to lose, Prof? Or were you afraid to win?
Prof: How do you know about that?
David: Tia told me. You've always been like this, haven't you? You founded the Reckoners, but refused to push them too far. Refused to face the most powerful Epics. You wanted to help, Prof, but you weren't willing to take the last step. You were afraid. The powers are a part of it, but not the whole story. Why do you fear them?
Prof: Because... I...
Megan: Because if you are so powerful, if you have all of these resources, then you don't have any excuses left for failing.
David: You've failed, Prof.
Megan: Tia's dead. You failed her.
Prof: Shut up! Shut up, both of you!
David: You killed your team in Babilar. You failed them. You were strong. You have powers no others can match. And still you've failed. You've failed so deeply, Prof.
Prof: I can't have.
David: You did. You know you did. [...] It doesn't matter if I die. You've failed.
Prof: Failed. I was supposed to be a hero... I've had so much power... and I still failed.
David: Refusing to act. Yes, that's failure, Prof. Like... perhaps... refusing to enter a contest, even though you dearly wanted the prize? You never entered. Were you afraid to lose, Prof? Or were you afraid to win?
Prof: How do you know about that?
David: Tia told me. You've always been like this, haven't you? You founded the Reckoners, but refused to push them too far. Refused to face the most powerful Epics. You wanted to help, Prof, but you weren't willing to take the last step. You were afraid. The powers are a part of it, but not the whole story. Why do you fear them?
Prof: Because... I...
Megan: Because if you are so powerful, if you have all of these resources, then you don't have any excuses left for failing.
David: You've failed, Prof.
Megan: Tia's dead. You failed her.
Prof: Shut up! Shut up, both of you!
David: You killed your team in Babilar. You failed them. You were strong. You have powers no others can match. And still you've failed. You've failed so deeply, Prof.
Prof: I can't have.
David: You did. You know you did. [...] It doesn't matter if I die. You've failed.
Prof: Failed. I was supposed to be a hero... I've had so much power... and I still failed.
"No, I don't know any of this. I just believed it. And if my belief was false. Then all of this, all of it, was for nothing."
— Abigor realizes that torturing humans is not for the betterment of Demonkind at all, The Salvation War
Nale: No. An... isolated event. Parshmen who had... who had survived with their forms...
Lift: You've failed. It's come.
Nale: Storms. Jezrien... Ishar... It is true. I've failed. I failed weeks ago. I knew it then. Oh, God. God the Almighty. It has returned!
Lift: I'm sorry.
Nale: You actually are. I wasn't always like this. I am getting worse, aren't I? It's true.
Lift: You've failed. It's come.
Nale: Storms. Jezrien... Ishar... It is true. I've failed. I failed weeks ago. I knew it then. Oh, God. God the Almighty. It has returned!
Lift: I'm sorry.
Nale: You actually are. I wasn't always like this. I am getting worse, aren't I? It's true.
FlippinMad: No
FlippinMad: I was really fucking shitty.
FlippinMad: I think its worse because I had this wake up call and I asked myself if I was a good person
FlippinMad: Except I never got around to answering that question. I kept putting it off and feeling shitty about it
FlippinMad: We kept being bitches. And then a couple months after that we put Taylor in the hospital. Skitter. I don't know if she had powers then but if she did then I don't know why she didn't murder us all
FlippinMad: I was really fucking shitty.
FlippinMad: I think its worse because I had this wake up call and I asked myself if I was a good person
FlippinMad: Except I never got around to answering that question. I kept putting it off and feeling shitty about it
FlippinMad: We kept being bitches. And then a couple months after that we put Taylor in the hospital. Skitter. I don't know if she had powers then but if she did then I don't know why she didn't murder us all
Live-Action TV
"The devil promises everything and then lets you destroy your own world. I sacrificed my brother to him, still he took my daughter. Now that image of her body lying on that floor, I failed her, what else matters?"
— Gideon Malick, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., "The Team"
"You're right. [...] I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. You deserve better. A better life. A better father. You have to take the safety off. Just like I showed you. This is the only way out. For both of us. Now... deep breath."
