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''Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,''
''And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks''
''That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!''
|''King [[Henry V]]'', Act 4 Scene iii, by [[William Shakespeare]], giving us the [[Trope Codifier]]}}
[[La Résistance]] is about to be crushed by [[The Empire]]. The [[Ragtag Bunch of Misfits]] sports team is way behind at halftime. The [[Dork Horse Candidate]] has just seen their opponent make a strong point in the political debate, to enthusiastic applause. The opposing attorney in the [[Law Procedural|courtroom drama]] has just made their argument with laser-like precision. The [[MacGuffin]] was seized by the [[Mook]]s, and [[Losing the Team Spirit|the team sees no way to recover it or succeed without it]].
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{{examples}}
==
* ''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann]]'' is pretty much the embodiment of this trope. The first comes in episode eight, and things just grow from there. The best definitely goes to Simon {{spoiler|once he overcomes Kamina's death}}. His speech and his [[Theme Music Power-Up]] together are ''extremely'' rousing. Essentially every line Simon has in the last three episodes is one of these.
{{quote|'''Kamina:''' Simon...never forget. Believe in yourself. Not in the Simon that I believe in. Not in the Kamina that you believe in. Believe in the Simon...who believes in you!}}
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{{quote|"My friends, it has often been said that I like war. My friends, I like war. My friends, I ''love'' war."}}
*** The speech then goes on for ten minutes detailing exactly how much he [[Blood Knight|loves war.]] Clue: [[Captain Obvious|It's a lot.]]
* ''[[Pokémon]]''. Mewtwo plus an army of genetically altered (read: enhanced) Pokemon. Imminent extermination of the human race. [[Unflinching Walk|Enter Ash Ketchum with dozens of "ordinary" Pokemon in tow]]. Horribly outnumbered and outgunned. "You can't do this. [[
* In the last episode of ''[[Last Exile]]'', between the overwhelming enemy forces and {{spoiler|indiscriminate attacks of Exile}}, the final battle threatens to turn into a war of attrition. Sophia responds that this ''is'' a war of attrition, and lays out in no uncertain terms that no matter how much they have to throw into this battle, no matter how much they have to sacrifice, this is their last chance to overthrow the Guild. "[[Foe-Tossing Charge|TARGET]]: [[The Caligula|MAESTRO]] [[Big Bad|DELPHINE]]!"
* Parodied in ''[[Full Metal Panic!|Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu]]'' when Kaname inspires her fellow students to assault the booby-trapped hill where Sousuke is hiding because they need him as an artist's model. "For the sake of our lost comrades! For the sake of our own human dignity! And above all, for the sake of [[Serious Business|everybody's grades!]]" Kurz gives a similar speech when inspiring his comrades to assault a Sousuke-protected hill...in order to perv on the girls while they're [[Hot Springs Episode|naked in a hot spring]].
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{{quote|''A fortress can be rebuilt. However... this is Marineford, an island situated almost exactly in the center of the entire world. To the people of the world, who live in fear of evildoers coming and going amongst them, the true meaning lies in our position in this place! Our universal justice will never fall! Don't talk big about things like sinking this place,'' '''you damned punk!'''}}
==
* Ultimate Captain America in ''Ultimates #1''. World War II, and Cap's soldiers are assaulting a Nazi superscience bunker. They're being slaughtered by defenses ... until Captain America ''crashes the transport plane into it - and survives.'' As he climbs out, he waves the troops forward, proclaiming ''"What are you ladies waiting for - Christmas?!"''
** "Cap says [[Badass|parachutes are for girls]]"
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* At the end of volume one of ''[[Kill Shakespeare]]'', Juliet gives a long one to the rebellion as they go to take down [[Richard III]].
== [[Fan Works]] ==
* In the ''[[My Little Pony:
{{quote|"We have come '''too far'''- we have seen and done '''too much'''- to be turned aside now!" She stared hard at them, her deep blue eyes sparkling not with charm or delight but with barely-restrained fury. "We are not going to be turned aside! Not after everything we've been through! Haven't we crossed over mountains and plains, through rivers and forests? We have! We've won the praise of the Lady of the Shimmerwood! We'll have our names etched in the Stone of Gildedale!" She fixed Applejack with a stare. "Applejack! You faced the King of Gildedale in all his pomp, in all his pride and told him he was wrong! And you '''proved''' it!" She swiveled her gaze to Dash. "Rainbow Dash! You entered the Dreaming with the pronghorns and you '''mastered''' their lightning magic, something only one other pony has ever done! And you mastered yourself!" She took a deep breath. "And I! I looked into Lady Falalauria's eyes when they '''burned''' with fury and I told her to '''trust''' me! And she did!" She was panting. "We! Are! Not! '''GOING'''!"}}▼
* The one Twilight Sparkle delivers in chapter 17 of ''[[Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'' is also glorious:▼
{{quote|'''Twilight Sparkle''': We have to stand together once more, but this time, not as earth ponies. Not as unicorns. Or pegasi. We must stand together as the ponies of Equestria! It’s true that, on the outside, each of us is different. We live in different parts of Equestria, we have different names, we look differently. But... we have fought, suffered and died together! Deep inside, in our hearts and souls, we are all children of this land! We cannot ignore the time when our land is in danger. We must fight! We must have courage! I don’t know if you will decide to follow me or not, but I want to live in Equestria with my friends! That’s why I ''will'' keep fighting! To the bitter end, if it must be! [...] Everypony, we’re gonna take back Canterlot today! Let us make haste! The sun and the moon will lead our way to victory! Know that this is not the day we will surrender! This is not the day we fall! This day we ''fight''! [[Battle Cry|FOR EQUESTRIA!!!]]}}▼
