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Anime and Manga
"Minions these days. Nothing but greedy little ingrates."
— Maleficent commenting on the Gullwings, Kingdom Hearts II
Fan Works
"I once helped topple a fascist South African government in a week. I mean, it was replaced by another one in two, but I still got paid."
— Pip's Grand-Père, Hellsing Ultimate Abridged
Lasky: Atriox. Want to go to the border of Kig-Yar space near Mupmup and kill some pirates?
Atriox: No.
Lasky: I'll pay you a couple million credits.
Atriox: Okay.
Atriox: No.
Lasky: I'll pay you a couple million credits.
Atriox: Okay.
Films — Live Action
"A mother or a stepmother, it's all the same to the rich! Where they make a profit, there is their motherland."
— Ignat, Alexander Nevsky
"Black, brown or yellow — I'm in it for the green. The green buck!"
— Howard Brunswick, Coffy
"If you're good at something, never do it for free."
— The Joker, The Dark Knight
"If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say."
— Winston Zeddemore, Ghostbusters (1984)
Chris: You believe in this?
Bookstore Owner: What am I, an idiot? I'm makin' a buck here. You want books? I got books. I got chicken blood, I got dog embryos, I got black candles, I got wolfsbane. Look at this: silver bullets. Some joker ordered them. .30-06. Never picked 'em up. I take Bank AmeriCard, American Express, Visa. You gonna buy that or what?
Bookstore Owner: What am I, an idiot? I'm makin' a buck here. You want books? I got books. I got chicken blood, I got dog embryos, I got black candles, I got wolfsbane. Look at this: silver bullets. Some joker ordered them. .30-06. Never picked 'em up. I take Bank AmeriCard, American Express, Visa. You gonna buy that or what?
"Look, I ain't in this for your revolution and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well-paid. I'm in it for the money!"
— Han Solo, A New Hope
"Thirty years ago, I used my God-given talents to make a bomb... a very powerful bomb... for money. I didn't believe in the cause. Didn't even understand it. I just wanted the money. Fifty people died. Now, I'm right where I belong."
— Dysart, No Escape (1994)
"I'm not a soldier, Major. The day we took hostages, we became mercenaries, and mercenaries get paid. I want my FUCKING money!"
— Capt. Darrow, The Rock
"We are Sex Bob-omb. We are here to sell out and make money and stuff."
— Kim Pine, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
"Listen. We're not just doing this for money...
[Beat]
...we're doing it for a shitload of money!"
[Beat]
...we're doing it for a shitload of money!"
— Lone Starr, Spaceballs
"You wanna know what my vision is? ...Dollar signs! Money! I didn't build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I wanna go to the stars? I don't even like to fly. I take trains. I built this ship so that I could retire to some tropical island filled with... naked women. That's Zefram Cochrane. That's his vision. This other guy you keep talking about, this historical figure — I never met him. I can't imagine I ever will."
— Zefram Cochrane, Star Trek: First Contact
French agent: This is a dangerous mission, and some of you will die. But remember, in a world gone mad, you will die for a principle that you all hold close to your heart. Money!
Mercenaries: Viva franc! Viva deutschmark! Viva dollar! Viva numbered bank account in Switzerland!
Mercenaries: Viva franc! Viva deutschmark! Viva dollar! Viva numbered bank account in Switzerland!
"Tell him how you and your husband joined the right-wingers to get yourselves jobs."
— Nick to his sister, Z
Steven Obanno: Do you believe in God, Mister Le Chiffre?
Le Chiffre: No, I believe in a reasonable rate of return.
Le Chiffre: No, I believe in a reasonable rate of return.
Films - Animated
Oogway: It's so nice to see you manage to use the most respected art-form in China and use it to pursue nothing but fame.
Ox: And fortune. Don't forget about the fortune.
Ox: And fortune. Don't forget about the fortune.
— Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters
Literature
Jazz: I'm sorry, but this isn't my thing. You'll have to find someone else.
Trond: I'll give you a million slugs.
Jazz: Deal.
Trond: I'll give you a million slugs.
Jazz: Deal.
— Artemis
"Malice, he paid us so much. We were going to say no at first, but then he just kept bringing out more and more. I felt bad! I said, 'Reigan, how are you going to feed your people if you give us all this?' He didn't even say anything, he just kept dumping treasures into this big pile. Priceless art? Right onto the pile. Gold? Pile. Scales? Weapons? Natural treasures? Pile. By the time he was done, I swear on my heart, it was taller than my head. Best day of my life."
— Larian of the Eight-Man Empire, Cradle Series
Van Eck: If you fail, all the world will suffer for it.
Kaz: Oh, it's worse than that, Van Eck. If I fail, I don't get paid.
Kaz: Oh, it's worse than that, Van Eck. If I fail, I don't get paid.
"We do not murder.
We do not execute. We do not massacre. We never, you may be very certain, we never torture. We have no truck with crimes of passion or hatred or pointless gain. We do not do it for a delight in inhumation, or to feed some secret inner need, or for petty advantage, or for some cause or belief; I tell you, gentlemen, that all these reasons are in the highest degree suspect. Look into the face of a man who will kill you for a belief and your nostrils will snuff up the scent of abomination. Hear a speech declaring a holy war and, I assure you, should catch the clink of evil's scales and the dragging of its monstrous tail over the purity of the language.
