Christopher Nolan's Batman movies are ranked among the greatest films ever made.They are not just the greatest superhero movies ever made— they're on lists of the finest bona fide masterpieces in the history of cinema. They're all included on IMDb's Top 250 list, with Batman Begins taking the number 116 spot, The Dark Knight Rises taking the number 67 spot, and The Dark Knight sitting pretty at thenumber 4 spot.
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Nolan's achievements with the movies— especially considering he had to win back fans who were put off by George Clooney's Bat-nipples put off— are pretty impressive.
UpdatedAugust 7th, 2021 by Rhys McGinley:It has been close to a decade since the critically acclaimed and widely adored Dark Knight trilogy from revered auteur Christopher Nolan came to an end, and even with theplethora of superhero movies that have comeafter it, they remain three of the very best. There is so much incredible writing between all three films that it is difficult to limit the very bestDark Knight quotestoonly twenty. Thetrilogyhas such a slew of memorable quotes and lineswithin the seven-and-a-half hours of Batman's brilliance, coming from a collection of terrific characters.
"I'm Batman." - Batman (Batman Begins)
For a film with "Batman" in the title,Batman Beginsspends a lot of time with Bruce Wayne before the Caped Crusader appears. That is not a bad thing, and it gave fans this iconic line that is brilliant or infamous, depending on your view on Christian Bale's Bat- voice.
When he lands on the car and pulls out Falcone, it truly is a chilling moment, seeing the iconic figure on the screenwith such a beautifully dark, gritty atmosphere after such a horror movie-esque sequence.
"The Night Is Darkest Right Before The Dawn. And I Promise You, The Dawn Is Coming." - Harvey Dent (The Dark Knight)
Harvey Dent is a crucial character for the themes ofThe Dark Knight as well as the goals of the Joker. A white knight turned bad, the best of humanity made into something rotten, something evil.
Dent is the source of some of the bestDark Knightquotes, including this which he gives in a speech to Gotham.Like Batman, Dent is a symbol of hope, of goodness in Gotham, and this is a quote that is not only well delivered but one that instills a lot of hope, a great message all around.
"The Training Is Nothing. The Will Is Everything. The Will To Act." - Henri Ducard (Batman Begins)
Batman Beginsis fast-paced in its establishing of Bruce Wayne and his backstory, but it is great to watch as he trains with Henri Ducard and the League of Shadows.
There is a lot of wisdom imparted on Wayne by the secret Ra's Al Guhl, including this tidbit about will. Will is a prominent part of the Batman character throughout the trilogy. While Ducard meant it in a more evil way, Bruce's constant will to act, to do good, to protect Gotham, to be whatever Gotham needs no matter how hard it may be, is a brilliant part of the character.
"A-Ta-Ta-Ta-Ta, Let's Not Blow This Out Of Proportion." - The Joker (The Dark Knight)
The entire scene where the Joker confronts the various crime bosses of Gotham is incredible and gives way to someDark Knightquotes fans will never forget.
His pun while threatening to blow them up with a grenade jacket highlights not just his twistednessbut also how he is one of thesmartest characters in The Dark Knight trilogy, and it is just amazing to watch. The scene also has two more of the franchise's most memorable quotes in "If you're good at something, never do it for free," and "Do you wanna see a magic trick?" which is fantastic mostly due to the context and delivery.
"You Always Fear What You Don't Understand." - Carmine Falcone (Batman Begins)
Carmine Falcone, head of the Falcone crime family, only appears in Batman Begins, but he plays a crucial role and gives fans a fantastic scene with a younger Bruce Wayne.
Falcone gives Wayne a speech about not knowing about the crime world and hits him with this line. Fear is the theme ofBatman Begins, and itis crucial to Bruce's rise to Batman and how the criminals of Gotham see him. Falcone is not spoken about too often, lost amongst some of the best comic book characters seen on screen, and this quote isdefinitely underrated.
"I Had This Fantasy, That I Would Look Across The Tables And I'd See You There, With A Wife And Maybe A Couple Of Kids." - Alfred (The Dark Knight Rises)
The relationship between Alfred and Bruce in the Nolan trilogy is brilliant, and with Michael Caine'sphenomenal performances and somegreat screenwriting, Alfred has somenotable quotes.
The ending ofThe Dark Knight Rises at the café, the by-product of this quote, is not beloved by every fan but is still a touching moment between Alfred and Bruce. Alfred deserved some peace and happiness, and he got that in the knowledge that Bruce lived the lifeAlfredalways wanted for him.
