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There are as many replacements as we want. If we lose them, we can just make new ones.
Think of human lives as nothing more than insects. They will always breed more to make up for any loss.
— Jaygarcia Saturn, One Piece
Comic Books
"Russian military never was too sentimental about spending lives. I'm not too sentimental either."
— Frank Castle after wiping out a wave of Russian Mooks, The Punisher MAX
"They're mortals. Got to die sometime."
— Twilight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
"How tragic! Oh, well— There's more where they came from!"
[after Eggman has revealed his World Roboticizer will destroy everything already mechanical on Mobius]
Sally: Wait! You'll destroy every chapter of your Dark Egg Legion!
Eggman: What's your point? I'll have millions of robot slaves to rebuild my robot army. Besides... [gives a Slasher Smile] you can't make an omelette without breaking a few Dark Egg Legionnaires.
Sally: Wait! You'll destroy every chapter of your Dark Egg Legion!
Eggman: What's your point? I'll have millions of robot slaves to rebuild my robot army. Besides... [gives a Slasher Smile] you can't make an omelette without breaking a few Dark Egg Legionnaires.
Fan Works
"You're to find Volos in his personal office around the council meeting room. And then, when he is attacked, you are to throw yourself at the enemy in a desperate bid for time so that Volos can escape at the insignificant cost of your lives."
— Jin, Big Human on Campus
"I see... so in the end, they never returned. Well... it really doesn't matter. They're just weapons in the shape of humans, after all. They're disposable. What combat power we lost can be replaced. I do hope that the new ones will be a bit more competent."
— The Admiral, Children of the Bottom
"Yes, we shall all bleed, but our blood will drown them!"
— Jolsop, Star Wars vs Warhammer 40K, Episode 37
Warthog: Did they really just fire into their own guys?
Jag: Grievous does it all the time.
Warthog: Yeah, but when Grievous does it, he's only shooting at droids, not his own actual men. At least, not usually.
Plo Koon: Both he and these Pius Dea cultists are cruel combatants. They care not at all for the sanctity of life, neither ours nor even their own.
Jag: Grievous does it all the time.
Warthog: Yeah, but when Grievous does it, he's only shooting at droids, not his own actual men. At least, not usually.
Plo Koon: Both he and these Pius Dea cultists are cruel combatants. They care not at all for the sanctity of life, neither ours nor even their own.
— Star Wars vs Warhammer 40K, Episode 39
"It's standing Nod policy that if a Brother or Sister is wounded in battle, we leave them be until we can recover them safely. No heroics. It'll simply cost us more men trying to recover the wounded in battle, and we've got the manpower to replace the injured if they die in the meantime. If there's three things the Brotherhood has in plentiful supply, those are Tiberium, hate, and manpower."
— Anonymous Nod Tactician, Tiberium Wars
Film — Animated
Neera: Kron! What's going on?
Kron: Carnotaurs! If we don't keep moving, they'll catch up to us.
Aladar: But, the others in the back, they'll never make it!
Kron: They'll slow down the predators!
Kron: Carnotaurs! If we don't keep moving, they'll catch up to us.
Aladar: But, the others in the back, they'll never make it!
Kron: They'll slow down the predators!
"Some of you may die, but it's a sacrifice... I am willing to make."
— Lord Farquadd addresses his troops, Shrek
"Well, you know what they say; can't bake a pie without losing a dozen men."
— Jack Horner, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
Lord Shen: Fire! F-f-fire that gun!
Wolf Boss: But sir, we'll kill our own!
Lord Shen: I said FIRE it, now FIRE!
Wolf Boss: But sir, we'll kill our own!
Lord Shen: I said FIRE it, now FIRE!
Captain Snout: Bloody hell! They're pathetic, Colonel. They're scumbags. This is the worst group I've seen in a long time.
Colonel Otto: Precisely, Captain Snout. They're perfect. They won't be an important loss. Or perhaps you don't know the expression "collateral damage"?
Colonel Otto: Precisely, Captain Snout. They're perfect. They won't be an important loss. Or perhaps you don't know the expression "collateral damage"?
