Attack on Titan is a world filled with men and monsters. The monsters of this world, with their immense size towering over you like a skyscraper, make you feel powerless. Humanity has built massive walls to protect them from the threat, but after generations the walls feel like prisons to some. Nonetheless, people fight the titans with sword and cannon. The only sure way to kill them is to hurl yourself through the air on a wire and cut them in the nape of the neck. The survival rate of those who choose this task is low. Erin Jaeger has chosen to take on that job as a soldier after his community is destroyed and his family eaten by the monsters. Erin has just graduated from boot camp and he has turned down a safe assignment to join the scouts instead; it’s an assignment with a high mortality rate. We hear others in his cohort call him crazy. He defends his choice with a rational explanation saying, “They [titans] aren’t the mystery they were five years ago.” He admits there is much they need to learn but insists progress is progress. Erin reminds his fellow recruits that every battle, every lost life, has taught them a lesson. He slowly becomes incensed as the prevailing opinion in the ranks is to cut their losses in the war and hide behind the walls, “you want all the death and destruction to be meaningless.” The outburst culminates with his belief that humanity will only survive by coming out of their fortress and retaking the world and that he wants to help lead the way.

The room is silent as many think he might as well volunteer to be a sacrifice to the titans. We get a sense as he storms out that his words may have given some of the newly minted soldiers a sense of pride. He is basically saying as of this moment they can choose to be heroes and live and die fighting or die never knowing or striving for freedom.

Fate/Zero is the prequel to Fate/Stay Night and takes place 10 years before the events of the 5th Holy Grail War. The Holy Grail War is a ritual battle royale between masters and their servants, spirits from history and legend, for the possession of the all-powerful wish-granting device known as the grail. The previous wars were so bloody that no one was able to claim the grail, prompting the Einzberns, a powerful magus family, to hire Kiritsugu Emiya, “The Magus Killer,” to win it for them. Kiritsugu, with his own servant known as Saber, faces off against six other mages and servants. The Magus Killer is willing to do anything to win. His cold tactical approach is in stark contrast to the beliefs held by his servant, Saber. Saber is a great knight of legend who believes that there are rules in war. The knight begins to doubt that Kiritsugu, because of his tactics, wants to use the grail to save the world.

Kiritsugu’s first words in his rebuttal are to call Saber a hypocrite: “There’s no point in speaking to a killer who takes pride in such things.” The statement gets under Saber’s skin as it strikes at the idea that chivalry is a lie. His second statement cuts her even more: “Knights cannot save the world.” Kiritsugu reminds Saber that chivalry has, “led countless young men to their bloody deaths, all for the sake of this valor and glory.”

Kiritsugu explains to Saber that the battlefield holds nothing but despair and it doesn’t matter what fine words you use to dress it up, killing is still killing. The idea of heroism blinds people to the savagery and bloodshed. The end of the speech reinforces his resolve, “Even if that means staining my hands with every evil in the world, I don’t care. If it will save the world, I’ll do it gladly.” The speech is broken up a bit as it is a conversation between the two characters but it explains his chosen methods and his commitment to this cause.

Thirty thousand gamers find themselves in the world of Elder Tale, an MMORPG, and unable to log out. The medieval fantasy world has become their new reality. The players must find all the necessities of life including food, shelter and employment in a world populated by non-player characters (NPCs) and monsters. The players don’t have to worry about death like in that other tale of an MMORPG gone crazy. If a player dies they are transported to a temple and have their stats reset. The same can’t be said for the NPCs, who are acting more and more like they aren’t NPCs with their complicated lives and curiosity. The goblin king has been revived and is bearing down on Lenessia’s kingdom. The NPC knights that have shielded them from the goblin attacks have disappeared. The princess must find an army to call to her side if she is going to protect her people. The only protection she can find is the group of adventurers living in a town called Akihabara. Lenessia’s speech to the adventurers is bluntly honest.

The princess starts off by admitting to the failings of her kingdom and her personal failings, calling herself, “lazy and an ornament with a title.” She continues on to say that she will fight despite the odds, despite her lack of training as a warrior. Lenessa lays bare all the flaws she has because she has nothing else to lose. Her country will be sacked by the goblins without their help. The speech is a plea for help to people who have nothing to gain by helping her. She gets the adventurers on her side not by being noble, not by being “one of them,” but simply by being honest.

