Anime is a term for animation — either film or TV series— that originated in Japan.

Haven’t watched anime yet? You’re in for a surprise. Unlike many Western cartoons, anime is for all ages. That’s frequently reflected not only in the imagery and subject matter but also in the dialogue, which can result in some memorable anime quotes.

RELATED: The 6 Best Anime Couples That Are Made for Each Other

Why do anime characters have big eyes?

Before we get to our list of thought-provoking, related anime quotes, let’s cover this trend. Big eyes make it easier to convey nuanced emotions. That, along with other stereotypical — if not necessarily signature — features such as crazy hairstyles are exaggerated traits that help characters to easily express emotions. Anime is so much more than action, fighting, heartbreak, and drama, though. They are also a place where imagination has no boundaries.

Aside from the fun and excitement that comes with watching an anime series, the characters usually have some wise and powerful words that can serve as life lessons for viewers. The creators almost always make sure to include real talk about friendship, pain, justice, love, respect, hope, and happiness.

Famous Anime Quotes

Anime has been popular in Japan since at least the early 1960s. But now, the movies and TV shows have spread across the world, gathering new fans while influencing popular culture around the globe. Even if you haven’t watched any yet, you’ve surely heard about Pokemonor Dragon Ball Z.

RELATED: 15 Amazing Female Anime Characters and What Your Favorite Says About You

Every anime has a few lines that stick out and make the show even more interesting, so here’s our list of famous anime quotes. You may even find some sad anime quotes.

To know sorrow is not terrifying. What is terrifying is to know you can’t go back to the happiness you could have.
Matsumoto Rangiku (Bleach)

If you don’t like your destiny, don’t accept it. Instead, have the courage to change it the way you want it to be.
Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)

I’ll leave tomorrow’s problems to tomorrow’s me.
Saitama (One-Punch Man)

Simplicity is the easiest path to true beauty.
Seishuu Handa (Barakamon)

A dropout will beat a genius through hard work.
Rock Lee (Naruto)

Mistakes are not shackles that halt one from stepping forward. Rather, they are that which sustain and grow one’s heart.
Mavis Vermillion (Fairy Tail)

It’s more important to master the cards you’re holding than to complain about the ones your opponent was dealt.
Grimsley (Pokemon)

Not giving up on yourself is what’s truly important. That way you don’t end up pathetic.
Reiko Mikami (Another)

The past is the past. We cannot indulge ourselves in memories and destroy the present.
Murata Ken (Kyou Kara Maou!)

Knowing what it feels to be in pain, is exactly why we try to be kind to others.
Jiraiya (Naruto)

Whatever you lose, you’ll find it again. But what you throw away you’ll never get back.
Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)

I too will obtain everything that I desire. Not because someone asked me to do it, but because I know in my heart that I have something worth fighting for.
Julis Alexia Van Riessfeld (Asterisk War)

Hurt me with the truth. But never comfort me with a lie.
Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)

I must study lots of things or I won’t become a great person.
Kotomi Ichinose (Clannad)

Fake people have an image to maintain. Real people just don’t care.
Hachiman Hikigaya (Yahari Ore No Seishun Love Come Wa Machigatteiru)

Reject common sense to make the impossible possible.
Simon (Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann)

If you don’t share someone’s pain, you can never understand them.
Nagato (Naruto)

If you really want to be strong… Stop caring about what your surrounding thinks of you!
Saitama (One Punch Man)

Don’t beg for things. Do it yourself, or else you won’t get anything.
Renton Thurston (Eureka Seven)

Fear is freedom! Subjugation is liberation! Contradiction is truth! Those are the facts of this world! And you will all surrender to them, you pigs in human clothing!
Satsuki Kiryuuin (Kill la Kill)

We are all like fireworks: we climb, we shine and always go our separate ways and become further apart. But even when that time comes, let’s not disappear like a firework and continue to shine forever.
Hitsugaya Toshiro (Bleach)

Power comes in response to a need, not a desire. You have to create that need.
Goku (Dragon Ball Z)

I want you to be happy. I want you to laugh a lot. I don’t know what exactly I’ll be able to do for you, but I’ll always be by your side.
Kagome (InuYasha)

Do exactly as you like. That is the true meaning of pleasure. Pleasure leads to joy and joy leads to happiness.
Gilgamesh (Fate Zero)

How can you move forward if you keep regretting the past?
Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

