Holy awesome quotes, Batman!
Since the dawn of his creation, Batman has been noted as one of the greatest comic book characters ever. Batman’s popularity transcends the comic book world, making him one of the most popular characters in all fiction. Bruce Wayne’s story of overcoming his trauma and owning his fear to become a symbol and serve those who can’t defend themselves has inspired and affected the lives of millions across the world.
The Caped Crusader’s films have defined superhero cinema for multiple generations of audiences and generated some of cinema’s greatest quotes. The batting average for the quality of Batman films is pretty darn good, and with that quality comes wonderfully impactful moments; indeed, each Batman movie has a standout quote that has become particularly famous. Whether because of their memorability, hilarity, poignancy, or a combination of all these factors, these quotes stand out as the best in each Batman movie.
12 “Hand me down… the shark-repellent Batspray!”
Batman (Adam West) – ‘Batman: The Movie’ (1966)
Before Batman became the dark and brooding symbol of justice that audiences know him as today, he was quite the goofy and cartoonish character thanks to the 1960s television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. When the series got its own theatrical film in 1966, titled Batman: The Movie, it ensured that audiences were going to get a ton of laughs and goofy one-liners that the series had been known for. And boy, oh boy, did they deliver.
One of the funniest aspects of the original Adam West Batman series was the absolutely ridiculous gadgets that Batman and Robin would pull out in the nick of time. This film gave the world the wonderfully and incredibly situational shark-repellent Batspray. Why did Batman create something so specific? Who knows. But it sure resulted in one hilarious quote that fans still jokingly quote to this day, especially when referencing something specific and utterly senseless that shouldn’t exist.
Batman: The Movie
- Release Date
- July 30, 1966
- Director
- Leslie H. Martinson
- Cast
- Adam West , Burt Ward , Cesar Romero , Lee Meriwether , Burgess Meredith
- Runtime
- 194 minutes
- Writers
- Lorenzo Semple Jr.
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11 “I’m Batman.”
Batman (Michael Keaton) – ‘Batman’ (1989)
1989’s Batman has provided one of the most quoted film lines in history. Just when a few petty crooks think they’re safe and have gotten away, the infamous Batman swoops in and gives them a nice beatdown. When he’s got one of them in his grasp, he boldly tells him to inform all of his friends about Batman, leading to the iconic line where the name Batman is born for Michael Keaton‘s interpretation of the character.
Michael Keaton’s iconic line has carried on as a defining aspect for the Batman character and made its way past film and transcending to every piece of media the Caped Crusader has appeared in. When people think of Batman, they think of this scene and line. This simple yet striking quote has become synonymous with the character as a whole, making it one of the most famous quotes in film to this day.
Batman (1989)
- Release Date
- June 23, 1989
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Cast
- Michael Keaton , Jack Nicholson , Kim Basinger , Robert Wuhl , Pat Hingle , Billy Dee Williams
- Main Genre
- Action
- Writers
- Bob Kane , Sam Hamm , Warren Skaaren
10 “We’re the same. Split right down the center.”
Batman (Michael Keaton) – ‘Batman Returns’ (1992)
When Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) is about to murder Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), Batman tries to talk her out of making a mistake he knows she’ll never be able to take back. In order to save her from a terrible choice made out of rage, Batman takes off his mask to reveal his identity as Bruce Wayne.
When Bruce tells Catwoman that they are the same, it perfectly encapsulates the great character dynamic between Batman and Catwoman. Catwoman is a Batman if he had given into his darker emotions and abandoned his morals. Bruce isn’t just trying to stop Catwoman from murdering Max Shreck; he’s trying to save her from a future he knows could have easily gone down. He knows how easy it could have been to do the same thing and understands the struggle of staying on the side of the light in the kind of moment Catwoman is in. This deceitfully complex line truly connects Batman and Catwoman as characters and brings many new layers to their character dynamic.
Batman Returns
- Release Date
- June 19, 1992
- Director
- Tim Burton
- Cast
- Michael Keaton , Danny DeVito , Michelle Pfeiffer , Christopher Walken , Michael Gough , Michael Murphy
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Writers
- Bob Kane , Daniel Waters , Sam Hamm
9 “You walk the edge of that abyss every night, but you haven’t fallen in, and I thank heavens for that.”
Alfred (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) – ‘Batman: Mask of the Phantasm’ (1993)
Arguably the best Batman film ever made, Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a total character analysis of both Batman and Bruce Wayne (Kevin Conroy). When Batman is wrongly framed for a string of murders he obviously did not commit, he comes across an assassin called the Phantasm. Bruce Wayne’s psyche is at the forefront of this animated story as he struggles with the concepts of vengeance and justice.
