Westley Hear this now: I will always come for you.
2nd most-quoted character in The Princess Bride (1987): in 27 of its 113 quotes
Most scenes with: Buttercup (7), Inigo Montoya (3), Prince Humperdinck (3)
Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
More lines from Westley
11 quotes Westley Westley This is true love. You think this happens every day?
Westley [Repeated line]
As you wish.
Westley [In response to Inigo asking if he has six fingers on his right hand]
Do you always begin conversations this way?
Westley [To Inigo after defeating him in a duel]
I would as soon destroy a stained glass window as I would an artist such as yourself. However, since I can't have you following me either... [He knocks Inigo unconscious] Please understand, I hold you in the highest respect.
Westley [To an unconscious Fezzik]
I do not envy you the headache you will have when you awake. But in the mean time, rest well and dream of large women.
Westley Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.
Westley We are men of action. Lies do not become us.
Westley There is a shortage of perfect breasts in the world. T'would be a pity to damage yours.
Westley Drop...your...sword.
Westley [after knocking out Fezzik]
I don't envy you the headache you'll have when you awake. But, in the meantime, rest well...and dream of large women.
Scenes with Westley
15 scenes Westley Hear this now, I will always come for you.
But how can you be sure?
Westley This is true love. You think this happens every day?
Westley [Westley and Buttercup finish tumbling down the hill.]
Can you move at all?
Move? You're alive. If you want, I could fly.
Westley I told you I would always come for you. Why didn't you wait for me?
Well... you were dead.
Westley Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.
I will never doubt again.
Westley There will never be a need.
Westley Nonsense. You're only saying that because no one ever has.
Westley [entering the fire swamp]
It's not that bad.
Westley [Buttercup stares at him incredulously.]
I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely.
Westley [Westley and Buttercup are traversing the fire swamp. All the while, Westley is cutting away vines with his sword.]
This will all soon be but a happy memory. Roberts' ship "Revenge" is anchored at the far end. And I, as you know, am Roberts.
But how is that possible, since he's been marauding twenty years and you only left me five years ago?
Westley I myself am often surprised at life's little quirks. You see, what I told you before about saying "please" was true. It intrigued Roberts, as did my descriptions of your beauty. Finally, Roberts decided something. He said, "All right, Westley, I've never had a valet. You can try it for tonight. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." Three years he said that. "Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a fine time for me. I was learning to fence, fight, anything anyone would teach me. And Roberts and I eventually became friends. And then it happened.
What? Go on.
Westley Well, Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. So he took me to his cabin and told me his secret. "I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts," he said. "My name is Ryan. I inherited this ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from was not the real Dread Pirate Roberts, either. His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired fifteen years and living like a king in Patagonia." Then he explained the name was the important thing for inspiring the necessary fear. You see, no one would surrender to the Dread Pirate Westley. So we sailed ashore, took on an entirely new crew, and he stayed aboard for a while as first mate, all the time calling me Roberts. Once the crew believed, he left the ship and I have been Roberts ever since. Except, now that we're together, I shall retire and hand the name over to someone else. Is everything clear to you?
[nods at Westley, then gives him a confused expression]
[Westley rescues Buttercup from a pit of lightning sand] [recovering]
We'll never succeed — we may as well die here.
Westley No. No. We have already succeeded. I mean, what are the three terrors of the Fire Swamp? One, the flame spurts. No problem. There's a popping sound preceding each, we can avoid that. Two, the Lightning Sand. But you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too.
Westley, what about the R.O.U.S.'s?
Westley Rodents of Unusual Size? I think they don't exist. [an R.O.U.S. attacks him on cue.]
Westley You mean you wish to surrender to me? Very well - I accept.
For the last time, surrender!
Westley Death first!!
Prince Humperdinck and Westley
What was that?
Westley Where am I?
Albino [whispering harshly]
THE PIT OF DESPAIR! DON'T EVEN THINK— [clears his throat and proceeds in a normal voice.] Don't even think about trying to escape.
[Miracle Max inflates Westley's chest with a bellows.]
