Captain America finally got his happy ending in Avengers: Endgame. After years of fighting and living in a time that wasn’t his own, Cap finally got to settle down with Peggy, the love of his life. But while Peggy might be the relationship that Cap deserves, his most important relationship is with Bucky Barnes.
Friends since childhood, Bucky has been with Cap from the beginning and helped shape much of his journey as a hero. Torn between the man he was and the killer Winter Soldier he was turned into, Bucky is one of the MCU’s most tragic characters and one who has been compelling to watch. Relive some of Bucky’s/The Winter Solider’s most memorable moments with some of his best quotes.
Updated on March 3rd, 2022 by Colin McCormick: Though he started out as little more than Captain America’s sidekick, Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier has become one of the most complex and beloved characters in the MCU. After stepping into the spotlight in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier series, audiences got to explore Bucky more as a character. Now, as they wait to see where his journey will take him next, fans can look back over his time in the MCU so far through his best quotes.
Saying Goodbye To Steve
“Don’t Do Anything Stupid Until I Come Back.”
Given the deep connection Bucky and Steve share, it is heartbreaking how often these two best friends have had to say goodbye to each other. The first time comes as Bucky prepares to head to the war and gives Steve this order to which Steve replies, “You’re taking all the stupid with you.”
It is a line that cements the brotherly bond that these two share. But it also comes full circle as they bid farewell for likely the last time. When Steve prepares to go back in time to return the Infinity Stones, they have this exchange again, showing that, after everything they have been through, they are still those same friends.
Bucky’s New Nickname
“It’s Actually White Wolf.”
After being a wanted man with is a mind damaged from years of brainwashing, Bucky finally finds a bit of peace during his time in Wakanda. As shown in the post-credit scene in Black Panther, he also earned a new nickname.
As Bucky and Sam do their usual bickering thing in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam comments on Bucky’s time in Wakanda and whether he is White Panther now. Bucky corrects him that it is White Wolf and Sam is more than a little impressed.
An Important Clarification
“The Avengers, Not The Nazis.”
Another great thing The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did for the character of Bucky was allowed him to be funny. As a brainwashed killer and tragic figure, he didn’t get to deliver many jokes in the movies, but Sebastian Stan shows off his comedic talents in the series.
One example of this is when Zemo theorizes that the warped thinking that makes super-soldiers also led to things like the Avengers and even Nazis. Sam angrily points out that Zemo is talking about their friends and Bucky dryly clarifies, “The Avengers, not the Nazis.”
A Symbol
“Look, That Shield Represents A Lotta Things To A Lotta People, Including Me.”
Fans were obviously very sad to see Steve Rogers leave the MCU in Avengers: Endgame, his memory was very much carried on in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier by his two friends. And the legacy of Captain America is something Bucky is very protective of.
Though he doesn’t want the shield for himself, he is annoyed that Sam Wilson gave it up. In a moment of honesty, he admits that the shield is a symbol to a lot of people and also that it means perhaps more to him as it is a memory of his longest friend.
Fighting For His Friend
“I Don’t Know If I’m Worth All This, Steve.”
Captain America is a hero who will always do the right thing. And when it comes to Bucky, he has proven there are no rules he will not break. Steve defies orders, becomes and fugitive, and fights his fellow heroes all to protect Bucky.
However, even as Bucky escapes his brainwashing, he admits to Steve that he might not be worth all the trouble. It is a sign that, despite being the victim, Bucky is someone consumed by guilt.
A Tolkien Fan
“I Read The Hobbit In 1937 When It First Came Out.”
Every so often the MCU characters need a reminder of just how strange the world is in which they live. Sam thinking they might have to fight wizards sees Bucky drop a reference to Gandalf, which gives Sam pause.
Bucky, however, gets a beat to remind the audience (and Sam) again that he isn’t as young as he looks. It’s a fun break in the tension of their argument, and a reminder of just how much the world has changed for Bucky all over again. Sebastian Stan’s deadpan delivery of it makes the line even better.
