The Mission: Impossible franchise has some of the most quotable lines of the action genre and continues to improve with each new movie. If the James Bond movies set the formula for action movies, the Mission: Impossible films perfected it. Finding the perfect balance between iconic touch-and-go lines and effective punch lines, every entry in the franchise has one or two mic drops, three to five emotional statements, and a bucket of quips.
A major reason for this is the execution. Even the cheesiest lines are given proper context to make them epic or natural-sounding. With so many famous lines from Mission: Impossible, the action gets a whole new meaning. The movies aren’t just about hand-to-hand combat and thrilling stunts: there’s also plenty of thoughtful dialogue. The greatest quotes of the Mission: Impossible franchise are hilarious, brilliant, epic — they reveal a lot about the characters who say them.
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on August 30, 2024: The Mission: Impossible franchise is nearing the release of its highly-anticipated eighth installment, which will finally resolve the cliffhanger ending of Dead Reckoning. While audiences eagerly wait for the next film, they can revisit the previous seven installments, which boast some cleverly written and iconic lines.
25 “Our Lives Are The Sum Of Our Choices…”
Eugene Kittridge, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Our lives are the sum of our choices. And we cannot escape the past.
One of the most prominently featured lines in the marketing for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning was spoken by Henry Czerny’s Eugene Kittridge, who reminds Ethan Hunt that “our lives are the sum of our choices.” He also makes it clear that, no matter how much someone tries, they cannot escape their past.
This haunting line is meant to set up Ethan’s conflict for the remainder of the film, as he struggles to cope with the decisions that he must make to defeat the evil Gabriel and the all-knowing Entity. While he seems to come out on top during the events of Dead Reckoning, Ethan can’t keep running forever — and, sooner or later, the consequences of his decisions will catch up to him.
24 “You Can’t Blame A Girl…”
Grace, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
You can’t blame a girl for trying to make a dishonest living.
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning stars Hayley Atwell as Grace, a pickpocket and con artist who finds herself along for the ride as Ethan Hunt and his team of secret agents take on the artificial intelligence known as the Entity. Grace and Ethan get off on the wrong foot early in the film when he becomes the mark for her thievery. When caught, Grace playfully jibes that she was just trying to make a “dishonest living.”
With this clever twist on an oft-repeated phrase, Grace immediately establishes her character for viewers who are still trying to figure the newcomer out. Witty and untrustworthy, Grace openly admits that her allegiances lie only with herself, adding an extra layer of tension later in the film when the fate of the mission lies in her hands.
23 “I Just Want Everyone To Get Along…”
White Widow, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
I just want everyone to get along. With me, especially.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps actress Vanessa Kirby has a recurring role in the Mission: Impossible franchise, appearing as Alanna Mitsopolis (a.k.a. the White Widow) in Fallout, Dead Reckoning, and the upcoming eighth installment. An arms dealer with no moral code, the White Widow comments that she really just wants to get along with everyone.
Dead Reckoning is filled with terrific one-liners that perfectly sum up individual members of its supporting cast, and the White Widow is no different. In a single line, she establishes that her strategy is to make friends with everyone, thereby always coming out on top, no matter what. Mission: Impossible 8 will see whether she can keep up her game for yet another round.
22 “The Closer Someone Gets To You…”
Eugene Kittridge, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
“The closer someone gets to you, the harder it is to keep them alive.”
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The confrontation between Eugene Kittridge and Ethan Hunt in Dead Reckoning is tense and filled with foreshadowing. During their confrontation, Kittridge reminds Ethan that he has a bad habit of getting close to people, only to discover too late that he cannot protect them from his dangerous life.
Unfortunately, Kittridge’s words prove all too true. By the end of the film, Ilsa Faust is dead — yet another casualty in Ethan Hunt’s neverending wars. Furthermore, with Gabriel and the Entity still at large, Ethan may discover the hard way that he can’t protect his remaining friends from certain doom.
21 “They Always Go Rogue…”
Agent Jasper Briggs, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
“They always go rogue. Him and his merry band of prankster circus freaks.”
Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning‘s surprise standout star is Shea Whigam, who plays Agent Briggs. Throughout the film, Briggs tries to bring Ethan Hunt and his team to justice, only to lose them each time. Upon learning that Ethan’s team has gone rogue yet again, Briggs has some choice words about their unfortunate pattern of delinquency.
Although Briggs clearly doesn’t care for Hunt’s methods, he recognizes the secret agent’s heroism. After seeing the chaos that the Entity created, Briggs lets Ethan go, knowing that he is the world’s best chance at stopping the villainous AI from continuing its rampage.
20 “Kittridge, You’ve Never Seen Me Very Upset.”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible
As the main character, Ethan is the greatest character in Mission: Impossible, but his fragile state of mind only gets worse as the franchise progresses. He’s always willing to give his own life to save the ones he loves, yet somehow, he always ends up losing someone and surviving in the end. This trauma haunts the Mission: Impossible hero since the first movie, when he’s the sole survivor of a mission that targets each and every one of his teammates.
One of Mission: Impossible‘s most famous lines is delivered in an intense dialogue between Ethan and Kittridge in the first movie. Not only does Ethan lose all of his friends, but he’s also accused by his boss of betraying them. The anxiety-inducing scene at a diner is conducted using claustrophobic Dutch angles to intensify what Ethan and Kittridge say to each other. When Kittridge suggests that Ethan is upset, he retorts by claiming Kittridge has never seen him upset, implying that even after everything Ethan’s been through, there’s still space for more anger.
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning
Humor has always been a recurring trademark of the Mission: Impossible franchise, often used to alleviate the tension in each film’s most anxiety-inducing moments. In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Ethan and his team go to Abu Dhabi International Airport in an attempt to retrieve the Sevastopol key, but the task turns out to be harder than they anticipated. Obstacles include an opposing thief, US agents, and suspicious targets.
To focus on his mission, Ethan asks not to be bothered, unaware that a nuclear bomb is threatening to blow up the whole airport. The punch line comes when Benji casually mentions the existence of the deadly device and how they likely won’t disarm it in time. The incident illustrates the strength of Ethan’s position as a leader as seen by his peers, but also puts Ethan in a difficult position, bringing about the grave yet hilarious quote.
18 “If You Care About Him, You Should Walk Away.”
Luther Stickell, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Mission: Impossible – Fallout brings the franchise to a whole new level. This installment is no longer just about the characters facing global-scale threats and saving the world; it’s also about saving themselves. The film opens with Ethan torn between stopping the Apostles and preventing thousands of lives from a tragic fate or saving Luther, his long-time friend who’s been around since the first Mission: Impossible.
The fact that Ethan chooses Luther over his mission adds an emotional depth to the Mission: Impossible franchise that hasn’t been around since Ethan’s wife Julia was introduced in the third movie. In a key moment of Mission: Impossible – Fallout, Luther and Ilsa talk about Ethan’s fate and his relationship with Ilsa. This great Mission: Impossible dialogue is a welcoming breather from non-stop action to delve into the repressed feelings of the characters: Luther breaks down in tears trying to warn Ilsa that, if she loves Ethan, she should let him go. This line hits even harder after Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, where Ethan fails to save Ilsa in time.
17 “I Can Neither Confirm Nor Deny Details Of Any Operation…”
William Brandt, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
I can neither confirm nor deny details of any operation without the Secretary’s approval.
Despite being a newcomer to the team, William Brandt shows his loyalty and commitment time and again. For example, when he’s questioned during a Senate committee hearing in Rogue Nation, he merely gives the same diplomatic reply over and over. Despite the intense questions and the evidence being thrown at him, he refuses to spill the tea on his friends.
Brandt’s dedication already makes this line memorable. What makes it awesome is the movie’s ending. At another Senate committee hearing, he repeats the line one final time, not as a desperate man trying to protect his friends, but as a confident declaration. It’s the perfect cherry to top an impressive victory and makes fans miss Jeremy Renner’s character in Mission: Impossible even more.
