Summary

• Rambo
  evolved from a thoughtful portrayal of a PTSD-stricken veteran in
  First Blood
  to an over-the-top action hero in subsequent movies.
• Iconic Rambo quotes capture the character’s inner struggle and his dual identity as a tragic hero and a one-man army.
• Rambo’s memorable lines, like “Nothing is over! Nothing!” in
  First Blood
  , reveal a vulnerable side beneath the tough exterior.

John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) is a man of few words, but there have been many memorable Rambo quotes over the course of the franchise. The Rambo movies had an unexpected evolution, starting with 1982’s First Blood, which was a more thoughtful and not overly violent examination of a Vietnam veteran dealing with PTSD and pushing back against the small-town police who harass him. However, from there, the movie exploded into an over-the-top and bombastic action movie franchise that cemented Rambo as one of the best action heroes of all time.

The best Rambo quotes highlight these different aspects of the character, showing the pained and tragic hero as well as the one-man army. Though Rambo likes to let his actions do the talking, he has delivered some unforgettable lines that speak to his inner struggle and his life as a killing machine. There are also a number of quotes from other characters that further highlight what an iconic character John Rambo is, making for one of Stallone’s best roles.

30 “You Did Everything To Make This Private War Happen.”

Trautman – First Blood (1982)

1982’S First Blood is a very toned-down version of the novel by David Morrell and presents Rambo as a much more likable and understandable protagonist. However, the novel shows that, while the police were wrong to harass Rambo in this way, his violent and brutal reaction was also his fault and he deserves blame as well. The movie hints at this only slightly in a memorable line from Rambo’s superior officer, Trautman, who insists Rambo played a role in igniting the fighting, suggesting he might have been looking for an excuse to return to war.

It is part of the reason why First Blood is a movie fans love for the wrong reasons as there is a sense that John Rambo felt out of place back in America and took the opportunity given to him by the mean-spirited police to return to the world of war he was more comfortable in.

29 “Who Are You, Boatman?”

Lewis – Rambo (2008)

After 20 years since Rambo III, the franchise seemed to have ended, only for Stallone to return to the iconic character in 2008’s Rambo. The movie initially finds Rambo living in isolation in Thailand only to get swept up in another mission. Serving as transportation for a group of mercenaries, they initially don’t think much of this “boatman.” However, the moment Rambo has to leap into action, they all begin to look at him differently and see the monster hiding beneath this silent man.

Rambo is always someone who is overlooked or underestimated by those around him.

It is one of the thrills of this series, as Rambo is always someone who is overlooked or underestimated by those around him. The first movie had the police only seeing Rambo as a vagrant, while the 2008 movie has the mercenaries see him as an old man. It makes it all the more exciting when he shows off his brutal and deadly skills.

28 “In The Field We Had A Code of Honor. You Watch My Back, I Watch Yours. Back Here There’s Nothing!”

John Rambo – First Blood (1982)

First Blood is not just a thrilling action movie, but also an interesting commentary on Vietnam veterans. Though Rambo experienced torture and brutality in the war that haunted him for the rest of his life, there is a tragedy in that he also felt more comfortable there than back home. He feels abandoned and as if no one is looking out for him now that he is back.

It is a sad reality that reflects a real-life struggle many veterans experience when being unable to get the support they need. Rambo is a tragic figure in this first movie as he is not simply a man looking to return to his violent ways when he is crossed, but also a man who wants some compassion. There is a sense that had the police just treated Rambo with some dignity and understood his struggles, none of the chaos that ensued would have happened.

27 “I Didn’t Come To Rescue Rambo From You. I Came Here To Rescue You From Him.”

Trautman – First Blood (1982)

Colonel Trautman is a recurring character in the Rambo movies and one of the few people who looks out for Rambo. However, while he respects his former soldier and the skills he has, he also understands how dangerous he is. Trautman is introduced in First Blood as he comes to help the police in pursuit of him. Upon learning his connection to Rambo, Teasle warns Trautman not to interfere. However, Trautman points out the truth that Teasle has failed to realize yet — Rambo is not the one who needs saving.

He feels regret for having turned Rambo into a killing machine.

