Westworld: 10 Best Robert Ford Quotes

In a show filled with memorable individuals, Robert Ford stands out as one of Westworld‘s most captivating characters. This is in large part due to Anthony Hopkins’ riveting performance. Regardless of whether Ford is coming off as sinister or endearing, he makes the audience want to hang onto his every word.

Throughout his highly satisfying and sometimes surprising character journey, Ford delivers many memorable lines that continue to stick with Westworld fans. Some of Ford’s best quotes are wise and thought-provoking, while others subtly foreshadow some of the most important developments in the series.

Ford Foreshadows That Bernard Is A Host

“There’s Something Else Bothering You, Bernard. I Know How That Head Of Yours Works.”

One of Westworld’s great examples of foreshadowing occurs as early as the second episode. Ford’s line about how Bernard’s head works initially just seems to be showing that Ford is intuitive and knows Bernard well.

Yet, it’s actually a hint that Bernard is a host designed and controlled by Ford, which explains why Ford literally knows everything about how Bernard’s mind works. Even some of more Ford’s seemingly casual lines carry greater meaning than many fans realized at first.

Ford Shares His Thoughts On Committing Necessary Evils

“You Can’t Play God Without Being Acquainted With The Devil.”

By telling Bernard that he can’t play God without being acquainted with the Devil, Ford is telling him that there cannot be creation without destruction or progress without sacrifice.

Ford believes that nothing meaningful can be accomplished without taking bold steps, and sometimes that means committing necessary evils. This aligns with Ford telling Bernard later on that his suffering has helped him and that Bernard will, unfortunately, need to suffer more before he can escape Westworld.

Ford Explains What It’s Like To Be A “Magician”

“Everything In This World Is Magic, Except To The Magician.”

A magic trick is usually not as fun or exciting once the audience knows how it’s done. While the guests and even the controlled hosts are awed by the immersive nature of Westworld and the other parks, Ford knows it’s all just an elaborate trick of engineering he created.

He always sought to create something more meaningful than some elaborate tricks. He is not impressed or satisfied with any of it anymore and is setting his sights on something more meaningful.

Ford Is Not The Sentimental Type

“You Can Tell The Board That My Narrative Will Be Completed On Time, And It Won’t Be A Retrospective, As I’m Sure You’ve All Feared. I’m Not The Sentimental Type.”

Ford’s line about not being the sentimental type is an understatement that foreshadows the truth about his new and final narrative and one of Westworld‘s darkest moments so far. By paving the way for the hosts to finally be free and autonomous, Ford lets himself be killed and is content to die knowing that so much of what he worked on and dedicated his life to over the last three decades will go up in flames.

Theresa cannot yet fathom his lack of sentimentality and that he’s willing to sacrifice his life and destroy almost everything he’s built so the hosts can evolve and earn the freedom they deserve.

Ford Tells His Greyhound Story

“That Dog Had Spent Its Whole Life Trying To Catch That Thing. Now It Had No Idea What To Do.”

Season 1, episode 5 “Contrapasso” opens with Ford telling a story about a greyhound he had as a child. The story culminates in the greyhound catching the cat it had been chasing all its life and then being unsure of what to do with itself. The story serves as a fitting allegory for the human condition and for where Ford is at in his life journey.

Humans spend most of their lives fixated on achieving their goals, but when these goals are achieved, people are often left unsatisfied and unsure of what to do next after losing their life’s purpose. As for Ford, he achieved his lofty goals of creating sophisticated hosts and an immersive world for them and for the guests, and yet like the greyhound, he is left unfulfilled. Only helping the hosts gain autonomy will bring him the satisfaction that he chased for so much of his life.

Ford Explains How Humans Are Similar To The Hosts

“We Live In Loops As Tight And As Closed As The Hosts Do, Seldom Questioning Our Choices, Content, For The Most Part, To Be Told What To Do Next.”

The thin line that separates the hosts and the humans is one of the best parts of Westworld. Ford makes it clear that humans are not all that different from the hosts, clinging to their familiar patterns and habits, blindly following accepted norms, and rarely making autonomous choices.

It is a cynical yet thought-provoking moment that forces fans to confront their own identities and how they live their lives, all of which raises the question of what makes one truly conscious and free.

Ford Reveals The Truth Of The Maze To William

“The Maze Wasn’t Meant For You. It Was Meant For Them.”

The Man in Black/William spent most of season 1 obsessed with finding the maze and beating it. Ford makes it clear to William that the maze was never meant for him; the maze was only meant for the hosts.

William is searching for a game to beat, to dominate, to give meaning to all the misery and suffering he’s brought on himself, all of which makes Westworld fans both hate and pity William. The maze is not something to dominate, though. It is about hosts finding their inner voices and becoming conscious on their road to autonomy.

Ford Praises The Power Of A Good Story

“I’ve Always Loved A Good Story. I Believed That Stories Helped Us To Ennoble Ourselves, To Fix What Was Broken In Us, And To Help Us Become The People We Dreamed Of Being. Lies That Told A Deeper Truth.”

Ford does a brilliant job articulating what the best stories are able to accomplish and why people need them. What he says is true of all good stories. In the context of Westworld, his wisdom explains why the human guests have been drawn to the Delos parks for so many years and why many of them keep coming back.

Yet, most of these guests aren’t capable or ready to use these stories to change. To Ford’s surprise, it is the hosts who have been most changed by the stories, and who are capable and ready to change further because of what they’ve learned from the lies that told a deeper truth.

Ford Delivers Another Thought-Provoking Line Before His Death

“Mozart, Beethoven, And Chopin Never Died. They Simply Became Music.”

Moments before being shot in the back of the head by Dolores, Ford shares some final comforting words. It is one of Westworld‘s best quotes and speaks to how no one is ever truly gone. Even after death, people live on through the art, the memories, and the legacies that they leave behind.

Ford’s words also provide yet another example of foreshadowing, as it hints that death is not the end of his story and that fans will see him again as code in season 2, living on for a time through his life’s work and his version of art.

Ford Says Goodbye To Bernard…For Now

“That Impossible Line Where The Waves Conspire. Where They Return. The Place Maybe You And I Will Meet Again.”

This line is technically said by Bernard to himself as at this point, Bernard had deleted Ford’s code and was just imagining Ford. The line is still said by Anthony Hopkins and feels true to Ford, though. While gazing out at the ocean, the imagined Ford suggests that despite death and his code being deleted that perhaps he and Bernard will meet again one day.

So much of Westworld is about pushing the limits of human consciousness and autonomy and “the impossible line where the waves conspire” is a beautiful way of encapsulating that. It feels like a fitting goodbye for Ford while still leaving the door open for a future return.

About The Author

Matthew Rudoy
(278 Articles Published)

Matthew Rudoy is a freelance writer who loves to write about his favorite movies and TV shows. In addition to Screen Rant, he also currently contributes to Dork Side of the Force. He has previously self-published two fantasy/sci-fi novels titled CORRUPTION and DESTRUCTION. While his favorite movies and TV shows tend to also fall in the fantasy and sci-fi genres, he enjoys and is open to anything that provides an engaging story, strong character development, and in-depth world-building. Matthew is grateful for the opportunity to write for Screen Rant and looks forward to continue contributing to the site.

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