10 Best Quotes From the Sam Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy, Ranked

The Sam RaimiSpider-Man trilogy is hailed as one of the best superhero movie trilogies of all time. After all, they have incredible action set pieces, great performances and incredible directing. However, arguably the greatest thing about the films is the exceptional writing. The dialogue in the three films is instantly memorable, inspirational, and quite moving, to the point of being poetic at times.

Sometimes, it’s Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) elegantly describing the best things about Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst). Other times, it’s Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) describing how heroes can impact people, and then there’s the menacing Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) claiming that the people of the city will eventually turn against Spider-Man. The best quotes from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy impact the characters and plot of their films and affect the viewers watching them, leaving a lasting impression.

10 “You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!”

New Yorker on Bridge (Joe Virzi) – ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

In the final sequence of 2002’s Spider-Man, the hero faces an incredibly difficult task as he is forced to save both Mary Jane and a trolley full of children. Immobilized due to holding both parties, Green Goblin sets out to impale him with his glider… until the New Yorkers on the bridge above take action. In a moment that some may call cheesy, the New Yorkers on the bridge above band together and begin throwing things at Green Goblin to distract him until Spider-Man can lower the trolley onto a boat below.

While it may be a tad sentimental, it’s an incredibly inspiring moment that directly goes against Green Goblin’s claims earlier in the film, bringing his quote full circle. This moment was also incredibly inspiring to audiences everywhere upon release, as it aired only a year after the attacks on New York on September 11th. Getting to see a group of New Yorkers banding together as a unified group doing the right thing was very impactful for those in the USA at the time.

9 “The truth is, you don’t know what you feel. Except you know what kind of man you want to be.”

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) – ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

With Aunt May in the hospital after an attack on the Parker house by the Green Goblin, Mary Jane comes to visit. There, Mary Jane confesses to Peter that she’s in love with Spider-Man. Peter claims that Spider-Man said some things about her and uses the opportunity to say the things he’s always wanted to say to Mary Jane through the masquerade of Spider-Man.

When Peter gets the chance in the story, he can say some genuinely eloquent and almost Shakespearean quotes. He’s incredibly well-spoken, but most importantly, he’s sincere to a fault, willing to be vulnerable in front of the girl of his dreams. Many believe that this moment is when Mary Jane realizes that, deep down, she truly loves Peter.

8 “Am I not supposed to have what I want? What I need?”

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) – ‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)

There’s no question that Spider-Man 2 is one of the roughest times for Peter Parker. The love of his life is getting married to someone else, he’s losing his spider powers, has money troubles, his mentor turns into a horrifying maniac with mechanical arms, and he’s overall losing his will to keep going.

This quote perfectly describes Peter’s internal conflict throughout Spider-Man 2. Peter’s plight and words to himself are incredibly relatable to many, as he wonders if he even deserves the things he wants and needs in life. After all, life isn’t fair, and it never will be. Sometimes, things don’t work out for people, and how they keep moving forward afterward helps define their character, as Peter eventually learns, even if it’s a lesson that brings him great pain.

7 “No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try… the ones I love will always be the ones who pay.”

Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) – ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

The ending of Tobey Maguire’s first outing as Spider-Man depicts Peter Parker’s understanding of why he can’t be with Mary Jane and must wear the mask in the first place. Peter finally realizes that, in his life as a superhero, the people he loves will always be in danger because, if a villain were to discover his identity, they would target those he loves to get to him.

Peter learns this lesson the hard way in Spider-Man when Green Goblin blows up part of the Parker home to threaten Aunt May and put her in the hospital, then kidnaps Mary Jane and throws her off a bridge. Thus, Peter decides that he can’t be with Mary Jane to keep her safe and protect her, ending the film on a bittersweet note. He’s come into his own as Spider-Man and saved the day, but at what cost? Of course, he would later learn balance is the key to life, but at this point in his journey, it’s natural that Peter would assume this attitude. The quote is evocative and melancholic as Peter surrenders himself to duty at the cost of personal fulfillment.

6 “Uncle Ben meant the world to us, but he wouldn’t want us living one second with revenge in our hearts.”

Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) – ‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)

Peter Parker makes a long list of mistakes in Spider-Man 3, before and during his time in the black suit. The film opens with Peter being heavily influenced by his ego now that New York City loves him, finally beginning to give the web-slinger the recognition he deserves. Then, when he is overtaken by the influence of the corrupting alien symbiote, Peter lets his rage and vengeance take hold of him after finding out that Uncle Ben’s killer was not the man he fought in Spider-Man and is still at large. That man is Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), the Sandman.