A good teacher comes in all shapes, sizes, ages, and walks of life; they can even be all-powerful alien creatures threatening to destroy the earth. Korosensei is such an alien. He has threatened to destroy the Earth but has given the planet a chance. If a class of students can manage to kill him, the world is saved. You’d think Korosensei is a classic villain ready to torment the students that, at his direction, try and kill him but nothing could be further from the truth. He takes his job as their teacher very seriously.

He, an obviously superior being, doesn’t have much patience dealing with people when everyone is lesser than him. Karma, one of the students with great grades, gets a little too full of himself so Korosensei takes him down a peg. He also provides us with an explanation for his actions. “I cut him down so he’ll spring back up.” Korosensei begins, “The boy’s enormously talented, there’s no denying that. But he’s a novice. He’s not yet learned how to be worthy of that talent.” The opening line tells us he has thought out a reason for berating Karma and follows that up with actual praise for the student. Korosensei has noticed that Karma doesn’t challenge himself and only excels because he sticks to things he is comfortable with. Korosensei wants to show him, “the pain of defeat can be a much-needed wake up call,” to try harder and do better. The all-powerful alien understands that failure is an option can motivates us to do better. “The difference between the novice and the master is that the master has failed more times than the novice has tried," according to the alien. We assume that last statement is not only a piece of wisdom but a small insight to the idea that the all-powerful Korosensei has failed many times since he seems to be a master of so many things.

Sora and Shiro are (were) a pair of sibling shut-ins that spend their days as a high-level gamer under the username “Blank.” The pair’s outlook on life is simply that the real world is just another lousy game. Tet, the God of Games, summons them to a world where all conflict, from simple disagreements to matters of state are settled by high-stakes gaming. The sibling gamers, who had become bored with the games in their world, finally found a challenge worthy of their abilities. The mission they take on is to unite the 16 races Disboard which have names like Elves, Dwarfs, Ex-Machina, Flugel and Imanity. Winning would make them true gods of gaming. The speech “Imanity is Weak” is given by Sora in episode four when he and Shiro become the King of Imanity (humans). Imanity is considered the weakest of all the species in Disboard. Sora gives a speech of a great statesman. He lays out the world as he knows it, the Imanity used to rule the continent and know only rules one small corner of it. He asks the question why, why in a world where things are decided by games not armies has Imanity lost so much, “is it because we can’t use magic? Is it because we are fated to die helpless? Not a chance!” He tells them all these things only serve as excuses for their failures. He reminds them that Imanity fought in the great war between the races and survived. Sora asks how could Imanity have once ruled the continent, not having the magic of the elves, or the strength of the warbeasts. He explains that they were able to rule the land, not because they were strong and could fight but because “We are weak.” And the weak, as opposed to the strong who have sharp fangs, have sharp minds. The audience gathered to hear him speak bow their heads in embarrassment as they think they’re being shamed. Sora shocks them by telling them “You should be proud to be weak,” because the other races who have been banned from war have adopted some of Imanity’s skill, but they can never hope to master them.

The speech is great because it is a reminder that perceived weakness can foster a strength. He speaks before a people that have given up and wallowed in self-pity and turns all the things they loathe about themselves into matters of pride. Sora seems to speak to all of us who had skills different than most and makes us reexamine what we might perceive as our own failings.

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU is a look at the daily lives and relationships of high schoolers through the cynical and sarcastic filter of Hachiman Hikigaya. The people who know him and even those that care for him consider his personality to be a bit twisted. He would argue that he views the world as it is, looking past all of the superficial BS. The monologue he gives in episode five is a great example of this, “I hate nice girls. If they so much as say hello, it stays on my mind. If they return my texts, my heart races. The day one calls me, I know I’ll look at my call history and grin. But I know that’s just them being nice…” Hachiman goes on to explain how people who are nice to everyone are really not being nice to anyone. “If the truth is cruel, then lies must be kind. That is why kindness is a lie.” Hachiman says he’s fallen for this lie before and that he is a veteran in dealing with kind people and that is why, “I’ll always hate nice girls.”

We understand this is a very cynical approach to the world but it works for some people and, especially in Hachiman’s case, it works almost like a superpower. His cynicism and the walls he built around himself give him the ability to solve problems that others his age are afraid to tackle. Nevertheless, as with many superpowers, they come with a cost. A cost that is made apparent in the same speech that defines his beliefs. Hachiman’s cool outlook is as cold as the walls of ice he’s built to protect himself from the dangers that come with hope and feeling.

