18 Years Later, One of the Greatest Quotes in Video Game History Still Shakes Us to Our Core

Spoiler Warning: This article contains major spoilers for BioShock

BioShock shaped gaming history 18 years ago with its most memorable quote: “A man chooses, a slave obeys.” It’s a sentence that has since become one of the most iconic lines across all video games, and not just because it has an unforgettable ring to it. It’s the centerpiece of BioShock‘s infamous plot twist, the condensation of a moment that forever altered the course of video game storytelling and still shakes gamers to their core almost two decades later.

Over 18 years and at least two console generations later, BioShock‘s plot twist remains one of the most shocking moments in gaming history. A lot has changed in gaming since 2007, and many games have come out since then with massive twists and memorable lines of their own, but there’s a reason why BioShock‘s final act still hits so hard. Nostalgia may play a heavy role for those who played the game in their formative years, but the “would you kindly” twist is more than a clever bit of writing. It turns the very way a video game works into a statement about fate and free will.

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Andrew Ryan’s Final Monologue in BioShock Turned Video Game History Upside Down

Toward the end of BioShock, players finally encounter the villain, Andrew Ryan, who delivers a bone-chilling speech:

“In the end, what separates a man from a slave? Money? Power? No! A man chooses, a slave obeys! You think you have memories? A farm, a family, an airplane and then this place. Was there really a family? Did that airplane crash or was it hijacked? Forced down, forced down by something less than a man, something bred to sleepwalk through life until they’re activated by a simple phrase, spoken by their kindly master. Was a man sent to kill or a slave? A man chooses, a slave obeys. Come in. Stop, would you kindly? ‘Would you kindly’: powerful phrase. Familiar phrase? Sit, would you kindly? Stand, would you kindly? Run! Stop! Turn! A man chooses, a slave obeys. Kill! A man chooses! A slave obeys! Obey!”

As Ryan reframes the game’s opening moments and Jack, the protagonist, automatically follows his orders with each “would you kindly,” it becomes clear that Jack is not a hero come by chance to save Rapture but the pawn of Atlas, revealed to be Frank Fontaine. Even as Jack gruesomely kills Ryan, it’s not the victory over the enemy that players expect. It’s a stark revelation that Jack, and even the player themself, is just a slave to someone else’s will. It makes BioShock‘s twist one of the best in any FPS because it flips the entire game. A second playthrough feels entirely different; Jack becomes a tragic character, and players question every choice they’ve made because they no longer appear to be choices at all.

The BioShock series presents players with many moral dilemmas, but the lingering memory of the words “a man chooses, a slave obeys” throws a wrench into each debate. Do players really have any choice when they must still choose from what the game gives them? Every time players complete an objective in BioShock, they are following Atlas’ orders, unknowingly driven by the phrase “would you kindly.” Andrew Ryan’s monologue turns the mechanics into part of the story, as gamers can only progress by doing what the game tells them to. Many games let players make choices to drive the story, but BioShock makes players an active participant in the narrative by calling attention to the lack of a real choice.

Bioshock an Art Deco glass wall in Rapture

Like any true postmodern piece of art, BioShock avoids making a definite statement, but rather leaves the question open-ended. Ryan’s haunting “a man chooses, a slave obeys” speech accuses the player of having no agency, even casting doubt over the idea of free will in a broader sense. However, BioShock is also a game about finding yourself, and Jack ultimately breaks free of his chains to kill Atlas and, depending on how players approached the game, may free the Little Sisters. But one can still argue that this ending is also fate, and that the choices are still illusions because the game only offers so many paths. It’s that endless debate that makes BioShock stand out so much, even 18 years later.

Big Daddy and Little Sister getting ready to attack in Bioshock

While the Ryan monologue still stands as one of gaming’s most profound twists, there’s more of BioShock‘s lasting legacy to look forward to. Multiple BioShock 4 assets have leaked, seemingly adding credence to rumors that it will take place in Antarctica and showcasing golden statues that conjure memories of Andrew Ryan’s giant golden bust in the first BioShock‘s opening sequence. It’s reported that the next BioShock game is stuck in development hell, so there’s no telling when it will come out for now, but until then, there is plenty to unpack in the first game’s ending.