History Quotes / TheAtoner

->'''Harry Dresden:''' Look at [[SmugSnake him]], [[KnightInShiningArmor Michael]]. He isn't a victim. He's a freaking collaborator. That [[TrappedInVillainy poor bastard]] Rasmussen might have been dragooned into working with the Denarians, but Cassius does it because he wants to do it.\\

->''"No way out. [[FaceDeathWithDignity Hmph. Let's do this."]]''
-->--'''[[ReformedCriminal The Highwayman]]''', ''Videogame/DarkestDungeon''

->''[[BadassCreed "I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man."]]''
-->-- '''Dalinar Kholin''', ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'' (third book of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'')

-> ''"I've got a long road to travel before I can be someone I can be proud of. And despite the forgiveness of others, I have to forgive myself first and I'm not there yet."''
-->-- '''Kilian Jones/Captain Hook''', ''Series/OnceUponATime''

->''"DON'T ARGUE WITH ME! You're always trying to help me! You brought me [[BackFromTheDead back to life]]! Just... Let me be someone who deserved it."'''
-->-- '''[[spoiler: Lars]]''', to '''Steven''', ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse''

->I used to think I could save the world. Now look at it.
-->--'''Adam Jensen''', ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided''

->'''Kahler-Jex:''' Do you think I am unaffected by what I did? That I don't hear them screaming every time I close my eyes? It would be so much simpler if I was just one thing, wouldn't it? The mad scientist who made that killing machine or the physician who dedicated his life serving this town. The fact that I am both bewilders you. \\
'''The Doctor:''' Oh I know exactly what you are. And I see this reformation for what it truly is. You commited an atrocity and chose this as your punishment. Don't get me wrong, good choice -- Civilized hours, lots of adulation, nice weather but, ''but'' justice doesn't work like that! '''''[[DefiedTrope You don't get to decide when and how your debt is paid!]]''''' [[labelnote:Note...]][[RedemptionEqualsDeath Actually he can.]][[/labelnote]]
-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho''

->'''Bonnie''': You don't understand. You will never understand.\\
'''The Doctor''': I don't understand? Are you kidding? Me? Of course I understand. I mean, do you call this a war, this funny little thing? ''This'' is not a war! [[GreatOffScreenWar I fought in a bigger war than you will ever know!]] [[WarIsHell I did worse things than you could ever imagine]]! And when I close my eyes...! ''(turns around, visibly collects himself)'' I hear more screams than ''anyone'' could ''ever'' be able to count! And do you know what you do with all that pain? Shall I tell you where you put it? You hold it tight, till it burns your hand! And you say this: No one else will ever have to live like this. No one else will have to feel this pain. Not on my watch!
-->-- ''Series/DoctorWho''

->It's irrelevant now. I don't have any responsibility for you. I don't need to warn you where your need for forgiveness will take you.
->(''Flings Karl into a brick wall'')
-> Atonement is at best a journey of uncertain length and destination. But so is ''{{Revenge}}'', of course. We both embrace our own destruction.
-> Goodbye, Karl.

->Falling from heaven is not as painful as surviving the impact.
-->-- '''[[http://magiccards.info/ud/en/22.html Tormented Angel]]''', ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''

->'''[[spoiler:The Good Incarnation:]]''' (...) If you spoke to these others that were here, know that a fraction of the evil of their lives is but a drop of water compared to the evil of mine. That life, that one life, even ''without'' the thousands of others, has given us a seat in the Lower Planes for eternity.\\
'''The Nameless One:''' But you seem so much... calmer. More well-intentioned.\\
'''[[spoiler:The Good Incarnation:]]''' I became that way, yes. Because for me... It is ''regret'' [[ArcWords that may change the nature of a man]]. But it was too late. I was already damned.
-->-- ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment''

->'''Teal'c:''' One day others may try to convince you they have forgiven you. That is more about them than you. For them, imparting forgiveness is a blessing.
->'''Tomin:''' How do you go on?
->'''Teal'c:''' It is simple. You will never forgive yourself. Accept it. You hurt others - many others. That cannot be undone. You will never find personal retribution. But your life does not have to end. That which is right, just, and true can still prevail. If you do not fight for what you believe in, all may be lost for everyone else. But do not fight for yourself. Fight for others, others that may be saved through your effort. That is the least you can do.
-->-- ''Franchise/{{Stargate|Verse}}: Film/TheArkOfTruth''

