The late Roger Ebert once observed that there was no better way to hook an audience than to show a smart character being smart. Most of the time, that applies to the story's protagonist. But in the action classic Die Hard, it's the villain who shows the audience how smart he is. Hans Gruber -- played by Alan Rickman in the role that made him a star -- orchestrates a brilliant scheme to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from the Nakatomi Corporation on Christmas Eve, and comes within one off-duty New York cop of pulling it off flawlessly. He's an indispensable part of the film's magic, and one of the most memorable villainous performances of all time.

In addition to his sheer brains, he's given many of the best lines in the script, and while there's no debate that Bruce Willis' "Yippee-ki-ay" (followed by a rather vulgar phrase) is easily the most memorable line, it's more or less all Gruber after that. Rickman had a way of making the simplest statement sound masterfully maniacal. His compliments were impossible to trust. His threats were scary. And his duplicity kept him two steps ahead of everyone right until his final memorable plunge out the 30th floor window. Not only was he the smartest character in the film, but so much of who he is comes across in his sparkling delivery. Here's a list of Rickman's most memorable quotes in a very memorable movie.

Updated on December 21 by Robert Vaux: Die Hard remains a perennial holiday favorite as well as one of the best action movies of all time. The article has been expanded to further develop the context for each quote, and arranged in chronological order to reflect when Rickman delivers them in the film.

15 Who Said We Were Terrorists?

Who said we were terrorists?

Hans Gruber uses a lot of theatrics during his takeover of Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard, initially leaving everyone at the Christmas party to assume he and his men are terrorists. It's a ruse they continue to use during their interactions with the police and the FBI to further their goals. However, Gruber isn't above showcasing his intelligence by teasing his hostages with the revelation that he and his teams are simply high-stakes robbers looking for a big score.

His first move is to take the company's president, Joe Takagi, aside and ask him to open the vault: expediting the robbery and simplifying the plan. An incredulous Takagi asks what kind of terrorists concern themselves with money, only for Gruber to softly correct him. The quote highlights Gruber's manipulations and the joy he takes from playing with others' perceptions of his crimes. It's also an early reveal of his plans to use the hostages as sacrificial lambs to cover their escape. If Takagi could open the vault, the terrorism ruse would be blown. He can't and Gruber shoots him, but not before delighting in how well he's sold the man on his deception.

14 That's A Very Nice Suit, Mr. Takagi. It Would Be A Shame To Ruin It.

That's a very nice suit, Mr. Takagi. It would be a shame to ruin it.

Things between Hans and Takagi don't exactly start on the right foot. Mr. Tagaki wants nothing to do with Hans and his gun-bearing goons. After leading Tagaki away from the other hostages, Hans makes an attempt to get on Mr. Takagi's level by complimenting his suit — Hans is a big fan of men's fashion -- and dropping a line about Yassar Arafat to imply that his motives are political. It also conveys Gruber's breeding and education, informing Takagi that he's far more than just a thug.

That plays out in his death threat as Takagi refuses to turn over the codes to the vault. His suggestion is oblique and understated, while connecting back to his line in the elevator about suits. As with many of Gruber's quotes, it reveals a great deal about his character through its grim wit and quiet menace.

13 You Can Walk Out Of Here Or Be Carried Out.

You can walk out of here or be carried out.

Shortly after shooting Mr. Takagi in the face, Hans let the Nakatomi Trading employees know the situation: "I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative. Not a lot to ask. Alas, your Mr. Takagi did not see it that way… so he won’t be joining us for the rest of his life."

That's one way to get the point across. But in case he wasn't clear, Hans let everyone know they could walk out of the situation alive or in a body bag. As with most of his early posturing, it's all a ruse: his plan hinges on killing the hostages in an explosion and leaving the authorities to figure out what happened. But he wants them docile and quiet in the meantime, and he's happy to use Takagi's murder to drive the point home. It keeps them hopeful that they can live to see the end of it if they just do as their told, making it all the easier to keep them under control.

12 Now I Have a Machine Gun. Ho. Ho. Ho.

Now I have a machine gun. Ho-ho-ho.