* From the third chapter of the ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' [[Alternate Universe]] [[Mega Crossover]] fanfic ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7455421/1/Neon_Knights Neon Knights]'', we have one from Shinji Ikari that crosses this with [[Do Not Go Gentle]] and [[Dare to Be Badass]] delivered to his [[Original Generation]] mecha while starting it up:▼
{{quote|"So you're the first of the Neon Knights. Zero-One. Or should I call you John Henry? I don't know if you can understand me, but Earth is in danger. And [[Arc Words|the hope of the world]] rests firmly on our shoulders. I can try, but I know I won't be able to keep it up on my own. And that's why I'm asking you, John Henry, to ''join'' me. [[In the Name of the Moon|In the name of mankind]], let us ''fight'' the evil aliens that are coming to purge us from the universe! Together, we will stand against the forces of darkness, you and I. And united, we will emerge VICTORIOUS! [[Chewing the Scenery|JOHN HENRY! BORN OF STEEL AND BUILT BY HOPE! FIGHT ALONGSIDE ME FOR OUR FUTURE]]! [[My Name Is Inigo Montoya|My name… is Shinji Ikari]]! [[Kamen Rider Den-O|With our strength, let's wipe away the tears of mankind]] and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow! [[Kamen Rider Kiva|WAKE UP]]! JOHN HENRY! AWAKEN AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE BIRTH OF [[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes|EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO]]! ON THIS DAY IS BORN THE '''[[GaoGaiGar|KING OF BRAVES]]'''! [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|JUST WHO ON EARTH....]] ''''''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|DO YOU THINK WE ARE]]?'''''"}}▼
==
* ''[[Newsies]]'' has a pretty epic one at the point when everything has fallen and the Newboys felt they had been betrayed by Cowboy and abandoned by Denton. You can watch it [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI6h8SiWL3A here.] It is delivered as a pamphlet rather than a speech.
* ''[[Aguirre, the Wrath of God]]'' ends with Aguirre giving one of these, combined with his mad vision to conquer the Spanish Empire, to his crew - who are either dead or insane - himself, and a swarm of tiny monkeys. There is also a Rousing Speech (or at least one ''intendend'' to be rousing) in the first phase of the movie, when Aguirre goads the soldiers to mutiny. But both speeches are subversions of the trope, because 1. Aguirre is the evil guy, 2. his speeches make no effort to hide or euphemize his and his listeners' selfish and non-sublime motives (they all are only out for money and fame), and 3. many of the soldiers are not actually "roused", but only follow Aguirre out of fear of him and his accomplices. The last "speech" is actually partly an inner monologue, partly an address to monkeys instead of people, which leads the trope to absurdity.
* Played straight in ''[[Airplane!]]!'' and subverted in ''
* In ''[[Animal House]]'':
** Bluto's (John Belushi's) speech leading to the sabotage of the parade, is an almost perfect parody of this trope, laced with fiery rhetoric, cliches that were already hackneyed by the 1960's, and garbled historical references.
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** A less-famous example from the same movie is Otter's address to the disciplinary council, which inspires the entire gang to walk out of the proceedings, ignore the closure of their fraternity, and hum the Star Spangled Banner:
{{quote|'''Otter:''' Ladies and gentlemen, I'll be brief. The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests. We did. But you can't hold a whole fraternity responsible for the behavior of a few, sick twisted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn't we blame the whole fraternity system? And if the whole fraternity system is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you, Greg - isn't this an indictment of our entire American society? Well, you can do whatever you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!}}
* Beavis humorously inverts this in ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head|Beavis and Butthead
{{quote|'''Beavis:''' WE'RE NEVER GONNA SCORE! WE'RE NEVER GONNA SCORE! WE'RE NEVER GONNA SCORE...!
'''Bus Driver:''' ALRIGHT!!! THAT'S IT!!! * tackles Beavis to the floor* }}
* ''[[Back to School]]'' has Rodney Dangerfield reciting the Dylan Thomas poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night" from memory after almost giving up during his oral exams. He then goes on to (barely) pass.
* Dan Aykroyd, in ''[[Blues Brothers
** Another one after they've run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, and all but the main three are thinking of just giving up -
{{quote|'''Elwood Blues''': ''[addressing the rest if the band]'' You may go if you wish. But remember this...walk away now and you walk away from your crafts, your skills, your vocations; leaving the next generation with nothing but recycled, digitally-sampled techno-grooves, quasi-synth rhythms, pseudo-songs of violence-laden gangsta-rap, acid pop, and simpering, saccharine, soulless slush. Depart now and you forever separate yourselves from the vital American legacies of Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Jimmy Reed, Memphis Slim, Blind Boy Fuller, Louie Jordon, Little Walter, Big Walter, Sonnyboy Williamson I and II, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Lieber and Stoller, and Robert K. Weiss.
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{{quote|'''Major Kong''': "(... ) [T]his thing turns out to be half as important as I figure it just might be, I'd say that you're all in line for some important promotions an' personal citations when this thing's over with. That goes for every last one of ya, regardless of your race, color, or your creed. Now, let's get this thing on the hump. We got some flyin' to do."}}
* Viciously subverted in ''[[Glengarry Glen Ross]]''. "Coffee's for closers only."
* Subverted with terrific cruelty in ''[[High Noon]]'', in the church.
* In ''[[Independence Day]]'', President Whitmore gives such a speech before he and the other pilots get into their planes for their battle. His speech ends like this:
{{quote|'''President Whitmore''': [...] This will be remembered as the day that the world declared with one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We are going to live on! We are going to survive! Today! We celebrate! Our [[Title Drop|Independence Day]]!}}
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* ''[[Transformers: The Movie]]''. Twice. With [[Theme Music Power-Up]]. "AUTOBOTS! Transform and roll out!"