->'''Bekhesh:''' A lifetime of killing and extortion takes its toll.
->'''Crichton:''' [[DeadpanSnarker Yeah, especially on those you kill and extort.]]
->'''Bekhesh:''' Yes... but also on myself. During a hostage raid we captured a priest - a disciple of the Writ of Taru. He refused to eat or sleep: all he would do, day and night, was preach, whether anyone was listening or not. I executed him... but I kept his writ. I don't know why. One day I started reading; they were words of peace, but they made me feel... ''[[GoodFeelsGood better.]]'' Then one day I took off my [[ArmCannon gauntlet]] and I threw it away.
-->-- ''Series/{{Farscape}}''

->I'm not one to despise people for their sins. I haven't found one yet, that I didn't say inside myself, "I've done worse than this."
-->-- '''Andrew "Ender" Wiggin''', ''Literature/SpeakerForTheDead''

-> I have done terrible things, things which I can never undo. I've walked a very dark path. All I can do is to fight to stop the evil ideas for which I once fought. If I can do that, then I can earn redemption in my own heart.
-->-- ''' Nicci''', ''[[Literature/SwordOfTruth Confessor]]''

-->-- '''ComicBook/ThePhantomStranger''', from one of his four [[MultipleChoicePast Multiple Choice Pasts]] in ''Secret Origins''

-->-- '''ComicBook/BlackWidow''', ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''

->I MADE A MISTAKE!
-->-- '''Mordin Solus''', ''VideoGame/MassEffect3''

->My children... listen to me. I have lived regretting the past. And I have faced those regrets. If only I could do things over again...
-->-- '''[[spoiler:King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule]]''', ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''

->[[spoiler:Epsilon]], what you and I were involved with... the things we helped do... I'll be honest - I don't know if we can ever get all the way back to good. But, I think that we have a chance to do better. And if we wake up every day and try to make things better, eventually, we might find that better is good enough.
-->-- '''[[spoiler:Carolina]]''', ''Machinima/RedVsBlue''

->''Thank you for my life. I'll try not to make such a mess of it this time.''
-->-- '''[[spoiler: Anders]]''', ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII''

->''I’m sorry. I won’t say I’ll make amends, because there’s no way I can even come close. I don’t know what to say, except that I’m sorry. No excuses. But I’m going to do what I can to make things better, and maybe I get a hundredth of the way, in the end.''

->i am only just sixteen
->and i have made a mistake
->so big
->that i will never make one again
-->-- From the poem ''[[http://iwanttobeemmapeel.deviantart.com/art/Barely-Summer-398968934 Barely Summer]]''

->''[[RoaringRampageOfRevenge I want to take from them what they took from me, from my family]]. In ''this'' life. [[PayEvilUntoEvil I want them to suffer. I want all of them to die in fear and pain...]] I want to have my revenge. Against him. Against [[BigBad Caesar]]. [[KnightTemplar I want to call it my own, to make my anger God's anger. To justify the things I've done]]. Sometimes I tell myself that these wild fires never stop burning. [[HeelRealization But I'm the one who starts them. Not God. Not them]]. I can always see it in my mind. The warmth and the heat. It will always be a part of me.''

->''But not today.''
-->--'''Joshua Graham''', ''Videogame/FalloutNewVegas''

-> ''Punishment is not the answer. Punishment is easy. It's lazy. Redemption is hard. Redemption makes you work.''
-->-- '''Skulduggery Pleasant''', ''[[Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant The Dying of the Light]]''

-> ''You know you screwed up, and you want to make it right. I've been told that trying counts for a lot.''\\
''You may never balance the scales. You may never make it up to the one who dies on your watch. But giving up on fixing it is like killing them all over again.''
-->-- '''Roy''', ''[[Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick Order of the Stick]]''

-> ''Destiny has one great test in store for us all. Has mine already come, and have I failed it? A deed, once done, cannot be undone... But perhaps it may yet be mitigated.''
-->-- '''Dinobot''', ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''

