It has been a while since my last Top 10 list, and that is really a shame, because I love Top 10 lists. I find them to be one of the easiest and funnest ways for anyone to think about how they organize and categorize what they like. Top 10 lists are completely subjective and everyone will have a different opinion as to what is ranked where. Despite everyone knowing this idea in their heads, because Top 10 lists are so closely tied to the things we value, we often times get way too heated over what we rank as number 3 vs number 4. I think that is just part of being human, we want things our way, and we all hate to lose arguments, even silly ones that are just for fun. All this is to say, I hope you all will enjoy this Top 10 list and look forward to a lot more in the future. I find these fun and hopefully you all will as well.
This has been a long and hard year for me. I think I have already addressed that in the past. One thing I am sure of is that I am not the only one who had a rough year. In a year so full of burdens, sometimes you really just need something to help you pick yourself up, to inspire you and challenge you to believe that despite how broken things in your life or the world might seem, there is always reason to hope and believe that things will get better. Sometimes, the only thing you need is to remember is a powerful, inspirational quote that speaks a deep truth into your soul. For me, a surprising number of those powerful quotes come not from politicians, businessmen, or world leaders but from movies. There are plenty of inspirational speeches and lines from film, but often times I find the most profound ones to actually be from films aimed at kids. In this Top 10 list, I am going to cover what I consider to be the 10 Greatest Quotes I have heard from Animated Movies. Please be warned that since these are pivotal quotes in each of these films, there will be spoilers. May these profound words, give you all a little hope as we near Christmas and begin to look forward to the new year.
10) “You Don’t Have to be the Bad Guy…You are the Special” Emmet (The Lego Movie): This quote comes from the end of The Lego Movie, and is said by the main character Emmet to the film’s main antagonist, Lord Business. Throughout the film, Emmet was believed to be the fulfillment of a prophecy, a savior who would defeat Lord Business, known as “The Special.” When he finally confronts Lord Business in his lair, it seems as though Lord Business has already won, as he has used the power of the KRAGLE (Krazy Glue) to lock everyone in place so they could not ruin his perfect world, but just as he is about to win, Emmet makes an impassioned speech, asking Lord Business to join him and all of the other inhabitants of his world in the joy of building and creating. Emmet tells Lord Business that because he made everything in that world, he inspired everyone to take what he made, and re-make it into a bunch of other really amazing things. By trying to stop the creativity, Lord Business is making himself into the bad guy, but Emmet does his best to assure him that does not need to be the case. You don’t have to be the bad guy. You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe and you are capable of amazing things because you are the Special.
Emmet basically tells Lord Business, that if he wants to be, he can be the hero, the one who takes a ‘perfect world’ and makes it into a better world. In just a couple of lines, Emmet challenges Lord Business’ view of himself. Lord Business believed that he was not special, and that his only purpose was to ensure that everything in his world was perfect. What Emmet reveals to Lord Business and by extension the audience is that even if you feel like society or your position in life has shackled you to a certain role, you are still capable of brilliant, great, and creative things and that you can choose the pathway your life will take. Just like Lord Business did not have to be the bad guy, we do not have to be forced into the roles in life that we are told are for us. We all have the ability to be, “The Special,” the heroes of our own hopes and dreams. We just have to choose to see ourselves that way. This quote is extremely powerful for those who doubt their own abilities and sense of worth and I find it incredibly powerful. It is only at number 10 because I feel 9 other quotes are just a little more impactful.
9) “There are those who say fate is something beyond our command…” Merida (Brave): This is another quote from the end of a movie that nicely and powerfully wraps up the main theme of the movie. Merida fought so hard to change her fate and faced great difficulty and adversity because of it, but in the end she succeeded in changing the course fate had seemingly set for her. She repairs the relationship she had with her mother and in doing so, enacts a change within herself and in her mother. It is only when both she and her mother express and work through the problems in their relationship, that together they find a new way of looking at the world. Upon discovering this Merida closes out the movie with these profound words. There are those who say fate is something beyond our command, that destiny is not our own. But I know better. Our fate lies within us. You only have to be Brave enough to see it.
