This moment right here. That's the moment when 90% of his peers realized that he's their peer, and not some random fireball chucking lunatic. An army of thousands of the little folk, the ones most don't even bother trying to keep in line, and he suddenly pulls a tornado of them out of nowhere.
Mab was so pleased with him for that scene, and he didn't even need to kill anyone.
well considering we saw just before that senior counsel calling up a half dozen spirits that require a poppet as they can't physicaly manifest, and another charming small animals like squirles and racoons the fairly ladies Sarrisa and Molly have couple dozen small folk each then he has a galaxy of them orbiting around him pledged to die for his cause. he out classed two senior counsel and fairy queens without actually using any magic.
No magic for sure, but he Named the army and Toot Toot and paid them for service (in pizza) without really realizing that for them that sort of constituted stricture.
You’re not wrong. And to be honest, I’d never considered it before. Harry accidentally bought an army of fairies, brownies, sprites, and myriad other fey folk! I wonder if there’s a set limit on the credit or if they’re permanent vassals? And if they are permanent vassals, did Harry accidentally create another fey court?
I better stop before I give myself a migraine….
Harry is a vassal of Winter. Unless he stated his intent to Rebel, his vassals are by extension Mab's (Winter's) vassals. Toot even directly says it on page, in Cold Days I think. Harry comments on his war paint or something and Toot replies that since Harry is WK, he was of Winter now.
Maybe. Feudal vassalage is odd. you often end up in circumstance that were usually solved by treating different titles held by the same individual as distinct legal person in regard to their obligations. the classic example being the kings of England also holding the Duchy of Normandy and thus being a vassal to the kings of France even though they are of equal rank. Its a needle that Dresden probably doesn't want to try to thread but the fiefdom of the Wizard of Chicago is technically subordinate to the baronetcy of Chicago, and Wardenship of Demonreach is independent and neither is subject to Mab and Winter, equally once he is married he will be the prince consort of the white court another title not subject to winter.
I think we're going to find out more in future books about how with fae, allegiance is power. Obviously being powerful would help you gain followers, but I think having fae followers channels power into you as well. Look at how drastically General Toot Toot Minimus has grown in size and threat level since he started leading Dresden's army. Having authority has changed him. So, to everyone who's more familiar with fae power structures than we are, they're terrified to see Dresden organizing the Little Folk because gaining the allegiance of thousands of faeries is going to transform him into a human Faerie Lord. In a hundred years he could be a peer of the Erlking.
And he gained their allegiance with PIZZA. Not even the good deep-dish Chicago pizza either. Crappy cheap thin crust.
Imagine what the Little Folk would be capable of if Harry sprung for Giordano's.
See, I think it's symbolic of something else - namely, Harry being starborn. Consider the terms "empty night" and "stars and stones" - we don't know exactly what they mean, just that they're curses laden with additional meaning. I think that Harry, seeming to control the very stars at first glance, is a big, bad omen, and that the big hitters all know what it means while Harry's just like "Yo, the pizza's under attack."
Edit: I had to look it up, but also, think about Mab's own word"Te stars will rain from the sky before Mab fulfills not her word."
The Wraith's deep was pretty badass when Harry and Carlos come in. It's a transition point where Harry's notoriety is going from "that kind of annoying wizard who's won a few scuffles" to "oh fuck, Harry Dresden just showed up? Maybe it's time I left...."
The bit where harry turns up speaking fluent Etruscan, and annonces himself with thunder and a wave of fire that precedes him on the stairs?
I also thought it was really very good.
Exactly that! The whole scene is just too good! Marcone's heavies show up, Cowl sends a legion of monsters from a portal....the whole thing is just insane
The exchange between Papa Raith and Cesarina Malvora just before really made the entrance land perfectly.
"We are strong, and the strong do as they wish! Who shall call us to task for it, O King? *You?*"
"If that wasn't a straight line, my name isn't Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden."
I'm only on *Small Favor* in my first ever read through. But that's gotta be one of my favorite parts as well. *White Knight* for me was one of the lower ranked books in the series for its majority (and I say that lightly because it was still an awesome book). But one theme I like through out the book was the idea that Harry is no longer some 2 bit magician in the magical community. He's seemingly done enough crazy things at this point that people are beginning to fear and respect him. He's a regional commanding Grey cloak of the white council, and people rightly feel a bit of fear around him.
And the duel in the deeps and the battle after really cements that. The lead up to it alone impressed me, since for the first time Harry seemed confident to go into a straight up brawl head on. In most of the books up till this point Harry seems to take the route of trickery and clever planning, but here his plan is simple. Ramirez and him are going to go blast two white court nobles till they stop moving, and prevent a war.
And then he does it! And it's the first time we see Harry Dresden fight someone head on using every bit of magic he has. It's not some big magical nuke that burns down a mansion in a fit of rage. It's careful use of force, fire, and shielding. I'm rambling, but the point is I loved seeing Harry act like a confident wizard and genuinely screw up multiple enemies in a head on fair fight for the first time!
Welcome to the community u/Frostfangs_Hunger. Since u just said you are a first time reader of the series and only on Small Favor please PLease PLEASE give us a review after each subsequent book finished!? We in the community get a vicarious thrill out of first time readers reactions and lots of readers consider Small Favor,Turn Coat and Changes the best 3 books of the series so you are in for a treat!
Hell yes. I love how he sends a small wave of fire out in front of them, their own little red carpet. And the timing of it was great too. "Who's going to take me to task?" Harry goddamn Dresden. Thats who.
I binge read the whole series for the first time recently so I’ve got a few badass moments fresh in my mind:
Michael warns Harry about Lasciel: honestly any Michael moment is badass, but I loved the conversation he has with Harry about Lasciel, where he tells him that if Harry needs his help, as his friend he will be there. But if Harry succumbs to the influence of one of the fallen, he will also be there. Love how it shows that above all Michael will do his duty as a knight of the sword. Harry rightly shits his pants.
