35 Defiance Quotes

In a world where standing up for what you believe in often comes with great challenges, defiance has become a symbol of courage, resilience, and unwavering determination. From historical figures to fictional characters, the spirit of defiance has been immortalized in words that inspire us to rise above adversity and fight for what is right. In this carefully curated collection, we bring you the top 35 defiance quotes that capture the essence of bravery and the unyielding human spirit. Whether you're seeking motivation to overcome personal obstacles or simply wish to honor the rebels who have shaped our world, these quotes offer a powerful reminder that true strength lies in standing firm in the face of opposition.

1. “Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin, more even than death. Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habits; thought is anarchic and lawless, indifferent to authority, careless of the well-tried wisdom of the ages. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid ... Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man.” - Bertrand Russell

2. “Be yourself, don't take anything from anyone, and never let them take you alive.” - Gerard Way

3. “I'm still here, bitches. And I know everything." -A” - Sara Shepard

4. “I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself.” - Charlotte Brontë

5. “It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” - Emiliano Zapata

6. “Who is left in the ghetto is the one man in a thousand in any age, in any culture, who through some mysterious workings of force within his soul will stand in defiance against any master. He is that one human in a thousand whose indomitable spirit will not bow. He is the one man in a thousand whose indomitable spirit cannot bow. He is the one man in a thousand who will not walk quietly to Umschlagplatz. Watch out for him, Alfred Funk, we have pushed him to the wall.” - Leon Uris

7. “Today a great shot for freedom was heard. I think it stands a chance of being heard forever. It marls a turning point in the history of the Jewish people. The beginning of the return to a statues of dignity we have not known for two thousand years. Yes, today was the first step back. My battle is done. Now I turn the command over to the soldiers. ” - Leon Uris

8. “Scrimgeour: "It's time you learned some respect!" Harry: "It's time you earned it.” - J.K. Rowling

9. “Dominance. Control. These things the unjust seek most of all. And so it is the duty of the just to defy dominance and to challenge control.” - Robert Fanney

10. “Checkmate, bitch.” - Richelle Mead

11. “In War: Resolution,In Defeat: Defiance,In Victory: MagnanimityIn Peace: Good Will.” - Winston S. Churchill

12. “Some might think you suicidal.""Well, 'some' can stick it up their ass.” - Charlaine Harris

13. “Nature seems to welcome defiance of conventions, and to say, with a smile, 'So, the truant has come back again!' ("Absolute Evil")” - Julian Hawthorne

14. “To die,so young to die.No, no, not I,I love the warm sunny skies,light, song, shining eyes,I want no war, no battle cry,No, no, not I.” - Hannah Senesh

15. “Make it a human war,' she said fiercely. 'You're the first not to be deceived by my looks. Oh God! The boredom of the chivalrous knights and their milk-maid passion for the fairy tale princess. But I'm not like that ... inside. I'm not. I'm not. Never. Make it a savage war between us. Don't win me ... destroy me!” - Alfred Bester

16. “If a grasshopper tries to fight a lawnmower, one may admire his courage but not his judgement.” - Robert A. Heinlein

17. “It appeared clear to me - partly because of the lies that filled my history textbooks - that the intent of formal education was to inculcate obedience to a social order that did not deserve my loyalty. Defiance seemed the only dignified response to the adult world.” - Timothy B. Tyson

18. “The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.” - Howard Zinn

19. “In the end, it is our defiance that redeems us. If wolves had a religion – if there was a religion of the wolf – that it is what it would tell us.” - Mark Rowlands

20. “I bow to no beast.” - Keisha Keenleyside

21. “What do we say to the Lord of Death?''Not today.” - George R.R. Martin

22. “As for my own part I care not for death, for all men are mortal; and though I be a woman yet I have as good a courage answerable to my place as ever my father had. I am your anointed Queen. I will never be by violence constrained to do anything. I thank God I am indeed endowed with such qualities that if I were turned out of the realm in my petticoat I were able to live in any place in Christendom.” - Elizabeth I

23. “I don't see why I should bow my head when I could hold it high, or place it in the hands of my enemies when I can defeat them.” - Jose Rizal

24. “So if you care to find me/Look to the western sky/As someone told me lately/Everyone deserves the chance to fly!/And if I'm flying solo/At least I'm flying free/Tell those who'd ground me/Take a message back from me/Tell them how I am defying gravity!/I'm flying high defying gravity/And soon I'll match them in renown./And nobody in all of Oz/No Wizard that there is or was/Is ever gonna bring me down!/” - Stephen Schwartz

25. “Well, do as you think best. That's every man's right and duty. But for me, I pledge you now I will not surrender one grain of my rights. What I took, I took and by God, I'll keep it, too. Take her home tomorrow, Archie, and never look back to watch what I do, for you know it before. I would not give him one knigh who had confided himself to me and none other, much less you. Only over my dead body," said Hotspur hardily, eye to eye with the friend he had made under Homildon Hill, "will King Henry ever claim you as his prisoner.” - Edith Pargeter

26. “And I swore it to myself the night Maurice ran away,” Ilyse screamed, terror and fury coursing through her veins, “and I’ll swear it again; no matter what you do, you will never conquer me.” - Melika Dannese Lux

27. “You need not treat me like a child, sir. I am perfectly capable of navigating this staircase on my own."He snorted.Her nostrils flared. "I promise not to ask you to catch me again, all right? Now stop scowling."Of course he did no such thing.” - Karen Witemeyer

28. “The common person fears to think beyond the common.” - Bryant McGill

29. “...you have a terrible beauty that scares me - a fierce defiance that won't be subdued - not that i want to tame you - I don't - I like to look...” - John Geddes

30. “...wherever there is society, there is authority and the temptation to disobedience because our individual wills refuse to submit...” - John Geddes

31. “I promised I will always protect you. You've been wounded badly because I've failed to keep that promise.[...]But I won´t fail you in this, Rachel. no matter what has happened. No matter what you've done. No matter what you will do. I will always love you. I swear it.” - C.J. Redwine

32. “I know the consequences, Manon,” Ilyse conceded. “I know the fate you endured might one day be my own. But I refuse to be a prisoner for the rest of my life.” - Melika Dannese Lux

33. “Tattoos, after all, are a passionate, usually doomed assertion of mastery of your own destiny, or at least a defiant embrace of one that you cannot control.” - Mark Simpson

34. “It was fine and good to be defiant to the end, but it was better not to get caught in the first place.” - Julie Kagawa

35. “I don’t know, it is a very quiet rebellion. […] I don’t get angry. I sit quietly in the corner and say 'no'.” - Bobbie Ann Mason