Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix show Love, Death & Robots.
The recently released third volume of Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots has unsurprisingly sparked numerous discussions and debates among fans. The anthology series is known for its cutting-edge animation and mind-bending stories, not to mention some of its characters’ unforgettable lines.
The best quotes from the series often perfectly capture its well-written characters’ personalities, as well as the dystopian or futuristic concept that a particular episode is tackling. From Sonnie’s revelation about her edge to Io’s poetic ruminations, the most remarkable lines from the show will stay with fans long after they’re done binge-watching its riveting episodes.
Sonnie:
“Every Time I Step Into That Ring, I'm Fighting For My Life – That Fear Is My Edge.”
Love, Death & Robots starts with a bang with its very first episode ‘Sonnie’s Edge.’ It follows the story of the titular character who is initially depicted as remotely controlling her bio-engineered “Beastie.” A tense confrontation against someone who attempts to bribe her after the match proves that isn’t true.
The show gives fans its first-ever plot twist when Sonnie brutally murders the duo trying to bribe her. It turns out she’s actually the beast, with her human body being nothing more than a robotic facade. “That fear of death” is her edge – every fight could be her last.
Rob:
“Tactical Nukes Are Going Off In Our Refrigerator And You Want Me To Calm Down?”
When Rob and Gail move in together in ‘Ice Age,’ they find an unexpected roommate in their refrigerator. A “lost civilization” that starts from the titular ice age and ends when the creatures learn interstellar travel perplexes the couple, with Rob taking it particularly hard when they start waging wars.
A huge blast almost blinds Rob and leaves him feeling a bit emotional, leading to a small argument with Gail. He’s likely reacting to the eerie similarities between what’s going on in his freezer and in real human history, feeling discouraged when things seem to be going downhill for his tiny civilization.
Greta:
“I Care For All The Lost Souls That End Up Here.”
‘Beyond the Aquila Rift’ tells one of the scariest stories in the series, even though it doesn’t initially seem that way. In fact, the protagonist Thom seems to be incredibly lucky to be reunited with his old flame Greta after overshooting and landing lightyears away from earth, with no hope of ever returning.
The spine-chilling twist in the episode is that Greta isn’t exactly who she says she is, as she later admits that Thom is in a simulation. Her ominous line about caring “for all the lost souls” that “end up” there couldn’t prepare viewers for the creepy revelation that follows next – ‘Greta’ is a terrifying spider-like alien feeding Thom a blissful dream in an endless loop, just like she has for several others.
Yan:
“What I Want Is To Hunt, Hunt The Men Who Think They Can Own Us, The Men Who Perpetrate Evil, But Call It Progress.”
Yan may have lost her magic in ‘Good Hunting,’ but her friendship with Liang makes it possible for her to defend herself and others against the violent colonizers. She can no longer stand by and watch them take advantage of her vulnerable fellow citizens.
Just like she used to hunt animals, she begins to hunt “the men who perpetrate evil,” using her technologically-enhanced body to leap from one building to another and pursue wrongdoers. Her powerful words reflect her unwavering determination, rooted in ancient customs that have been transformed to fit the modern age.
Zima Blue:
“Sometimes, It Is Difficult Even For Me To Understand What I Have Become, And Harder Still To Remember What I Once Was.”
Audiences who can appreciate philosophical movies likely enjoyed ‘Zima Blue,’ a fan-favorite episode that delves into the titular character’s art, motivations, and origin story. After hiding away from reporters for a hundred years, the famous artist gives a journalist an exclusive story that chronicles his shocking past as an unintelligent machine and his goal of going back to a simpler form.
The profound loneliness he feels is obvious when he says how “difficult” it is for him “to understand what” he has become. Years of piling on more technological advancements have turned him into something beyond human and completely alien, isolating him from the rest of the world in the process.
Ugly Dave:
“You Hang Around A Dump Long Enough, And The World Comes To You.”
Nobody should ever underestimate “a dump,” as everything someone like Ugly Dave could need “comes to” him in ‘The Dump.’ The city inspector learns this the hard way when he tries to shut Dave’s dump down, insulting his stories about the muck creature Otto while he does.
Ugly Dave knows better than anyone that a dump can hold treasures, which apparently includes the murderous beast that kills the protagonist’s latest enemy. It’s an absurd situation that would be funny if it wasn’t so terrifying, with the ending giving a whole new meaning to Dave’s line about hanging “around a dump long enough.”
Decker:
“I May Be An Animal, But I'm Done Wearing Your Leash.”
His best friend’s death is the last straw for Decker in ‘Shape-Shifters.’ He finally realizes that it’s not worth fighting battles for humans who don’t see his kind as capable of feeling and caring for others. When his superior insults him for being “a f*****g animal” and “not a soldier” while he’s carrying Sobieski’s corpse, his snappy response captures the frustration he feels at that moment.
His declaration of being “done wearing” the leash could signal the start of a mass exodus of werewolves from human camps. Decker promises to see his friend “in the wild,” implying that he’s going back to his true form and home.
Alexandria Stephens:
“Why Pay Two When One Will Do?”
‘Helping Hand’ is an underrated Love, Death & Robots episode that obviously critiques corporate greed and shows its potential consequences through a revolting event. The astronaut Alex is sent out into space alone and hints at her own impending accident by joking with her ground controller about the “penny pinchers” who are the executives in their company.
No one is around to help Alex when debris knocks her away from her ship. With dangerously low oxygen levels and no other tools around, she gets desperate enough to break her own arm and use it to propel her back into the ship. All of those painful scenes could have been avoided had they just chosen to “pay two.”
Cat:
“Who Were You Expecting? Elon Musk?!”
There’s a brilliant throwback to the comedic plot twist in the first ‘Three Robots’ episode in its continuation in Volume 3, ‘Three Robots: Exit Strategies.’ After the titular characters discover that someone made it out of the planet and onto Mars, they wonder out loud who it could be.
A gut-busting surprise is waiting for fans at the end of the episode where it’s revealed that the genetically-modified cats from season 1 made it to Mars, not the tech billionaires who all went extinct after inadvertently starting “the robot uprising.”
Io:
“And Now I See With Eye Serene, The Very Pulse Of The Machine.”
‘The Very Pulse of the Machine’ is making waves in the fandom thanks to its moving story and mind-blowing visuals. Whether it’s a part of astronaut Martha Kivelson’s dying dream or an actual being, Io provides connection and comfort to the desperate character, claiming that they’re using the little “semi-intact” part of her dead colleague’s brain to communicate.
Io quotes the poet, William Wordsworth, drawing from Burton’s memory to say the line “and now I see with eye serene, the very pulse of the machine.” The quote speaks volumes about the being itself, as it claims to be a machine who wants “to know” Kivelson. It may operate like a machine, but its “very pulse” implies that it’s an intelligent being with consciousness, offering hope to Kivelson in the face of death.