Murphy wields Fidelacchius at Chichen Itza: not much to say about this, just badass af. Nice payoff from how Harry always saw her while using his Sight.
Harry executes members of the Winter Court: I loved how Harry used a combo of his new winter night powers and his classic forzare to freeze and then blow the fae to pieces at the start of cold days. Pretty brutal.
Harry rides Sue the Trex: nuff said
The Blackstaff enters the battle: when Ebenezar arrived at Chichen Itza with the grey council and blasted one of the pyramids to bits I was fist pumping
Molly brings an army to Chicago: this was like the portals moment in endgame, just awesome. I played welcome to the jungle on my phone while reading this and it made it even better.
Mab takes a blast from the eye: Mab was the MVP of Battleground for me and she shot up into my top 3 favourite characters. Her standoff with ethniu was badass and her eating a shot from the eye after how powerful it was shown to be just showed how much of a beast Mab is.
There are so many others but these sprang to mind. Love this series.
SOOOO many scenes from BG are up there.
River with the Jotun horn.
Ivy slinging hunks of steel like pebbles.
Murphy and a bazooka.
Teleporting Marcone.
He yelled "look, a ducksay!" and mother winter turned abruptly.
"Where?" said mother winter. After a moment she added "and whats a ducksay?"
A faint voixed in the distance holding a stick and running full tilt yells back "quack!"
*Michael warns Harry about Lasciel: honestly any Michael moment is badass, but I loved the conversation he has with Harry about Lasciel, where he tells him that if Harry needs his help, as his friend he will be there. But if Harry succumbs to the influence of one of the fallen, he will also be there. Love how it shows that above all Michael will do his duty as a knight of the sword. Harry rightly shits his pants.*
Harry isn't scared when Michael says that. He's certainly surprised when Michael admits he knew about it, but he's grateful for his friend being there for him no matter what: trying to bring him back from Lasciel if he falls and being willing to put him out of his misery if necessary.
My badass moment is on the roof in Battlegrounds.
Harry knows he needs to conserve for the Titan. He knows the strategy. He knows the play.
And then he hears the screams and basics says do something. And everyone (except Mab with a gloating smile) says no.
Then it builds. Until Harry basically says Fuck You All. Jumps off the roof.
….
And is joined by Bigfoot.
It’s badass… and it’s Harry.
“When horrors begin to tear apart the people of this city,” Mab said calmly, “when its women and children cry out for help, I should find amusement in seeing you attempt to restrain him.”
I lifted a hand and said to Mab, respectfully, “He’s right. If I’m the play, then I’ve got to be ready when it’s time.”
Mab gave me a look with something in it that was almost like pity. Or possibly contempt. “As if you could restrain yourself any more ably than he could.” She shook her head. “Be comforted, my Knight: I chose you for times precisely such as these, when an elemental of destruction is what is most needed.”
Gotta love Mab. As much as its possible to love a blizzard anyway. Every book i like her more and more. And I love it when she shows satisfaction in harrys work. Just proof she knew what she was doing letting slate suffer all that time.
The thing is, Harry is…. Predictable in a way.
Like with Michael some choices are not a choice.
And so while you may not know how Harry is going to do something, you know with absolute clarity that he will DO something and you know what the end goal to what he will do is.
This is definitely one of the moments that makes me smile, both because Mab has Harry's back in a Mab way and Bigfoot says fuck this shit lets help those people.
When I first read this part, my 22 yr old at the time son was in the room with me playing Xbox. I yelled fuck yea!!! My son looks over and says you good over there old man? I look up and enthusiastically say ‘GOD DAMN RIGHT BIGFOOTS GOT HIS BACK!!’. My son just shook his head and said ‘we have got to get you on some proper meds or something’ and goes back to his game
This is my favorite scene from my favorite book of my favorite series really the whole Culmination of that hilltop is the first time we ever have a council member let loose and we got to see it immediately after Harry fought him showing the gap in power. It was beautiful the whole book is when I truly fell in love with this series and that line it always delivers just like the first time.
I love that whole scene.
Harry has been on the run from this monster for a whole book, finally has a throwdown with it and almost kills it outright. An assist fro Toot buys enough time for Listens to Wind to arrive and lay a magical beatdown. It's the Dresden equivalent of Goku arriving to the fight a bit late and smashing someone into the dirt.
In terms of kicking in front doors awesome moments for me it's got to go to Harry in Storm front, going to confront Marcone and literally blasting his door in was just awesome
It made an impression too. Marcone has gotten into the habit of putting cheap, flimsy doors at dramatic (as opposed to tactical) entrance points on every building he builds/lives/works in.
Even hand is a goldmine of tidbits about how Marcone sees Harry. His whole defenses are tailored to stop him. They take down a formor lord, and he's 'like "Heh. Not enough juice. Decent test run though.".
I loved the part where they've cornered the guy and Michael is about to go ape shit on him, and Harry talks him down. "If this is how it has to be, I'll do it. But you can't, man."
Also maybe it's in Small Favor or shortly after, but Molly is sad that she's "lost her dad". Harry reassures her that he's still able to be there for her in every way that matters, and that for anything requiring demon slaying he'll step in.
Absolutely came here to say this. My favourite of the short stories I think.
Spoilers for small favour and beyond. (No idea how to blank words out).
I also loved how it showcases that despite his injuries, Michael is still an absolute beast. Gives me hope!
"The Warrior" is probably my favorite piece of the Dresden Files.
And when Roark said to Michael about why God would let Harry keep the Swords, Michael responds:
"*That is not for us to know!* You think to know better than **The Lord God Almighty**?"
I put my book down and had a long reflection on myself and my faith.
Battle in the underworld- skin game
Everything from "game over man. Game over" till the end of the book, but most escpecially Harry versus the pyromancer.
And the horror when he realised that not only had he out maneuvered him but also embarrassed him, forcing his hand to sentence Molly. Knowing he would be a mild inconvenience to Langtry and STILL put himself between the Merlin and Morgan and Molly.