Film — Live-Action
King Edward: Archers.
English Lord: I beg your pardon, sire, but... won't we hit our own troops?
King Edward: Yes... but we'll hit theirs as well. We have reserves. Attack!
English Lord: I beg your pardon, sire, but... won't we hit our own troops?
King Edward: Yes... but we'll hit theirs as well. We have reserves. Attack!
Goebbels: Brigadeführer, what can I do for you?
Mohnke: The Russians are mowing down your Volksstrum recruits. They lack experience and suitable weapons.
Goebbels: That is compensated for their fervent belief in the final victory.
Mohnke: If you can't arm these men, they can't fight. They are dying in vain.
Goebbels: I feel no sympathy.
Mohnke: (Eye Take)
Goebbels: I repeat, I feel no sympathy! The German people chose their fate. That may surprise some people. Don't fool yourself. We didn't force the German people. They gave us the mandate. And now their little throats are being cut. (does the appropriate hand gesture)
Mohnke: The Russians are mowing down your Volksstrum recruits. They lack experience and suitable weapons.
Goebbels: That is compensated for their fervent belief in the final victory.
Mohnke: If you can't arm these men, they can't fight. They are dying in vain.
Goebbels: I feel no sympathy.
Mohnke: (Eye Take)
Goebbels: I repeat, I feel no sympathy! The German people chose their fate. That may surprise some people. Don't fool yourself. We didn't force the German people. They gave us the mandate. And now their little throats are being cut. (does the appropriate hand gesture)
— Downfall
General Turgidson: Mr. President, we are rapidly approaching a moment of truth both for ourselves as human beings and for the life of our nation. Now, truth is not always a pleasant thing. But it is necessary now to make a choice, to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless distinguishable, postwar environments: one where you got twenty million people killed, and the other where you got a hundred and fifty million people killed.
President Muffley: You're talking about mass murder, General, not war!
General Turgidson: Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops... Uh, depending on the breaks.
President Muffley: You're talking about mass murder, General, not war!
General Turgidson: Mr. President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops... Uh, depending on the breaks.
Gen. "Bloodbath" McGrath: I demand you give the order to stop this slaughter NOW!
Dr. Arliss Loveless: We're gonna need some more loading drills; I'm hearin' too much time between screams.
McGrath: You give them the order to desist!!
Loveless: I understand your distress, but these men are not dying senselessly; it is for a far greater cause than you can possibly imagine.
McGrath: (raises pistol) You go straight to hell, sir!
Loveless: After you, sir. (shoots first) "Bloodbath" McGrath, indeed! That concludes the festivities. Ladies, feed him to the crabs.
Dr. Arliss Loveless: We're gonna need some more loading drills; I'm hearin' too much time between screams.
McGrath: You give them the order to desist!!
Loveless: I understand your distress, but these men are not dying senselessly; it is for a far greater cause than you can possibly imagine.
McGrath: (raises pistol) You go straight to hell, sir!
Loveless: After you, sir. (shoots first) "Bloodbath" McGrath, indeed! That concludes the festivities. Ladies, feed him to the crabs.
Lt. Gonville Bromhead: Sixty! We've dropped at least sixty!
Lt. Josef Adendorff: That leaves only 3,940.
Lt. Josef Adendorff: That leaves only 3,940.
— Zulu
T'Challa: You are in Wakanda now. Thanos will have nothing but dust, and blood.
Proxima Midnight: We have blood to spare.
Proxima Midnight: We have blood to spare.
Thanos: (being crushed by Scarlet Witch) Rain fire!
Corvus Glaive: But sire, our troops!
Thanos: Just do it!
Corvus Glaive: But sire, our troops!
Thanos: Just do it!
Drake: Your friends... the others, I apologize, I tried to keep them alive.
Riot: There are more of us. Millions more. They will follow wherever I lead.
Riot: There are more of us. Millions more. They will follow wherever I lead.
"We must grind them down. You see, our population is greater than theirs, and their losses are greater than ours. In the end, they will have 5,000 men left and we shall have 10,000 and we shall have won."
