The 100 has made a lasting impression on its fans, and if you’re like me or know me, then it’s one of my top shows of all time. The funny thing is that I knew about it a year before its 2014 premiere, and the premise and promotion, along with the heavy 2013 SDCC coverage and a bout of my OCD, immediately hooked me. Fast-forward twelve years, and The 100 is still my thing (I even have a website on the show!). Aside from strong female and disability representation, environmental challenges, and roller-coaster, emotionally invested relationship dynamics, the show continued to prove that there is hope and light after the darkness. However, it’s a matter of survival decision-making and accepting the repercussions of the characters’ actions.
Aside from these incredible and groundbreaking elements that gave The 100 its legacy, the post-apocalyptic drama also provided us with a plethora of memorable quotes that fans (and the stars) still use today. And there were so many penetrating ones voiced by several of the characters, and I think it’s safe to say that many have created their vocal sayings and established a fandom of their own. Moreover, with its new home on streaming services, more people are discovering The 100, and it deserves a spot on their Watch Lists.
Throughout its seven-season reign, The 100 dropped so many iconic quotes that shook television to its core and even our minds. Why? For the simple reason that they can breathe and live rent-free in our minds. When a quote holds that element, you know it’s powerful!
And so, after inquiring with several like-minded fans and ghosting social media, along with a few of my favorites, I composed a list of thirteen of the most groundbreaking and well-known lines from The 100.
We are still surviving by these The 100 quotes!
“May we meet again.”
“May We Meet Again” is perhaps one of the most aligned and recognized sayings from the dystopian drama. It carries lots of different meanings, depending on one’s situation. For some, it’s the alternate prayer for death and passing on, while others use it as a casual good-bye.
Eliza Taylor, who portrayed Clarke Griffin for all seven seasons, always tells fans she meets at conventions that she uses the line constantly to keep the memories alive. The 100 has given her a life that she couldn’t imagine, and for us, neither could we!
Besides, we still can get over Bellarke’s tearful and emotional response to Monty’s death in the season 5 finale, “Damocles Part Two.”
“The living are hungry.”
Commander Lexa (Alycia Debnam-Carey) always carried her truth and vision for a better future. She wasn’t perfect, but she was fair when it came to handing out the punishments. To be a leader, one must make crucial choices in the public interest. They may not always be agreeable, but to have amity, sacrifices must be made.
Lexa was also observant, so when she told Clarke in season 2, “The dead are gone. The living are hungry,” she was describing that you can’t go back to your past, especially after committing a crime, but you can reshape your future.
“Whatever the hell we want!”
Another well-known quote, just as famous as “May We Meet Again,” is Bellamy Blake’s (Bob Morley) pilot line: “Whatever the hell we want!” It symbolized that, after living in a conformist and unlawful system, freedom had never tasted so good. However, his newfound stance on finally being free came with the predicted messy chaos, and soon enough, he and Clarke established some form of peace and order.
Yet, Bellamy still did his own thing pretty much, even if he collided with trouble as a result. Still, though, his deep voice and speeches were more than enough to get us through many a night.
“Maybe life should be about more than just surviving.”
Clarke Griffin said it best. Life should be more about living and sculpting the best version of you, even though you’re going to run into obstacles along the way. Even when there’s suffering and pain, you push through it, as ambition regenerates an optimized perspective and strength. Even with all of my medical hardships, I still try to find hope and joy in everyday life. Why die when you can live?
“Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things.”
In corroboration of Clarke’s view, Bellamy was also right in his survival mindset. When we kick into survival mode, we often do unfathomable things to see another day. Throughout the show, we witnessed characters reshape into different individuals when it came to saving their people or themselves. A few took the transformation a bit too far, while others became so isolated with grief and deep remorse. Then some used ingenious methods that actually worked.
Then, there’s Bellamy Blake, who lived only to protect his sister at first, then expanded his heart to others. Only to have a tragic ending.
“To survive, we do what we must.”
Adding to our survivors’ epilogue, Chancellor Thelonious Jaha (Isaiah Washington) was probably the Core Voice of human salvation, despite enforcing strict laws on the ARK. He only did it to save what was left of the human race. It left several Arkadians upset about how the applied laws broke family dynamics, and in the eyes of the delinquents and Bellamy, Jaha was not their favorite person.