Alfred’s words to Bruce define what makes Batman special and a character worth looking up to. While Batman may be a hero stricken with grief and pain, he continues to stay on the side of good. No matter how much he may want to cross that line or break his morality, he maintains his faith and willpower because he believes more in justice than vengeance. It goes far in showing how much of a good heart Bruce truly does have under his rough exterior.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
- Release Date
- December 25, 1993
- Director
- eric radomski , Bruce W. Timm
- Cast
- Kevin Conroy , Dana Delany , Hart Bochner , Stacy Keach , Abe Vigoda , Dick Miller
- Runtime
- 76 minutes
- Writers
- Alan Burnett , Paul Dini , Bob Kane , Martin Pasko , Michael Reaves , Jerry Robinson
8 “I’m both Bruce Wayne and Batman. Not because I have to be now… because I choose to be.”
Batman (Val Kilmer) – ‘Batman Forever’ (1995)
Arguably, the biggest aspect of the Batman character is the duality between his personas of Batman and Bruce Wayne. In the 1995 film Batman Forever, the plot heavily focuses on said duality as memories of his parents’ murder begin to haunt his mind. Now played by Val Kilmer, Bruce struggles to find the dividing line between his two personalities. Where does Batman end and Bruce Wayne begin? Can he equally balance both?
Bruce Wayne’s new love interest’s name, Chase Meridian (Nicole Kidman), can be interpreted as a clever nod to Bruce’s arc. The Meridian is the line that divides the planet from the North Pole to the South Pole. Her character represents Bruce chasing that line so he can attempt to find a way to be with her. This final quote represents that entire arc perfectly. Bruce accepts both sides of him as one; he no longer feels like he’s required to be Batman, allowing him to instead embrace his alter-ego. There is no line. Batman and Bruce Wayne are one. It’s a bold statement, and Val Kilmer’s delivery is stellar, making the quote even more noteworthy.
Batman Forever
- Release Date
- June 16, 1995
- Director
- Joel Schumacher
- Cast
- Val Kilmer , Tommy Lee Jones , Jim Carrey , Nicole Kidman , Chris O’Donnell , Michael Gough
- Runtime
- 121 minutes
- Writers
- Bob Kane , Lee Batchler , Janet Scott Batchler , Akiva Goldsman
7 “Allow me to break the ice: My name is Freeze. Learn it well, for it’s the chilling sound of your doom.”
Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) – ‘Batman & Robin’ (1997)
The goofy and lighthearted era of Batman didn’t end with Adam West’s iteration of the character. It returned with the release of the infamous Batman & Robin in 1997, as director Joel Schumacher opted for a more cartoonish angle with the film. The result is a flurry of poor reviews, absolutely ridiculous quotes and questions about whether it was part of the Tim Burton universe.
A standout representation of the film’s goofiness is the one and only Mr. Freeze. The character is filled with cold puns and absurd one-liners that are undeniably memorable, made all the better because Arnold Schwarzenegger is the one delivering them. All of his lines have become jokes across the internet that cause the character to continue to live on long after his debut in 1997. However, none stand out as much as his first introduction in the film. Schwarzenegger’s performance totally sells this moment as well, with his abundant confidence making the line all the more hilarious.
Batman and Robin
- Release Date
- June 20, 1997
- Director
- Joel Schumacher
- Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger , George Clooney , Chris O’Donnell , Uma Thurman , Alicia Silverstone , Michael Gough
- Runtime
- 125
- Writers
- Bob Kane , Akiva Goldsman
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6 “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.”
Thomas Wayne (Linus Roache) – ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)
The first film in the Dark Knight trilogy introduced audiences to a more grounded and realistic Batman than they had seen before. The remarkable Christopher Nolan is known for his stellar film quality, which shines through in this entire trilogy. His introduction to this version of Batman (Christian Bale) brought about wonderful scenes that have become some of the most iconic Batman sequences.
But the greatest line comes from Thomas Wayne himself, which essentially states the thesis of the film. Pain is not something that anyone should let defeat them, but something that should be used to make them stronger. Bruce needed to use the pain of his parents’ murder to become something greater rather than let it destroy him. It’s a profound message that’s sorely needed in the modern day and age, influencing Bruce and inspiring audiences everywhere.
Batman Begins
- Release Date
- June 15, 2005
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Michael Caine , Liam Neeson , Katie Holmes , Gary Oldman , Cillian Murphy
- Runtime
- 140 minutes
- Writers
- Bob Kane , David S. Goyer , Christopher Nolan
5 “Sometimes the truth isn’t good enough. Sometimes, people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.”
Batman (Christian Bale) – ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)
The epilogue of The Dark Knight gives audiences one of the best endings in superhero film history. The film has one of the greatest screenplays of the 21st century, meaning there’s no shortage of memorable lines. However, this quote finds its praise in summarizing what Batman stands for in the Nolan trilogy.
It symbolizes how much of a hero Batman truly is, how he was willing to give up everything and make himself an enemy to the people so they wouldn’t lose faith in someone they viewed as the best of all of them. This quote may be the greatest example of Batman’s selflessness in the Nolan trilogy. His safety and well-being didn’t matter as long as the people continued to hope that Gotham could one day become a better place. If that’s not true heroism, there may not be such a thing.
