The Princess Bride is coming to Disney+ on May 1, so let's celebrate by revisiting some of the most iconic quotes from the classic movie. Below are the ten best lines from the movie, from good to great to amazing. Note that these are the ten best "lines," so while the movie has plenty of great longer exchanges and rants, too, these are the single best sentences and brief bits of dialogue.
10. "You were not hired for your brains, you hippopotamic land mass."
This quote that starts off our list was uttered by Vizzini to Fezzik. The actual intent of the line is pretty mean, but "hippopotamic land mass" is a pretty original way to describe Andre the Giant, who as you might guess was a pretty big dude.
9. "She doesn't get eaten by the eels at this time."
This is an incredible non-sequitur uttered by the grandfather telling the story as Buttercup is about to be devoured by an eel. He's attempting to reassure his sick grandson, who he thinks looks worried, but it's an incredible line regardless, if only for how sudden and unexpected it is. It's one of the many "narrative breaks" by the grandfather, which is part of what makes The Princess Bride stand out. It's not just a fantasy story, it's also a story about storytelling.
8. "We are men of action. Lies do not become us."
Westley delivers this line to Count Rugen while they're in the forest. While the actual scene in which it's said is fairly tame, it's a pretty killer line that's definitely worth quoting.
7. "Yes, you're very smart. Shut up."
Another quote from the grandfather, who gets in a lot of good one-liners as the narrator of the story. When the sick boy exclaims that he knew Buttercup couldn't have married Prince Humperdinck, his grandfather delivers this quip before carrying on with the story.
6. "Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!"
This one is also from the grandfather, who says the line in the very first scene of the film, making it an important introduction to the tale he's about to tell. He's trying to sell his sick grandson on the book he's brought to read to him, and when asked what it's about, he launches into this spiel. The line also serves as a synopsis for the film, but without any real spoilers.
5. "Have you ever heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons."
Vizzini faces off against Westley in a "duel of wits," and Vizzini naturally brags about his own intellect, stating that Westley is a fool for having challenged him. He asks if Westley has heard of famous philosophers "Plato? Aristotle? Socrates?" When Westley replies that he has, Vizzini dismisses them as morons. It's Wallace Shawn's delivery that really sells the line, and it's his performance that establishes Vizzini as such an entertaining character.
4. "I am not left-handed."
Early in the film, when Inigo duels with Westley, he makes a point of using his left hand to wield his sword. Westley is a skilled combatant and seems to have the advantage, causing Inigo to retreat -- until the Spaniard switches hands, stating his a flourish, "I am not left-handed." In most fights Inigo handicaps himself by using his non-dominant hand to make the duels challenging for himself. When he switches to his right hand in his fight with Westley, he reverses the tide and shows off his impressive fencing prowess.
3. "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
This is Inigo's response to Vizzini's regular uttering of "Inconceivable," which the Sicilian spits out whenever anything goes awry with his master plan. It's a very well-known line from the film, and for good reason. Vizzini constantly brags about his intellect, and constantly belittles Fezzik and Inigo. So it's plenty entertaining to hear Inigo correct Vizzini (although Vizzini doesn't seem to notice as he continues to use the word, incorrectly or not).
2. "As you wish."
This quote is the backbone of Westley and Buttercup's relationship, and it's what establishes their romance early on. As the grandfather explains, when Westley says "As you wish" in response to Buttercup's orders, what he really means is "I love you." In addition, Westley says the line when Buttercup pushes him off a hill because she believes he's the Dread Pirate Roberts, and she instantly puts together that it is Westley behind the pirate's mask.
1. "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
This is perhaps the most iconic line from The Princess Bride. It encapsulates Inigo's twenty-year quest to avenge his father. He establishes that he is going to say it to Count Rugen early in the film. Then, later, when he finally confronts Rugen, it's all he says as he hacks and slashes at him with his sword repeatedly, even as the Count begs him to stop. Finally, as he's about to kill Rugen, he instructs him to offer him money, to offer him power. And when the Count does, he utters another line, which while it doesn't make it onto this list on its own, is definitely worth including:
Honorable Mention: "I want my father back, you son of a bitch."
Directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman, The Princess Bride stars Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage and Peter Falk.