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"Everybody wants to trash-talk my plans. It's revenge this, protect my family that, and save a cat too! Blah, blah, blah! I guess your fancy dreams make you guys hot shit, huh?! How about we have a dream battle then?! How about that?! If I murderize you, then your dream's weaker than fondling a tit!"
— Denji, Chainsaw Man
"I won't stop, brother, because of this... All throughout my life, people have used me like a tool... I was used by the Order... and then you used me, big brother. Yeah, maybe you've been using me for your own ends, right from the very start. But... only the time I spent with you seemed real... It was those memories that finally made me human... That's why I'm not... I'm not... I'm not a tool. I do this... of my own free will... as a human being!"
— Rolo, Code Geass
"Amazing. How do you do it, Kakarot? You've always been like this, ever since the day I first met you, always ready to meet the next challenge, even if it's bigger than you are. It was the same on Namek. You had improved so much that it made Recoome look like he was standing still! Your power had increased so dramatically since our battle on Earth that I thought you had done it. I thought... that you had become... a Super Saiyan! It tore me apart! How could a low class soldier accomplish so easily what I, I had struggled my whole life to achieve? After three millenia, it has finally happened! A new Super Saiyan has emerged! And somehow, I have become this pauper's witness! Then, at last, it happened. I too, transformed. After living every moment of every day for the singular purpose of surpassing you, I finally became a Super Saiyan myself. The prince had reclaimed his throne and fulfilled his destiny! But no matter how strong I became, your power still exceeded mine. At first I thought it was your loved ones, that it was your instinct to protect them that spurred you on, and pushed you beyond your limits. But then I found myself with a family of my own. And my power didn't increase at all... I used to fight for the sheer pleasure of it, for the thrill of the hunt! Oh, I had the strength unmeasurable. I spared no one. And yet, you showed mercy to everyone, even your fiercest enemies... even me! Yet you never fought to kill, or for revenge, only to test your limits, and to push yourself beyond them, to become the strongest you could possibly be. How can a Saiyan fight like that and at the same time be so gentle that he wouldn't hurt a fly? Oh, it makes me angry just thinking about it! But, perhaps it is my anger that has made me blind to the truth for so long. I see it now, this day has made it all too clear. You're better than me, Kakarot. You are the best."
— Vegeta to himself, while Goku is fighting against Kid Buu, Dragon Ball Z
Frieza: You... what are you?!
Goku: You haven't figured it out yet? I'm the Saiyan who came from Earth for the sole purpose of defeating you. I am the warrior you've heard of in legends, pure of heart and awakened by fury, that's what I am. I AM THE SUPER SAIYAN, SON GOKU!
Goku: You haven't figured it out yet? I'm the Saiyan who came from Earth for the sole purpose of defeating you. I am the warrior you've heard of in legends, pure of heart and awakened by fury, that's what I am. I AM THE SUPER SAIYAN, SON GOKU!
"Imitations, faker, huh? Yeah, that doesn't sound too bad. I certainly am a faker... I had the wrong idea. My magic isn't creating swords. First of all, I can't do such a skillful thing. That's right. There's only one thing I can do, and that is to put shape to my mind...
I am the bone of my sword
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades
Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain
I have withstood pain to create many weapons
Waiting for one's arrival
I have no regrets, this is the only path
My whole life was Unlimited Blade Works
[...] That's right. I don't create swords. I create a world that contains infinite swords. This is the only magic allowed for Emiya Shirou... There's no need to be surprised. These are all imitations. As you say, these are all trifling swords. But there is no rule that an imitation cannot defeat the original. If you say you are the original, I shall surpass every one of your weapons and destroy your existence.
Here I come, King of Heroes — Do you have enough weapons in stock?"
I am the bone of my sword
Steel is my body, and fire is my blood
I have created over a thousand blades
Unaware of loss, nor aware of gain
I have withstood pain to create many weapons
Waiting for one's arrival
I have no regrets, this is the only path
My whole life was Unlimited Blade Works
[...] That's right. I don't create swords. I create a world that contains infinite swords. This is the only magic allowed for Emiya Shirou... There's no need to be surprised. These are all imitations. As you say, these are all trifling swords. But there is no rule that an imitation cannot defeat the original. If you say you are the original, I shall surpass every one of your weapons and destroy your existence.
Here I come, King of Heroes — Do you have enough weapons in stock?"
— Emiya Shirou, Fate/stay night
"Yeah, I guess you're right. My wish really is fake. But there's something beautiful about it. Putting others before myself is hypocritical, I understand that. Still, I couldn't help but admire the idea. I thought how great it would be if I could live like that. Even if my life was a sham, there was still beauty in that wish. In doing whatever I could to make others happy. I won't let that go. Even if it is foolish, I won't give it up. I don't care what you say. I don't care if I'm a fraud or a hypocrite, because I know my dream's not a mistake!"
— Emiya Shirou, Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]
"Look. No one ever said Jotaro Kujo was a nice guy. I beat the crap out of people, more than I have to; some of them are still in the hospital. I've had idiot teachers who liked to talk big, so I taught them a lesson... and they never came back to class. If I go to a restaurant and the food's bad, I make it a policy to stiff 'em with the bill. But... even a bastard like me can spot true evil when he sees it! True evil are those who use the weak for their own gain, and crush them with their foot when they're through! Especially an innocent woman! And that is exactly what you've done, isn't it?! And your Stand gets to hide from the victim, the law, and the consequences! That's why... I will judge you myself!"
My father was strong, right? He was a real Jungle Emperor, right? But I'm different from Father. I'm small, weak, I'm afraid of heights, I'm really just a cowardly lion. But... Father said, I was strong. That's why... That's why, I'm going!
— Leo, Jungle Emperor 2009 Special
"Rain, can you hear me? Rain. You don't need to answer me. I just want you to hear me out. Dr. Mikamura is gone now. Leaving behind the words "Everything is my fault." But none of that matters to me now. None of that matters. Did you seriously think I blame you for what happens to me? Rain. What did we go through? What happened to us this past year? What meaning did this year have for us? We haven't even come up with an answer to these questions. You remember? When we met for the first time in ten years, at my mom's resting place. The guys up above had already decided to involve us in the Gundam Fight, and before we knew it, we were thrown into the ring on earth. I fought with everything I had in me! But once the battle was over, those above us thought of nothing but their own interests. But that's no reason why our one year together should end all of a sudden. It's true, I did win the Gundam Fight. But I won... only because you were always by my side. That's right. This victory was achieved by the two of us, Rain. And that's why it wouldn't make any sense if we didn't stay together. Hey Rain. Remember on the morning of the finals, when we were alone? I said there was something I wanted to talk to you about. I'm a guy that's ill at ease, and knows only how to fight. That's why it's been hard for me to say this. Honestly. I... I... I love you! I want to be with you! RAIN!"
— Domon, Mobile Fighter G Gundam
Naruto: Sasuke, I always knew that you were alone. At first, when I realized there was someone else like me around, I was relieved... and happy, too, to tell the truth. I wanted to approach you right off the bat... but I just couldn't work up the nerve. You were always able to do everything, and everyone was always fawning over you. You were so far ahead of me, and I didn't want to admit it, so I started to see you as my rival. I didn't want to lose to you, and with everyone calling me a loser it just made things worse. Even when we became Squad 7, I never stopped feeling that way. I was stubborn, and I couldn't express what I really felt. The truth was I really just wanted to be like you. You were... you were everything I aspired to. That's why...
Sasuke: [in flashback] You're one of the ones I wanna fight the most.
Naruto: You have no idea how happy you made me that day. It was the first time you ever said anything acknowledging me. You and I don't need to come to blows to know each other's thoughts, anyway. Ever since that day even though we've never said it... the truth is... you and I are friends.
Sasuke: [voiceover] It's not insignificant to me; there's no question... you're my closest friend.
Naruto: But now... you're seriously trying to take me out, and I don't really know... if you meant what you said before or not. Maybe I was the only one... who thought... who thought that we were friends. If that's the case, then... then how stupid am I... Sasuke?! I don't know why. I don't know why! But... but I... I just can't bear the thought... of seeing you taken away by someone like Orochimaru!
Sasuke: [in flashback] You're one of the ones I wanna fight the most.
Naruto: You have no idea how happy you made me that day. It was the first time you ever said anything acknowledging me. You and I don't need to come to blows to know each other's thoughts, anyway. Ever since that day even though we've never said it... the truth is... you and I are friends.
Sasuke: [voiceover] It's not insignificant to me; there's no question... you're my closest friend.
Naruto: But now... you're seriously trying to take me out, and I don't really know... if you meant what you said before or not. Maybe I was the only one... who thought... who thought that we were friends. If that's the case, then... then how stupid am I... Sasuke?! I don't know why. I don't know why! But... but I... I just can't bear the thought... of seeing you taken away by someone like Orochimaru!
— Naruto
"Naruto... at the time I recalled those words you said here once before. How when you're with me you wonder if this is what it's like to have a brother... that feeling of yours... I think I finally get what you meant. As I travel far and wide across the world, I often reflect back on those days. We were alone and starved of love. Kids that lived in a world full of hate. We chose different paths to walk, and battled each other. But now that time has passed... It's just like how I came to feel father mother and my brother Itachi's pain and emotions... I'll now start knowing your pain and feelings too, Naruto. You never cut me off, in fact you kept trying to get closer to me. You could've justifiably come charging at me with hatred, but you never stopped calling me your friend. Even though I tried to sever those feelings myself... You stopped me, as a friend, even at the cost of your hand. And I was saved thanks to you. We were insignificant little things who used to clash, and now we're able to claim each other's pain. And after seeing the world through my travels, I believe this concept isn't just about us... I'm sure it's the same for everything else. But it's not something that can be done as easily as you were able to. I never assumed it would be simple, just like it wasn't for the two of us. Especially with something so big. It's kind of like a prayer. To keep enduring until it comes to be, no matter what. The beings that have been entrusted with hope... that's us. Perhaps that's what it means to be a ninja."
— Sasuke Uchiha finally beginning to make peace with his village and himself, Naruto
"When I was faced with life or death, I decided that I would hold onto life. At that moment I let go and drew upon a different power and mastered the ultimate technique. The will to live is stronger than anything. Do you see it now? That is the ray of light that my master finally illuminated for me, though it took me years to see it. As Battousai the Manslayer I've committed many crimes and I can't possibly repent for them all. For a long time I believed in my heart that it didn't matter whether I lived or died, but now, despite the sins I've committed, I will hold all life sacred and I will never lose the will to live again."
— Kenshin, Rurouni Kenshin
"Listen here, girl. Since this started, I've been holding back. [gets into his fighting stance against a mind-controlled Chun-Li] But now the kid gloves are off!"
— Guile, Street Fighter II V
Anti-Spiral: How can this be?! Where are you drawing all of this power from?!?
Simon: We evolve beyond the person we were a minute before. Little by little, we advance a bit further with each turn. That's how a drill works!
Anti-Spiral: That is the path that leads to extinction. Why can't you see the pathetic limitation of the Spiral race?!
Simon: No, that's your limitation! You sit here closed off, locking away other life forms like some kind of king! That's nobody's limitation but your own!
Yoko: He's right! We humans used to have somebody much greater than us! For his sake alone, we'll keep on moving forward!
Nia: I've staked everything on the greatness of the human spirit, too!
Simon: Mark my words. This drill will open a hole in the universe. And that hole will be a path for those behind us. The dreams of those who have fallen. The hopes of those who will follow. Those two sets of dreams weave together into a double helix, drilling a path towards tomorrow! And that's Tengen Toppa! That's Gurren Lagann! My drill is the drill... that CREATES THE HEAVEEEEENNNNNSSSS!
