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30 Brandon Sanderson Quotes That Are as Epic as His Novels

30 Brandon Sanderson Quotes That Are as Epic as His Novels

Brandon Sanderson’s words pack a punch as mighty as his epic fantasy tales. I’ve highlighted a bunch of his quotes over the years, but I narrowed the list down to 30 that I absolutely love (and totally not because my editor made me do it)―each one a nugget of wisdom, a slice of life’s big picture, or a spark of inspiration. They’re about picking yourself up, facing your fears, and finding your way―pretty much like the heroes in his books. So, ready for some fantasy lit wisdom? Let’s go.

1. “Life breaks us. Then we fill the cracks with something stronger.”
Oathbringer

Brabdon Sanderson's quote about overcoming life's challenges

2. “Life before Death.
Strength before Weakness.
Journey before Destination.”
The Way of Kings

3. “Every man is a hero of his own story.”
Warbreaker

4. “I will take responsibility for what I have done. If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man.”
Oathbringer

Sanderson quote on self-accountability

5. “You can beat anybody, so long as you don’t let them fight back properly.”
The Bands of Mourning

6. “It has always seemed to me that a coward is a person who cares more about what people say than about what is right. Bravery isn’t about what people call you. It’s about who you know yourself to be.”
― Skyward

7. “The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it? It’s the next one. Always the next step.”
Oathbringer

Brandon Sanderson on perseverance

8. “All stories told have been told before. We tell them to ourselves, as did all men who ever were. And all men who ever will be. The only things new are the names.”
Words of Radiance

9. “No one ever accomplished anything by being content with who they were. We accomplish great things by reaching toward who we could become.”
Rhythm of War

10. “A man is what he has a passion about. I’ve found that if you give up what you want most for what you think you should want more, you’ll just end up miserable.”
The Hero of Ages

Brandon Sanderson's quote about passion and happiness in life

11. “You can’t kill me. I represent that one thing you’ve never been able to kill, no matter how hard you try. I am hope.”
The Final Empire

12. “Failure is refusing to fight. Failure is remaining quiet and hoping someone else will fix the problem.”
Calamity

13. “Do not dash if you only have the strength to walk, and do not waste your time pushing on the walls that will not give. More importantly, don’t shove where a pat would be sufficient.”
Elantris

Brandon Sanderson on resillience

14. “That’s what trust is. It’s about giving someone else power over you. Power to hurt you.”
The Hero of Ages

15. “A man found himself when he was alone. You only had one person to chat with, one person to blame.”
The Bands of Mourning

16. “It’s easy to believe in something when you win all the time. The losses are what define a man’s faith.”
The Well of Ascension

Sanderson on faith through losses

17. “You don’t have to believe in my miracles. You can call them accidents or coincidences if you must. But don’t pity me for my faith. And don’t presume that you’re better, just because you believe something different.”
Warbreaker

18. “Good men can make terrible kings. But bad men cannot make good kings.”
The Well of Ascension

19. “Where there are villains, there will be heroes. Just wait. They will come.”
Steelheart

Brandon Sandersonon heroes and villains

20. “You are so much more than you are willing to accept, child.”
The Well of Ascension

21. “Somebody has to start. Somebody has to step forward and do what is right, because it is right.”
The Way of Kings

22. “Expectations were like fine pottery. The harder you held them, the more likely they were to crack.”
The Way of Kings

23. “Accept the pain, but don’t accept that you deserved it.”
Oathbringer

Sanderson quote on self-worth

24. “The question is not whether you will love, hurt, dream, and die. It is what you will love, why you will hurt when you will dream, and how you will die. This is your choice. You cannot pick the destination, only the path.”
Oathbringer

25. “Yes, I began my journey alone, and I ended it alone. But that does not mean that I walked alone.”
Oathbringer

26. “You should try not to talk so much, friend. You’ll sound far less stupid that way.
The Final Empire

Funny Brandon Sanderson quote

27. “Honor is dead. But I’ll see what I can do.”
Words of Radiance

28. “The most important words a man can say are, ‘I will do better’.”
Oathbringer

29. “The problem with being clever is that everyone assumes you’re always planning something.”
Elantris

30. “Onward, then! To glory and some such nonsense.”
Words of Radiance

Sanderson's funny quote about glory

And that’s a wrap on Sanderson’s fantastic quotes! If you’ve got a favorite, don’t keep it to yourself—share it on social media and give The Rockle a shoutout. And guess what? We’ve got more wisdom from fantasy legends! Check them out:

🔖 Patrick Rothfuss: 10 Epic Quotes
🔖 Hilarious Quotes from Dark Fantasy
🔖 C.S. Lewis’ Wisdom in 10 Quotes
🔖 Neil Gaiman’s Noteworthy Quotes
🔖 J.R.R. Tolkien’s Magic in Quotes
🔖 Wheel of Time’s 20 Best Quotes
🔖 Steven Erikson’s Finest Quotes

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