— Haig, Oh! What a Lovely War
Captain Kazan: Now, anything, anything that moves near that door, kill it!
Dr. Wells: But what if the monk is innocent?
Kazan: Ahhh, we got *lots* of innocent monks!
Dr. Wells: But what if the monk is innocent?
Kazan: Ahhh, we got *lots* of innocent monks!
"NOSTROMO REROUTED
TO NEW CO-ORDINATES.
INVESTIGATE LIFE FORM. GATHER SPECIMEN.
PRIORITY ONE
INSURE RETURN OF ORGANISM
FOR ANALYSIS.
ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SECONDARY.
CREW EXPENDABLE."
TO NEW CO-ORDINATES.
INVESTIGATE LIFE FORM. GATHER SPECIMEN.
PRIORITY ONE
INSURE RETURN OF ORGANISM
FOR ANALYSIS.
ALL OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SECONDARY.
CREW EXPENDABLE."
—Special Order 937, Alien
Literature
It's all a matter of ratios.
— Supreme Commander Savil Fep Lyntor-Sewq of the Aexe Alliance Forces, reviewing casualty lists, Straight Silver
I don't care who you are. I don't care if you're the Warmaster himself. This is the Imperium of Mankind. We're all of us disposable commodities.
— Eadwine, Salvation's Reach
He doesn't care about losses. He'll pile his soldiers against your walls, then walk over their corpses to reach you. They'll come and come and come again and wear you down.
— Arutha, A Darkness at Sethanon
An army is composed of disposable, completely replaceable parts. That is the lesson of the Levenbrech.
—Princesss Wensicia, Children of Dune
Live-Action TV
[Angel and Doyle discuss the Scourge]
Doyle: An army of pureblooded demons. They have a big hate-on for us mixed heritage types. Very into pedigree. They hunt us down like animals.
Angel: No one fights back?
Doyle: Sure they do. All the time. You can kill them, but these guys believe in what they're doing. They're ready to die for the cause.
Angel: Hard to fight fanatics.
Doyle: More like impossible.
Doyle: An army of pureblooded demons. They have a big hate-on for us mixed heritage types. Very into pedigree. They hunt us down like animals.
Angel: No one fights back?
Doyle: Sure they do. All the time. You can kill them, but these guys believe in what they're doing. They're ready to die for the cause.
Angel: Hard to fight fanatics.
Doyle: More like impossible.
—Angel, "Hero"
You killed him right and proper. Terrible loss. This man was my good right arm. 'Course, it don't pain me too much; don't need an arm. Got an army.
— The First, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Chosen"
Aukon: The guards must hold the tower to the last man.
Guard: We are outnumbered. Unless you aid us we shall all be killed!
Aukon: Then die. That is the purpose of guards.
Guard: We are outnumbered. Unless you aid us we shall all be killed!
Aukon: Then die. That is the purpose of guards.
— Doctor Who, "State of Decay"
Officer: We're too far from their gates. Their fire... their archers... hundreds will die!
Stannis Baratheon: Thousands.
Stannis Baratheon: Thousands.
— Game of Thrones, "Blackwater"
Our best hope is that the enemy kills so many of us, they become slightly depressed.
Vickers: The dead, they are climbing the walls. They are flooding in. They are flooding in! But we can still make a stand. If we hold here, maybe we can stem the spread and save a big portion of the city. To be honest, it... it's a long shot.
Governor Pamela Milton: No. Pull our forces back to the Estates... Place additional troops at my home and secure the surrounding area. Divert the swarm to the lower wards. That will buy you time to gather essential personnel.
Vickers: Governor, that would leave thousands of citizens unprotected. That is a death sentence!
Pamela: We protect the Estates!
Governor Pamela Milton: No. Pull our forces back to the Estates... Place additional troops at my home and secure the surrounding area. Divert the swarm to the lower wards. That will buy you time to gather essential personnel.
Vickers: Governor, that would leave thousands of citizens unprotected. That is a death sentence!
Pamela: We protect the Estates!
— The Walking Dead, "Family"
Music
Here's to the soldiers that march to the wars,
With lovely tin hats, and long woolen drawers
The Colonel says, "Right, lads, over the top,"
Then stands back to watch while the poor buggers drop!