Simon: We evolve beyond the person we were a minute before. Little by little, we advance a bit further with each turn. That's how a drill works!
Anti-Spiral: That is the path that leads to extinction. Why can't you see the pathetic limitation of the Spiral race?!
Simon: No, that's your limitation! You sit here closed off, locking away other life forms like some kind of king! That's nobody's limitation but your own!
Yoko: He's right! We humans used to have somebody much greater than us! For his sake alone, we'll keep on moving forward!
Nia: I've staked everything on the greatness of the human spirit, too!
Simon: Mark my words. This drill will open a hole in the universe. And that hole will be a path for those behind us. The dreams of those who have fallen. The hopes of those who will follow. Those two sets of dreams weave together into a double helix, drilling a path towards tomorrow! And that's Tengen Toppa! That's Gurren Lagann! My drill is the drill... that CREATES THE HEAVEEEEENNNNNSSSS!
What you and I see are totally different, SHIKI.
All you're seeing is life. You don't understand death at all. That's why you can't kill me, and you're only able to kill a weakened woman.
If you could see death, you couldn't maintain your sanity. All you can perceive is the part which keeps things alive.
If you could see death — you couldn't even manage to stand.
[...] Being able to see the "death" of things mean you're forced to see the world's fragility and uncertainty.
The ground is like it's not there, and the sky seems about to fall at any moment.
[...] You don't know of the illusion that the whole world could perish in an instant.
That is what it means to see death. These eyes, this power isn't something you can boast about like you did.
That's your mistake, vampire. Life and death may be back to back, but they shall never face each other.
I'll show you. This is what it means to kill something.
All you're seeing is life. You don't understand death at all. That's why you can't kill me, and you're only able to kill a weakened woman.
If you could see death, you couldn't maintain your sanity. All you can perceive is the part which keeps things alive.
If you could see death — you couldn't even manage to stand.
[...] Being able to see the "death" of things mean you're forced to see the world's fragility and uncertainty.
The ground is like it's not there, and the sky seems about to fall at any moment.
[...] You don't know of the illusion that the whole world could perish in an instant.
That is what it means to see death. These eyes, this power isn't something you can boast about like you did.
That's your mistake, vampire. Life and death may be back to back, but they shall never face each other.
I'll show you. This is what it means to kill something.
— Tohno Shiki, Tsukihime
Abe No Seimei: Stop this pointless resistance, no matter how strong your spell power may become, you cannot reverse the inevitable. The two of you are among the chosen, your lives will proceed without all of this.
Rokuro: We're not interested in living in a world that's been given to us by someone else!
Benio: We want to live in a world that we create for ourselves!
Rokuro: You don't understand us! You think everything we've gone through, everything that we've experienced and felt during our struggles was bad and impure!
Benio: But that's not true! I'll admit there were people we hated and that we wanted to hurt, sometimes we even ended up hurting each other... But without going through that, I never would've care for Rokuro as much as I do!
Rokuro: And I would've never cherished Benio the way I do now! Which is why...
Both: We don't care if we have to risk our lives!
Rokuro: We're not interested in living in a world that's been given to us by someone else!
Benio: We want to live in a world that we create for ourselves!
Rokuro: You don't understand us! You think everything we've gone through, everything that we've experienced and felt during our struggles was bad and impure!
Benio: But that's not true! I'll admit there were people we hated and that we wanted to hurt, sometimes we even ended up hurting each other... But without going through that, I never would've care for Rokuro as much as I do!
Rokuro: And I would've never cherished Benio the way I do now! Which is why...
Both: We don't care if we have to risk our lives!
Comic Books
"I have been abused. Forced to do things against my will. Used. Sold to men. That shame... crippled me once. But I refuse to own it any longer. I won't apologize for being young, powerless, and enslaved. I won't apologize for the people who took power from me. That is not on me."
— Laura Kinney, All-New Wolverine
Nekron: Death is your destiny, Sinestro. As it is yours, Hal Jordan. Like the others who came Back from the Dead, you did so because I allowed it. No more. I want peace again.
Hal Jordan: You still want to take credit for bringing me back to life, Nekron? You might have opened the door, but I was the one who walked through it.
Black Hand: Why? Life was an accident. It has no meaning. It has no purpose.
Barry Allen: Life doesn't give us purpose, Black Hand. We give life purpose.
Hal Jordan: I may have some kind morbid connection to you, Nekron, but I have a stronger connection to life.
Black Lantern Superman: Not after I'm through with you, Hal.
Hal Jordan: You do too, Superman. Doomsday put you down, but you got back up. Everyone you think you brought back did it themselves, Nekron. We all chose life when given the chance. We're all connected. If anyone's part of a White Lantern Corps, it's us!
Hal Jordan: You still want to take credit for bringing me back to life, Nekron? You might have opened the door, but I was the one who walked through it.
Black Hand: Why? Life was an accident. It has no meaning. It has no purpose.
Barry Allen: Life doesn't give us purpose, Black Hand. We give life purpose.
Hal Jordan: I may have some kind morbid connection to you, Nekron, but I have a stronger connection to life.
Black Lantern Superman: Not after I'm through with you, Hal.
Hal Jordan: You do too, Superman. Doomsday put you down, but you got back up. Everyone you think you brought back did it themselves, Nekron. We all chose life when given the chance. We're all connected. If anyone's part of a White Lantern Corps, it's us!
Edward Grey: I have seen the miracle of Hellboy remaking the Earth. I have seen him change Hell. And I would much rather die than see Pluto undo all that. But, Eligos, the curse of my life is that I cannot die.
Eligos: Plouton—
Grey: Too late and too far away. Puto is in Tartarus... And here is where I was born! I was snatched out of my world, torn to pieces, and scattered on these rocks! Here I was stitched back together and here I learned magic from a ghost! The power you had from your master is spent! Mine is limitless and roaring under my feet. I have only to finally accept that I am not the man I was — no longer Edward Grey of England...
Eligos: Please—
Grey: But of Hell.
Eligos: Plouton—
Grey: Too late and too far away. Puto is in Tartarus... And here is where I was born! I was snatched out of my world, torn to pieces, and scattered on these rocks! Here I was stitched back together and here I learned magic from a ghost! The power you had from your master is spent! Mine is limitless and roaring under my feet. I have only to finally accept that I am not the man I was — no longer Edward Grey of England...
Eligos: Please—
Grey: But of Hell.
— Hellboy: Koshchei in Hell
Steve Rogers and Carol Danvers are great warriors. And I am honored to call them my friends... But they could not be more wrong. Out there are gods and men and all a manner of creatures in between. And they were born and shall, one day, all die, But each one... with a purpose. Surely I could tell you, friend Eden, that this universe, by its enigmatic whim, has conspired to put our world's fate, accompanied by the fates of others, into our very hands. It is the trial of titans... And only we are capable of delivering it from the grandest, most fearsome of evils. Your entire life has led to this day. You were born for this. As was I. So shall you join me, my friend, in teaching our would-be oppressors the oldest lesson of all?
Five hundred miles in the snow, naked. No big deal. Mutton fat, for Chkhartishvili's Enveloping Warmth. But I want to do it my way, not Mayakovsky's way. I'm starting to chafe at doing what I'm told. Maybe I still have a little wild fox in me. Okay, a very little. I've prepared some quality German thermogenesis spells, but now that I'm using them, it occurs to me that they need to be recast every hour or so. When am I going to sleep? Brilliant, Alice. I often seem to find myself fighting against the elements. Why doesn't the world ever seem to want me to get where I'm going? All I've ever wanted was to be good for something, to make life easier, but all I ever get is resistance. My whole life feels like nothing but inefficient effort.
Which gives me an idea. I can make entropy my friend. In physics, inefficient systems give off heat, and the less efficient, the more heat they give off. Like say, a spell like a Miller Flare with deliberately botched Quaternary circumstances. Watch me burn, world. Step aside and watch me burn.
Which gives me an idea. I can make entropy my friend. In physics, inefficient systems give off heat, and the less efficient, the more heat they give off. Like say, a spell like a Miller Flare with deliberately botched Quaternary circumstances. Watch me burn, world. Step aside and watch me burn.
For months I've been struggling to some degree with Survivor's Guilt. I kept thinking, "why am I still sucking oxygen when Captain America is dead and buried? Why do I deserve to still be here? Why me? I've been mired in existential angst and complex self-pity. And it's only now, with the planet in the throes of invasion, that I begin to see the answer. And it's NOT existential and it's NOT complicated. It's actually very simple: Why NOT me? What am I, chopped liver? Hell no. I'm She-Hulk. And as long as there are butts to kick... I'm going to be ready to plant my foot.
— Jennifer Walters, She-Hulk Volume 2, Issue 32
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. I am the union of ideals dark and benign but ultimately built in the name of love. I am the ultimate lifeform. I am the protector of Mobius. Run home to your master and tell him. This is who I am."
— Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comics)
Fan Fiction
Zangya: When Bojack destroyed our home planet all those years ago, I thought my life had lost all meaning and purpose to it... that any and all dreams I may have had vanished with the other three billion members of my kind. I thought that I was destined to serve under him for the rest of eternity... to remain a slave to his will, with no hope of pursuing anything more. I did everything he asked of me out of fear of his power and the cruelty of his wrath. But then I met someone... someone who not only had the strength to stand up to that monster, but someone who was able to free me from the prison Bojack had formed around me... and gave me a chance to find meaning in my existence... a reason to live. That person was someone who risked everything to open my eyes to the world and unshackle the chains of my heart... and he became the most important person in my life. It was only after all of that did I find my real reason for living.
Hasky: Really? And what would that be?
Zangya: [smiles] He made me realize that I could do anything with my life... that I could chase any dream and any goal that I wanted, so long as I gave it my all and had friends to support me every step of the way. I came to understand that as long as I have people in my life to cherish and protect, they can give me the strength to make any dream I had possible. [steps forward] And I'll be damned if I'm going to let the one person who made me realize all of this get killed by some blonde haired, wannabe goddess who relies on cheap tricks and thievery to gain power!
Hasky: [eye twitching] Do you wish to test me... mongrel?
Zangya: [grins] You claim that you are some divine being from another world? Well... if that's the case, and you really are the genuine article, then I'll just surpass everything about you and take you down. After all, if a mere human can become a goddess, then there's no reason why a Hera can't!
Hasky: Really? And what would that be?
Zangya: [smiles] He made me realize that I could do anything with my life... that I could chase any dream and any goal that I wanted, so long as I gave it my all and had friends to support me every step of the way. I came to understand that as long as I have people in my life to cherish and protect, they can give me the strength to make any dream I had possible. [steps forward] And I'll be damned if I'm going to let the one person who made me realize all of this get killed by some blonde haired, wannabe goddess who relies on cheap tricks and thievery to gain power!
Hasky: [eye twitching] Do you wish to test me... mongrel?
Zangya: [grins] You claim that you are some divine being from another world? Well... if that's the case, and you really are the genuine article, then I'll just surpass everything about you and take you down. After all, if a mere human can become a goddess, then there's no reason why a Hera can't!
"Centuries of boiling water for tea when I knew that I could boil the seas. Of lifting quills when I could lift mountains. Of breaking wax seals when I could break anything I please. My power is too much for this world. But it isn't too much for you, is it, Terra? Now I get to find out what I'm really capable of. No lives to save, no plans to make, nothing to hold me back. I am divinity unleashed."
