Babylon 5 (1993) - Quotes from the Series

Mr. Morden What do YOU want?

Ambassador Vir Cotto I'd like to live just long enough to be there when they cut off your head and stick it on a pike as a warning to the next ten generations that some favors come with too high a price. I want to look up into your lifeless eyes and wave like this.

[waves]

Ambassador Vir Cotto Can you and your associates arrange that for me, Mr. Morden?

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Ambassador Londo Mollari Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you!

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Captain John Sheridan I swear, the next person around here who acts irrationally, I'm going to shoot myself in the head.

Delenn [Delenn enters fuming] Bastards!

Dr. Stephen Franklin Did she just...

Captain John Sheridan She did!

Dr. Stephen Franklin I'll go get the gun.

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Citizen G'Kar If I take a lamp and shine it toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth... for understanding. Too often, we assume that the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the sense of revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search - who does not bring a lantern - sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light... pure and unblemished... not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes we stand in front of the light and assume that we are the center of the universe - God looks astonishingly like we do - or we turn to look at our shadow and assume that all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose, which is to use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and in all its flaws; and in so doing, better understand the world around us.

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Lennier [Lennier and Vir do not make eye contact during this conversation] Sometimes I get so close and yet it feels like I'm shut out of the important things.

Ambassador Vir Cotto It's a useless feeling. The Ambassador is definitely going through some changes. He even looks different.

Lennier Indeed. And now with the military starting to stampede over everyone and everything...

Ambassador Vir Cotto People coming and going and secret meetings...

Lennier You never know what it's all about until later when it's too late.

Ambassador Vir Cotto And they never listen to us.

Ambassador Vir Cotto Ambassador Vir Cotto, Lennier: Makes me nervous.

Ambassador Vir Cotto [they finally look at each other] Same time tomorrow?

Lennier Sure.

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Captain John Sheridan Are you trying to cheer me up?

Susan Ivanova No sir, wouldn't dream of it.

Captain John Sheridan Good, I hate being cheered up.

Susan Ivanova In that case we're all going to die slow, agonizing deaths.

Captain John Sheridan Thank you, I feel so much better now.

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Zathras Zathras is used to being beast of burden to other people's needs. Very sad life... probably have very sad death, but at least there is symmetry.

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Ambassador Londo Mollari But this - this, this, this is like being nibbled to death by... what are those Earth creatures called? Feathers, long bill, webbed feet... go 'quack'...

Ambassador Vir Cotto Cats.

Ambassador Londo Mollari Cats. Being nibbled to death by cats.

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Ambassador Londo Mollari Only an idiot would fight a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts.

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G'Kar No dictator, no invader, can hold an imprisoned population by force of arms forever. There is no greater power in the universe than the need for freedom. Against that power, governments and tyrants and armies cannot stand. The Centauri learned this lesson once. We will teach it to them again. Though it take a thousand years, we will be free.

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Lord Refa Why should I do as you say?

Ambassador Londo Mollari Because I have asked you; because your sense of duty to our people should override any personal ambition; and because I have poisoned your drink.

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Captain John Sheridan You know, I just had a thought. You've been back and forth to your world so many times since you got here. How do I know you're the same Vorlon? Inside that encounter suit you could be anyone.

Kosh Naranek I have *always* been here.

Captain John Sheridan Oh, yeah? You said that about me too.

Kosh Naranek Yes.

[starts to walk away]

Captain John Sheridan I really *hate* it when you do that.

Kosh Naranek [turns around] Good!

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Marcus Cole [noticing Ivanova's not paying attention to his report] There's always the threat of an attack by say, a giant space dragon. The kind that eats the sun once every 30 days. It's a nuisance, but what can you expect from reptiles? Did I mention that my nose is on fire? And that I have 15 wild badgers living in my trousers?

[Ivanova glares at him]

Marcus Cole I'm sorry would you prefer ferrets?

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Citizen G'Kar [to Londo after they discover the Centauri are still building warships during peace time] Well, with everyone now on the same side, perhaps you're planning to invade yourselves for a change. I find the idea curiously appealing. Once you've finished killing each other, we can plow under all the buildings and plant rows of flowers that spell out the words, "Too annoying to live" in letters big enough to be seen from space.

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Citizen G'Kar The universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements. Energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest.

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Citizen G'Kar I believe that when we leave a place a part of it goes with us and part of us remains. Go anywhere in these halls, when it is quiet and just listen. After a while you will hear the echoes of all of our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that the part of me that going will very much miss the part of you that is staying.