It is so easy to believe that things in life just happen because that is the way they are meant to be. At times it is enough to make you despair if you or someone you love is trapped in a bad situation with seemingly no way out. It can be forced expectations like in Brave, but it could also be addiction, depression, or loss. This quote is for those moments when we despair and lose hope that the pain and suffering we see or are going through will ever come to an end. It is a powerful reminder that in those dark moments, we have to make a choice. We can either resign ourselves to hopelessness, or we can take charge of how we view the situation despite how scary and uncertain the future may seem.
We are only doomed to our despair and fear if we give into them, but if instead we choose to see things differently and actively work to change our situations for the better, like Merida, our fates then lie within us. It does not mean that despair will not come again, but it does mean that you choose to see and work towards the hope that lies beyond. I love this quote because it is not just a feel good quote, it is a challenge. It forces you to make a choice and then pushes you to fight your fear to make it real.
8) “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery…” Oogway (Kung Fu Panda): This quote did not originate in Kung Fu Panda, but it was popularized by it because of how well it is used in the context of the film. Our hero Po, has royally screwed up in his training to become the hero of China, the Dragon Warrior. Master Tigress is furious with him and tells him to leave if he cares anything for Kung Fu, he should leave before morning. Po questioning himself runs to a sacred peach tree and starts eating to cope with the stress of potentially letting all of China down. It is there that he is given some counsel by Master Oogway, the one who selected him as the Dragon Warrior in the first place. Oogway tells Po that he is to worried about what has happened and what will happen in the future so in order to get Po to focus on what is immediately at hand, he shares this saying. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery; but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.
What Oogway is saying that there is no sense in worrying about the past or the future. What has happened has happened and what will happen will happen. Why concern yourself over things you do not have any control or influence over? In this day and age, we worry so much about how we look, will we get the job or promotion we want, did we make the right investment decision, will our nation become more united. All of these things are not necessarily bad, but they distract from what is in your control right in this present moment. Like it or not, we cannot control everything even though there are many times we wish we could. We can only believe that if we take a step in faith and control what we do have control over in the present, that we will see how to proceed when the time comes.
This means a lot to me as a control freak who often tries to control things I know full well are out of my control. I struggle in vain to change a situation for my benefit even though I have no say in the final outcome and when I do, I stop seeing where I am at right now as a blessing. We are not promised tomorrow, but by either grace or providence, we are given today. We do not live in the past nor do we dwell in the future. In life we can only affect our present. We need to let tomorrow worry about itself.
7) “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” Emperor of China (Mulan): Ironically we go from one movie about someone who saves China to another movie about someone who saves China. This line is spoken by The Emperor to Captain Li Shang after Mulan sets off for home after saving China. It is spoken in reference to all that Mulan had to overcome in order to rise and become the hero that China needed. After all, she “stole her father’s armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived her commanding officer, dishonored the Chinese army, destroyed the Emperor’s palace,” but ultimately saved them all. At the heart of it all, Mulan was willing to sacrifice herself for the sake of someone she loved and that to the Emperor was the beauty that allowed Mulan to save China. Mulan received the most honor in this moment, because she was willing to to bear the ultimate disgrace. The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.
It is not necessarily this quote on its own that is so powerful, but it is the circumstances and events that surround the significance of the quote that give it a solemn weightiness that few other movie quotes have. Mulan is obviously the flower whom the Emperor has acknowledged has bloomed into a wonderful young woman. As for the how she bloomed when faced with such adversity, she did it by making herself nothing, and considering her father of greater worth and value than herself. Her beauty comes not from saving China, but from willing surrendering herself to the possibility of disgrace and death for the sake of someone she loved.
This is my favorite line in the movie because as a Christian, it has deep symbolic meaning for me as I believe that Christ did not just risk his life for my sake, but actually did die and took on the ultimate shame and disgrace for my sake. I realize that I had to read a little into this quote in order to draw the parallel which is why it is only number 7 as other quotes are less cryptic than this one while being just as emotionally resonant. Nevertheless, I feel its iconic nature and powerful implications are enough to land it a place in my top 10.