— Celestia, The Immortal Game
Ranma: You think... you seriously think that hopping Ryōga up on drugs and a fancy chi technique, forbidden or not, is going to be enough to pressure me? Ah... I see... you think you have a pretty good idea of my skills, based upon what I did in Kowloon Walled City. Thing is... you're so wrong that it isn't even funny.
Qiáng Wang: What?!
Ranma: See, the whole point of fighting in Kowloon was so I could learn how to not use all of my power. Guru taught me a lot of powerful techniques and refined several of my regular techniques as well, but she told me to use only the absolute minimum amount of force to fight and beat your pinheads. Oh, I could punch them through the walls of the building easily; an old converted fort like Kowloon has substandard walls to start with, but that is what Guru wanted to teach me above everything... control. There's no such thing as having too much control over your strength, but it took me a while to understand that if I went all out, I could have turned Kowloon Walled City into rubble. Since then, I've grown so much in power, yet kept to pretty much the same level of fighting skill out of habit, but now... with no need to worry about my surroundings to nearly the same degree... I think I can cut loose for once.
Qiáng Wang: What?!
Ranma: See, the whole point of fighting in Kowloon was so I could learn how to not use all of my power. Guru taught me a lot of powerful techniques and refined several of my regular techniques as well, but she told me to use only the absolute minimum amount of force to fight and beat your pinheads. Oh, I could punch them through the walls of the building easily; an old converted fort like Kowloon has substandard walls to start with, but that is what Guru wanted to teach me above everything... control. There's no such thing as having too much control over your strength, but it took me a while to understand that if I went all out, I could have turned Kowloon Walled City into rubble. Since then, I've grown so much in power, yet kept to pretty much the same level of fighting skill out of habit, but now... with no need to worry about my surroundings to nearly the same degree... I think I can cut loose for once.
"A Hermit is someone who shows salvation through the Way of Heaven... That girl... healed the wounds I had when I was still human. No doubt, Yoshika was my "Hermit". Is it painful? I... I was saved a long, long time ago! Neither will I throw away the Hermit thing nor my promise. I will not betray that girl!"
— Kasen, Suikakasen
"Fame... Respect... Is that... what you think comes with Roger's name? Do you think I didn't know what would happen if I flashed my captain's name? I knew exactly what would happen, which is exactly why I've never done it. I sailed almost this entire world, from the clouds in the sky to the ocean floor, across the deadliest seas and against opponents the most powerful anyone could imagine. And when it was over, I decided that I didn't want to be a part of it anymore. I reaped the fruits of the strongest sea, and I chose to use them to ensure that I would never have to return to a life of paranoia, where every puff of smoke, every ripple on the water was a reason to keep your guard up, lest it kill you in a new, creative and utterly ludicrous way. I laid low and sandbagged as a small-time pirate for over twenty years – TWENTY. YEARS. – because I earned it, surviving the utter madhouse that was Roger's crew. I just wanted to live the rest of my life in PEACE and SANITY. WAS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK!? ...well. Apparently, it was. I never planned on this getting out. I never truly wanted to come back. Back to this sea, to this life, to this insanity again... But since I have no choice anymore... if this is what you really want... THEN SO BE IT! LET'S! GET! FLASHY!
"I have spent the last century boiling tea when I could have been boiling oceans. Signing treaties and laws when I could have been signing other leader's names with their own blood as I wrote their obituaries. Breaking seals of wax when I could have been breaking continents."
— Celestia, Wandering Moon
Film — Animated
"You're wrong, Hopper. Ants are not meant to serve grasshoppers. I've seen these ants do great things... and year after year, they somehow manage to pick enough food for themselves and you. So who's the weaker species? Ants don't serve grasshoppers! It's you who need us! We're a lot stronger than you say we are. And you know it... don't you?"
— Flik, A Bug's Life
"Hey, everybody. You don't know me, but I'm on TV, so you can trust me. I know things seem kind of bad right now, but there is a way out of this. [shows footage of Emmet] This is Emmet. And he was just like all of you: a face in the crowd, following the same instructions as you. He was so good at fitting in, no one ever saw him. And I owe you an apology, because I used to look down on people like that. I used to think they were followers, with no ideas or vision. Because it turns out Emmet had great ideas. And even though they seemed weird, and kind of pointless, they actually came closer than anyone else to saving the universe. And now we have to finish what he started by making whatever weird thing pops into our heads. All of you have the ability inside of you to be a groundbreaker. And I mean literally, break the ground! Peel off the pieces, tear apart your walls! Build things only you could build, defend yourselves! We need to fight back against President Business's plans to freeze us! Today will not be known as Taco Tuesday. It will be known... as Freedom Friday! But still... on a Tuesday!"
— Wyldstyle, The LEGO Movie
"I guess you're right, Plankton. I am just a kid. You know, I've been through a lot in the last 6 days, 5 minutes, 27 and a half seconds; and if I've learned anything during that time, it's you are who you are. And no amount of mermaid magic, or managerial promotion, or some other third thing can make me any more than what I really am inside, a kid; but that's okay! Cause I did what everyone said a kid couldn't do! I made it to Shell City, and I beat the Cyclops, and I rode the Hasslehoff, and I brought the crown back! So, yeah, I'm a kid, and I'm also a goofball, and a wingnut, and a Knucklehead McSpazatron, but most of all... I'm... I'm... I'm... I'M A GOOFY GOOBER! ROCK!
"
"— SpongeBob, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
Film — Live-Action
Captain America: Doctor Banner... Now might be a good time for you to get angry.
Bruce Banner: That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry. [transforms into the Hulk in less than a second and punches a building-sized space whale into oblivion]
Bruce Banner: That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry. [transforms into the Hulk in less than a second and punches a building-sized space whale into oblivion]
Diana: A hundred years ago I walked away from mankind, a century of horrors. Man made a world where standing together is impossible.
Bruce: Men are still good. We fight. We kill. We betray each other. But we can rebuild. We can do better. We will. We have to.
Lockett: You gettin' us out too, Staff Sergeant? Or are we expendable? Hm?
Nantz: Alright, Lockett. You want to go there? Let's go there. I commanded men, and men died. Kids. Nineteen years old. The best men I ever led. Do you think for one second that I wouldn't rather trade places with them? I know you think I got my men killed. They're dead. I'm here, like the punchline to some bad joke. You think I like that? You think a minute goes by that those faces aren't right here, seared into my brain? Dante, Thomas T. Corporal. 156509386. Ambruster, William r. Private. 876662354. Wharton, Jeffery H. Lance Corporal. 874273993. Lockett. Duane G. Corporal. 1568709...
Lockett: ...55.
Nantz: Your brother was an outstanding Marine. He was my friend. And I miss him every day.
Nantz: Alright, Lockett. You want to go there? Let's go there. I commanded men, and men died. Kids. Nineteen years old. The best men I ever led. Do you think for one second that I wouldn't rather trade places with them? I know you think I got my men killed. They're dead. I'm here, like the punchline to some bad joke. You think I like that? You think a minute goes by that those faces aren't right here, seared into my brain? Dante, Thomas T. Corporal. 156509386. Ambruster, William r. Private. 876662354. Wharton, Jeffery H. Lance Corporal. 874273993. Lockett. Duane G. Corporal. 1568709...
Lockett: ...55.
Nantz: Your brother was an outstanding Marine. He was my friend. And I miss him every day.
Star-Lord: I look around at us, you know what I see? Losers. I mean, like, folks who have lost stuff. And we have, man, we have, all of us. Our homes. Our families. Normal lives. Usually life takes more than it gives, but not today. Today it's giving us something. It is giving us a chance.
Drax the Destroyer: To do what?
Star-Lord: To give a shit. For once, and not run away. I for one am not gonna stand by and watch as Ronan wipes out billions of innocent lives.
Drax the Destroyer: To do what?
Star-Lord: To give a shit. For once, and not run away. I for one am not gonna stand by and watch as Ronan wipes out billions of innocent lives.
"When Helen died, I lost everything... until that dog arrived on my doorstep. A final gift from my wife. In that moment, I received some semblance of hope... an opportunity to grieve unalone. And your son... took that from me... stole that from me... KILLED THAT FROM ME! People keep asking if I'm back and I haven't really had an answer. But now, yeah, I'm thinkin' I'm back. So you can either hand over your son OR YOU CAN DIE SCREAMING ALONGSIDE HIM!"
"Well, there's this passage I got memorized. Ezekiel 25:17. "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you." I been saying that shit for years. And if you heard it, that meant your ass. I never gave much thought to what it meant. I just thought it was some cold-blooded shit to say to a motherfucker before I popped a cap in his ass. But I saw some shit this mornin' made me think twice. See, now I'm thinkin', maybe it means you're the evil man. And I'm the righteous man. And Mr. 9mm here, he's the shepherd protectin' my righteous ass in the valley of darkness. Or it could mean you're the righteous man and I'm the shepherd and it's the world that's evil and selfish. Now I'd like that. But that shit ain't the truth. The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo, I'm tryin' real hard to be the shepherd."
— Jules Winfield, Pulp Fiction
Gideon Graves: You wanna fight me... for her?
Scott Pilgrim: No. I wanna fight you for me!
Announcer: SCOTT EARNED THE POWER OF SELF-RESPECT!
Scott Pilgrim: No. I wanna fight you for me!
Announcer: SCOTT EARNED THE POWER OF SELF-RESPECT!
"This is my power! And I'm not using it to run away anymore! I'm using it to protect my friends!"
— Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Literature
"My whole life I've been telling myself to be calm, to be reasonable, to be respectable. To toe the line. But here I am, all the same, because they cheated. They changed the game so I couldn't win by being an honest man. But the thing is, I wasn't very good at being an honest man. I had to put so much of me away to do it. But being a crook, now... I've got the skills for that. I can be an amazing crook. I can be the greatest crook who ever lived. I can do that and still do the right thing. I'm not bonkers at all. I'm free."
— Joe Spork, Angelmaker
"I look out my window each day. I look out my window at people who live and breathe. At people who have not been devoured by civil war. At people who have not been ravaged by disease. At people who have not starved to death, who have not been hacked apart by enemies of humanity, at people who are free to lie and steal and plot and complain and accuse and behave in all manner of repugnant ways because the Realm stands. Because law and order stands. Because something other than simple violence shapes the course of their lives. And I look, wife of my son, mother of my heir, at a very few decent people who have had the luxury of living their lives without being called upon to make hideous decisions I would not wish upon my worst enemies, and who consequently find such matters morally appalling when they consider them — because they have not been the ones who dealt with them. [...] Feh. Aquitane thinks me his enemy. The fool. If I truly hated him, I'd give him the Crown."
— First Lord Gaius Sextus, Codex Alera: Princeps' Fury
"You cannot have my pain. You. Cannot. Have. My. Pain. I killed those children. I burned the people of Rathalas. YOU CANNOT HAVE MY PAIN! I did kill the people of Rathalas. You might have been there, but I made the choice. I decided. I killed her. It hurts so much, but I did it. I accept that. You cannot have her. You cannot take her from me again. [...] I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man."
— Dalinar Kholin, Oathbringer
"I am not asking. [...] You want to fuck with me, Tyburn, you had better know who you're messing with. [...] I am a sworn constable, and that makes me an officer of the law. I am also an apprentice, which makes a keeper of the sacred flame, but most of all I am a free man of London and that makes me a Prince of the City!"
