There are a few key characteristics all of the great superheroes have in common: they kick a lot of butt, put their lives in danger to save the everyman, and they give us an assortment of memorable quotes and classic one-liners that are then planted all over the internet, posters, and T-shirts for the rest of time. Throughout his time in the DCEU, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman has done all three, and then some, be it in his standalone 2018 movie, Aquaman, or the 2017 crossover film, Justice League (and the extended Zack Snyder’s Justice League). The half-human, half-Atlantean superhero provided several quotes that are still just as awesome all these years later.
As part of our partnership with AMC Theatres, where you can now purchase tickets to see Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom in IMAX, we’ve gone back and revisited the superhero’s previous film appearances and come up with a list of seven memorable movie quotes we can’t get enough of. Please enjoy…
You Killed Innocent People. You Ask the Sea For Mercy (Aquaman)
Just as heroes are born from consequential, life-changing events, so are villains, and that’s the case early in Aquaman. After David Kane (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his father, Jesse (Michael Beach), lead a team of pirates in the hijacking of a Russian submarine, the elder Kane is trapped under a torpedo, leaving his son to beg Aquaman for assistance. In a decision that would later come to haunt him, Arthur Curry tells him “You killed innocent people. You ask the sea for mercy.”
In his father’s dying moments, David, who would go on to adopt the Black Manta moniker, vows revenge and sets out to make Aquaman pay for not saving his father. The hero’s decision, or lack thereof, sets in motion the path for the film’s secondary villain, one who will make his presence known in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.
I Am The Protector Of The Deep. I Am Aquaman (Aquaman)
A lot of the great superhero movies end with the hero (or another character) saying their character’s name before the credits roll. Tony Stark’s “I am Iron Man” moment and James Gordon’s “He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a dark knight” line at the end of their respective 2008 box office juggernauts close that chapter while also hinting at what’s to come in the future.
Aquaman ends similarly with Jason Momoa’s titular character paying respect to his lighthouse keeper father and queen mother for making him who he is through the grand line: “They made me what I am: a son of the land, a king of the seas. I am a protector of the deep. I am… Aquaman” as he is seen rising from the surface.
‘Strong Man Is Strongest Alone.’ You Ever Heard Of That? (Justice League)
When we first meet Arthur Curry in Justice League, he’s not yet the team player he would become later in the movie and his first solo outing in Aquaman, which came out a year after the release of the 2017 superhero ensemble film. In one of the best scenes of the film, when Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) attempts to put together a team to take on the big bad, Steppenwolf, he fails to win over Arthur and recruit him for his team.
After going through the lore and connections with the small fishing community, Aquaman walks back to the ocean and tells Batman, “‘Strong man is strongest alone,’ you ever heard of that?” a total butchering of the quote. This sentiment is great in the moment but also the grand scheme of things now that we have the luxury of looking back on what followed.
Put Two Ships In The Open Sea, Without Wind Or Tide, And, At Last, They Will Come Together (Aquaman)
Aquaman’s opening line – “Put two ships in the open sea, without wind or tide, and, at last, they will come together” – is technically a Jules Verne quote, but it’s just too good to leave off. This, combined with the “I am Aquaman” moment from the end of the movie, bookends the character’s first solo outing and puts into perspective what is important to the character and what the film is all about.
The short and sweet exploration of how Arthur Curry’s parents came together and gave birth to one of the strongest superheroes is powerful, to the point, and wonderful.
Something, Something Trident (Aquaman)
Though he can brood with the best of them as well as let out some strikingly poignant lines, Aquaman is also known to be hilarious. Like, laugh-out-loud-in-a-crowded-theater funny. When he and Mera (Amber Heard) are trying to find King Atlan’s long-lost trident in Aquaman, the hero doesn’t listen to the incredibly important plan that would have failed miserably if he was on his own and responds with, “Something, something trident.”
Hilarious and quick one-liners like this, when pulled off effectively, add so much to a movie, whether it be adding levity to a tense situation or, like in the case of Aquaman, grounding our heroes.
None Are Taken Back From The Darkness, Not Without Giving One Up In Return (Zack Snyder’s Justice League)
Zack Snyder’s Justice League not only expanded upon the (relatively) much shorter Justice League, but it also gave its characters a greater sense of depth and meaning. When the team is preparing to resurrect Superman (Henry Cavill), Arthur Curry and Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) have a bonding moment when the latter completes the former’s sentence when he says, “None are taken back from the darkness, not without giving one up in return.”
This subtle bonding moment between the two heroes says more about their relationship than massive action sequences or anything else. It alludes to what lies ahead as well as their peoples’ shared history and previous conflicts.
Permission To Come Aboard (Aquaman)
Aquaman’s arrival to prevent David Kane and his band of high-tech pirates from stealing a Russian sub is a tremendous hero moment in the middle of an awesome action sequence that kicks Aquaman into high gear. After busting his way through the hatch, throwing back his hair, and looking like a half-human, half-Atlantean superhero, Jason Momoa’s character lets out “Permission to come aboard” with the smirkiest smirk that has ever been smirked.
Sure, it’s kind of cheesy and undeniably silly, but it’s fun and memorable, two qualities that make superhero movies so much fun.
For two-and-a-half movies, Arthur Curry has given audiences great action, a lot of heart, and some unforgettable movie quotes. If you want to see what Aquaman has in store for us when he teams up with his half-brother Orm in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, go ahead and purchase your tickets at AMC Theatres, where you’ll be able to see the final installment in the DCEU on the big screen starting December 22.