With lovely tin hats, and long woolen drawers
The Colonel says, "Right, lads, over the top,"
Then stands back to watch while the poor buggers drop!
— Alistair Hulett, "Buy Us a Drink"
Some folks inherit star spangled eyes,
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh.
Ooh, they send you down to war, Lord,
And when you ask them, "How much should we give?"
Ooh, they only answer More! more! more! yoh.
— Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Fortunate Son"
What a lovely day, yeah we won the war.
May have lost a million men, but we got a million more.
May have lost a million men, but we got a million more.
— Portugal. The Man, "People Say"
Back to the front.
You will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front.
You will die when I say, you must die
Back to the front.
You coward, you servant, you blind man
Back to the front.
"Forward", he cried from the rear
And the front flank died
And the general sat, as the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
And the front flank died
And the general sat, as the lines on the map
Moved from side to side
— Pink Floyd, "Us And Them"
Tabletop Games
What is the greatest weapon that mankind has? The Tank? The Gun? The Fist? No! It is will and will alone that has taken me to this desolate place and it is by my will that this place will be cleansed. It matters not how. If needs must, then we will drown them in our blood. We will crush them beneath the weight of our dead.
— Commander Chenkov, Warhammer 40,000
What? Don't tell me how many millions we have lost. Tell me what ground we have gained. This is a crucible of attrition, we are forging a new world on the anvil of battle. Send in more men! More Tanks!
— Lord General Khuranak, Warhammer 40,000
Preservation of life for its own sake is not to be commended where sacrifice offers a reasonable chance of gain. Non the less, the purposeless waste of life is equally to be avoided. The loss of trained personnel implies the loss of resources, equipment and knowledge. A true warrior does not belittle his value as a resource. The duty of the commander is to judge what means should be undertaken to achieve each objective. He must be aware of what is to be gained and what may be lost. A commander who places his troops in a position where he may likely lose more than he may likely gain risks more than the lives of his men. He risks far more: he risks failure. Loss is acceptable, failure is not.
Video Games
Merak: [...]Those worthless grunts just haaad to ruin everything. Those sons of glitches had no business draining that water. It's so weaksauce. Protip: These expendable types of lackeys aren't worth the trouble. Cuz then I have to be the guy to punish them. It's a drag...
Gunvolt: You're...! Do human lives mean nothing to you?!
Merak: Whoa man, take a chill pill. You are like, the lamest of the lame... with extra lame on top. Worry about human lives? I can't be bothered with that drivel. All I want is a maxin' relaxin' life. Is that too much to ask for?
Gunvolt: ......If that's what you want, allow my lightning to help you with that.
Gunvolt: You're...! Do human lives mean nothing to you?!
Merak: Whoa man, take a chill pill. You are like, the lamest of the lame... with extra lame on top. Worry about human lives? I can't be bothered with that drivel. All I want is a maxin' relaxin' life. Is that too much to ask for?
Gunvolt: ......If that's what you want, allow my lightning to help you with that.
— Azure Striker Gunvoltnote
The Bosun: My best men will gladly meet you there, Vault Hunter, to boil you in the juices of their skill!
Pickle: You're creepy, mister! I thought the last ones we killed were your best men!
The Bosun: Nah. We've got more.
Pickle: You're creepy, mister! I thought the last ones we killed were your best men!
The Bosun: Nah. We've got more.
Soldier: These are potatoes Comrade Commissar - why are we using potatoes instead of real grenades?
Commissar Letlev: Because real grenades are valuable! In fact, they are worth a lot more than you!
Commissar Letlev: Because real grenades are valuable! In fact, they are worth a lot more than you!
Pay no heed to casualties, Comrade-Commander; for every Conscript that dies in this glorious crusade, there are a thousand more eager to replace him.
— Lt. Sofiya, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Dark Cultist: He's unstoppable! No mortal could slaughter our brethren with such ease!
Maghda: Then die well. Lord Belial will reward your sacrifice.
Maghda: Then die well. Lord Belial will reward your sacrifice.
