Though one of the greatest action movies of all time, the best Die Hard quotes also highlight its superb screenplay. The classic follows Bruce Willis’ John McClane, a New York cop who attempts to reconnect with his estranged wife at a Los Angeles corporate Christmas party only for it to be taken over by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his band of thugs. The story sets up a thrilling action story, but viewers likely didn’t expect such memorable dialogue in Die Hard.
The most memorable quotes in Die Hard exemplify the movie’s thrilling aspects, its humor, and its iconic characters. From the heroic everyman McClane to the dastardly yet dashing Gruber to the many colorful side characters, they all pop with great lines. Some of the dialogue has gone down as classic action movie one-liners while others are reminders of how many great Die Hard quotes remain overlooked. Far more than just action sequences, the movie that kicked off Bruce Willis’ greatest franchise should also be honored for its amazing dialogue.
20 “Twas The Night Before Christmas, And All Through The House, Not A Creature Was Stirring, Except… The Four A******* Coming In The Rear In Standard Two-By-Two Cover Formation.”
Theo (Clarence Gilyard Jr.)
Though fans can debate if Die Hard should truly be considered a Christmas movie, there is no denying the holiday setting gives the movie a special flare of fun. It is fun to see the tropes of the Christmas holiday repurposed for an action movie story. When the police SWAT team attempts to storm the building, one of the villains, Theo, watches their movements on the security cameras and lets his teammates know what they’re up to in the form of a cheesy Christmas story.
19 “Nice Suit. John Philips, London. I Have Two Myself.”
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
Just as John McClane was a different kind of hero for the action genre at the time, so too was Hans Gruber a fun new kind of villain who was later copied endlessly. Alan Rickman brings a brilliant sense of sophistication to the role that is in perfect contrast to McClane. After making his intimidating entrance at the party, Gruber takes Mr. Takagi in the elevator where his intense demeanor suddenly changes, and he compliments the man’s suit. It is the first hint that Gruber is no mindless thug but rather someone who knows just what he wants.
18 “Thanks For The Advice.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
There are the obvious iconic action movie one-liners in Die Hard that remain unforgettable. But as evidence of the movie’s quality, there are also some brilliant one-liners that often get overlooked by action movie fans. After McClane hesitates to shoot one of the villains, the bad guy overpowers him and is ready to take John out. As a way of taunting his target, the villain suggests he should never hesitate to pull the trigger. McClane then guns the man down then offers his gratitude for the helpful advice.
17 “I Read About Them In Time Magazine.”
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
Even with all the exciting action, Die Hard knows to maintain a fun sense of humor as well, even with its villain characters. Though Hans and the others pretend to be hardened terrorists with a list of demands, they are really only interested in the money. Hans has little respect for the police outside, sending in his fake list of demands just to toy with them. When he mentions getting the members of a group called Asian Dawn released from prison, his henchman Karl questions is, and Hans admits he simply took the idea from a news article.
16 “Now I Know What A TV Dinner Feels Like.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
One of the most iconic images in Die Hard is John McClane cramped inside an air vent and cracking jokes to himself about his claustrophobic situation. It was yet another way McClane helped to usher in a new form of action hero. Instead of being the kind of hero who is effortlessly cool as he saves the day, McClane continually found his situation getting worse and worse. Not worrying about making the hero look dignified at all times was a surprisingly effective strategy.
15 “Does It Sound Like I’m Ordering A Pizza?”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Something the Die Hard sequel forgot about John McClane is that he is vulnerable and he doesn’t want to be the lone hero. He wants to have help however he can get it which leads to him calling 911 to inform them of the building’s takeover. When McClane finally does reach the police department, he is warned away from using that line as it is reserved for emergencies, which leads to one of McClane’s most sarcastic, expletive-laden responses in the film as he begins to reach his boiling point.
14 “Only John Can Drive Somebody That Crazy.”
Holly Gennaro McClane (Bonnie Bedelia)
McLane is only in Los Angeles at the Nakatomi Plaza’s Christmas party hoping to reconnect with his wife, Holly, who had moved to the city with their children for work which furthered the divide between husband and wife. After Gruber takes control of the party and Holly begins to see the stress develop in her captors, she realizes that it was McClane who was causing them problems, as she was all too used to those same feelings and knew that John was about to make their lives a living nightmare while also saving the day.
13 “From Up Here It Doesn’t Look Like You’re In Charge Of Jack S***.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
When John McClane finally receives assistance from the police on the ground thanks to Sgt. Powell, the arrival of Deputy Chief Dwayne T. Robinson leads him to attempt to take control of the situation. He begins to bark orders at McClane through the common radio. McClane quickly puts him in his place and lets him know that he is still on the ground and removed from the situation while the real guy in charge was on top of things and taking down the thieves from the inside.
12 “I Am An Exceptional Thief, Mrs. McClane. And Since I’m Moving Up To Kidnapping, You Should Be More Polite.”
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
The back and forth between John McClane and Hans Gruber makes for some exciting confrontations between the two powerful men as they struggle for control of the tense situation. Though there were quite a few captivating conversations between Gruber and Holly Gennaro as well. When Holly called Gruber out for being “nothing but a common thief,” Gruber’s demeanor immediately changes, and he takes offense for the first time that evening, though he quickly sets the record straight to defend his honor as a world-class thief.
11 “Just A Fly In The Ointment, Hans. The Monkey In The Wrench. The Pain In The Ass.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Never has John McClane described himself as well as he did during his discussion with Hans over the radio, which he uses to not only learn about Gruber’s plans at Nakatomi Plaza but to also get under the skin of his opponent. However, there are quite a few people who would agree with McLane’s description from across the Die Hard movies, beginning with his superiors on the police force to his various allies across the films, not to mention the various bad guys he’s tangled with over the years.