"I Believe What Doesn't Kill You Simply Makes You... Stranger." - The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Christopher Nolan has a serious knack for opening scenes, from Inception toTenet to this whole trilogy. ButThe Dark Knightisarguably the greatest in history, introducing audiences to the greatest big-screen superhero villain ever.
The entire heist is genius, and itbuilds upbeautifully to this bone-chilling quote from Heath Ledger's Joker, backed by the legendary compositionfrom frequent Nolan collaborator Hans Zimmer. Joker has a variety of excellent quotes, and given the setting, few are as memorable as this.
"He's the hero Gotham deserves but not the one it needs right now." - Commissioner Jim Gordon (The Dark Knight)
Gary Oldman is the unsung hero of thistrilogy. BBC critic Mark Kermode felt he gave the strongest performance in The Dark Knight. In his review, he acknowledged that Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was fantastic, but he felt that Oldman's performance as Commissioner Gordon was "the best performance in the film, by a mile."
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He isn't talked about as much as the other actors, but his performance was just as nuanced as anyone else's, shown particularly when he says, "He's the hero Gotham deserves but not the one it needs right now. So, we'll hunt him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian. A watchful protector."
"Let the games begin!" - Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)
Tom Hardy had his work cut out for him when he signed on to play the villain in The Dark Knight Rises as hehad to find a way to top Ledger's performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Ledger had been acclaimed by critics, made into a cultural icon, and awarded a posthumous Oscar for his performance.
So, living up to that couldn't have been easy. Hardy's Bane voice and mask might have been a subject of ridicule among the fan base, but ultimately, he was far more memorable and iconic than most movie supervillains, if not as much as Ledger's Joker.
"Swear To Me!" - Batman (Batman Begins)
Christian Bale's Batman and the divisiveness of his voicegave way to many lines that fans have well remembered, and this sits near the top of that list.
The trilogy is filled with profound, thought-provoking, inspiring, and fear-inducing quotes, but lines do not need to be any of those to be memorable. The snappiness of Batman's reply alone truly qualifies it as iconic.
"Why do we fall, sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up." - Alfred (Batman Begins)
Origin stories don't usually make great movies because they can rarely get rewatched. It's hard to watch a superhero movie over and over again when the character isn't a superhero until the third act. These movies are fun the first time around but quickly become tedious.
Batman Begins doesn't have that problem. Being a Christopher Nolan movie, there's still plenty to enjoy in cinematography, editing, music, and production design, even if the relatively straightforward origin-story narrative becomes stale. This Alfred quote calls back to an earlier scene in which Bruce's father tells him, "Why do we fall, Bruce? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up."
"Madness, as you know, is a lot like gravity. All it takes is a little push." - The Joker (The Dark Knight)
The Joker, despite his psychological issues, also has a lot of wisdom. It's haunting wisdom that shocksviewers to theircore, sure, but he has some interesting philosophies that match him perfectly with Batman.
Simply put, the Joker wants to bring the world to its knees with his fiery chaos, but he's also acutely aware of that madness and meticulously plans a lot of his schemes. This self-awareness is seen when he says, "Madness, as you know, is a lot like gravity. All it takes is a little push."
"It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me." - Batman (Batman Begins)
This line comes up a couple of times in Batman Begins. Firstly, Rachel says, "It's not who you are underneath but what you do that defines you." And then later, Bruce himself says it, owning it: "It's not who I am underneath but what I do that defines me."
The line essentially says that actions speak louder than words. Bruce Wayne might be a broody, tormented billionaire orphan in his private life, tortured by his internal moral compass, but as long as he fights crime and does the right thing as Batman, he willbe defined as a hero.
"You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." - Harvey Dent/Two-Face (The Dark Knight)
It often gets said that too many villains spoil a superhero movie. Just think of Spider-Man 3, Iron Man 2, Green Lantern, and countless other bombs. However, if they're used correctly, they can work wonders for the movie. The downfall of Harvey Dent is both enthralling and tragic.
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He starts as an upstanding citizen who fights for good and is a hero in the eyes of the public, but after he gets corrupted by the Joker and becomes Two-Face, it's not long before he's just another sinister villain bent on creating chaos. He foreshadows his own fall from grace with this line.