No, we do it for the money.
And, because we above all must know the value of a human life, we do it for a great deal of money.
Nile mortifi, sine lucre. Remember. No killing without payment.
And always give a receipt."
We do not execute. We do not massacre. We never, you may be very certain, we never torture. We have no truck with crimes of passion or hatred or pointless gain. We do not do it for a delight in inhumation, or to feed some secret inner need, or for petty advantage, or for some cause or belief; I tell you, gentlemen, that all these reasons are in the highest degree suspect. Look into the face of a man who will kill you for a belief and your nostrils will snuff up the scent of abomination. Hear a speech declaring a holy war and, I assure you, should catch the clink of evil's scales and the dragging of its monstrous tail over the purity of the language.
No, we do it for the money.
And, because we above all must know the value of a human life, we do it for a great deal of money.
Nile mortifi, sine lucre. Remember. No killing without payment.
And always give a receipt."
— Dr. Cruces, head of the Assassin's Guild, Pyramids
Music
All you people, this is trash
We abominate music, we're here for cash
We abominate music, we're here for cash
— KMFDM, "More and Faster"
We're only in it for the gain
Sex and drugs and rock'n'roll fame
We parade the charade
We are jammin' for your mammon
We're only in it for the encore
We want it all and then some more
Men of deeds, for proceeds
Prime booty is our duty
Sex and drugs and rock'n'roll fame
We parade the charade
We are jammin' for your mammon
We're only in it for the encore
We want it all and then some more
Men of deeds, for proceeds
Prime booty is our duty
— KMFDM, "Bitches"
Video Games
Jack: Hey, Wilhelm, wanna come to the moon and hunt a Vault for me?
Wilhelm: No.
Jack: Come on, I'll pay you a couple million dollars.
Wilhelm: Okay.
[end recording]
Wilhelm: Yep. That's my backstory.
Wilhelm: No.
Jack: Come on, I'll pay you a couple million dollars.
Wilhelm: Okay.
[end recording]
Wilhelm: Yep. That's my backstory.
Janey Springs: What's a low-level Hyperion employee doing making body doubles of himself?
Jack's Body Double: He's got big dreams, and I have student loans.
Jack's Body Double: He's got big dreams, and I have student loans.
"It hardly matters which set of villains walk the corridors of power, as long as they pay well."
Barret: Prove to me you're the man Tifa says you are. That you're one of us.
Cloud: Never said I was. I'm just in it for the paycheck.
Barret: Then do the damn job!
Cloud: Never said I was. I'm just in it for the paycheck.
Barret: Then do the damn job!
— Final Fantasy VII Remake, right before planting the bomb to destroy Mako Reactor No. 1
Miqo'te: Aha! What do we have here?
[Hyur lays down job offers]
Miqo'te: No job is too daunting as long as the coin is good.
Elezen: Bah! You'd sell your own mother if the coin was good.
Miqo'te: My father too! Now quiet down and help me decide!
[Hyur lays down job offers]
Miqo'te: No job is too daunting as long as the coin is good.
Elezen: Bah! You'd sell your own mother if the coin was good.
Miqo'te: My father too! Now quiet down and help me decide!
— Opening cinematic for Final Fantasy XIV Legacy (ver 1.0)
"I do this for the cash, not for the thrills."
— Taskmaster Marvel vs. Capcom 3
"I'll stop if you pay me."
— Erron Black, Mortal Kombat X
Raiden: You would oppose a god?
Erron Black: If the money were good enough.
Erron Black: If the money were good enough.
"Now, I know you can't put a price on life... but I'm in this business to get paid."
— Nikolai Zinoviev, Resident Evil 3 (Remake)
Lord: Splendid! Nice work! I'll give you a reward and you can choose whatever you want.
Miko: Anything I want? Sure? Ok, let's see... All the money there is! Yippeeee! I can play for the rest of my life!
Miko: Anything I want? Sure? Ok, let's see... All the money there is! Yippeeee! I can play for the rest of my life!
— Sengoku Ace, Episode I
"Espio, don't be silly! Besides, you know our policy! We never turn down work that pays!"
— Vector the Crocodile, Sonic Heroes
Web Animation
"We are Karate Duo Number One. Soldiers of fortune. Mercenaries for hire. Karate guys for cash. We work hard for the money. So hard for the money... We work hard for the money, so you'd better treat us right..."
— Karate Duo Number One, Bowser's Kingdom, Episode 9
Webcomics
"Some heroes fight for what's right. Others for a chance at the spotlight. Sylphstriker's the type who chases a paycheck."
Blitz: So you screwed over the police and your own boss, for what? What's your endgame?
Cebus: ...Let me tell you a secret. See, there's these things adults care about. Like money, and the ability to make more of it.
Blitz: That's it!? Money!?
Cebus: Yes, that's it! Do you have any idea what this kind of genetic engineering is worth to the right people!? And what these idiots waste it on!?