In our society, letting others find out that you’re a nice person is a very risky move. It’s extremely likely that someone would take advantage of that.
Hitagi Senjougahara (Bakemonogatari)

Do you always want to live hiding behind the mask you put up for the sake of others? You’re you, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Ymir (Attack on Titan)

I am the hope of the universe. I am the answer to all living things that cry out for peace. I am the protector of the innocent. I am the light in the darkness. I am the truth. Ally to good! Nightmare to you!
Ymir (Attack on Titan)

Don’t live your life making up excuses. The one making your choices is yourself!
Mugen (Samurai Champloo)

Being lonely is more painful than getting hurt.
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

If you only face forward, there is something you will miss seeing.
Vash the Stampede (Trigun)

I hate perfection. To be perfect is to be unable to improve any further.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri (Bleach)

Motivational Anime Quotes

Some anime series are dedicated to motivating and inspiring viewers. However, even those that weren’t created specifically for that purpose still have some great hidden messages waiting for you to discover.

RELATED: 100 Motivational & Inspirational Quotes About Life

Here are some of the best motivational anime quotes that will teach you to chase your goals and never give up:

If you don’t take risks, you can’t create a future!
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

It’s just pathetic to give up on something before you even give it a shot.
Reiko Mikami (Another)

There’s no shame in falling down! True shame is to not stand up again!
Shintarō Midorima (Kuroko’s Basketball)

If you can’t do something, then don’t. Focus on what you can.
Shiroe (Log Horizon)

Giving up kills people. When people reject giving up… they finally win the right to transcend humanity.
Alucard (Hellsing)

You can’t sit around envying other people’s worlds. You have to go out and change your own.
Shinichi Chiaki (Nodame Cantabile)

Every journey begins with a single step. We just have to have patience.
Milly Thompson (Trigun)

If your life can change once, your life can change again.
Sanae Furukawa (Clannad)

Being weak is nothing to be ashamed of… Staying weak is!!!
Fuegoleon Vermillion (Black Clover)

A teacher doesn’t give up on her students just because things get tough.
Harumi Kiyama (A Certain Scientific Railgun)

I refuse to let my fear control me anymore.
Maka Albarn (Soul Eater)

Fear is not evil. It tells you what your weakness is. And once you know your weakness, you can become stronger as well as kinder.
Gildarts Clive (Fairy Tail)

Anything can happen. No one ever thinks it will until it does. What will happen, happens. That’s how the world is. The most important thing is to not let the tragedy defeat you. To believe that you can get through it.
Kyousuke Natsume (Little Busters!)

Don’t be upset because of what you can’t do. Do what you do best, live as carefree and optimistically as you can, because some people aren’t able to do that.
Keima Katsuragi (The World God Only Knows)

Sometimes I do feel like I’m a failure. Like there’s no hope for me. But even so, I’m not gonna give up. Ever!
Izuku Midoriya (My Hero Academia)

Who decides limits? And based on what? You said you worked hard? Well, maybe you need to work a little harder. Is that really the limit of your strength? Could you of tomorrow beat you today? Instead of giving in, move forward.
Saitama (One Punch Man)

If you believe in tomorrow and put yourself out there, you can naturally obtain your strength. That’s how you will be able to smile and live strong.”
Makarov Dreyar (Fairy Tale)

Do not think about other things, there is only one thing you can do. So master that one thing. Do not forget. What you must imagine is always that you, yourself, are the strongest. You do not need outside enemies. For you, the one you have to fight is none other than your own image.
Archer (Fate Stay Night)

What you can’t accomplish alone, becomes doable when you’re with someone else.
Taichi Yaegashi (Kokoro Connect)

You should never give up on life, no matter how you feel. No matter how badly you want to give up.
Canaan (Canaan)

A lesson without pain is meaningless. That’s because no one can gain without sacrificing something. But by enduring that pain and overcoming it, he shall obtain a powerful, unmatched heart.
Edward Elric (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

You need to accept the fact that you’re not the best and have all the will to strive to be better than anyone you face.
Roronoa Zoro (One Piece)

What is right? What is wrong? In this mixed up world, deciding what is right and wrong is not easy. You can’t just go by somebody else’s rules. If you let yourself be controlled like that, you’ll just become a puppet that can’t make decisions on its own. You have to live by your rules.
Gintoki Sakata (Gintama)

I too will obtain everything that I desire. Not because someone asked me to do it, but because I know in my heart that I have something worth fighting for.
Julis Alexia Van Riessfeld (Asterisk War)