— Detective Constable Peter Grant utterly owning River Goddess Tyburn, Rivers of London
"There is much I do not understand, I have never pretended elsewise. I know the seas and rivers, the shapes of the coast, where the rocks and shoals lie. I know hidden coves where a boat can land unseen and I know a king protects his people or he is no king at all."
— Ser Davos Seaworth, Hand of the King, A Song of Ice and Fire
"Lord Seaworth is a man of humble birth, but he reminded me of my duty, when all I could think of was my rights. I had the cart before the horse, Davos said. I was trying to win the throne to save the kingdom, when I should have been trying to save the kingdom to win the throne."
— King Stannis Baratheon, A Song of Ice and Fire
"Foes and false friends are all around me, Lord Davos. They infest my city like roaches, and at night I feel them crawling over me." The fat man's fingers coiled into a fist, and all his chins trembled. "My son Wendel came to the Twins a guest. He ate Lord Walder's bread and salt, and hung his sword upon the wall to feast with his friends. And they murdered him. Murdered, I say, and may the Freys choke upon their fables. I drink with Jared, jape with Symond, promise Rhaegar the hand of my own beloved granddaughter... but never think that means I have forgotten. The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer’s farce is almost done. My son is home."
— Lord Wyman Manderly, A Song of Ice and Fire
Live-Action TV
"Did the defendant make mistakes? Sure he did, serious mistakes, but did he actually commit any crimes? Did he commit treason? No.
It was an impossible situation. When the Cylons arrived, what could he possibly do? What could anyone have done? I mean, ask yourself, what would you have done? What would you have done? If he had refused to surrender, the Cylons would've probably nuked the planet, right then and there. So did he appear to co-operate with the Cylons? Sure, so did hundreds of others. What's the difference between him and them?
The President issued a blanket pardon. They were all forgiven, no questions asked. Colonel Tigh? Colonel Tigh used suicide bombers, killed dozens of people. Forgiven. Lieutenant Agathon and chief Tyrol murdered an officer on the Pegasus. Forgiven. The admiral? The admiral instituted a military coup d'etat against the President. Forgiven. And me? Well, where do I begin? I shot down a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic Carrier, over a thousand people on board. Forgiven. I raised my weapon to a superior officer, committed an act of mutiny. Forgiven. And then on the very day when Baltar surrendered to those Cylons, I, as commander of Pegasus, jumped away! I left everybody on that planet, alone, undefended for months. I even tried to persuade the admiral never to return, to abandon you all there for good. If I'd had my way nobody would have made it off that planet. I'm the coward. I'm the traitor. I'm forgiven.
I'd say we're very forgiving of mistakes. We make our own laws now, our own justice, and we've been pretty creative with ways to let people off the hook. For everything from theft to murder. And we've had to be, because... we're not a civilization anymore! We are a gang! And we're on the run, and we have to fight to survive. We have to break rules, we have to bend laws, we have to improvise!
But not this time, no, not this time, not for Gaius Baltar. No, you, you have to die! You have to die, because, well, because we don't like you very much. Because you're arrogant, because you're weak, because you're a coward, and we, the mob, want to throw you out the airlock because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and get yourself killed in the process! That's justice now! You should've been killed back on New Caprica, but since you had the temerity to live, we're going to execute you now. That's justice!
This case, this case is built on emotion, on anger, bitterness, but most of all it's built on shame. It's about the shame of what we did to ourselves back on that planet. It's about the guilt of those of us who ran away, who ran away. And we are trying to dump all of that guilt and all that shame onto one man, and then flush him out the airlock, and just hope that that gets rid of it all. So that we can live with ourselves. But that won't work. That won't work. That's not justice, not to me. Not to me."
It was an impossible situation. When the Cylons arrived, what could he possibly do? What could anyone have done? I mean, ask yourself, what would you have done? What would you have done? If he had refused to surrender, the Cylons would've probably nuked the planet, right then and there. So did he appear to co-operate with the Cylons? Sure, so did hundreds of others. What's the difference between him and them?
The President issued a blanket pardon. They were all forgiven, no questions asked. Colonel Tigh? Colonel Tigh used suicide bombers, killed dozens of people. Forgiven. Lieutenant Agathon and chief Tyrol murdered an officer on the Pegasus. Forgiven. The admiral? The admiral instituted a military coup d'etat against the President. Forgiven. And me? Well, where do I begin? I shot down a civilian passenger ship, the Olympic Carrier, over a thousand people on board. Forgiven. I raised my weapon to a superior officer, committed an act of mutiny. Forgiven. And then on the very day when Baltar surrendered to those Cylons, I, as commander of Pegasus, jumped away! I left everybody on that planet, alone, undefended for months. I even tried to persuade the admiral never to return, to abandon you all there for good. If I'd had my way nobody would have made it off that planet. I'm the coward. I'm the traitor. I'm forgiven.
I'd say we're very forgiving of mistakes. We make our own laws now, our own justice, and we've been pretty creative with ways to let people off the hook. For everything from theft to murder. And we've had to be, because... we're not a civilization anymore! We are a gang! And we're on the run, and we have to fight to survive. We have to break rules, we have to bend laws, we have to improvise!
But not this time, no, not this time, not for Gaius Baltar. No, you, you have to die! You have to die, because, well, because we don't like you very much. Because you're arrogant, because you're weak, because you're a coward, and we, the mob, want to throw you out the airlock because you didn't stand up to the Cylons and get yourself killed in the process! That's justice now! You should've been killed back on New Caprica, but since you had the temerity to live, we're going to execute you now. That's justice!
This case, this case is built on emotion, on anger, bitterness, but most of all it's built on shame. It's about the shame of what we did to ourselves back on that planet. It's about the guilt of those of us who ran away, who ran away. And we are trying to dump all of that guilt and all that shame onto one man, and then flush him out the airlock, and just hope that that gets rid of it all. So that we can live with ourselves. But that won't work. That won't work. That's not justice, not to me. Not to me."
— Lee Adama, Battlestar Galactica (2003).
Dalek: The Dalek strategem nears completion. The fleet is almost ready. You will not intervene.
The Doctor: Oh really? Why is that then?
Dalek: We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated.
[dramatic pause]
The Doctor: No.
Dalek: Explain yourself.
The Doctor: I said no.
Dalek: What is the meaning of this negative?
The Doctor: It means no.
Dalek: But she will be destroyed!
The Doctor: NO! Because this is what I'm going to do: I'm gonna rescue her. I'm going to save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth and then, just to finish off, I'm going wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!
Dalek: But you have no weapons! No defences! No! Plan!
The Doctor: Yeah! And doesn't that scare you to death?
The Doctor: Oh really? Why is that then?
Dalek: We have your associate. You will obey or she will be exterminated.
[dramatic pause]
The Doctor: No.
Dalek: Explain yourself.
The Doctor: I said no.
Dalek: What is the meaning of this negative?
The Doctor: It means no.
Dalek: But she will be destroyed!
The Doctor: NO! Because this is what I'm going to do: I'm gonna rescue her. I'm going to save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek fleet and then I'm going to save the Earth and then, just to finish off, I'm going wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky!
Dalek: But you have no weapons! No defences! No! Plan!
The Doctor: Yeah! And doesn't that scare you to death?
— The Ninth Doctor, Doctor Who, "Bad Wolf"
"I am NOT a good man!... And I'm not a bad man. I am not a hero, and I'm definitely not a President — and no, I'm NOT an 'officer'! You know what I am? I! Am! An idiot. With a box, and a screwdriver. Just passing through, helping out, learning."
— The Twelfth Doctor, Doctor Who, "Death in Heaven"
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! 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 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 ever have to feel this pain! Not on my watch!
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 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 ever have to feel this pain! Not on my watch!
— The Twelfth Doctor, Doctor Who, "The Zygon Inversion"
"I'm not trying to win. I'm not doing this because I want to beat someone, because I hate someone, or because I want to blame someone. It's not because it's fun. God knows it's not because it's easy. It's not even because it works, because it hardly ever does. I do what I do because it's right! Because it's decent! And above all, it's kind! It's just that... Just kind. If I run away today, good people will die. If I stand and fight, some of them might live. Maybe not many, maybe not for long. Hey, you know, maybe there's no point to any of this at all. But it's the best I can do. So I'm going to do it. And I'm going to stand here doing it until it kills me. And you're going to die too! Some day... And how will that be? Have you thought about it? What would you die for? Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand is where I fall."
— The Twelfth Doctor, Doctor Who, "The Doctor Falls"
"I'm a Kamen Rider. Doesn't matter if I'm not human. Even if I have the same power as you, I'm not like you. And if you say you wanna wreck this world, I'm gonna use this power for love and peace. That's the kind of Kamen Rider I believe in!"
— Ryuga Banjou, Kamen Rider Build
"Young man, I've had a long day. I'm tired. But I'm not tired enough to ever let nobody call me that word. You see a nigga standing in front of you, across the street from a building named after one of our greatest heroes? ...You even know who Crispus Attucks was? A free black man. The first man to die for what became America. He could've acted scared when those Brits raised their guns, blended in, in the crowd, but he stepped up! He paid with his life... but he started something. That's what Pop did... not me. I laid in the cut until he stepped up, and it cost him his life, too! I ain't laying back no more! You wanna shoot me? Do it. Pull the trigger, nigga! I ain't got all night. Do it! What, you scared? Fine. I'll do it for you."
— Luke Cage, Luke Cage (2016)
"So you think I'm a loser? Just because I have a stinkin' job that I hate? A family that doesn't respect me? A whole city that curses the day I was born? Well, that may mean "loser" to you, but let me tell you something. Every morning when I wake up, I know it's not going to be any better until I go back to sleep. So I get up, have my watered down Tang and still-frozen pop tart, get in my car with no upholstery, no gas, and six more payments, to fight traffic just for the privilege of putting cheap shoes on the cloven hooves of people like you. I'll never play football like I thought I would. I'll never know the touch of a beautiful woman. And I'll never again know the joy of driving without a bag on my head. But I'm not a loser. 'Cause despite it all, me and every other guy who will never be what he wanted to be, are still out there being what we don't want to be, forty hours a week for life. And the fact that I haven't put a gun in my mouth, you pudding of a woman... makes me a winner!"
— Al Bundy, Married... with Children, "He Thought He Could"
Richard Alan Hance: The joker! You think you're safe in here with all these guards all around and me shackled. And this little panic button at your fingertips? Takes them 33 seconds from the moment you push that button to the time they open that door. I counted. You know what I can do to you in 33 seconds, Meat?
Frank Black: You're the one who has to decide when to push that button. [pushes button toward Hance] I thought about how I should have ended your life, the way you ended my friends and the others. If I had pulled that trigger, no one would have given it a second thought. There would have been no doubts, by anyone — except me. And now I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision. I was afraid to come here. Not because of you, but because of me. I'm not so sure I should have given myself the chance to make that decision again. Make it for me. Give me a reason.
Frank Black: You're the one who has to decide when to push that button. [pushes button toward Hance] I thought about how I should have ended your life, the way you ended my friends and the others. If I had pulled that trigger, no one would have given it a second thought. There would have been no doubts, by anyone — except me. And now I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right decision. I was afraid to come here. Not because of you, but because of me. I'm not so sure I should have given myself the chance to make that decision again. Make it for me. Give me a reason.
Harold Finch: I have played by the rules for so long...
Government Agent: Not from where I'm sitting.
