The Best Quotes from Ergo Proxy

What Ergo Proxy is About

The City of Romdeau

The story of Ergo Proxy is set in a domed city called Romdeau. It seems like a perfect place where humans and androids, called AutoReivs, live together. But this perfection comes at a cost, as people are not allowed to show real emotions.

Outside the dome, the Earth is a wasteland. Humanity's last survivors are watched over by god-like beings called Proxies. The show is about the conflict between the safe but fake world inside the dome and the dangerous but real world outside.

Main Ideas in the Show

A big theme is that the "creators" of this world, the Proxies, are flawed. They are lonely and a bit crazy. The characters often wonder why they were created and what their purpose is.

Another key idea is the "Cogito virus." This virus infects the AutoReivs and gives them souls, making them self-aware. This forces them to question their own existence, just like humans do.

The show explores how people find their identity. Characters like Vincent Law, Re-l Mayer, and Pino struggle with who they are supposed to be. They fight against the roles given to them by society.

Quotes from Each Character

Vincent Law: Finding Himself

A Man Who Doesn't Belong

Vincent Law starts as an immigrant who just wants to fit in. He's timid and feels like he doesn't belong in Romdeau. He doesn't know who or what he is.

He struggles with his own perspective on the world. This is shown in one of his deep thoughts.

"From the perspective of others I am part of the world, but when I observe the world from my perspective I am nowhere to be found. To observe is to create perspective. I can never cease to be the point of origin from my perspective. I observe that which is not myself. This is the first principle to find."

This quote basically means that we are at the center of our own worlds. We can't see ourselves from the outside. For Vincent, who has lost his memory, this idea helps him feel real.

Lost Memories and Lies

As Vincent leaves the city, his amnesia starts to fade. He learns his memories were not just lost, they were hidden from him. His whole life feels like a lie.

In a strange bookstore, he faces the truth about his memory loss.

"Vincent never had any memories to begin with, convinced himself that he forgot his memories."

This line is a gut punch. It means "Vincent Law" was a personality created to hide his true nature as a Proxy. The person he thought he was might not even be real.

Accepting His True Self

At the end of his journey, Vincent stops trying to fit in. He accepts that he has two sides to his nature. He is no longer timid and apologetic.

His final statement shows he has accepted his power and purpose.

"I am Ergo Proxy, the Agent of Death."

This line shows he's no longer in crisis. He accepts his role as a destroyer but does it on his own terms. He is both man and monster, and he's okay with that.

Re-l Mayer: The Girl Who Woke Up

Bored in a Perfect City

Re-l Mayer is the granddaughter of the city's ruler. She has everything but is extremely bored. The perfect society feels like a prison to her.

Her thoughts show how she sees the city.

"A boring paradise."

"Make your life easier, throw stuff away."

These lines criticize how Romdeau keeps people calm by making them consume and discard things. Re-l wants something real, even if it's messy. She's looking for the truth because it's more interesting than a safe life.

Searching for Truth

Re-l needs to be in control and understand everything. She treats the world's mysteries like a puzzle she has to solve. She doesn't just accept what the rulers tell her.

She reflects on what truth really is.

"That is the world's limit, the boundary between the world and the self. It is the foundation of our truth, proof that we belong in this world, that we are of this world. Follow your instincts. You'll find the answers you seek inside."

This quote shows her shifting from looking for answers in files to trusting her gut. She realizes that real truth comes from personal experience. This is a big step for someone who relies on logic.

Getting Real in the Wasteland

When she's trapped on a ship in the wasteland, Re-l is stripped of her power. She is forced to face how useless she can be without her status. Her dialogue becomes more human and less guarded.

"Why does Re-L love to dress like an emo Goth?"

"I realized that overthinking and being anxious won't solve anything."

These moments show her letting go of the need for control. She learns that some things are out of her hands. This allows her to connect with Vincent as a person, not just a case to be solved.

Pino: The Robot with a Soul

The Joy of Being Real

Pino is an infected AutoReiv who becomes self-aware. For her, the "Cogito virus" is a gift, not a curse. While other robots go crazy, she becomes like a curious child.

Her statement about herself is full of joy, not fear.

"I have a soul!"

The humans in the show see having a soul as a burden. For Pino, it's something new and exciting. Her happiness makes you question what it really means to be alive.

A Simple View of the World

Pino often brings a lighter mood to the show. Her humor comes from seeing the world in a very literal way. She helps point out how silly human behavior can be.

"Are we friends?"

"That can't be fun."

She cares about simple things like having fun and being friends. This is a big contrast to the serious problems the adults are dealing with. Her simple view of the world acts as a reality check for everyone.