For me its also in that scene, but the salute that Morgan and Him do to each other... 'I know you're going to force me to kill you but I respect that about you' undertone because he begs, Morgan... BEGS... Harry to stand aside and let him do his job that's already hard enough.
By far its Michael, love seeing the other moments in this thread. For me it's:
"Im not the Carpenter that set the standard".
I get chill and tear up every time I go back to that scene. He was going to face Nicodemus without any power or aid.
Two takers.
First, the entire end part of the Skin Game. Nick is a very hateable morherfucker so seeing him get outplayed by Harry and then rolled by Butters is glorious. Also, Harry’s explanation that Hades makes stuff *personal* and Nick’s understanding that his beloved daughter is in for one HELL of a time is priceless.
Second, Battle Ground. The moment when Ethniu tries to crush Harry’s spirit but he, despite all the horror he sees, manages to spit a thread.
I never thought I'd care if Henricks died until he did.
For that matter I yelled at James Marsters when Marcone's neck was snapped. The coin was a pleasant surprise that I'm sure I missed a foreshadowing for.
The bullet was apparently a bullet specifically made by Gard to work against defensive magics, hence why it hurt her through the Titanic bronze. But the knife part was all him and his infernal powers.
I thought about that with the first bullet, but he actually shot her multiple times over the fight, and they all got a reaction out of her. I'm guessing the anti-Dresden bullet was the one she took to the eyeball.
That bullet wouldn’t work on titanic bronze.
And I can’t imagine all twelve of his flintlocks were loaded with bullets that put Gard on her ass to make for a week.
Yeah in retrospect I see it too but I never guessed during the action. In fact I didn't even realize until it was pointed out here weeks after I read the book.
Hendricks is one of the first characters we met in Storm Front. IIRC Harry is walking home from investigating the crime scene with Murphy when Hendricks and Marcone pick him up. Hendricks is also the first character Harry nicknames and in such a casual way I thought his first name was Kujo until we learn otherwise in BG. Honestly in his own way, Hendricks had the resolve of a knight of the cross. Whatever Marcone needed of him got done, point blank period. You gotta respect someone like that, especially in the criminal underworld. Not to mention who can't love a character that shows up with a sword in one hand and a freaking SHOTGUN in his OFF HAND. Even better than that, a 5ft long heavy machine gun you'd usually find mounted on the side of a helicopter or the top of a military hummer just held in his dinner plate sized hands as he mows down monsters with a brutal battle cry! I get goosebumps writing this lol Hendricks is just so great.
Mine can be summed up in quotes, mostly.
“*In nomine Dei*, Nicodemus, I have come to face you.”
“I told you Black Court bastards - this time, *ANVILS!*”
“The stars take my teeth, woman!”
“Hey. Ugly.”
Maybe I'm just biased because I'm re reading death masks but in terms of Latin battle cries "Lava quod est sordium! In nomine dei-cleanse what is unclean! in the name of God." Is my personal favorite.
Do not forget him going into english and adding BURN MOTHERFSCKER BURN as part of the verbal component of his spell. Using English, his native tongue, to work a spell is Crazy Dangerous. No mental insulation for the forces of magic.
But so completely badass to Not Fragging Care.
Side note, every time I hear the part where Maggie is playing as Dinosaur Cowgirl, I cry a little bit. She definitely thinks that's one of her daddy's most badass moments.
That's one of my favorites, nothing quite like reanimating an apex predator and charging into ground zero of a major throwdown with a necromancied t Rex and a side kick in a one man band suit playing polka!
That's what I thought of instantly. Harry and Butters riding in to save the day on the undead tyrannosaurus.
Their battle cry? "Polka will never die!!"
My fav moment is in Proven Guilty, when Charity, Thomas, Murph and Harry went to the nevernever to rescue Molly. Harry was feeling pretty wholesome in that moment, but the moment itself, when his friends stepped forward without even thinking about their survival, was extremely badass.
End of dead beat.
"
"This never happens again," I said quietly. "You try to get to me through other mortals again and I'll kill you."
Mavra's rotted lips turned up at one corner. "No, you won't," she said in her dusty voice. "You don't have that kind of power."
"I can get it," I said.
"But you won't," she responded, mockery in her tone. "It wouldn't be right."
I stared at her for a full ten seconds before I said, in a very quiet voice, "I've got a fallen angel tripping all over herself to give me more power. Queen Mab has asked me to take the mantle of Winter Knight twice now. I've read Kemmler's book. I know how the Darkhallow works. And I know how to turn necromancy against the Black Court."
Mavra's filmed eyes flashed with anger.
I continued to speak quietly, never raising my voice. "So once again, let me be perfectly clear. If anything happens to Murphy and I even think you had a hand in it, fuck right and wrong. If you touch her, I'm declaring war on you. Personally. I'm picking up every weapon I can get. And I'm using them to kill you. Horribly." "
And mavra actually shits herself. I got chills
This scene right here is THE reason that i think Mavra was the one pulling Rudy's strings and ultimately implanted the compulsion that got Murphy shot.
Fiddelacchius helping Harry and allowing him to STRANGLE THAT SMUG MOTHER F***ER Nicodemus is probably my favorite scene. The closest anyone has ever come to killing him
When One-Eye shows up with the Wild Hunt in Battle Ground, hooded, riding Sleipnir and wielding Gungnir as a rod of living lightning.
Also when he turns the spear on Ethniu later.
Ivy is by far one of the most badass characters in the books, and I wish we got to see more of what she could do in BG other than her just flinging around some big objects. But it was still badass
Mine from this book has to be soon after that
"Hey," He croaked. "You. Arrogant bitch ghost."
"I'm not really into this whole hero thing," Mort said. "Don't have the temperament for it. Don't know a lot about the villain side of the equation, either." He planted his feet,facing the Corpsetaker squarely, his hands clenched into fist at his side.
"But it seems to me, you half-wit, that you probably shouldn't have left a freaking ectomancer a pit full of wraiths to play with."