Finch: No, not your rules. You work at the behest of a system so broken that you didn't even notice when it became corrupted at its core. When I first broke your rules, a sitting president had authorized assasination squads in Laos, and the head of the FBI had ordered his men, you, to conduct illegal surveillance on his political rivals. Your rules have changed every time it was convenient for you. I was talking about my rules. I have lived by those rules for so long, believed in those rules for so long, believed in them for so long, believed if you played by the right rules, eventually you would win. But then I was wrong, wasn't I? And now all the people I care about are dead, or will be dead soon enough. And we will be gone without a trace. So now I have to decide: decide whether to let my friends die, to let hope die, to let the world be ground under your heel all because I play by my rules. But I'm trying to decide. I'm going to kill you. But I need to decide how far I'm willing to go. How many of my own rules I am willing to break... to get it done.
Agent: Look, you wanna add threatening the life of a federal agent to your file, I will draw up those charges right now. No waiting is required.
Finch: I wasn't talking to you. [looks up at the surveillance camera]
Government Agent: Not from where I'm sitting.
Finch: No, not your rules. You work at the behest of a system so broken that you didn't even notice when it became corrupted at its core. When I first broke your rules, a sitting president had authorized assasination squads in Laos, and the head of the FBI had ordered his men, you, to conduct illegal surveillance on his political rivals. Your rules have changed every time it was convenient for you. I was talking about my rules. I have lived by those rules for so long, believed in those rules for so long, believed in them for so long, believed if you played by the right rules, eventually you would win. But then I was wrong, wasn't I? And now all the people I care about are dead, or will be dead soon enough. And we will be gone without a trace. So now I have to decide: decide whether to let my friends die, to let hope die, to let the world be ground under your heel all because I play by my rules. But I'm trying to decide. I'm going to kill you. But I need to decide how far I'm willing to go. How many of my own rules I am willing to break... to get it done.
Agent: Look, you wanna add threatening the life of a federal agent to your file, I will draw up those charges right now. No waiting is required.
Finch: I wasn't talking to you. [looks up at the surveillance camera]
Podcasts
"One of the things I love about Sadie is who she has made me. Who I am in her company. Without her, and thanks to you, Nightmares, I was quite the Monster Hunter. Sadie met me on my last day as the Bogeyman to Bogeymen; I saw her and put in my papers. So if you think taking Sadie away from me, and throwing a bunch of monsters my way, is going to scare me, I'll let you in on this: It is a thing I cherish, and appreciate, that I will get to show these monsters and animals how little I care for them when Sadie's not around. Relive the good old days until Sadie and I reunite? Am I scared? No! I am excited, to see if I still got it! And guess what? I still got it!"
— Frank Doyle, Thrilling Adventure Hour
Roleplays
"You asked a question before. What makes the race of man so great. Why we're special. Why we're worth saving. Certainly, many individual men are weak. They are craven. They kowtow to evil, or are evil born themselves. But there are many others, so many others who are brave. That run into battle against Balrogs when even the immortal Eldar quake. That give up their lives so that others may live. That spit in the face of fate and damn those who would decide it for them.
Before I came to that place, the place you call home... I couldn't save them. And the few that I could save, I didn't. I can't bring them back.
You've heard this before, of that I am certain. But even if you can't see them again, you can live for them. You can carve their legacy into the future, so that others like them may live. Though they may be in the Halls of Mandos. Curse the fate that killed them. And fight against it.
Or you can sit and wallow and cringe and let many others die like those you lost."
Before I came to that place, the place you call home... I couldn't save them. And the few that I could save, I didn't. I can't bring them back.
You've heard this before, of that I am certain. But even if you can't see them again, you can live for them. You can carve their legacy into the future, so that others like them may live. Though they may be in the Halls of Mandos. Curse the fate that killed them. And fight against it.
Or you can sit and wallow and cringe and let many others die like those you lost."
— Turin Turambar, Our Avatars Were in a Room Together: The Continuation
"Hell no. It's not gonna end crime, but rampages like yours are more bound to cause crime. Is that really a world we should live in? Where crimes should pile on top of crimes on top of crimes on top of... Should we really live in a world where everybody is an asshole who kills to survive? Do you sincerely, really believe in that type of world? Man that speech was cheesy."
— Boy Lightning, We Are Our Avatars
Video Games
Laureano Torres: Captain Kenway. Ever a splinter in my side. Does this murder fulfill you?
Edward Kenway: I'm only seeing a job done, Torres. As you'd have done with me.
Torres: As we have done, I think. You have no family anymore, no friends, no future. Your losses are far greater than ours.
Kenway: That may be. But killing you rights a far greater wrong than ever I did.
Torres: You honestly believe that?
Kenway: You would see all of mankind corralled into a neatly furnished prison, safe and sober, yet dulled beyond reason and sapped of all spirit. So, aye... with everything I've seen and learned in these last years, I do believe it.
Torres: ...You wear your convictions well. They suit you.
Edward Kenway: I'm only seeing a job done, Torres. As you'd have done with me.
Torres: As we have done, I think. You have no family anymore, no friends, no future. Your losses are far greater than ours.
Kenway: That may be. But killing you rights a far greater wrong than ever I did.
Torres: You honestly believe that?
Kenway: You would see all of mankind corralled into a neatly furnished prison, safe and sober, yet dulled beyond reason and sapped of all spirit. So, aye... with everything I've seen and learned in these last years, I do believe it.
Torres: ...You wear your convictions well. They suit you.
Asura: I understand it all now! The true reason for my wrath!
Chakravartin: You are not worthy!
Asura: I could not stand it! There is always some fool who wants to rule the world! Always forcing others to do what they cannot do for themselves!
Chakravartin: How can he, be so powerful!? I Am, the only, God!
Asura: That, is why... I pray to no one! Nor will I be prayed to! And above all else... I will never forgive you... for making MY DAUGHTER CRY!
Chakravartin: You are not worthy!
Asura: I could not stand it! There is always some fool who wants to rule the world! Always forcing others to do what they cannot do for themselves!
Chakravartin: How can he, be so powerful!? I Am, the only, God!
Asura: That, is why... I pray to no one! Nor will I be prayed to! And above all else... I will never forgive you... for making MY DAUGHTER CRY!
"Oooh, 'determined'... Is that right? ...I was asked to do this. I have to protect something precious... from you.
Up until now, I've never been able to protect what I truly cherished. ...But I was still given this task. Me, of all people. It's truly a mystery, even to me. But I'll protect it to the end... Even if it means making an enemy of you.
I have no idea how deep your determination goes, but... My determination...! Runs deeper than you can imagine!
If you don't think I'll do what it takes, you're dead wrong!
I'll put an end to you here...! Come on, RISING GARUDA!!"
Up until now, I've never been able to protect what I truly cherished. ...But I was still given this task. Me, of all people. It's truly a mystery, even to me. But I'll protect it to the end... Even if it means making an enemy of you.
I have no idea how deep your determination goes, but... My determination...! Runs deeper than you can imagine!
If you don't think I'll do what it takes, you're dead wrong!
I'll put an end to you here...! Come on, RISING GARUDA!!"
— Leibniz's final speech, Blaster Master Zero III
"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. Outgunned. Outnumbered. Out of our minds. On a suicide mission. But the sand and the 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
Hajime: There won't just be hope. There will probably be a lot of despair too. I don't know what kind of future awaits us... but our futures are ours! I won't let anyone take them!
AI Junko: Huh...? Who the hell are you?
Hajime: I've decided... I'm done running away. I will fight for my future! I will fight alongside the future that everyone has created for me! It's not for anyone else's sake but my own!
AI Junko: D-don't tell me... Izuru? Hey, what the heck is going on!? I-is this... a serious bug or something!?
Shuichi: Even if it is fiction! It's because of everyone's sacrifices that we've come this far! Their deaths have to be more than just fiction... There must be something we can do! We're going to use this fiction to change reality! We're going to end Danganronpa!
Shuichi: It's not that I want to die! We fought so hard to survive... Of course we don't want to die. But it's not just about us. Everyone who died in the killing games felt the same way. They were all desperate to live. They wanted to survive. For themselves...and for someone else. That desire...isn't fictional to us! That pain isn't fictional to us! To us, the killing game is real tragedy! That's why we have to stop it! We won't let this happen ever again!
Shuichi: We reject hope and despair! We refuse to bow to the demands of the outside world!
Shuichi: (After refusing to play the game anymore) Fine, be bored... We're not here for your entertainment. We're trying to survive! You're the ones who want us to be entertaining! If you're going to complain...perhaps you should just stop watching. Even if we have to make the entire audience hate us, we're not going to stop. We're going to end our tragedy here.
Shuichi: I know we can change the world! We owe it to Keebo to try! The impossible is possible! All you gotta do is make it so! You can even...change the world. No, we *will* change the world. For ourselves, and everyone who died.
Kefka: And did you all find your "somethings" in this broken world that just won't die?
Terra: Yes! Love!
Locke: A person worth protecting.
Cyan: A wife and child who live on within me.
Shadow: Friends... and family.
Edgar: A peaceful kingdom.
Sabin: A loving big brother who always looks after me! Gah-ha-ha-ha!
Celes: Someone willing to accept me for who I am.
Strago: An adorable little granddaughter!
Relm: An obnoxious grandpa... who I couldn't live without!
Setzer: Wings from a dead old friend!
Mog: New pals, kupo!
Gau: These people! All them!
[Beat]
Kefka: Bleh! You people make me sick! You sound like lines from a self-help book!
Terra: Yes! Love!
Locke: A person worth protecting.
Cyan: A wife and child who live on within me.
Shadow: Friends... and family.
Edgar: A peaceful kingdom.
Sabin: A loving big brother who always looks after me! Gah-ha-ha-ha!
Celes: Someone willing to accept me for who I am.
Strago: An adorable little granddaughter!
Relm: An obnoxious grandpa... who I couldn't live without!
Setzer: Wings from a dead old friend!
Mog: New pals, kupo!
Gau: These people! All them!
[Beat]
Kefka: Bleh! You people make me sick! You sound like lines from a self-help book!
— Final Fantasy VI (Advance translation)note
"You see, someone in SOLDIER isn't simply exposed to Mako energy. Their bodies are actually injected with Jenova cells... For better or for worse, only the strong can enter SOLDIER. It has nothing to do with the Jenova Reunion. But weak people... like me, get lost in the whole thing. The combination of Jenova cells, Sephiroth's strong will, and my own weaknesses are what created me. Everyone knew that. I'm... Cloud... the master of my own illusionary world. But I can't remain trapped in an illusion any more... I'm going to live my life without pretending."
— Cloud, Final Fantasy VII
Lady Yunalesca: Now choose. Who will be your fayth? Who will be the one to renew Spira's Hope?
Yuna: No one. I would have gladly died. I live for the people of Spira and would have gladly died for them. But no more. The Final Summoning is a false tradition that should be thrown away.
Lady Yunalesca: No. It is our only hope. Your father sacrificed himself to give that hope to the people! So they would forget sorrow!
Yuna: Wrong. My father — my father wanted to make Spira's sorrow go away! Not just cover it up with lies!
Lady Yunalesca: Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try.
Yuna: My father — I loved him. So I will live with my sorrow. I will live my own life. I will defeat sorrow in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it will be, but someday I will conquer it. And I will do it without false hope.
Yuna: No one. I would have gladly died. I live for the people of Spira and would have gladly died for them. But no more. The Final Summoning is a false tradition that should be thrown away.
Lady Yunalesca: No. It is our only hope. Your father sacrificed himself to give that hope to the people! So they would forget sorrow!
Yuna: Wrong. My father — my father wanted to make Spira's sorrow go away! Not just cover it up with lies!
Lady Yunalesca: Sorrow cannot be abolished. It is meaningless to try.
