The Best Quotes from Psycho-Pass

What is Psycho-Pass About?

The story of Psycho-Pass takes place in a futuristic Japan. On the surface, it seems like a perfect society with almost no crime. This peace is managed by the Sibyl System, a powerful computer network that controls every part of life.

The Sibyl System is always watching everyone. It measures their thoughts and feelings to see if they might commit a crime. This measurement is called a Psycho-Pass, which includes a number called the Crime Coefficient.

If a person's Crime Coefficient gets too high, they are labeled a "latent criminal." They are then hunted down, arrested, or sometimes killed on the spot. This creates a world where your thoughts can make you a criminal.

The show asks a big question: is giving up freedom for total safety a good thing? The story explores ideas about right and wrong, technology, and what it means to be human. This article looks at some of the most powerful quotes from the characters.

Quotes from the Main Characters

The characters' different ideas about the world create the show's main conflict. Here are some of their most important quotes.

Quotes from Shogo Makishima

Shogo Makishima is the main villain of the first season. The Sibyl System can't read his mind, so his Psycho-Pass always stays perfectly clear, no matter what he does. He believes society has become weak and wants to force people to think for themselves again.

1. "I think the only time people really have value is when they act according to their own will."
   • This is Makishima's core belief. He thinks the Sibyl System has made people worthless by taking away their ability to choose. He uses violence to force them to make real, meaningful decisions.
2. "Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People no longer have need of others. You can always find a spare for any replacement. Any relationship can be replaced. I had gotten bored of a world like that."
   • He says this during his final fight, and it's one of the show's most famous lines. It describes how Sibyl's world has made everyone replaceable, like spare parts. Because of this, true human connection has become meaningless.
3. "But for some reason... the thought that someone other than you [Kogami] might kill me never occurred to me. Say, what do you think, Kogami? After this, will you be able to find a replacement for me?"
   • This is the second part of the last quote. It shows that even Makishima couldn't escape the need for a real connection. The only irreplaceable relationship he ever had was with Kogami, the man hunting him.
4. "Books are not something you just read words in. They're also a tool to adjust your senses."
   • Makishima is always reading old paper books. He says they help him connect with raw human feelings like passion and anger. He believes Sibyl is trying to erase these important emotions.
5. "When a man faces fear, his soul is tested. What he was born to seek... What he was born to achieve... His true nature will become clear."
   • He says this while watching a "hunting game." Makishima thinks that by bringing fear back into the world, he can test people's true worth. This reveals a part of their soul that Sibyl's scans can't measure.

Makishima often uses quotes from old books and thinkers to explain his ideas. He builds his view of the world from authors who questioned what it means to be human.

Quotes from Shinya Kogami

Shinya Kogami is like an old-school detective. His talent for thinking like a criminal caused his own Psycho-Pass to become cloudy, getting him demoted. He believes in a personal kind of justice that doesn't fit with Sibyl's automatic rules.

1. "Being a detective isn't about bringing someone down, but rather, protecting someone."
   • This is Kogami's guiding rule. It puts him at odds with the Sibyl System, whose main weapon can only paralyze or kill. The system has no way to protect people, and it will even target a victim if their stress level gets too high.
2. "I have long since learned, as a measure of elementary hygiene, to be on guard when anyone quotes Pascal."
   • This is Kogami's sharp reply to Makishima during a philosophical argument. It's actually a quote from another writer, showing that Kogami is just as smart as Makishima. This proves he's the only one who can really hunt him down.
3. "I'm sorry, Akane. I wanted to keep my promise. I... wanted to be a detective."
   • This line sums up his main problem. He promised Akane he would follow the law and let the system handle Makishima. But his identity as a detective pushes him to take justice into his own hands.

Quotes from Akane Tsunemori

Akane Tsunemori is the true main character of Psycho-Pass . She starts as a naive new inspector and grows into a tough, smart leader. She refuses to accept either Makishima's chaos or Sibyl's cold control and tries to find a third way.