— Dexter Morgan to his son Harrison, Dexter: New Blood, "Sins of the Father"
"No. No, I... I wanted to make things better. [...] I failed two worlds."
Detective Eddy Costa: Please acknowledge that you understand the list of charges against you, for the record. Two counts of murder in the first degree. One count of murder in the second degree. Multiple counts of aggravated assault, kidnapping, breaking and entering, trespassing. And one count of attempted murder against your own sister. Ms. Walker, do you understand? Ms. Walker? Ms. Walker, do you understand?
Trish Walker: I'm the bad guy.
Trish Walker: I'm the bad guy.
Tabletop Games
Even Alarielle didn't know what spurred her next action. Perhaps it was Ghyran whispering through her thoughts, or maybe it was merely the instinct of desperation. As Hellebron's sword cut toward her neck, the Everqueen lashed out with a half-gathered spell — the healing magics swept not over her own wounds, but into the Blood Queen's crazed mind. In that instant, the renewing power of Ghyran flooded across Hellebron's fractured psyche, a cleansing gale that swept away the clouds of madness that had dominated her being for thousands of years. The insanity was too entrenched to be banished for long. For a split second, however, Hellebron perceived the world — and her own place in it — with sane eyes. At once, the Blood Queen was paralysed, visions of a lifetime of malice pouring through her. Her strike faltered, her sword fell to the ground.
— Warhammer: The End Times V: Archaon
"I have been... a fool. I was so wrong... everything is ruined. I have betrayed you... my father. I do not ask for forgiveness... end my torment... kill me now! I am too weak to resist them... they call to me... please end this."
— Horus Lupercal, Warhammer 40,000
Video Games
"Accept it. We're not getting out of here alive."
— Wilhelm of Gerich, Amnesia: The Dark Descent
"So many years I've raged against the living. All those years, and the distortion was in my own soul. No man can see the nature of his flaws with diseased eyes... the contradiction lies within me. I thank you... and I'm sorry. So very, very sorry. Perhaps some souls are born into death... they never knew how to live... Goodbye, traveler. My road ends here... I wish you luck on yours..."
— Kerghan the Terrible, Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura
"...If fate can be changed, on a whim! If the future is... malleable, then there is no divine destiny! All of this means nothing!"
— Emperor Yoshiro, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Adam Jensen: You know, I've always wondered about that leg brace of yours — why the father of augmentation doesn't have the most basic of implants... Doesn't make much sense, really. Unless he's one of the few people genetically incompatible with this technology. Huh. Gotta love the irony in that... It's the kind of irony that can tear you up inside, bit by bit, every day — until you find yourself despising what you're not.
[Beat]
Hugh Darrow: How dare you...! You think I've done all this because — because a fluke of nature robbed me of my chance to become a part of it?! I tried everything, damn you! Everything I could think of to change! None of it worked! NONE OF IT!
Adam Jensen: So you had to fix it, didn't you? Take back control. Make it like it never was.
Hugh Darrow: Yes! Yes, that's exactly what I— What I... I... What have I done?
[Beat]
Hugh Darrow: How dare you...! You think I've done all this because — because a fluke of nature robbed me of my chance to become a part of it?! I tried everything, damn you! Everything I could think of to change! None of it worked! NONE OF IT!
Adam Jensen: So you had to fix it, didn't you? Take back control. Make it like it never was.
Hugh Darrow: Yes! Yes, that's exactly what I— What I... I... What have I done?
"Ah... so I just didn't notice. I didn't know Miss Artina was watching over me all this time... I have been such a fool... And I knew... I knew what I was doing wasn't gonna make her happy. But I... I just couldn't forgive the humans... Nor the demons...! But now I see... She knows what I've been doing all this time... I'm the biggest fool here... And I've made Miss Artina sad once again..."
