20 Iconic Anime Quotes That We'll Never Forget
After watching a particularly great anime, one of the things that stays with us are the most memorable quotes. Whether they reveal something about a character and the world they live in, or resonate with us on a personal level, these iconic anime quotes stick in our minds for years to come.
But what are the best anime quotes? That depends on your personal preferences, but this collection includes some pretty solid contenders. A classic example is Spike Spiegel's last words to Faye before he goes to confront Vicious in Cowboy Bebop. More recently, there's Erwin Smith's rousing speech to his soldiers as they face impossible odds in Attack on Titan.
Which of these quotes resonates with you the most?
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"No, they weren't! It's us who gives meaning to our comrades' lives. The brave fallen! The anguished fallen! The ones who will remember them are us, the living! We die trusting the living who follow to find meaning in our lives! That is the sole method with which we can rebel against this cruel world. My soldiers, rage! My soldiers, scream! My soldiers, fight!"
These were the last words that Erwin Smith ever spoke, and they were among the most impactful. His goal was to inspire his soldiers to continue fighting the Beast Titan despite the odds being overwhelmingly against them, he succeeded in doing exactly that.
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"Those who break the rules are scum, that's true, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."
There are lot of great quotes from Naruto, but one of the things that makes this Kakashi quote stand out is that it comes from hard-won knowledge. After his father was driven to suicide because he failed a mission in order to save a comrade, Kakashi venerated following the rules above all else. But after losing his friends and enduring wartime trauma, he came to realize that his father was right all along. Through this quote, he's passing on his hard-earned lesson to his students.
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"It's a terrible day for rain."
This state alchemist isn't talking about the weather - he's talking about the tears trickling down his face. Roy's coworker and friend Maes Hughes was just viciously killed by a homunculus, and he's devastated. But because he's a prideful and slightly ironic person, he blames it on rain that isn't even falling.
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"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."
This is one of those quotes that doesn't sound like it should be from a Pokemon movie - surely it's from something deep and philosophical? But no, it's from the very first movie in the franchise. Mewtwo, who was created via a lab experiment, is enraged at humanity and hellbent on revenge against anyone who isn't also a clone. Eventually, he realizes that his attacks are misguided, and seeks a more peaceful approach to life.
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"I'm not going there to die. I'm going to find out if I'm really alive."
In the final episode of Cowboy Bebop, Spike Spiegel is about to confront Vicious for the last time. Sure that if he goes he'll never return, Faye tries to stop him. Spike utters this line in response.
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"I'll solve equations with my right hand and write names with my left. I'll take a potato chip... and eat it!"
"I'll take a potato chip...and eat it!" has achieved meme status in the anime community, largely because of how dramatic Light sounds when he says it. But there's more to the quote than just its meme-status. Light is actually engaged in some pretty decent strategizing to avoid cameras picking up on his use of the killer notebook.
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"We are all like fireworks. We climb, shine, and always go our separate ways and become further apart. But even if that time comes, let’s not disappear like a firework, and continue to shine forever."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya is the captain of the 10th Division in the Gotei 13. While he's often a bit hot-headed, in this quote he shows his capacity for being more poetic and introspective. Surrounded by constant danger, he wants to make sure that he and his comrades will leave a lasting mark.
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"I love heroes, but I don't want to be one. Do you even know what a hero is!? For example, you have some meat. Pirates will feast on the meat, but the hero will distribute it among the people! I want to eat the meat!"
Luffy isn't a typical shonen hero. Sure, he doesn't hesitate to help people when they need it, but he also wants to experience the joys in life without sacrificing his own happiness and ambition for the sake of others. This is part of what makes him so interesting.
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"Listen up, Simon. Don't believe in yourself. Believe in me! Believe in the Kamina who believes in you!"
This is one of those quotes that just about every anime fan knows whether they've actually seen Gurren Lagann or not. Kamina knows that Simon isn't able to believe in himself just yet, so he offers himself as a source of confidence. Later, as Simon gains more experience, he encourages him to believe in himself without using Kamina as a crutch.
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"I’m going to beat fantasy with science."
While this quote is from a relatively new series, it might just stand the test of time. It captures the ethos of Dr. Stone perfectly - that every problem, no matter how difficult, can be solved through the application of science. Senku's worldview is uncommon in the world of anime, which is part of what makes him and his anime so refreshing.
