Steamboy: Key Quotes About Science and Power

Steamboy is a 2004 steampunk movie by Katsuhiro Otomo. It took ten years to make and had a huge budget with lots of hand-drawn art. But the movie is really about a big argument over what science should be used for.

The story follows a young inventor named Ray Steam who gets a powerful device called the "Steamball." He's caught in a fight between his grandfather, Lloyd, who wants to use science to help people. His father, Eddy, believes science is just a tool for making money and building weapons.

What the Main Characters Said

Ray Steam: The Young Inventor

Ray Steam is caught in the middle of his family's fight. He is a practical engineer, not a big talker. His main belief is that he has a personal responsibility to use science to help.

• Quote: "Well, if we don't stop it, the dog will die."
  Meaning: He says this when he sees a dog trapped in a broken machine. This simple line shows his main belief. Science should be used to fix problems right in front of you.
• Quote: "Is Father really wrong?"
  Meaning: Ray asks himself this after seeing his father's amazing Steam Tower. He is a young inventor and is impressed by the technology, even if it's dangerous. This shows he is really thinking about both sides of the argument.
• Quote: "I guess I could file one down..."
  Meaning: While trying to fix the broken machine, he realizes the parts don't match. Instead of giving up, he finds a practical solution. This shows he is a true tinkerer who solves problems with his own hands.

Lloyd Steam: Science for People

Lloyd Steam is Ray's grandfather and the film's moral guide. He believes science should be used to help humanity. But his strong beliefs sometimes push him to do dangerous things.

• Quote: "Fool! Science should reveal universal principles... not assist humanity in its folly."
  Meaning: Lloyd yells this at his son, Eddy. He believes science is about pure knowledge. He thinks using it for greed or war is a total waste.
• Quote: "What is science for? To make all humanity equal!"
  Meaning: This is Lloyd's core belief about science and society. He thinks inventions should lift everyone up and make the world a fairer place. This is the complete opposite of his son's view.
• Quote: "I've set my son free from his madness."
  Meaning: Lloyd says this right after shooting his own son, Eddy, to stop him. This shocking line shows how extreme his good intentions have become. He would rather kill his son than let his invention be used for evil.
• Quote: "But we weren't strong enough to keep what we planned... from becoming a monster."
  Meaning: Lloyd says this to Ray as their creation, the Steam Tower, falls apart. He admits that he and Eddy failed to control their own ambition. It's a warning to Ray that inventing things comes with a heavy responsibility.

Edward "Eddy" Steam: Science for Power

Edward "Eddy" Steam is the main villain of the film. A lab accident changed him, and he now thinks science is only about power and money. He represents big business and the military buying and selling technology.

• Quote: "It's power! Science is power!"
  Meaning: Eddy says this is what he learned after his lab accident. He thinks the whole point of science is to gain power. He doesn't believe it should be used to help people.
• Quote: "Are weapons not part of that, Father?"
  Meaning: Eddy asks this after his father says science should be for progress. Eddy believes that military technology and weapons are a valid form of progress. He sees war as just another part of business.
• Quote: "By universal principles... do you mean that children's funfair of yours?"
  Meaning: Eddy mocks his father's dream of building a flying amusement park. He thinks his father's peaceful ideas are childish and have no place in the real world. The world, for him, runs on power and profit.
• Quote: "From risk comes progress."
  Meaning: This is Eddy's personal motto. He uses it to justify any danger or destruction caused by his experiments. He believes that progress is the only goal that matters, no matter the cost.

Scarlett O'Hara: The Voice of Money

Scarlett O'Hara is the spoiled daughter of the man funding Eddy's work. She represents the rich customers who use technology without understanding it. She cares about money and power first and offers an outsider's view on the whole debate.

• Quote: "Why should I? Your grandpa made it."
  Meaning: She says this when Ray suggests she fix her dog's broken machine. It shows she sees technology as a product to be consumed. She thinks it's the inventor's job to fix things, not hers.
• Quote: "What do you mean? This is London! Those parts are everywhere!"
  Meaning: Scarlett says this when Ray explains that the machine's American parts don't work in England. She is completely disconnected from how things are actually made. In her mind, anything she needs should just be available.
• Quote: "Simon! This plate smells."
  Meaning: While Lloyd and Eddy argue about the future of humanity, Scarlett is just worried about her own comfort. This shows how the wealthy class that funds these huge projects often doesn't care about the moral problems. They are more concerned with their own simple needs.