** And in the recent [[Michael Bay]] [[Transformers (film)|film]], Optimus gives a speech on their obligation to help the humans, before they do the car equivalent of the [[Power Walk]]. The Decepticons have a team-up montage at the same time, so you ''know'' it's on.
* Let's see, there's ''[[Braveheart]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]: The Return of the King'' (twice!), ''[[Gladiator (film)|Gladiator]]'', ''[[300]]'', the list goes on and on. This happens in pretty much every movie that features large-scale battles involving sharp objects. And if the guy is on a horse, riding up and down in front of his ranks while giving the speech, all the better.
** Selections from the ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film)|Lord of the Rings]]'' trilogy:
*** From ''Return of the King'', when Theoden, prior to the charge of the Rohirrim, effectively tells his men, "You wanna live forever? I thought not! Let's go kill some bad guys and get our throats cut!" See Northern Heroism under Mythology below.
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*** Likewise from ''The Two Towers'':
{{quote|'''Theoden''': Let this be the hour when we draw swords together. Fell deeds awake. Now for wrath! Now for ruin! And a red dawn! ''FORTH ÉORLINGAS!''}}
*** [[The Lord of the Rings|Sean Astin]] from ''Two Towers'' on is an absolute master of these speeches.
{{quote|'''Frodo:''' "I can't do this, Sam."
'''Sam:''' "I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand! I know now! Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't! They kept going! Because they were holding on to something."
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'''Sam:''' "That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for!" }}
** Suberverted in ''300'', as Leonidas does not seek to lead his men to victory, knowing full well that their defeat is inevitable, but encourages them to meet it with courage. Additionally, played straight at the very end of the film, at the Battle of Platea.
* ''[[Knute Rockne, All
{{quote|'''Rockne:''' And the last thing he said to me, "Rock," he said, "sometime when the team is up against it and the breaks are beating the boys, tell them to go out there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock", he said - "but I'll know about it - and I'll be happy."
'''Player # 12:''' Well, what are we waiting for? }}
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* Jason has a minor one to convince his friends to solve a murder in ''[[Mystery Team]]''.
* ''[[Avatar (film)|Avatar]]'': Jake's speech to the Omatikaya to unite the clans, with Tsu'tey translating for those who don't speak English. The film also implies similar speeches at the other clans, although they aren't heard.
{{quote|'''Jake:''' The Skypeople have sent us a message; that they can take whatever they want, and no one can stop them. But we will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other clans to come. You tell them Toruk Makto calls to them. You fly now, with me, my brothers, my sisters, and we will show the skypeople that they can not take whatever they want, and that this... [[
* In ''[[Harry Potter and
* In ''[[Deep Impact]]'', the president gives a speech to restore hope to the world after the impact of a comet with Earth:
{{quote|'''The President:''' We watched as the bombs shattered the second comet into a million pieces of ice and rock that burned harmlessly in our atmosphere and lit up the sky for an hour. Still, we were left with the devastation of the first. The waters reached as far inland as the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. It washed away farms and towns, forests and skyscrapers. But, the water receded. The wave hit Europe and Africa too. Millions were lost, and countless more left homeless. But the waters receded. Cities fall, but they are rebuilt. And heroes die, but they are remembered. We honor them with every brick we lay, with every field we sow, With every child we comfort, and then teach to rejoice in what we have been re-given. Our planet. Our home. So now, let us begin.}}
▲== Literature ==
* The unnamed U.S. President (implied to be Colin Powell) in ''[[World War Z]]'' gives one of these with a less then lukewarm reception. [[Downplayed Trope|It still gets the job done.]]
* Tyrion Lannister in ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' gets a few of these. They may not be masterpieces, but since he's a dwarf, the fact that he makes the effort at all is nothing less than phenominal.
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To spit in [[Satan|Sightblinder]]'s eye on [[The End of the World as We Know It|the last day]]. }}
* [[Terry Pratchett]]'s ''[[Discworld]]'', naturally enough, [[Playing with a Trope|plays with this trope]] in a variety of ways.
** In ''[[
** Nanny also uses one of these to enlist the aid of {{spoiler|the Elf king}}, after a fashion - except she only means for humanity to [[Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night|not go gentle into that good night]]. In helping her he's merely ensuring that there'll be room for him on the day they ''do'', when finally even the iron in the head is rusty.
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
** In ''[[
** ''[[
** In ''[[
* In [[J. K. Rowling]]'s first three ''[[Harry Potter]]'' books, Gryffindor Quidditch captain [[Harry Potter|Oliver Wood]] was fond of these. His team, not so much.
* Both King Theoden and Aragorn in [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]: The Return of the King'', prior to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. The speech Theoden gave in the movie, however, is given by Eomer in the novel, in despair after he sees Eowyn wounded.
** The Tolkien metal band ''Battlelore'' based the song ''The Great Gathering'' off of a Rousing Speech for the Last Alliance of Men, Elves and Dwarves.
*** One of the speeches (I forget which) is a subversion known by some fans as the "Let's All Go And Get Killed" speech.
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{{quote|''You don't see a battle. You hear it. Black powder blasting by the ton on all sides. Black smoke blinding you and choking you and making you vomit. Then the French come out of the smoke - not in a line, but in a column. And they march towards our thin line, kettledrums hammering like hell and a golden eagle blazing overhead. They march slowly, and it takes them a long time to reach you, and you can't see them in smoke. But you can hear the drums. They march out of the smoke, and you fire a volley. And the front rank of the column falls, and the next rank steps over them, with drums hammering, and the column smashes your line like a hammer breaking glass... and Napoleon has won another battle. But if you don't run - if you stand until you can smell the garlic, and fire volley after volley, three rounds a minute - then they slow down. They stop. And then they run away. All you've got to do is stand, and fire three rounds a minute. Now, you and I know you can fire three rounds a minute. But can you stand?''}}
* ''Dracula'' contains an [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|absolutely epic]] speech from the Count himself. Though the context is wrong for this trope, the content is certainly worthy of a particularly good one. Plus, after the [[It Was His Sled|discovery]] that Dracula used to be a human lord who was also a great general, one can very easily imagine him giving a true Rousing Speech that could have said many of the same things.