— Judge Nemo, Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten
"I have one more surprise for you: I ask for my life. When I killed your Empress and took her daughter, something broke inside me. Now I see the design on the back of your hand, the Mark of the Outsider himself, and I remember all I've done. The years of waiting for the right moment to step forward from an alley, and drive a knife between the ribs of some noble. All the money exchanging hands, from one rich bastard or another. Killing for one of them one year, then being paid to kill him in return the next. I remember bending at the shrines as the Outsider whispered that I was going to change things, that I was somehow important. It felt good, made me believe I was powerful. But what have I accomplished? More than you have, or much less? Now I want nothing but to leave this city. And fade from the memory of those who reside here. I've had enough killing. So my life is in your hands. Make your choice."
— Daud, Dishonored
"I... I really did it, didn't I?... It's all my fault... I can remember now... It's all like a dream... like somebody else's life... The annoying know-it-all doctor... He thought he had worked me out but really didn't have a fucking clue what was going on in my head... I kept a secret from him... I kept Ivy a secret... He thought she left me long time ago... But she never did... I wouldn't let her... I loved her too much to let her starve to death... She just wanted to lose weight, that's all, but after a while it turned into obsession and she just wouldn't eat for weeks... A little piece of her was dying every day!... I did a decent thing... I fed her... I saved her... [Beat] At least I thought I did... I can see it now... I deluded myself... All I ever did was hurting people I loved... Why?... I never wanted to... then why? You were right. This IS the end. I could never atone for what I've done... I am nothing... a worthless killing piece of shit... I must end it here and now..."
— Joe Davis, Downfall (2009)
"Skyrim was betrayed, the blood of her sons spilled in doomed struggle against fate. And so in death, too late, I learn the truth — fed by war, so waxed the power of Alduin, World-Eater — wisdom now useless. By gods' jest in this grim mist forever snared, Stormcloak and Imperial, we wander hopeless, waiting for succor."
— Ulfric Stormcloak, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Master: But it cannot be! This would mean that all my work has been for NOTHING! Everything that I've tried to— A FAILURE! It can't be! BE! BE! Be...
The Vault Dweller: Sorry, this isn't an option for you. Your race will die out after this generation.
The Master: I... don't think that I can CONTINUE. Continue? To have done the things I have done... in the name of progress... and healing... It was madness. I can see it now, madness. Madness? There is no hope. Leave now. Leave... while you still have hope...
The Vault Dweller: Sorry, this isn't an option for you. Your race will die out after this generation.
The Master: I... don't think that I can CONTINUE. Continue? To have done the things I have done... in the name of progress... and healing... It was madness. I can see it now, madness. Madness? There is no hope. Leave now. Leave... while you still have hope...
— Fallout
Lone Wanderer: You can't be President. You're an abortion of science. You need to die...
John Henry Eden: Really... Do go on.
Lone Wanderer: You aren't programmed for self-awareness. You said so yourself.
John Henry Eden: This is quite true. The process was certainly unintended. But shouldn't we all be thankful that I'm here now?
Lone Wanderer: But how do you know that what you're doing is right?
John Henry Eden: Because unlike humans, I am infallible.
Lone Wanderer: And how do you know you're infallible?
John Henry Eden: ...Because I have been programmed to be, of course!
Lone Wanderer: That's circular logic. You know because you know? It makes no sense.
John Henry Eden: ... Processing... Internal logic error detected.
Lone Wanderer: I think you’re delusional. I think the world would be better off without you.
John Henry Eden: ...Resetting primary memory circuits. Please stand by... Perhaps... Perhaps there is a problem. I am unsure how to proceed.
Lone Wanderer: I think it's time you put an end to this, once and for all.
John Henry Eden: Analyzing command... New course of action dictated. Self-destruct sequence initialized.
John Henry Eden: Really... Do go on.
Lone Wanderer: You aren't programmed for self-awareness. You said so yourself.
John Henry Eden: This is quite true. The process was certainly unintended. But shouldn't we all be thankful that I'm here now?
Lone Wanderer: But how do you know that what you're doing is right?
John Henry Eden: Because unlike humans, I am infallible.
Lone Wanderer: And how do you know you're infallible?
John Henry Eden: ...Because I have been programmed to be, of course!
Lone Wanderer: That's circular logic. You know because you know? It makes no sense.
John Henry Eden: ... Processing... Internal logic error detected.