Table 1: The Central Conflict: Steam Family Philosophies

The story of Steamboy is about a conflict between three family members. Each one has a very different idea about what science is for.

What the Movie is Really About

Progress vs. Doing the Right Thing

The main question in Steamboy is about the purpose of science. The movie shows a fight between two extreme ideas. One idea is that progress is everything, and the other is that responsibility is everything.

Lloyd believes science must be used to help everyone equally. His son, Eddy, thinks that's foolish. Eddy argues that progress, even through weapons, is what matters most.

Ray gets stuck in the middle of their fight. He sees how both of their ideas are dangerous and destructive. In the end, both of their extreme views fail.

The movie's message is that science itself isn't good or bad. But the scientist needs to be moral. It values Ray’s practical approach to helping people over big, abstract ideas.

The Dangers of New Inventions

Steamboy uses its steampunk setting to explore big ideas. The style of gears and steam is more than just a look. It's a way to talk about the huge changes that come with new technology.

The Steamball is the key device in the story. It is a source of limitless power. In the 19th-century setting, it feels a lot like an allegory for the atomic bomb.

When Eddy says he saw the "overwhelming power of science," we see what he means. That power is real in the form of a giant flying fortress. The danger is also real, as Lloyd admits they created a "monster" they couldn't control.

This makes the movie a comment on our own world. It shows the excitement of the Industrial Revolution mixed with the dark realities of war and greed. The power of invention is not just an idea, it's a real force that two men are fighting to control.

Hope vs. Greed

Steamboy uses its three main characters to explore different views on the world. Lloyd is the idealist who believes in doing good. Eddy is the cynic who believes only in power.

Lloyd thinks that being right is what gives you strength. But the movie shows his ideals are so rigid that he becomes a fanatic. He is even willing to shoot his own son to prove his point.

Eddy is the opposite. After his accident, he decided that "might makes right." He argues that power is the only thing that matters and that his father's dreams are for children.

Ray starts out with his grandfather's hopeful view. But he is forced to see the failure of both pure idealism and pure greed. He ends up forging his own path of practical idealism.

The film's message is hopeful. It rejects Eddy's cynical view but also Lloyd's rigid one. Ray is the one left standing because he uses his skills to save lives, not to win an argument.

Common Questions About Steamboy

Who is the bad guy in Steamboy?

In Steamboy , who the villain is depends on your point of view. The movie doesn't have a simple bad guy. It focuses more on a clash of ideas.

The main antagonist is Eddy Steam and the company funding him. His belief that "science is power" drives the conflict. He builds a flying fortress to sell as a weapon.

However, the movie shows that the "good guy," Lloyd Steam, is also an extremist. He is so devoted to his own ideals that he shoots his son. He is also willing to let London be destroyed to prove he is right.

The real villain isn't a person. It is the idea of unchecked ambition. Both Lloyd and Eddy are so obsessed with their own views that they cause massive destruction.

What's special about Steamboy?

Steamboy is special because it combines incredible, detailed animation with serious, adult themes.

• Unique Animation: It is one of the most expensive and well-made animated films ever.
  • Production: It famously took ten years to make.
  • Budget: It cost about $26 million in 2004, a record for Japanese anime at the time.
  • Detail: The movie used over 180,000 hand-drawn pictures, creating incredibly detailed scenes.
• Unique Themes: The movie uses its amazing visuals to tell a serious story. It's about the problems that come with new technology. The story is a deep look at the ethics of science.

How does the movie use steampunk?

Steamboy is a great example of the steampunk genre. It uses the theme for its story, not just for its look.

• The Look: The film perfectly captures the steampunk aesthetic. It's set in 1866 Victorian England. The smoky skies, zeppelins, and amazing machines full of gears and pulleys are all key parts of the style.
• The Ideas: More importantly, the film uses this setting to explore the Industrial Revolution. The new steam technology acts as a symbol for any world-changing invention, like the atomic bomb. The story is about the social and ethical problems this new power creates, making steampunk the engine of the plot.