* Utterly subverted in the ''[[The Lord of the Rings|Lord of the Rings]]'' parody ''[[Bored of the Rings]]'' when Arrowroot, standing before the black gates of Fordor, draws a [[Line in the Sand]] and attempts to shame the men in his army (which has been dwindling due to desertion) -- only to send ''all of them'' packing.
▲== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Angel]]'' in the last two episodes.
* Played with in the first episode of [[Generation Kill]].
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'''Audience''': [[Too Dumb to Live|Yaaaay!]] }}
▲== Music ==
* The [[Robert Burns]] song ''Scots Wha Hae'' is written as a fictional Rousing Speech given by [[Robert the Bruce]] before the [[Battle Of Bannockburn]]. It also acts as a rousing speech for the radicals and Scottish nationalists of Burns' day, invoking (arguably anachronistic) ideas of liberty and national self-determination.
** The song, particularly the opening lines, are referenced in Bruce's very brief speech at Bannockburn during the final scene of ''Braveheart''.
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* [[Symphony X]] on ''Iconoclast'' (the song): "We Are Strong! We will stand and fight!"
* "Rise" and "Ten Thousand Fists" by [[Disturbed]]. The band's concerts sometimes contain sections in the set reserved for speeches by the lead-singer designed with this in mind (that and getting the crowd more pumped up).
== Mythology ==
* This might possibly be one of the oldest tropes in all of Western entertainment, as revealed in ''[[The Iliad]]''. As the Trojan War is going on, Achilles, the strongest member of the Greek army, refuses to get involved. This changes when his friend and possible love interest dies, causing him to go berserk on the Trojan Army, ultimately helping to win the war, but resulting in his death at the hands of Paris.
* This was the entire basis of Teutonic mythology. Even the gods were ultimately doomed and what mattered was to die bravely. [[J. R. R.
== Professional Sports ==▼
* In college football, the annual University of Miami vs. Florida State University matches have been among the most heated, competitive and exciting games of any given year. In 2001, after a relatively disappointing 2000 season in which they considered themselves robbed of a chance to play for the National Championship in spite of their 11-1 record, undefeated #2 Miami went to Doak Campbell Stadium to face #14 Florida State, the current champions and the ones that had been chose to play the championship game instead of them the previous year. During the first half, the game is constested, with star defensive player Ed Reed playing injured. At half-time, Miami wins 21-13, but isn't showing the level its coach and players expect from themselves. Larry Coker, the coach, gives them an encouraging speech in the recess. Afterwards , with Reed refusing to be taken out, and while heading to the tunnel for the second half, he is approached by another player who asked him if he was alright. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_f1GzmwHo The following exchange happens]. The team answers by scoring 4 [[T Ds]] in the 3rd quarter. Miami went on to trash FSU in the, 49-27, ended the season undefeated and won the National Championship.▼
==
* The flavor text of the ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' card [
** Going one step further, the flavor text of the card [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5149 Primal Rage] shows just ''how'' rousing that speech was.
* Apply this concept to entire species, and you'll have an idea what life for the Eldar and Imperium of Man in ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' is like. As one might expect, such speeches are commonplace.
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* ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse]]'' puts a pretty badass one in the mouth of Margrave Konietzko in the final battle against [[Eldritch Abomination|the Wyrm]]:
{{quote|''Know this, warriors of our Mother! There is nothing after this. Our ancestors have been butchered twice over, once in body and once in spirit. There is no Heaven, there will be no Hell, Valhalla does not exist. All that is will be destroyed if we fall here today. And many of you will. The enemy is mighty and fearsome, and we march forward into the mouth of death. Do not fight for an afterlife reward for your bravery, for it will not come. Fight instead, for Gaia. Fight for all that you know and love. Fight with every last ounce of Rage left inside you, so that even should the Wyrm destroy us, he will be awestruck by your mighty fury. Prove your arms so mighty, prove your anger so terrible, prove your love so pure and your passion so encompassing, prove your minds so resourceful, and your zeal and courage so overwhelming that even should every last one of us fall today, the armies of the Wyrm will never rest easy. In their reign of Oblivion, every one of their soldiers will look over their shoulders and sleep - with one eye open. They will live in fear...fear that one day, '''we will find a way back'''!!!''}}
* The ''[[New World of Darkness]]'' has the "Inspiring" Merit for all character types, which allows the character to make a speech which allows others to regain a point of Willpower. Combine this with the Hope Virtue, and the character can gain all ''their'' Willpower back as well.
== [[Theatre]] ==
* While the "St. Crispin's Day" speech tends to be more famous, King Henry's "Once more unto the breach, dear friends!" speech from [[Shakespeare|Shakespeare's]] ''[[Henry V]]'' definitely falls under this category.
** Here's [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM Branagh's St Crispin's Day speech.] Definitely rousing.
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** The play also has an offstage subversion: Buckingham relates to an angry Richard how he completely failed to engage a crowd to accept Richard as king, with even the people he'd planted in the audience to cheer him not helping at all.
==
* Gray Fox towards the finale of ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]''. "We're not tools of the government, or anyone else. Fighting was the one thing, the ''only'' thing that I was good at, but at least I always fought for what I ''believed in''. Snake... farewell." Inspired this player, anyway, to strap on body armour and just spam missiles at the [[Big Bad]] and ignore any damage being taken. Echoed in the sequel by the [[Older and Wiser]] hero.