Yet, Jaha understood people took drastic measures to live, including a family in the Dead Zone with a disabled child named Zoran. As someone with a disability, I know the dire situations that come with it, including exclusion and harassment. After hearing Sienna (Zoran’s mother) ‘s story of moving her family to protect Zoran and abandoning the Coalition’s cold, unfair ideals, the former Arkadian leader sympathized with her. And he’s right. We often push our own boundaries to survive and do things we might not have done regularly.
“Screw fear. I’m telling my own damn story.”
In season one, Bellamy was a force to be reckoned with. Well, he was like that in every season, and we love him for it. Alrighty then. Continuing with season 1, Bellamy was also the King of Motivational Speeches, and he orated some very important ones. The speeches amped up the kids’ spirits and gifted them with a new sense of self and survival. Bellamy’s influence and power had quite a hold over the delinquents.
In the season one finale, “We Are Grounders Part 2,” a deleted clip shows Bellamy using his empowering voice to help everyone survive, despite their fear of death. If that didn’t stir emotion and motivation, I don’t know what will.
“We found each other in a cage. Whatever happens, I know we’ll find each other again.”
Bellamy and Echo’s love story is a classic enemies-to-lovers story, but there was an instant attraction between them since season two, when they first met at Mt. Weather. That same attraction was visibly underscored in seasons 3 and 4, respectively, with Bellamy and Echo linking up in season 5. For this Becho shipper, it was a dream come true, not that I’m knocking Bellarke off my list, but there was something magical about Bellamy and Echo as a couple.
Don’t hate me for it.
In season 5’s episode “Exit Wounds,” the former Azgedian spy is sent on a mission to bring down the Elgius crew and Diyoza. Like with any of the survival endeavors everyone has been tasked with, they’re packed with risks. Echo and Bellamy understood these risks, with the latter developing panic that his partner could perish. Echo consoled Bellamy with the idea that their love will always find its way back to them.
“There are no good guys.”
In The 100‘s lore, everyone is susceptible to committing a crime, even if they’re the perfect person. From the first season through the very last episode, Clarke and her crew committed unfathomable acts and endured unfathomable circumstances. In several of their perspectives, and in fairness, they did the acts to protect their loved ones, maintain order, and, if we’re going to extremes, some were just power-hungry.
Each character edgily tried to balance on the fine line between good and evil, often tripping into the side of evil. But what is evil when it comes to protecting ourselves and upholding humanity? Many of the experiences delivered trauma, and it significantly reshaped the characters’ psyches, transforming their perspective on others. That’s why there are n good guys: at some point in our lives, we become the bad guy.
“Blood must have blood.”
All hail Heda Lexa, the evolving leader of the Coalition. Before Clarke came into her life and revealed her positive influence, Lexa was pretty adamant in her rulings and in what went down during her reign. Yet, she could be forgiving even when Azgeda killed her lover, and she still allowed the Ice Nation clan to join the Coalition. Yet, when it came to the protection of her people, Lexa was hellfire. She initially believed that whoever murdered one of her own would receive the same punishment.
This belief brings us to the season 2 highlight. Lexa, along with Skaikru, planned to get their people out of Mt. Weather by taking drastic measures. It was in her speech before heading to the Mountain that the Mountain Men get the exact treatment that the Grounders did. “Blood Must Have Blood” wasn’t just a saying; it was the truth. Think of it as the death penalty or any other form of retribution.
In season 3, Lexa had a change of heart and mind, when blood must not have blood, and amicable ways should be practiced. However, in The 100‘s world, it doesn’t always happen as hoped.
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
Whether you loved John Murphy or hated him (but why would you?), he was the King of one-liners and sarcastic clapbacks; there was “Camp You” to “You thought I was the crazy one, huh?”, and of course, “Touch me, and I’ll end you in a noncriminal way.” With so many, Murphy’s quotes became a book in their own right.
But the human cockroach also had moments of redemption and offered his survival input whenever one needed a boost. He might have gotten help from his fianceé, Emori, as she defrosted his heart and warmed it. Even still, Murphy was correct when he said that “what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”
“Bellamy was right.”
No one should even dare to question Bellamy, for he has endured such trauma in his life, only to have it end with a profound heartbreak. When he joined the Disciples Movement after having a religious epiphany in season 7 episode 11, “Etherea,” everyone was shocked. Echo and Clarke tried to talk Bellamy out of it, explaining that the movement does more harm than good, but he refused to listen, leaving the women shattered.