Destroy this one, I'll make MORE!
— Doctor Mobius, Fallout: New Vegas: Old World Blues
Jin Sakai: You sent our men to die.
Lord Shimura: They are soldiers.
Lord Shimura: They are soldiers.
Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee: The Hierarchs grow impatient! We can delay no longer!
Field Master Re'gish Wamik: What if the infection defiles the relic?
Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee: I care not for your little life! Open. The relic.
Field Master Re'gish Wamik: What if the infection defiles the relic?
Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee: I care not for your little life! Open. The relic.
Hear me, my hordes! The spell is nearly complete! The Demon King returns! Until then, you WILL keep that whelp from interfering with my ritual! I don't care if the lot of you get lodged on the end of his blade! You will buy me the time I need! Do not fear him... Fear my wrath if you fail me!
— Ghirahim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
I say let us carry the genophage with us. Let a thousand children die for every one that lives. We will climb to victory atop a mountain of our dead — for that is the krogan way.
—Warlord Okeer, Mass Effect 2
Vamp: We don't know what will happen. Remember last time-
Liquid Ocelot: I'm willing to make a few sacrifices.
Liquid Ocelot: I'm willing to make a few sacrifices.
Micah: You recognize any of them Dutch?
Dutch Van Der Linde: Of course not. Colm doesn't give a damn about his men. All he cares about is numbers. If you can shoot a gun, ride a horse, and kill without thought, you’re in.
Dutch Van Der Linde: Of course not. Colm doesn't give a damn about his men. All he cares about is numbers. If you can shoot a gun, ride a horse, and kill without thought, you’re in.
Blackwatch Soldier: Sir, how much longer do we have to put up with these amateurs?
Blackwatch Officer: Since your brain can't fathom why the Marines are here, I'll lay it bare. The old man brought them in for two reasons: they're the shock troops, they move in, take the losses, point out the enemy, and we do the cleanup. Second, they're the public face of this occupation. When the city's burned to the ground, they take the fall.
Blackwatch Officer: Since your brain can't fathom why the Marines are here, I'll lay it bare. The old man brought them in for two reasons: they're the shock troops, they move in, take the losses, point out the enemy, and we do the cleanup. Second, they're the public face of this occupation. When the city's burned to the ground, they take the fall.
"Ever get the feeling you're expendable?"
— Chris Redfield, Resident Evil 5
Pit: You know, Rosalina seems kind of rough with the little guy.
Viridi: There are plenty of Lumas, so losing a few isn't a big deal.
Pit: Not a big deal?!
Viridi: There are plenty of Lumas, so losing a few isn't a big deal.
Pit: Not a big deal?!
Shas'O Kais: Do the deaths of your soldiers mean so little to you? Are you that mad?
Brother-Captain Davian Thule: Do the deaths of yours mean so much to you, alien? Are you that weak?
Brother-Captain Davian Thule: Do the deaths of yours mean so much to you, alien? Are you that weak?
One down, thousands to go...
— XCOM Rebel with the "Hard Luck" attitude, upon killing an ADVENT trooper, XCOM 2
These [Kevesi] soldiers will nourish me...like Glitter Radishes in season. And we can always grow plenty more! If I need a little extra, I can pluck them whenever I want!
"Every problem can be solved with more manpower... That is the strength of my company!"
— Shadow Okumura, Persona 5
Webcomics
Tarvek: If we sacrificed every minion we had, we might take out one of them.
Gil: That's a terrible plan!
Minion: Thank you, sir!
Gil: There are another twenty of them! We don't have enough minions!
Minion: Er...
Gil: That's a terrible plan!
Minion: Thank you, sir!
Gil: There are another twenty of them! We don't have enough minions!
Minion: Er...
"The rest of you without powers or even like modest combat ability? Just- I dunno. Throw your damn torso at the guy. For real, every individual flailing and screaming body is gonna count for something in this goddamn mess."
"Sacrificing minions, is there any problem it can't solve?"
— Xykon, The Order of the Stick
Web Original
Dodoria: [They're] kinda killin' our guys.