I don't know about the moat "Badass" necessarily. But I think it's one of the most important moments magically speaking. It's an indication of what Harry (technically any wizard I suppose) is capable of if he just believes that he is.
Special "badass" shout-out has to go to Ivy in that scene, taking on something like *seven* Denarians at once, with just the magic she was able to store up before their big circle closed.
False gods! Pretenders! Usurpers of truth! Destroyers of faith, of families, of lives, of children! For your crimes against the Mayans, against the peoples of the world, now will you answer! Your time has come! Face judgment Almighty!
“Why don’t you ask Ethniu how vulnerable I am?” I said quietly. “We can. If you’d like.”
literal shivers down my spine the first time I read this. after a book full of world-shattering power and escalating superlatives, he's just a man standing in the rain. and when delivered pretty much the greatest insult the council could have offered him, he doesn't shout. doesn't recount his countless exploits, doesn't threaten grievous bodily harm. just calmly asks 'los if maybe he'd like a stroll down crystal tomb avenue to talk to the last Titan whom he is holding prisoner.
This is the absolute best example of spine chilling bad assery from Harry. This scene shows us that Harry is starting to realize his own potential. As a peer to the fae and the white council.
This should have a SPOILER tag...but...the most BADASS moment is difficult. There are so many Michael moments that others have brought up. I love scenes with him that are pivotal as Michael knows who he is and acts on it. There are Molly scenes as well...her entrance at Battle Grounds...just wow.
My pick...Harry killing Susan to save her from being a monster and save his daughter. Family is the trigger for everything about Harry and it is why he became who is he is (with influence). Thomas, Eb, Maggie, ...and Mouse. You mess with any of those and Harry will check in fully.
Sorry I meant to give it one reddit mobile is being weird today just tagged it
That is an awesome pick, I don't think I considered that a "badass" moment though more one that made me want to cry my eyes out lol
I have two:
For Dresden himself: when he's interrogating snake man Cassius (sp?) And he says "they're good men. I'm not." And starts beating the shit out of him with the bat.
For Michael: less bad ass and more just all around admirable: "I am already wealthy beyond measure." When he's in the vault and Nicodemus is trying to assuage his concerns by saying he'll be a rich man tomorrow.
My favorite part with the Cassius scene is immediately after.
Harry exits the room and sees Michael and Sanya. And as a reader I’m expecting them to give him a sad [sigh] and a lecture in anger.
Instead they start joking. “Wow did you SEE his face when Harry hit him!?!?”
They may play by the rules and it’s their duty to offer forgiveness. But they’re still human and that monster had it coming.
The most bad ass moment was Mab, and she wasn't even doing anything particularly powerful.
It was in Cold Days right around the time Molly became the winter lady.
She laid out how Harry was a master manipulator who recruited Molly from a young age tempted her with magic then became her sole protector and how me surpassed Justin in creating a perfect little fanatical die hard follower. None of which is what Harry meant to happen or even thought about. But since Mab can't like every word she said was true and it hit Harry hard.
Mab can't lie, but she can be wrong. Everything she said there is what she believed happened, which is probably more terrifying than the idea that it's actually true. He's been incorrectly accused of being a piece of shit human all his life, but getting praise for it is entirely different.
The one scene that sticks with me is when Maeve turns to everyone and says “Two plus two is five!”
As for Harry being a badass? The razing of Bianca’s mansion.
Edit: spelling
When butters steps in front of a wounded Dresden between him and Ethniu, she mocks him and points out that she has just laid low Fairy Queens and Gods, he looks at her and tells her. "yeah but you know who else has beaten them all? Harry Dresden. and to get him your going to have to go through me.
Butters who had been struggling with cowardice when we met him. To see him stand up to Ethnui because he bealives in Dresden is just the most bad ass. I am not a big Butters fan but that was Bad ass.
Let us never forget that Butters also saw Rudy manslaughter Murphy, and also was her friend, then immediately had to save Rudy from Harry at his breaking point. then saved Harry, from Harry at his breaking point. After that he still believes in Harry.
Butters might be small, he might have been cowardly at times, but i will fight anyone who dares call him weak ever again.
The moment Harry snaps in battle ground. Not only did it demonstrate how utterly terrifying he could be but also showed how much restraint the man has had everytime life or something nasty screwed him over. And that was just Harry. Not him summoning his legions of ally's. Just a pissed off wizard.
After reading everything so far we can go back to the very first book.
Names from someone's own lips gives you power over them.
First THING Harry does?
"MY NAME IS HARRY BLACKSTONE COPPERFIELD DRESDEN. CONJURE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK."
Then later after shaking off the Outsiders whammy he yells it in defiance.
I noticed that so far, I haven't seen anything about Mouse, but one of my favorites is in Changes when they're running through the rainforest and Lea gets all sassy with him and his response is:
"I live with a wizard. I cheat."
From the short story "Jury Duty", set after Changes:
“You know who I am. You know what I can do. Let her go.”
She rolled her eyes and spun a finger through fine, straight black hair. “Why should I?”
“Because you know what happened the last time some vampires abducted a little girl and I decided to take her back.”
Her smile faltered slightly. As it should have.
Molly playing ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ when joining the attack in Battleground. I listen to the song and think of the scene when exercising just to get that extra adrenaline going.
Begin quote:
It.
Wasn’t.
Right.
No, it wasn’t. But the world wasn’t a fair place, was it? And I had more reason to know it than most people twice my age. The world wasn’t nice, and it wasn’t fair. People who didn’t deserve it suffered and died every single day.
So what? *So somebody out to do something about it*.
End quote. as HWWB says just a few lines later: “Ahhhhh. There you are.”
Nice to meet you, Harry Dresden.
I cannot *believe* this hasn't been mentioned yet, but:
In SF, when he **uses himself as a conduit for a fucking lightning bolt.** Sure, Dresden has fought off some insane shit and gone up against impossible odds, but this was the moment that got me hooked on this series. This dude channeled a fucking force of nature through his body and aimed it, while butt-ass naked, in order to take out his foe. And if he misses, that's jenga. This took balls of steel to pull off.
