The 100 greatest video game quotes of all time |
There's a power to video game quotes that can't be quantified. A combat bark can be immortalized as a meme. A monologue can land with the force of a thousand meteors, knowing the journey you've had to go through to hear it. A throwaway line in a journal can tell a story by itself; as can a line of graffiti scratched into the side of a level. And sometimes, a video game will speak directly to you — we all know those lines hit the hardest.
Over the past few months, the Polygon team has spent a lot of time considering the best video game quotes from the past 50 years. What makes a good video game quote? Why do certain lines enter the cultural lexicon? Is it meme status? Is it poignancy? Prescience? Humor? A recognition, implicit or not, that we're all here to have fun?
The answer to those questions, we found, is simply: Yes. All of the above. The best video game quotes have power because they can be anything to anyone. Video games have always been experiential, and the writing reflects that. Here, as decided by the Polygon team, are the 100 greatest video game quotes of all time — alongside a little bit about what they mean to us.
100. "Hi! I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!"
Game: Pokémon Red and Blue (1998)
Character: Youngster Ben
You could read an entire essay on this line and learn what the writers likely meant before it was mistranslated from Japanese. But if the mistake has never been fixed, it's because the existing line is better at capturing the nostalgic innocence of the original Pokemon games. Only a universe steeped in childlike wonder could make a line like this feel right. —Patricia Hernandez
99. "I too am whooo. But I’m also wheee! So the wheee balances the whooo."
Game: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025)
Sometimes the most iconic bits of writing come from the most unexpected of places. That’s what happened with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s incredibly relatable wheee/whooo scene. “I knew what I wanted to say, where it's talking about something heavy and sad and how you can feel the joy and the grief. And I was so tired. I didn’t have any words. So I was just like, ‘wheeeeee!’” writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen told Polygon. Esquie is the wholesome emotional rock at the heart of Expedition 33, and that’s never more apparent than when he’s comforting his friend Verso. —Austin Manchester
98. “I am the Great Mighty Poo, and I am going to throw my shit at you."
Game: Conker’s Bad Fur Day (2001)
Character: Chucky Poo
Developed by Rare, the creators of Donkey Kong Country and Banjo-Kazooie, this N64 platformer centered around a rude squirrel dude with a major ‘tude. Coming at the tail-end of the console’s lifespan and as the fad for sassy mascot platformers was waning, Conker’s Bad Fur Day wasn’t a commercial success. It did, however, give the world a boss fight with an opera-singing pile of feces, and we can all be grateful for that. —Jen Glennon
97. "Death can have me when it earns me."
Game: God of War Ragnarök (2022)
You know how Hulk appeared in the trailer for Avengers: Infinity War and then, when the scene appeared in the film, Hulk was nowhere in sight? "Death can have me when it earns me" is like that but for hyped-up Kratos dialogue. In one trailer for God of War Ragnarök, Kratos says this line, set to orchestral music and a montage of him kicking all kinds of ass. Then, in the actual game, he says it... in an otherwise pretty even-tempered conversation with Freya. The line is still metal as Hel! But the moment is notably chiller than the carnage teased in pre-release footage. This one makes the cut here purely on the basis of being an unforgettable misdirection. —Ari Notis
96. "At its current rate of decline, humanity is doomed. The disease you call despair already consumes you from within."
Game: Chrono Trigger (1995)
Sometimes a throwaway line in a fantasy video game can hit closer to home than you expect. That’s the case in Chrono Trigger. Robo’s depressive observation on humanity cuts deep, diagnosing an emotional crisis that still feels very real decades later. As gloomy as it is, something about seeing it written out so plainly in robot speak is bound to put a spark in you. No, we can’t let despair win. We must stand up and fight, just as the heroes of Chrono Trigger do to overcome a fate that seems inevitable. Humanity’s demise only becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if you lay down and wait to die. —Giovanni Colantonio
95. “You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance.”