** "One must die and one must live. No victory, no defeat. The survivor will carry on the fight. It is our destiny. The one who survives will inherit the title of Boss, and the one who inherits the title of Boss will face an existence of endless battle. I'll give you ten minutes. In ten minutes, MiGs will come and bomb the hell out of this place. If you can beat me in less than ten minutes, you'll be able to escape in time. Jack, let's make this the greatest ten minutes of our lives!"
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** An excelent one in Modern Warfare 2: The real [[Big Bad]] is only revealed after his plan has allready succeed, {{spoiler|[[Monumental Damage|Washington]]}} lies in smoking ruins, {{spoiler|[[Everybody's Dead, Dave|the entire team]]}} was killed, and Price and Soap are [[Clear My Name|hunted as traitors and terrorists]]. But there's still one thing left to do:
{{quote|"The healthy human mind doesn't wake up in the morning thinking this is its last day on Earth. But I think that's a luxury. Not a curse. To know you're close to the end is a kind of freedom. Good time to take . . . inventory. Outgunned. Outnumbered. Out of our minds. On a suicide mission. But the sand and the rocks here, stained with thousands of years of warfare . . . They will remember us. For this. Because out of all our vast array of nightmares, this is the one we choose for ourselves. We go forward like a breath exhaled from the Earth. With vigor in our hearts and one goal in sight: We. Will. Kill him."
[[Title Drop|"This is for the record.]] [[Arc Words|History is written by the victor.]] History is filled with liars... <Another minute and a half of non-
** A speech along the lines of the first, but a bit more heroic, comes from Call of Duty: Finest Hour. As our rookie protagonist looks on at the hell that is Stalingrad, Commissar Viktor Durasov speaks to his men, accompanied by some serious [[Crowning Music of Awesome]]:
{{quote|"Welcome to Stalingrad. You're about to begin the greatest moment of your life. The Germans have lost hundreds of tanks and planes. Hitler's brutalized hordes are now advancing toward Stalingrad over mountains of their own dead bodies! Our Bolshevik party, our nation, our great country, have given us the task not to let the enemy reach the Volga, and to defend the city of Stalingrad. Forward against the enemy! Up into the unremitting battle, comrades! For Stalingrad, for our great country, '''not one step back!''' Cowards and traitors will be shot! Do not count days, do not count miles; count only the number of Germans you have killed! Kill the German; this is your mother's prayer! Kill the German; this is the cry of your Russian earth! Do not waver! Do not let up! Kill! Death the the German invader!"}}
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* In ''[[Gears of War]] 2'', Chairman Prescott launches into [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|one of the most badass speeches ever]] as he sends the gears on an offensive against the Locust. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Vh0Qvbm0Y See for yourself].
* At the end of ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'', {{spoiler|Vayne}} gives a very rare ''villainous'' [[Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night]] speech as [[Final Boss|he faces the protagonists in battle]], realising that he will probably not live through this.
* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'': behold the pure awesome that is ''High Overlord Saurfang'':
{{quote|''I am Saurfang. Brother of Broxigar. You know me to be the Supreme Commander of the Might of Kalimdor. An orc - a true orc warrior - wishes for one thing: To die in the glory of battle against a hated enemy. Some of you have fought in battles. Peace has been with us for many years. Many years we sat idle but many years we battled. In those years - where strife the land and Legion and Scourge sacked our homes, killed our families - these insects dwelled beneath us. Beneath our homes - waiting. Waiting to crush the life from our little ones. To slay all in their path. This they do for their god. And for our gods? We defend. We stand. We show that as one. United. We destroy. Their god will fall. To die today, on this field of battle, us to die an orcish death. To die today is to die for our little ones. Our old ones. Our... loved ones. Would any of you deny yourselves such a death? Such an honor?''|High Overlord Saurfang, address to the combined forces of the Horde and the Alliance, during the [[Bug War|Ahn'Qiraj War]]}}
** Highlord Tirion Fordring gives a similar speech in Icecrown Citadel as the raid engages the first of the trash:
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** Thoroughly subverted in ''Soulstorm'', with Indrick Boreale's [[Narm|infamous]]:
{{quote|[[Memetic Mutation|"SPESS MEHREENS, TODEH THE ENEMEH IS AT OUR DOAR..."]]}}
* Subverted in ''[[Ace Combat 04: Shattered Skies]]''. One of these is made near the end; unfortunately, it's made as you select your plane for the final mission, not with a dedicated cutscene, and no subtitles are provided, so it's possible to never notice it if the [[Nothing Is Scarier]] doesn't compell you to listen more closely, and thus it loses quite a lot of impact. Here's the transcribed version.
{{quote|"Good morning, troops. I have an important announcement. In one hour, each one of you will take part in the most important mission in our history. A mission that will result in the defeat of the vile enemy who has brought chaos to our continent. Although we are from different nations, and of different races, we have fought, suffered and died together, fighting for what we believe in, fighting for freedom! Today, we shall gather for our final battle, to liberate our beautiful continent and restore freedom to our people, our friends, and our families. Our victory will herald the beginning of a new era of prosperity for the Usean continent. Victory will be ours! We shall return peace to our people, and win back our freedom, and our future! The skies belong to everyone! Now, let us take back our [[Title Drop|Shattered Skies]]!"}}
* Played straight in ''[[Ace Combat 5 The Unsung War]]''. The president of Osea and the prime minister of Yuktobania broadcast a joint one worldwide on TV, which gives you some reinforcements for the second-to-last mission.
* "You represent what is greatest in us all, and all our hopes go with you. [[StarCraft|En Taro Adun, brave sons of Aiur]]!"
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Faith before fear!
Dawn ''will'' come! }}
* Prior to the [[Final Battle]] of ''[[Dragon Age: Origins]]'', depending on how you resolved the Landsmeet, either Alistair or Anora will deliver a Rousing Speech to the army you gathered. A speech that uses ''you'' as a source of inspiration.