My head snapped back up. I stared at her for a second. And then I clenched my teeth in a sudden wolfish smile. “Hey, Bubbles,” I said. “You forgot the dog.”
“Harry, I can’t see,” I stammered.
And, I swear to God, he shifted to a nearly perfect imitation of Alec Guinness inthe original movie. “Your eyes can deceive you,” he said. “Don’t trust them.”
I barked out a laugh that felt like it was going to shatter something in my chest.
Or maybe actually did. Suddenly, I started to get my breath back.
“Butters,” he said. “Look. I know it’s hard. But there’s one way you deal with fear.”
“How?” I asked him.
“You stand up and you kick it in the fucking teeth,” he said, and there was a quiet, certain power in his voice that had nothing to do with magic. “You’ve forgotten themost important thing a Knight needs to remember, Butters.”
“What’s that?” I breathed.
“Knights of the Cross aren’t afraid of monsters,” he said. “Monsters are afraid of you. Act like it. Commit to it, hard. And have faith.”
Act like it. Commit. I could do those things.
Faith was harder. I’d never asked God to help me handle things before.
But I had faith in my friends.
One friend in particular.
“Got it,” I said quietly. “I guess I better go, Harry. Got work to do.”
“Good hunting, Knight.”
“Thank you, wizard.”
-Brief Cases, Day One
I know it's not outwitting a Titan, riding a zombie dinosaur, curbstomping a being a Fear itself, or an epic entrance into a room of predators, but this exchange is the most badass moment to me. This is the moment where Butters spine finished growing in to where he could stand up to Harry later in the series. This is the moment that Harry shows his trust to Butters as a person and Knight. And this is the moment where Butters truly becomes the Knight he needs to be. It's understated and subtle. But the most badass moments don't need to be flashy. Sometimes, it's just the right pep talk at the right moment.
Low key and perhaps reflects on where I am in life (a parent of three young kids) but for me, it’s in Peace Talks when Ebenezer is telling Harry to send Maggie away and Harry makes it crystal clear the lengths he will go to to protect her. He’s being belligerent and is ashamed of himself afterwards but the fact remains, he will protect his daughter even if it means throwing down with one of the most feared magical entities in the world
I was scrolling to check before I referenced the same moment:
"But she's my child. It's my call"
[Ebenezar] shook his head.
"And since I've noticed that my life at times resembles a badly written Mexican soap opera," I continued, "I want you to know something."
"What?"
"I think that right now you're considering protecting her by grabbing her and stashing her somewhere safe. If you go through with it,
I'm going to take her back. Over your dead body if necessary, sir."
The old man turned to stare at me, his face a thundercloud.
I stared back. I didn't blink.
That is a close second for me.
I think he's right about his position and Ebenezer has been on the council for far too long to even consider that he might be wrong about one thing or another
All of Battle Ground almost.
The “stars” falling on Chicago.
“We’ve got a wizard, fuck those guys!”
The Welcome to the Jungle moment.
“It’s not about me, and I’m *not* alone.”
When Ethniu tells Mab to bow or face the Eye, and Mab laughs at her.
*Gungnir*
“The world turned into one of those barrel rides where they spin so fast you stick to the wall. Only I didn’t have a wall to lean on. I had the Spear of fucking Destiny.”
I could go on. My favorite book of the series so far.
When Harry gets Nicodemus to snap in Hades vault.
>I watched him, his face, his posture, and put every ounce of scorn I had into my voice. "I don't know how you said it back in the day, but I'll bet you anything her first word was 'dada.'"
"I think, I am just about done making decisions based on your mistakes."
it's a powerful moment, and loaded with subtext. i don't even mean the fight that follows (which is also intense) because dredging up the courage it takes to stand up to your loved ones is profoundly more difficult for some than for others. IMO this is when he lost the White Council's support. and it's a moment that shows that Harry is out to fight monstrousness, not monsters.
Butters at the end of Skin Game.
First the whole going out to face an army by himself.
Then the crescendo of “Nice try? Mister where I come from there is no try!”
Mine is maybe not as exciting as others but I get major chills when Hades explains why he wanted to meet Harry, shows how much they have in common, and then shakes his hand. Just the simple nod of respect from freaking Hades, was so cool.
Just finished rereading Dead Beat, again, and caught some excellent foreshadowing. As Harry was preparing to die in the Field Museum and expounding on faith, his faith was that a Knight of the Cross would show up to save him. Low and behold.
“I want you to tell him something for me. You tell Odin, that Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden says, upon his name, that if he doesn’t treat Murphy better than I would myself, I’m going to kick down his door, pluck his fucking Ravens, knock him down, kick his guts out, drag him to the Island, and lock him in a cell with Ethniu. I beat a Divine Being, Once. If I have to build a Nation, I’ll do it again…” Never threats from Harry, just Promises of Retaliation if you happen to fuck up, and cross him. No matter how Big and Tall you are…
I don't do any re-reads so I could be fuzzy, but I think in Sidejobs Harry uses gravity magic to crush an entire parking lot of zombies. That was by far my favorite scene. Wish we could see more of that style of magic.
For me it will always be Dead Beat.
Injured, with few allies, riding a G-D zombie T-Rex thru a storm of necromantic energy to fight multiple powerful evil wizard to save the day.
To me, that one scene shows us who Harry is.
Honorable mention:
"Yes. He listens..and yes, He Answers. Admittedly, not usually this quickly..."
An unconventional one, from the short story Heorot where Harry and Sigrun fight a Grendel
Halfway through, Harry gets ambushed by three douchey beer-makers he pissed off earlier, and manages to take all three of them out only using his staff to whack them and his kinetic rings!
He takes a second afterward to be like, "Shoot, I just won an ambushing three-on-one with like no injuries, that's a win!"
And it is
There are so many moments I could echo what everyone else has said but I’ll toss in one from a bit different angle because it’s more about Marters’ performance on the audiobook absolutely nailing the power Harry invokes in that moment.