6) “You are who you choose to be.” Hogarth Hughes (The Iron Giant): This quote is another one that gains most of its power from how it is used in the film, but even without context, this is still a simple yet extremely effective quote. In the film, young Hogarth Hughes discovers and makes friends with the titular Iron Giant. The Iron Giant was designed to be a super weapon of mass destruction, but due to events in the film, the giant has no memory of its former purpose of being a weapon. The Iron Giant does not know what he is supposed to be anymore, but Hogarth teaches him this simple quote that would greatly and profoundly affect the giant. With his powers, Hogarth tells the Iron Giant that he can be a hero like Superman and this greatly pleases the Iron Giant.
Unfortunately, when the Iron Giant is discovered by people other than Hogarth, they cannot overlook the fact that the giant is a weapon. In the midst of all the confusion, a nuclear missile that will destroy the town they are all in is launched and the only way to stop it from killing everyone is for the Iron Giant to fly into the missile and intercept it. Despite protests from Hogarth, the Iron Giant flies off to stop the missile and moments before he impacts it, he recalls Superman and the words Hogarth taught him. You are who you choose to be.
In that moment, the Iron Giant chose to be Superman. He chose to willingly sacrifice himself for the sake of someone he loved. The Iron Giant really does become a Christ-like hero in this moment as his death does not just save Hogarth, but the entire town, including the man who fired the nuke in the first place. He sacrificed himself not just for those who loved him, but for everyone in that town. He became Superman to them, a hero who put the well being of others above his own. Even if you removed this line from the context of the giant’s sacrifice, this is still a simple yet poignant message. Do not let anyone else define who you are in life. You be who you want to be and do not second guess yourself. Expectations or potential judgements, should not stop you from following the path you believe in. That in and of itself is extremely admirable.
The quote only gets enhanced when you understand its significance in the context of the film. Even thought the Iron Giant was designed to be a weapon, he chose to be a hero and savior rather than what everyone thought of him as. When you understand that, the quote only becomes more beautiful because the message becomes, it does not matter what people say of you, but rather what do you say about yourself. You are only a failure or locked into one path in life if you choose to lock yourself in. You have to decide. You choose who you want to be.
5) “You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from…” Gusteau (Ratatouille): Pixar does it again with a powerful quote that speaks against limiting yourself because of who you are or where you come from. In Ratatouille, a rat named Remy, learns to cook and becomes a great chef, because he believed the words he heard from the famous restaurant owner and world renown chef, Gusteau. Gusteau’s philosophy was that, “anyone can cook,” but the reason he said that was rooted in a deeper belief. That belief is the essence of this quote. Everyone is filled with drive and potential, but many times people are too afraid to utilize their potential and act upon it. What Gusteau is essentially saying is that you are the biggest enemy to your own success. This is because by letting people set limits on you, you are giving others permission to control the direction of your life. You are hurting yourself by letting others or society tell you what you can and cannot be, what looks good and what looks poor. Gusteau was a champion of the potential that lies in anyone and this is why he said what he said. You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul.
The quote is extremely meaningful in the context of the movie as it is these words which became Remy’s inspiration to become a chef, despite the fact that he was a rat. He chose to embrace Gusteau’s philosophy and believe that he sets his own limits, and even though his friends and family around him did not approve of him becoming a chef because it was not natural or the way things have always been, Remy did not limit himself or his dream and chose to pursue his passion despite the optics and the risks. The other rats were not trying to hurt Remy by limiting him, in fact they were telling him to not pursue this path because they were afraid it would get him killed. In the same way, the people who try to discourage us from reaching our own potentials often tell us not to pursue them at the risk of getting hurt.
They are not your enemies, but they are putting their belief in who you are and what you can do on you and trying to force you to conform to their own view of who you are and what you can be. This quote is for those times when you doubt yourself, your abilities, and your passion. It does not matter what your upbringing, background, fears, doubts, and setbacks tell you. In the end it comes down to whether or not you really believe in yourself and the potential you have to make your dreams a reality.
