Say what you will about Star Wars dialogue, but it sure is quotable.
Sometimes the quotes are bad. Often times they’re really bad. When they’re written by George Lucas, they’re pretty much always bad. And not even the voice actors from Spongebob can save them. In that case, they’re usually about sand, namely about how “coarse and rough and irritating” it is. But see, the funny thing about Star Wars is that even the bad quotes are good. In fact, they’re so good that the internet has been meme-ing them to death for years. The infamously cheesy “high ground” speech has been ripe for parody since the day it came out. But we’re not gonna talk about those bad quotes. We’re gonna talk about some good quotes. Because every once in a while, the writers of Star Wars stumble across a little gem of a quote that’s actually pretty insightful. Other times it’s such a simple statement that becomes one of the most famous quotes of all time. Let’s start off with that one, shall we?
“No… I am your father “
This is the greatest Star Wars quote of all time, bar none. It’s iconic. It’s the batshit plot twist that nobody saw coming. It’s perhaps the most melodramatically climactic moment in the entire series. And weirdly enough, it’s the one that’s misquoted the most. For years, I, and everyone I know, have been saying “Luke, I am your father.” But that’s not how the quote goes! Darth Vader says “No… I am your father” in response to Luke saying “you killed my father!” Go figure, right? A perfect example of how the Mandela effect works.
“I know”
This is honestly a great bit of improvisation from my man Harrison Ford. Yes, you read that correctly, this quote was improvised. Just before Han Solo is about to be frozen in carbonite, Princess Leia tells him that she loves him. He wasn’t supposed to say anything at all, but he looks her right in the eyes and says this super sexy and total Han Solo-ish line that made everyone swoon. Good job, Mr. Ford.
“Don’t ever tell me the odds!”
“Don’t tell me the odds!” is another fantastic Solo-ism that we all can relate to. When we do wild shit with a slim chance of success, why in God’s name would we want to know the odds of it succeeding? I don’t want to be thinking about the math when I’m trying to ask out a super hottie or looking for a double yolk egg. Because the math isn’t gonna help me make this fucking omelet to feed the hottie that stayed over at my place last night, now will it?
“Use the force, Luke”
Another absolute classic. Spoken by the force ghost of Obi-Wan Kenobi just before Luke switches off his targeting computer to blow up the Death Star, this quote shall echo throughout the halls of Hollywood movie history. It’s just so quotable. It also symbolizes kind of a lovely form of surrender to a higher power, a sort of divine force. We could all use a little bit of divine intervention in our lives.
“I find your lack of faith disturbing”
James Earl Jones’ pants shittingly scary delivery of this line is really what makes it so iconic. That, and the fact that Darth Vader is in the process of force choking someone while he says it. It’s just a good villain line, and perfectly illustrates Darth Vader’s chilling sense of decorum. It’s a classy line. It’s not “I will kill you” or “bitch stfu”, even though that’s what it actually means. It’s a rather respectful line, it isn’t a personal attack or a direct threat, and that’s arguably what makes it even scarier.
“So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause”
The prequel movies’ dialogue is generally really bad, but this line is honestly a banger. It’s spoken by Natalie Portman’s character, Padme, after Senator Palpatine seizes power in the Senate, ending space democracy (and beginning an authoritarian galactic empire that wreaks untold devastation on the galaxy). It is surprisingly politically canny and sounds like something that the Roman wise guy, Cicero, said when Julius Caesar rose to power. It also reminds one of a certain unfortunate presidential election in 2016. Yikes.
“IT’S A TRAP!”
This line, spoken by Admiral Ackbar in Episode VI, was responsible for a slew of funny memes on the internet. It’s just so damn meme-able. It was made to be parodied. And yes, I am aware that this quote inspired the term “trap,” which is a derogatory term for a trans woman or a character whose gender is generally ambiguous and therefore upsetting to bitch-ass little internet trolls who could not get laid even if they had a mattress tied to their backs. And that’s why, on behalf of us trans and non-binary folks, I AM TAKING IT BACK. These dudes are the true traps honestly.
“Fear Leads To Anger. Anger Leads To Hate. Hate Leads To Suffering”
A banger of a quote spoken by Yoda in The Phantom Menace. It hits home because it shows how hatred is a poison that toxifies everything and causes pain to everyone involved. It reminds one of the real world all too well. I also love this quote because it makes negative emotions seem so illogical. Why would you ever choose to hate someone when it will only cause you suffering in return? Hurt people hurt people, and then get hurt by those they hurt. It’s a cycle. All forms of violence are simply violence directed at oneself. It’s a very wise quote, befitting of a Jedi master.
*Chewbacca noise*
Okay so I can’t exactly “quote” this, but this is one of the most iconic quotes that Chewbacca has. And people have been imitating this sound ever since Chewbacca first dropped whatever pearl of wisdom he was trying to say in the first place. Maybe he was the first one to say “use the force, Luke” but Luke just couldn’t fucking understand him. Who knows.
“The End”
This is my personal favorite quote from all the Star Wars prequels, because it means that they’re over and I don’t have to fucking watch them anymore. These movies are just not good. Yeah, they have good moments, hell even a few of the quotes on this list are from the prequels. But all in all, these films are brightly polished turds. I love when this line is onscreen, because it means that I can uncover my eyes and ears and stop screaming to drown these movies out.
(featured image: Lucasfilm)
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