->Yes! Thank you! I've worked so hard, thrown everything away, committed terrible crimes... Take me away! I'll gladly accept my punishment knowing Luthor's true nature has been exposed.
-->-- '''Emil Hamilton''' to '''Comicbook/{{Supergirl}}''' and '''Comicbook/{{Batgirl}}''', ''ComicBook/ElseworldsFinestSupergirlAndBatgirl''

->'''Bizarrogirl:''' Does self-punishment '''end''', Supergirl?\\
'''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}:''' It might '''never''' end, Bizarrogirl. We can be '''sorry''' for what we've done, be sorry for hurting others, but it's what we do '''afterwards''' that really matters.
-->-- ''ComicBook/{{Bizarrogirl}}''

->''Japan, 1867.. the Tokugawa dynasty stands upon failing legs... an invincible samurai, Kenshin Himura walks the path of death and destruction, ushering in [[UsefulNotes/MeijiRestoration a new regime]]. [[TheDreaded Hated and feared by many]], he is known as Hitokiri Battousai, [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Manslayer]]. In retribution for his deeds he has taken an oath to protect the innocent, and [[ThouShaltNotKill never kill again]].''
-->--''Creator/{{Toonami}}'' Promo for ''Manga/RurouniKenshin''

-->--''Series/{{Angel}}'', "Orpheus"

->'''Misato:''' It might surprise you to learn I agree with you. Everything you said is true. I did a terrible job with the both of you, and there's no excuse for it. Nothing about the circumstances changes what happened to you. It was criminal, and it was wrong, and I'll regret it until the day I die. But even so, you have to think about your situation here: you aren't equipped to live on your own, and neither is Shinji. You both need a lot of help and support, and there aren't exactly a lot of candidates banging on the door for the job. For better or worse I'm the closest thing to family either of you has.\\
'''Asuka:''' (shaking her head) …\\
'''Misato:''' And I do care about you. I can't undo any of the things that have happened to you, but I can do my best to look out for you in the future. And I want to do that.\\
'''Asuka:''' No you don't. The only reason you're bothering at all is because of him.\\
'''Misato:''' That isn't true. But even if it was, does it really matter? Either way --\\
'''Asuka:''' Of course it matters!\\
'''Misato:''' I see. I've really misjudged you, haven't I? All this time, I thought your only interest was in survival. Shinji, me, even Kaji were just means to that end. But it wasn't like that at all, was it? No, of course not. It's so obvious, given what happened with your mom. I guess I never really made the connection because of everything else that was going on.\\
'''Asuka:''' …\\
'''Misato:''' Alright then. I think I can understand your feelings now. And I can't really blame you; I'd be pretty skeptical myself if I was in your position. So that means I'll just have to prove it, right? But you'll have to give me the chance to do that, Asuka. I can't force you to accept me. All I can do is do my best to earn you trust. And that starts right now.
-->-- ''Fanfic/GhostsOfEvangelion''

->''I know I've made some bad choices, but today I'm gonna set things right.''
-->--'''Prince Zuko''', ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''

->''Unverziehen was an enigma to most people; the insanely potent warper had been a member of the combat arm of the German SS, and had not been privy to the war crimes of Auschwitz, Dachau, Sobibor and other places. The man and Caitlin shared something similar: guilt. He felt responsible for what his country did during the war, and though her crimes paled in comparison to what the Nazis had done during that war, the A-List hero, who still could not forgive himself, hadn’t physically committed any of the crimes he bore the shame of.''
-->-- Character description for The Unforgiven, in "The Book of Darwin, Part 3". ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''

->''"Titus sought out Immortality only because he knew that's how long it would take to erase the red from his ledger."''
-->-- '''FlavourText on Titus''', ''VideoGame/AtlasReactor''

->''"Let's just say I had [[HeelRealization an epiphany]]. I watched too many people [[SadisticChoice make choices]] and realized I had one of my own to make."''
-->-- '''Snare''', ''ComicBook/TheTransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers''

->''"What is better? To be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?"''
-->--'''Paarthurnax''', ''{{VideoGame/Skyrim}}''

->''"I have no intention of asking for forgiveness after all that's happened. It may well be too late, but... all I can do is atone. That is the only path forward."''
-->'''—Todoroki Enji,''' ''Manga/MyHeroAcademia''