This line actually belongs to McClane, who scrawls it on the first of Gruber's men that he kills before sending the corpse down the elevator as a message. But it's Rickman who voices it out loud when he and his men discover their colleague. Until that point, their plans have run like clockwork, with the docile hostages unable to fight back and the authorities not yet aware that anything is amiss. Suddenly, a variable has been added: someone is armed and loose in the building, and Gruber's smooth self-assurance is replaced by genuine consternation for the first time. Rickman's delivery conveys the importance of the moment: the game has officially changed.

11 Just Another American Who Saw Too Many Movies As A Child?

Just another American who saw too many movies as a child?

A quiet sense of nationalism pervades Die Hard. The villains are largely European, with backgrounds in political extremism that they have since abandoned in the name of cold hard cash. McClane, on the other hand, is a stereotypical "working joe," whom the coiffed and elegant Gruber actively looks down upon. At this stage, his plan is still more or less on track, and McClane is still little more than in irritant. As they exchange banter over the radio, Gruber can't resist a little dig at McClane's nationality.

At the same time, he reminds McClane that he's out of his league and that the "real life" of the movie's universe doesn't end with showdowns at high noon. Thankfully, McClane would not be intimidated by his hate-filled rhetoric. Not only does it set up the hero's signature line, but it foreshadows their final confrontation, which looks a hell of a lot like the showdown Gruber had sneeringly dismissed.

10 What Idiot Put You In Charge?

What idiot put you in charge?

After Gruber's negotiations with Mr. Takagi end with the businessman's death, Holly Gennaro is next in line and takes charge as the spokesperson for the rest of the employees being held hostage. Gruber's disdain for the people he's holding is evident in his initial reaction to Holly's request for an audience — calling out their choice of leader with an insult to Holly's intelligence. However, he quickly changes his tune when he recognizes the fire within Ms. Gennaro which allows her to stand up to the dangerous criminals. Like her husband, Gruber has seriously underestimated her.

9 You're Very Perceptive.

You're very perceptive.

In contrast, Holly's colleague Harry Ellis thinks he can handle Gruber the same way he handles business deals. The line is so simple, but so smooth, coming in response to Ellis' efforts to smooth talk his way into negotiations with the heartless criminals. It's a neat reversal of his earlier exchange with Holly, which begins with condescension and ends with grudging acknowledgment of her points. Ellis gets flattery and feigned respect right up until the moment Gruber shoots him in the face.

He clearly knows the second Ellis walked through the door that the man is hopeless and plans to get as much out of Ellis as he can. And as much as it'd frighten viewers to hear Hans say, "You're very perceptive," to them in real life, no one objects when Hans takes some time to mock the annoying salesman before killing him.

8 Touching, Cowboy, Touching. Or Should I Call You, Mr. McClane?

Touching, cowboy, touching. Or should I call you Mr. McClane?

Hans' continued, "Mr. Officer John McClane of the New York Police Department?" This is one of the most suspenseful moments of the movie, not because viewers worry about the well-being of the jerk Harry Ellis, but because they don't know if Ellis had somehow revealed McClane's wife Holly to the villains. Based on what viewers had seen up to this point, it's a wild card. In the end, it cost Ellis more than he expected. Thankfully, Holly's secret remains for the time being and fans are rewarded with the smarmy Ellis's swift and brutal dispatch.

7 Sooner Or Later, I Might Get To Someone You Do Care About!

Sooner or later, I might get to someone you do care about!

At this point in the movie, McClane has firmly entrenched himself under Han's skin. McClane has been killing all of his men, preventing Hans from fully focusing on his plans. Then McClane takes something Hans couldn't afford to go on without. "You hear that? Talk to me, where are my detonators? Where are they, or shall I shoot another one?"

The second one hears Hans say, "Sooner or later, I might get to someone you do care about," the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up its impossible not to think, "Oh, no! Not John's wife!" It demonstrates not only the stakes involved, but the fact that McClane has genuinely disrupted all of Gruber's carefully crafted plans.

6 I Read About Them In Time Magazine.

I read about them in Time magazine.