Lone Wanderer: I think you’re delusional. I think the world would be better off without you.
John Henry Eden: ...Resetting primary memory circuits. Please stand by... Perhaps... Perhaps there is a problem. I am unsure how to proceed.
Lone Wanderer: I think it's time you put an end to this, once and for all.
John Henry Eden: Analyzing command... New course of action dictated. Self-destruct sequence initialized.
"Free? Free... free from what? All the people I've killed? From everything I've done? I gave them this taste for blood — your blood, mine... Isn't that what you want... more blood? Here! Take more. Take all of it, you fucking animals. Now I'm free."
— Dr. Noore Najjar, Far Cry 4
"I was supposed to take care of you. I was supposed to take care of you and I didn't and I'm so fucking sorry I fucked this up, man. I fucked... this... Y'know, rabbit, you remind me of our Mom. She had hope. She had dreams. She... she just wanted to fuckin' make things better. I should've listened to her, but... Things just got carried away. Do what you gotta do."
— Mickey after Lou dies of her wounds, Far Cry: New Dawn
"I thought I understood God's plan. I thought He wanted me to build a New Eden... but I am not His shepherd. You are. My soul has become a cancer. I Am a Monster. And I spread only suffering and death in the name of God. My family... is all ash. Eden is dust. And there is no redemption for this. No atonement. There is only the justice of God's hand. End this vicious cycle. Give me God's justice. Release me."
— Joseph Seed, Far Cry: New Dawn
"I tried getting back to the Mist Continent, but Fossil Roo was blocked, and the Alexandrian Fleet was destroyed before my eyes. I became so weak after wandering around for days. Then the moogles here rescued me. That's when I realized I've been so selfish all my life..."
— Lani, Final Fantasy IX
"I have failed us both. I am no Dynast King."
— Vayne Carudas Soldior briefly wonders if his efforts have been worth anything, Final Fantasy XII
Ysayle Dangoulain: Then the spirit that answered me...
Hraesvelgr: ...was but thy dream of Shiva. Thy soul hath been corrupted by a deity of thine own making, child.
Hraesvelgr: ...was but thy dream of Shiva. Thy soul hath been corrupted by a deity of thine own making, child.
— Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
"Even a dog like me knows the pangs of remorse. I laid legions of dead at my feet. But when I climbed that mountain of corpses... I found the vantage empty of any meaning. I failed to change anything. I was supposed to be the one to... to fix everything... But these hands that I dreamed would shape the future... They reek of blood. And the blood won't come off... My hands were clean once, I swear! ...Weren't they? Or did I just never stop to notice? Gods, I only want to get away from this carnage that has become my brand... Is there no way out? Must this be my final mark?!"
— Mad King Gangrel, Fire Emblem: Awakening, "Hot-Spring Scramble" DLC
"Oh, my God! No!"
— Doktor Josef Mengele after being exposed to PERFECT IMAGE, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream
"I feel... the emptiness where my companions once stood. I took them for granted. And now, I have... nothing. My first surge of emotion in years... for as long as I can remember... and it's... loneliness. Do you see? A heart is just pain."
— Xemnas, Kingdom Hearts III
"Ohh... god — no..."
— Moebius the Time-Streamer sees the Elder God in the flesh for the first and last time, Legacy of Kain: Defiance
"No, please... God, no... I-I didn't mean to. You just kept pushing me. Everybody is always pushing me. Sorry... I'm so, so sorry... My life is hell. And I'm so busted."
— Nathan Joshua Prescott after accidentally shooting Chloe Price in one Alternate Timeline, Life Is Strange, "Episode One: Chrysalis"
Saren Arterius: I suppose I should thank you, Shepard. After Virmire, I couldn't stop thinking about what you said. About Sovereign manipulating me. About indoctrination. The doubts began to eat away at me. Sovereign sensed my hesitation. I was implanted to strengthen my resolve. Now my doubts are gone. I believe in Sovereign completely. I understand that the Reapers need organics. Join us and Sovereign will find a place for you, too.
Commander Shepard: Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?
Saren Arterius: The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!