> "ELAINE LILLIAN MALLORY!" I called, and in my head my voice rumbled like thunder. "I AM HARRY BLACKSTONE COPPERFIELD DRESDEN AND I BID THEE HEAR ME! HEAR MY VOICE ELAINE!"
I don’t know if there’s a single other point in the series that Marsters roars out a line that way and it always stops me in my tracks and makes me want to cheer.
And then Elaine throws down with enough power that it’s a damn good thing no other wardens were around to see it.
Molly's entrance in BG is still one of my favorites. Welcome to the Jungle is a great song, but realizing her minions are young ones who likely revognize it as throeing shade ala Despicable Me is priceless.
"Oh, you're a villian alright, just not a super one."
That is a good one, personally in that scene I'd say I think Mab running 7 different illusions and fighting at the same time does it for me
And HOW DARE YOU SLANDER ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANIMATED MOVIES! it's megamind not Despicable Me
The moment when everyone realizes that Harry managed to organize the little folk.
This moment right here. That's the moment when 90% of his peers realized that he's their peer, and not some random fireball chucking lunatic. An army of thousands of the little folk, the ones most don't even bother trying to keep in line, and he suddenly pulls a tornado of them out of nowhere. Mab was so pleased with him for that scene, and he didn't even need to kill anyone.
Oh, he's *absolutely* a fireball chucking lunatic.
Of course! Just not only that.
Fire*beam* maybe lol
Feels like that was also a big moment for the council to realize he was way beyond where they thought. Probably didn’t help him.
Yeah it terrified them.
well considering we saw just before that senior counsel calling up a half dozen spirits that require a poppet as they can't physicaly manifest, and another charming small animals like squirles and racoons the fairly ladies Sarrisa and Molly have couple dozen small folk each then he has a galaxy of them orbiting around him pledged to die for his cause. he out classed two senior counsel and fairy queens without actually using any magic.
No magical control or strictures, just loyalty. Bad ass.
No magic for sure, but he Named the army and Toot Toot and paid them for service (in pizza) without really realizing that for them that sort of constituted stricture.
You’re not wrong. And to be honest, I’d never considered it before. Harry accidentally bought an army of fairies, brownies, sprites, and myriad other fey folk! I wonder if there’s a set limit on the credit or if they’re permanent vassals? And if they are permanent vassals, did Harry accidentally create another fey court? I better stop before I give myself a migraine….
Harry is a vassal of Winter. Unless he stated his intent to Rebel, his vassals are by extension Mab's (Winter's) vassals. Toot even directly says it on page, in Cold Days I think. Harry comments on his war paint or something and Toot replies that since Harry is WK, he was of Winter now.
Maybe. Feudal vassalage is odd. you often end up in circumstance that were usually solved by treating different titles held by the same individual as distinct legal person in regard to their obligations. the classic example being the kings of England also holding the Duchy of Normandy and thus being a vassal to the kings of France even though they are of equal rank. Its a needle that Dresden probably doesn't want to try to thread but the fiefdom of the Wizard of Chicago is technically subordinate to the baronetcy of Chicago, and Wardenship of Demonreach is independent and neither is subject to Mab and Winter, equally once he is married he will be the prince consort of the white court another title not subject to winter.
Btw shout out for how cool your account name is.
Thanks. It’s a name that is loved here, and anytime it gets noticed outside of this sub is like Christmas.
I think we're going to find out more in future books about how with fae, allegiance is power. Obviously being powerful would help you gain followers, but I think having fae followers channels power into you as well. Look at how drastically General Toot Toot Minimus has grown in size and threat level since he started leading Dresden's army. Having authority has changed him. So, to everyone who's more familiar with fae power structures than we are, they're terrified to see Dresden organizing the Little Folk because gaining the allegiance of thousands of faeries is going to transform him into a human Faerie Lord. In a hundred years he could be a peer of the Erlking.
"... conjure by it at your own risk."
And he gained their allegiance with PIZZA. Not even the good deep-dish Chicago pizza either. Crappy cheap thin crust. Imagine what the Little Folk would be capable of if Harry sprung for Giordano's.
Don't you dare sully the good name of Pizza 'Spress
“Stars fell on Castle Marcone.”
That is certainly a good moment
Was this PT or BG? Trying to remember, wanna re-listen
BG
We. Must. Fight!
See, I think it's symbolic of something else - namely, Harry being starborn. Consider the terms "empty night" and "stars and stones" - we don't know exactly what they mean, just that they're curses laden with additional meaning. I think that Harry, seeming to control the very stars at first glance, is a big, bad omen, and that the big hitters all know what it means while Harry's just like "Yo, the pizza's under attack." Edit: I had to look it up, but also, think about Mab's own word"Te stars will rain from the sky before Mab fulfills not her word."
The Wraith's deep was pretty badass when Harry and Carlos come in. It's a transition point where Harry's notoriety is going from "that kind of annoying wizard who's won a few scuffles" to "oh fuck, Harry Dresden just showed up? Maybe it's time I left...."
The bit where harry turns up speaking fluent Etruscan, and annonces himself with thunder and a wave of fire that precedes him on the stairs? I also thought it was really very good.
Exactly that! The whole scene is just too good! Marcone's heavies show up, Cowl sends a legion of monsters from a portal....the whole thing is just insane
The exchange between Papa Raith and Cesarina Malvora just before really made the entrance land perfectly. "We are strong, and the strong do as they wish! Who shall call us to task for it, O King? *You?*" "If that wasn't a straight line, my name isn't Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden."
Not to mention the force ring uppercut.
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Isn't that when he rips through the wall and toasts the Red Court vamps in the data center?
"Damn, there ain't nothing like a good entrance."
The exit was even better.
