3 Most Memorable Quotes From The Dark Knight

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The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed by Christopher Nolan, based on the DC Comics superhero Batman. It is the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. The plot follows the vigilante Batman, police lieutenant James Gordon, and district attorney Harvey Dent, who form an alliance to dismantle organized crime in Gotham City. Their efforts are derailed by the Joker, an anarchistic mastermind who seeks to test how far the Batman will go to save the city from chaos.

Known for being Heath Ledger‘s final mesmerizing appearance before his untimely death, the Dark Knight is more than just a comic book movie. The themes of the Dark Knight go the heart of what it means to be a good person in a corrupt world and the moralistic decay of modern society. Heres are some of the best quotes from the Dark Knight.

“Some Men Just Like to Watch the World Burn”

The Joker is at the heart of this movie. He was teased as the central villain of the next film at the end of Batman Begins.

Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred (actor Michael Caine) says this quote to Bruce (Batman) when describing the Joker. The full quote is:

“Some men aren’t looking for anything logical, like money. They can’t be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Alfred

It’s a reference to the fact that the Joker has got himself into bed with the Mob only for him to portray them straight away. But it’s also a deeper meaning about how the Joker is attempting to mirror the morally bankrupt world he sees around him with chaos, disorder, and seemingly meaningless violence which is not motivated by money or greed. 

Later in the film we see the Joker burning a huge pile of cash that he has helped rob with the mob with gleeful abandon. These dark themes helped the Dark Knight raise over $500 million at the box office.

Some men just want to watch the world burn. Share on X

“You Either Die a Hero or Live Long Enough to See Yourself Become the Villan” – Harvey Dent

Harvey Dent is the hero who turned into the antihero of this film. Corrupted by the Joker who kills the love of his life, Rachel, he turns in on himself, with half of his face burned off.

“You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

Harvey Dent

This quote, one of the best Dark Knight quotes, references the fact that Harvey wanted to die and was prepared to sacrifice himself so that Rachel could live. When that choice was taken away from him, he became cynical, leaving everything to the fate of a coin.

You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. Share on X

“What Doesn’t Kill You Simply Makes You Stranger”

The Joker has a prediction for pain and suffering and we see him goading Batman at the end of the move into killing him. This is why the film has been described as being dark, mad, and grandiose all at the same time.

The Joker wants The Batman to kill him because it will corrupt him and prove him right. Just as The Joker wanted the innocent people on the boat to press the detonator to kill the condemned prisoners. 

The quote could also be a reference to the Joker’s scars. He invents a different story each time for how he acquired them but it’s clear he escaped death on several occasions and each time the scars made him look stranger and more alien to the world.

“I believe anything that doesn’t kill you makes you stranger.”

The Joker

Director, Christopher Nolan, said in an interview that the film is ‘designed to get under your skin’. This is one of the best Joker quotes that shows this.

I believe anything that doesn't kill you makes you stranger. Share on X

There Are So Many Good Quotes from the Dark Knight

It’s not hard to see why The Dark Knight is viewed as one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century. It is both visually stunning and has an epic story that delves into the nature of good and evil, life and death.