20 Best Record of Ragnarok Quotes: Anime & Manga
Record of Ragnarok is a seinen manga written by Shinya Umemura and Takumi Fukui and drawn by Ajichika, published in Monthly Comic Zenon magazine since November 2017 by Coami; it is also published by Tokuma Shoten in bound volumes since May 2018. A derivative series entitled Shūmatsu no Valkyrie: Ryo Fu Hō Sen Hishōden, created by Takeo Ono, has been published in Monthly Comic Zenon since October 2019. An animated series adaptation produced by Graphinica studio was produced by Netflix. Now, as manga and anime usually are, they are filled with some great lines of dialogue and these lines will be the focus of this article.
This list is going to include a total of the best 20 Record of Ragnarok quotes you need to know from various chapters and episodes. The quotes are taken from various contexts and situations, and we have decided to group them based on the message they are conveying.
1. “Loki… let me just say one thing to you… I’m opposed to ending humanity. However, ever since Ragnarok started, I’ve had no intention of losing. AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GODS, I WILL WIN, WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT! …On top of that, I will move to save humanity…!!”
This quote has been said by Heracles and is obviously addressed to Loki. Now, it goes to show how determined these fighters were and how they perceived Ragnarok and everything that came with it. This was actually said during his fight against Jack the Ripper, and also goes to show that not all gods were antagonistic towards humanity totally.
2. “Hey, ‘mighty god of the seas’… Do you mind… if I ask you something? Have you ever lost yourself, and found you trained until the sun rose? Have you ever cried tears of gratitude for those that made you stronger? Have you ever felt love towards your opponent in a fight to the death? …Never mind. My bad. You’ve never felt any of that, have you? …See, this guy here… The sword… is our history. The hearts of idiots from all across time. There’s just no fucking way that I’m losing to a guy that’s never even considered the hopes and dreams of others!!”
Sasaki said this to Poseidon during their fight and it is a pretty good example of the humans’ attitude towards the gods and all of the battles. The humans knew who they were facing and they sent out their braves, which is evident from this replica as well. Sasaki was a bold one and he knew that facing Poseidon wouldn’t be easy, but he still approached this fight with courage.
3. “You don’t gotta tell me twice… Now I see that your casual speech wasn’t just for show. But you’ve piqued my interest now… This old man has got one thing he’d like to ask you. I can’t feel the flames of hatred towards us gods within those two eyes of yours. So tell me, what’s the real reason you’re here to fight?”
Zeus was a man, or a god, who was not easy to impress. Yet Adam, the progenitor of all humanity, managed to do it during their fight. This was one of the more interesting clashes, to be fair, because Zeus was one of the most powerful deities in the series, whereas Adam was the first human and thus the “father” of all the other human characters, in a way.
4. “No matter the odds, I shall always accept a duel. For that… is the true essence of a gentleman. Allow me to introduce you. This… is my Volund. How exquisite. So this is a divine weapon… It could tear anything in existence to pieces…”
It does make sense that Jack the Ripper, one of humanity’s best fighters, would be impressed with such a powerful weapon. This was uttered during Jack’s fight against Heracles and it showed just what kind of a fighter he was. His Victorian upbringing is certainly reflected in this brief reply and that is why we decided to put it on our list.
5. “AND NOW!! In all of history, who is humanity’s strongest swordsman? Was it the demon of Mount Kurama, who cut apart the Taika clan with his blade, Minamoto Yoshitsune? NAY! Was it the founder of the Shinkage-Ryu school and sword saint of the Sengoku period, who struck fear even into the mighty Takeda Shingen, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna? NAY! Was it the silent samurai of the Edo period, said to be unmatched in all of Chiba, Takayanagi Matashiro? NAY! I would posit… that this man is the strongest!! You ask why this famous loser in history stands at the peak. Is it because of his ultimate move, Tsubame Gaeshi? Or perhaps is it due to his intense drive for revenge against Musashi? No! NO!! NO!!! NEITHER OF THOSE IS CORRECT!! Even in defeat, he advances! Even in death, he takes one step further!! Even now, his blade continues to pursue true mastery!! HUMANITY’S GREATEST LOSER, SASAKI KOJIRO!!”
Heimdall’s announcements were truly amazing and we had fun listening to how he portrayed some of the characters. Here, he presented Kojiro Sasaki, a famous Japanese swordsman, known as “the biggest loser in history”. He was the representative of the humans in the third meeting, in which he faces the god of the seas Poseidon. This was taken from Chapter 14 of the manga.
6. “You thought the same too, huh? They all say the same thing. “Hatred”? “Revenge”? I don’t need any of that. There is no reason why. Is there any man that needs a reason to protect his own children?”
Adam’s determination to defeat Zeus made complete sense, which is why he said what he said to Zeus, as he was ready to face him. Adam felt responsible for humanity as all of humanity came from him, which is why this reply makes complete sense in the context of the fight that he had with Zeus, who held a similarly important title among the gods.