Simple but Smart

Even though she acts like a child, Pino sometimes says things that are surprisingly deep. She sees the truth in situations that others miss.

"The shadow knows."

This line connects to the idea of a "shadow self," which is the dark part of a person's personality. Vincent's shadow is his Proxy form. Pino sees and accepts all parts of people, showing that love and trust are powerful.

Other Important Characters

Iggy: The Loyal Robot

Iggy is Re-l's robot assistant. He is programmed to serve her, which he calls his "raison d'être," or his reason for being. When the Cogito virus infects him, his duty turns into an obsessive love.

He struggles with his new feelings and his programming. He even makes fun of the idea that once controlled him.

"These charts are your raison d'être!"

"I exist to protect you, Re-l."

In the end, Iggy chooses his own reason for being. He decides that protecting Re-l is his purpose, and he sacrifices himself for her. He proves that he became more than just a machine.

Proxy One: The Angry Creator

Proxy One is one of the god-like creators of Romdeau. He is bitter and angry about his existence. He sees the world he helped make with disgust.

His speech about the universe is a key part of the show's philosophy.

"A universe without perception is much like an enormous stack of rotting books, forever unopened and unread."

He believes that reality is pointless without someone there to experience it. This is why he wants to destroy the dome, since its citizens are not truly living or thinking. He is a flawed god who hates his own creation.

Raul Creed: The Man Who Wants Control

Raul Creed is a leader in Romdeau who believes humans should be in charge, not gods. His journey takes him from a calm leader to a vengeful man. He decides to destroy the whole system rather than let the Proxies win.

His most famous quote shows his extreme thinking.

"If you're going to eat the poison, you might as well eat the plate."

Raul realizes the city is built on a lie (the poison). Instead of just trying to fix it, he decides to destroy everything (the plate). He's a man who would rather rule over ashes than serve in someone else's paradise.

Daedalus Yumeno: The Obsessed Scientist

Daedalus is a brilliant but troubled scientist who is obsessed with Re-l. He is a classic mad scientist who goes too far in his search for knowledge. He is like Icarus from the Greek myth, who flew too close to the sun.

He gives Re-l a scary warning about finding answers.

"All those who wander in the darkness seek the light. But when they reach the light, they turn their eyes away from the blinding glare... Someday, your eyes will be burnt by the light of truth, and you will know eternal darkness."

Daedalus knows that the truth Re-l is looking for is dangerous. He understands that some knowledge can destroy you. His obsession leads him down a dark path of trying to control things he can't.

The Main Themes in Quotes

Finding Your Identity

The phrase "I think, therefore I am" is central to Ergo Proxy . The Cogito virus makes this idea real for the AutoReivs. Becoming an "I" is a difficult and sometimes painful process.

"I am me and no one else."

"I no longer care for who I was before I became myself."

These quotes from infected robots show that they have to create their own identities from scratch. This is just like Vincent, who has to figure out who he is without any memories. The show suggests that being an individual means separating from the group.

The series also connects identity to memory. Vincent's amnesia is like a death, but it also gives him a chance to start over.

"To observe is to create perspective. I can never cease to be the point of origin from my perspective."

Even with no past, Vincent realizes he exists because he is experiencing the world right now. The self isn't just your memories; it's the act of seeing and thinking.

Truth and Reality

The show opens with a line from a poem that sets the stage.

"Welcome is sleep, more welcome sleep of stone. Whilst crime and shame continue in the land; My happy fortune not to see or hear; Waken me not; in mercy whisper low."

This poem suggests that being unconscious is better than being awake in a terrible world. To be awake is to feel pain. Romdeau is a city of people who are "asleep" to the truth.

Re-l's journey is about waking up from this sleep. Her description of Romdeau as a "boring paradise" shows the problem with a fake reality. Life without struggle is meaningless.

The show also suggests that reality itself is created by the mind.

"A universe without perception is much like an enormous stack of rotting books, forever unopened and unread."

Proxy One argues that without a mind to see the universe, it might as well not exist. This raises the stakes for the characters. They are not just fighting for their lives, but for reality itself.

Character Philosophies Compared

This table breaks down what each character believes in a simple way.

So, What's the Point?

The quotes in Ergo Proxy all ask big questions about what it means to be a person. The show doesn't give easy answers. It suggests that you have to build your own identity, that the truth can hurt, and that reality depends on how you look at it.

The best quotes are the ones that force the characters and the audience to wake up. They remind us that thinking and choosing are what make us real. In the end, the characters accept the messy, real world over their perfect, fake one.