For 12 seasons, Johnny Galecki portrayed Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory. With his best friend and roommate Sheldon Cooper, Leonard was one of the stars of the show who raved about science and his love for his neighbor and friend, Penny.
Since the show, Galecki has had a relatively low profile compared to his former cast mates. He jumped into starring on The Connors, but he also began producing a new show called Catching Babies. Despite his newer projects, Galecki will forever be known for his time on TBBT and the quotes that he had as the lovable Leonard Hofstadter. What made Leonard so special were his lines and the way they connected to his character. It was rare for Leonard to do and say things that didn't align with his character.
“It's Just How [Sheldon] Is. But He's Also Loyal And Trustworthy And We Have Fun Together.”
‘The Proton Displacement'
There aren't too many characters that got along with both Sheldon and Leonard. Howard and Raj tolerated Sheldon because they were dedicated to Leonard and knew deep down that Sheldon didn't mean to be annoying — he was just different from anyone else they ever met.
When Leonard and Sheldon became friends with Arthur Jeffries (aka Professor Proton), he too wondered why Leonard stayed friends with Sheldon. Adorably, Leonard defended Sheldon and told Arthur about Sheldon's good qualities. This quote spoke volumes about Leonard's character and how much he did appreciate his roommate.
“Sometimes Your Movements Are So Lifelike I Forget You Are Not A Real Boy.”
‘The Hot Troll Deviation’
In 'The Hot Troll Deviation,' Leonard told Sheldon about the upcoming double date he had in the works with him, Howard, Penny, and Penny's new friend Bernadette. However, after a few minutes, Sheldon asked Leonard why he was telling him this information because he didn't care about Leonard's private life.
Leonard jokingly referred to Sheldon as a robot of sorts, saying he forgot that he wasn't a "real boy." This quote spoke to Leonard's character because he made countless jokes about Sheldon's misunderstandings of social norms. Their non-offensive banter was what made Leonard and Sheldon's friendship one of the best on TBBT.
“While All The Popular Kids Are Off Doing Whatever - I Don't Know What They're Doing Because I Was Never There...”
‘The Graduation Transmission'
Penny and Leonard proved they were couple goals when Penny made sure Leonard fulfilled his dream of speaking at his alma mater's graduation. The two planned on flying to New Jersey, but when a storm canceled their flight, Penny made sure Leonard was able to give the speech via Skype.
Leonard was nervous but excited to talk to the younger generation. He mentioned that his hard work paid off because he didn't pay attention to what the "popular kids" were doing. This played right into Leonard's character because he wasn't shy about his "geeky" childhood and many things had changed for him now as an adult.
“Penny, You Don't Want To Get Into It With Sheldon. The Guy's One Lab Accident Away From Being A Supervillain.”
‘The Panty Piñata Polarization’
When Sheldon and Penny got into a disagreement, he banned her from their apartment and put her on thin ice as his friend. Penny was tired of Sheldon's immature ways and did what she could to get revenge against him.
Leonard warned Penny that Sheldon wasn't the kind of guy she wanted to fight with because he was "one lab accident away from being a supervillain." Although the two fought, Penny and Sheldon had one of the best friendships in the series. Leonard's sarcastic and humorous views on Sheldon were the norm for his character.
“I've had it for a couple of years. Not important. Penny, will you marry me?”
‘The Gorilla Dissolution’
One of the best quotes about Leonard and Penny's relationship was when he proposed for the final time. The two had been through a lot as friends, neighbors, and partners, so fans were thrilled when they were both finally ready to be engaged.
Funny enough, when the two agreed to get married, Leonard whipped out an engagement ring from his wallet. Penny asked him where he got it from on such short notice, and he hilariously mentioned that he had it for a "couple of years." This summed up Leonard's character because he had been planning on marrying Penny since the day he met her.
“You Call That A Glow Stick? (Pulls Out a Lightsaber) That Is A Glow Stick!”
‘The Friendship Contraction’
There are plenty of memes that perfectly sum up Sheldon's quirky character. As a control freak, Sheldon lived happily by his roommate agreement and all that came with it. Within the roommate agreement was an emergency preparedness test.
Leonard was bothered by the emergency preparedness test and spent time in Penny's apartment until the power went back on. Instead of using a glow stick, he used a lightsaber from Star Wars to light his path. As a self-proclaimed nerd and Star Wars fan, this quote screamed Leonard.
“But I Don't Think I'll Ever Understand How Someone Like Me Could Get To Be With Someone Like You.”
’The Conjugal Conjecture’
'The Conjugal Conjecture' was one of Leonard and Penny's more important episodes because it shared their second, more formal wedding. Although the couple was fine with their first wedding in Las Vegas, their friends and family wished they were a part of the magic.
In Leonard's vows to Penny, he adorably said that he never understood how he got someone like Penny. Considering Leonard had said things like this since season 1, his feelings for his wife had not changed: he always loved her and felt she was out of his league.
As Soon As She Flies Into California Airspace, I'll Feel A Disturbance In The Force
’The Maternal Combustion’
Leonard and his mother Beverly didn't have the best mother-son moments on TBBT. From the start, Leonard was open about his toxic relationship with his mom and how he never felt good enough for her.
When Penny heard that Beverly was flying into town for a visit, he jokingly told Penny that he felt a "disturbance in the force" whenever she was nearby. Since the two had such a tumultuous relationship, this quote matched Leonard's feelings throughout the show's 12 seasons.
"Twelve Years After High School And I'm Still At The Nerd Table.”
‘The Alien Parasite Hypothesis’
Leonard always considered himself and his friends nerds because of their love for all things comics, science fiction, and science itself.
In 'The Alien Parasite Hypothesis,' Leonard hilariously mentioned that he felt like he was still in high school at the "nerd table" after Howard and Raj battled over whom the superhero and sidekick were in their friendship at the Caltech cafeteria. This led to a series of activities that Leonard grew tired of and judged. However, it made for a hilarious episode.
“Our Babies Will Be Smart And Beautiful.”
‘Pilot’
The moment Leonard met Penny, he knew their babies would be "smart and beautiful" if they ever became romantic. At this time in the series, they were nothing but new neighbors with nothing romantic between them.
In the series finale, Leonard and Penny found out they were pregnant and Sheldon reiterated what Leonard had said years before — their babies would smart and beautiful.