Stuck In The Backseat
“Could You Move Your Seat?”
As much as Steve Rogers cares for Bucky, Sam Wilson isn’t so sure about this new guy when they first work together. It’s one of those awkward situations when someone’s old friends meet their new friends and there is some jealousy going on. Sam has been hostile to Bucky in a humorous way which only feeds into their dynamic in Disney+’s The Falcon And The Winter Soldier.
One of their funniest moments comes when Steve and Sam bust Bucky out of prison and have him on the run. Sharing an awkward moment alone in the car, the two continue to squabble over things as simple as legroom.
Doubting Himself
“If He Was Wrong About You, Then He Was Wrong About Me.”
When Sam and Bucky meet up in their Disney+ series, they’re initially sarcastic and quippy with one another, just like their movie interactions. As Bucky’s therapist forces them into a session together before they go off on a mission, however, things get a little more serious.
Bucky lives with the fear that he could slip back into his Winter Soldier persona and have no control. A lot of the faith he has that he can handle it is because Steve Rogers had faith in him – just as Steve chose Sam to carry on the shield. Bucky doesn’t understand why Sam gives up the shield initially, and that confusion bleeds right into his own anxieties about himself, giving Sam some insight into what Bucky’s going through as well.
A History Of Violence
“It Always Ends In A Fight.”
When fans first met Bucky in Captain America: The First Avenger, he was heading off to war. What makes him such a tragic character is that he never got to come home from that war. For decades after, The Winter Soldier was used as a killing machine by Hydra, keeping Bucky in a constant state of fighting.
This sad line reinforces how, despite wanting no part in it, Bucky’s world is filled with violence from which there doesn’t appear to be any escape.
Not A Fan Of Sharon
“She’s Kind Of Awful Now.”
Bucky Barnes doesn’t spend a whole lot of time around Sharon Carter when their paths cross in the MCU. She takes a big risk for his freedom though. When Sharon goes against orders to help Steve and Sam go on the run with Bucky, it costs her professional reputation and leaves her a fugitive. When Sharon returns in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, she is a very different person. Sharon’s speech about her disillusionment with the symbol of Captain America is met with this response from Bucky.
It’s another deadpan line from him to recognize how much she’s changed from their original meeting. Despite him calling her “awful,” however, Bucky clearly has a great amount of respect for Sharon and trusts her ability to handle herself in a fight as they team up again.
The New And Improved Steve
“I Thought You Were Smaller.”
Before heading off to war, Bucky was the considerably bigger friend to Steve who was always there to save him from a fight. So it must have come as quite a surprise when Steve shows up to rescue him from a Hydra base appearing a few feet taller and a whole lot stronger.
Bucky doesn’t originally get too many funny one-liners, but this confused reaction to seeing his friend again is perfect. It’s a lot to take in so all he can do is point out the obvious — he was smaller.
A Forgotten Life
“Who The Hell Is Bucky?”
Though any comic book fan will have known it was coming, the reappearance of Bucky in Captain America: The Winter Soldier was certainly a shocking moment for Steve. After he woke up in the 21st century, Steve thought that he was alone in this new life. Then his old friend returns — but he is not the same Bucky.
It’s a heartbreaking moment when Steve finally comes face-to-face with his pal only for Bucky to not only not know who Steve is, but not know who he himself is. That search for his identity helped define the character.
Tired Of Fighting
“I Just Went From One Fight To Another For 90 Years.”
It would be hard for anyone to truly understand what Bucky’s going through in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. He’s a man out of time, but he’s also a soldier who literally hasn’t had time to just be since before he enlisted in the army for World War II.
Bucky goes from being a soldier to the brainwashed Winter Soldier, to fighting alongside the Avengers. When he’s told he’s free to live his life, it’s understandable that he’s at a loss as to how to do that. It’s no surprise that the first chance he gets to help in a battle, he’s at Sam Wilson’s side all over again. He has to work through 90 years of fighting and following orders to figure out what he really wants in life.
