One of my favorite aspects of video games is the writing. I love being a part of a compelling story that unfolds in a deeply nuanced world where you can loot both treasures to sell and gems of wisdom to share! While their worlds may be brimming with magic and monsters, some of the best video game characters mirror our own human and very real struggles. This, in turn, creates opportunities for us to learn and grow alongside them, gathering nuggets of (beautifully written) life advice along the way. Without further ado, please enjoy this epic collection of video game quotes on life, wisdom, courage, love, and beyond.
Wisdom and Life
“The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world.” — G-Man (Half-Life 2)
G-Man, Half-Life 2, Image credit: Valve Corporation
“Suffering is a fact of life. Either you learn to deal with that, or you go under.” — Heather Mason (Silent Hill)
“Death is inevitable. Our fear of it makes us play safe, blocks out emotion. It’s a losing game. Without passion, you are already dead.” — Max Payne (Max Payne)
“It’s not about changing the world. It’s about doing our best to leave the world… the way it is. It’s about respecting the will of others and believing in your own.” — Big Boss (Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots)
Big Boss, Metal Gear Solid IV: Guns of the Patriots, Image credit: Konami Group Corporation
“You mustn’t allow yourself to be chained to fate, to be ruled by your genes. Human beings can choose the kind of life that they want to live. What’s important is that you choose life… and then live.” — Naomi (Metal Gear Solid)
“Humans tend to destroy things they don’t understand.” — Krobus (Stardew Valley)
“The sad truth is that justice is an illusion. A child’s fairy tale. There is no light path that always leads to good, nor a dark path that leads to evil. To believe that — to see the world in black and white — is missing half the picture. All that matters are the choices we make — especially the hard ones.” — Prince Xander of Nohr (Fire Emblem: Fates)
“A man chooses, a slave obeys.” — Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)
Andrew Ryan, Bioshock, Image credit: 2K
“We all make choices in life, but in the end our choices make us.” — Andrew Ryan (Bioshock)
“To say that ‘nothing is true’ is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile and that we must be the shepherds of our civilization. To say that ‘everything is permitted’ is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.” — Ezio Auditore (Assassin’s Creed)
“Wanting something does not give you the right to have it.” — Ezio Auditore (Assassin’s Creed II)
Ezio Auditore, Assassin’s Creed II, Image credit: Ubisoft
“We’re made up of thousands of parts with thousands of functions all working in tandem to keep us alive. Yet if only one part of our imperfect machine fails, life fails. It makes one realize how fragile, how flawed we are.” — Ingun Black-Briar (Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
“War… war never changes.” — Narrator (Fallout)
“You mustn’t allow yourself to be chained to fate, to be ruled by your genes. Human beings can choose the kind of life that they want to live. What’s important is that you choose life… and then live.” — Naomi Hunter (Metal Gear Solid)
“The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it’s gone. I mean, you may think to yourself that you’re happy. But you don’t really believe it. You focus on the petty bull****, or the next job, or whatever. It’s only looking back by comparison with what comes after that you really understand, that’s what happiness felt like.” — Kellogg (Fallout 4)
Kellogg, Fallout 4, Image credit: Bethesda Softworks LLC
“Reliance upon others is weakness for the strong but strength for the weak. Wisdom and balance lie in knowing your own nature over time.” — Keeper Council (Thief II: The Metal Age)
“We don’t get to choose how we start in this life. Real ‘greatness’ is what you do with the hand you’re dealt.” — Victor Sullivan (Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception)
“We are all our own worst enemy. But also our best teacher.” — Gouken (Super Street Fighter IV)
“Some trees flourish, others die. Some cattle grow strong, others are taken by wolves. Some men are born rich enough and dumb enough to enjoy their lives. Ain’t nothing fair, you know that.” — John Marston (Red Dead Redemption)
John Marston, Red Dead Redemption, Image credit: Rockstar Games, Inc.
“Life… is strength. This is not to be contested; it seems logical enough. You live; you affect your world.” — Jon Irenicus (Baldur’s Gate II)
Motivation and Courage
“A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage.” — Hero’s Shade (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
“Don’t be sorry, be better.” — Kratos (God of War)
Kratos, God of War, Image credit, Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
“The world fears the inevitable plummet into the abyss. Watch for that moment and when it comes, do not hesitate to leap. It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly.” — Flemeth (Dragon Age: Origins)
“It’s more important to master the cards you’re holding than to complain about the ones your opponent was dealt.” — Grimsley (Pokémon Black and White)
“If our lives are already written, it would take a courageous man to change the script.” — Alan Wake (Alan Wake)
“Endure. In enduring grow strong.” — Dak’kon (Planescape: Torment)
“A famous explorer once said, that the extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are.” — Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)
Lara Croft, Tomb Raider, Image credit: CDE Entertainment
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. So just take it step by step.” — Waka (Okami)
“True victory is to give all of yourself, without regret.” — Ryu (Street Fighter Alpha 3)
“Every action has the potential to fill or empty one’s heart.” — Rose (Street Fighter Alpha 3)
“My past is not a memory. It’s a force at my back. It pushes and steers. I may not always like where it leads me, but like any story, the past needs resolution. What’s past is prologue.” — Samus (Metroid: The Other M)
“Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.” — Princess Zelda (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
Princess Zelda and Link, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Image credit: Nintendo
Morality
“What is better — to be born good, or to overcome your evil nature through great effort?” — Paarthurnax (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim)
“Right and wrong are not what separate us and our enemies. It’s our different standpoints, our perspectives that separate us. Both sides blame one another. There’s no good or bad side. Just two sides holding different views.” — Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy VIII)
Squall Leonhart, Final Fantasy VIII [remastered version], Image credit: Square Co., Ltd.
“You must always remember that the only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” — Alucard Tepes (Castlevania)
Love and Loss
“You twine your life around the people you love. And when they are gone, you grow around their absence instead. It is just another way they shape you.” — Jaheira (Baldur’s Gate 3)
Jaheira, Baldur’s Gate 3, Image credit: Larian Studios
“No one tells you how to mourn. And when someone says, ‘move on,’ you take their hand and say, ‘my choice.’” — Aveline Valen (Dragon Age II)
“Love is just a chemical. We give it meaning by choice.” — Eleanor Lamb (Bioshock 2)
Hope and Forgiveness
“No matter how dark the night, morning will always come, and our journey begins anew.” — Lulu (Final Fantasy X)
Lulu, Final Fantasy X, Image credit: Square Co., Ltd.
“Hope is what makes us strong. It is why we are here. It is what we fight with when all else is lost.” — Pandora (God of War 3)
“Our world, with its rules of causality, has trained us to be miserly with forgiveness. By forgiving too readily, we can be badly hurt. But if we’ve learned from a mistake and become better for it, shouldn’t we be rewarded for the learning, rather than punished for the mistake?” — (Braid)
“Even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. But sometimes fear clouds our vision. Sometimes our strength gives out. And yet sometimes, when all seems lost, a light shines through the darkness, and we are reminded that even the smallest amount of courage can turn the tides of war.” — Ignitus (The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon)
What are some of your favorite video game quotes? We’d love to read them in the comments below — perhaps we can turn this into an awesome series of inspirational video game quotes!
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