Trautman makes for an interesting character in these movies as he is sometimes seen as a father figure to the younger soldiers, but there is also a sense that he feels regret for having turned Rambo into a killing machine. Interestingly, in the novel, Trautman is the one to kill Rambo when he realizes he has lost control.

26 “You Picked The Wrong Man To Push.”

Trautman – First Blood (1982)

While Trautman wants to help stop Rambo before anyone else gets hurt, he does not see himself as an ally to the police. In fact, he immediately knows Rambo is not the one at fault and discovers Teasle was harassing the veteran, which led to him fighting back. After criticizing Teasle for his lack of judgment, he reiterates what Teasle himself has gradually been learning, that he should have just left the young man alone.

That is an interesting theme in the movie that the entire action could have been avoided had Teasle and his police officers not been so keen on displaying their authority. While Rambo can be a terrifying force of nature, it is also satisfying to see Teasle learn the hard way that Trautman was right about Rambo and that they picked the wrong man.

25 “When You’re Pushed, Killing’s As Easy As Breathing.”

John Rambo – Rambo (2008)

2008’s Rambo is an exciting and action-packed ride, but the movie also carries a lot of the tragedy of the character. That is one of the ways the Rambo franchise has been so unique, as it is able to deliver the pulse-pounding thrills genre fans expect while also reflecting on how this bloody carnage affects the action hero. After the warrior in him is reawakened, Rambo delivers this line, which is a memorable set-up for the action-packed finale.

He is a born killer, and when he chooses to turn it back on, he becomes a weapon against his enemies.

Rambo acknowledges that, despite how long it has been since he lived a life of violence, it takes nothing to return to those ways. He is a born killer, and when he chooses to turn it back on, he becomes a weapon against his enemies. However, it is also sad to think that side of him was quiet for so long and now he returns to it with ease.

24 “Don’t Waste Your Life, I Did. Go Home.”

John Rambo – Rambo (2008)

Though he is one of the most effective killing machines in action movie history, Rambo stands apart from being a completely reluctant hero. He is good at killing, but he also knows what it has cost him as if it were a poison slowly eating away at him. When one of the missionaries comes to him to ask for his help, he warns her against exposing herself to such violence and evil.

He reflects that his life has been wasted dedicating himself to war, further making his return to violence a layered moment. It is another way in which Rambo is a much more complicated action hero than fans are used to seeing. Given the sense of regret he feels with his life, there is a lot of tragedy whenever he goes down that violent path again.

23 “Maybe You’ve Lost Your Faith In People. But You Must Still Be Faithful To Something.”

Sarah – Rambo (2008)

Rambo is found to be a very cynical man when reintroduced in 2008’s Rambo, but that does not mean he has lost his humanity altogether. There is always something inside of Rambo that, no matter how dark and violent he becomes, is always looking out for other people. The missionary recognizes this in him, guessing that there is something Rambo still cares about.

It also suggests that his faith remains in his skills as a killer.

In the end, the one thing that still drives Rambo is seeing justice done that he cares about the most, making him willing to help the helpless. However, it also suggests that his faith remains in his skills as a killer. He knows when the missionaries are taken that he is the only one who can save them. It is a darker interpretation of where Rambo’s faith lies, but it is something that he turns to time and time again.

22 “F*** The World.”

John Rambo – Rambo (2008)

Rambo is not someone who likes to speak unless he has to, which makes for some hilariously blunt moments in the movies. While other action heroes make wisecracks and drop one-liners, Rambo keeps things short and sweet even when telling someone off. There are not too many funny Rambo quotes and this one is perhaps not an intentional bit of comedy, but it is easy to get a laugh from it.

There is a humorous juxtaposition between the optimistic missionaries who have so much faith in the world and Rambo, whose thoughts on the world are summed up in this unsubtle way. It shows just how far down Rambo has slid over the years that he simply doesn’t have anything to care about. However, it is still a humorously angsty line from the grizzled hero.

21 “This Is What It Feels Like!”

John Rambo – Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

While Rambo may not be subtle with his words, he is even less so with his actions. Though he can be a bit reluctant to embrace his violent ways again, once he does, he can be brutal and even sadistic to the bad guys who cross his path. Last Blood is the most personal mission for the warrior and his only remaining family, his niece, is killed by a drug lord in Mexico. It is a painful loss for Rambo who has so few people in his life.