Game: Street Fighter 2 (1991)
Capcom’s Street Fighter series is full of memorable quotes, from “Go home and be a family man” to “What strength! But don’t forget there are many guys like you all over the world.” But none have had the impact of a mistranslated quote from Ryu. In Street Fighter 2, Ryu’s victory quote was mistranslated and misunderstood to suggest that there was a character named Sheng Long somewhere out there in the world. Gaming magazine EGM ran with that idea, publishing an April Fools’ Day joke about how to unlock Sheng Long in arcades. It was all a hoax, but may have ultimately been responsible for Capcom creating Akuma, a shotokan-type fighter who bears a strong resemblance to EGM’s joke character. (The original quote’s correct translation is, by the way, "If you cannot overcome the Shoryuken, you cannot win!") —Michael McWhertor
94. "Memories, my boy. Just a show we put on inside our heads."
Game: Psychonauts 2 (2021)
Character: Helmut Fullbear
It's a special feeling when a video game hits you with a line that makes you put the controller down and really think for a bit. Psychonauts 2 is full of poignant vignettes about mental health and the mercurial nature of our inner lives, but this short set of words encapsulates it all. Good or bad, what happens in our heads isn't real life. It's what we do with it that matters. —Josh Broadwell
93. "Stay awhile, and listen."
Game: Diablo (series)
Character: Deckard Cain
Deckard Cain is a scholarly old Horadrim magician and lore dispensary who helps the player in the first three Diablo games, identifying items for them and doling out exposition. "Stay awhile, and listen" is his catchphrase. It's beautifully economical fantasy writing, framing the functional purpose of the NPC but also evocatively suggesting a fireside chat, a lingering respite from all the monster slaughter and leveling grind. But what really sells it is Michael Gough's gorgeously fruity line reading as the kindly old coot. (The line enjoys a second life as a pervasive prompt in World of Warcraft to hang out and listen to what characters have to say to each other, rather than racing on with your adventure.) —Oli Welsh
92. "Capital has the ability to subsume all critiques into itself. Even those who would critique capital end up reinforcing it instead."
Game: Disco Elysium (2019)
Character: Joyce Messier
As it recognizes the pervasive, inescapable impact of capitalism, it can feel like Disco Elysium is placing a gravestone over the dreams of revolution and social change. But disco never dies. And behind the game's outwardly cynical perspective lies the hope that, for change to happen, it must take place at a level beyond the obvious critique of capital. Maybe we need an absurd and otherworldly idea — one as extraordinary as the cryptid our protagonist Harry finds at the end of the game. Despite Disco Elysium's melancholy vision of the world, it never stops hoping for a different reality. —Paulo Kawanishi
91. "I'm talking to a cuff!"
Game: Forspoken (2023)
Character: Frey Holland
Nope, not a bit! Early in Forspoken, while grappling with her isekai fate, protagonist Frey Holland shouts the line "I'm talking to a cuff" amid a longer conversation with, well, a talking cuff. The line was stripped of context, passed around the internet, meme-ified, and partly credited with Forspoken's tepid reception. Frankly, in context, the line feels like a totally natural thing to say in such a situation. But even out of context, it has some serious staying power. To this day, you can recite "I'm talking to a cuff!" to anyone who's versed in modern gaming and they'll know exactly what you're talking about. If that's not proof of an immortalized quote, nothing is. —Ari Notis
90. "Who would ever want to think of Hell without Hope?"
Game: Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
Hope's final monologue is partly a well-deserved, final middle finger to Raphael. After he trapped her in hell and tortured her for years, she's still here, in his house, and he's not because he's dead. But it's a poignant reflection on one of Baldur's Gate 3's main themes, too: enduring for a better tomorrow. Hope goes on to list all the things she hopes for — reconciliation with her sister, seeing you once more, being herself again after years of abuse. None of it will happen, and she knows this, but hope for something better is what lets her persevere. How can any of us ever think about enduring the hell of living without hope? —Josh Broadwell
Game: 1000xResist (2024)
There are a handful of phrases in 1000xResist that sound like gibberish at first: “hair to hair,” “six to one,” “sphere to square.” They’re repeated between sisters, and are mostly left up to interpretation; every player will take something different away from them. In a way, they reflect the interpretive nature of the game's narrative, and take on different meanings the more the player digs into 1000xResist’s story and lore. They all originate from Iris, the allmother, becoming a quasi-religious doctrine for the sisters. —Austin Manchester
88. "'Almost Christmas' means it wasn't Christmas!"