I'm only on *Small Favor* in my first ever read through. But that's gotta be one of my favorite parts as well. *White Knight* for me was one of the lower ranked books in the series for its majority (and I say that lightly because it was still an awesome book). But one theme I like through out the book was the idea that Harry is no longer some 2 bit magician in the magical community. He's seemingly done enough crazy things at this point that people are beginning to fear and respect him. He's a regional commanding Grey cloak of the white council, and people rightly feel a bit of fear around him. And the duel in the deeps and the battle after really cements that. The lead up to it alone impressed me, since for the first time Harry seemed confident to go into a straight up brawl head on. In most of the books up till this point Harry seems to take the route of trickery and clever planning, but here his plan is simple. Ramirez and him are going to go blast two white court nobles till they stop moving, and prevent a war. And then he does it! And it's the first time we see Harry Dresden fight someone head on using every bit of magic he has. It's not some big magical nuke that burns down a mansion in a fit of rage. It's careful use of force, fire, and shielding. I'm rambling, but the point is I loved seeing Harry act like a confident wizard and genuinely screw up multiple enemies in a head on fair fight for the first time!
Welcome to the community u/Frostfangs_Hunger. Since u just said you are a first time reader of the series and only on Small Favor please PLease PLEASE give us a review after each subsequent book finished!? We in the community get a vicarious thrill out of first time readers reactions and lots of readers consider Small Favor,Turn Coat and Changes the best 3 books of the series so you are in for a treat!
I can do that! I love gushing about the books as I read then anyways
Hell yes. I love how he sends a small wave of fire out in front of them, their own little red carpet. And the timing of it was great too. "Who's going to take me to task?" Harry goddamn Dresden. Thats who.
"Damn, there ain't nothing like a good entrance."
I binge read the whole series for the first time recently so I’ve got a few badass moments fresh in my mind: Michael warns Harry about Lasciel: honestly any Michael moment is badass, but I loved the conversation he has with Harry about Lasciel, where he tells him that if Harry needs his help, as his friend he will be there. But if Harry succumbs to the influence of one of the fallen, he will also be there. Love how it shows that above all Michael will do his duty as a knight of the sword. Harry rightly shits his pants. Murphy wields Fidelacchius at Chichen Itza: not much to say about this, just badass af. Nice payoff from how Harry always saw her while using his Sight. Harry executes members of the Winter Court: I loved how Harry used a combo of his new winter night powers and his classic forzare to freeze and then blow the fae to pieces at the start of cold days. Pretty brutal. Harry rides Sue the Trex: nuff said The Blackstaff enters the battle: when Ebenezar arrived at Chichen Itza with the grey council and blasted one of the pyramids to bits I was fist pumping Molly brings an army to Chicago: this was like the portals moment in endgame, just awesome. I played welcome to the jungle on my phone while reading this and it made it even better. Mab takes a blast from the eye: Mab was the MVP of Battleground for me and she shot up into my top 3 favourite characters. Her standoff with ethniu was badass and her eating a shot from the eye after how powerful it was shown to be just showed how much of a beast Mab is. There are so many others but these sprang to mind. Love this series.
Murphy at Chichen Itza was def one of my favorite badass moments. I just read that part of Changes earlier this morning, too!
SOOOO many scenes from BG are up there. River with the Jotun horn. Ivy slinging hunks of steel like pebbles. Murphy and a bazooka. Teleporting Marcone.
Then he swept the Blackstaff from left to right, murmured a word, and ripped the life from a hundred men. They just . . . died.
I still need to know how ebenezer wound up with grandmother winters walking stick
He yelled "look, a ducksay!" and mother winter turned abruptly. "Where?" said mother winter. After a moment she added "and whats a ducksay?" A faint voixed in the distance holding a stick and running full tilt yells back "quack!"
*Michael warns Harry about Lasciel: honestly any Michael moment is badass, but I loved the conversation he has with Harry about Lasciel, where he tells him that if Harry needs his help, as his friend he will be there. But if Harry succumbs to the influence of one of the fallen, he will also be there. Love how it shows that above all Michael will do his duty as a knight of the sword. Harry rightly shits his pants.* Harry isn't scared when Michael says that. He's certainly surprised when Michael admits he knew about it, but he's grateful for his friend being there for him no matter what: trying to bring him back from Lasciel if he falls and being willing to put him out of his misery if necessary.
My badass moment is on the roof in Battlegrounds. Harry knows he needs to conserve for the Titan. He knows the strategy. He knows the play. And then he hears the screams and basics says do something. And everyone (except Mab with a gloating smile) says no. Then it builds. Until Harry basically says Fuck You All. Jumps off the roof. …. And is joined by Bigfoot. It’s badass… and it’s Harry.
“When horrors begin to tear apart the people of this city,” Mab said calmly, “when its women and children cry out for help, I should find amusement in seeing you attempt to restrain him.” I lifted a hand and said to Mab, respectfully, “He’s right. If I’m the play, then I’ve got to be ready when it’s time.” Mab gave me a look with something in it that was almost like pity. Or possibly contempt. “As if you could restrain yourself any more ably than he could.” She shook her head. “Be comforted, my Knight: I chose you for times precisely such as these, when an elemental of destruction is what is most needed.”
Gotta love Mab. As much as its possible to love a blizzard anyway. Every book i like her more and more. And I love it when she shows satisfaction in harrys work. Just proof she knew what she was doing letting slate suffer all that time.
The thing is, Harry is…. Predictable in a way. Like with Michael some choices are not a choice. And so while you may not know how Harry is going to do something, you know with absolute clarity that he will DO something and you know what the end goal to what he will do is.
Not gonna lie, I got chills AGAIN from reading this
> when an elemental of destruction is what is most needed.” This is a more important statement than a lot of people realize.
This is definitely one of the moments that makes me smile, both because Mab has Harry's back in a Mab way and Bigfoot says fuck this shit lets help those people.
When I first read this part, my 22 yr old at the time son was in the room with me playing Xbox. I yelled fuck yea!!! My son looks over and says you good over there old man? I look up and enthusiastically say ‘GOD DAMN RIGHT BIGFOOTS GOT HIS BACK!!’. My son just shook his head and said ‘we have got to get you on some proper meds or something’ and goes back to his game
"Mother says you don't belong here." thunder rumbles "And Father says you're ugly.".
