I Was Born Ready

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

The Hero and a friend, usually The Lancer are preparing to do something dangerous. Nerves are strained and tension is high. Before they go do the dangerous thing, The Lancer turns to The Hero and asks "Are you ready?" The response is always "I Was Born Ready."

A variation where The Hero asks The Lancer if they're ready is common, and the wording can vary.

Examples of I Was Born Ready include:

Film

Ocean: "Are you ready?"
Benedict: "I was born ready." (Ocean waits until he turns away, then rolls his eyes at the cliche)

Chris: You ready to do this?
Samantha James: I was born ready, bitch!

Dracula: Blade, ready to die?
Blade: I was born ready, motherfucker!

  • A variation of this occurs in the film adaptation of Astro Boy.

Dr. Tenma: Son, are you ready?
Astro: I was made ready!

Tsunaron: "Are you ready?"
Kay-Em 14: "I was built ready, baby."

Literature

Varl: I was born ready. Well, actually, I was born horny; I didn't get ready until I reached puberty.

Live Action TV

Tim: Are you ready?
Mike: I was born ready.
Tim: Yeah, but are you ready now?
Mike: Errrm.... Yeah

  • Subverted in Chuck: "I was born ready," "I was born premature."
    • And again "I was born re... well, no, I wasn't born ready, but I'm ready now."
  • Used in The Incredible Hulk episode "Stop the Presses".
  • Appears in the Knight Rider episode "Knight Moves".

Web Comics

Red Mage: "I was born ready."
Fighter: "I was born naked and screaming."
Black Mage" "If all goes according to plan, you'll die like that too."

Mel: Ready?
Dewey: I was born ready. After that, everything went downhill.

Web Original

  • Dr. Insano says this in episode five of Kickassia.
  • Grif, official slacker of Red vs. Blue :"I was born to take it easy." The advertise for a T-shirt with the quote actually says:"Never again be confused as the kind of person who was "born ready" or "born yesterday."

Western Animation

  • Bender in Futurama, "Raging Bender": "I was built ready!"