The Dark Knight
- Release Date
- July 18, 2008
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Christian Bale , Heath Ledger , Aaron Eckhart , Michael Caine , Maggie Gyllenhaal , Gary Oldman
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
- Writers
- Jonathan Nolan , Christopher Nolan , David S. Goyer , Bob Kane
4 “A hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know the world hadn’t ended.”
Batman (Christian Bale) – ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)
The ending of The Dark Knight Rises is a wonderful sendoff to a groundbreaking trilogy. One of the final lines of the film, in which Batman subtly reveals to Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) that he is, in fact, Bruce Wayne before he rides off to sacrifice himself to save Gotham City, is among the best in the Caped Crusader’s canon.
The quote reminds the audience of one of the trilogy’s themes: anyone can be a hero, and a person doesn’t need a million dollars or high-tech gadgets to simply do the right thing and help others. Instead, a simple act of kindness can inspire great change in a person. The idea is that Batman can live on in the people of Gotham, inspired by his sacrifice, to make a better world for everyone. If everyone could come together and use that inspiration, putting their coats around another person’s shoulders, the world might not be so bad after all.
The Dark Knight Rises
- Release Date
- July 16, 2012
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Cast
- Tom Hardy , Christian Bale , Anne Hathaway , Liam Neeson , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Gary Oldman
- Runtime
- 164 minutes
- Writers
- Jonathan Nolan , Christopher Nolan , David S. Goyer , Bob Kane
3 “Men are still good. We fight, we kill, we betray one another. But we can rebuild. We can do better.”
Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) – ‘Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016)
The Batman found in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice is quite different than any version that had come before. Ben Affleck‘s divisive Batman broke his one rule and no longer sees the world as optimistic as others. Through his conflict with Superman (Henry Cavill), and after watching the Man of Steel’s ultimate sacrifice, he remembers there is still good in this world and is propelled down a road to redemption that begins when he gets the chance to save Superman’s mother, Martha.
This Batman serves to show the audience that, no matter how deep one may fall into the darkness, there will always be a way to make it back to the light. For such a dark version of Batman, this quote is surprisingly very hopeful, and that contrast does a stellar job of showing how much Batman is genuinely beginning to grow and become the man he once was—a better man.
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Release Date
- March 25, 2016
- Director
- Zack Snyder
- Cast
- Ben Affleck , Henry Cavill , Amy Adams , Jesse Eisenberg , Diane Lane , Laurence Fishburne , Jeremy Irons , Holly Hunter
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
2 “LIFE DOESN’T GIVE YOU SEAT BELTS!”
Batman (Will Arnett) – ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ (2017)
The hilariously comedic and lighthearted The Lego Batman Movie brought some of the most amusing Batman movie moments in his long cinematic history. Unlike Batman & Robin, The Lego Batman movie actually intends to be a comedy and received super great reviews because of it.
It’s an incredibly difficult task to narrow down the best of the quotes contained in The Lego Batman Movie, but the best of them defines Batman’s attitude and characteristics. It effortlessly depicts Batman’s general disinterest in the well-being of Dick Grayson (Michael Cera) at the beginning of their relationship and mocks the character’s infamous brooding behavior. So, on top of being a hilarious line, it succeeds in showing the audience exactly who this version of Batman is and why he needs this kid by his side to change.
The Lego Batman Movie
- Release Date
- February 10, 2017
- Director
- Chris McKay
- Cast
- Will Arnett , Zach Galifianakis , Michael Cera , Rosario Dawson , Ralph Fiennes
- Runtime
- 104 minutes
- Writers
- Seth Grahame-Smith , Chris McKenna , Erik Sommers , Jared Stern , John Whittington
1 “Our scars can destroy us, even after the physical wounds have healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us.”
Batman (Robert Pattinson) – ‘The Batman’ (2022)
The Batman took the world by storm upon its release in 2022, highly praised and noted as one of the greatest superhero films of all time. Robert Pattinson joined TheShockNews of one of the greatest actors to play the world’s greatest detective. But on top of it all, the screenplay was astoundingly well-written, thanks to writers Matt Reeves and Peter Craig.
The film’s final monologue, as Batman is helping rescue efforts across Gotham, may very well be the greatest depiction of Batman’s character in cinema. It clearly lays out why Batman does what he does and why he’ll never cross the line of killing and venturing into the darkness of evil. It shows audiences that Batman, as gritty a character as he may be, is a symbol of hope and that his vendetta can have no place in his overall duty toward Gotham. Many directors and writers have included variations of this idea before, but The Batman finds the right balance between dialog and strong visuals.
The Batman
- Release Date
- March 4, 2022
- Director
- Matt Reeves
- Cast
- Robert Pattinson , Colin Farrell , Paul Dano , Andy Serkis , Peter Sarsgaard , Zoe Kravitz
- Runtime
- 176 minutes
- Writers
- Peter Craig , Bill Finger , Bob Kane , Matt Reeves
This article was originally published on collider.com