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Lorien The universe began with a word. But which came first: the word or the thought behind the word? You can't create language without thought, and you can't conceive a thought without language, so which created the other, and thus created the universe?

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Susan Ivanova Ambassador, do you really want to know what's going on down there?

Ambassador Londo Mollari Yes, absolutely!

Susan Ivanova Boom. Boom boom boom. Boom boom. Boom! Have a nice day!

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Captain John Sheridan If more of our so-called leaders would walk the same streets as the people who voted them in, live in the same buildings, eat the same food instead of hiding behind glass and steel and bodyguards, maybe we'd get better leadership and a little more concern for the future.

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Kosh Naranek Ah, you seek meaning?

Talia Yes.

Kosh Naranek Then listen to the music, not the song.

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[a telepathic implant prevents Garibaldi from shooting Bester]

Michael Garibaldi What have you done to me?

PsiCop Alfred Bester I've hit you with an Asimov.

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Delenn We may be able to get the Pak'ma'ra on board to help, but they're going to need something in exchange.

Ambassador Londo Mollari Oh, offer them my body. Another 10 minutes of this, I'll be dead anyway!

Citizen G'Kar [Without looking up] I second the motion!

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Susan Ivanova Vakar Ashok, our gun arrays are now fixed on your ship and will fire the instant you come into range. You will find their power quite impressive... for a few seconds.

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[Opening narration, season 1]

Commander Jeffrey David Sinclair It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, ten years after the Earth-Minbari War. The Babylon Project was a dream given form. Its goal: to prevent another war by creating a place where humans and aliens could work out their differences peacefully. It's a port of call, home away from home for diplomats, hustlers, entrepreneurs, and wanderers. Humans and aliens wrapped in two million, five hundred thousand tons of spinning metal, all alone in the night. It can be a dangerous place, but it's our last, best hope for peace. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2258. The name of the place is Babylon 5.

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Susan Ivanova If I live through this without completely losing my mind, it will be a miracle of Biblical proportions.

Lt. Corwin [aside] Well, there goes my faith in the Almighty.

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Ambassador Vir Cotto As Mr. Garibaldi would say, it's been one hell of a day.

Lennier Yes. A hell of a day.

Ambassador Vir Cotto And a hell of a year.

Lennier A hell of a five years.

Ambassador Vir Cotto Hell of a life.

Lennier You win.

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Lt. Corwin Do we trust no-one then?

Cmdr. Susan Ivanova No, trust Ivanova, trust yourself, anybody else, shoot'em.

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Delenn We are star stuff. We are the universe made manifest trying to figure itself out.

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Commander Jeffrey David Sinclair Mr. Garibaldi was right. He said this was going to be trouble.

Susan Ivanova There's nothing more annoying than Mr. Garibaldi when he's right.

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Delenn The third principle of sentient life is the capacity for self-sacrifice, the conscious ability to override evolution and self-preservation for a cause, a friend, a loved one.

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Ambassador Londo Mollari Fools to the left of me, feeders to the right... I need to find a real job.

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Kosh Naranek Understanding is a three-edged sword.

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[Opening narration, season 3]

Susan Ivanova The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace. It failed. But in the year of the Shadow War, it became something greater: our last, best hope for victory. The year is 2260. The place - Babylon 5.

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[Opening narration, season 4]

Lennier It was the year of fire,

Zack Allan The year of destruction,

Citizen G'Kar The year we took back what was ours.

Lyta Alexander It was the year of rebirth,

Ambassador Vir Cotto The year of great sadness,

Marcus Cole The year of pain,

Delenn And a year of joy.

Ambassador Londo Mollari It was a new age.

Dr. Stephen Franklin It was the end of history.

Susan Ivanova It was the year everything changed.

Michael Garibaldi The year is 2261.

Captain John Sheridan The place, Babylon 5.

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Ambassador Londo Mollari Six months ago hardly anyone knew my name. Now everyone wants to be my friend. I wanted respect. Instead I have become a wishing well with legs.

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Kosh Naranek A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from the bristles.

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Sinclair They say God works in mysterious ways.

Michael Garibaldi Maybe so, but He's a con-man compared to the Vorlon.

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[Opening narration, season 2]

Captain John Sheridan The Babylon Project was our last, best hope for peace, a self-contained world five miles long located in neutral territory, a place of commerce and diplomacy for a quarter of a million humans and aliens, a shining beacon in space, all alone in the night. It was the dawn of the third age of mankind, the year the great war came upon us all. This is the story of the last of the Babylon stations. The year is 2259. The name of the place is Babylon 5.