1. "The law doesn't protect people. People protect the law."
   • This is Akane's most important quote. She is the only one who sees a difference between "The Law" and "The System." The System (Sibyl) is broken, but the Law is an idea that people created and must continue to protect.
2. "Society doesn't always do what's right. That's exactly why we ourselves must live virtuous lives."
   • This quote shows how her thinking has matured. She realizes she cannot force society to be good. But she believes individuals can still choose to live good lives, which is a quiet form of rebellion.
3. "It’s not the final judgment of “good” and “evil” that’s important. What matters is that you come to that decision yourself. That you agonize over it and eventually accept it."
   • This is her direct answer to Makishima's beliefs. He thinks value comes from the act of choosing. She argues that what makes us human is the painful process of trying to figure out what's right and wrong for ourselves.

Quotes from Other Characters

The supporting characters in Psycho-Pass are also very important. Their stories show the human cost of living in Sibyl's "perfect" world.

Nobuchika Ginoza

1. "The fool learns from experience while the wise learns from history."
   • Ginoza repeats this often in Season 1. He is trying hard to be "wise" and avoid the "history" of his father, who became a latent criminal. He acts cold and follows the rules to avoid his father's mistakes.
2. "There's nothing good about being a detective. Even so, it's a job that someone needs to do. Right... dad?"
   • He says this after his own Psycho-Pass becomes clouded and he becomes an Enforcer, just like his dad. He had to become the "fool" he always feared to finally understand and respect his father. It's a tragic end to his story arc.

Tomomi Masaoka

1. "Whether committing a crime or cracking down on one, they're both actions involving criminal behaviour. That's why my crime coefficient shows such a crazy number."
   • Masaoka was a detective before Sibyl existed. He clearly explains why detectives become latent criminals. To catch a criminal, you have to think like one, but Sibyl can't tell the difference.

Shusei Kagari

1. "I was flagged as a latent criminal at the age of five."
2. "a zero percent possibility for rehabilitation."
   • Kagari's most important lines are just sad facts about his life. He never committed a crime, yet he was labeled a criminal as a small child. His life was taken from him by a system that judged him before he even had a chance to live.

Big Ideas in Psycho-Pass Quotes

The characters' personal beliefs help build the show's bigger themes. When you look at their quotes together, they form a conversation about justice, humanity, and the mind.

Quotes on Justice, Law, and The Sibyl System

The main conflict in the show is about the meaning of justice. Is it about getting a perfect outcome, like Sibyl believes? Or is it a messy human process, as Akane argues?

• "Crime Coefficient... over 100. Enforcement mode: Non-Lethal Paralyzer."... "Crime Coefficient... over 300. Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator."

  Analysis: These lines from the Dominator weapon are the voice of Sibyl's justice. It is instant, absolute, and has no feelings. It offers no trial, no context, and no second chances.

• "Justice is subject to dispute; might is easily recognized and not disputed. So we cannot give might to justice."

  Analysis: Makishima uses this quote to criticize Sibyl. He argues that its justice isn't real because you can't argue with it. It is just raw power pretending to be law.

• "The law doesn't protect people. People protect the law."

  Analysis: This is Akane's counter-argument. She believes true justice is a human idea, not a machine's calculation. She argues it is something that people must actively protect.

• "A huge flaw in the sibyl system is its inability to enact countermeasures against the criminally asymptomatic."

  Analysis: This points to the system's biggest failure. Sibyl is built to measure mental stress, not good or evil. Makishima, who can kill without his Psycho-Pass clouding, proves that the system's whole idea of justice is wrong.

Quotes on Free Will and Humanity

What does it mean to be human in a world that can measure your soul? The series looks closely at the debate between having free will and living a life that is already decided for you.

• "I think the only time people really have value is when they act according to their own will."

  Analysis: This is Shogo Makishima's main argument. He says that a perfect life without any real choices is a life with no value. The people living that life are no longer truly human.

• "It’s not the final judgment of 'good' and 'evil' that’s important. What matters is that you come to that decision yourself. That you agonize over it and eventually accept it."

  Analysis: This is Akane's view. She argues that being human isn't about the final choice, but about the moral struggle of making it. The real problem with Sibyl is that it robs people of this struggle.

• "A world where humans' state of mind and the tendency of personalities can be quantified... these measured numbers used to judge people's souls are commonly called 'Psycho-Pass'."