** YMMV, but Alistair's sounds a lot better. Try listening to Anora's shrieking voice without cringing (or laughing) once.
* In ''[[Dragon Age II]]'', Hawke gives an inspiring speech to his/her compatriots prior to the final battle. Silly!Hawke's memorable subversion includes the line [[Crowning Moment of Funny|"I can fight harder scared than they can angry!"]]
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{{quote|'''Senator Bail Organa''': It is settled then. My wealth will fund the Rebellion, while Garm provides our fleet, and Mon Mothma our soldiers. And with you leading us, we have the power of the Force on our side. Therefore let this be an official declaration of rebellion! Today, we all vow to change the galaxy, and one day the galaxy will indeed be free!}}
* ''[[City of Heroes]]'': In [[Evil Tower of Ominousness|Grandville]], [[Big Bad|Lord Recluse]] has a villainous Rousing Speech on loop in the main courtyard.
{{quote|'''Lord Recluse''': "I must therefore rely on all of you to spread the word of Lord Recluse's vision. A vision of a glorious future, in which man is not encumbered by the desire for truth, peace, or justice. A future where you no longer must obey others, where you must no longer bow down to those who deem themselves your superiors, a world in which you can finally say "No more." No longer will you have to listen to those who tell you that you must earn what you wish, that you must work hard to achieve your goals. You will have the strength to take what you desire. Through my way, the way of villainy, you can have what you want now. You can leave the weak lying in your wake as you grasp with both hands the glorious future of
* In ''[[Disgaea 4: A Promise Unforgotten]]'', [[The Hero|Valvatorez]] has a habit of giving these, whether they be about the importance of keeping one's word, [[The Power of Friendship|the strength of comradery]], or... sardines.
* In ''[[Freedom Fighters (video game)|Freedom Fighters]]'', after the {{spoiler|rebels take the Soviet-controlled tv studio.}}
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* ''[[Fire Emblem Tellius|Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]'' has a villainous Rousing Speech, given by [[Disc One Final Boss]] Jarod as your troops close in on his position.
{{quote|“Listen up, all of you. This is our last chance to die as we've lived. As proud soldiers of the empire. If we survive this fight, imprisonment and a hushed-up execution await us. If we run from this fight, dishonor and pursuit will dog our miserable days. So I say, let's give those Daein curs a fight to remember, and let the glory of our deaths light our way! We've lived as proud soldiers of the empire! Let us die as proud soldiers of the empire! Now GO!”}}
* Who can forget Sergeant Johnson from the ''[[Halo]]'' games?
{{quote|'''Johnson''': Dear humanity, we '''regret''' being [[Aliens Are Bastards|alien bastards]], We '''regret''' [[Alien Invasion|coming to earth]], and we most definitely '''regret''' that the [[Space Marine|Corps]] just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet. Oorah! **[[What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?|To a random pilot.]]}}
==
* In ''[[The
▲* In ''[[The Order of the Stick|Order of the Stick]]'', the Order's bard Elan gives a speech to Azure City's troops before battle, an act he calls a Bardic Right of Passage. The speech conglomerates most well known quotes in this entry, each time examining the statement a bit [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0421.html too closely ]. It works...until the last phrase, when [[Fridge Logic]] ruins it.
{{quote|Elan: They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom! Unless...Unless they kill us and animate our corpses as zombies to fight for them. Then I suppose they've taken our lives and our freedom. ([[Beat Panel|Awkward pause]])
Elan: [[Running Gag|Fight, fight, fight, fight the-]]
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** [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0654.html O-Chul] gets to play it straight.
** Elan [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0776.html does it again] to the citizens of the Empire of Blood... for another [[Epic Fail]].
* Subverted hard in ''[[Goblins]]'' when a guard gives this speech...to a lynch mob.
{{quote|Guard: But above all else...they are a level 1 encounter. And we will ''not'' allow our city to fall to a ''level 1 encounter''!}}
* At the end of the main story of the first run of [[Fans]], Rikk, Kath and the assembled geek armies of the world [http://www.faans.com/books1-6/index.php?p=1570 recite Aragorn's speech] ''in unison'', ''to each other'', before going to war with the God Machine.
** [http://www.faans.com/books1-6/index.php?p=1571 And then Rumy's alien ex does it for the aliens.] Kind of subverted with Sol-Son/Soulson's response.
* During GPF's mammoth 'To Thine One Self...' arc, the Grey Drone, Pi, attempts to rouse his fellow aliens into revolt against [[The Empire]], in a classic Rousing Speech playing on morality and justice. And fails utterly. Then his comedic sidekick, Planck, steps up, after having serendipitously ended up with a fairly decent Braveheart costume through a series of improbable mishaps - and successfully rouses the drones into revolt with a [http://www.gpf-comics.com/archive.php?d=20060623 mishmashed speech] combined from various real and fictional Rousing Speeches, and some general-purpose silliness. (Though the ending isn't as crazy at it would appear to the uninitiated - earlier comics revealed that the Greys find cheese to be both delicious and addictive.)
* In ''[[Punch an Pie]]'', right after one of the employees at the toy shop quits, another [https://web.archive.org/web/20110810094755/http://www.punchanpie.net/cgi-bin/autokeenlite.cgi?date=20090114 gives a speech along these lines]:
{{quote|'''Aaron''' (wrapping up): And we all knew that one day, one of us would crack under the pressure. So her time was now. So what? The rest of us are here, for you, and we will continue to fight for our cause till we cease to be!!!
''[[[Beat Panel]]]''
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'''Aaron:''' Money. }}
* Remember [[Hellsing|the Major's "I Love War" speech mentioned in Anime and Manga?]] ''[[And Shine Heaven Now]]'' cranks it [[Up to Eleven]]. Gentlemen, the ''fandom'' [http://hellsing.comicgenesis.com/d/20090629.html version].
