Ah, to be a film character, and have everything you say come out scripted and pithy, down to your final breath. In recent weeks, we’ve been inspired by a great list of the last words of 25 geniuses that has been making the rounds, so this weekend we decided to explore the last words of what are arguably the creations of genius: fictional characters from some of our favorite movies. Click through to see our picks for the 25 greatest last words of characters in movies, from robots to witches to businessmen, as they die in heroic, tragi-comic, or just plain emotional scenes. Since we know how very many of these there are, be sure to let us know if we’ve missed any of your own favorites in the comments.
“I know now why you cry. But it’s something I can never do. Goodbye.” — The Terminator, The Terminator
“I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief because there will be so much to look forward to.” — Donnie Darko, Donnie Darko
“Rosebud…” — Charles Foster Kane, Citizen Kane
“Corn nuts.” — Heather Chandler, Heathers
“Is that a raincoat?” — Paul Allen, American Psycho
“Live long and prosper.” — Spock, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
“I would rather be a ghost, drifting by your side as a condemned soul, than enter heaven without you. Because of your love, I will never be a lonely spirit.” — Li Mu Bai, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
“I felt it. Perfect. I was perfect.” — Nina Sayers, Black Swan
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like tears in the rain. Time to die.” — Roy Batty, Blade Runner
“We belong dead.” — Frankenstein’s monster, Bride of Frankenstein
“Fly, you fools.” — Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings (yes, we know he comes back, but he still dies)
“That really was a Hattori Hanzo sword.” — O-Ren Ishii, Kill Bill: Vol. 1
“You’ve got to stick to your principles.” — Harry, In Bruges
“Is that the best you can do, you pansies?” — Marv, Sin City
“Shadows and dust.” — Proximo, Gladiator
“But… I’m a fucking demon.” — Azrael, Dogma
“You’re making a mistake. My logic is undeniable.” — V.I.C.K.I, I, Robot
“Sometimes it takes me a while to remember where I am. Maybe I should get me a gun and rob the Foodway so they’d send me home. I could shoot the manager while I was at it, sort of like a bonus. I guess I’m too old for that sort of nonsense any more. I don’t like it here. I’m tired of being afraid all the time. I’ve decided not to stay. I doubt they’ll kick up any fuss. Not for an old crook like me.” — Brooks Hatlen, The Shawshank Redemption
“Never let go.” — Jack, Titanic
“You cannot win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.” — Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
You cursed brat! Look what you’ve done! I’m melting! Melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness! Ohhh! Look out! Look out! I’m going! — The Wicked Witch of the West, The Wizard of Oz
“Freedom!” — William Wallace, Braveheart
“What’s that smell?” — Tyler Durden, Fight Club
“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” — Luke Jackson, Cool Hand Luke
“Oh, good. For a moment there I thought we were in trouble.” — Butch Cassidy, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid