10 times Mission: Impossible gave us lines as iconic as the action

Mission: Impossible is one of the most famous and successful action movie franchises in Hollywood. The first movie was released in 1996, and there have been eight installments till now, with the latest one being released in 2025. While the franchise is based on a 1966 TV series, Mission Impossible Forces, the movies in the franchise became extremely popular and have been a part of pop culture. Starring Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, each of the movies revolves around Hunt and his team, who go through dangerous missions to stop an enemy and prevent global disaster. Apart from the high-octane action and stunt scenes, the movies also have iconic dialogues. Here are 10 of them.

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"Not 'in' the plane, 'on' the plane', "Mission accomplished", and other memorable lines from Mission: Impossible movies

1. “Next time, I get to seduce the rich guy.”

Spoken by William Brandt in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, these lines reflect the trademark of the movie franchise, wherein it can deliver witty lines even when the moments are tense. In the movie, Ethan Hunt and his team have to override the codes and disable a satellite before the villain uses it to launch missiles at the United States. Directed by Brad Bird, the movie is about Ethan Hunt and his team being publicly disgraced for causing a bombing of the Kremlin. However, the team decides to undergo a dangerous mission to clear their names. These lines are spoken when the team tries to get the codes from Nath, and Jane has to seduce him. On the other hand, Brandt is suspended in a huge mainframe. However, Hendricks, the villain, uses the satellite to download a virus and crash the mainframe. Brandt must therefore hurry to get out of there. While he makes it back safely, he makes it clear that the next time, he will be the seducer.

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2. “Kittridge, you’ve never seen me very upset.”

Ethan Hunt is one of the most daring and complex characters in Mission: Impossible, and these lines are said by him in the first movie. Directed by Brian De Palma, the movie is about Hunt trying to figure out who framed him for the murders of his colleagues at the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) team. Therefore, during the film, Hunt's trauma keeps piling up as he feels guilty for the loss of his teammates. While he is always willing to give up his own life for others, Hunt always ends up in a situation where he loses someone and survives. This is one of the most impactful lines in the movie as Ethan and Kittridge are at a dinner, and the two have an intense dialogue. When Kittridge says that Ethan is upset, he says that she has never seen him upset. These lines mean that even after all the deaths that he has seen, there is still space in him for more anger.

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3. “Not ‘in’ the plane, ‘on’ the plane.”

Once again, these iconic lines are said by Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the action and spy thriller focuses on Hunt and his team, who must fight against the Syndicate. The Syndicate is an international group of rogue government agents, and even though Hunt is being hunted by the CIA, he still tries to do good. The fifth instalment of the franchise is full of action-packed scenes, and the above lines are said during the opening moments of the movie. Ethan and his team are trying to intercept a shipment of nerve gas to the Syndicate, and while he can get the gas out of the plane, he is stuck on the plane for dear life. A prime feature of the film franchise is that Ethan Hunt can always be found doing life-threatening stunts. Therefore, dangling outside the plane is another one of his stunts. As the plane takes off and Benji fails to hack into the plane’s system in time, Ethan clings to the plane door. While technology is of crucial importance to Ethan Hunt and has saved him many times, it fails in this instance, and Hunt has to save himself. The above lines are therefore said by Hunt to his team as he makes them realize that he is not ‘in’ the plane but ‘on’ the plane.

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4. “Mission Accomplished.”

Given that the name of the movie franchise is Mission: Impossible, it is quite an exhilarating feeling to hear the above words being said. The iconic line is spoken by Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and occurs during the climactic moments of the film. When Ethan Hunt crawls out of a crashed car towards the button that will disarm a nuclear missile, he pauses for a moment before declaring the above words. Finally, he presses the button hard and declares victory. While Ethan and his teammates make fun of the corny line, many fans might not know that the line was a staple in the old TV series from which the movies have been adapted. Surprisingly, the makers of the movies did not use the line in the previous three installments. However, the line fits perfectly well in this scene, and it does not come off as cheesy. The moment is perfect, and the epic one-liner was a great acknowledgment of the TV series that inspired the famous franchise.

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5. “Human nature, my weapon of choice.”