* ''[[Bug Martini
* ''[[Freefall]]'' parodied this sort of speech with Sam Starfall "the larcenous squid" [http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff1700/fc01669.htm addressing] several thousands of ''crickets'' he was going to send into an attack. DoS attack on an alarm system.
* [[Penny and Aggie|Penny gave Aggie]] [http://www.pennyandaggie.com/index.php?p=759 this speech], which results in the two former adversaries becoming friends in order to take on [[Alpha Bitch|Karen and her clique.]]
{{quote|"Ready to save the world, you post-ironic, post-yuppie?"}}
* The Cirbozoid leader in [[Starslip Crisis]] gives on [https://web.archive.org/web/20101128235449/http://starslip.com/2007/06/12/starslip-number-538/ here] however the fact that most proper nounds in the Cirozoid language are Cirbozoid is comes out rather strange.
* Grace of ''[[El Goonish Shive]]'' delivers one [http://www.egscomics.com/?date=2012-02-07 here]. It would take a while to quote in full, but the first line forms a pretty neat summary:
{{quote|'''Grace:''' Someone has to try.}}
* ''[[Girl Genius]]'' had it [[Played for Laughs]] with Othar [http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20160325 giving a speech] "about [[Rousseau Was Right|the basic goodness of mankind]]". There was some collateral damage. The man is ''terrifying!''
* [[The Nostalgia Critic]] and [[The Angry Video Game Nerd]] both parodied these speeches in the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130925190558/http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/6719-1-year-anniversary-video TGWTG Team Brawl video.] Nostalgia Critic tells he's not good at speeches... and he really isn't, because he's simply reminding everyone which movies DID have good speeches. Angry Video Game Nerd simply spewed out a bunch of swearwords.▼
▲== Web Original ==
▲* [[The Nostalgia Critic]] and [[The Angry Video Game Nerd]] both parodied these speeches in the [http://thatguywiththeglasses.com/videolinks/thatguywiththeglasses/nostalgia-critic/6719-1-year-anniversary-video TGWTG Team Brawl video.] Nostalgia Critic tells he's not good at speeches... and he really isn't, because he's simply reminding everyone which movies DID have good speeches. Angry Video Game Nerd simply spewed out a bunch of swearwords.
** The Critic improves on this by ''[[Kickassia]]''. Granted it's about [[Godwin's Law|Nazis]], but it worked.
*** Precisely, it was something like this:
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{{quote|Critics, reviewers, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. Unlike all the other times we've ever done this, this time we're really fighting for something! A day may come when a dark mage threatens to throw us back into the stone age. A day may come when the cult of an unwitty hack actually allows him to do it. A day may come when the courage of critcs fails, and we break our oath of snark and irony. But it is not this day! Sure, we may have abused science. Really abused it! But that doesn't mean we still can't learn from it! There may be no more shows, when the age of technology comes crashing down, but it is not this day! This day we fight! So by all the cool gizmos and technological toys that you hold dear on this good earth, stand, reviewers of the Internet!}}
* The Flash cartoon ''[[Arfenhouse]] [http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/110131 Teh Movie Too]'' contains the immortal line, spelled here as in the subtitles: "TEY MAY KIK R AZZ BUT TELL NEVFR KIK R FREEDUM!!!!!!!!"
* Parodied in the web video series ''[[Knob Hockey]]'', with several caricatures of real-life hockey players giving out some... interesting motivational speeches. "Ryan Smyth" rambles on about [http://youtube.com/watch?v=8Qa86rLGXmc being an] [http://youtube.com/watch?v=H079KmVZwTE Edmonton Oiler], while "Rod Brind'amour" [http://youtube.com/watch?v=1t92VxUzn6Q rips off] ''[[Braveheart]]'' much to the disdain of his Carolina Hurricane teammates ("Oh god, it's the f* cking Braveheart speech."). The [
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130922211923/http://www.cracked.com/funny-1069-united-states-america/ The USA topic page] on ''[[Cracked.com]]'' starts out as a [[Hot-Blooded]] parody of American patriotism, but ends with a legitimately moving speech on what it means to be an American.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6wRkzCW5qI 40 Inspirational Speeches In 2 Minutes.]
* [[A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever]]
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{{quote|'''Harry''': ''No way''? You listen to me now! For eleven years, I was a [[Muggle]] [[Jerkass|douchebag]] living under some stairs. But ''this'' year, [[Changeling Fantasy|I found out I'm a wizard! I'm famous!]] I can fly, turn invisible, '''''and I just travelled the fuck back in time!''''' So fuck you, Draco, how's that for a happy thought! There is absolutely ''no way'' that there's no way! [''cue [[The Eleven O'Clock Number]]'']}}
* One episode of [[Dragon Ball Abridged]] has Yamcha show up for the epic battle against Vegata, Nappa, and their Saibamen, and tell with heroic music playing, tell the Z-Fighters present how they trained almost to death for this battle, and they'll win if they stick together...just before a Saibaman grabs him and self-destructs.
* In ''[[The Codex]]'', one of the early Halo 2 machinimas, there was a ''stunningly'' good one of these. Massive bonus points for overlaying ''two'' such speechs, by the (sympathetic) opposing commanders.
== Western Animation ==▼
* Very nearly subverted in ''[[Avatar: The Last Airbender]]'', when Katara gives a dramatic speech encouraging a group of prisoners to revolt... and they all pretty much ignore her, unconvinced they can win. Thankfully, the second attempt goes better all thanks due to the one prisoner who actually knew Katara and had only been in the prison for a day.
