The Best Indiana Jones Quotes of all time

Posted on by damperthree

 

The legend begins

As we await, white-knuckled, for the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, let’s take a moment to remember that Indiana is, hands down, the greatest cinematic adventurer to ever punch, shoot, or whip his way through a wall of enemies. He may have been inspired by great movie and literary characters, but they were perfected in Indiana Jones. And he has the awesome quotes to prove it (usually uttered in between giving a beat-down to various goons).

It’s not just us who say Indy is the best. Back in 2003, the American Film Institute rated Indy the second greatest movie hero of all time.

Hold the phone. What the…SECOND? Who in the WORLD could beat Indiana Jones?

Oh. Atticus Finch. From To Kill a Mockingbird.

My friends, that is some garbage. That’s like asking a friend what their favorite hobby is, and after they say something like “collecting comic books,” you reply with “my hobby is fighting climate change.”

Putting Indiana Jones and Atticus Finch in the same ring is a bit weird. So with no disrespect to Gregory Peck or Atticus, we’re going to remove him by adding “action” to “hero.” There. Now Atticus can fight white suprecists in the courtroom while Indy punches them while retrieving the Ark of the Covenant.

Right. On to the quotes. But first, some ground rules.

Let’s talk about the giant alien elephant in the room: all quotes come from the original Indiana Jones trilogy. The premise of this post is that the best quotes show, at a fundamental level, who Indiana Jones is. What he’s made of. 

No.

But The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull stepped outside of the type of adventure that made Indy so fun. It’s not that the story couldn’t work, it’s just that this particular story didn’t stick the landing. And so KOTCS is disqualified from contention.

We’re also excluding any extra-cinematic sources. It’s not because things like Young Indiana Jones might not have something to contribute. It’s just that the writers of this article can’t remember much about them. So…sorry about that.

Final rule: The actual quote has to be spoken by Indiana Jones. The movies are brimming with great lines by awesome characters (especially Sean Connery’s Dr. Henry Jones), but this post is going to be hard enough to finish as it is.

NOW let’s get to some quotes.

The Best Indiana Jones Quotes

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Marion Ravenwood: You’re not the man I knew ten years ago.”

Indy: “It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.”

Indy and Marian finally get a break after finding, then losing, then reclaiming, the Ark from Belloq and the Nazis. Marion’s quip was intended to tease him, but Indy’s response was genuine. He’s been beat up a lot, and that does something to a body. And I guarantee nearly every Gen X man (and probably a number of Gen X women) have quoted that line sometime after turning 40.

Rene Belloq: It’s a transmitter! A radio for speaking to God and it is within my reach!

Indy: You wanna talk to God? Let’s go see Him together. I got nothing better to do.

This is Indy at his most visceral. He’s a hero, and he thinks he’s just lost the love of his life, so he’s ready to settle everything right then and there with Belloq. 

Indy: Didn’t you guys ever go to Sunday School?

Indy, after trying to explain what the Ark of the Covenant is and seeing the government agents not getting it. 

Indy: I’m going after that truck

Sallah: How?

Indy: I don’t know, I’m making this up as I go.

Indy knows he needs to stop the Nazis from getting the Ark to Hitler, and he doesn’t let something like having no idea what to do next stop him. 

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Indy: Fortune and glory, kid. Fortune and glory.

This line is a little cheesy, but in the best way. It’s a link to the spirit of the pulp hero stories that George Lucas tried to capture with the character. It’s 100% pure adventure.

 Indy to Mola Ram: “Prepare to meet Kali… in hell!”

Pure adventurer bravado here. Indy is in the worst predicament possible, and so he needs to work the impossible. And he adds some spicy verbal defiance to boot. Absolutely love this quote and the scene.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indy (sees Nazis) Nazis. I hate these guys!

Not much more to say here. Indy hates Nazis.

 

Indy: Sallah, I said no camels! That’s five camels! Can’t you count?

This is simply Indiana at his snarky best.

 

Indy’s Dad: Those people are trying to kill us!

Indy: I know, Dad!

Indy’s Dad: This is a new experience for me.

Indy: It happens to me all the time.”

Sean Connery apparently told Steven Speielberg that Henry Jones had raised Indy, and so had done everything the son had done, only better. That may have been the case, but obviously his colorful past didn’t include getting shot at. That was Indy’s specialty.

Runners up:

I hate snakes, Jaques! I hate them!

Everyone knows this one, and is included because it’ll be the first one pointed out in the comments. It’s also classic Indiana Jones

Indy: How did you know she was a Nazi?”

Indy’s Dad: “She talks in her sleep.”

DUDE. This line was messed up and hilarious and is only a runner up because Indy didn’t say the line. But the follow up delivers, so we may need to reorder the list a bit:

Indy: It’s disgraceful, you’re old enough to be her… her grandfather.

Henry Jones: Well, I’m as human as the next man.

Indy: I was the next man.

Classic.

 

How’d we do with this list of the best Indiana Jones quotes of all time?? Let us know if you agree, or if we missed any good lines.

 While you’re here, we just sort of talked about Indiana Jones last week. Check it out:

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