25 Unforgettable The Godfather Quotes That Still Resonate Today

By Stephanie Kirby

Writer, Entrepreneur and Inspirational quote curator

Updated April 11, 2023

These The Godfather quotes depict family and loyalty like few other movies do.

If you have been living under a rock and don’t know what The Godfather is, it’s an American Crime film from the 1970s.

The film was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and was based on Mario Puzo’s best-selling 1969 novel of the same name.

Tell us your favorite scene from The Godfather in the comment section below.

What are the benefits of reading these The Godfather quotes?

It starred actors Marlon Brando and Al Pacino and was one of the highest-grossing films of its time.

The film led not only to its sequels but also to the success of popular shows like The Sopranos.

The Godfather looks into the lives of Italian immigrants and the lives and work of the mafia.

Lines and scenes of the movie are still commonly referenced today.

They depict the closeness of family and the importance of loyalty.

There are a few other life lessons we can learn from these The Godfather quotes, including:

don’t let people bully you into making decisions you don’t want to
money can turn anyone against you (even your best friends)
your physical health is important, and you should take care of it

The Godfather was released in March 1972 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made.

It generally received positive reviews and was nominated for and won several awards.

Below is our collection of interesting Godfather quotes and sayings from the film.

Godfather quotes about friendship and enemies

1. “Never hate your enemies. It affects your judgment.” – The Godfather

2. “A man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” – The Godfather

3. “Your enemies always get strong on what you leave behind.” – The Godfather

4. “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.” – The Godfather

5. “Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.” – The Godfather

6. “A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults.” – The Godfather

7. “Power wears out those who do not have it.” – The Godfather

Godfather quotes about family

8. “Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” – The Godfather

9. “It was not perhaps the warmest friendship in the world, they would not send each other Christmas gift greetings, but they would not murder each other.” – The Godfather

10. “Fredo you’re my older brother and I love you. But don’t ever take sides against the family…” – The Godfather

11. “I’m working for my father now. He’s been sick, very sick.” – The Godfather

12. “Some people will pay a lot of money for that information; but then your daughter would lose a father, instead of gaining a husband.” – The Godfather

13. “And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom, but I taught her never to dishonor her family.” – The Godfather

14. “Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that’s why they have godfathers.” – The Godfather

15. “A man who is not a father to his children can never be a real man.” – The Godfather

16. “Just lie here, Pop. I’ll take care of you now. I’m with you now. I’m with you.” – The Godfather

17. “Tell my father I wish to be his son.” – The Godfather

18. “My father is no different than any powerful man, any man with power, like a president or senator.” – The Godfather

19. “Falling in love is great but being in love is a disaster.” – The Godfather

20. “Michael could never remember his father ever having uttered a word about death as if the Don respected death too much to philosophize about it.” – The Godfather

21. “They made it personal when they shot Pop. It is not business, it’s personal.” – The Godfather

Godfather quotes about loyalty and betrayal

22. “Don Corleone, I am honored and grateful that you invited me to your home on the wedding day of your daughter. And may their first child be a masculine child. I pledge my ever-ending loyalty.” – The Godfather

23. “Some honorable men spend their whole life preparing for a supreme act of treachery.” – The Godfather

24. “Any man can turn traitor.” – The Godfather

25. “I Know It Was You, Fredo. You Broke My Heart. You Broke My Heart!” – The Godfather

What can you learn from these Godfather quotes?

Let’s be honest.

There are a lot of lessons from The Godfather that you will not want to apply to your own life from this film.

While it’s great to make your family a priority in your life and keep loyalty as a character trait that applies to you, you will not want to go to the lengths that the movie characters do.

These The Godfather quotes can remind you to make sure you are being loyal and a good friend, not to mention a good family member.

And they can also just be fun to read through.

They may even entice you to watch the movie series again or try it for the first time.