The 13 Best Quotes From 'Narcos'

Netflix’s latest hit drama Narcos intelligently depicts the parallel stories of cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and the DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña who hunted him down. Just as there is a duality of plots, two languages also carry the series. The show seamlessly switches between English and Spanish, and the bilingual script doesn’t miss a beat — After all, Narcos is full of brilliant quotes.

From a dynamic, evil leader (Pablo Escobar), to a West Virginian good ol’ boy cop and an agent who isn’t afraid to break the rules (Steve Murphy and Javier Peña), the script is a goldmine of intriguing, and often true-to-life quotes. Narcos was based on the real lives of these agents and Escobar. But, Narcos’ quotes aren’t just catchy, they are ubiquitous because the phrases are tough, thoughtful, and the entertainment that supports them is well-done. (Another score for Netflix!)

If you already marathoned the series and are already missing it, or even if you're just making your way through it, here are Narcos' 13 best quotes that will really make you think.

1."In the United States, the Mafia makes witnesses disappear so they can't testify in court. In Colombia, Pablo Escobar made the whole court disappear."— Steve Murphy

This was one of those moments on Narcos where fact was stranger than fiction.

2. “Plata O Plomo.”

Simply put, silver or lead.

3. "The hippies had been replaced by Colombians, and these guys didn't wear flip-flops.” — Steve Murphy

The times they are a changin' ...

4. "Just like that, an honest man blinked.” — Steve Murphy

Just an example of when Steve Murphy's narration game was on point.

5. "Despite his threats, many brave men defied him. And, true to form, when the pen failed ... Pablo was always ready with the sword.” — Steve Murphy

A new take on an old adage.

6. “Geniuses are always branded as crazy.”— Pablo Escobar

And he's humble about it too.

7. "The bad guys need to get lucky every time. The good guys just need to get lucky once." — Steve Murphy

Classic Steve.

8. "Las mentiras son necesarias cuando la verdad es muy difícil de creer."— Pablo Escobar

"Lies are necessary when the truth is very hard to believe."

9. “You ever been duck hunting?” — Steve Murphy

Javier Peña’s response is hilarious.

10. "As the twig is bent, so grows the tree."— Pacho Herrera

Once something is in motion, it's hard to stop.

11. "Imagine you were born in a poor family, in a poor city, in a poor country, and by the time you were 28 years old, you have so much money you can’t even count it. What do you do? You make your dreams come true." — Steve Murphy

That guy (or his script writers) really can weave a narrative.

12. "If you support evil, you are evil."— Horatio Carrillo

Truth.

13. "The purpose of war is peace." — Pablo Escobar

But to what end? See, told you these quotes would make you think.

Images: Daniel Daza/Netflix (1); felox-i (2), jamiesfraser, snogbox, ethan-talbot, gifstorp/Tumblr