How I Met Your Mother: One Quote From Each Character That Perfectly Sums Up Their Personality
Depending on the format of the show, some sitcom characters lack complexity and are used only as a means to deliver jokes to the audience. But How I Met Your Mother manages to stay light-hearted and funny while still giving Ted and his friends emotional-depth and well-written storylines.
Every episode is filled with hilarious one-liners, but there are jokes that tend to hit close to home. Each character in How I Met Your Mother is unique in their own way, and they've all have a quote that perfectly encompasses who they are as a person and what they bring to the show.
6 Robin Scherbatsky: "Sometimes In Life, You Have To Be Assertive And Stand Up For Yourself."
Robin has several different sides to her personality, but her independence is the trait that defines her best. She doesn't count on anyone else to take care of her, and if she wants something, she goes after it. Although plenty of people have tried, Robin doesn't let others take advantage of her.
Whether it's in her work or home life, Robin knows what she deserves and she fights for it. There were plenty of co-workers who tried to drag her down, but Robin has one of the best work ethics in How I Met Your Mother and is never afraid to speak her mind. Robin's assertiveness is what leads her to become a successful journalist.
5 Barney Stinson: "Tonight Is Going To Be Legen—Wait For It—Dary!"
While certain things, such as the playbook and his treatment of women, need to be excluded, there was something admirable about Barney's outlook on life. His friends were fine sitting at the same bar drinking the same drinks day after day, but Barney was always looking for adventure.
Not many people have the energy to make every night legendary, but in a way, it exemplified how much Barney appreciated life. The other characters often took time for granted, but Barney didn't want to waste a single second. He didn't care how playing laser tag made him look as long as he had fun doing it. Barney was a free spirit who understood that people can grow up and still do the things they enjoy.
4 Lily Aldrin: "It Gets Exhausting Constantly Giving People Advice They Didn't Ask For."
No matter what's going on in her own life, Lily always makes time for her friends. Lily says several of the best quotes about love in How I Met Your Mother, and her advice inspires the gang to keep moving forward. They don't always ask for her input, but Lily makes sure to give it anyway.
Her life lessons can be difficult to hear because she encourages her friends to do what's right rather than what's easy. Lily isn't the most moral character, yet she acts as the show's moral compass. She keeps the gang true to themselves and has no problem giving them a reality check when necessary.
3 Marshall Eriksen: "I'm A Good Boyfriend In My Sleep."
Marshall is the best friend anyone could ask for, and his dream of being an environmental lawyer is based solely on him wanting to save the planet. He's the purest character in the series, and while everyone makes mistakes, he's as close to perfect as one can get. Lily is the most important thing in Marshall's life, which is made obvious by the way he treats her.
Unlike the rest of the gang, Marshall has never looked at anyone other than Lily. His commitment to her makes being a good husband one of his most outstanding characteristics. Because Marshall's love for his wife is so genuine, it's easy to be the partner she deserves. Marshall pays attention to Lily's wants and needs and knows her better than anyone else in the world.
2 Tracy McConnell: "Do You Want A Hug?"
Tracy was a main character only during How I Met Your Mother season 9, but it was plenty of time for viewers to grow attached to her. She didn't change only Ted's life but the lives of everyone around her. Tracy might not have known either of them, yet it was her advice that encouraged Barney to propose to Robin and ease her worries about walking down the aisle.
There was something about her presence that put the gang at peace, and it's almost as if they could tell that Tracy was meant to be in their lives. Even if she couldn't offer a solution to their problems, she always offered a hug to let them know they weren't alone.
1 Ted Mosby: "I'm Ready To Settle Down."
For as long as the audience knew Ted, he wanted to get married and start a family. He gave casual dating a shot on more than one occasion, but Ted was never happy unless he was in a committed relationship. There were times when he was his own worst enemy, as Ted didn't always make the best love-life decisions in How I Met Your Mother.
His desperation to find someone to settle down with wasn't just a huge part of his character but what drove the plot of the show. If Ted wasn't such a hopeless romantic, he never would've held out for the woman with the yellow umbrella.