Yuna: My father — I loved him. So I will live with my sorrow. I will live my own life. I will defeat sorrow in his place. I will stand my ground and be strong. I don't know when it will be, but someday I will conquer it. And I will do it without false hope.
The endless lies, I've cast aside, locked them in ice
Steeled is my soul, my blood grown cold, I've gained control
Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper
Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her!
Steeled is my soul, my blood grown cold, I've gained control
Fearless creatures, we all learn to fight the Reaper
Can't defeat Her, so instead I'll have to be Her!
"I let you live. You tell me I'm a clone, but I chose to spare you. Maybe Kota is right. Maybe this is all a trick, a way to get me so confused that I'd forget who I am and become your slave again, but either way... I. Let. You. Live. I've finally broken your hold over me."
— Starkiller to Darth Vader, The Force Unleashed II
"I used to be afraid. Afraid my powers would make people fear me. Afraid of who I'd hurt if I wasn't careful every second of every day. I spent my entire life holding back. My fear cost me Lois. That's why I don't hold back anymore!"
"I fight for all creatures living and breathing! I fight for all departed souls still hanging in limbo! But most of all, I fight for Lady Palutena, the goddess of light! And it's in all their names that I will crush you, lord of the Underworld! I won't let you desecrate another soul!"
— Pit, Kid Icarus: Uprising
Daphnes: 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... Not a day of my life has gone by without my thoughts turning to my kingdom of old. I have lived bound to Hyrule. In that sense, I was the same as Ganondorf. But you... I want you to live for the future. There may be nothing left for you... But despite that, you must look forward and walk a path of hope, trusting that it will sustain you when darkness comes. Farewell... This is the only world that your ancestors were able to leave you. Please... forgive us.
Zelda: W-Wait! You could... You could come with us! Yes, of course... We have a ship! We can find it. We WILL find it! The land that will be the next Hyrule! So...
Daphnes: ...Ah, but child... That land will not be Hyrule. It will be YOUR land!
Zelda: W-Wait! You could... You could come with us! Yes, of course... We have a ship! We can find it. We WILL find it! The land that will be the next Hyrule! So...
Daphnes: ...Ah, but child... That land will not be Hyrule. It will be YOUR land!
Zero: If I destroy Weil's core, the explosion will take Ragnarok out with it... If Ragnarok is blown apart, it no longer poses a threat!
Weil: Are you even capable of it? The Reploid hero, protecting justice and humanity! I am one of those humans you have sworn to protect! Do you have it in you to defeat me?! [cue One-Winged Angel]
Zero: I never cared about justice, and I don't recall ever calling myself a hero... I have always only fought for the people I believe in. I won't hesitate... If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!
Weil: Are you even capable of it? The Reploid hero, protecting justice and humanity! I am one of those humans you have sworn to protect! Do you have it in you to defeat me?! [cue One-Winged Angel]
Zero: I never cared about justice, and I don't recall ever calling myself a hero... I have always only fought for the people I believe in. I won't hesitate... If an enemy appears in front of me, I will destroy it!
— Mega Man Zero 4, when Zero finally realizes what he's fighting for
Naomi: I'm just surprised you're willing to sacrifice yourself... you've got the genes of a soldier, not a savior...
Snake: Trying to say I'm only interested in saving my own skin?
Naomi: I wouldn't go that far, but...
Snake: I don't know what the hell my genes look like, and I don't care. I operate on instinct.
Naomi: Like an animal?
Snake: I'm going to save Meryl. I don't need an excuse.
Naomi: Okay...
Snake: And I'm not doing it for someone else either. I'm saving Meryl for myself. Colonel, don't worry!
Colonel: Snake, thanks.
Snake: Trying to say I'm only interested in saving my own skin?
Naomi: I wouldn't go that far, but...
Snake: I don't know what the hell my genes look like, and I don't care. I operate on instinct.
Naomi: Like an animal?
Snake: I'm going to save Meryl. I don't need an excuse.
Naomi: Okay...
Snake: And I'm not doing it for someone else either. I'm saving Meryl for myself. Colonel, don't worry!
Colonel: Snake, thanks.
Now, in front of you, I can finally die. After Zanzibar, I was taken from the battlefield neither truly alive nor truly dead... an undying shadow in the world of lights. But soon... soon... it will finally... end. Snake, we're not tools of the government or anyone else! Fighting was the only thing... the only thing I was good at, but... At least I always fought for what I believed in... Snake... farewell.
— Gray Fox, Metal Gear Solid
Each person is born with their fate written into their own genetic code... it's unchangeable, immutable... But that's not all there is to life. I finally realized that. I told you before. The reason that I was interested in genes and DNA. Because I wanted to know who I was... where I came from. I thought that if I analyzed my DNA I could find out who I was, who my parents were. And I thought that if I knew that, then I'd know what path I should take in life. But I was wrong. I didn't find anything. I didn't learn anything. Just like with the Genome Soldiers... you can input all the genetic information, but that doesn't make them into the strongest soldiers. The most we can say about DNA is that it governs a person's potential strengths... potential destiny. You mustn't allow yourself to be chained to fate... to be ruled by your genes. Humans can choose the type of life they want to live. Snake, whether or not you're in the FoxDie program isn't important. The important thing is that you choose life... And then live! Don't you think, Snake? Don't worry. I'm going to choose life too. Until today, I've always looked for a reason to live. But from here on, I'm going to just live. Genes exist to pass down our hopes and dreams for the future through our children. Living is a link to the future. That's how all life works. Loving each other, teaching each other... that's how we can change the world. I finally realized it. The true meaning of life... Thank you, Snake.
— Naomi Hunter, Metal Gear Solid
Life isn't just about passing on your genes. We can leave behind much more than just DNA. Through speech, music, literature and movies... what we've seen, heard, felt... anger, joy and sorrow... these are the things I will pass on. That's what I live for. We need to pass the torch, and let our children read our messy and sad history by its light. We have all the magic of the digital age to do that with. The human race will probably come to an end some time, and new species may rule over this planet. Earth may not be forever, but we still have the responsibility to leave what traces of life we can. Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing.
— Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
"Anyone can give up his fight by laying down arms. But the feeling of holding a gun—that, we’ll never forget. Like our lost limbs, The sensation lingers. We hold our rifles in missing hands. We stand tall on missing legs. We stride forward on the bones of our fallen. Then, and only then, are we alive. This "pain" is ours, and no one else’s. A secret weapon we wield, out of sight. We will be stronger than ever. For our peace."
— Kazuhira Miller, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
If there is anything I have learned in my travels across the Planes, it is that many things may change the nature of a man. Whether regret, or love, or revenge or fear — whatever you believe can change the nature of a man, can. I have seen belief move cities, make men stave off death, and turn an evil hag's heart half-circle. This entire Fortress has been constructed from belief. Belief damned a woman, whose heart clung to the hope that another loved her when he did not. Once, it made a man seek immortality and achieve it. And it has made a posturing spirit think it is something more than a part of me.
— The Nameless One, Planescape: Torment
Solaris: Hm. It seems you're as weak as your brother advised, after all.
Cal: ...How DARE you- he-... ...Yes. I am. I am weak. I am pathetic. I always have been. Kiki helped me realize that. And she helped me accept it. Strength isn't what's important. Or maybe it is. Maybe weakness is standing by, not doing anything to stop the things you hate from happening around you. And maybe I'll stop doing that right now. Magmortar. Destroy the PULSE. Blast Burn attack.
Cal: ...How DARE you- he-... ...Yes. I am. I am weak. I am pathetic. I always have been. Kiki helped me realize that. And she helped me accept it. Strength isn't what's important. Or maybe it is. Maybe weakness is standing by, not doing anything to stop the things you hate from happening around you. And maybe I'll stop doing that right now. Magmortar. Destroy the PULSE. Blast Burn attack.
Dark Prince: What now, then? Gather up enough sand, perform another grand rewind? Or perhaps you can return to the Island and travel back to a time when he might still be saved. Maybe rescue a Damsel in Distress along the way!
Prince: NO! You are right. I have been like a child. Naive and arrogant; always rushing to undo my mistakes. Never facing the consequences of my actions. No more. I accept what I have done, and all that it implies. [transforms back, without water]
Dark Prince: What is this?! You have no water! How did you—
Prince: You hold no power over me now! Be gone! Retreat to whatever dark hole spawned you, and do not trouble me again.
Prince: NO! You are right. I have been like a child. Naive and arrogant; always rushing to undo my mistakes. Never facing the consequences of my actions. No more. I accept what I have done, and all that it implies. [transforms back, without water]
Dark Prince: What is this?! You have no water! How did you—
Prince: You hold no power over me now! Be gone! Retreat to whatever dark hole spawned you, and do not trouble me again.
I don't really know if I possess Rosenkreuz's spirit... if I'm his other incarnation or whatnot... or if I inherited his ability to tap into the strength of others'... But none of that matters when it comes to magic. Freu... Zorne... Trau... Luste... Grolla... Sichte... Liebea... Schwer... and Lilli... It's because they support me that I have the will to fight. They're the source of my power. That much, I know for sure!
— Spiritia Rosenberg to Iris Zeppelin before the final fight, RosenkreuzStilette
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog. I've left the past behind me. No one can tell me what to do now! I will destroy you, Black Doom!!"
— Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog
"When I make a mistake or lose my way... I have people who get really mad at me. I have people who have protected me with their lives. People who smile to cheer me up. And people who believe in me, all the way up until the end! And they all believe in me… Because I am who I am! So, no matter how many times I fail, I can get back on my feet! If that makes me a failure in your eyes, that's fine by me! I'll just keep getting up, stronger, every time!"
— Red to Baion, Solatorobo: Red the Hunter
"You can't understand how this feels. Knowing that one day, without any warning... it's all going to be reset. Look. I gave up trying to go back a long time ago. And getting to the surface doesn't really appeal anymore, either. Cause even if we do... we'll just end up right back here, without any memory of it, right? To be blunt... it makes it kind of hard to give it my all. ... Or is that just a poor excuse for being lazy...? Hell if I know. All I know is... seeing what comes next... I can't afford not to care anymore."
— Sans, Undertale
"Maybe living in your Shibuya WOULD be easier. Maybe. Except one problem — it wouldn't be Shibuya! I was never good with people. I covered my ears and blocked them out. But you know what? If I don't clash, I don't change. The world ends at my borders, and the best moments slip away. Shibuya's full of people waiting for those moments, when we clash together and find something new. Here in the UG, I clashed. I changed. And now I know — Shibuya should stay just as it is!"
— Neku Sakuraba, The World Ends with You
"Our backs are hardened by the whips of the mogu! Our arms are powerful from building their fortresses. Our minds are sharp from working alongside our enemy. You think the mogu are stronger? I say, we are their strength!"
— Kang, the Fist of First Dawn, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria
Krelian: Lacan... Why such reluctance to become one with God? What attachment could you possibly have to this wretched old world? What meaning can be found in living out such a short existence... hurting other, hurting yourself, grinding one another down... only to inevitably die and return to dust? Why, everything we could ever desire is here... No need to be troubled by the need for love... For this place is filled with the love of God.
Fei: I have not lost hope in humans as much as you have, Krelian. Someday, humankind will come to understand one another! I sincerely believe that! One being's ego can't determine everyone's fate! People have the right to choose their own destiny! That is why humans have free will! We don't have to be perfect, being imperfect makes mankind live by helping each other. That's what being human is... That's mutual understanding! That's unity and love... I'm glad... no, I'm proud... to be human!