10 “He Won’t Be Joining Us For The Rest Of His Life.”
Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman)
Bruce Willis’ John McClane might be the face of the franchise, but it could be argued that the first film truly belongs to Alan Rickman’s villainous Hans Gruber. Rickman helped create a new take on the classic villain as a smooth, charming yet ruthless foe who is just as compelling as the hero of the film. After executing Mr. Takagi, head office boss, Gruber explains in a deadpan matter-of-fact way how he tried to reason with the man. He says, “Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way… so he won’t be joining us for the rest of his life.”
9 “No Relation.”
Little Johnson (Grand L. Bush)
Gruber and his goons are the true villains of the movie, but there are plenty of immoral side characters who cause McClane a lot of problems. As the hostage situation escalates, the FBI is called in and the cold and unheroic agents Johnson and Johnson arrive. The agents, one an older white man and the other a younger Black man, provide an unusual and unexpected comic relief. Right away, there is a sense of their oddness as the younger Johnson introduces them, “I’m Agent Johnson, this is Special Agent Johnson. No relation.”
8 “Hans, Bubby, I’m Your White Knight.”
Ellis (Hart Bochner)
Ellis is the typical slimy dirtbag from 80s action movies who is obviously doomed. Ellis is one of Holly’s more obnoxious co-workers and is constantly trying to pick her up, despite the fact that she is married to John. After doing a bit of cocaine, Ellis gets the brilliant idea that he will negotiate with Hans for their release. The scene is darkly funny as Ellis continues to act obnoxiously, oblivious to the fact that Hans is going to shoot him at any moment.
7 “Come Out To The Coast, We’ll Get Together, Have A Few Laughs…”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Part of what makes John McClane such a great hero is seeing how much he is struggling. He is not the usual tough guy seen in these movies who walks into a gun fun without flinching. He gets hurt, he gets beat up, and he is tired. The last thing he wants to be doing is having to save the day. One scene that best sells this trait of his is the iconic air vent scene. After finding himself crawling through a tiny vent system to escape the bad guys, McClane takes some time to complain to himself. It’s a great human moment from the hero. Clint Eastwood turned down Die Hard and it’s a good thing as it is hard to see him playing such an honestly vulnerable hero.
6 “And Alexander Wept, Seeing As He Had No More Worlds To Conquer.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Though he is a murderous thief, it’s hard not to want to watch a whole movie about Hans Gruber. As soon as he arrives, he is a captivating presence, and the audience clings to every word he says. As he has his private meeting with Mr. Takagi, Gruber looks over the models of the various building projects for the company. He says “And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer.” It is another example of Gruber as the more sophisticated villain than are usually seen in action movies.
5 “We’re Gonna Need Some More FBI Guys, I Guess.”
Dwayne T. Robinson (Paul Gleason)
Aside from John McClane, Die Hard seems to be filled with incompetent police officers. The dimmest of them all is Dwayne Robinson, the man in charge. From the start, Robinson shows his instincts as a cop as quite lacking. As the situation gets worse, Robinson is in over his head, always one step behind everyone else. As the bad guys blow the roof of Nakatomi Tower, the helicopter carrying the FBI agents goes up as well. Stunned, Robinson is just concerned with getting more FBI guys so he doesn’t need to be in charge.
4 “If This Is Their Idea Of Christmas, I Gotta Be Here For New Year’s.”
Argyle (De’voreaux White)
Argyle might not be the most helpful character in the movie, but he is a fun sidekick. Argyle is introduced as the noisy but friendly limo driver who takes McClane to the Christmas party. He proceeds to wait for McClane in the building’s parking garage, largely oblivious to the hostage situation above. However, when the ordeal is over, Argyle shows up at the perfect time to whisk John and Holly away from the mayhem in style. He even gets the fitting final line of the movie, remarking “If this is their idea of Christmas, I gotta be here for New Year’s.”
3 “Welcome To The Party, Pal.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Along with being more of an everyman than the regular action heroes, McClane is also entertaining for being somewhat deranged. There are hints that he might be a bit of a problem cop back in New York and he quickly confirms that. McClane has no regard for playing nice with the bad guys. As a cop circles the building below, McClane takes drastic measures to get his attention. He proceeds to throw one of the dead bad guys out of the office window and down onto the cop car. He then yells, “Welcome to the party pal!” suggesting he really is a madman.
2 “Now I Have A Machine Gun. Ho Ho Ho.”
McClane’s Message
McClane is not content with beating the bad guys, he also wants to taunt them. Even as he hides out in the building, McClane makes his presence known after killing the first bad guy. In another example of his deranged mind, McClane dresses the dead man up as Santa and writes a message on his shirt: “Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho.” This is a moment that makes the audience cheer for McClane even more as he is willing to threaten the bad guys and let them know he’s out there waiting for them. It’s also a nice use of the movie’s Christmas theme.
1 “Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherf*****.”
John McClane (Bruce Willis)
Not only is this the most memorable line in Die Hard, but it is also one of the most iconic movie lines of all time. The unforgettable moment comes when McClane and Gruber first talk over the radio. After Gruber dismisses McClane as a wannabe cowboy, McClane responds with this epic send-off. It is such a beautiful and badass line that makes fans want to cheer. Though the line has been shoe-horned into every Die Hard sequel, nothing can take away from the perfect use of it in the original. It is a line that has helped the movie become so iconic.
