Quotes / Going Down with the Ship

Zapp: (After steering the ship towards a black hole) Don't blame yourself, Kif. We were doomed from the start. Nothing remains now but for the captain to go down with the ship.

Kif: Why, that's surprisingly noble of you, sir!

Zapp: No, it's noble of you, Kif! As of now, you're in command. (Rips insignia off his arm and sticks it on Kif) Congratulations, Captain.

Exits room and is soon seen outside fleeing in an escape pod.

— Futurama

"This isn't the ancient sea, Mal, you don't have to go down with the ship!"

— Inara Serra, Firefly, "Out of Gas"

Peter Pan: You know the rules, Hook: a good captain always goes down with his ship.

Captain Hook: [Beat] I DON'T WANNA BE A GOOD CAPTAIN!!!

— Return To Never Land

"To take your chance in the thick of a rush, with firing all about,

Is nothing so bad when you've cover to 'and, an' leave an' likin' to shout;

But to stand an' be still to the Birken'ead drill

is a damn tough bullet to chew,

An' they done it, the Jollies — 'Er Majesty's Jollies —

soldier an' sailor too!

Their work was done when it 'adn't begun; they was younger nor me an' you;

Their choice it was plain between drownin' in 'eaps

an' bein' mopped by the screw,

So they stood an' was still to the Birken'ead drill, soldier an' sailor too!"

— Rudyard Kipling, "Soldier an' Sailor Too"

Captain Marko Ramius: You'll go with the crew. The officers and I will submerge beneath you, and scuttle the ship.

Dr. Yevgeniy Petrov: You'll receive the Order of Lenin for this, Captain!

— The Hunt for Red October

Fanshaw: What's more, you are the captain of the space station!

Carstairs: What's that got to do with it?

Fanshaw: By tradition the captain goes down with the ship.

Cunliffe: In your case you can stay up with it.

— Come Back Mrs. Noah

"There are three things to remember about being a starship captain: keep your shirt tucked in, go down with the ship, and never abandon a member of your crew."

— Captain Kathryn Janeway to Naomi Wildman, Star Trek: Voyager

"No ship should go down without her captain."

— John Harrison, Star Trek Into Darkness, as he beams Captain Kirk back to the Enterprise right before launching an all-out attack.

Hollister: ...They are your responsibility now, don't let them down!
Keen: Captain, you need to evacuate!
Hollister: [Beat] Negative. You'll need the ship in one piece if you're going to contact HQ on the long-range. I'm attempting a controlled descent. [sound of impact and explosion]
Keen: Captain?!
[static]

— Subnautica

Admiral Yamaguchi: You have all fought valiantly. But we must scuttle this ship so it doesn't fall into enemy hands. The loss of this battle falls on the heads of your commanders, not you. For this reason I have decided to go down with the ship. I command you to carry on your loyal service the the Emperor.
Captain Kaku: I wish to stay with you.
Admiral Yamaguchi: Very well. Let us enjoy the moon together.

— Midway (2019)