50 Tarzan Quotes to Inspire Your Inner Hero

By Norbert Juma

Master quote curator and editor on a mission to inspire

Published April 21, 2023

These Tarzan quotes will inspire you to unleash your inner hero!

If you love Tarzan, this article is for you.

Below, we offer you the best Tarzan quote and discuss the character’s origin and various aspects of Tarzan.

So, here we go!

Who is Tarzan?

Tarzan is a famous fictional character created in 1912 by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

He originated in Rice’s famous novel “Tarzan of the Apes.”

After that, Tarzan became a cultural icon featured in various comic books, movies, and TV shows.

Tarzan‘s Journey

Tarzan’s journey starts with his parent’s death in the jungle.

He was a baby then and was eventually raised by a female ape.

Over time, Tarzan gained knowledge about the jungle.

He learned various survival techniques and could communicate with the animals.

The story also depicts Tarzan’s encounter with other humans.

Some of them were good, while others were bad.

Characteristics of Tarzan

Tarzan is a kind of legendary character with incredible physical powers.

His strength and agility allow him to defend himself and defeat his enemies.

The most noteworthy of all the characters is his ability to talk to the animals.

Due to his deep connection with the other animals of the jungle, he can call them for help whenever required.

Tarzan as a Movie Character

After its success in novels and comic books, the character of Tarzan was also depicted in various movies.

Most of these movies are considered classics of that era.

Listed below are the top most Tarzan movies:

“Tarzan: The Ape Man” was released in 1932, depicting Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan
Tarzan and His Mate is another movie released in 1934, the sequel to the original film
Tarzan’s New York Adventure was released in 1942 and depicts Tarzan’s life in the city
Tarzan movie was launched in 1999 and is a Disney animated movie
The Legend of Tarzan was released in 2016, with Alexander Skarsgard as Tarzan

Top 10 Tarzan Quotes

Here are the best Tarzan quotes from our entire collection.

1. “Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard.” — George Carlin

2. “Can you imagine – a blond Tarzan?” — Johnny Weissmuller

3. “Tarzan-like men are my weakness, apparently.” — Colleen Houck

4. “In Tarzan, I only had to worry about the bees.” — Casper Van Dien

5. “I’m playing like Tarzan and scoring like Jane.” — Chi Chi Rodriguez

6. “When I was about 10, 11, I fell in love with Tarzan.” — Jane Goodall

7. “What good is it to look like Tarzan and play like Jane?” — John Welborn

8. “A hippie is someone who looks like Tarzan, walks like Jane, and smells like Cheetah.” — Ronald Reagan

9. “Why doesn’t Tarzan have a beard? Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle?” — Steven Wright

10. “Who is more real? Homer or Ulysses? Shakespeare or Hamlet? Burroughs or Tarzan?” — Robert A. Heinlein

You will also enjoy our article on Zorro quotes.

Tarzan Quotes About The Movie

Here are Tarzan quotes about the famous Tarzan movies.

11. “People in the United States still have a ‘Tarzan’ movie view of Africa.” — Miriam Makeba

12. “How can a guy climb trees, say Me, Tarzan, You Jane, and make a million?” — Johnny Weissmuller

13. “I knew that there were black people in Africa, of course, unfortunately, because of movies such as ‘Tarzan.’” — Henry Louis Gates

14. “As for action movies, I did Tarzan, and I’m also about to shoot Meltdown, which John Carpenter wrote.” — Casper Van Dien

15. “The treatment of African and African American culture in our education was no different from their treatment in Tarzan movies.” — Ishmael Reed

16. “I was the only swimmer in movies. Tarzan was long gone, and he couldn’t have done them anyway; he could never have gotten into my bathing suit.” — Esther Williams

17. “Calvin: ME TARZAN! KING OF JUNGLE! Suzy: Nice underpants. Does your mom know you’re over here like this? Calvin:…I don’t think Jane EVER said that to Tarzan.” — Bill Watterson

18. “Cheetah bit me whenever he could. The [Tarzan movie] apes were all homosexuals, eager to wrap their paws around Johnny Weismuller’s thighs. They were jealous of me, and I loathed them.” — Maureen O’Sullivan

19. “One of the best-animated films I’ve seen come out of Disney was the Tarzan movie. I wasn’t crazy about the story or the design on Tarzan’s face, but the traditional animation was spectacular.” — Ralph Bakshi

20. “My mom was beautiful; she was supposed to be the original Jane in the original Tarzan movie. They asked her to put her foot in the water, and there was an alligator in there, and she wouldn’t put her foot in the water.” — Dr. John

Tarzan Quotes with Deep Meanings

These Tarzan quotes will make you think.