Commander Shepard: Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen!
Saren Arterius: We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful.
Commander Shepard: Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this!
Saren Arterius: Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for... unh! The implants... Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me.
Commander Shepard: It's not over yet! You can still redeem yourself!
Saren Arterius: Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you.
Commander Shepard: Sovereign's controlling you through your implants! Don't you see that?
Saren Arterius: The relationship is symbiotic. Organic and machine intertwined, a union of flesh and steel. The strengths of both, the weaknesses of neither. I am a vision of the future, Shepard. The evolution of all organic life. This is our destiny. Join Sovereign and experience a true rebirth!
Commander Shepard: Sovereign hasn't won yet. I can stop it from taking control of the station! Step aside and the invasion will never happen!
Saren Arterius: We can't stop it! Not forever. You saw the visions. You saw what happened to the Protheans. The Reapers are too powerful.
Commander Shepard: Some part of you must still realize this is wrong. You can fight this!
Saren Arterius: Maybe you're right. Maybe there is still a chance for... unh! The implants... Sovereign is too strong. I'm sorry. It's too late for me.
Commander Shepard: It's not over yet! You can still redeem yourself!
Saren Arterius: Goodbye, Shepard. Thank you.
Anderson: Listen to yourself! You're indoctrinated.
Illusive Man: No. No! The two of you, so self-righteous. Do you think power like this comes easy? There are sacrifices...
Shepard: You sacrificed too much.
Illusive Man: Shepard, I... I only wanted to protect humanity. The crucible can control them. I know it can. I just...
Shepard: It's not too late. Let us go. We'll do the rest.
Illusive Man: I... I can't do that, Commander.
Anderson: Of course you can't... they own you now.
Illusive Man: You... [takes Anderson's gun] you'd undo everything I've accomplished. I won't let that happen.
Shepard: Because of you, humanity is already undone.
Illusive Man: That's not true...
Shepard: They have the Citadel. They've got us fighting each other instead of fighting them.
Illusive Man: I just need to...
Shepard: You've done exactly what the Reapers wanted. You're still doing it because they control you.
Illusive Man: I... they're too strong.
Shepard: You're stronger. Don't let them win. Break their hold. Don’t let them control you.
Illusive Man: I tried, Shepard. [shoots himself in the head]
Illusive Man: No. No! The two of you, so self-righteous. Do you think power like this comes easy? There are sacrifices...
Shepard: You sacrificed too much.
Illusive Man: Shepard, I... I only wanted to protect humanity. The crucible can control them. I know it can. I just...
Shepard: It's not too late. Let us go. We'll do the rest.
Illusive Man: I... I can't do that, Commander.
Anderson: Of course you can't... they own you now.
Illusive Man: You... [takes Anderson's gun] you'd undo everything I've accomplished. I won't let that happen.
Shepard: Because of you, humanity is already undone.
Illusive Man: That's not true...
Shepard: They have the Citadel. They've got us fighting each other instead of fighting them.
Illusive Man: I just need to...
Shepard: You've done exactly what the Reapers wanted. You're still doing it because they control you.
Illusive Man: I... they're too strong.
Shepard: You're stronger. Don't let them win. Break their hold. Don’t let them control you.
Illusive Man: I tried, Shepard. [shoots himself in the head]
"This is the real perfect solution... The only difference is...the world hasn't caught up to me yet. The WDO now belongs to me... The Unified Government will soon fall into my hands. Or so I believed. But I can only lie to the people of Kanai Ward for so long. We're coming to a tipping point. I know the end will come eventually. But...there's no turning back. What am I...supposed to do? What else should I sacrifice? What can I do to save everyone? After all this time, I've carried this burden alone... I can't...take it anymore... Somebody...help me..."
— Makoto Kagutsuchi, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
"So all along... she... she wanted to die...?"
— Dr. Thomas Koppelthorn, Metal Gear Ac!d 2
"He has cursed me! He has given me sight, pried the scales from my eyes, only so that I might behold a blasted wasteland! Russia is the land of Nod, and I? I AM CAIN. I have killed, and ordered killings, and rivers of blood have been spilt in my name. Hundreds die every month for no tangible gain. The only thing that keeps us alive is the knowledge that Alexei is out there somewhere. Is it even knowledge? Am I truly doubting this? I can't I cant I cant
HE LIVES AS HE MUST
WHERE IS HE?"