Game: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (2001)
Character: Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney
The first entry in Capcom’s visual novel adventure series goes out on a high note, with defense attorney Phoenix Wright representing his courtroom rival Miles Edgeworth on a murder charge. Just when things look hopeless for Edgeworth, a witness reveals that he heard a single gunshot as a radio DJ said “it’s almost Christmas” late at night on Dec. 24, contradicting earlier testimony that the murder occurred after midnight. It's due to this lucky turnabout that Phoenix and Edgeworth emerge victorious, and a meme that would be emblazoned on countless T-shirts and coffee mugs was born. —Jen Glennon
87. "Endure. In enduring, grow strong."
Game: Planescape: Torment (1999)
You can expect a game made famous by its dialogue to deliver some unforgettable quotes, and Planescape: Torment does not disappoint. This seminal CRPG, still celebrated today as one of the best in the genre’s history, is ripe with philosophical debates, questions about life and existence, and dirty jokes delivered by a floating skull. This particular quote by the companion character Dak’kon proved to be, well, enduring. It’s not surprising that a member of the Ghitzerai race, essentially D&D’s ascetic monks, has some of the most profound dialogue in the game. This quote speaks of the millennia-long struggle of the Ghitzerai, who freed themselves from the shackles of Illithid slavery. It’s resonated with players for decades, including Henry Cavill, who recently used it as a caption for his recovery journey after an injury. If it’s good enough for Superman… —Francesco Cacciatore
86. "I used to be an adventurer like you. Then I took an arrow in the knee."
Game: The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
Character: Roughly every third town guard
Let's face it: memes aside, little is impressive about the arrow to the knee line. But Skyrim is one of those forever games that people revisit over and over again — which allows an otherwise banal line to feel like a warm embrace. Nowadays, a random Tuesday will see a Roblox game sustain a fourth of Skyrim's lifetime sales as active concurrents. Culture has become so fragmented that this line is one of the last remaining examples of a moment defining an entire generation of gamers. —Patricia Hernandez
85. "I wish things were different. But it weren't us who changed.”
Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)
Character: Arthur Morgan
Arthur Morgan and the other members of Dutch van der Linde's gang are a bit like the cast of The Sopranos — they got into the outlaw life long after the golden era had ended. As the game draws to a close, Arthur knows his days are numbered. But it's not too late for John Marston, who he views as a younger brother. Arthur urges John not to be blinded by his past loyalty, and to instead prioritize his family and build a real future, far away from Dutch's crumbling empire of two-bit schemes. —Jen Glennon
84. "I'm literally a fool, what's your excuse?"
To love Balatro is to lose at Balatro, audaciously and often. The 2024 poker roguelike is all about experimentation, taking big swings, and hoping your hare-brained strategy pays off somehow. It is, emphatically, not a story-driven experience. Yet Jimbo, the game’s mascot and resident tutorial-giver, is always there to offer hokey insults and labored puns whenever you fail, which will be often. Like an annoying kid brother, his taunts are just galling enough to convince you to try one more round. —Jen Glennon
83. "This is the story of a man named Stanley."
Game: The Stanley Parable (2013)
Stanley, the paper-pushing star of 2013’s The Stanley Parable, isn’t supposed to have control of his destiny. He’s simply a pawn on a chessboard, getting dragged around his office by a narrator who has carefully plotted out his every move. The game’s first line sets that stage perfectly, throwing you into the first page of a children’s storybook. The sooner you realize that the pages can’t turn without you, the sooner you can fight to regain control of Stanley’s narrative. Though none of that really helps the poor guy with his own free will problem, does it? —Giovanni Colantonio
Game: The Sims (2000)
When Maxis decided to create The Sims, an epic life-sim to rule all the other life-sims out there, it meant including everything that involves, well, life. Which includes sex. But since this was a game meant for all ages, how could you repackage that to be more family-friendly? Enter the term “Woohoo.” Has there ever been a more tantalizing word in the history of video games? We think not. —Aimee Hart
81. "You can't envision the final collapse of capitalism? Incredible!"