He then cuts into the man’s chest and literally pulls out his heart.

This builds to the epic moment Rambo gets to face off with the villain and decides to show him what that sort of pain feels like. He then cuts into the man’s chest and literally pulls out his heart. It is a wonderfully over-the-top kill that is perfect for Rambo’s ending in Last Blood.

20 “Why Are You Pushing Me?”

John Rambo – First Blood (1982)

The opening act of First Blood begins with Sherriff Teasle harassing Rambo after he inadvertently strolls through his town. A passive Rambo tries to keep a low profile without bothering anyone, but Teasle clearly has other ideas on his mind, such as forcing him to move along. Having broken no laws, Rambo asks Teasle this question, which provokes a negative response from the latter.

It’s the first real escalation between the two, but it isn’t long before the conflict spirals out of control, and turns a nice little town into a war zone. There is a sadness in how Stallone delivers the line, as it suggests Rambo knows where this will lead and just wants to be left alone. It serves as a warning to Teasle to consider what he is doing and to avoid going down this path.

19 “I’m Gonna Tear You Apart.”

John Rambo – Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

Like any action hero, John Rambo has uttered a handful of threatening one-liners to his enemies in the past. In some instances, Rambo uttered these threats seconds before killing his target, while other times he waited until the majority of the movie had passed before making good on his promise. It is another sign that, despite reluctance at times, once Rambo tunes into his violent side, he can be quite cold-blooded.

Sylvester Stallone growls these lines line an animal, adding to the intimidating nature of Rambo’s threats that he always makes good on.

Last Blood provides another great example as he makes this grisly promise to the villains. Sylvester Stallone growls these lines line an animal, adding to the intimidating nature of Rambo’s threats that he always makes good on. It shows that, unlike some heroes of the genre, Rambo is not one to use clever quips and prefers to get right down to the point.

18 “Whatever Possessed God In Heaven To Make A Man Like Rambo?”

Teasle – First Blood (1982)

John Rambo is a very specific type of man. He didn’t have much of a direction in life before enlisting in the Vietnam War, where he became a lethal killing machine. Teasle rhetorically asked this question when the hunt for Rambo became one gigantic small-town mess, prompting Colonel Trautman to interject with “God didn’t make Rambo. I made him.”

It was the first example of the government’s role in creating Rambo and teaching him how to survive in the worst of conditions, only for those skills to be used against America’s own forces. Trautman says this line with a mix of pride and regret for what he created. It also makes Rambo into a figure that always seems inhuman. That is certainly the feeling that Teasle and his men have when they find themselves going up against this man who proves too much for them to handle.

17 “Sir, Do We Get To Win This Time?”

John Rambo – Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985)

At the beginning of Rambo: First Blood Part II, when Col. Trautman approaches Rambo with a mission to head back to Vietnam and free some prisoners of war, Rambo is understandably skeptical. Though he is in prison for the crimes he committed in the first movie, that doesn’t mean he is overly eager to get out just to go back to war. Having been denied a victory in Vietnam before, he asked this poignant question to Trautman.

This was a reference to the fact that America never actually lost the Vietnam War, but rather, was denied a victory by the current government at that time.

This was a reference to the fact that America never actually lost the Vietnam War, but rather, was denied a victory by the current government at that time. Essentially, American soldiers were forced to withdraw from a grueling campaign, adding to the conflict’s unpopularity with the American public. Not only did the soldiers like Rambo return as a defeated army, but they returned to a country that didn’t support the fact that they were fighting in the first place.

16 “I Will Fight To Keep Their Memory Alive Forever.”

John Rambo – Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

Though Rambo is not a man who likes to talk very much, he does usually find the time for a monologue in each of the movies. The final moments of Last Blood brought perhaps the character’s most poignant one yet. Rambo admits to himself that he is a broken man who never returned home, but that he fights now for the memories of his loved ones. It is a bittersweet line, as Rambo has no one else left and can only cherish the time he had with his few loved ones.

If Last Blood is the final entry in the franchise, it is a line that returns Rambo to his beginnings as a truly tragic character who keeps the fight alive within him even when he knows victory is impossible. In many ways, it fits in with his life as a soldier for whom the battle is never over.