An excellent leader must be passionate because it’s their duty to keep everyone moving forward.
Nico Yazawa (Love Live)

Thinking you’re no-good and worthless is the worst thing you can do.
Nobito (Doraemon)

The moment you think of giving up, think of the reason why you held on so long.
Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)

Hatred and Sorrow are power. They are yours to control. All you have to do is to turn them into strength and use that strength to move forward.
Sebastian Michaelis (Black Butler / Kuroshitsuji)

If nobody cares to accept you and wants you in this world, accept yourself and you will see that you don’t need them and their selfish ideas.
Alibaba Saluja (Magi)

A person grows up when he’s able to overcome hardships. Protection is important, but there are some things that a person must learn on his own.
Jiraiya (Naruto)

No matter how hard or impossible it is, never lose sight of your goal.
Monkey D Luffy (One Piece)

Life is not a game of luck. If you wanna win, work hard.
Sora (No Game No Life)

Knowing you’re different is only the beginning. If you accept these differences you’ll be able to get past them and grow even closer.
Miss Kobayashi (Dragon Maid)

If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. If you don’t fight, you can’t win.
Eren Yaeger (Attack on Titan)

When you hit the point of no return, that’s the moment it truly becomes a journey. If you can still turn back, it’s not really a journey.
Hinata Miyake (A Place Further than the Universe)

Anime Quotes About Life

As stated above, In Japan, anime shows are made for people of all ages. It’s not uncommon for people in their 40s, 50s, or beyond to have a favorite character or series because some anime have very adult themes.

RELATED: The Best Quotes from Uncle Iron and His Love of Tea

So feel free to enjoy the following inspirational anime quotes about life as they are filled with pure wisdom.

You can die anytime, but living takes true courage.
Kenshin Himura (Ruroni Kenshin -Meiji Kenkaku Romantan)

People’s lives don’t end when they die, it ends when they lose faith.
Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)

All we can do is live until the day we die. Control what we can…and fly free.
Deneil Young (Uchuu Kyoudai or SpaceBrothers)

We don’t have to know what tomorrow holds! That’s why we can live for everything we’re worth today!
Natsu Dragneel (Fairy Tail)

Life comes at a cost. Wouldn’t it be arrogant to die before you’ve repaid that debt?
Yuuji Kazami (The Fruit of Grisaia)

Whatever you do, enjoy it to the fullest. That is the secret of life.
Rider (Fate Zero)

The ticket to the future is always open.
Vash The Stampede (Trigun)

There are no regrets. If one can be proud of one’s life, one should not wish for another chance.
Saber (Fate Stay Night)

If you just submit yourself to fate, then that’s the end of it.
Keiichi Maebara (Higurashi: When They Cry)

Moving on doesn’t mean you forget about things. It just means you have to accept what’s happened and continue living.
Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail)

You can’t always hold on to the things that are important. By letting them go we gain something else.
Kunio Yaobi (Tamako Market)

We can’t waste time worrying about the what if’s.
Ichigo Kurosaki (Bleach)

Alone, you feel nothing but insecurity; that’s why we form guilds, that’s why we have friends. We walk together in order to live a strong life.
Makarov Dreyar (Fairy Tail)

I don’t want to conquer anything. I just think that the guy with the most freedom in this ocean is the Pirate King!
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

If you begin to regret, you’ll dull your future decisions and let others make your choices for you. All that’s left for you then is to die. Nobody can foretell the outcome. Each decision you make holds meaning only by affecting your next decision.
Erwin Smith (Attack on Titan)

Fools who don’t respect the past are likely to repeat it.
Nico Robin (One Piece)

Don’t be so quick to throw away your life. No matter how disgraceful or embarrassing it may be, you need to keep struggling to find your way out until the very end.
Clare (Claymore)

The circumstances of one’s birth are irrelevant, but it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are.
Takeshi Shudo (Pokemon)

People with talent often have the wrong impression that things will go as they think.
Karma Akabane (Assassination Classroom)

Just like games, no matter how well you have things lined up in your life, there’s always something to keep you on your toes.
Junichirou Kagami (Denpa Kyoushi)

It’s not always possible to do what we want to do, but it’s important to believe in something before you actually do it.
Might Guy (Naruto)

Everything has a beginning and an end. Life is just a cycle of starts and stops. There are ends we don’t desire, but they’re inevitable, we have to face them. It’s what being human is all about.
Jet Black (Cowboy Bebop)

