Top Bad*ss Arnold Schwarzenegger Movie One-Liners

1. "I’ll be back."

• Movie: The Terminator (1984)
• Director: James Cameron
• Writers: James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield

I think this could vie for the greatest line delivery of all time. Apparently, Arnold originally struggled with the line, arguing with Cameron that a robot would say "I will be back." But Cameron famously told him, "I don’t tell you how to act, don’t tell me how to write." Arnold said the line, and a legend was born.

2. "Hasta la vista, baby."

• Movie: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
• Director: James Cameron
• Writers: James Cameron & William Wisher
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick

If the first Terminator made him a star, the second made him a god. I mean, no one could touch him when this came out. This line had so much meaning - it was him doing his best to be human.

3. "Get to da choppa!"

• Movie: Predator (1987)
• Director: John McTiernan
• Writers: Jim Thomas & John Thomas
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura

There is perhaps no quote that highlights Arnold’s iconic accent better than this plea for the whole crew to return to the helicopter. It's so funny, and you'll wind up saying it every day to reference your car, apartment, or any other place you need to be.

4. "It’s not a tumor!"

• Movie: Kindergarten Cop (1990)
• Director: Ivan Reitman
• Writers: Murray Salem, Herschel Weingrod, Timothy Harris
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Penelope Ann Miller, Pamela Reed, Linda Hunt

I think this is a vastly underrated Arnold role and movie. It was an action-comedy that still managed to add zingers. Detective John Kimble’s defensive response to a child became an instant meme before the internet even existed.

5. "Consider that a divorce."

• Movie: Total Recall (1990)
• Director: Paul Verhoeven
• Writers: Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Gary Goldman
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox

You could pick pretty much any line from this movie. I think it really sizzles, and so does the screenplay. After his "wife" (played by Sharon Stone) tries to kill him and claims their entire marriage was a lie, Doug Quaid shoots her and delivers this cold-blooded pun. It’s the quintessential Arnold "post-kill" quip.

6. "Put that cookie down! NOW!"

• Movie: Jingle All the Way (1996)
• Director: Brian Levant
• Writer: Randy Kornfield
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson

Proof that Arnold doesn't need a gun to be intimidating, he just needs to get upset. He's screaming at his neighbor while hunting for a Turbo-Man doll, and it's so funny and such a fun delivery.

7. "I eat Green Berets for breakfast. And right now, I'm very hungry."

• Movie: Commando (1985)
• Director: Mark L. Lester
• Writer: Steven E. de Souza
• Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, Alyssa Milano

Commando is one of those movies that has so many good lines it could have been this whole list. I chose to just pick one, even though I could have picked 15. This line sets the tone for the entire film. It’s delivered with such casual dominance that you almost feel bad for the soldier on the receiving end.

Summing It All Up 

Arnold is an all-time great actor who knows how to steal a scene and how to elevate anything on the page into something iconic.

Which lines should I have added to this list?