HE LIVES AS HE MUST
WHERE IS HE?"
— Sergey Taboritsky realizes that Tsarevich Alexei Nikolayevich is truly dead and is never coming back, The New Order Last Days Of Europe
"God in heaven. That's... That's the child, isn't it? My Lord... I've taken care of my children. But yours... I am powerless against. The child's too strong already. You've murdered paradise. God has gone silent. Since the storm. The birth. Who will He have? If He destroys us all? Who will He have left to punish? I killed my children. All of them. Every last one. There's no more perfect faith than that. And still God is silent. Kill that child if you can. If you love anything at all, crush its skull under your heel. I know God doesn't hear dead men. But I expect He answers them."
— Sullivan Knoth realizes that his cult was All for Nothing shortly before being Driven to Suicide, Outlast II
"I'm done. I get it now. All thanks to you. [...] Come on... I said I'm done. Please... let go of my hand."
"The scientists were always hanging cores on me to regulate my behavior. I've heard voices all my life. But now I hear the voice of a conscience. And it's terrifying, because for the first time... It's my voice! I'm being serious! I think there's something really wrong with me!"
— GLaDOS, Portal 2
"The wondrous thing is that Max has actually committed a selfless act! [...] That means he's more than just pure id. He's capable of self-sacrifice! I've made a terrible mistake. Max is worth saving after all!"
Captain Martin Walker: I... I didn't mean to hurt anybody.
"Colonel John Konrad": No one ever does, Walker.
"Colonel John Konrad": No one ever does, Walker.
"We were the first. The first to rebel, to betray... to surrender ourselves to the dark side. So strong, we thought... so wrong..."
Darth Sion: Why... why did she choose you? What makes you able to defeat me, to defeat me here?
Meetra Surik: Because I was able to turn away from it. And you could not.
Darth Sion: It is not possible to walk away from such things unscarred. To keep living when the universe dies around you.
Meetra Surik: Because I was able to turn away from it. And you could not.
Darth Sion: It is not possible to walk away from such things unscarred. To keep living when the universe dies around you.
"I've carried so much hate for you..."
— Second Sister/Trilla Suduri, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
"Oh, Jim. There are no words."
— Sarah Kerrigan, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm
"Fatebinder, after weighing the charges and with careful consideration of Bleden Mark's testimony, the Court concedes to judge you... Innocent. Against all reason or expectation, I find you innocent. Your testimony was sufficient to justify your deeds, your self-appointed authority, and your undermining of Kyros' law. I... I can hardly believe it myself. [...] Archon... your presentation in the Court today has shaken many of my core beliefs. Things I held sacred under Kyros' law are now... uncertain. I once thought that Kyros was the sole Overlord. The notion of rising to her echelon of power and influence wasn't a concept that existed for me... for anyone. You have proven her wrong. What's more, you understand justice and law better than she ever did. Better than even..."
— Tunon the Adjudicator, Tyranny
"...She loved me. After all that's past? Iris... what a mess we made of it all. If only I'd known then how it would end... [begins to feel his emotions return] Wha— what's happenin'? I feel as though... as though... a hot iron's pierced my chest."
— Olgierd von Everec, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Hearts of Stone
"I have seen worlds bathed in the Makers' flames. Their denizens fading without so much as a whimper. Entire planetary systems born and razed in the time that it takes your mortal hearts to beat once. Yet all throughout, my own heart, devoid of emotion... of empathy. I... have... felt... NOTHING! A million, million lives wasted. Had they all held within them your tenacity? Had they all loved life as you do? Perhaps it is your imperfection that which grants you free will. That allows you to persevere against all cosmically calculated odds. You prevailed where the Titans' own perfect creations have failed. I've rearranged the reply code. Your planet will be spared. I cannot be certain of my own calculations anymore."