  Analysis: This line from the show's opening sets up the whole story. Psycho-Pass is about a world that has turned the human soul into a game. Your "score" determines your life.

Dark and Thought-Provoking Quotes

At its heart, Psycho-Pass is a psychological thriller. Its most chilling lines are the ones that get to the core of its dark and cynical world.

• "Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People no longer have need of others."

  Analysis: This is Shogo Makishima's final judgment on the lonely, disconnected society Sibyl has created. In this "perfect" world, no one truly needs anyone else, which leads to a deep, shared emptiness.

• "The human race is a monotonous affair. Most people spend the greatest part of their time working in order to live, and what little freedom remains so fills them with fear that they seek out any and every means to be rid of it."

  Analysis: Makishima uses this quote to explain his thinking. He believes people don't actually want freedom, they fear it. The Sibyl System exists because people begged to be put in a cage.

• "To understand human beings, you need to do more than merely watch them. You need to pay attention to what they themselves are watching."

  Analysis: A creepy, self-aware quote from Shogo Makishima. In a society built on constant watching, Makishima is the ultimate observer. It also speaks to his obsession with Kogami, the one person who "watches" him back.

• "Under a system where you can get arrested for thought crimes, willful ignorance is a legitimate survival strategy."

  Analysis: This is a dark truth about the show's world. Citizens who ignore a brutal crime happening right in front of them aren't just uncaring, they are being logical. In a world where stress can make you a criminal, looking away is the safest choice.

What Are the Most Popular Psycho-Pass Quotes?

Fans of the show often connect with the quotes that get to the heart of its main arguments. Lists of favorite quotes usually highlight the lines that define the big ideas of the series.

Here are 10 of the most meaningful quotes from the show.

1. Shogo Makishima: "I think the only time people really have value is when they act according to their own will."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This single sentence explains the show's main idea. It is the best argument against Sibyl's total control and connects with anyone who cares about freedom.
2. Akane Tsunemori: "The law doesn't protect people. People protect the law."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This is the perfect response to Makishima's ideas. It shows Akane is smart because she defends the ideal of law, not the broken system itself.
3. Shogo Makishima: "Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People no longer have need of others. You can always find a spare for any replacement. Any relationship can be replaced."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This is the most quoted "dark" line from the show. It feels relevant because it says something about loneliness in our own world, not just in Sibyl's.
4. Akane Tsunemori: "It’s not the final judgment of 'good' and 'evil' that’s important. What matters is that you come to that decision yourself. That you agonize over it and eventually accept it."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This quote celebrates the human process of figuring out right from wrong. It focuses on the importance of the struggle, not just the final answer.
5. Shinya Kogami: "Being a detective isn't about bringing someone down, but rather, protecting someone."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This is a classic detective line that perfectly shows Kogami's old-school moral code. He is a protector in a world full of executioners.
6. Nobuchika Ginoza: "The fool learns from experience while the wise learns from history."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: Fans love this quote because it's tragically ironic. Ginoza's own story completely flips this idea on its head, which shows how smart the writing is.
7. Shogo Makishima: "Books are not something you just read words in. They're also a tool to adjust your senses."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This is a great line for anyone who loves to read. It makes Makishima more than just a simple villain; he's someone trying to preserve human culture.
8. Shinya Kogami: "I have long since learned, as a measure of elementary hygiene, to be on guard when anyone quotes Pascal."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This is probably the smartest comeback in the series. It proved Kogami was a true intellectual match for Makishima, not just a tough guy.
9. Tomomi Masaoka: "Whether commiting a crime or cracking down on one, they're both actions involving criminal behaviour. That's why my crime coefficient shows such a crazy number."
   • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This is a simple, wise line that explains the show's "latent criminal" problem perfectly. It's old wisdom that the new system can't understand.
10. The Dominator: "Enforcement mode: Lethal Eliminator. Please aim carefully and eliminate the target."
    • Why it's a Fan Favorite: This line is iconic. It's the cold, unfeeling voice of the system. The polite, robotic instruction to "Please aim carefully" is a chillingly perfect summary of the show's dark world.