7. “And… I’ll be borrowing this. (grabs Heimdall’s horn) Uh… testing, testing… Hmm… uh… I’m fighting for humanity, so, uh… thx.”
This one is both funny and punny. Why? Well, because Buddha was the one that said it. Not only was the scene funny because he actually stole Heimdall’s horn and took his position as the announcer, but it was also punny because Buddha is an entity that is somewhere between a god and a human, which makes this scene all the more interesting.
8. “Humanity is a fearsome foe… As a representative for the gods… and as a military man, I intend to have a fair fight.”
Heracles’ discussion with Loki before his fight against Jack the Ripper was an intriguing one as it revealed a lot of details about the world they are all living in, as well as about the balance of power between the gods and humans. Despite being extremely powerful, Heracles was aware of the dangers that humanity could pose.
9. “Heh… It’s been 400 years since I’ve ascended. And yet I continue to endlessly pursue the way of the blade. Ganryu’s evolution is far from over. In other words… this… is my golden age.”
Kojiro Sasaki was, as you could’ve read from Heimdall’s announcement above, not very revered, but he had a pretty high opinion of himself and valued both his abilities and his tradition. Also, he was in the Ragnarok fights as an opportunity to finally make a name for himself and lose the title of the greatest loser in history.
10. “This is the moment I’ve been waiting for ages! The moment to blow this Gjallanhorn!! The time to open the curtain of Ragnarok… IS DRAWING NEAR!!! ARE YOU RRREADY FOR THIS?! The rule is simple! Fight to ‘death’. That’s it! The winner is decided by the complete annihilation of the other side!”
There are going to be several of Heimdall’s announcements before we finish, but we put this one here because it was how it all started. This was the first announcement, the beginning of Ragnarok, and the beginning of Heimdall’s marvelous and flashy career as… the announcer of the battles between the gods and the humans. Yay?
11. “Introducing humanity’s second fighter! He’s been called the hope of humanity… HERE HE IS!! WHO COULD’VE SEEN IT COMING!? God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; Fill the Earth and subdue it.” Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living thing that moves on the ground. But, to think, the day would come… that the man… would eventually come to rebel AGAINST HIS CREATOR!! Defining the very essence of a “man”. Truly… He is a man among men!! The only thing he holds faith in is the weight of his fists!! He’s the ultimate survivalist! WITH A KNACK FOR UNARMED COMBAT!! He was given life but also gave birth to the original sin. In all of history, a man infinitely despised by the gods… If there’s anyone that can stick it to the gods… IT’D HAVE TO BE HIM!! The father of humanity, HIS NAME IS… ADAM!!!”
This is how Heimdall announced Adam. Well, this was a very good summary in our opinion as it explained the essence of Adam as a Biblical figure, but it also added a specific touch that made Adam so important for the events of the Ragnarok battles, as well as his general role as humanity’s fighter, and also its father. This one was taken from Chapter 7.
12. “And now… up next… taking on the strongest “Peerless Rikishi”… On the gods’ side, the “West” fighter is… THIS MAN! He creates for fun… and can destroy the world on a whim! Make and break, break and fix… The whole world’s this man’s playground! “What on Earth… do you want to do?” TRY ASKING GOD THAT!! No compromise! No consideration! And he couldn’t care less! All he wants to do… is destroy, destroy, DESTROY! God of destruction, Bhairava of the cosmos… SHIIIIIIIVAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
Shiva is, of course, a household name among gods and it made sense that she, whose physical constitution is such that she has great fighting potential, represented the gods in the Ragnarok fights. Heimdall has, as always, given us a good introduction, combining her mythological story with her fighting qualities relevant to the battle.
13. “Humanity’s representative for the 4th round. There he is! August 31st, 1888 A.D…. The monster suddenly appeared in the scary darkness. With his sharp fangs, he cut to pieces and took the lives of five prostitutes. In the meantime, 3 million people in the city… WERE TREMBLING IN FEAR! AN EVIL AMONG EVILS!! Feeding the pitch-black darkness in his heart. His name is… humanity’s most famous… MURDERER! JACK! THE! RIPPER!!!”
You’d be surprised to hear that Heimdall had a pretty thorough knowledge of the history of humanity’s violence. Jack the Ripper is certainly the most notorious serial murderer in history and Heimdall made sure to tell that to everyone present. He might even have added a few adjectives here and there, but he got the gist of it, definitely.
14. “These past 1,000 years, the world has become increasingly unpleasant. The oceans are filled with trash and oil, the forests are dying out, and creatures continue to go extinct.”
Aphrodite’s sentence was a truly self-aware reflection on the current ecological crisis and we can only agree with her that humanity has not done its best to preserve the planet. On the other hand, what have the gods done to make it all better? This is a simple quote that raises a lot of philosophical issues and is a very important debate.