Freeza: Oh, we have more of those things back at the ship. It's not like we're losing anything valuable.
Freeza: Oh, we have more of those things back at the ship. It's not like we're losing anything valuable.
— Dragon Ball Z Abridged, Episode 14
Aah! We go through soldiers like copy paper.
— Lord Slug, Lord Slug Abridged
Sometimes espatiers will enter hostile spacecraft by way of a Boarding Pod. This is sort of the ship-to-ship version of a Dropship. You stuff one or more espatiers into a hollow missile with an armor-piercing nose and shoot it at the enemy ship. Boarding pods are usually guided, except in 40,000 AD where life is cheap.
— Project RHO
Web Video
And let's face it: you're not all that great
You tossed away lives in Gallipoli like they were scraps off your plate!
You tossed away lives in Gallipoli like they were scraps off your plate!
"Rome put together a massive army — the biggest Rome had ever fielded — to put Hannibal away once and for all. To gather the men required, 2/3 of them ended up being completely inexperienced. But how much experience does it take to be expendable war fodder?"
—OverSimplified, "The Second Punic War: Part 2"
Western Animation
Fire Nation General: But the 41st is entirely new recruits. How do you expect them to defeat a powerful Earth Kingdom Battalion?
Jerkass Fire Nation General: I don't. They'll be used as a distraction while we'll mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait than fresh meat?
Jerkass Fire Nation General: I don't. They'll be used as a distraction while we'll mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait than fresh meat?
Megatron: Quickstrike, you may lead.
Inferno: Royalty, why was I not chosen?
Megatron: Because, Inferno, when expecting booby traps... (Quickstrike gets smashed by a trap) always send the boob in first.
Inferno: Royalty, why was I not chosen?
Megatron: Because, Inferno, when expecting booby traps... (Quickstrike gets smashed by a trap) always send the boob in first.
— Beast Wars, "Cutting Edge"
You see, the Killbots have a preset kill limit. Knowing this, I sent wave after wave of my own men at them, until they reached their limit and shut down. Kif, show them the medal I won.
— Zapp Brannigan, Futurama
Zapp Brannigan: We made it through, Kif. How many men did we lose?
Kif: (checks monitor) All of them.
Zapp Brannigan: Well, at least they won't have to mourn each other.
— Futurama
Real Life
You cannot stop me, I spend 30,000 lives a month.
The women of Paris can replace those men in one night.
— Napoleon Bonaparte, on the casualties among his own army after Austerlitz
Time is blood.
— General Vasily Chuikov, 62nd Army Commander, during the Battle for Stalingrad
God is on the side of bigger battalions. The Devil is on the side of bigger reserves.
— Finnish military proverb
Quantity has a quality of its own.
— Attributed to Josef Stalin
To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss.
— Pol Pot
In [Gen. Alexander] Haig's presence, [Sec. State Henry] Kissinger referred pointedly to military men as "dumb, stupid animals to be used" as pawns for foreign policy... Once when the Air Force was authorized to resume bombing of North Vietnam, the planes did not fly on certain days because of bad weather. Kissinger assailed Haig. He complained bitterly that the generals had been screaming for the limits to be taken off but that now their pilots were afraid to go up in a little fog.
— Bob Woodward, The Final Days
Russians have a curious but ultimately effective warfare tactic, which is "fuck you, we don't give a shit. CHOKE ON THE BONES OF OUR DEAD."
— Noah Antwiler on Twitter
People who try to commit suicide — don't attempt to save them! ...China is such a populous nation, it is not as if we cannot do without a few people.
Marcus Parks: Rasputin knew the Russians couldn't win [World War I], because the Germans had a vastly superior military both in terms of leadership and technology. The Russians, on the other hand, really only had one resource on their side: people. Russia had the largest army in the world, and Russia has never minded throwing a few hundred thousand extra bodies into the mill to make up for their shortcomings. And that only made the people hate the tsar more.
Ben Kissel: It's like the Army of Darkness.
— The Last Podcast on the Left, Episode 312 ("Rasputin Part III: The Rise of Rasputin")
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg."
— Samuel Butler