After a brutal battle in the subway with Sandman, Spider-Man believes he killed the villain. He visits Aunt May to tell her the news, hoping she will be happy about them, but May is more concerned and put back by the fact that Spider-Man killed a man. When Peter questions her negative reaction, she hits Peter with this quote, which serves as the antithesis to what the symbiote represents in the film. May is always Peter’s voice of reason, reminding him what he’s supposed to represent; this quote echoes the film’s themes of letting go of anger and moving on, and Harris delivers it beautifully.

5 “Intelligence is not a privilege, it’s a gift. And you use it for the good of mankind.”

Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) – ‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)

When Peter Parker first meets Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), the renowned scientist notes that he’s aware of Peter Parker thanks to his friend Dr. Connors (Dylan Baker). The latter, Peter’s professor at university, notes that Peter may be brilliant, but he’s also lazy.

Otto’s philosophy here is part of what brings him back to sanity at the end of the film. Peter combines his words with the speech Aunt May gave him to convince Otto to turn back to the side of the light. Interestingly enough, Otto stays true to his word, as he believes that his experiment is going to benefit mankind. Otto takes drastic and evil measures to get there, but to him, the end justifies the means. Peter must also learn the role of Spider-Man is a gift and not a curse as he believes it is at the beginning of the film. These words help drive the entire heart of the film all the way through to the end.

4 “In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually they will hate you.”

Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) – ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

The major moral conflict of Spider-Man is whether the role is worth it. Hoping to recruit Spider-Man, Green Goblin poses that no matter what, the people of New York will hate the hero. His words hold some weight, but the film opts for a more positive approach with the people of New York in the final battle on the bridge.

The words of the Green Goblin are a common conflict within most Spider-Man stories. Most of the time, no matter how hard he tries, the people don’t appreciate all he does for New York. But that helps define Spider-Man as a character; how he reacts to such negativity, continuing to save the day, is what makes Spider-Man such a likable hero. It goes to prove exactly why Green Goblin and Spider-Man are so different, eternally locked in a battle of wills.

3 “You know, I guess one person can make a difference.”

Stan Lee – ‘Spider-Man 3’ (2007)

Everyone loves a good Stan Lee cameo, and the one in Spider-Man 3 is incredibly profound, not just for the plot of the film but in the context of the real world and what Lee did for it. As Peter looks at a sign that advertises Spider-Man getting the key to the city, Stan Lee approaches him and says this incredibly profound quote. It adds to the worldbuilding that Spider-Man has finally been accepted and appreciated by New York.

What makes this quote so much more profound is the man saying it. Stan Lee did not take the world by storm with Marvel alone, as he was majorly assisted by the likes of Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others at Marvel Comics. Still, he was the driving force that brought everyone together and made all of this possible. Without him, Marvel Comics would not have impacted as many people as it has over the years. It’s so meaningful that the one man who made such a huge difference says this to his creation, a hero who has easily affected the most people worldwide.

2 “I believe there’s a hero in all of us that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride.”

Aunt May (Rosemary Harris) – ‘Spider-Man 2’ (2004)

At the low point of Spider-Man 2, when Peter feels lost and at his lowest, he visits his sweet Aunt May for some guidance. During their chat, her young neighbor, who’s helping her pack her things, asks Peter about Spider-Man’s return. Aunt May then gives a speech about heroes and how and why people need them. It’s incredibly profound and moving, a perfect description of why people love and look up to heroes so much.

Aunt May’s words inspire Peter to make his comeback as Spider-Man, reminding him why he’s so important to the people of New York and how much they need him. Peter needed to be reminded of his responsibility and realize that he was abandoning it for selfish reasons. This quote stands out as the greatest in the film and continues to inspire the viewers who’ve seen the film to this day.

1 “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) – ‘Spider-Man’ (2002)

As if there were any quotes better than the one that inspired Peter Parker to become Spider-Man in the first place? Before Peter became the hero the entire world knows and loves, he was using his powers selfishly for monetary gain. Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) tries talking to him about his behavior, informing him that when someone has power that can help others, they have a responsibility to use it for the greater good.

Peter shrugs it off and acts harshly towards Uncle Ben, only to find that he died in a carjacking. After chasing down the man who murdered him, Peter finally understands what Uncle Ben’s words mean and why they are so profoundly important. These words have inspired Peter Parker in almost every iteration of the character and are what keep him going and acting as the wall-crawler. They are poignant, powerful, and a constant reminder of what really matters.

NEXT: The 10 Best Spider-Man Quotes, Ranked