Throughout the MCU Spider-Man movies, Ned has been one of the most instrumental figures in Peter’s life and has rightfully taken the position of his best friend. Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Ned return as Spider-Man’s "guy in the chair" however, this time he possessed something he didn’t have previously.
In the third installment, Ned’s adorable and geeky personality is brought to the forefront and his role is more important than ever. From moments of hilarity to sudden heartbreak, Ned’s quotes in Spider-Man: No Way Home are some of the best in the movie.
Ned To Doctor Strange About Magic
"So, How Did You Know You Were Made Of Magic? Because My Nana Says That We Have It In Our Family And Sometimes I Get These Tinglings In My Hands."
The thought of Ned having magic that resembled Doctor Strange’s seemed like a widely far-fetched idea, especially with no training involved. It's safe to say that no one saw Ned’s magical abilities coming, but he certainly proved to be exceptionally useful because of it.
Wondering how Doctor Strange came by his magic, Ned casually asks him because of theories about magic in his own family. Whilst Ned is convinced that he could possess magic, Strange isn’t as easily swayed and shuts him down immediately. The irony is that it took Strange a while to figure out magic, however, Ned later opened a portal with no assistance.
Ned Interrupting Peter And MJ
"Finally Some Privacy. It Is So Crazy Down There. So I Was Thinking When We Get Into MIT, We Should All Live Together!"
They often say three is a crowd, however, it’s hard to agree when the third person is someone like Ned. Although Peter and MJ were now in a romantic relationship, that didn’t change how Ned viewed them and instead, he just found another good friend in MJ.
Trying to escape from the attention, Peter and MJ sneak away to the roof for some privacy. As they are about to kiss, it’s put on pause by the entrance of Ned. His obliviousness to what’s going on around him adds to the hilarity of his character as only he could interrupt a romantic moment and not realize it.
Ned's Excitement In The Undercroft
"Oh Dude I Don’t Care It's Seriously Not A Big Deal, Um. Oh! A Torture Wrack!"
Staying cool when entering the undercroft didn't come naturally to Ned, however, that's a reason why he is one of the most likable characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Seeing all the equipment, Ned can’t believe his luck and is fascinated by everything he lays his eyes on, even if it’s something he could find anywhere.
Completely unbothered by Peter's botched spell, Ned's attention is quickly moved to what he thinks is a torture wrack and he is mesmerized. It’s times like this when Ned’s comedic value is on point, especially when his excitement is actually over a Pilates machine.
Ned Opens A Portal
"I Just Wish We Could See Peter."
The arrival of the alternate Peter Parkers was one of the greatest and most shocking moments in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ned is the one to thank for that. Although their arrival was theorized by most fans, no one could have predicted that Ned would bring them into the MCU.
Wanting to find Peter, Ned says out loud that he wishes to see his best friend. Realizing he can use magic with the Sling Ring; Ned utters this quote and opens a portal for the first time which is nothing short of mesmerizing.
Ned To MJ About Peter 2
"Great, It’s Just Some Random Guy."
The act of bringing the three Spider-Men together is why Ned is now arguably one of the most iconic characters. However, it’s reactions like this that make him one of the best. Realizing they’ve found the wrong Peter Parker; Ned opens another portal in an attempt to find the right one.
As Peter 2 walks through, Ned refers to him as some random guy. Although Ned’s blunt honesty is what makes his character so genuine, it’s hard to imagine a world where Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker is just a random guy.
Ned To The Police After He Is Arrested
"I Would Like To Have My Words Stricken From The Record."
Getting arrested isn’t the ideal situation for anyone, especially not Ned. Despite being an adored character, his goofy and gullible personality often got him in trouble. Ned's arrest meant it wasn’t long before the police knew all about Spider-Man’s past ventures and the part he played.
Revealing himself as Spider-Man’s ‘guy in the chair’, what comes after is one of Ned’s best and funniest quotes from Spider-Man: No Way Home. In classic awkward and nervous Ned fashion, he politely asks the police to disregard what he said to save him from getting in trouble.
Ned's Promise To Peter
"And I Promise You, I Won’t Turn Into A Supervillain And Try To Kill You."
Many fans are speculating that Ned’s development in the Spider-Man narrative is going to take a darker turn, and while this isn’t what anyone wants, Ned doesn’t want it either. Out of curiosity, Ned begins asking the alternate Peters about their best friends and the response isn’t one he liked.
Discovering the tragic story of Peter 2 and Harry Osborne, Ned assures his best friend that he will never hurt him. This is a quote that sums up Ned’s personality perfectly as it demonstrates that Peter can trust him no matter what.
Ned To Peter And MJ About The Multiverse Villains
"Let's Catch Some Multiverse Men."
Whilst Peter is busy being concerned about the botched spell that’s allowed multiverse villains to enter, Ned displays nothing except pure excitement over what’s going on. In doing this, he represents every fans’ feeling on the multiverse becoming a reality.
Bringing MJ and Ned into the undercroft, Peter explains that they need to capture the villains and cure them before sending them back to where they came from. As the trio stands in a line, this iconic quote demonstrates that Ned is more than ready for the task at hand.
Ned And Peter's Final Moments
"Promise?"
The value that Ned holds for the friendship he shares with Peter was evident right until their final moments together as best friends. Whilst MJ and Peter’s goodbye stole the show, it didn’t stop Ned’s heartbreaking reaction to hearing he’ll forget his best friend.
When Peter tells them it’ll all be OK, Ned demonstrates the love he has for Peter by making him promise that they’ll eventually remember him. Watching Peter say goodbye to Ned and MJ was one of the most tearful scenes in Spider-Man: No Way Home and fans can only hope this outcome changes in future movies.
Ned Telling Everyone Who He Is
"I'm Ned Leeds. I'm Spider-Man's Best Friend."
Every hero needs their sidekick; however, Ned was far more than that to Peter. In the MCU’s Spider-Man movies, Ned was the first person to find out Peter’s identity and from that moment, Ned proved countless times that he would do anything for his best friend.
The reveal of Spider-Man’s identity was met with vast amounts of unwanted attention for Peter. Hearing several people shouting at Peter, Ned tells everyone to back off and reveals that he is Spider-Man’s best friend. Although he is known for having incredible comedic value, Ned frequently demonstrated that he would always support his best friend.