These chilling lines are spoken by Solomon Lane in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. The movie introduces the character of Lane, who is one of the most iconic villains in the franchise. He is the only villain who came closest to achieving his goals, and is ruthless and inventive in getting his revenge. The character is one of the few villains who can give Ethan Hunt a tough fight, and he has many memorable lines in the movie. However, the above lines are just plain cold and reek of evil. The lines prove that Lane has no regard for human emotions, and he is therefore incapable of empathy. Further, he is highly arrogant about his abilities. Like someone greater than mere mortals, Lane views himself as being capable of manipulating other humans, and this curiously villainous nature of his is what made the movie so memorable. However, this attitude also becomes his downfall as he is easily manipulated himself.

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6. “His fate is written. Shall we write yours, too?”

Once again, the Mission: Impossible franchise proves that it has no dearth of crafty and ruthless villains. The above lines are extremely chilling and are spoken by Gabriel in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the movie reflects the present times where AI has taken over humans. As such, in the movie, Hunt and his team have to tackle the Entity, which is a powerful but rogue AI. However, Gabriel is also a powerful man in the movie and is working together with the AI. He is a villain who uses AI to predict the future with threatening accuracy. Therefore, the above lines are not just empty talk but refer to Gabriel being able to see the future of anyone. As the future is at his fingertips, Gabriel is one of the most advanced and threatening villains in the movie franchise. Anyone who deceives him will find his/her fate being written off.

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7. “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.”

These important lines are spoken by Ethan Hunt in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the movie is about Ethan Hunt and his team trying to prevent a nuclear attack by terrorist Solomon Lane and the extremist John Lark. Further, Hunt had to let a terrorist go away with three Plutonium cores because his teammate, Luther, had been taken hostage. However, Hunt must now work with the CIA and get the Plutonium back. These lines are said by Hunt when he prepares a plan to break out another villain and use him as a means to bring Hunt and the CIA to the three cores. However, the CIA agent, Walker, is full of doubts about Hunt’s plan and warns him of the danger and the flaws in his mission. However, Hunt brushes him off by saying the above words, which point out that Hunt is always ready for any circumstance, and even though the situations might be absurd, he can handle only one crisis at a time.

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8. “Well, it’s not mission difficult.”

These amusing but important lines are spoken by IMF director, Swanbeck, in Mission: Impossible II. Directed by John Woo, the movie is about Ethan Hunt trying to secure genetically modified diseases with the help of a thief. However, the disease is in the hands of a rogue IMF agent, who is also Hunt’s colleague’s former lover. In the movie, a scientist is forced to create a deadly biochemical weapon so that his employers would be able to make money through the cure of the virus. However, the scientist mistakenly gives the virus to a man wearing the mask of Hunt. Therefore, the terrorists now control the virus, and the actual Hunt has to get the virus back before it is released. During a discussion with Swanbeck, Hunt mentions that the mission will be difficult, as one of the former lovers of the villain will have to get back together with him. However, Swanbeck calmly mentions that the mission is difficult but not impossible. Therefore, Hunt has successfully finished dangerous missions, a “difficult” mission will be easy for him.

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9. “I just want everyone to get along. With me, especially.”

These witty lines are spoken by the White Widow in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. The movie is one of those installments in the franchise that has plenty of action but also has plenty of terrific one-liners. While White Widow is an elusive figure with no moral code, she keeps making recurring appearances in the franchise and is a dangerous arms dealer with the ability to spew witty lines. The above lines have two parts, and while the first part might make her seem as someone who is genial and wants everyone to be together, it is the second part that reveals her dangerous and chilling side. She therefore adds a twist to the famous question, “Can’t we all just get along?” And establishes that she wants to make friends, but on her terms. Her character has dual sides, and she is an enigmatic figure in the franchise.

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10. “What’s done is done when we say it’s done.”

Ethan Hunt is one of the most enigmatic and charming leads in any action movie franchise. And lines like the one above prove that Hunt is not someone you want to mess with. Hunt says these haunting lines in Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Unlike other protagonists, Hunt is someone who is both a fighter and a planner. Fans of the movie franchise have seen him do incredible stunts and succeed in dangerous missions. However, he is also a master strategist. Ethan never keeps his wits secondary to his muscles, and that is the reason why he can succeed. In one crucial scene, Debruuk, the man linked to the nuclear attacks, is being interrogated by Hunt. The scene is tense and emotional, and Hunt needs information from him at all costs. While Hunt appears to have given in to the demands of Debruuk, the opposite is true. Therefore, when Debruuk says that “what’s done is done”, Ethan reveals that the entire scene was a ruse and says the above lines with passion. Hunt proves that he is always one step ahead.