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Commander Jeffrey David Sinclair Everyone lies, Michael. The innocent lie because they don't want to be blamed for something they didn't do and the guilty lie because they don't have any other choice.

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Susan Ivanova So the next time we find out where the Shadows plan to strike, we can mine the area, and as soon as they come out of hyperspace...

Citizen G'Kar Then, as you so concisely say, Boom!

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Lorien We've lived too long, seen too much. To live on, as we have, is to leave behind joy, love, and companionship because we know it to be transitory; of the moment. We know it will turn to ash. Only those whose lives are brief can believe that love, is eternal.

[pause]

Lorien You should embrace that remarkable illusion. It may be the greatest gift your race has ever received.

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Captain John Sheridan Delenn, I have been working up a good mad all day and I am NOT about to let you ruin it by agreeing with me!

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Ambassador Londo Mollari I would remind the Drazi Ambassador that the Centauri have already signed the declaration.

Citizen G'Kar And if the Centauri can sign it, anybody can sign it!

Ambassador Londo Mollari Right!

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Citizen G'Kar The Earthers have a saying: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." I believe they stole it from us.

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Citizen G'Kar As the humans say, up yours!

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[Repeated line]

Delenn In Valen's name.

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[repeated line]

Ambassador Londo Mollari Great Maker!

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Ambassador Londo Mollari Everyone around me dies, Mr. Morden, except those who most deserve it.

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Delenn I am Grey. I stand between the candle and the star. We are Grey. We stand between the darkness and the light.

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Captain John Sheridan [Bester has just revealed information he's uncovered] So, how did you find out about all of this?

PsiCop Alfred Bester I'm a telepath. Work it out!

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G'Kar It is said that the future is always born in pain. The history of war is the history of pain. If we are wise, what is born of that pain matures into the promise of a better world, because we learn that we can no longer afford the mistakes of the past.

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Captain John Sheridan From the stars we came. From the stars we return. From now, till the end of time. We therefore commit these bodies to the deep.

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[an Earth Gov battle fleet have been prevented from seizing Babylon 5]

Delenn Your Government will think twice before engaging a Minbari fleet.

Marcus Cole They're not *my* government! Back on the colony, Earth was just a place that sent us books and vids, and took 30% of our income. Should have given them the boot years ago!

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Marcus Cole That's a lot of ships! That's a bloody awful lot of ships!

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Ta'Lon Congratulations citizen G'Kar. You are now a religious icon.

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Ambassador Londo Mollari Vir, stay. If you go, as a matter of honor, I will have to go with you, and if I am forced to leave this place, with all its marvelous opportunities, I will have to kill you... What are friends for?

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Emperor Cartagia [to Londo Mollari] The trouble with being infallible is that you have to deal with everyone else making mistakes.

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Citizen G'Kar Our thoughts form the universe. They are always important.

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Captain John Sheridan No surrender, no retreat.

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Citizen G'Kar We all believe in something... greater than ourselves, even if it's just the blind forces of chance.

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Susan Ivanova Worst case of testosterone poisoning I have ever seen.

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Captain John Sheridan Our new friend just said all the security in the world can't stop a lone gunman dedicated to exchange his life for the target, and he is right. So you may as well live instead of being a prisoner.

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Alfred Bester Much as it might offend their sense of perspective, not everything is about Babylon 5.

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Dr. Stephen Franklin Have a seat, lend a hand, or get out of my way, but do not question me in my lab, doctor!

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PsiCop Alfred Bester Mr. Garibaldi, on a scale of one to ten... just how stupid do you think I am?

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Dr. Stephen Franklin Doesn't anyone listen to one damn word I say?

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Na'Toth The Narn regime has accomplished many things in its glorious past, but bodysnatching isn't one of them.

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Citizen G'Kar Oh, why does the universe hate me.

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Alfred Bester Being a telepath means you're special and rare and valuable.

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Tech #2 [repeated throughout all] Commander,we have a problem

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[Addressing young recruits]

PsiCop Alfred Bester Reports of our depression have been greatly exaggerated.

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Byron But where is it written that all our dreams must be small ones?"

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Captain John Sheridan In breaking away from Earth, we have begun a difficult and uncertain journey, and none of us can see its end, but our cause remains a just one. That truth honours and sanctifies our fallen comrades who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we might carry on the work that is ahead of us. We are gathered here today to honour their memory and their names.

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Babylon 5 quotes