10 Best Dr. Manhattan Quotes That Will Trigger An Existential Crisis

Whether it be in the graphic novels or the live-action adaptations, Watchmen‘s all-powerful, blue-skinned member Dr. Jonathan Osterman aka Doctor Manhattan is one of the most philosophical characters in pop culture. Speaking in metaphors while throwing in a scientific fact or two, Manhattan’s words can be quite confusing yet thought-provoking.

Even though he has god-like powers, he refuses to help humanity at times for he wishes to discover a society and a galaxy that is “less complicated than this one.” A constant part of the Watchmen Universe, Manhattan seems to be in a perpetual state of emotionless, often indulging in introspective discourses.

10 “…A Single Egg.”

Alan Moore is at his poetic best when it comes to penning Manhattan’s lines in the original Watchmen run. “And yet, in each human coupling, a thousand million sperm vie for a single egg,” the character begins a monologue with this line, explaining how the very existence of humans is a matter of probability that is dependent on certain odds. He gives this explanation when he discovers that Laurie Jupiter (Silk Spectre) was the daughter of Edward Blake.

Hence, in this ever-changing cycle of uncertainty, each “egg” results in a certain lifeform of a certain design. This act of creation might seem like a common occurrence but if one thinks from the perspective of Doctor Manhattan, it is indeed a “thermodynamic miracle.”

9 “Nothing Ends, Adrian. Nothing Ever Ends.”

While humans have a limited lifespan, Doctor Manhattan seems to outlive all. When the narcissistic antihero Adrian Veidt aka Ozymandias seems to wreak havoc with his own plan of nuclear annihilation, he seeks approval from Manhattan. Ozymandias is very well aware that his plans come at the cost of human life but he is convinced that it is necessary for restarting human society.

“I did the right thing, didn’t I? It all worked out in the end.” Ozymandias says, in a bittersweet tone. To this Manhattan simply replies, “In the end? Nothing ends, Adrian.” After all, even if the world seems to end, the event is just a minor occurrence in the universe for Manhattan. The world keeps on turning no matter what.

8 “There Is No Future. There Is No Past.”

It’s difficult to figure out in what period of time Manhattan exists. While he has clear memories of his human past, he is also equally aware of his future. And even his interactions in the present further reveal that he can simultaneously experience two timelines at once. Hence, for someone like Doctor Manhattan, time is indeed a social construct, a myth created by humans to regulate their lives. He simply accepts the future rather than changing it.

Manhattan goes on to compare the concept of time as a jewel that can be viewed all at once. And yet, according to him, humans wish to witness one edge at a time rather than witnessing the jewel all at once.

7 “I’d Almost Forgotten The Excitement Of Not Knowing, The Delights Of Uncertainty.”

As mentioned before, Manhattan seems to view all timelines at once leading to his fatalist view on life. But on his way to Ozymandias’s Antarctic base, tachyons start obstructing his connection with the future. For a change, readers find Manhattan in a phase of uncertainty.

This instead cheers him up as he seems to have missed the possibility of being clueless about the future. The “excitement of not knowing” arouses emotions in Manhattan that audiences so rarely see him feel.

6 “I’m Just A Puppet Who Can See The Strings.”

Manhattan remarks to Laurie Jupiter on how this world is inhabited by puppets. He himself admits to be a puppet, only one who can see his strings. The question arises: who pulls these strings? Even Manhattan doesn’t seem to know the answer behind this and neither does he show any interest in figuring out this existential doubt.

Despite his godly powers, Manhattan believes that everything is preordained including his own responses. For this very reason, he refuses to interfere in the time-space continuum and allows events to unfold as they are supposed to. For this reason, even though Manhattan might seem like a god among mortals, he still happens to be powerless over his thoughts and actions.

5 “A Live Body And A Dead Body Contain The Same Amount Of Particles.”

Of course, a live body and a dead body are not the same. But structurally, they seem to be the same and Manhattan goes on to equate life with death, referring to both as “unquantifiable abstracts.” A more philosophical observation rather than a scientific one, this quote is important to his character arc as it shows his lack of empathy towards human existence in general.

Ozymandias also seems to be cold-hearted when it comes to the loss of human lives. However, his plans are intricately designed to provide a better start to the new wave of human. Manhattan, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to care at all.

4 “I’m In Every Moment We Were Together, All At Once.”

In the HBO miniseries, the final episode’s circumstances force Angela Abar (Regina King) to destroy Doctor Manhattan (Yahya Abdul-Mateen III). Before he parts, his final words evoke romance and his own transcendence. He makes it evident that even in his dying moments, he’s able to experience, the past that he had shared with her.

“I’m in every moment we were together, all at once. I love you, Angela.” Saying these words, he fades from existence. Although the cliffhanger ending suggests that he’s not really dead as he passes his powers to Angela.

3 “…Mars Did Not Choose Life.”

Doctor Manhattan sitting on a rocky outgrowth of Mars, thinking in solitude. This is one of the most identifiable panels in Alan Moore’s graphic novel. Dissatisfied with the constant chain of tragic events on Earth, Manhattan seeks some time alone and teleports to Mars. Laurie tries to bring him back to his planet but he offers her his reasons of letting Earth steer itself to destruction.

Giving the example of Mars, he points out how the Red Planet chose “chaotic terrain’ over ‘life.'” Earth, on the other hand, brimmed with life only for humanity to ruin it with climate change and nuclear warfare.

2 “Perhaps The World Is Not Made. Perhaps Nothing Is Made.”

On one hand, Manhattan’s puppet analogy seems to point to the possibility of there being a God or a cosmic force that “pulls the strings.” But then, he also feels that maybe the world is just outrightly chaotic with none of its events scripted or planned beforehand. He goes on to equate the world as “a clock without a craftsman.”

Perhaps this would explain how humans constantly try to build a Utopian life for themselves but shortcomings always persist. “It’s too late. Always has been, always will be…” Manhattan remarks. Such a quote only makes his cynicism more evident. What even is the purpose of life if the ones living have no ultimate control? Such questions are bound to emerge if one ponders on Manhattan’s observations.

1 “Up Is A Relative Construct. It Has No Intrinsic Value.”

Once, a photojournalist casually asked Manhattan, “What’s up, doc?” To answer his question, Manhattan went down a deeply metaphysical route explaining to him the concept of “up” in a purely scientific and philosophical sense.

Instead of recognizing the popular Bugs Bunny catchphrase, Manhattan chose to see “up” as a direction. And directions, much like time, are yet again just mere social constructs for the all-knowing Doctor. This is just one of the many cases where his words put everyone around him into an existential fit.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
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Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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