4) “I’m bad and that’s good… There’s no one I’d rather be than me.” Wreck-it Ralph (Wreck-it Ralph): If we were talking favorite quotes from animated films, then this particular quote might be my number 1, but I do think there are a few that might have it beat for cultural impact or for overall power of message. Despite that, I absolutely love this scene and this line because of everything the film had built to. Ralph’s job/purpose in life was to be a bad guy in the video game Fix-it Felix Jr. It was a sad and lonely existence where he was always seen as nothing but the villain despite how important he was to the very existence of his game. People could not see him beyond the role he played in their society. Fed up with being under appreciated and hated by everyone he knew, Ralph left his game to try and prove that he could be more than just the bad guy and in the process, made a friend with another outcast, a glitched character named Vanellope.
What Ralph did not realize is that by helping Vanellope achieve her dreams and goals, he was simultaneously fulfilling his own deepest desire, to be viewed as more than just a bad guy. Ultimately, Ralph makes some mistakes which threaten to destroy both his friendship with Vanellope and her game itself. In order to save both his friend and her game, Ralph confronts the source of the virus he unwittingly unleashed that is destroying the game and attempts to battle it so he can purge the virus from the game.
Ultimately, Ralph is overwhelmed and the most powerful virus, assured of its victory holds him aloft and tries to force Ralph to watch Vanellope’s death. Knowing that the only way to purge the viruses from the game at that point would be to make the volcano he is on explode, Ralph breaks from the virus’s grip prepared to sacrifice himself for the sake of his friend. As he falls towards the volcano, with peace in his heart, he speaks this amazing quote that he had learned early on in the film, but only now did he fully believe it. I’m bad and that’s good. I will never be good and that’s not bad. There’s no one I’d rather be, than me.
In this one line, we see the fullness of Ralph’s character arc. He went from someone hated for the important and vital role he played in his society, to a hero, because he found something more important than being appreciated. He found friendship and acceptance of he was with no strings attached and in doing so, he made peace with the way he viewed himself. Ralph wanted desperately to be more than just a bad guy, but he had played the role so long, that a part of him really did believe that was all he was good for. I find this mindset really relatable. We have all likely had times in life where we knew in our heads we were important and that what we do and who we are have value, but in our hearts and to everyone else around us, it felt as though we were worth absolutely nothing. Like Ralph, we sometimes think we can change who we are so that everyone else will see us in a different way. We are at war with ourselves over who we are and who we think everyone else wants us to be.
If I were to rephrase this quote to make it more applicable to our own experiences, it would probably go something like this. “I’m not a perfect person and that is okay. I will likely never be the person everyone wants me to be and that does not make me a horrible person because I do not fit some perfect or idealized mold. I am important and have value and there is no one that I would rather be than me.” Only when we learn to accept ourselves, even the things we hate about ourselves as parts of who we are, can we like Ralph put the things that do matter like our friends, family, and values, the things that really matter, to the forefront of our lives. I find this quote to be so freeing because it encapsulates what it means accept yourself. You do not have to like everything about yourself and you can always fight to better yourself, but you should never doubt that you have value even if you have things about yourself that you do not view as ideal.
3) “When life gets you down… Just keep swimming.” Dory (Finding Nemo): This might be the most iconic line in all of Disney, Pixar. Dory, everyone's favorite forgetful Regal Blue Tang, tells Marlin this now iconic phrase in order to get him to focus less on what is going wrong in their search for Nemo and more on moving forward. This might be the simplest of today’s quotes but it is certainly one of the most positive ones you will ever hear. When we think about this line from Dory’s perspective, she is really doing the only thing she can do to keep a positive outlook on life. She suffers from short term memory loss, meaning she has a really difficult time at forming new memories. If our roles were reversed, and we were placed in Dory’s fins, that would be an incredibly hard and trying life to live. I am sure there are important things that I would love to remember that I would just forget because of the condition and after finding out in hindsight that I forgot, I would likely feel terrible and would most likely become deeply frustrated and angry that I could not recall important things that I wanted to remember.