"Some men just want to watch the world burn." - Alfred (The Dark Knight)
There's nothing particularly wrong with how Jeremy Irons has been playing Alfred Pennyworth in the DC Extended Universe, but he hasn't made nearly as much of an impact as Michael Caine did in The Dark Knight trilogy.
Caine's Alfred wasn't just the guy who got Batman's vehicles ready or brought him his dinner at the right time; Caine played Alfred as a guy who promised the couple he worked for that he would keep their son safe after they died and then felt tormented as he watched that son go into a life of caped vigilantism. In other words, Caine played Alfred as a real guy with real emotions.
"As A Man, I'm Flesh And Blood; I Can Be Ignored, I Can Be Destroyed. But As A Symbol... As A Symbol, I Can Be Incorruptible. I Can Be Everlasting." - Bruce Wayne (Batman Begins)
Throughout the entire trilogy, Bruce Wayne is continuously trying to do good for the people and the city of Gotham; he wants to inspire good and hope to save them from thesea of crime and chaosthat has befallen the city.
Bruce understands that he cannot merely be a man to accomplish this, but something more, something that will last long after he is unable to protect the city. He is there for as long as, and for whatever Gotham needs him for, as a symbol.
"You think darkness is your ally." - Bane (The Dark Knight Rises)
One of the most iconic moments in the history of the Batman comics is the time Bane broke Batman's back. He picked him up and then slammed his back down on his knee to break it. In the comics, this established just how powerful Bane was. Nolan took note of this and used it in his own movie, with Bane dominating the screen throughout.
It wasn't simply a way to tease the comic book readers— it got thrown in to evoke the same mood as the comic. He talks a lot about darkness: "You think darkness is your ally. You've merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was a man, and by then, it was only blinding."
"I never said, 'Thank you.'" "And you'll never have to." - Commissioner Jim Gordon & Batman (Batman Begins)
This line sums up the Batman character pretty perfectly. The Caped Crusader doesn't take to the streets of Gotham City and fight crime to get thanked. He doesn't want Commissioner Gordon to sing his praises to the city and shower him with all kinds of medals and awards for his work.
Batmanmerely wants Commissioner Gordon to cooperate with him and work towards cleaning up the crime-ridden streets of Gotham, and the great thing about Gordon is that he's willing to bend the rules just enough to allow Batman to do his thing. That's thanks enough, as far as Batman is concerned.
"A Hero Can Be Anyone, Even Someone Doing Something As Simple And Reassuring As Putting A Coat Around A Little Boy's Shoulders ToLet HimHim Know The World Hadn't Ended." - Batman (The Dark Knight Rises)
Bruce Wayne acts as pretty much a servant for Gotham, sacrificing any life for himself to protect the people of the city and continue its rehabilitation, preventing other people from experiencing what he did years ago.
Due to this, he has to play the persona of an eccentric billionaire, throwing everyone off his scent, including Gordon, a man he cares about deeply. This final exchange between the two in TheDark Knight Risesis phenomenal and heartbreaking at the same time, with the silver lining being that Gordon got to appreciate all Bruce did for him and the city after his watch ended.
"Why so serious?" - The Joker In The Dark Knight (2008)
Heath Ledger plays the Joker's whole "Why so serious?" monologue with a captivating level of psychopathy that daresaudiences to look away.
"You wanna know how I got these scars? My father was a drinker and a fiend. And one night, he goes off crazier than usual. Mommy grabs the kitchen knife to defend herself. He doesn't like that. Not. One. Bit. So, me watching, he takes the knife to her, laughing while he does it. He turns to me and says, 'Why so serious?' He comes at me with the knife. 'Why so serious?' Sticks the blade in my mouth. 'Let's put a smile on that face!'"
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FAQs
What is an iconic Dark Knight quote? ›
“You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Batman talks to Lt. James Gordon about how he's now perceived as a villain following the death of Harvey Dent. He says, "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
What are some quotes from The Dark Knight? ›“If someone stands in the way of true justice, you simply walk up behind them and stab them in the heart.” “If you are good at something, never do it for free.” “Nobody panics when everything goes 'according to the plan', even if the plan is horrifying!” “The night is darkest just before the dawn.”
What is Batman's famous line? ›“I am Vengeance”
This quote is from The Batman (2022) and appears just at the beginning of the movie. And the sequence and context plays out a lot like the “I'm Batman” quote that takes the number one spot on this list.
"The night is darkest just before the dawn" - The Dark Knight (Harvey Dent) | Dawn quotes, Quotes, Inspirational quotes.