->''"What I did is beyond forgiveness. I don't need anyone to tell me that. No matter what I do, I can't change the past. But what I ''can'' do is save Jeri! And lemme tell ya, no [[EldritchAbomination talkin' eyeball's]] gonna stop me! [[WaveMotionGun CORONA DESTROYER]]!"''
-->--'''Beelzemon''', ''Anime/DigimonTamers''

->'''[[TheMole Cait Sith]]:''' [[HonestCorporateExecutive I wanted to work for Shinra... because I wanted to help people.]] I guess I was naive in thinking that a faceless corporation could think of its people before its paycheck. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone If anything, I feel like I made peoples' lives worse.]] [[HeroicSacrifice That's why I have to do this.]] No... I ''need'' to do this.\\
'''[[TheEeyore Mog]]:''' [[AC:This won't repent for our sins.]]\\
'''Cait Sith:''' I know. But if this'll help save the world... It'll be one hell of a start.
-->--''Machinima/FinalFantasyVIIMachinabridged''

->'''Harry Dresden:''' Look at [[SmugSnake him]], [[KnightInShiningArmor Michael]]. He isn't a victim. He's a freaking collaborator. That [[TrappedInVillainy poor bastard]] Rasmussen might have been dragooned into working with the Denarians, but Cassius does it because he wants to do it.\\
'''[[KnightInSourArmor Sanya]]:''' There's no way for you to be sure of that, Harry.\\
'''Harry Dresden:''' Why are you giving him a fair chance? Which of them has ''ever'' turned away from their [[ArtifactOfDoom coins]]?\\
'''Sanya:''' [[HeelFaceTurn I did]].
-->-- ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', Literature/DeathMasks

'''[[KnightInSourArmor Sanya]]:''' There's no way for you to be sure of that, Harry.
'''Harry Dresden:''' Why are you giving him a fair chance? Which of them has ''ever'' turned away from their [[ArtifactOfDoom coins]]?
'''Sanya:''' I did.

->'''Cait Sith:''' I wanted to work for Shinra... because I wanted to help people. I guess I was naive in thinking that a faceless corporation could think of its people before its paycheck. If anything, I feel like I made peoples' lives worse. That's why I have to do this. No... I ''need'' to do this.\\
'''Mog:''' [[AC:This won't repent for our sins.]]\\

'''Cait Sith:''' I know. but if this'll help save the world... It'll be one hell of a start.

->'''Cait Sith:''' "I wanted to work for Shinra... because I wanted to help people. I guess I was naive in thinking that a faceless corporation could think of its people before its paycheck. If anything, I feel like I made peoples' lives worse. That's why I have to do this. No... I ''need'' to do this."\\
'''Mog:''' [[AC:"This won't repent for our sins."]]\\
'''Cait Sith:''' "I know. but if this'll help save the world... It'll be one hell of a start."

-->-- '''Snare''', ''ComicBook/TransformersLastStandOfTheWreckers''

-->'''—Todoroki Enji.'''

--> --Series/DoctorWho

'''The Doctor''': I don't understand? Are you kidding? Me? Of course I understand. I mean, do you call this a war? This funny little thing? This is not a war! I fought in a bigger war than you will ever know. I did worse things than you could ever imagine. And when I close my eyes I hear more screams than anyone could ever be able to count! And do you know what you do with all that pain? Shall I tell you where you put it? You hold it tight till it burns your hand, and you say this: No one else will ever have to live like this. No one else will have to feel this pain. Not on my watch!
--> --Series/DoctorWho

-->--'''Dalinar Kholin''', ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}'' (third book of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'')

-->--'''Dalinar Kholin''', ''Literature/{{Oathbringer}}''

->''Unverziehen was an enigma to most people; the insanely potent warper had been a member of the combat arm of the German SS, and had not been privy to the war crimes of Auschwitz, Dachau, Sobibor and other places. The man and Caitlin shared something similar: guilt. He felt responsible for what his country did during the war, and though her crimes paled in comparison to what the Nazis had done during that war, the A-List hero, who still could not forgive himself, hadn’t physically committed any of the crimes he bore the shame of.''
-->-- Character description for The Unforgiven, in "The Book of Darwin, Part 3". ''Literature/WhateleyUniverse''

->I used to think I could save the world, now look at it.

'''Asuka:''' (shaking her head) …\\