This progression would seem to be appropriate and natural, but Dory does not have that outlook. Even when she forgets, she keeps moving forward. She does not let unfortunate things that she has no control over like her memory loss keep her from continually trying to make the best of life. It is out of this joy, this enthusiasm for life that Dory is able to tell Marlin these words. When life gets you down, you know what you’ve got to do? Just keep swimming.
When the troubles of life start to become overwhelming, this quote reminds us that if we just keep pressing forward with a positive mindset, we will be able to live much freer, much happier lives. This quote speaks as much to persistence as it does to having a positive mentality. Even in the difficult times, it does no one any good to do nothing, to pretend that life will get any better if you are not willing to move forward with your life. This is most likely why this phrase, “just keep swimming,” is well known in today’s society. It is simple in nature, but give the phrase some thought and you realize just how much of a challenge it really is to live you life with this mentality in mind.
It is easy to say, “just keep swimming,” when things are going well, but it is challenging and powerful when one can say those same words in the midst of difficulty. This phrase is so important, not just for the simple hope it inspires that things will get better, but also because it communicates that the most important thing you can do when faced with any obstacle is to put one foot in front of the other and to keep taking steps forward.
2) “Yes, the past can hurt…” Rafiki (The Lion King): Our runner up this time around comes from likely the most beloved children’s movie of all time, The Lion King. Pretty much everyone knows the story. Simba is a young lion cub, who just cannot wait for the day he becomes king. His wise father Mufasa tries to prepare him for that day, Simba’s uncle Scar seeks the title of king for himself and orchestrates a situation where he is able to kill his brother and force a scarred and traumatized young Simba into hiding. Scar’s rule nearly destroys the lions’ Pride Land and the pride must find someone to stop Scar before everyone dies. Eventually Simba is found, be he holds himself responsible for his father’s death, believing his foolishness and recklessness as a cub is what got the person he admired most in the world killed.
Simba is only able to overcome his doubts thanks to the wise words of Mufasa’s trusted counsel, the baboon, Rafiki. Rafiki takes Simba to a place where he can contact the spirit of Mufasa who now lives on as a part of him. After the meeting, Simba admits that he knows what he needs to do, but is still afraid because he has been running away from his past and the pain that comes with it for so long. It is at this moment where Rafiki takes his staff and smacks Simba over the head. Simba asks why he did that, and Rafiki just tells him that it does not matter because it is in the past. When Simba replies that is still hurt, Rafiki shows the truth depth of his wisdom by saying these profoundly meaningful words. Yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.
This is one of the most powerful lessons that any one can learn whether they are eight, eighteen, or eighty. In life we all make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are serious and can hurt ourselves, others, and even those not even directly involved. When we know we have fallen short and that our actions have caused others to suffer, the guilt and shame cut deeper than any wound ever could. Our failures are like scars that never truly go away, but the important thing to consider is what we choose to do and think about in light of our scars. It is as Rafiki said, when you remember the pain of your past, you can either choose to look at it, feel the pain, and run from it, or you can look at it, own the pain, and learn how to be a better person from it.
You are more than the sum of all your pain, regrets, and failures, and this iconic quote speaks truth into the midst of the hurt. It is like a soothing balm to the soul that we all too often fail to apply. Funny how the older we get the more we understand the power of this quote, but the less we actively take it to heart. This quote would make a fine number one and I am sure to many people, this would take their top slot on a list of powerful animated film quotes. However for me, I have one more quote that I heard as a kid and found to be so profoundly moving that I had no choice but to give it my top slot.
1) “I see now that the circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant…” Mewtwo (Pokemon the First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back): The most powerful quote I have heard in any animated film comes not from a Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks character, but from the world’s most powerful Pokemon. For those of you not familiar with Pokemon the First movie, the general story is this. Ash Ketchum and his friends are invited to attend a party hosted by the world’s most powerful Pokemon trainer on his own private island. After braving a storm along with other trainers to make it to the island, Ash and company are shocked to find out that the world’s strongest Pokemon trainer is actually Mewtwo, a Pokemon cloned from the DNA of the ancestor of all Pokemon Mew.