What was the most iconic line of all time? ›A jury consisting of 1,500 film artists, critics, and historians selected "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", spoken by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler in the 1939 American Civil War epic Gone with the Wind, as the most memorable American movie quotation of all time.
What are the most iconic quotes of all time? ›- "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." Gone with the Wind (1939) ...
- "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse." The Godfather (1972) ...
- "You don't understand! I coulda had class. ...
- "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." The Wizard of Oz (1939) ...
- "Here's looking at you, kid."
Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself.
What is the last quote in The Dark Knight? ›We bet it all on him. The Joker took the best of us and tore him down. People will lose hope.
What are some important quotes from the book night? ›“Human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere.” “To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” “Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed....
What phrase did Robin always say to Batman? ›"Holy...!" (for example "Holy cow!", "Holy mackerel!" or "Holy smoke!") is an exclamation of surprise used mostly in English-speaking countries. Robin of the Batman TV series is noted for his many catchphrase "Holy..." exclamations.
What's Batman's number 1 rule? ›
That one rule is Batman's, the only one he rigidly adheres to: no killing. Seems easy enough to follow until you realize what kind of pressure it causes in his line of work and how much easier it was all be if he broke it just once.
What is Batman Number 1 rule? ›Longtime Batman fans know Batman's one rule: he doesn't kill. It is essential to Batman's identity, even if it wasn't always the case. When Batman first showed up in the 1930s, he regularly used lethal means to put a stop to criminal activity.
What is the dark knight rises chant? ›The film features a prevalent chant of the phrase deshi basara, which, according to Hans Zimmer himself, means "rise up" in a language which he says he's happy to have kept secret (allegedly Moroccan or another Arabic dialect, even Mongolian word "deeshee bosooroi" means literally "Rise Up" though this is disputed).
What is the quote darkest before the dawn? ›Possible meaning: This proverb says that just before the sun rises the sky is at its blackest, suggesting that when times are at their worst for us they will soon get better.
What's in the dark always comes to light quote? ›Quote by Jesmyn Ward: “What's done in the dark always comes to the light.”
What are 5 famous quotes? ›- The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - ...
- The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. - ...
- Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. ...
- If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor. -
According to the American Film Institute, the most famous line in a movie is “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn”. This is spoken by actor Clark Gable who plays the role of Rhett Butler in the 1939 American Civil War epic, "Gone with the Wind".
Who is the most quoted person? ›Oscar Wilde named most quotable figure in the English language.
What is Harley Quinn's catchphrase? ›Harley Quinn – “Call me a softie, I dare ya!” Harley Quinn – “I'm known to be quite vexing. I'm just forewarning you.”
What are some 3 word quotes? ›- “I'll be there.”
- “I love you.”
- “Maybe you're right.”
- “I trust you.”
- “Go for it.”
- “Got your back.”
- “How are you?”
- “I want you.”
What are some memorable quotes? ›
- "The past does not equal the future." ...
- "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." ...
- "Spread love everywhere you go. ...
- "Don't find fault. ...
- "Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm."
Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence that deprived me for all eternity of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes. Never shall I forget those things, even were I condemned to live as long as God Himself.
What is a good quote from Chapter 2 of night? ›Night Chapter 2: Quotes
If anyone goes missing, you will all be shot, like dogs." The people are loaded into the car like animals. This is part of what Hitler called the "Final Solution," his plan for the genocide of all Jewish people.
Quotes in Night Chapter 6
"We were the masters of nature, the masters of the world. We had transcended everything--death, fatigue, our natural needs. We were stronger than cold and hunger, stronger than the guns and the desire to die, doomed and rootless, nothing but numbers, we were the only men on earth."
"Ahh, you think darkness is your ally, You mearly adopted the dark..... I was born in it, molded by it. By the time I saw light I was already a man, by then I found it nothing more than blinding."
What is The Dark Knight message? ›The Dark Knight, and the bulk of Christopher Nolan's filmography, is about lies. It's about the lies we tell ourselves in order to live and to interact with other people. For Nolan, he sees deception not as an inherently malevolent destructive force, but as a tool.
What was the last riddle at the end of the Batman? ›"Riddle me this: the less of them you have, the more one is worth," he asks, playing into Riddler's shtick. "A friend," the Riddler responds. Yay, villain friends. Keoghan's character is credited as "unseen Arkham inmate," but he's almost certainly this universe's Joker.