Anime Gataris is one of those shows that must have been made by people who love anime. The show is intentionally filled with tropes and homages to the anime we enjoy. Anime Gataris focuses on an anime novice named Minoa. She is drawn into her school's anime club before she can have a second thought. The club is repeatedly under siege by the student council and fighting for its existence. Minoa goes to speak at a school-wide assembly to convince the population that the anime club was worthy of existing. You could tell right away that this wasn’t the best idea. The club took the most awkward unsure member among them and thrust her into the spotlight. She “ums” and “ahs” her way through the first few sentences when her sempai Kai, in all his over-enthusiastic glory, places his hand on her shoulder letting her know it’s okay and he will take it from there.

Kai is a very serious fan of anime and calls himself a dark lord. A dark lord is what the occasion called for. His first words are spoken with such zeal you imagine him rousing an army to a cause, “Hear me: I love special power battle anime.” The crowd doesn’t know what to think. He then explains that these shows are about the underdog, that they're about the people who never consider themselves useful finding a purpose. He loves that genre because the hero always sides with the weak to overturn the tyrants. He tells his high school peers that yes, the settings are made up and the plots fantastical, but it's in anime that we learned justice, friendship, and perseverance. Kai reminds them if they choose to side with the student council and declare the club worthless that’s their right. But that kind of attitude will make them resigned to being background characters their entire lives. He tells them if they stand up, if they challenge the authority of the council, they will be worthy of becoming the main characters of their lives. The speech is very short yet he touches on something many of us still watching anime in our adult lives believe: there is value in these shows. Anime has value in its art and its stories that go far beyond the way drawings dance across the screen.

The Emperor of the Holy Britannic Empire in Code Geass is as large and imposing as the empire he controls. Britain controls a third of the world and is bent on conquering the remaining two thirds. The fate of each territory that comes under their control is the imposition of their rigid caste system. The Britannic Empire conquers a country and then strips its citizens of their rights and even their names. The conquered Japanese are no longer called Japanese but elevens after the name of the territory’s designation in the Empire. The ruling philosophy of this hierarchal system of government is summed up best in the speech we call “All Men Are Not Created Equal” by Charles zi Britannia, the Emperor of Britannia. Charles begins by stating “All men are not created equal,” as his thesis. He then backs that up by saying, “some are born smarter, or more beautiful, or with parents of greater status.” The emperor then contrasts it by saying some are weak of body and mind or have no talents. “All men are different,” he states it as it is the most obvious statement that we are all indeed different. He explains away the conflict, unrest, and war as a natural side effect of this difference in each of us. “Inequality is not evil,” his second thesis, he supports by explaining that the nations like Europe that declare equality are in constant conflict because it’s a fool’s errand to force equality that doesn’t exist. The case is made that Britannia alone moves forward because they don’t have these inner conflicts because they recognize the natural order, that some are better than others and to that effect, some are meant to rule others.

Charles is the only returnee from the last time we compiled this list and it is because what he says is the most insidious. He uses what seems like sound logic and example to support this claim and gains and reaffirms support by saying it. The argument is flawed. It doesn’t consider the possibility that when everyone has a chance to rise, we all are better for it. He doesn’t understand that the collective mind, when encouraged and when set free, can achieve even greater things. Yes, we understand that there are massive inequalities even in societies that claim equal rights. The point is to strive for that ideal, to pursue that happiness, is the point of the idea of equality. And isn’t that better than giving up or submitting (as Charles would have you do) and handing over that possibility a select few?

Subaru Natsuki makes a wrong turn on his way home one day and ends up in a fantasy world. He doesn’t last too long on his first day in the new world. He is mugged and beaten and rescued by a beautiful girl named Emilia. You’d think things were looking up from there, right? You’d be wrong. The two are murdered shortly thereafter and Subaru wakes up where he started. The process repeats itself a couple of time and finally, after several painful deaths, they get over that hurdle and he ends up the role as the butler for his beloved Emilia-tan (tan meaning angel). He isn’t alone in the massive mansion; he’s joined by two maids, twins, one with pink and one with blue hair. The sister with blue hair, Rem, falls in love with Subaru. We find that tragedy finds Subaru where ever he goes. He has the power to fix mistakes yet still fails time after time to save people. Subaru is in a moment of weakness and looks to Rem, knowing how she feels, and says they should run away. Rem refuses and says if they left it should be toward a life together not away from something they don't want to face. She takes the opportunity to confess to him. She gives a speech detailing a life filled with love and happiness, from the time they leave the capital to the town they settle down in, to the children they’d have and their lives as an old couple. The tearful confession is delivered by the voice actress with such passion every word feels like a plea for your heart to love her.