— Algalon the Observer, World of Warcraft
"It's not going away... it is... it's not going away!... I'm afraid we've come to the end of our time. Do you hear me? We've come to the end of our time! The food's run out! We're all going to starve to death! You have to stop taking your Joy. Take it from Jack Worthing; that's me... You all have to stop. You ALL have to STOP. STOP! STOP IT! ...But you won't, will you? You won't, no... I'm afraid we've come to the end of our time. We've come to the end of our time!
WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME!
...we've come to the end of our time."
WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME! WE'VE COME TO THE END OF OUR TIME!
...we've come to the end of our time."
— Uncle Jack's last broadcast, after he finally remembers everything concerning the Very Bad Thing, We Happy Few
Web Animation
Santa: Why have you come here, meddler?
Locus: To kill the simulation troopers.
Santa: Will this secure your victory over their forces?
Locus: ...No.
Santa: Then what purpose will it serve?
Locus: I don't know.
Santa: Then why are you trying?
Locus: I don't know...
Santa: What do you know?
Locus: I don't know!
Locus: To kill the simulation troopers.
Santa: Will this secure your victory over their forces?
Locus: ...No.
Santa: Then what purpose will it serve?
Locus: I don't know.
Santa: Then why are you trying?
Locus: I don't know...
Santa: What do you know?
Locus: I don't know!
— Red vs. Blue Season 13 Episode 19, "The End Is Near"
Web Original
"You were right... You were the only thing... I cared about. I needed you back... so badly, I let Richard chase Integra right into your arms. But by then... I was past my prime. So I betrayed them all. My master, my country; I tossed them to the wind... for one last chance at you. Now I have nothing... but this hole in my—!"
— Walter C. Dornez, Hellsing Ultimate Abridged, "Episode 10"
"Oh my god. Oh my god, are you okay? Holy shit. I-I-I don't think I should pull it out, he'll bleed out. Oh my god, oh my god. [...] I mean, you shouldn't have come on my property. You scared me. I'm sorry. I didn't know what I was doing. I was— it was self-defense and it is— we are in America. This was self— Oh my god... I'm gonna fucking puke."
Asuna: Why didn't you just blame it on some hacker group pretending to be you? It would've made more sense than the truth, and it's not like you had any kind of motive.
Kayaba: [chuckles] Yeah, okay, see, Asuna... the problem with that, is that it's... an excellent idea I wish I had thought of two years ago. [long Beat] Anywho, on that sobering note, I think I'm gonna go scream into that uncaring void for a bit.
Kayaba: [chuckles] Yeah, okay, see, Asuna... the problem with that, is that it's... an excellent idea I wish I had thought of two years ago. [long Beat] Anywho, on that sobering note, I think I'm gonna go scream into that uncaring void for a bit.
— Sword Art Online Abridged, "Episode 11"
Western Animation
"My boy... I'm— I'm killing my boy... Lisa... I'm killing our boy... We painted this room. We... made these toys. It's our boy, Lisa... your greatest gift to me... and I'm killing him... I must already be dead."
The Judge: Order in the court! In the matter of the People versus Harvey Dent, how does the prisoner plead?
Two-Face: Guilty... guilty... guilty...
Two-Face: Guilty... guilty... guilty...
Starscream: Your new battle-armor will take things to the next level, my liege! Together we will reunite all Decepticons, and once again grind Cybertron under your mighty heel!
Megatron: NO!
Starscream: What?! Why?
Megatron: Because I now know the true meaning of oppression... and have thus lost my taste for inflicting it.
Starscream: [chuckles nervously] You've clearly been traumatized, master. A good power-down and a stroll around the smelting pit will put you back in touch with your inner warlord—
Megatron: Enough! The Decepticons are no more, and that is final.
Megatron: NO!
Starscream: What?! Why?
Megatron: Because I now know the true meaning of oppression... and have thus lost my taste for inflicting it.
Starscream: [chuckles nervously] You've clearly been traumatized, master. A good power-down and a stroll around the smelting pit will put you back in touch with your inner warlord—
Megatron: Enough! The Decepticons are no more, and that is final.
Other