Game: EarthBound (1994)
Character: Stoic Club poser
In Earthbound, you control Ness and his friends as you set out to save the world, and along the way you discover most of the adults in this world are either morons or sleazebags. Once you reach the seaside resort town of Summers, though, you realize adults can also be pretentious idiots. At the members-only Stoic Club, patrons pay absurdly high prices to drink tap water and stare at a rock on a stage while “philosophizing” about it. One of the customers asks Ness this patronizing question, seemingly to flex his intellectual muscle in front of a bunch of 12-year-olds. We’ve all met this guy, and he’s exhausting. —Jen Glennon
Game: Suikoden 2 (1998)
Character: Luca Blight
Konami’s Suikoden games are best known for letting you recruit 108 party members and build awesome castles, but Suikoden 2 also boasts one of the most loathsome and terrifying villains of all time: the “mad prince” Luca Blight. As her village burns, a woman falls to her knees and begs for her life. With a sneering smile, Luca tells her to act like a pig if she wants to live. She falls to all fours and starts oinking, as soldiers look on and a corpse leaks blood nearby. He cackles in amusement and slices her throat. At this point in the story, we’ve largely heard about his evil deeds — it’s here that we witness firsthand just how truly vile he is. —Jen Glennon
79. "Praise the sun!"
Game: Dark Souls (2011)
Character: Solaire of Astora
Unlike many of the other quotes on this list, no in-game character actually says “Praise the Sun” in Dark Souls, despite its ubiquity and enduring popularity among fans. The quote is most closely associated with the knight Solaire of Astora, a cheerful and rare spot of brightness in Dark Souls' world. “Praise the Sun” is simply the name of a frequently used in-game gesture, and one of the baked-in phrases that players can scrawl like graffiti for other players to read. “Praise the Sun” remains a powerful affirmation in the Dark Souls universe, but the closest thing that Solaire says to it in game is much more poetic: “The sun is a wondrous body, like a magnificent father! If only I could be so grossly incandescent!” —Michael McWhertor
78. "The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world."
Game: Half-Life 2 (2004)
Before you can control Gordon Freeman in Half-Life 2, you have to go through G-Man. The series’ mysterious villain begins the game by staring a hole into your soul, one of his glassy eyeballs shown in extreme close-up. Like a one-man Greek chorus, he sets the stage for the journey to come with an eccentric monologue delivered in his unmistakably strange cadence. This foreboding one-liner comes near the end of that surreal sequence, leaving you terrified of what exactly he means by “wrong place.” You find out soon enough, but not until G-Man leaves you with one last command: “Wake up and smell the ashes.” —Giovanni Colantonio
77. Senator Armstrong's entire monologue
Game: Metal Gear Rising Revengance (2013)
Character: Senator Armstrong
OK, OK, here's the whole thing for your... enjoyment?
"I have a dream. That one day every person in this nation will control their own destiny. A nation of the truly free, dammit. A nation of action, not words, ruled by strength, not committee! Where the law changes to suit the individual, not the other way around. Where power and justice are back where they belong: in the hands of the people! Where every man is free to think — to act — for himself! Fuck all these limp-dick lawyers and chickenshit bureaucrats. Fuck this 24-hour Internet spew of trivia and celebrity bullshit! Fuck American pride! Fuck the media! Fuck all of it! America is diseased. Rotten to the core. There's no saving it. We need to pull it out by the roots. Wipe the slate clean. Burn it down! And from the ashes, a new America will be born. Evolved, but untamed! The weak will be purged and the strongest will thrive — free to live as they see fit, they'll make America great again! In my new America, people will die and kill for what they believe! Not for money. Not for oil! Not for what they're told is right. Every man will be free to fight his own wars!"
"I have a dream. That one day every person in this nation will control their own destiny. A nation of the truly free, dammit. A nation of action, not words, ruled by strength, not committee! Where the law changes to suit the individual, not the other way around. Where power and justice are back where they belong: in the hands of the people! Where every man is free to think — to act — for himself! Fuck all these limp-dick lawyers and chickenshit bureaucrats. Fuck this 24-hour Internet spew of trivia and celebrity bullshit! Fuck........