Cheering On Walker
“Looking Good, John.”
On its own, this particular line from Bucky Barnes doesn’t appear significant. It seems like encouragement out of context. In context, however, it’s clear that there’s no love lost between Bucky Barnes and John Walker.
When the government chooses Walker to become Captain America, Bucky is more than upset. He’s livid. He doesn’t like Walker’s attitude at all. So, when Ayo and members of the Dora Milaje show up and get in a fight with Walker on their way to apprehend Helmut Zemo, Bucky allows himself a few moments to be amused at the idea of Walker believing he can fight the Dora Milaje. It’s only when Sam reprimands him that Bucky steps in, though, at that point, the audience is definitely siding with Bucky.
Victim Of The Blip
“Steve…?”
When Thanos snapped his fingers in Avengers: Infinity War, fans knew the outcome would be bad. This is what he was trying to do the whole movie to fulfill his goal of wiping out half the universe. After it happened, everyone held their breath while wondering if it worked. It wasn’t until Bucky vanished into dust that everyone realized how frightening it was.
Bucky gets to be the first to go, and his final call to Steve makes it all the more devastating. And even more heartbreaking is watching Steve touch the ground where his friend just stood, trying to understand what had just happened.
Always There For His Friend
“I’m With You ‘Til The End Of The Line, Pal.”
Though Bucky reappears as a dangerous and remorseless killer, Steve is nonetheless determined to help him. That loyalty is very much deserved as Steve remembers how Bucky was always the one looking out for him when they were younger. Their friendship comes down to the simple and heartfelt promise that Bucky made to stay with Steve no matter what.
Steve puts his life on the line to keep the same promise. Fittingly, it is those words that help Bucky remember who he is and gain back a bit of his humanity.
Bucky Is Back
“Your Mom’s Name Was Sarah. You Used To Wear Newspapers In Your Shoes.”
After being brainwashed for decades, it’s hard to know when Bucky is his old self and when he is a killing machine. However, when it comes to Steve, the ability to prove himself the old Bucky is very easy. Their shared history together means that these two always have a connection that cannot be severed.
This quote just reinforces that Steve and Bucky are the only two in the world who really understand each other. They are both taken from the world they belong in and are trying to survive in this new one with each other’s help.
A Conflicted Mind
“You’re My Mission.”
That broken mind of Bucky is something he has struggled with for a long time. In The Winter Soldier, fans get the sense that although there are some things that make him question his existence as a Hydra agent, it remains the only reality he knows. It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to remember because it is too much to handle.
As Bucky has his climactic showdown with Steve at the end of the film, Steve is done fighting his friend but Bucky is unwilling to allow himself to be confused, he maintains his mission to kill Steve almost to the point of succeeding.
Haunted By Memories
“I Remember All Of Them.”
While the original differences between the heroes in Captain America: Civil War might have been the Sokovia Accords, the final fight was something much more personal. It is revealed by Zemo that The Winter Soldier is the Hydra operative responsible for killing Tony Stark’s parents.
While Bucky might have been brainwashed at the time, this sends Tony over the edge, ready to kill Bucky. As Tony asks him if he even remembers it, Bucky responds with this heartbreaking line. All those years of doing horrible things have will stay with him forever.
Following Steve
“That Little Guy From Brooklyn Who Was Too Dumb To Run Away From A Fight, I’m Following Him.”
Captain America is a pretty inspiring guy and someone who seems very easy to follow. Despite there being countless super-powered individuals, Cap is the clear leader of the Avengers. However, Bucky is the only one who is not following the super-soldier war hero, but rather his friend.
Bucky knew Steve back when he couldn’t win a fight to save his life but would never back down from a fight. It is that version of Steve that Bucky is inspired by and continues to follow into battle.
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