What are some quotes from the book A Night divided? ›- “It was Sunday, August 13, 1961, a day I would remember for the rest of my life. When a prison had been built around us as we slept.” ...
- “People had noticed the widening gap between our countries. ...
- “With each brick, my hopes faded until nothing was left.
Elie Wiesel explains that he wrote his memoir Night out of a duty to bear witness to his experiences in the Holocaust.
Who said Night is for sleeping? ›Quote by Marilyn Monroe: “Who said nights were for sleep?”
What is a famous quote the Riddler says in the Batman? ›
The Riddler : If you are justice, please do not lie / What is the price for your blind eye?
What is Robin Williams most famous quote? ›1. “You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren't paying attention to.” 2. “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”
Does Nightwing have a catchphrase? ›“You'll never know if you can fly unless you take the risk of falling.”
Who is Batman's #1 enemy? ›No matter the media, the Joker remains Batman's greatest nemesis. On film, Jack Nicholson's Joker set the bar for villainy in Batman.
Who is Batman's biggest fear? ›Batman Is Afraid To Be In The Company Of Bats
As a child, Bruce's fear of bats stemmed from falling in a cave where he encountered the animal. He continued to harbor it as an adult, although Bruce used the very fear as his strength. Batman Begins: Bruce Wayne embraces his worst fear.
Throughout his 80-year history, Bruce has been driven by never losing control. He's defined by the one night of his life where he didn't have any control over what happened to him, and he's convinced himself that as long as he never loses that again, he'll be okay.
What are Batman's Two Rules? ›Batman retains the rules during The Dark Knight, not using any weapons or firearms in fights and avoids indirect kills. He also refuses to kill the Joker on multiple occasions and even saves him from a lethal fall during their final confrontation.
Does Batman have a code? ›According to Premiere Magazine Pattinson's Batman will follow a no-kill code, a moral code used by a number of caped crusaders throughout superhero history. "There is this rule with Batman: he must not kill," Pattinson said.
What is Batman's one weakness? ›Freeze, Batman becomes vulnerable to injuries or freezing just like any other human.
What is the power quote in Dark Knight? ›“Your anger gives you great power. But if you let it, it will destroy you… As it almost did me.”
What is the quote at the end of The Dark Knight? ›
BATMAN: "You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain." I can do those things, because I'm not a hero, not like Dent. I killed those people, that's what I can be.
What does the Joker symbolize in Dark Knight? ›The Joker embodies themes of chaos, anarchy and obsession: throughout the film, he expresses a desire to upset the social order in Gotham through crime, and defines himself by his conflict with Batman.
Why do we fall Dark Knight Rises quote? ›“Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”, Thomas Wayne. For me, this is the best quote and probably the best moral to a movie.
Why do we fall quote Dark Knight? ›Alfred Pennyworth : Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up. Bruce Wayne : You still haven't given up on me? Alfred Pennyworth : Never.
What are they chanting Dark Knight? ›The film features a prevalent chant of the phrase deshi basara, which, according to Hans Zimmer himself, means "rise up" in a language which he says he's happy to have kept secret (allegedly Moroccan or another Arabic dialect, even Mongolian word "deeshee bosooroi" means literally "Rise Up" though this is disputed).
What are the quotes of night? ›“Night is the wonderful opportunity to take rest, to forgive, to smile, to get ready for all the battles that you have to fight tomorrow.” “As the night gets dark, let your worries fade. Sleep peacefully knowing you've done all you can do for today.” “The night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”
What did Robin always say to Batman? ›"Holy...!" (for example "Holy cow!", "Holy mackerel!" or "Holy smoke!") is an exclamation of surprise used mostly in English-speaking countries. Robin of the Batman TV series is noted for his many catchphrase "Holy..." exclamations.
What is the quote about light in the darkness? ›“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” “Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.”
What were the Joker's last words? ›His last line in the movie is, 'You wouldn't get it. ' There's a lot going on in there that's interesting.” That explanation could account for the significant age gap between the middle-aged Fleck and Bruce Wayne, who is seen in “Joker” as a child.
What did Harvey Dent say in The Dark Knight? ›“You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” It's a sentiment and phrase which has taken on a life of its own in the 14 years since Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent said it in The Dark Knight.
What does Gordon say at the end of The Dark Knight Rises? ›
Originally Answered: What is the passage Jim Gordon reads from at the end of The Dark Knight Rises? It's from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.