Mewtwo was born into the world to be a weapon for Team Rocket and felt firsthand abuse at the expense of humans, thus when Mewtwo escaped, he held a deep seated grudge against humanity and any Pokemon who sided with humans, believing only superior clone Pokemon like him had any meaning in this world. Mewtwo shows the might of his clone Pokemon in battle and declares that humans are unfit to rule this world and that together, he and his superior clone Pokemon will inherit the earth after wiping out all humans and all Pokemon who side with humans.
Ash and all of the original Pokemon on the island are not about to let Mewtwo get away with his plans and together they break out of the laboratory they were being held in after Mewtwo first defeated them and confront him once again, this time backed by the support of the original Mew who had come to the island on its own out of curiosity. Together, Mew and Mewtwo psychically block all of the abilities of all the Pokemon and their clones so that the winner in this fight, would be determined only by strength and will to win and not enhanced powers.
The battle is fierce and senseless and only Ash’s Pikachu and Team Rocket’s Meowth refuse to fight. Ash is horrified at the brutality and in order to stop the fighting, throws himself between Mew and Mewtwo becoming petrified in the process. Pikachu tries to revive Ash, but to no avail. Just when it seems that Ash might be lost to them, all of the Pokemon, originals and clones, cry to mourn Ash’s sacrifice and in doing so in accordance with a legend from earlier in the film, their tears revive Ash. From witnessing Ash’s sacrifice, Mewtwo learns that not only that he was misguided in his attempts to prove he and his clones’ superiority, but that any person or Pokemon’s real value comes from what is inside their hearts. Having glimpsed the true value of humanity in Ash, Mewtwo responds with one of the most profoundly powerful quotes I have ever heard. 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 quote never fails to get me teary eyed because I find its message to be so relatable. This quote is like the culmination of many of the other quotes I had mentioned previously all rolled up into one. Just looking at the lines themselves with no other context, the message is clear. If you want to live a meaningful and impactful life, it does not matter who you are, where you are from, your background, anything that you think makes you different or unqualified, what matters is how you choose to use the gifts, talents, and abilities you do have.
It does not matter the amount one is able to do or one’s power or influence. What matters most as a person is that at the end of the day, you can say that you were faithful and wise with the gift of life that we all share. That in and of itself would be a powerful message of unity and a peaceful challenge to live a life where your actions have genuine meaning behind them, but when you consider this quote in the context of the film itself, it gains a whole other layer of depth.
Mewtwo was raised in an environment where he was essentially taught that only the powerful have any real value because it is only the strong who have the ability to enact change. In a sense, Mewtwo was raised for a singular purpose and goal, to be the strongest weapon ever. This type of story should sound very familiar to many kids who were raised in households where the pathways of their lives were decided for them. You have to be a doctor, a businessmen, an engineer, a professor, in order to be seen as successful and a benefit to society. Mewtwo was just living out what he was taught was supposed to be his life’s purpose, to be superior to everyone and everything. What Mewtwo ends of learning from Ash, someone he first considered to be inferior and an annoyance is that even people who might not have the same level of authority, power, or influence as he did, could still prove that their lives had great worth and value by the actions and choices they make in life. Mewtwo realizes how flawed his understanding of intrinsic value is and in this moment he chooses to let his bitterness go.
If you noticed, this is the only quote from a film antagonist on my list and that is quite intentional. If you recall the number 2 quote and the idea of learning from your mistakes to ultimately better yourself, Mewtwo’s quote is the reflection that he understands and embraces this idea. His way of viewing the world was wrong and hurt people and Pokemon, but he accepts that his fundamental understanding of life was flawed and that he seeks to learn more about the nature of life. Mewtwo’s wisdom shows me that it is never too late for there to be meaningful change in the world. It is possible for even the most deeply flawed people on the planet to eventually see that life’s true value can only really be measured by the intentional choices we make every day. That is why to me, Mewtwo’s quote from Pokemon the First Movie is the most powerful quote in animated film.