Cebus: ...Let me tell you a secret. See, there's these things adults care about. Like money, and the ability to make more of it.
Blitz: That's it!? Money!?
Cebus: Yes, that's it! Do you have any idea what this kind of genetic engineering is worth to the right people!? And what these idiots waste it on!?
"Repeat after me: 'morality pays poorly.'"
— Schlock, Schlock Mercenary
"For just a moment, I didn't want to ask for more money. I think I'm still on drugs."
— Tagon, Schlock Mercenary
Tagon: I can't believe I'm saying this, but... I don't want more money. I just want my team to be able to do their job here. Take that ninja guy... we need to be able to pursue and apprehend without worrying about hurting your feelings. We won't be hurting bystanders, damaging merchandise, or denting the historic bulkheads. Please, just let us do our jobs, okay?
But, if it makes you feel better, you can buy unlimited "yell at the captain" rights for an additional twenty percent.
Mr. Aliss: Is not that the more money you said you do not want?
Tagon: That was crazy talk. I'm not sure what came over me.
But, if it makes you feel better, you can buy unlimited "yell at the captain" rights for an additional twenty percent.
Mr. Aliss: Is not that the more money you said you do not want?
Tagon: That was crazy talk. I'm not sure what came over me.
— Schlock Mercenary (again)
Web Original
The Doctor: Why Harper? Why leave the Ministry to back her? Why the fear? Why the hate?
Roderick Allingham: There comes a time in every man's life when he must put aside personal advancement and take a stand for what he truly believes in.
The Doctor: Yes?
Roderick Allingham: In my case, I'm proud to say that that time has not yet come. They're paying me a mint.
Roderick Allingham: There comes a time in every man's life when he must put aside personal advancement and take a stand for what he truly believes in.
The Doctor: Yes?
Roderick Allingham: In my case, I'm proud to say that that time has not yet come. They're paying me a mint.
"I'm sorry, Dream... but you should've paid me more."
"If there's one thing I have learned, bitch, this game is about MOTHERFUCKING MONEY!"
Western Animation
Orson Welles: Hello, I'm Orson Welles. What follows is a terrifying journey into the world of magic, mystery...
Lawyer: Mr. Welles, this is a video will.
Orson Welles: What? Look, I don't need to do this, I've got a fishstick commercial in an hour! [leaves, but returns a second later] ...Oh, what the hell, I need the money.
Lawyer: Mr. Welles, this is a video will.
Orson Welles: What? Look, I don't need to do this, I've got a fishstick commercial in an hour! [leaves, but returns a second later] ...Oh, what the hell, I need the money.
"After all, it's not the principle of the thing, it's the money."
— Daffy, Daffy Duck
Double Trouble: Of course, we all wear costumes. I just happen to be able to wear other people as costumes... for a price.
Catra: Huh. So, it's money you're after.
Double Trouble: [laughs] Aren't we all, darling? But if you don't require someone with my gifts, I'll just take my business to the other side.
Catra: How exactly are you planning on doing that?
Double Trouble: [reveals they've slipped out of their handcuffs] I have a knack for getting out of tight spots.
Catra: Huh. So, it's money you're after.
Double Trouble: [laughs] Aren't we all, darling? But if you don't require someone with my gifts, I'll just take my business to the other side.
Catra: How exactly are you planning on doing that?
Double Trouble: [reveals they've slipped out of their handcuffs] I have a knack for getting out of tight spots.
Homer: Stupid Moe! Non-inventing, recipe-stealing, pug-nosed—
Marge: Well, Homer, maybe you can take some consolation in the fact that something you created is making so many people happy.
Homer: OHHHHHH, look at me! I'm making people HAPPY! I'm the magical man from happy-land in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Laaaaaaaaaaaane!
Marge: Well, Homer, maybe you can take some consolation in the fact that something you created is making so many people happy.
Homer: OHHHHHH, look at me! I'm making people HAPPY! I'm the magical man from happy-land in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Laaaaaaaaaaaane!
— The Simpsons, "Flaming Moes"
Cad Bane: Kidnapping innocent children? Seems like a small-time crime for the likes of you.
Darth Sidious: Among the children of the Jedi, there are no innocents.
Cad Bane: Sure, sure. As long as I get paid, it makes no difference to me.
Darth Sidious: Among the children of the Jedi, there are no innocents.
Cad Bane: Sure, sure. As long as I get paid, it makes no difference to me.
Scrooge: Alright, true explorers. Now this mountain is going to throw everything she's got at us.
Louie: But it will be worth it when we find the treasure of Mt. Neverrest, heheh.
Scrooge: There is no treasure of Mt. Neverrest.
Louie: ...Nope. Louie out!
Louie: But it will be worth it when we find the treasure of Mt. Neverrest, heheh.
Scrooge: There is no treasure of Mt. Neverrest.
Louie: ...Nope. Louie out!
— DuckTales (2017), "The Impossible Summit of Mt. Neverrest!"
Real Life
"Try to motivate someone without some fucking money! They won't do it!"
— Cody Weber
