Movies

6 Best Movie One-Liners Delivered Right Before the Kill, Ranked

6 Best Movie One-Liners Delivered Right Before the Kill, Ranked
Image credit: Distrib Films, Warner Bros.

Long live the cinematography!

In the world of cinema, crafting the perfect pre-kill line is an art form that only a few actors have truly mastered. Here are 6 of the best pre-kill lines that have made history in the cinematic universe and are forever etched in our minds.

6. "Can You Fly, Bobby?"
Clarence Boddicker in RoboCop (1987)

Clarence Boddicker, portrayed by Kurtwood Smith, is one of cinema's most memorable villains, known for his sadistic and ruthless nature.

When one of his gang members, Bobby, leaves the gang with worthless money, the furious leader casually asks Bobby if he can fly before throwing him out of the van into the windshield of a police cruiser, ending the traitor's life.

5. "I’m Gonna Make This Pencil Disappear"
The Joker in The Dark Knight (2008)

In Christopher Nolan 's Dark Knight franchise, Heath Ledger's Joker, an embodiment of chaos, delivers an iconic line during a tense scene. Recognized by Gotham's criminals as the "clown" who's been tricking them, the Joker's bizarre response to a threat involves a "magic trick" with a pencil.

In a shocking twist, he quickly impales the head of one of the henchmen on the pencil, demonstrating his terrifying unpredictability and cementing this pre-kill line as one of the Joker's best.

4. "Not My Daughter, You B*tch"
Molly Weasley in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011)

During the Battle of Hogwarts, one of the most significant and intense duels took place in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, where Hogwarts students faced off against Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange.

The duel escalated when Bellatrix nearly killed Ginny Weasley, prompting her mother, Molly Weasley, to intervene with a badass one-liner and cast a fatal spell that ended the duel with Bellatrix's long-awaited demise.

3. "Long Live the King"
Scar in The Lion King ( 1994)

Scar's cunning trap, which releases a stampede of wildebeests in a gorge, leaves Mufasa in a perilous situation and desperately seeking his brother's help. With a sinister grin, Scar locks eyes with Mufasa and delivers a heartless taunt: "Long live the King," sending his brother crashing into the stampede below and starting the war he will never be able to win.

2. "Say Hello To My Little Friend"
Tony Montana in Scarface (1983)

In the climactic scene of Brian De Palma's crime drama, Al Pacino's Tony Montana delivers this iconic line as he faces a group of enemies closing in on him. Aware of his slim chances of survival, Tony Montana is determined to go out in a blaze of glory, taking out as many enemies as possible with his "little friend," an AR-15 assault rifle with a grenade launcher.

1. "Hasta La Vista, Baby"
Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

The T-1000, a nearly indestructible liquid metal assassin, relentlessly pursues Sarah and John Connor, leading to a thrilling showdown in a steel mill.

But in an unforgettable scene, the Terminator, who has been taught human slang by John, delivers the iconic line "Hasta la vista, baby," just before dispatching the T-1000 with a gunshot, cementing it as the most iconic pre-kill one-liner.

Bonus:
Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction (1994)

In the world of cinema, Jules Winnfield's chilling pre-murder monologue is more than just legendary. Created by Quentin Tarantino, this fabricated Bible verse, Ezekiel 25:17, serves as the quintessential pre-catastrophe speech. Samuel L. Jackson 's portrayal of Jules is unforgettable, and his eerie religious monologue never fails to ratchet up the tension.