16 “Not ‘In’ the Plane…”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Not ‘in’ the plane, ‘on’ the plane.
A signature feature of the Mission: Impossible franchise is the life-threatening stunts Tom Cruise undergoes, including dangling on the outside of a plane as it takes off. Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation springs into action right in the opening scene as Ethan and his team resort to desperate measures to intercept a shipment of nerve gas addressed to the Syndicate.
Technology has saved Ethan multiple times in Mission: Impossible, but Ethan is frequently forced to take matters into his own hands when things don’t go as planned. As Benji fails to hack the plane’s system in time, the Syndicate’s Airbus 400 sets off and Ethan clings to the plane door. The moments before the door opens feel like an eternity, and Ethan leaves his team on the brink of despair when he explains that, as the plane leaves the ground, he’s still “on” the plane.
15 “Mission Accomplished!”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
The climactic fight of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol ends with Ethan crawling out of a crashed car to the button that will disarm a nuclear missile. He pauses a moment before declaring, “Mission accomplished!” and smacking the button. Later on, Ethan and his team laugh about the corny line.
Given that this line was a staple in the old Mission: Impossible TV series, it’s amazing that the filmmakers made three movies before using it. The payoff, however, was excellent. If the filmmakers had tried to force it, it would’ve come off as cheesy. Instead, they waited for the perfect context to use it, which resulted in an epic one-liner and a welcoming nod to the TV series that inspired the Hollywood franchise.
14 “I’m Jumping Out A Window!”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
It wouldn’t be Mission: Impossible without an intense chase scene. The chase scene in Fallout takes Ethan Hunt over rooftops as he tries to follow his team’s directions. When the chase takes him out a window, however, Ethan pauses. This prompts his team to ask what the holdup is, and Ethan shouts, “I’m jumping out a window!”
This line is both relatable and funny because Ethan’s reaction is very human. He’s going to do it, but he needs a moment to build up his courage. What makes it better is that Ethan’s doing it in front of a group of horrified office workers who have no idea what’s going on. What follows is one of the countless great sequences of Ethan running unbelievable distances.
13 “I Am the Storm.”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Mission Impossible – Fallout opens with Ethan Hunt being given a new mission. An unknown agent knocks on his door and recites the beginnings of a passcode: “Fate whispers to the warrior, a storm is coming. And the warrior whispers back…” Ethan finishes the passcode with “I am the storm” and brings his face into the light.
This is one of the most chilling openings of the entire franchise for many reasons. Ethan’s nightmare before receiving the mission, the grimy, rain-soaked night, and the cold, harsh light of the projector in the dark room all create an ominous atmosphere. Ethan’s epic delivery of this line, however, tops it all. No matter how strong evil is, he’s always ready to bring the thunder.
12 “What’s Done Is Done When We Say It’s Done.”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Unlike many other action movie franchises similar to Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise’s protagonist is both a fighter and a planner. Although Ethan Hunt is a tough fighter, he’s also a master strategist. He’s nailed some of his best victories just by using his wits. Audiences are treated to one such victory in Mission: Impossible – Fallout.
The interrogation of Debruuk, a man linked to recent nuclear attacks, is tense and emotional. Ethan desperately needs information and has no choice but to give in to Debruuk’s demands. Debruuk laughs, saying that it won’t help and that what’s done is done — except, it isn’t. Ethan reveals that the entire scene had been a ruse and declares, “What’s done is done when I say it’s done.” Ethan is not a man anyone wants to play poker with.
11 “Human Nature. My Weapon of Choice”
Solomon Lane, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation introduces Solomon Lane, one of the most memorable villains in the franchise. Lane is the antagonist who comes the closest to accomplishing his evil goals, even returning as a secondary villain in the next movie. He’s ruthless, crafty, and single-minded in his goals. He also has some great lines in the movie, but his best is “Human nature. My weapon of choice.”
