With the Green Goblin as portrayed by Willem Dafoe making his big return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, now is the perfect time to reflect on the iconic villain. Much like the film itself, Green Goblin paved the way for the future with his delightfully over-the-top performance and sinister quotes.
From threatening Spider-Man's allies to simply relishing in the evil acts he commits, Green Goblin, aka Norman Osborn, brings some kind of remark to go with it. These can range from silly yet intimidating to downright horrific, helping him stand out in the Sam Raimi trilogy, even as a ghost.
After The Green Goblin Tricks Spider-Man
"You’re Pathetically Predictable, Like A Moth To The Flame."
One of Peter Parker's greatest aspects as a person is his selflessness and willingness to charge right into the most dangerous of situations to save innocents. This can also be a weakness as shown when Green Goblin lights an apartment on fire just to lure Spider-Man.
After posing as a woman in peril, Green Goblin surprise attacks Spider-Man and shoves it into his face, "You're pathetically predictable, like a moth to the flame." Fitting for the current environment but also shows that Goblin is willing to take advantage of any weakness to get what he wants.
When The Green Goblin Threatens Spider-Man's Girlfriend
"MJ And I Are Going To Have A Hell Of A Time."
During the final battle, Green Goblin overpowers Spidey and starts to taunt him, telling him that if he hadn't been so selfish, Mary Jane would have died quickly. The Green Goblin then takes it a step further when he says, "Now that you've really pissed me off, I'm gonna finish her nice and slow" in the slimiest manner possible before readying a weapon,
"M.J. and I are gonna have a hell of a time!" Showing just how evil the Goblin side can get but also how overconfident he is since this threat gives Spider-Man a boost of willpower. Going after Spider-Man's love interest is never a bright idea.
When Norman Osborn's Ghost Speaks To Harry
"First, We Attack His Heart."
Willem Dafoe makes a short but welcomed appearance in Spider-Man 3, continuing to be one of the evilest Spider-Man movie villains. When Harry Osborn regains his memory, turning him back into his villainous state, the ghost of his father emerges again, "You know what you must do. Make him suffer. Make him wish he were dead. First, we attack his heart."
Not only is this a great callback to a line from the first movie but Dafoe performs the line even better in Spider-Man 3. He begins the line sounding like normal Norman Osborn but slowly morphs his voice into Green Goblin's voice by the end.
When The Green Goblin Says His Last Words
"Peter... Don't Tell Harry."
Norman Osborn ends up bringing about his own demise, sending his signature glider to kill Spider-Man only for the hero to dodge it. The glider impales Green Goblin to a wall in a surprisingly brutal matter for a Marvel film, leading to his death.
Before he dies, however, he has one last thing to say. But this time as Norman Osborn: "Peter... don't tell Harry." In the end, despite their differences and Norman's unfair treatment of Harry, he still cares for his son and doesn't want him to know the monster he had become.
When The Green Goblin Persona Takes Over Norman Osborn
"Back To Formula?"
The Green Goblin says this quote after the dark personality is born from Norman Osborn's experiment gone wrong. Norman's assistant, being the sensible one, tries to resuscitate his friend and employer. Unfortunately, what awakens is not Norman but a sadistic killer.
The first thing the Green Goblin does is strangle the assistant with one hand before uttering, "Back to formula?" Recalling a previous conversation between the two before throwing him through the hard glass into lab equipment. It's a terrifying first reveal of the villain and he's not even in his suit yet.
When The Board Of Directors Fires Norman Osborn
"You Know How Much I Sacrificed?!"
A plethora of memes spawned from the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, especially from Green Goblin. There is an undeniable cheesiness factor that made the films perfect for memes and one of the most famous ones came from when Norman is fired by the board of directors.
"You can't do this to me. I started this company," Norman says to the board. He responds as anyone would in his situation, but then he escalates things quickly when he shouts, "You know how much I sacrificed?!" As funny as it may be now because of the memes, it still shows how scary the Goblin can be, even when hidden behind Norman.
When Peter Parker Calls Mary Jane On The Phone
"Can Spider-Man Come Out To Play?"
After already traumatizing Aunt May, the Green Goblin takes it a step further by kidnapping Mary Jane. When Peter attempts to call her, he only gets Green Goblin on the receiving end, coyly taunting him with, "Can Spider-Man come out to play?"
It's a bone-chilling delivery by Willem Dafoe. Like many of Spider-Man villains, Green Goblin has many scenes and lines like this that feel out of a horror movie.
When The Green Goblin Threatens MJ And A Car Full Of Kids
"You Never Know When Some Lunatic Will Come Along With A Sadistic Choice."
Taking inspiration from one of Green Goblin's most famous comics, Green Goblin hangs Mary Jane and a tram over a bridge. To torture Spider-Man, he says, "This is why only fools are heroes. You never know when some lunatic will come along with a sadistic choice."
And he gives him a choice between the two, his love or a tram of innocent children. Goblin was definitely right about one thing, it is a sadistic choice, especially since he drops both, forcing Spider-Man to act on the spot.
When The Green Goblin Attacks Aunt May
"Finish It!"
Attacking Aunt May is probably the most despicable thing to do in a Spider-Man story, especially when Green Goblin attacks her in her own home while she's praying. As May says, "Deliver us..." the Goblin bursts through a wall, making her scream while he commands, "Finish it!" A traumatized Aunt May yelps, "From evil!" while the Goblin cackles maniacally.
It's a horrifying scene that can terrify children and is an example of how a performance can elevate a character. Even though Green Goblin has one of the weakest of the Spider-Man movie villain designs, Willem Dafoe manages to still make the character intimidating.
When The Green Goblin Tries To Get In Spider-Man's Head
"In Spite Of Everything You’ve Done For Them, Eventually They Will Hate You. Why Bother?"
Every good villain has a proper speech to give to the hero. Paralyzed on a rooftop, Spider-Man is forced to listen to Green Goblin talk about how the people will turn against him. "They found you amusing for a while, the people of this city. But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail. Fall. Die trying."
It's a speech reminiscent of Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight, especially when he tops it off with, "In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually, they will hate you. Why bother?"