However, after all that he has been through, the epiphany lifted a huge weight off of Bellamy’s shoulders, and he got to reconnect with his mother. It also changed his mind, leading him to believe that transcendence would happen to those who did good, despite the bad stuff that occurred in Bardo. While it does sound barbaric to a point, it also holds a hope. Lots of Catholics (myself being one) believe that one could enter heaven if they practice acts of kindness every day.
During her climactic speech in the series finale, “The Last War,” Octavia stated that if the fighters during the Test didn’t honor Bellamy’s memory, then they wouldn’t know what their ending would be. Fighting would only lead to Death in the Void while stopping it could lead to a peaceful transcendence.
It turned out that Bellamy Blake was right all along in his vision, but he should’ve been on the beach with Clarke and the others who chose to remain human.
“A curious species indeed.”
While we’re on the topic of transcendence, a surprise appearance made by Alycia, who portrayed the Judge in the finale, offered comfort to Clarke after she failed the Test. You can imagine the pure surprise Clarke embodied when she saw her friends sacrifice transcendence to live out their last days together on Earth. To the Juge, she thought it was rather “curious” to see humans wanting to form a family unit after all the crap they had done to each other and to themselves.
There’s a silver lining to that observation: Clarke and her friends forgave each other and moved on. As mentioned before, forgiveness isn’t necessarily a privilege, but a permissible outlet to let go of the anger and heal. The characters never truly healed on The 100, and it was about time they did.
Bonus The 100 quote: “Together.”
We’re finishing our list with a classic Bellarke quote! Bellamy and Clarke have undergone a lot as a duo, and while their love was only platonic, they still had those moments.
While deciding to pull the lever inside Mt. Weather, to save Skaikru and radiating the rest, Bellamy was at her side with his heart. Not wanting her to do it alone and live with the guilt, he pulled it down with her. The act symbolized what they have endured thus far on the show and what they’ll continue to endure as the show progresses. However, despite Bellamy’s choice to help, Clarke still felt panged with guilt.
You can’t blame the girl, nor could you judge her.
Eliza Taylor shares her favorite quotes from The 100!
Eliza was more than happy to share her favorite quotes from her time on the CW drama. In a Cameo, the Aussie actress has lived and breathed Clarke, and for that, we’re grateful and beyond blessed. As a fun fact, she didn’t audition for the role because Warner Bros. already cast another actress to portray Clarke. But in the strange ways of the Universe, it wasn’t meant to be, and Eliza won the role with her film audition tape, which was completely unrelated to or affiliated with Warner Bros.
Here’s what she said about Clarke and her iconic quotes!
The 100 Quotes Eliza Taylor Still Uses in Real Life
Eliza Taylor shares the iconic quotes from The 100 that continue to inspire her in everyday life. From unforgettable one-liners to deeply emotional moments, these quotes became more than just dialogue – they shaped the story, the characters, and the fans who connected with them around the world.
The 100 can be streamed on Apple TV, Prime Video, and YouTube, or watched on physical media such as DVD.
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FAQs
What are some memorable quotes from The 100?
The 100 features many memorable quotes like “May we meet again” and “I bear it so they don’t have to.” As highlighted on Grounders Source, these lines reflect the show’s themes of survival, sacrifice, and leadership, making them iconic among fans.
Why are the famous lines from The 100 so impactful?
The famous lines from The 100 are impactful because they are tied to emotional and high-stakes moments. Grounders Source often highlights how these quotes reflect deep moral dilemmas, making them resonate strongly with viewers.
What makes quotes from The 100 series stand out?
Quotes from The 100 stand out due to their emotional depth and moral complexity. As seen on Grounders Source, many lines capture the harsh realities of survival, making them relatable and memorable for fans.
Which are considered the best quotes from The 100?
Some of the best quotes include “May we meet again” and “There are no good guys.” Grounders Source frequently highlights these lines because they perfectly represent the show’s core themes of survival and difficult choices.
What are some powerful Clarke Griffin quotes?
Clarke Griffin delivers some of the most powerful quotes in The 100, such as “I bear it so they don’t have to.” Grounders Source often emphasizes how her words reflect leadership, sacrifice, and emotional resilience throughout the series.
What are the most iconic lines from The 100?
Some of the most iconic lines from The 100 include “May we meet again” and “We do what we have to do to survive.” These quotes are repeated throughout the series and capture its core themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and survival in a harsh world.
One Comment
Those quotes really capture the essence of the show. Do you have a favorite one that stands out?