The line is a perfect mix of arrogance and cynicism. Solomon Lane views human nature as inherently faulty and easy to predict and manipulate. Lane’s villainy is part of what makes Rogue Nation one of the highest-rated Mission: Impossible movies of the franchise. At the same time, he puts himself on a pedestal, seeing himself as being above human weakness. This arrogance becomes Lane’s downfall when he proves just as easy to manipulate as any human.
10 “Light the Fuse.”
Ethan Hunt, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
The image of the burning fuse in the opening credits is a staple of the Mission: Impossible franchise. It was used in the original TV series and the current movies. In Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, however, the filmmakers actually worked that fuse into the movie’s cold opening.
As Ethan escapes with his team, he tells one of them, “Light the fuse.” The audience follows that fuse through the opening credits right up to the explosion. It’s a clever way to pay homage to the spirit of the franchise without making it feel forced or cheesy, and Mission: Impossible‘s theme song kicks in as the icing on the cake.
9 “I Always Spill Red Wine on My White Custom-Made Shirt.”
Owen Davian, Mission: Impossible III
Oh no, it’s fine. I always spill red wine on my white custom-made shirt.
Owen Davian is arguably the scariest villain in the Mission: Impossible movie series, with Lane being a close second. Fans must thank Philip Seymour Hoffman for it, as the actor was famous for giving his heart and soul to supporting performances: Mission: Impossible was more than lucky to have him. The countdown scene in the third film still has audiences biting their nails as Ethan desperately negotiates for his wife’s life. However, he’s not above a little petty grumbling.
Hunt and his team plan to extract Davian, and the plan includes an IMF agent posing as a partygoer who “accidentally” spills wine on his beautiful white shirt. Gentlemen villains would give a polite yet haughty response. Davian, on the other hand, responds rudely and sarcastically. He might be funny to watch sometimes, but he’s definitely not a gentleman.
8 “Just Don’t Chew It.”
Jack Harmon, Mission: Impossible
The Mission: Impossible franchise is full of weird and amazing gadgets, but one of the strangest gadgets is the exploding gum. It looks like an ordinary stick of chewing gum, albeit with fun colors. One half is red, and the other half is green. Smush the two halves together, however, and it explodes.
Jack Harmon, the gadget man, tops his explanation off with an explicit warning: “Just don’t chew it.” The “Red light, green light” line is iconic. This line, however, is one of the funniest lines in the franchise. The ironic understatement accompanied by the actor’s perfect delivery is on point.
7 “We Need Reliable Intelligence, And We Need It Now…”
Alan Hunley, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation
We need reliable intelligence, and we need it now, and this scenario is precisely why IMF exists.
Alan Hunley starts as an antagonistic character. He tries to get the IMF shut down in the fifth movie, Rogue Nation, on the basis that they caused too much collateral damage — at least, that’s what the movie would have audiences believe. At the end of the movie, Hunley is revealed to be one of the IMF’s biggest supporters, pretending to be its enemy to throw the bad guys off the scent.
Alan Hunley continues to be a staunch supporter in the sixth movie, Mission: Impossible – Fallout. When the CIA expresses mistrust of the IMF, Hunley replies with this simple line. It’s an epic moment that makes his death later in the movie all the more heartbreaking, almost as Hunley knew they needed immediacy because he could die at any moment.
6 “Why Won’t You Just Die?”
August Walker, Mission: Impossible – Fallout
One might blame Mission: Impossible‘s plot armor, but the truth is that Ethan Hunt and Lady Luck have always walked with hands held tight. The causality of fate is one of the franchise’s most effective trademarks, often working as a comical relief but also as a powerful narrative device to drive the characters into unbelievable extremes. After all, the “impossible” in the title isn’t there for no reason.
In that sense, Ethan finds himself at death’s door multiple times throughout the Mission: Impossible movies, but a trick of fate added to years of experience always manages to get him back on top. Part of his business is knowing when to take risks. Things don’t work half as well for August Walker in Mission: Impossible – Fallout: he crashes his helicopter, gets beat up, has acid splashed on his face, and ends up dying in the end. Shortly before he meets his tragic fate, Walker unleashes all his frustrations by inquiring Ethan, or perhaps God Himself, why won’t Ethan just die.