Badass Creed/Film

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


  • Dragonheart has something known as the Old Code. It was apparently the creed that King Arthur's knights lived by:

A Knight is sworn to Valor.
 His Heart knows only Virtue.
His Blade Defends the Helpless.
His Strength Upholds the Weak.
His Word speaks only Truth.
His Wrath Undoes the Wicked!

    • It also has an oath of service:

Call when you've need of me.
 Ask what you will of me.
My sword -- and my service -- are yours.

  • Pulp Fiction: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyrannies of evil men..." However, Jules chose it just because it sounds cool, and he's still trying to figure out whether he's the man described in it.
    • This was cribbed from the Sonny Chiba classic "The Bodyguard," one of Tarantino's favorite grindhouse flicks.
  • "At other schools, they send young girls unprepared into a cold merciless world. But here at St Trinian's, it is the merciless world which must be prepared."
    • Arguably, the school songs also qualify. The version from 1954:

Maidens of St Trinian's, gird your armour on.
 Grab the nearest weapon; never mind which one.
The battle's to the strongest; might is always right.
Trample on the weakest; glory in their plight.


St Trinian's! St Trinian's! Our battle cry.
St Trinian's! St Trinian's! Will never die.


Stride towards your fortune boldly on your way,
Never once forgetting there's one born every day.
Let our motto be broadcast: "get your blow in first!"
She who draws the sword last always comes off worst.

    • And the chorus and tag of the song from the 2007 film:

We are the best
 So screw the rest
We do as we damn well please
Until the end
St. Trinian's
Defenders of anarchy


Victorious
Rebellious
We do as we damn well please
Until the end
St. Trinian's
Defenders of anarchy

Lo, there do I see my father

Lo, there do I see my mother and my sisters and my brothers

Lo, there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning

Lo, they do call to me

They bid me take my place among them

In the halls of Valhalla

Where the brave

May live

Forever!

  • 300 used the actual Spartan creed of: "Come home with this shield or upon it." Dead soldiers were carried home on their shields, and victorious ones would carry their shields back, but cowards who ran from battle would throw their heavy shields away.
    • "No retreat! No surrender!"
  • In his last film role in The Shootist John Wayne's character is a gunfighter with this creed. "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same of them!"
  • Tron: "I fight for the users!"
  • The Code of the Jedi...

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

    • ... and of the Sith.

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Force shall free me.

    • The members of the Rebel Alliance get to crib from the Continental Congress for the Declaration of Rebellion:

We, the Rebel Alliance, do therefore in the name--and by the authority--of the free beings of the Galaxy, solemnly publish and declare our intentions:
To fight and oppose you and your forces, by any and all means at our disposal;
To refuse any Imperial law contrary to the rights of free beings;
To bring about your destruction and the destruction of the Galactic Empire;
To make forever free all beings in the galaxy.
To these ends, we pledge our property, our honor, and our lives.

"And Shepherds we shall be
For thee, my Lord, for thee.
Power hath descended forth from Thy hand
Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command.
So we shall flow a river forth to Thee
And teeming with souls shall it ever be.
In Nomine Patri, Et Fili, Et Spiritus Sancti."

"And when I raise my flashing sword
And my hand takes hold in judgment,
I will take vengeance upon mine enemies
And I will repay those who hate me.
O Lord, raise me to Thy right hand
And count me among Thy saints."

    • And another:

"Whosoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. For in the image of God made he man."
"Destroy that which is evil. So that which is good may flourish."
"And I shall count thee among my favored sheep. And you shall have the protection of all the angels in heaven."

"Never shall innocent blood be shed. Yet the blood of the wicked shall flow like a river. The three shall spread their blackened wings and be the vengeful striking hammer of God."

    • And in the sequel, two characters end a speech on manliness with this golden nugget of badassitude:

Rocco: Men do not cry. Men do not pout. Men check you on the fucking jaw, AND SAY...
Det. Greenly: Thanks for coming out! *whack!*

Serve the public trust. Protect the innocent. Uphold the law.

The king and his men, stole the queen from her bed,
And bound her in her bones.
The seas be ours, and by the powers
Where we will, we'll roam.

Yo, ho, altogether,

Hoist the colors high.

Heave, ho, thieves and beggars,

Never shall we die!

"Los Locos kick your ass!"
"Los Locos kick your face!"
"Los Locos kick your balls into ou-ter SPAAAAAACE!"

  • This one:

Anonymity is your name,
Silence your native tongue.
You're no longer part of the System.
You're above the System.
Over it.
Beyond it.
We are "Them."
We are "They."
We are the Men in Black.

  • Crimson Tide has one, sorta.

Ramsey: You're aware of the name of this ship [sic], aren't you Mister COB?
Walters: Very aware, sir!
Ramsey: It bears a proud name, doesn't it Mister COB?
Walters: Very proud, sir!
Ramsey: It represents fine people!
Walters: Very fine people, sir!
Ramsey: Who live in a fine, outstanding state!
Walters: Outstanding, sir!
Ramsey: In the greatest country in the entire world!
Walters: In the entire world, sir!
Ramsey: And what is that name, Mister COB?
Walters: Alabama, sir!
Ramsey: And what do we say?
Ramsey/Walters: Go Bama!
Crew: Roll Tide!

  • The Beast Of War. Sitting in a dead tank in the middle of Afghanistan, with a grenade in his hand:

Daskal: Out of commission, become a pillbox. Out of ammo, become a bunker. Out of time, become heroes.

  • O Lord, bless this Thy hand grenade that with it Thou mayest blow Thine enemies to tiny bits, in Thy mercy.
  • From Tall Tales: "Protect the land, defend the defenseless, and never spit in front of women or children." *spits*
  • From Men of Honor: "The Navy Diver is not a fighting man, he is a salvage expert. If it is lost underwater, he finds it. If it's sunk, he brings it up. If it's in the way, he moves it. If he's lucky, he will die young, 200 feet beneath the waves, for that is the closest he'll ever get to being a hero. Hell, I don't know why anybody'd want to be a Navy diver."
  • In Holy Weapon, Super Sword cites one at the beginning of the climax:

"I am the master of Liu Sang School of martial arts. Now, I make a sincere wish. Hope all the Gods and Evils listen to me. From now on, I will rule over the whole world of martial arts. And I will devote myself to my beloved country. Until our country conquer China. If anyone wants to stop me, I will terminate it with no mercy. I will keep my promise."

  • From Battle: Los Angeles, the 2/5 Marines quote a WWI captain. "Retreat? Hell!"

Ghost rider:(johnny blaze to Mephistopheles after he attempts to take the power of the ghost rider from him) No. I'm gonna own this curse... and I'm gonna use it against you. Whenever innocent blood is spilt, it'll be my father's blood... and you'll find me there. A spirit of vengeance... fighting fire with fire.

Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Badass_Creed/Film?oldid=1171319"