Rico Rodriguez is, simply, one of the most stereotypically "cool" protagonists in gaming. He's the main character in all four Just Cause games, and he's just as comfortable grappling to the top of skyscrapers as he is comfortable quipping one-liners. If Rico could be compared to a real-life actor, he could be called the Jean Claude Van Damme of gaming.
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Rico has come out with some memorable one-liners, either as part of a cutscene or as a reaction to something in-game. Whether it's flying under a bridge, escaping a burning car, or just trying to assert his dominance, Rico seems to nearly always have something to say.
10 Flying Under A Bridge (Just Cause 2)
The Just Cause games are full of things the player can do, ahem, just cuz'. In Just Cause 2 there are a few bridges that Rico can fly under while piloting a plane – it's a delicate procedure, but try a few times, get through it, and you might be greeted with a special quote.
When flying under a bridge in Just Cause 2, Rico might quip "Why go over, when you can go under?"
9 Talking Directly To The Player (Just Cause, Just Cause 3)
The Just Cause series is no stranger to meta-commentary and breaking the fourth wall. Just Cause and Just Cause 3, specifically, have a lot of moments when Rico talks either in the third person or directly to the player.
In the first Just Cause, while shooting, Rico might say, "His weapons, they're just so powerful, don't you think?" In Just Cause 3, if the player sets off an explosion close to Rico, he will say, "We've been over this, watch the explosions!"
8 Breaking Baby Panay Statues (Just Cause 2)
Baby Panay was one of the main antagonists of Just Cause 2. Typical for a tyrannical dictator, he put up statues of himself all over Panau to remind the people who their leader is. When Rico takes down one of these statues, though, he has special dialogue.
In addition to bruising Panay's ego, he might quip, "Bye-bye Baby!" or, "Talk about baby boom..." when blowing up these Baby Panay Statues.
7 The Operation Whiteout Cutscene (Just Cause 4)
Operation Whiteout is the first mission in Just Cause 4 and Rico comes right out of the gate with memorable quotes. While talking about the mission, Rico relays to everybody that he prefers to work without a plan – chaos, after all, is his prerogative.
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During a cutscene, Rico reminds everyone that "A plan is a list of things that go wrong. I like to keep my lists short."
6 Using A Helicopter's Mounted Gun (Just Cause 4)
Just Cause 4 has a number of pop culture references in Rico quotes and dialogue in general. When riding a helicopter and using the helicopter's mounted gun, Rico will reference the Ride of the Valkyries, in a manner similar to the song's usage in Apocalypse Now.
The song was originally meant to portray the might and oncoming dread of helicopters in the Vietnam War, but Rico is probably just singing it to bolster himself.
5 Tethering Soldiers Together (Just Cause 3)
Tethering NPCs together is an age-old rite of passage in the Just Cause games. There are few things more satisfying than seeing two enemies fly towards each other totally helpless, and Rico has a few things to say about it in the third entry.
When tethering two NPCs of the same gender together, Rico will ask, "have you two met?" Rico will also say, "you make a great couple" to a man and woman tethered together
4 Escaping A Doomed Vehicle (Just Cause 3)
Getting out of a burning soon-to-explode vehicle is an all-too-common occurrence in the Just Cause series. When you have armies, gangs, and citizens themselves shooting at you, it's gonna happen eventually.
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In Just Cause 3, Rico will say, "perfect parking space" or, "...best idea I've had all day!" when getting out of a doomed car. The quip won't occur if the vehicle explodes or if Rico jumps out too early.
3 Destroying A Fuel Tank (Just Cause 3)
An average day in the life of Rico Rodriguez involves a lot of explosions – kind of makes one wonder if he can still hear properly. Nevertheless, Rico is more than just a mercenary: he also keeps up with the latest energy news.
When destroying a fuel tank in Just Cause 3, Rico has a chance to say, "frack you!" Among his quips, this one arguably makes him seem the least chaotic.
2 Running Over Pedestrians, On The Sidewalk (Just Cause 2)
Rico Rodriguez, ultimately, is an agent of chaos. He creates mayhem wherever he goes, whether it's for a good cause or a bad one. In Just Cause 2, he actually has a special quip for one of the worst acts of violence a man in a car can commit: pedestrian homicide.
Rico, though, has no regard for pedestrians getting in his way. Whether they are in the street or on the sidewalk, Rico will shout "get off the streets, you maniacs!" and, "stay out of the road!" when running over civilians.
1 The Scorpion Quote (Just Cause 4)
In the mission Operation Illapa in Just Cause 4, Rico says perhaps his most memorable quote of all time. Right before killing Oscar Espinosa, Rico references his codename Scorpio from Just Cause 2. Interestingly enough, fans believe Rico himself is a reference to the character Scorpion from Mortal Kombat (the grapple hooks and his codename are evidence of this).
The quote, "Don't f**k with a scorpion unless you're prepared to get stung" has transcended Just Cause 4 and become the most well-known quote from the series as a whole.
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