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"I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am truth. Ally to good! Nightmare to you!"
Though Goku often appears silly or unreliable, he's a truly heroic man who means what he says in this quote. He is one of the only people in the universe with the strength to defend against the most serious threats, and he will do everything he can to defeat those who harm the innocent. He's a true hero.
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"100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10km run EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!"
How did Saitama accomplish his nearly supernatural strength? With a rigorous and consistent exercise regimen, that's how! But while his intense workout schedule is nothing to sneeze at, it probably wouldn't allow most people to shatter a meteor with their fist alone.
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Mitsuha Miyamizu Is Bound By Love In 'Your Name'
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"There’s no way we could meet. But one thing is certain. If we see each other, we’ll know. That you were the one who was inside me. That I was the one who was inside you."
Makoto Shinkai's Your Name is one of the most successful anime films of all time, which is why a quote had to be included here. This particular quote refers to the connection between Mitsuha and Taki, two people separated by space and time who find themselves randomly switching bodies, and fall in love in the process.
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“Don’t worry about what other people think. Hold your head up high and plunge forward.”
Izuku Midoriya has always wanted to be a superhero just like his idol, All Might. Because he doesn't have a quirk, or superpower, most people think he won't ever be able to achieve his goal. Even before he's given a quirk, Izuku is determined to pursue his dream. This quote speaks to his determination.
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"I knew it all along... my Master's true identity... he is a genuinely good guy."
This line comes at the end of the second season of Mob Psycho 100, after Reigen Arataka is revealed to not be psychic after all, and is publicaly humiliated. Though his psychic employee Mob might have felt understandably betrayed by Reigen's lies, he reveals here that he still sees the good in him. It's one of the more heartwarming moments of the series.
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"In this world, a single blade can take you anywhere you want to go. And even though it’s a virtual world, I feel more alive in here than I ever did in the real world."
While it's far from the only anime about a character who is transported to a video game world, Sword Art Online is one of the trailblazers of the genre. Not only does this quote encapsulate how Kirito feels about his virtual life, it also speaks to how countless other protagonists of similar shows will feel later.
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"If you think of someone's good qualities as the umeboshi in an onigiri, it's as if their qualities are stuck to their back! People around the world are like onigiri. Everyone has an umeboshi with a different shape and color and flavor. But because it's stuck on their back, they might not be able to see their umeboshi. "There's nothing special about me. I'm just white rice." [in her head] That's not true. There is an umeboshi -- on your back.
Maybe the reason people get jealous of each other, is because they can see so clearly the umeboshi on other people's backs. I can see them, too. I can see them perfectly. There's an amazing umeboshi on your back, Kyo-kun."
Tohru Honda is best known for her immense compassion for others. In this scene, she's talking to Kyo about his feelings toward his cousin Yuki. Yuki and Kyo despise each other for several reasons, but the biggest one is that they're envious that other has something they lack. Here, Tohru is trying to reassure Kyo that he actually does have positive traits that are worth celebrating.
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"Even though a hedgehog may want to become close with another hedgehog. The closer they get the more they injure each other with their spines. It's the same with some humans. The reason [Shinji] seems so withdrawn is because he's afraid of being hurt."
One of the things that makes Evangelion stand out from other mecha anime is its deep psychoanalysis of its characters. This scene is an example of that. Here, Ritsuko and Misato discuss the young pilot Shinji Ikari, who finds himself unable to connect with others because he's afraid of emotional pain if he does.
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Kino Embraces Contradiction In 'Kino's Journey'
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"The world is not beautiful, and that is why it is beautiful."
Kino spends their life traveling from town to town on their talking motorcycle Hermes. After spending three days in each town and learning everything they can from the experience, they move on. In some cases, what they learn is disturbing - they encounter communities rife with violence and pain. Despite acknowledging this truth, they also manage to see the beauty in the world.
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"Your future belongs to me."
Yuno Gasai is a stand-in for a popular anime archtype: the yandere. Yanderes seem cute and innocent on the outside, but are possessive to the point of violence when it comes to the people they love. Yuno, who is fixated on Yukiteru Amano, makes this unsettling declaration. If she were someone else, it might have sounded romantic, but from a yandere's mouth it's anything but.
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