George R.R. Martin really knows his way around a killer line, doesn’t he? From Tyrion’s zingers to those cold, hard truths from the North, I’ve picked out 30 quotes from A Song of Ice and Fire that hit the mark every time. So, let’s jump right in and relive some of the most memorable moments from a series that turned fantasy lit on its head. Enjoy!
1. “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.”
― A Game of Thrones
2. “Give me the wisdom to know what must be done and the courage to do it.”
― A Dance with Dragons
3. “When you play a game of thrones you win or you die.”
― A Game of Thrones
4. “‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’
‘That is the only time a man can be brave’.”
― A Game of Thrones
5. “Crowns do queer things to the heads beneath them.”
― A Clash of Kings
6. “Some old wounds never truly heal, and bleed again at the slightest word.”
― A Game of Thrones
7. “There is no creature on earth half so terrifying as a truly just man.”
― A Game of Thrones
8. “Why is it that when one man builds a wall, the next man immediately needs to know what’s on the other side?”
― A Game of Thrones
9. “I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things.”
― A Game of Thrones
10. “‘What do we say to the Lord of Death?’
‘Not today’.”
― A Game of Thrones
11. “If I look back I am lost.”
― A Game of Thrones
12. “Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords. Quick as a snake. Calm as still water.”
― A Game of Thrones
13. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― A Dance with Dragons
14. “I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men.”
― A Clash of Kings
15. “Valar Morghulis.”
― A Clash of Kings
16. “The night is dark and full of terrors.”
― A Clash of Kings
17. “I prefer my history dead. Dead history is writ in ink, the living sort in blood.”
― A Feast for Crows
18. “The brightest flame casts the darkest shadow.”
― A Clash of Kings
19. “I will hurt you for this. I don’t know how yet, but give me time. A day will come when you think yourself safe and happy, and suddenly your joy will turn to ashes in your mouth, and you’ll know the debt is paid.”
― A Clash of Kings
20. “He who hurries through life hurries to his grave.”
― A Clash of Kings
21. “A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep.”
― A Game of Thrones
22. “Only lies offend me, never honest counsel.”
― A Storm of Swords
23. “The north remembers.”
― A Dance with Dragons
24. “Winter is coming.”
― A Game of Thrones
25. “Women do not forget. Women do not forgive.”
― A Dance with Dragons
26. “Some gave me soft words and some blunt, some made excuses, some promises, some only lied. In the end words are just wind.”
― A Clash of Kings
27. “Every man should lose a battle in his youth, so he does not lose a war when he is old.”
― A Feast for Crows
28. “Some doors are best left closed.”
― A Feast for Crows
29. “People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it’s served up.”
― A Clash of Kings
30. “We look up at the same stars and see such different things.”
― A Storm of Swords
Alright, that’s it for George R.R. Martin’s epic words! Liked what you read? Share it on your socials and give The Rockle a shoutout. We’d love to see your faves. And hey, we’ve got more where that came from! Check out these fantasy quote collections:
🔖 Patrick Rothfuss: Wisdom in Words
🔖 Dark Fantasy Funnies: Quick Quotes
🔖 Mark Lawrence’s Finest Quotes
🔖 Neil Gaiman’s Memorable Quotes
🔖 Tolkien Words That Shaped Worlds
🔖 Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Wisdom
🔖 Steven Erikson’s Legendary Quotes