ComingSoon.net has selected some of the most testosterone-infused and empowering lines of dialogue spoken on television in recent memory. Check out our picks in the gallery below!
Nothing beats an electric script—solid character development, a vivid setting and a good plot are all fine and dandy; however, all of that is the catalyst for which badassery is born. A show’s ability to build up to and produce some fist-bump worthy, all-encompassing and resonant words, spoken within a single scene can make or break an episode. This is one of the most popular aspects of television; the portion of storytelling that is quoted and discussed around the watercooler at work the next day.
That being said, it’s tough to encapsulate the uniqueness of an iconic character in only a few lines of dialogue; more often than not, those lines carry subtext that has been earned up until the particular moment of badassery. Homer Simpson couldn’t rant about being the one who knocks…could he? Regardless of all that, here’s a collection of some well-known contemporary characters dropping the mic the only way they know how—on television.
The 15 Most Badass Lines in TV History
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Ayra Stark, Game Of Thrones
*What do you say to the god of death?*
"Not today."
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Thomas Shelby, Peaky Blinders
"Everyone's a whore, Grace. We just sell different parts of ourselves."
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Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
"Hoes before bros. Uteruses before duderuses. Ovaries before brovaries."
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Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
*What line of work are you in?*
“Waste management consultant.”
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Al Swearengen, Deadwood
"Pain or damage don't end the world. Or despair or f$%&#@g beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man... and give some back."
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Daenerys Targaryen, Game Of Thrones
"All men must die, but we are not men"
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Walter White, Breaking Bad
"Now... Say my name."
*(softly) You're Heisenberg*
"You're goddamn right!"
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Raylan Givens, Justified
*After throwing a bullet at a man*
"The next one's coming faster."
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Margo Hanson, The Magicians
"Don't c&*k it up."
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Ned Stark, Game Of Thrones
"You think my life is some precious thing to me? That I would trade my honor for a few more years ... of what? You grew up with actors. You learned their craft and you learnt it well. But I grew up with soldiers. I learned to die a long time ago."
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Dean Winchester, Supernatural
"Just a couple hours ago, I killed Death. I'm pretty much open for anything."
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Don Draper, Mad Men
"Now that I can finally understand you, I'm less impressed with what you have to say."
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Ragnar Lothbrok, Vikings
"Odin gave his eye to acquire knowledge, I would give far more."
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Calamity Jane, Deadwood
"I don't drink where I'm the only f&^%ing one with balls."
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Rust Cohle, True Detective
"The world needs bad men. We keep the other bad men from the door."