15 “Got Himself Killed In ‘Nam, Didn’t Even Know It. Cancer Ate Him Down To The Bone.”

John Rambo – First Blood (1982)

The beginning of First Blood finds Rambo tracking down his old Vietnam War buddy to catch up on old times, but he immediately gets some bad news. That soldier had died of cancer after being exposed to the various chemicals used in the war, particularly Agent Orange. It is a sad reality that faced a lot of real-life soldiers who returned from the war having survived the horrors of battle and not knowing they were already marked for death.

It is another moment of Rambo grappling with the disturbing idea that he was better off in the war.

As Rambo explains to Trautman later in the movie, he is the last of his old platoon, which gives a hint of his fragile mind. He sees his friend gradually dying away back home and perhaps realizes he would rather meet his end back in the war. It is another moment of Rambo grappling with the disturbing idea that he was better off in the war.

14 “Old Men Start It, Young Men Fight It, Nobody Wins, Everybody In The Middle Dies, And Nobody Tells The Truth!”

John Rambo – Rambo (2008)

Some of the Rambo movies that followed First Blood were seen as patriotic action movies.Rambo II was seen as an attempt to show the Americans getting revenge for their defeat in Vietnam while Rambo III was a story of Rambo taking on the Soviet Union similar to Stallone’s Rocky IV. This made the sequels seem more cartoonish, but this Rambo quote gets back to the origins of the franchise and its critical view of Vietnam.

The quote illustrates how regional conflicts tend to spill out of control due to various interests on both sides. Rambo makes the point that incessant fighting never really solves anything while calling out the politicians who make the choices that send young people to die. It shows that the wounds of his war never healed and perhaps hints at a change of heart Rambo has had toward people like Trautman.

13 “I Want Them To Know That Death Is Coming, And There Is Nothing They Can Do To Stop It.”

John Rambo – Rambo: Last Blood (2019)

Revenge has been a common theme throughout the Rambo franchise, whether he was liberating P.O.W.s, or rescuing Col. Trautman. His desire for vengeance against the bad guys stemmed from a wellspring of violence and hatred that could activate at any moment. In retrospect, Rambo took it easy on the police officers he faced in the first movie, as the rest of the series sees him not holding back at all with the brutality he inflicts on his enemies.

His jaded nihilism hadn’t abated, no matter how his life circumstances had changed.

In Last Blood, Rambo swore revenge against the villains in the most articulate way possible by highlighting his unstoppable nature. His jaded nihilism hadn’t abated, no matter how his life circumstances had changed, and revenge had become a philosophy, rather than an instinctual reaction. It usually ends with some of the most brutal kills in the Rambo film franchise.

12 “You’re Not Hunting Him. He’s Hunting You.”

Trautman – First Blood (1982)

The cops who desperately chase Rambo through the woods after he escapes their grasp in First Blood bring in Colonel Trautman as their negotiator. Since he was Rambo’s commanding officer in Vietnam, he’s the only guy he’ll listen to – and the only guy he trusts. When Trautman is brought onto the scene and briefed on the situation, he assures the cops that they’re not the ones hunting Rambo, but rather, the reverse.

It cements the intimidating nature of Rambo as an action hero. He is a skilled, formidable, and deadly opponent who can turn the tables on any enemy. It is another moment of Rambo being underestimated as the arrogant police feel as though they have him on the run, not understanding that he has lured them into a setting in which he has the upper hand.

11 “To Survive A War, You Gotta’ Become War.”

Rambo: First Blood, Part II (1985)

The one definitive aspect of Rambo’s personality is that he is a soldier. His adult life began when he was drafted to fight in Vietnam, and he returned with PTSD and the ability to do just one thing — kill. He didn’t like that fact, and he had a hard time accepting it, but in the end, he knew it to be true. It introduces an aspect of self-loathing that Rambo has, hating the fact that he is this killing machine and becoming emotionless when he needs to embrace that part of himself.

For Rambo, being on a mission isn’t just about following orders or accomplishing objectives.

Whenever he’s called into action, Rambo activates his training in order to survive, and accomplish his mission. For Rambo, being on a mission isn’t just about following orders or accomplishing objectives. Rambo needs to “become war” in order to survive, and that means losing a bit more of his humanity each time.