21. “Tarzan’s always been a hero to me, he’s been a symbol of strength and courage” — Joe Kubert

22. “Tarzan is one of the most enduring and mythic characters in all of popular culture.” — John Taliaferro

23. “These officers think they’re Tarzan and this is a jungle, that all the animals need to be tamed.” — Boots Riley

24. “I got my love of animals from the Dr. Doolittle books and my love of Africa from the Tarzan novels.” — Jane Goodall

25. “We love vigilantes: Batman, Tarzan, Green Arrow – the comic books and the TV shows are filled with vigilantes.” — Paul Watson

26. “Tarzan is direct; he doesn’t ask Jane if they might have a meaningful relationship or if they can get together for lunch sometime.” — Richard Kahn

27. “Tarzan is a primeval force, a human force who conquers the jungle, who conquers the animals. He is a man who is strong and moral and right.” — Casper Van Dien

28. “How can a guy climb trees, say “Me, Tarzan, you, Jane,” and make a million? The public forgave my acting because they knew I was an athlete.” — Johnny Weissmuller

29. “You can’t exactly bake a man to your specifications. Most of all, one shouldn’t alienate a candidate. A hybrid of Einstein, Tarzan, and Inge Meysel doesn’t exist.” — Peer Steinbruck

30. “What I saw clearly when I started climbing was an adventure. The difficulty was only an ingredient. I never thought to wonder about grades, just as I never thought to wonder what Tarzan might bench press.” — Peter Croft

Tarzan Quotes from People Inspired by Tarzan

These are meaningful Tarzan quotes from people he inspired.

31. “It’s nice to be immortal. The film has given us immortality. Now my children are going to appreciate Tarzan.” — Maureen O’Sullivan

32. “America has to have its white images, no matter where it gets them. Jesus, Wonder Woman, Tarzan, and Rocky.” — Muhammad Ali

33. “The director sent for me for Tarzan. I climbed the tree and walked out on a limb. The next day I was told I was an actor.” — Johnny Weissmuller

34. “I was once asked to do my Tarzan yell at Bergdorf Goodman, and a guard burst in with a gun! Now I only do it under controlled circumstances.” — Carol Burnett

35. “I watched a lot of Douglas Fairbanks movies. He always played the same role with a mustache. Zorro had a mustache. The Musketeer had a mustache. Tarzan had a mustache.” — Jean Dujardin

36. “And I climbed up my favorite tree, and I read that book from cover to cover. And that was Tarzan of the Apes. I immediately fell in love with Tarzan.” — Jane Goodall

37. “I have a complete collection of all the “Buck Rogers” Sunday funnies and daily paper strips; I have all of “Prince Valiant” put away, all of “Tarzan,” which appeared in the Sunday funnies in 1932 right on up through the high school.” — Ray Bradbury

38. “As a child, I was attracted to Tarzan and everything that had to do with jungles. It seemed to me — and this is in retrospect — that there was something primal, something right about it. Tarzan represented a pure being, somehow before the fall.” — Jean Liedloff

39. “I knew nothing about the technique of story writing, and now, after eighteen years of writing, I still know nothing about the technique, although, with the publication of my new novel, Tarzan and the Lost Empire, there are 31 books on my list.” — Edgar Rice Burroughs

40. “Not only that, but when I first met Joe, to my intense delight, he showed me that he was a collector. He was collecting some of the early Tarzan pages by Hal Foster, and, later, early Flash Gordons; and I found that we were both absolutely interested in the same type of thing.” — Joe Shuster

More Interesting Tarzan Quotes

Here are more interesting Tarzen quotes about the beloved character.

41. “I always wondered why Tarzan is the King of the Jungle in Africa; he was white.” — Muhammad Ali

42. “Swimming gave me my start, but my pal Tarzan did the real work. He set me up nicely.” — Johnny Weissmuller

43. “When Tarzan killed him more often smiled than scowled, and smiles are the foundation of beauty.” — Edgar Rice Burroughs

44. “Michael has never cried during a Broadway show. Except in that scene where Tarzan’s ape father is brutally murdered.” — Meg Cabot

45. “As a child, we couldn’t afford holidays overseas, so instead, I traveled through books. I was inspired by Dr. Dolittle and Tarzan.” — Jane Goodall

46. “Sports just happen to be excellent for avoiding foreign-language stage fright and developing lasting friendships while still sounding like Tarzan.” — Tim Ferriss

47. “I am not a person who yells at all, but I realized that I have always felt so good after doing the Tarzan yell, after doing Charo or screaming as Eunice.” — Carol Burnett

48. “Last night, I had a dream. When I got to Africa, I had one hell of a rumble. I had to beat Tarzan’s behind first, for claiming to be King of the Jungle.” — Muhammad Ali

49. “There’s a weird thing about me and characters with hair, from Ariel or Pocahontas to Tarzan with his dreadlocks and now Rapunzel… it’s like I’m trying to make up for some loss in my life.” — Glen Keane

50. “As the body rolled to the ground Tarzan of the Apes placed his foot upon the neck of his lifelong enemy and, raising his eyes to the full moon, threw back his fierce young head and voiced the wild and terrible cry of his people.” — Edgar Rice Burroughs