The confession said, the fantasy ending, Rem’s own moment of weakness over, she tells him they can’t run away. Because if they ran away from the problems and challenges that await them they would also be running away from the trait she loves most about him, his perseverance. He asks her why she would say all those things. Rem replies that listening to him talk about how much he hated himself made her want to tell him all the wonderful things she knows about him. Rem’s confession is hard not to get caught up in. You might find yourself crying by the end. You will desperately want Subaru and Rem to run away and live that peaceful, perfect life. We put this at number 2 because we can’t remember a single speech that ever elevated a character so fast in the eyes of fandom -- to the point where she eclipses the main heroine.

The anime Maoyuu Maou Yuusha or MAYOU is the story of two people destined to be arch enemies who become lovers. A hero from the human world and the demon lord from the demon realm devise a plan to bring their peoples together and into an age of enlightenment built on reason and science. The biggest obstacles are the demon hold-outs in the demon world, who the hero, working on the Demon Lord Maou’s behalf, secretly eliminates. Under the guise of being a scholar, Maou takes up residence in the human realm and shares new methods of agriculture and modernizes the economy. She is celebrated by the peasants and merchants but reviled by those in power like much of the nobility and the church. She is arrested and put on trial as a heretic by the church as they try to ruin her in a public trial.

The truth of the matter is far different. Maou isn’t even in the human realm. She is attending to a thing in the demon realm. It’s really her maid, Ane, using the magic of illusion and filling in for the Crimson Scholar while she was away. Ane and her sister were homeless and taken in by Maou and trained to be maids by Maou’s demon-born head maid. The head maid considers them bugs because until the moment they take control of their own fates they aren’t even human.

The Hero and his allies knew that the Crimson Scholar had to appear before the inquisition. Ane would wear a ring that gave her the appearance of the Crimson Scholar and she would take her place before the church. She was given assurances that they would keep her safe and rescue her if needed. Still, Ane was so very frightened and felt so powerless before she put on the disguise she wept. Ane, as the Demon Lord, is in chains as she is led to the stage in a town square filled with peasants, the church wanting to make a show of their power. She is flogged and beaten and denounced by the church. Yet she begins to speak. She tells the simple story, her story, Ane’s story. She was born a serf. Her brother broke his arm and was left to die. Her sister was taken by the landowner and never returned. She explains that she has known nothing but suffering. Until one night someone showed them kindness and took her and her younger sister in, clothed them, educated them, and employed them. She felt that fate had been kind, but she still felt as powerless as when they burned her home. She begins to make a plea to the Lords, the soldiers, the surfs and says “I must reject it because of all its (fate and kindness) done for me. Because I am human.” She explains how self-doubt and self-loathing build up inside her and makes her feel no better than an insect. “I am human,” she reminds herself. She asks the audience if they can remember the feeling of the sun after it sets, the feeling of kindness when it’s given or received, and how that is proof that you are human, that you are the “light spirit’s (god’s) children.” The church, taking offense, bludgeons her again. She stands once again, stating you can call me a heretic, but to this town who has given so much to me, “you must never stop, wishing, hoping, thinking, and working.” She reminds them that god’s grace is upon the land and within them, and it gives them the freedom to do better for themselves and not to relinquish that freedom for the easy path of subservience. The church strikes her again and tells her to be silent, she states she can never be silent for to neglect god’s grace to think, to speak, to act would be a sin. “I will not be silent,” she says even though it wasn’t the plan and means that she is sure to be killed, because, “I am human.”

We can’t say enough, as evident from the previous paragraphs, about this speech. The writer simply sums up the entirety of the human condition in one minute and fifteen seconds. You simply must watch this scene, you don’t even have to watch all of episode nine, you can start around the 10-minute mark. You will be left in awe of by this writing.