* Played with a lot in ''[[Chicken Run]]''. Ginger, a chicken at a chicken farm, constantly makes speeches about her dreams of freedom to the others in an attempt to convince them to go along with her plans to escape. Sometimes they work, sometimes they're met with clueless responses or sarcastic jibes. In one scene this trope is subverted, when after one of Ginger's speeches a more cynical chicken, Bunty, responds with an 'enlightened' look on her face "In all my years, I've never heard such a fantastic '''load of tripe'''!"
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* [[Big Bad|Gaston]] does this to everyone in Belle's village near the end of ''[[Beauty and the Beast]]'' so that they will "kill the Beast!"
== Other Media ==▼
▲== Sports ==
▲* In college football, the annual University of Miami vs. Florida State University matches have been among the most heated, competitive and exciting games of any given year. In 2001, after a relatively disappointing 2000 season in which they considered themselves robbed of a chance to play for the National Championship in spite of their 11-1 record, undefeated #2 Miami went to Doak Campbell Stadium to face #14 Florida State, the current champions and the ones that had been chose to play the championship game instead of them the previous year. During the first half, the game is constested, with star defensive player Ed Reed playing injured. At half-time, Miami wins 21-13, but isn't showing the level its coach and players expect from themselves. Larry Coker, the coach, gives them an encouraging speech in the recess. Afterwards , with Reed refusing to be taken out, and while heading to the tunnel for the second half, he is approached by another player who asked him if he was alright. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG_f1GzmwHo The following exchange happens]. The team answers by scoring 4 [[T Ds]] in the 3rd quarter. Miami went on to trash FSU in the, 49-27, ended the season undefeated and won the National Championship.
▲== Other ==
* A joke:
{{quote|A sports team is losing badly to their opponents. Displeased with their distress, the team captain decides to instill in them some good old fashioned team spirit:
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'''Team Captain''': And don't you have '''me''' as your captain!?!
'''Team: [[Subverted Trope|* gloom*]]''' }}
▲* In the ''[[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]]'' fanfic, [[Its A Dangerous Business Going Out Your Door]], Rarity, of all ponies, delivers an ''epic'' speech:
▲{{quote|"We have come '''too far'''- we have seen and done '''too much'''- to be turned aside now!" She stared hard at them, her deep blue eyes sparkling not with charm or delight but with barely-restrained fury. "We are not going to be turned aside! Not after everything we've been through! Haven't we crossed over mountains and plains, through rivers and forests? We have! We've won the praise of the Lady of the Shimmerwood! We'll have our names etched in the Stone of Gildedale!" She fixed Applejack with a stare. "Applejack! You faced the King of Gildedale in all his pomp, in all his pride and told him he was wrong! And you '''proved''' it!" She swiveled her gaze to Dash. "Rainbow Dash! You entered the Dreaming with the pronghorns and you '''mastered''' their lightning magic, something only one other pony has ever done! And you mastered yourself!" She took a deep breath. "And I! I looked into Lady Falalauria's eyes when they '''burned''' with fury and I told her to '''trust''' me! And she did!" She was panting. "We! Are! Not! '''GOING'''!"}}
▲* The one Twilight Sparkle delivers in chapter 17 of ''[[Ace Combat: The Equestrian War]]'' is also glorious:
▲{{quote|'''Twilight Sparkle''': We have to stand together once more, but this time, not as earth ponies. Not as unicorns. Or pegasi. We must stand together as the ponies of Equestria! It’s true that, on the outside, each of us is different. We live in different parts of Equestria, we have different names, we look differently. But... we have fought, suffered and died together! Deep inside, in our hearts and souls, we are all children of this land! We cannot ignore the time when our land is in danger. We must fight! We must have courage! I don’t know if you will decide to follow me or not, but I want to live in Equestria with my friends! That’s why I ''will'' keep fighting! To the bitter end, if it must be! [...] Everypony, we’re gonna take back Canterlot today! Let us make haste! The sun and the moon will lead our way to victory! Know that this is not the day we will surrender! This is not the day we fall! This day we ''fight''! [[Battle Cry|FOR EQUESTRIA!!!]]}}
▲* From the third chapter of [[Neon Genesis Evangelion]] [[Alternate Universe]] [[Mega Crossover]] fanfic ''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7455421/1/Neon_Knights Neon Knights]'', we have one from Shinji Ikari that crosses this with [[Do Not Go Gentle]] and [[Dare to Be Badass]] delivered to his [[Original Generation]] mecha while starting it up:
▲{{quote|"So you're the first of the Neon Knights. Zero-One. Or should I call you John Henry? I don't know if you can understand me, but Earth is in danger. And [[Arc Words|the hope of the world]] rests firmly on our shoulders. I can try, but I know I won't be able to keep it up on my own. And that's why I'm asking you, John Henry, to ''join'' me. [[In the Name of the Moon|In the name of mankind]], let us ''fight'' the evil aliens that are coming to purge us from the universe! Together, we will stand against the forces of darkness, you and I. And united, we will emerge VICTORIOUS! [[Chewing the Scenery|JOHN HENRY! BORN OF STEEL AND BUILT BY HOPE! FIGHT ALONGSIDE ME FOR OUR FUTURE]]! [[My Name Is Inigo Montoya|My name… is Shinji Ikari]]! [[Kamen Rider Den-O|With our strength, let's wipe away the tears of mankind]] and pave the way for a brighter tomorrow! [[Kamen Rider Kiva|WAKE UP]]! JOHN HENRY! AWAKEN AND BEAR WITNESS TO THE BIRTH OF [[The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes|EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO]]! ON THIS DAY IS BORN THE '''[[GaoGaiGar|KING OF BRAVES]]'''! [[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|JUST WHO ON EARTH....]] ''''''[[Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann|DO YOU THINK WE ARE]]?'''''"}}
----
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]▼
[[Category:Idealism Tropes]]
[[Category:Index of Exact Trope Titles]]
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[[Category:Speeches and Monologues]]
[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
▲[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
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