The 100 is one of those well-written series that tends to tackle difficult but relevant topics -- and as such, it leaves its viewers with more than a few quotable moments each season. The show's fifth season in particular took the story to one of the darkest and most interesting places it's gone, jumping ahead five years to explore the aftermath of Praimfaya.
In that time, the characters in the underground bunker were forced to make terrible choices to survive. And with war looming over the only one survivable valley left on Earth, our characters are forced to question what's worth doing to survive.
Here are 10 of the best quotes from The 100's fifth season.
"A warrior needs a war. An enemy. On the Ark, we made death the enemy. That's how we survived."
Octavia's early days in the underground bunker aren't easy from a leadership standpoint. The grounders don't respect her, and Skaikru doesn't either -- leaving her in quite a predicament about how to ease the tensions going forward.
And when Skaikru hijacks part of the bunker and the grounders want to wipe them out, it becomes clear that Octavia needs to take command. She laments that she isn't a leader, but is instead a warrior, and Jaha tells her this. He gives her something to fight -- even if it's an unbeatable entity like death -- and it enables her to take control.
"Saving our people is about more than keeping them alive."
Kane appears to be the voice of reason in the bunker, and his sentiment that saving humanity is about more than just keeping their people alive is one Octavia and the other Wonkru leaders don't necessarily want to face.
But Kane is right that saving their people means doing the right thing as well as ensuring they live to see tomorrow -- and it's people like Kane who see that humanity deserves to survive after all they've done.
"We all have things to answer for. Things that shouldn't be forgiven but are. Because we did them for our people -- our family."
When Bellamy and Clarke find what's left of humanity on Earth, they're shocked to see how much has changed. In particular, Bellamy has trouble understanding who Octavia has become over the past five years. And he especially takes issue with her unwillingness to forgive and accept Echo based on his word.
After Octavia recounts all the terrible things Echo has done, Bellamy tells her that they "all have things to answer for." His quote rings true because so many of the characters on The 100 have done unspeakable things to protect the people they care about. And sometimes, it's difficult to blame them.
"If a war is the only way to have the last survivable land on Earth, then maybe we don't deserve it."
The 100 is constantly raising the question of whether or not humanity deserves to survive, and Monty's statement in "Acceptable Losses" addresses that question once more. With Octavia and Diyoza prepared to destroy the last survivable land -- the very land they're fighting over -- Monty says that they might not deserve that land.
After all, do human beings really deserve to survive if they're willing to throw away their chance at living over pride and petty squabbles?
"The farmers won't save the world, Monty. The warriors will."
Despite the fact that Octavia was clearly wrong in saying this, it's definitely one of the more interesting lines from The 100's fifth season. In becoming Blodreina, Octavia lost the girl who believed in peace -- and in her desperation to leave behind her life in the bunker, she pushes adamantly for a war with the Eligius prisoners.
When Monty suggests remaining in the bunker and growing food there, just like he and his friends did in space, Octavia tells him that farmers won't save the world. Instead, she insists that the warriors will, holding steadfastly to her belief that war is the only solution.
"You may be the Commander, but I'm the Commander of Death. And I say we will meet again."
Clarke always has great lines, but this one speaks to how far both she and Madi have come. When she agrees to let Madi embrace her role as the Commander and save her people, the two share a heartfelt goodbye with one another. And when Madi suggests they could never see each other again, Clarke tells her that's "not possible."
"You may be the Commander, but I'm the Commander of death," Clarke explains. Her reference to Wanheda shows that she's still the Clarke who can make hard choices, but her love for Madi highlights the new person she's become.
"My brother, my responsibility."
Bellamy spends much of The 100's early seasons saying, "My sister, my responsibility," so we suppose it was only a matter of time before Octavia countered with this quote.
What's truly heartbreaking is that she says this right before running off to sacrifice herself for him. Even as Blodreina, Octavia always cared for her brother -- and this moment is proof of that. (And thankfully, she doesn't wind up actually sacrificing herself after all.)
"You can execute them because they're the enemy, or you can break the cycle. You can be better than them. You can be better than us. The choice is yours, Heda."
This quote from Bellamy brings the first five seasons of The 100 full circle, and it finally sees the grounders and Skaikru making a new decision and taking the path of peace.
Breaking the cycle is exactly what Madi needed to do in this moment, and it would certainly help in many real-world conflicts as well. Perhaps Bellamy should come give this speech in our world as well.
"Your mistake was liking it. Power. It's the kiss of death."
Diyoza tells Octavia this after humanity has managed to end the world a second time -- and of course, the second apocalypse is largely these two characters' faults.
While Octavia broods over losing her people, Diyoza explains that this happened because she enjoyed having power. And we can't argue it: Most people who revel in power aren't truly suited for it.
"I hope we do better there. I hope Jasper was wrong and we aren't the problem. I hope your lives there will be as happy as mine have been. Be the good guys."
These are the final lines of The 100's fifth season, and they come from a recording of Monty, who has managed to uncover a new planet and save his friends one last time. In saving them, though, he does ask them to make better choices on their new home. And it's an understandable request given their track record.
"Be the good guys" also clearly references all the times the characters have insisted that "there are no good guys" in order to justify their terrible actions. Monty's speech is a call for them to stop making excuses and finally do the right thing.