Anime tends to come up with some pretty interesting quotes. Lines like "people die when they are killed" and "ah, I see you are a man of culture" transcend their series' fandom and become practically mainstream. Here are some of anime's most distinctively recognizable quotes of all time.
To clarify, here are the conditions for choosing quotes. One line will be used per series. Since the goal is distinctive quotes, platitudes about things like never giving up or believing in oneself will be kept to a minimum as they show up in many different series in many different forms. Attack names that get yelled out will also be excluded as they're inherently designed to be remembered for how often they're used. The same goes for opening monologues and yelling somebody else's name like Kaneda or Tetsuo. Song lyrics, while memorable, are better saved for another time. The objective is to find the quotes the most people can hear and instantly know where they're from and what they mean.
"Take this! My love, my anger, and all of my sorrow!" (Mobile Fighter G Gundam)
This is the lead-up to one of Domon Kasshu's signature attacks, the Shining Finger Sword. As the line implies, the moment where it's uttered is charged with strong emotions. The equally intense action, music and voice-acting cause this scene to resonate with viewers and the passions are enough to bring tears to the eye. Such is the nature of G Gundam as an anime.
While G Gundam has a lot of emotionally-charged scenes and lines, there is something else that distinguishes the line. This quote in particular is remembered by a lot of people who grew up watching Toonami in the early 2000s. It's not only repeatedly used in the show but also in its commercials and bumpers. Hearing something over and over again is an easy way to get it ingrained in anyone's subconscious. This line reminds fans of both the nostalgia and the feelings behind G Gundam.
"Omae wa mou shindeiru" (Fist of the North Star)
Nowadays, not many people watch Fist of the North Star, but they do recognize this line and its context. Set in the post-nuclear apocalyptic wastelands, Kenshiro used his Divine Fist of the Northern Dipper martial arts to punish the unjust who prey on the weak. The phrase is used rather memorably during an equally memorable scene. First, Kenshiro flexed his muscles so hard that it exploded the clothes off his torso. Then he struck a particularly violent and angry biker in several places before the man dropped to the ground, thus saving the little girl whose neck he was about to break. The technique is called the "Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken (北斗百裂拳, Hundred Rending Fists). The man said the attacks felt like mosquito bites, but Kenshiro tells him "you are already dead (Omae wa mou shindeiru)." The biker replied with a "What (Nani)?" and then exploded from having his pressure points struck.
"All according to keikaku (Translator's note: keikaku means plan)" (Death Note)
This line often comes about when things are going as one has intended. In Death Note, Light Yagami has several opportunities where he can use it, but one particular instance often comes to mind. Light used the powers of the Death Note to kill the wicked and anyone who threatened to stop him. Nobody knew who he was, so they referred to him anonymously as "Kira." In order to keep the police from suspecting he's Kira, Light used the convoluted rules of the Death Note to wipe his own memory by transferring the notebook's ownership to someone else. He eventually got the Death Note back and, with it, his memories of being Kira. The means by which the Death Note would end up in his possession again were all thought out before he wiped his memory. Of course, what people really remember is how egregiously the line is translated.
"Pierce the Heavens" (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)
Often when people hear the term "pierce the heavens," one distinct tool comes to mind-- a drill. However, due to the popularity of the line and the show it comes from, many anime fans find other placeholders for the drill, leading to the sentence format "My X is the X that will Pierce the Heavens!" The line appears in different forms throughout Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (天元突破グレンラガン, lit. Heaven-Piercing Gurren Lagann). The drill represents the literal drill of the main character, Simon the Digger. He started the series lacking both self-esteem and ambition but was able to develop and grow thanks to his friend and sworn brother Kamina. A similarly popular phrase is "Believe in the Kamina who believes in you!" "Piercing the Heavens" has become the mantra for many looking to surpass the limits set upon them by others. That's the power of the human spirit.
Honorable Mention: Practically All of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
JJBA is well known for being over-the-top, so fans like to share its ridiculousness however they can. This often comes in the form of all the absurd lines the characters speak. Nearly everything that comes out of a JJBA character's mouth is a reference: an American Psycho monologue ("My name is Yoshikage Kira..."); the battle cries like "oraoraora" and "mudamudamuda;" sound effects like "lerolerolero" and "wryyyyy." Some lines are so iconic that fans speak them in their native language (e.g. "ZA WARUDO! TOKI WO TOMARE!"). Even simple phrases like "Oh no" and "Oh my God" become memes when JoJo characters say them. JJBA's catalog of recognizable lines has become so massive that it's collapsed in on itself like a neutron star, so no one line can be selected for it. You thought this was going to be a closing statement to wrap things up, "but it was I, Dio!"
"It's over 9,000!" (Dragon Ball Z)
Dragon Ball Z, for all the times it's been told and retold just through its own franchise, has several quotes that fans will instantly recognize. However, this is one of the few lines that's transcended its fandom and moved into the realm of mainstream popularity. The line comes about during the Saiyan Saga of the series. A newly-revived Goku powered up to unbelievable levels. Vegeta's cohort Nappa asked what the scouter says about his power level. Vegeta claimed "It's over 9,000!" as he takes off his scouter and crushes it in his hand. Since then, it's become a way of expressing how ridiculously excessive something is, especially if the quantity is over 9,000.
The funny thing is this line is a mistranslation. The original Japanese line is "It's over 8,000!" However, so many English-speakers recognize the mistranslation that it's often kept for the English dubs. It's even in DBZ Kai.