15. “And now! We bring you the tournament for the fate of Humanity! RAGNAROK And right from the start, we’ve got one hell of a match! Representing the Gods is the Nord’s strongest contender. The ‘Thunder Beserker’ Thor!! His opponent representing humanity is… From the Three Kingdoms… The Strongest Hero Luuuuuuu Buuuuuuuu !!! This is truly a battle of the strongest!! The atmosphere in the stadium is also at maximum voltage!! Now! Finally, the battle between the two strongest begins!”
Lü Bu also had to be included in our list because he is the main protagonist of the story. Similarly to Mortal Kombat, he is a hero who represents good against evil, a legendary Chinese warrior who certainly did his best in his first battle against Thor. This introduction from Chapter 2 is also a brilliant example of Heimdall’s oratory skills.
16. “AND NOW! After the gods’ insulting defeat by the humans… A perfect victory without a scratch. To make such a challenge, that’s… The Nemean Lion, the three-headed watchdog of Hell, Cerberus… The brave hero who defeated it with his bare hands… Completed the 12 labors he was given… A DEMIGOD WHO ASCENDED TO GODHOOD!! The one who brings light to Heaven and Earth! The messenger of justice… His bravery… is unparalleled! HERACLES!!!”
Chapter 20 finally gave us an introduction to Heracles, a character that featured heavily in the story as one of the protagonists and also as one of the most important fighters on the side of the gods. Heracles’ story from the Greek tales is well known and Heimdall made sure to give us a great recap of the story before naming him.
17. “In the gods’ corner!! He bears no love for the pitiful humans… One can even say that perhaps he enjoys testing them. But that is what defines a god! The harshest trials! And that indifference to life! Is the realm of the gods!! He follows the almighty Zeus… and represents the gods in round 3! If Zeus is the god of the cosmos, then this man rules all the oceans with an iron fist. THE RULER OF THE SEAS! Even the gods tremble at the thought of invoking his wrath… The most fearsome god! Second of the three brothers of Olympus… Known to man as Zeus Enalios! His name is. POSEIDON!”
Since we mentioned him so many times here, we also had to tell you how Heimdall introduced Poseidon. With a dash of humor and flair, Heimdall have Poseidon a proper introduction, showing humility when talking about Zeus’ brother and one of the most important deities of the Greek pantheon, which just goes to show how important Poseidon was.
18. “Now… the wait is over! On humanity’s side, the “East Fighter” is this man! Born in the land of the rising sun… and trained in the strongest combat sport! SUMO! Exulted over the last 2000 years… and acknowledged… by all in human history! THIS IS WHERE HISTORY’S STRONGEST MAN IS FOUND! “Harite”… “Teppou”… “Kannuki”… “Sabaoiri”… He even had to be restricted… simply because he was too powerful… Yet this man… still remained the strongest! He won some and won some more! No matter what, he still came out on top! The people call that man… who was the king of the ring for over twenty years… PEERLESS RIKISHI!! And his name is… RAIDEN TAMEEMON!!!”
This was a big announcement for a truly big fighter. Raiden Tameemon was Japan’s biggest sumo fighter, well… in every way imaginable. You’d understand thy humanity – in a manga, of course – would pick this guy to represent them because he could really take a punch, and could last long in any fight.
19. Uh… My apologies, everyone. We seem to have had some technical difficulties… Allow me to introduce our second combatant for the gods!! The man who will be facing the first man is… this god… No… Wait… It’s actually the esteemed gentleman standing here!! If we’re calling Adam the father of humanity, then it would only be fitting to say the same of him! Father of the gods… NAY!! G.F.O.C. — GOD FATHER OF THE COSMOS!! Using the powers of creation at his own whim, returning anything that doesn’t suit his fancy back to the void! Truly, THE KING OF THE GODS!!! Eons ago… he brought about the Titanomachy to decide the mightiest gods… Infamous for committing the crime of patricide, this old geezer gets off on battle! A REAL GOD AMONG GODS!! His name is… ZEUS!!!”
Taken from Chapter 8, Heimdall’s announcement of Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, was certainly bombastic. Although they did not belong to the same pantheon, Heimdall really made an effort to introduce Zeus in the best way possible; you’d actually think he was introducing Odin, but if he put so much effort into introducing Zeus, we can’t even imagine what he’d have to say about Odin.
20. “I shall warn you now… Bow down and accept defeat. If you do that, then I swear that I will make Zeus accept it. And you can be saved from Niflhel. I do not relish senseless killing… BUT YOU’RE A SPECIAL CASE!!”
Even Heracles was ready to acknowledge how special Jack the Ripper was. Jack the Ripper was a peculiar fighter and even Heracles, the strongest man, had a special desire to fight this Victorian serial killer due to his unique attitude and his unique approach to the whole concept of Ragnarok as it was shown in the series.