Fei: I have not lost hope in humans as much as you have, Krelian. Someday, humankind will come to understand one another! I sincerely believe that! One being's ego can't determine everyone's fate! People have the right to choose their own destiny! That is why humans have free will! We don't have to be perfect, being imperfect makes mankind live by helping each other. That's what being human is... That's mutual understanding! That's unity and love... I'm glad... no, I'm proud... to be human!
Web Animation
Ever since my dad left and my mom passed on, I've been... lost. I know this now. That's years of pointless drifting — anchored only to paycheques and vices, and my hatred of life... When there's no connection — when there's no sense of purpose — what else is there to feel? But in the last month — with my brain getting fried and the sky crashing down and the faces from my dreams being real... in that sliver of time it all changed... Because my parents, my job, my things, my failures... they couldn't define me anymore. They just didn't matter. What I do now is real — who I touch now is real. You have all opened my eyes, Shandala — helped me to find my truth. Maybe, if you let us, we can help you find yours.
— Raimi Matthews, Broken Saints, Chapter 21, Act 3
With every step... an EARTHQUAKE! With every breath... I could create a HURRICANE! This is my burden. Be thankful it isn't yours.
Webcomics
"You are right. There... ngh... There will always be evil, and those who combat it will perhaps never see a world without it. Those who truly combat evil know and accept this tragic truth. Evil is an aspect of sentient nature... not a boss to be defeated and done with. The collective forces of evil will never be extinguished, so it is up to those who are able to stop it! When they are no longer able, the torch of justice is passed on. Just like how evil never dies, so do the ideals of good! As long as I know this, any intimidation from your point does not affect me. The only inevitability is your actions being lost in time, and the world's continued harmony! It's game time!!"
Lucca: Do you know what the worst moment of my life was?
Eater of Dreams: Obviously it would be now—
Lucca: No. This was about a year ago. Crono, Marle, and I had jumped through a gate into a strange new world. A world where humanity lived in near hopeless desperation, never knowing when the end would come. To our horror, we discovered it was the future. Our future. I can't even describe how I felt when I found out the truth. It threatened to swallow me up. But then I realized something.
Eater of Dreams: Some trite bit about the power of hope, I'm cer—
Lucca: That when there is no hope... there's nothing to lose by trying. Maybe I am destined to become a puppet. Maybe there's nothing I can do to stop what's coming. But I'll be DAMNED if I go down quietly. Even if I have to twist the very fabric of reality... I WON'T LOSE!
Eater of Dreams: Obviously it would be now—
Lucca: No. This was about a year ago. Crono, Marle, and I had jumped through a gate into a strange new world. A world where humanity lived in near hopeless desperation, never knowing when the end would come. To our horror, we discovered it was the future. Our future. I can't even describe how I felt when I found out the truth. It threatened to swallow me up. But then I realized something.
Eater of Dreams: Some trite bit about the power of hope, I'm cer—
Lucca: That when there is no hope... there's nothing to lose by trying. Maybe I am destined to become a puppet. Maybe there's nothing I can do to stop what's coming. But I'll be DAMNED if I go down quietly. Even if I have to twist the very fabric of reality... I WON'T LOSE!
"Avenger, I'm tired. Tired of the loss, tired of the pain. Tired of all the hatred, the scorn, the despair... I'm tired of this Château d'If that mocks all hope. I want to go home. I want to pretend I never heard of Chaldea. I wish that someone else had taken up the responsibility for saving humanity. I'm just a normal girl; why do I have to shoulder the fate of the entire world? A world I'm not even sure deserves saving? But... Even if someone could grant that wish, I would refuse. There's a sweet, innocent girl waiting for me, a girl who probably would have died if I hadn't tried to help her. There's a doctor who tries his best to keep everyone motivated and stable. A genius who'll trade verbal barbs with me. A teacher and a girl who will join me for a gaming marathon. A knight with a force of personality to match my own. Children who see me as a mother or older sister. Two Sengoku goofs and a chibi that can turn any situation into a party. A cynical shota that's not afraid to speak the unvarnished truth. An egocentric playwright with motivational speeches galore. Saint's queens, kings, emperors, assassins, warriors, musicians... The list goes on and on. And I wouldn't trade them for anything! As hellish as this life is, I wouldn't give up even a second of it! You want to fight me to determine who gets out of here?! Fine, have at me! I. Will. Not. Lose! I refuse to lose!"
—Rikku, Fate/Gamers Only
"I am sick to death of this! What do I have to do! I just took down an entire army of war clanks, and still I get treated like a half-wit child! Now listen very carefully . The Heterodyne girl is not to be harmed. I won't allow it. Always I try to be reasonable, to be fair, I try to talk to people, and no one ever takes it as anything other than weakness. You listen to me try to be civilized and you think "Oh, he's nothing", "him we can ignore", "him we can push around", "we can do whatever we want-he won't stop us!" Because nobody ever takes me seriously unless I shout and threaten like a cut-rate stage villain. Well, you know what? I can do crazy. I really can . And it looks like I'm going to have to. Agathat is in danger. This whole town is in danger. If I'm going to help her at all, I'll have to give up all this "Being reasonable" garbage and show you idiots what kind of mad boy you're really dealing with!"
— Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Girl Genius
Reynardine: When I had taken Sivo's body, Eglamore eventually managed to capture me and trap me in one of their holding cells. I was there for a long time... I became desperate. I wanted to see the stars again. So I broke free one night, and that's where I met Antimony. Alone, out there on that rooftop. But then I knew Surma had passed away. The world had moved on... So much time had passed and there I was, a wasted life clinging to her memory. It was my next day, when Antimony visited me in my cell, that I realised my chance to to escape. A chance to have a new body, with access to her hidden power. I was going to kill her.
Hetty: Yes! You should have! You were so stupid to let the opportunity slip by!
Reynardine: It was Eglamore. He intervened before I could take Antimony's body and I was forced into this one.
Hetty: And such a shame it is, my darling.
Reynardine: It is a shame. [throws her "tools" on the ground] I said I will always regret that day, but it's my actions that I regret. Not the outcome.
Hetty: Reynardine! You dropped all my things!
Reynardine: I had already taken a life, and I was prepared to do it again. This body is my shame. And when she smiles at me, I feel the shame of that moment anew! [stomps on the can of lighter fluid and douses Hetty]
Hetty: What are you— [Reynardine lights a match] You wouldn't dare! [Reynardine throws the match, setting Hetty's body on fire] GRAAAARGH! You idiot! How could you?!
Reynardine: [in wolf form] And when I wear this symbol, I wear it with pride. [tears Hetty's real form in half]
Hetty: Yes! You should have! You were so stupid to let the opportunity slip by!
Reynardine: It was Eglamore. He intervened before I could take Antimony's body and I was forced into this one.
Hetty: And such a shame it is, my darling.
Reynardine: It is a shame. [throws her "tools" on the ground] I said I will always regret that day, but it's my actions that I regret. Not the outcome.
Hetty: Reynardine! You dropped all my things!
Reynardine: I had already taken a life, and I was prepared to do it again. This body is my shame. And when she smiles at me, I feel the shame of that moment anew! [stomps on the can of lighter fluid and douses Hetty]
Hetty: What are you— [Reynardine lights a match] You wouldn't dare! [Reynardine throws the match, setting Hetty's body on fire] GRAAAARGH! You idiot! How could you?!
Reynardine: [in wolf form] And when I wear this symbol, I wear it with pride. [tears Hetty's real form in half]
— Gunnerkrigg Court, "Chapter 43: Quicksilver"
Allison: I think I get it now. Time will move forward for me. Maybe I will heal... Maybe not. I don't know. But for you... It never will. There is no past for you, is there? There is only... Everything. Now. Forever. You can't move on because you're still there. You want me to stay still so I won't get hurt. In a way, I actually understand that [...] But that's what got me thinking. It's what Zaid said. What I said. If violence is inevitable, what's the point in avoiding it? If your path can't be changed, why agonize about it? What if... You were happy anyway?
Jadis: Are you happy now? Are you certain you will ever be happy again?
Allison: No. But what if- someday- I was.
Jadis: Hah hah. What a foolish and irrational notion. You wish to stand on that against the inevitability of your painful and pointless end? Against all the pain, derision, and decay, and all the curses of the world, this is your only weapon? You truly are a truly irredeemable creature.
Allison: You're right of course. But who cares? It'll carry me out of here, one foot in front of the other, and that's all I need. Not you, not God, not fate, not predestiny- nobody gets to take that away from me. Even if I'm in Hell-nobody gets to tell me I can't enjoy myself.
Jadis: Are you happy now? Are you certain you will ever be happy again?
Allison: No. But what if- someday- I was.
Jadis: Hah hah. What a foolish and irrational notion. You wish to stand on that against the inevitability of your painful and pointless end? Against all the pain, derision, and decay, and all the curses of the world, this is your only weapon? You truly are a truly irredeemable creature.
Allison: You're right of course. But who cares? It'll carry me out of here, one foot in front of the other, and that's all I need. Not you, not God, not fate, not predestiny- nobody gets to take that away from me. Even if I'm in Hell-nobody gets to tell me I can't enjoy myself.
"No one expects much from me... They think a C-Class hero won't be much help. I know that better than anyone. I'm not good enough for Class B. I'm weak. I know that much. No one has to tell me I have no chance of beating you. I already... know that! And yet, I must try. It's not about winning or losing! It's about me taking you on right here, right now!"
— Mumen Rider, while facing the Sea King, One-Punch Man
"Hey, you know what really gets under my skin? Proverbially, of course? A century of wizards looking down their damn noses at me. Energy Drain! I know people think I'm stupid. Because I'm not a wizard. Because I get bored easily. Because I have no interest in strategy or tactics or contingency planning. Energy Drain! But see, I've learned a lot over the years since I died. A lot more than I learned during my life. And now I see that planning doesn't matter. Strategy doesn't matter. Only two things matter: Force in as great a concentration as you can manage, and style. And in a pinch, style can slide. Energy Drain! In any battle, there's always a level of force against which no tactics can succeed. For example, all I need to do is keep smacking you with Energy Drains, and soon you won't be able to cast any of your fancy spells at all. Energy Drain! Because yes, I am a sorcerer — and this magic is in my bones, not cribbed off of "Magic for Dummies." And I can keep casting the same friggin' spell at you until you roll over and die. You can have your finely-crafted watch — give me the sledgehammer to the face any day. ENERGY DRAIN!"
I know people think I'm stupid. Because I'm not a wizard. Because I get bored easily. Because I have no interest in strategy or tactics or contingency planning. Energy Drain! But see, I've learned a lot over the years since I died. A lot more than I learned during my life. And now I see that planning doesn't matter. Strategy doesn't matter. Only two things matter: Force in as great a concentration as you can manage, and style. And in a pinch, style can slide. Energy Drain! In any battle, there's always a level of force against which no tactics can succeed. For example, all I need to do is keep smacking you with Energy Drains, and soon you won't be able to cast any of your fancy spells at all. Energy Drain! Because yes, I am a sorcerer — and this magic is in my bones, not cribbed off of "Magic for Dummies." And I can keep casting the same friggin' spell at you until you roll over and die. You can have your finely-crafted watch — give me the sledgehammer to the face any day. ENERGY DRAIN!"Americaball: It's not important, how many bombs you own, how much land you conquer, not if you have the most money. There's something worth so much more... something I never had.
North Koreaball: HAHA! Pathetic capitalist of pig! What is matter more than of complete control of Earth-world! You were too scare to use power but I am not scare. What can even now be such important—
[Japanball shanks North Koreaball in the back]
Americaball: A friend.