Hey! Hello in there. Hey! What's so important? What you got here that's worth living for? [presses on Westley's chest to force the air back out]
Westley [faintly]
Truuuuueee.... looooooovvveee.....
[excited]
True love! You heard him! You could not ask for a more noble cause than that.
Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world. Except for a nice MLT, a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They're so perky, I love that. But that's not what he said! He distinctly said "to blave." And, as we all know, "to blave" means "to bluff," huh? So you're probably playing cards, and he cheated—
Get back, witch!
I'm not a witch, I'm your wife! But after what you just said, I'm not even sure I want to be that anymore!
You never had it so good.
"True love!" He said, "true love," Max! My God—
Don't say another word, Valerie.
[to the others]
He's afraid. Ever since Prince Humperdinck fired him, his confidence is shattered.
Why'd you say that name? You promised me that you would never say that name!
What, Humperdinck? Humperdinck. [begins chasing Max around the house] Humperdinck. Ooo-ooo, Humperdinck!
True love, life expiring and you don't have the decency to say why you won't help!
Nobody's hearing nothing!
[continues repeating "Humperdinck" at Max]
[simultaneously]
This is Buttercup's true love! If you heal him, he will stop Humperdinck's wedding.
Humiliations galore!
[laughs and sings briefly]
That is a noble cause! Give me the sixty-five. I'm on the job!
Westley [Fezzik, Inigo and Westley scare off Yellin's guards with an impressive display involving a holocaust cloak, then prevent Yellin from closing the portcullis at the castle gate.]
Give us the gate key.
Yellin I have no gate key.
Fezzik, tear his arms off.
Yellin [pulls out the key]
Oh, you mean this gate key!
Oh, Westley, will you ever forgive me?
Westley What hideous sin have you committed lately?
I got married. I didn't want to. It all happened so fast.
Westley It never happened.
What?
Westley It never happened.
But it did. I was there. This old man said, "Man and wife."
Westley Did you say, "I do"?
Westley Then you're not married. If you didn't say it, you didn't do it.
[Westley is lying weak on the bed, having just been challenged by Prince Humperdinck.]
To the death!
Westley No! To the pain.
Westley I'll explain. And I'll use small words so that you'll be sure to understand, you warthog-faced buffoon.
Westley It won't be the last. "To the pain" means the first thing you lose will be your feet, below the ankles, then your hands at the wrists. Next your nose.
[losing his patience]
And then my tongue, I suppose. I killed you too quickly the last time, a mistake I don't mean to duplicate tonight.
Westley I wasn't finished! The next thing you lose will be your left eye, followed by your right—
Westley WRONG! Your ears you keep, and I'll tell you why. So that every shriek of every child at seeing your hideousness will be yours to cherish. Every babe that weeps at your approach, every woman who cries out, "Dear God, what is that thing?" will echo in your perfect ears. That is what "to the pain" means. It means I leave you in anguish, wallowing in freakish misery forever.
Westley It's possible, pig. I might be bluffing. It's conceivable, you miserable vomitous mass, that I'm only lying here because I lack the strength to stand. Then again, perhaps I have the strength after all. [standing slowly and holding out his sword] Drop. Your. Sword.
You know, it's very strange. I have been in the revenge business so long. Now that it's over, I don't know what to do with the rest of my life.
Westley Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.
Westley [wakes up]
Where am I?
The Albino [raspy voice]
The Pit of Despair! Don't even think... [coughs, clears throat, continues in a normal voice] ...don't even think about trying to escape. The chains are far too thick. Don't dream of being rescued, either; the only way in is secret. Only the Prince, the Count, and I know how to get in and out.
Westley So I'm here till I die?
The Albino Until they kill you, yeah.
Westley Then why bother curing me?
The Albino Well, the Prince and the Count always insist on everyone being healthy before they're broken.
Westley So it's to be torture? [Albino nods enthusiastically] I can cope with torture. [Albino shakes head enthusiastically] Don't believe me?
The Albino You survived the Fire Swamp, so you must be very brave, but no one withstands The Machine.