Hans Gruber uses the misconception that he's a terrorist to his benefit when communicating with the police and later the FBI. Hoping to keep the police occupied while he carries out his real heist inside Nakatomi Plaza, he reads out a list of demands including the release of political prisoners from across the world. Then he takes a moment to talk away from the mic and reveal to his fellow criminals that he had read about some of the political prisoners in a magazine, which he clearly finds amusing. It's another great aside the villain uses to show off in front of his team and the hostages while continuing to mess with the authorities.

5 You Ask For Miracles. Theo, I Give You The F...B...I.

You ask for miracles. Theo, I give you the F...B...I.

Ebert's observation about smart characters being smart comes to fruition as Gruber's plan becomes clear and the supposedly hyper-competent FBI are suddenly revealed to be his unwitting stooges. Gruber is a man who seemingly planned for everything, including the involvement of the authorities. In fact, he revealed to his fellow thief Theo that the FBI had been a part of his plan all along.

When the FBI cuts the power before invading the building, they inadvertently break through the final locks of the safe for Gruber and his team. As the brilliant Gruber explains: "The circuits that cannot be cut are cut automatically in response to a terrorist incident." Even with the audience pulling full-tilt against him, it's impossible not to admire how slick he really is.

4 By The Time They Figure Out What Went Wrong, We'll Be Sitting On A Beach, Earning Twenty Percent.

By the time they figure out what went wrong, we'll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent.

Hans plays the part of a terrorist very well, but it turns out, he's just like the rest of humanity. He just wants to relax all day and get paid doing absolutely nothing. With his plans close to completion, he reveals the darkest aspect: he's going to kill all of the hostages in an explosion, and use it to cover his team's escape. (They have an ambulance prepared to help them slip away in the chaos.) McClane thwarts it: inducing the hostages to flee the roof, then making his showstopping jump to avoid the ensuing explosion. Gruber's line reveals how close he is to pulling off his brilliant robbery, and reveals how the film's most spectacular moment destroys his dreams of sunsets on the sand.

3 Mrs. McClane. How Nice To Make Your Acquaintance.

Mrs. McClane. How nice to make your acquaintance.

This might be the most "Oh, crap!" moment of the movie. Things look grim when Hans figures out Holly is John's wife, though viewers all now know it worked out in the end. It emphasizes how precarious McClane's position is, and that -- despite all his success against the baddies -- both he and his wife are just a heartbeat away from getting shot.

As usual, the actor plays it perfectly, If viewers have seen Rickman as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, this moment becomes even funnier on re-watch. The way Rickman says this line of Gruber's is almost exactly how he said "Hello, Mr. Potter," every time he runs into Harry.

2 I Am An Exceptional Thief, Mrs. McClane. And Since I'm Moving Up To Kidnapping, You Should Be More Polite.

I am an exceptional thief, Mrs. McClane. And since I'm moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.

After Hans Gruber discovers the real identity of Holly Gennaro, he decides to keep John McClane's wife close to him as he plots his escape from Nakatomi Plaza. While most fans of the Die Hard franchise know better than messing with McClane's wife, Gruber hasn't yet learned his lesson, though he's clearly taking McClane seriously enough to use her as a bargaining chip.

In some ways, Holly is as much a foil for Gruber. Unlike her husband, she faces him down for most of the movie, but very much like McClane, she refuses to be intimidated. She turns his silky rhetoric back on him more than once, and when his final plan becomes clear, she condemns him as little more than a purse snatcher in a nice suit. Gruber reacts by trying to stoke his ego and elevating his crimes to kidnapping, and Rickman adds just a hint of desperation to the delivery: indicating that things are unraveling for the villain faster than he lets on.

1 Oh Yes, What Was It You Said To Me Before? Yippee-ki-ay...

Oh yes, what was it you said to me before? Yippee-ki-ay...

Hans just had to get cocky. In typical 80s villain fashion, he had to mock the hero just before he won, giving McClane one last chance to save the day, which he did. For a villain who was so smart, this is pretty foolish. Had Hans simply pulled the trigger, he could've saved everyone from the ensuing Die Hard sequels. Instead, he had to attempt to butcher McClane's most iconic line, ultimately giving the New York cop enough time to end the crisis. Ebert referred to the trend as "The Fallacy of the Talking Killer," and it was common in action films of the era. Rickman keeps it from settling into cliche, as well as setting up Gruber's iconic final fate.