North Koreaball: HAHA! Pathetic capitalist of pig! What is matter more than of complete control of Earth-world! You were too scare to use power but I am not scare. What can even now be such important—
[Japanball shanks North Koreaball in the back]
Americaball: A friend.
Alison: I fantasize about killing people all the time.
Cleaver: ...What?
Alison: I think about how easy it would be. What if I just started showing up to Klan rallies with an I-beam? Knock down the capitol building, force them to pass Universal Health Care, stuff every Ayn Rand fanatic into a big mason jar and hurl them into the sun. I could do it, you know. I really could. And then there's these people with their fucking sneers going "You're a monster! You're a thug! You kill people!" NO FUCKING SHIT I KILL PEOPLE! I put holes in mountains! I break shit constantly without even trying! I saved the world on no less than seven fucking occasions, and guess what, super-accuracy is not one of my anomalies! Am I supposed to be impressed that you've never killed anybody? What a bold moral choice from someone who's terrified of violence and scared shitless of going to jail! It's like, have you ever had the option of murdering a bunch of people? Okay, then why the FUCK am I listening to your opinion on the matter? Every day I don't kill a thousand fucking people, they should throw me a god-damned tickertape parade!
Cleaver: ...What?
Alison: I think about how easy it would be. What if I just started showing up to Klan rallies with an I-beam? Knock down the capitol building, force them to pass Universal Health Care, stuff every Ayn Rand fanatic into a big mason jar and hurl them into the sun. I could do it, you know. I really could. And then there's these people with their fucking sneers going "You're a monster! You're a thug! You kill people!" NO FUCKING SHIT I KILL PEOPLE! I put holes in mountains! I break shit constantly without even trying! I saved the world on no less than seven fucking occasions, and guess what, super-accuracy is not one of my anomalies! Am I supposed to be impressed that you've never killed anybody? What a bold moral choice from someone who's terrified of violence and scared shitless of going to jail! It's like, have you ever had the option of murdering a bunch of people? Okay, then why the FUCK am I listening to your opinion on the matter? Every day I don't kill a thousand fucking people, they should throw me a god-damned tickertape parade!
Web Videos
"I thought I'd kill them all... make them all pay...
I'd murder all the Titans and save the day.
Instead I've just been losing fights and singing songs;
Guess I really was useless all along.
I watch people die and I can't do shit,
Always end up on my ass and I'm sick of it!
Annie's killed my friends, time to settle the score.
I gotta grow some balls and get up off the floor!
So fuck it! Fuck it! Throw my inhibitions away!
Fuck it! Fuck it! Only murder's gonna save the day!
Forget all my psychoses, my therapy is kicking ass!
We'll go at each other toe to toe, she's about to breathe her last!"
I'd murder all the Titans and save the day.
Instead I've just been losing fights and singing songs;
Guess I really was useless all along.
I watch people die and I can't do shit,
Always end up on my ass and I'm sick of it!
Annie's killed my friends, time to settle the score.
I gotta grow some balls and get up off the floor!
So fuck it! Fuck it! Throw my inhibitions away!
Fuck it! Fuck it! Only murder's gonna save the day!
Forget all my psychoses, my therapy is kicking ass!
We'll go at each other toe to toe, she's about to breathe her last!"
— Eren Jaeger, "F**k It", Abridged on Titan
Mirror-kara: You are such a dork! Such a child! Acting out some kind of power fantasy!
Linkara: I prefer to think of it as sound strategy!
Mirror-kara: You're just as ego-maniacal as I am. We're not that different.
Linkara: Hell, I'm a prima donna, I admit it. But I've been through a hell of a journey these last 300 episodes. I've been forced to see some awful things. Some arriving in my apartment and some just trying to bring me down for fun. But because of all the things I've seen, all the people I've met — for good and for ill — I've become better. [...] It hasn't been easy. A few times since I've started, I've wanted to give up. But I've met a lot of amazing people. Loved ones, colleagues, friends, oh most especially my friends. [looks to the camera] My friends, you have been the most amazing of all. Thanks to them, I didn't end up like you.
Linkara: I prefer to think of it as sound strategy!
Mirror-kara: You're just as ego-maniacal as I am. We're not that different.
Linkara: Hell, I'm a prima donna, I admit it. But I've been through a hell of a journey these last 300 episodes. I've been forced to see some awful things. Some arriving in my apartment and some just trying to bring me down for fun. But because of all the things I've seen, all the people I've met — for good and for ill — I've become better. [...] It hasn't been easy. A few times since I've started, I've wanted to give up. But I've met a lot of amazing people. Loved ones, colleagues, friends, oh most especially my friends. [looks to the camera] My friends, you have been the most amazing of all. Thanks to them, I didn't end up like you.
"Yes, I was trained to be a terrible person. Yes, I was a student of the Cerberus Assembly. Yes, I murdered those most dear to me, yes. And yes, I want to see specific people dead. If that lines up with something that can save where you and I are from, where Veth and Yeza are from, where our friends live... then all is one."
— Caleb Widogast, Critical Role
"Cell... you don't get it. I hate this. The vibrations through my fists on contact... the taste of blood in my mouth... the sound of my heart in my ears... I hate it. I always have. But right now... in this moment... the only thing I hate more than it... is you. [...] Because you were right about me. I was a coward... Scared of what would happen if I snap... Afraid that... if I lost it this time... I'd... never come back. That I'd finally... kill someone. But I'm not scared anymore, Cell. [...] Because there is no point in being afraid of the inevitable."
— Gohan, Dragon Ball Z Abridged
Spider-Man: Maybe I don't know when I've been beaten, but maybe that's why you can't beat me. You've been trying, haven't you? You tried to make me think all my loved ones were killed in order to make me some darker version of myself. Well guess what? My mother is dead, my father is dead, my uncle was shot — even my girlfriend was murdered—
Green Goblin: I can vouch for that.
Spider-Man: The point is, I have lost everything I ever cared about, and I'm still here with all the morals I started with. Now you're looking for some magic button to push to change me. Well you give it all you've got, because I'm either too strong or too stupid to lose hope!
Green Goblin: I can vouch for that.
Spider-Man: The point is, I have lost everything I ever cared about, and I'm still here with all the morals I started with. Now you're looking for some magic button to push to change me. Well you give it all you've got, because I'm either too strong or too stupid to lose hope!
"You know something? I really hate People. They're selfish, ignorant, loud, obnoxious Pricks: with basically no redeeming qualities whatsoever! I mean really: look at all they've achieved. Genocide, global warming, reality TV, it's just a never-ending parade of Failures and Fuck-Ups! They are, without question: A complete write-off of a species. AND HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CARE ABOUT THEM!"
— Kirito, Sword Art Online Abridged
Western Animation
Zuko: For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor I wanted. But really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me, just for talking out of turn. My father, who challenged me, a 13-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai. How can you possibly justify a duel with a child?!
Fire Lord Ozai: It was to teach you respect.
Zuko: It was cruel! And it was wrong.
Ozai: Then you have learned nothing.
Zuko: No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation! They don't see our greatness, they hate us! And we deserve it. We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.
Ozai: [contemptuous laugh] Your Uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?
Zuko: [closes his eyes, smiles and opens them] Yes. He has.
Fire Lord Ozai: It was to teach you respect.
Zuko: It was cruel! And it was wrong.
Ozai: Then you have learned nothing.
Zuko: No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was. The people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation! They don't see our greatness, they hate us! And we deserve it. We've created an era of fear in the world. And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.
Ozai: [contemptuous laugh] Your Uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?
Zuko: [closes his eyes, smiles and opens them] Yes. He has.
Hulked-Out Hawkeye: Hey! Been waiting for this.
The Incredible Hulk: You won't enjoy it as much as I will. Always worry about hurting people. Always hold back. Not now. Now... Hulk unleash!
The Incredible Hulk: You won't enjoy it as much as I will. Always worry about hurting people. Always hold back. Not now. Now... Hulk unleash!
"ENOUGH! Because of you, I almost lost my way! But everycreature here has reminded me of the true power of friendship! There will always be darkness in the world, but there will also always be those who find the light! The Pillars knew this! That's why they created the Elements of Harmony! The Elements showed me and my friends how strong our friendship could be! Together we worked to bring harmony to Equestria! But there will always be more to do! Which is why we teach others about the Magic of Friendship! Others who will continue our mission after we are gone! Now I truly understand! The Elements were just symbols! The real magic has always been right here! And the more who understand how powerful friendship is, the stronger we will all be! Together!"
— Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Megabyte: You can't do this. It goes against everything you stand for.
Matrix: You took away my life. Destroyed my home. Caused nothing but pain and suffering to everyone I held dear. [brings down a trident, but purposefully misses] Surprised? Don't be. You're not worth it. Mainframe will always endure. Remember this defeat, this humiliation. Remember you can never win.
[Megabyte pushes himself off the building]
Megabyte: No, you remember, boy. How I turned defeat into victory. How I left you with a dying system.
Matrix: You took away my life. Destroyed my home. Caused nothing but pain and suffering to everyone I held dear. [brings down a trident, but purposefully misses] Surprised? Don't be. You're not worth it. Mainframe will always endure. Remember this defeat, this humiliation. Remember you can never win.
[Megabyte pushes himself off the building]
Megabyte: No, you remember, boy. How I turned defeat into victory. How I left you with a dying system.
— ReBoot
"I've felt worse."
"I have been foolish not to see what history has proven over and over again. That Autobots and Decepticons will never mend their ways. If there can be no diplomatic solution to this... perpetual conflict, then I must not allow more darkness to fall on this or any other planet. Megatron must be destroyed!"
Juggernaut: You think that fancy visor's gonna stop me?! Nothing stops me! I'm raw power!
Cyclops: Yeah?! You want it raw, tough guy?! Then take it raw! (pulls off his visor and blasts Juggernaut at full force)
Cyclops: Yeah?! You want it raw, tough guy?! Then take it raw! (pulls off his visor and blasts Juggernaut at full force)
Real Life
We know the strength of America. We are strong. We can regain our unity. We can regain our confidence. We are the heirs of generations who survived threats much more powerful and awesome than those that challenge us now. Our fathers and mothers were strong men and women who shaped a new society during the Great Depression, who fought world wars, and who carved out a new charter of peace for the world. We ourselves are the same Americans who just 10 years ago put a man on the Moon. We are the generation that dedicated our society to the pursuit of human rights and equality. And we are the generation that will win the war on the energy problem and in that process rebuild the unity and confidence of America.
— Jimmy Carter, "Crisis of Confidence" speech, July 15, 1979
Do you think I take any pleasure in this dog's life, in seeing and causing death in people unknown to me, in losing friends and acquaintances daily, in seeing my reputation ceaselessly exposed to the caprices of fortune, in spending the whole year with uneasiness and apprehension, in continually risking my life and my fortune? I certainly know the value of tranquility, the charms of society, the pleasures of life, and I like to be happy as much as anybody. Although I desire all these good things, I will not buy them with baseness and infamy. Philosophy teaches us to do our duty, to serve our country faithfully at the expense of our blood and of our repose, to commit our whole being to it.
The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us. Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be freed and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new dark age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves, that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour."
Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States: "We, the people." It's a very eloquent beginning. But when that document was completed on the seventeenth of September in 1787, I was not included in that "We, the people." I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. But through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision, I have finally been included in "We, the people."
Today I am an inquisitor. And hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution.
Today I am an inquisitor. And hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution.
— Barbara Jordan
