25 Hans Gruber Quotes Celebrating The Iconic Die Hard Villain
Published May 24, 2023
Get in tune with your eighties nostalgia with our classic Hans Gruber quotes.
Hans Gruber is one of the most iconic villains from the Die Hard movie series, and we have some of his most memorable quotes and one-liners.
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Who is Hans Gruber?
Hans Gruber is the antagonist in the first Die Hard film premiered in 1988, played by the British actor Alan Rickman.
Check out these cool Die Hard facts below:
- Hans Gruber was Allan Rickman’s first major role.
- Bruce Willis was the sixth choice to play John McClane.
- Initially, Die Hard was set to star Frank Sinatra as John McClane.
Gruber grew up in West Germany and became involved with the Volksfrei terrorist organization.
However, he was ousted from the group because of his willingness to use extreme methods to reach goals.
He is a genius-level master criminal who uses his cunning to manifest a plan to steal $640 million in bearer bonds from the fictional Nakatomi Corporation.
Why do fans love Hans Gruber?
Die Hard is a very popular movie series for many reasons.
Fans love John McClane’s never say die attitude, but every protagonist needs an equally charming and driven antagonist.
Hans Gruber is one of the most electrifying villains because of his ability to accomplish some of the most brutal and vicious acts of violence without batting an eyelash or wrinkling his tailored suit.
Hans is the perfect foil for McClane since both will go to great lengths to accomplish their goals. Unlike McClane, Gruber is a cold, calculating man with charisma and a dark sense of humor.
He leads a pack of dangerous criminals who fear and respect his drive.
Gruber is the type of man who is driven by well-executed robbery.
He loves to look suave in a $5000 suit while amassing the lucrative spoils of high-end terrorism.
Did Hans Gruber die?
The death scene of Hans Gruber is one of the most famous scenes in action movie history.
As Gruber hangs on for dear life, clutching the hand of John McClane’s wife, McClane removes the latch of his wife’s watch, sending Gruber falling to his death in slow motion.
This scene is one of the most iconic in American films and has been parodied by many.
Check out our Hans Gruber quotes below for more high-octane action and content.
The most iconic short Hans Gruber one-liner quotes
Hans is a quintessential villain with a plan for revenge and very snappy comebacks.
1. “What idiot put you in charge?” – Hans Gruber
2. “You idiot. It’s not the police. It’s him.” – Hans Gruber
3. “Now I have a machine gun. Ho, ho, ho.” – Hans Gruber
4. “I am going to count to three; there will not be a four.” – Hans Gruber
5. “I must have missed 60 Minutes; what are you saying?” – Hans Gruber
The top Hans Gruber cowboy and yippee-ki-ay quotes for getting wild
Hans sarcastically refers to McClane as ‘cowboy’ throughout the movie and litters in all sorts of wild western imagery.
6. “Still the cowboy, Mr. McClane! ” – Hans Gruber
7. “Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mr. Cowboy?” – Hans Gruber
8. “Oh yes, what was it you said to me before? Yippee-ki-ay.” – Hans Gruber
9. “Well, this time, John Wayne does not walk off into the sunset with Grace Kelly.” – Hans Gruber
10. “Touching, Cowboy, touching. Or should I call you Mr. McClane? Mr. Officer John McClane of the New York Police Department?” – Hans Gruber
The best Hans Gruber fashion quotes celebrating the world of tailored suits
Just because he is a terrorist, Gruber is also a professional and a man of fashion.
11. “Rumor has it Arafat buys his [suits] there too.” – Hans Gruber
12. “Nice Suit. John Philips, London. I have two myself.” – Hans Gruber
13. “That’s a very nice suit, Mr. Takagi. It would be a shame to ruin it.” – Hans Gruber
14. “I wanted this to be professional, efficient, adult, cooperative. Not a lot to ask.” – Hans Gruber
15. “I could talk about industrialization and men’s fashion all day, but I’m afraid work must intrude.” – Hans Gruber
Sarcastic Hans Gruber quotes about Alexander the Great and Christmas cheer
Hans is a man of theatrics and calculation but also loves a little holiday cheer.
16. “You’re very perceptive.” – Hans Gruber
17. “Who said we were terrorists?” – Hans Gruber
18. “It’s Christmas, Theo. It’s the time of miracles. So be of good cheer and call me when you hit the last lock.” – Hans Gruber
19. “That’s very kind of you. I assume you are our mysterious party crasher. You are most troublesome for a security guard.” – Hans Gruber
20. “And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept…for there were no more worlds to conquer. Benefits of a classical education.” – Hans Gruber
The best Hans Gruber Die Hard memorable quotes about life
Hans is full of memorable quotes; here are some of his best.
21. “Put down the gun.” – Hans Gruber
22. “I am an exceptional thief Mrs. McClane, and since I’m moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.” – Hans Gruber
23. “When you steal $600, you can just disappear. When you steal $600 million, they will find you unless they think you’re already dead.” – Hans Gruber
24. “The circuits that cannot be cut are cut automatically in response to a terrorist incident. You ask for miracles. Theo, I give you the FBI.” – Hans Gruber
25. “When they touch down, we’ll blow the roof, they’ll spend a month sifting through rubble, and by the time they figure out what went wrong, we’ll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent.” – Hans Gruber
Who is Hans Gruber based on?
There is an adage that says there is nothing new under the sun.
Chances are that you will always find a predecessor if you look hard enough.
For as memorable of a character as he is, Hans Gruber is based on someone else.
In 1979, American author Roderick Thorp released his action thriller Nothing Lasts Forever.
Die Hard is the film adaption of Thorp’s novel.
In that novel, the character Anton Gruber is a criminal mastermind who is driven by revenge.
Unlike Hans, Anton is driven to expose the criminal dealings of a large corporation and expose their underworld ties.
In the end, Gruber makes Die Hard one of the most memorable action films ever.
What do you love about Hans Gruber?
Do you have a favorite Hans Gruber quote?
Please, be sure to let us know in the comment section below.
