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40 Years Later, This Is Still The Greatest Video Game Quote of All Time
Polygon has reaffirmed that "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this," the line spoken by an old man to Link at the start of 1986's The Legend of Zelda, remains the greatest video game quote of all time, 40 years after the game's release. The verdict follows a wider Polygon project earlier this year in which contributors compiled and debated a list of the 100 greatest video game quotes across all eras, with this line emerging as the clear top pick.
The article explains why the quote endures: delivered without any preceding explanation of the story, it instantly sets the tone for the perilous journey ahead and offers reassurance through the sword handed to the player. The phrase has since become a cultural touchstone, widely used in everyday conversation, memes and references in other games, and it takes on a different, more nostalgic resonance for players returning to the game's harder second quest.
In short
- Polygon names Zelda's 1986 line the greatest video game quote ever
- "It's dangerous to go alone! Take this" still tops the list
- The phrase endures in memes, conversation and gaming culture
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The quote represents a near-perfect convergence of narrative efficiency, game design, and cultural resonance. It accomplishes multiple purposes simultaneously: it provides the player with essential equipment, establishes the game's tone of peril and adventure, and offers an emotional anchor point that creates the sense of companionship the player will carry throughout their journey. Four decades of enduring cultural presence, its evolution across multiple Zelda games and generations of gamers, and its status as a reference point for game designers worldwide demonstrate a cultural impact few other lines in gaming can claim.
The case against
Whilst this line is certainly iconic and well-crafted, deeming any quote 'the greatest' involves inherently subjective judgment about what makes something great. Other games have quotes of equal or greater emotional depth, philosophical substance, or narrative significance—whether exploring existential themes, character development, or thematic complexity. The ranking may reflect Polygon's particular editorial sensibilities rather than broader gamer consensus, and reducing 'greatness' to a single line risks overlooking the merit of more narratively sophisticated examples from gaming's rich library of storytelling.
Explained simply
The Legend of Zelda is an adventure game released by Nintendo in 1986. Players control Link, who explores a dangerous world, solves puzzles and fights enemies while searching for pieces of a magical artefact.
Early in the game, an old man gives Link a sword and warns him that travelling alone is dangerous. The brief exchange introduces both the risks Link will face and the help available to him, without explaining the wider story.
The game helped establish ideas that became familiar across adventure games, and its phrases have travelled beyond gaming into everyday conversation and online memes. For people who played it when it first came out, returning to its more difficult second quest can also bring back memories of learning to navigate its world.