Life and death are like light and shadow. They’re both always there. But people don’t like thinking about death, so subconsciously, they always look away from it.
Yato (Noragami)

You can’t win a game by doing nothing. And if someone else wins it for you then you haven’t accomplished anything. Life is the same way.
Junichirou Kagami (Denpa Kyoushi)

Life is like a tube of toothpaste. When you’ve used all the toothpaste down to the last squeeze, that’s when you’ve really lived. Live with all your might, and struggle as long as you have life.
Mion Sonozaki (Higurashi)

Deep Anime Quotes

Though the anime shows come in cartoon form, some will really make you stop and think. They frequently raise serious moral and philosophical questions. It’s not just entertainment as the viewer will often be surprised by subjects that tackle real-life-issues of justice, morality, and philosophy.

RELATED: How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ Most Memorable Grinch Quotes

Here’s our list of deep anime quotes that will absolutely impress you:

Even if we forget the faces of our friends, We will never forget the bonds that were carved into our souls.
Otonashi Yuzuru (Angel Beats)

People become stronger because they have memories they can’t forget.
Tsunade (Naruto)

Protecting someone means giving them a place to belong. Giving them a place where they can be happy.
Princess Lenessia (Log Horizon)

If you wanna make people dream, you’ve gotta start by believing in that dream yourself!
Seiya Kanie (Amagi Brilliant Park)

When you give up, that’s when the game ends.
Mitsuyoshi Anzai (Slam Dunk)

Forgetting is like a wound. The wound may heal, but it has already left a scar.
Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)

Why should I apologize for being a monster? Has anyone ever apologized for turning me into one?
Juuzou Suzuya (Tokyo Ghoul)

Tears are how our heart speaks when your lips cannot describe how much we’ve been hurt.
Jellal Fernandes (Fairy Tail)

The world isn’t perfect. But it’s there for us, doing the best it can….that’s what makes it so damn beautiful.
Roy Mustang (Full Metal Alchemist)

The only home that a man should ever need is within his heart.
Lavi Bookman (D.Gray Man)

If you keep on hiding your true feelings, who is going to be happy? If you are sad, you should say it out loud!
Haruhi Fujioka (Ouran High School Host Club)

It doesn’t do any good to pretend you can’t see what’s going on.
Yuuya Mochizuki (Another)

To act is not necessarily compassion. True compassion sometimes comes from inaction.
Hinata Miyake (A Place Further Than the Universe)

If you’re gonna insist on gambling and then complain when you lose, you had better work on your game.
Hatsu Kominato (Selector Infected Wixoss)

Vision is not what your eyes see, but an image that your brain comprehends.
Touko Aozaki (The Garden of Sinners / Kara no Kyōkai)

Sometimes, people are just mean. Don’t fight mean with mean. Hold your head high.
Hinata Miyake (A Place Further Than the Universe)

No single thing is perfect by itself. That’s why we’re born to attract other things to make up for what we lack. I think we start walking in the right direction only after we start getting our counterparts besides us.
Itachi Uchiha (Naruto)

The best way to remove your lies is to make them come true.
Suzaku Kururugi (Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion)

Hard work betrays none, but dreams betray many.
Hachiman Hikigaya (Yahari Ore No Seishun Love Come Wa Machigatteiru)

It is at the moment of death that humanity has value.
Archer (Fate Series)

Religion, ideology, resources, land, spite, love or just because… No matter how pathetic the reason, it’s enough to start a war. War will never cease to exist… reasons can be thought up after the fact… Human nature pursues strife.
Paine (Naruto Shippuden)

I want… to change things. I want to believe that anything can be changed. The moment I met you, a new world opened up for me. You see, after wandering in the darkness for so long, a light brought me happiness. It’s all thanks to you.
Chrono (Chrono Crusade)

A place where someone still thinks about you is a place you can call home.
Jiraiya (Naruto)

It’s the people close to your heart that can give you the most piercing wound. Love is a double-edged sword, it can heal the wound faster or it can sink the blade even deeper.
Himura Kenshin (Rurouni Kenshin)

Sometimes it’s necessary to do unnecessary things.
Kanade Jinguuji (Best Student Council)

When you lose sight of your path, listen for the destination in your heart.
Allen Walker (D.Gray Man)

KEEP READING:

50 Inspirational Quotes to Uplift and Motivate