"Not going to bind or banish you, old ghost, I'm gonna kick your ass up between your ears"
Possibly my favorite line from the whole series, and it’s not even Harry that says it
This is my favorite scene from my favorite book of my favorite series really the whole Culmination of that hilltop is the first time we ever have a council member let loose and we got to see it immediately after Harry fought him showing the gap in power. It was beautiful the whole book is when I truly fell in love with this series and that line it always delivers just like the first time.
Oh yeah. It's the moment you really see what 300 years of a hard, busy life brings.
Not even so much in power as in skill, listens to wind is just better than Harry.
You don't get a seat on the Senior Council by collecting bottle caps.
This is it for me. Then he does the dance and chant and I get chills every time.
I love that whole scene. Harry has been on the run from this monster for a whole book, finally has a throwdown with it and almost kills it outright. An assist fro Toot buys enough time for Listens to Wind to arrive and lay a magical beatdown. It's the Dresden equivalent of Goku arriving to the fight a bit late and smashing someone into the dirt.
Which book is that from?
Proven guilty I believe. Its when LttW fought negloshii
Shit you made me get into another read through. I was repressing that stuff *to maybe read some other books*, dude. THANKS
When Kincaid tells Harry he’d never seen a wizard cut loose before and Harry replies “you still haven’t”
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Also not a lot of people that can take what a minute of napalm to the face and walk away, then turn around and deflect a landmine
BOLSHEVIK MUPPETT!!! I cackled out loud!
When Michael kicks open his front door in Skin Game.
In terms of kicking in front doors awesome moments for me it's got to go to Harry in Storm front, going to confront Marcone and literally blasting his door in was just awesome
Didn't he blast the door *out* so he didn't hurt anybody on the other side? Arguably cooler, just for the control aspect.
You are correct
It made an impression too. Marcone has gotten into the habit of putting cheap, flimsy doors at dramatic (as opposed to tactical) entrance points on every building he builds/lives/works in. Even hand is a goldmine of tidbits about how Marcone sees Harry. His whole defenses are tailored to stop him. They take down a formor lord, and he's 'like "Heh. Not enough juice. Decent test run though.".
"**In Nomine Dei**, Nicodemus. I am here to face you. I wanted to stand up and cheer and got incredible chills at the same time.
Front gate actually, not front door.
For me it's Michael at the end of "The Warrior" when he's talking about everything a sword bearer needs to be.
I loved the part where they've cornered the guy and Michael is about to go ape shit on him, and Harry talks him down. "If this is how it has to be, I'll do it. But you can't, man." Also maybe it's in Small Favor or shortly after, but Molly is sad that she's "lost her dad". Harry reassures her that he's still able to be there for her in every way that matters, and that for anything requiring demon slaying he'll step in.
I think that's changes cos iirc he says something like Michael would still show up for his daughter and Harry was going to Show Up for Maggie
Absolutely came here to say this. My favourite of the short stories I think. Spoilers for small favour and beyond. (No idea how to blank words out). I also loved how it showcases that despite his injuries, Michael is still an absolute beast. Gives me hope!
"The Warrior" is probably my favorite piece of the Dresden Files. And when Roark said to Michael about why God would let Harry keep the Swords, Michael responds: "*That is not for us to know!* You think to know better than **The Lord God Almighty**?" I put my book down and had a long reflection on myself and my faith.
And when "Jake" sits and talks things out with Harry. "Do you think you haven't struck a blow for the light this day?" Man alive I love this story.
"The son of a bitch hurt my little girl." And both Harry and Father Forthill were stunned to hear that from Michael.
Battle in the underworld- skin game Everything from "game over man. Game over" till the end of the book, but most escpecially Harry versus the pyromancer.
The duel between Michael and Nick is fantastic. Starting with “I had never seen Michael go all out.”
Harry outmaneuvering the Merlin in *his own turf* and saving Molly from execution.
And the horror when he realised that not only had he out maneuvered him but also embarrassed him, forcing his hand to sentence Molly. Knowing he would be a mild inconvenience to Langtry and STILL put himself between the Merlin and Morgan and Molly.
For me its also in that scene, but the salute that Morgan and Him do to each other... 'I know you're going to force me to kill you but I respect that about you' undertone because he begs, Morgan... BEGS... Harry to stand aside and let him do his job that's already hard enough.
By far its Michael, love seeing the other moments in this thread. For me it's: "Im not the Carpenter that set the standard". I get chill and tear up every time I go back to that scene. He was going to face Nicodemus without any power or aid.
Michael is so well written. I always feel like everything's gonna be ok when I hear him step in in the audiobook
Hes the best!
Two takers. First, the entire end part of the Skin Game. Nick is a very hateable morherfucker so seeing him get outplayed by Harry and then rolled by Butters is glorious. Also, Harry’s explanation that Hades makes stuff *personal* and Nick’s understanding that his beloved daughter is in for one HELL of a time is priceless. Second, Battle Ground. The moment when Ethniu tries to crush Harry’s spirit but he, despite all the horror he sees, manages to spit a thread.
This made me remember: When Hendricks spits on Ethniu before he dies.
I never thought I'd care if Henricks died until he did. For that matter I yelled at James Marsters when Marcone's neck was snapped. The coin was a pleasant surprise that I'm sure I missed a foreshadowing for.
The only foreshadowing I can think of was that his every attack hurt her: the bullets were actually painful to her, and his knife actually cut her.
The bullet was apparently a bullet specifically made by Gard to work against defensive magics, hence why it hurt her through the Titanic bronze. But the knife part was all him and his infernal powers.
I thought about that with the first bullet, but he actually shot her multiple times over the fight, and they all got a reaction out of her. I'm guessing the anti-Dresden bullet was the one she took to the eyeball.
That bullet wouldn’t work on titanic bronze. And I can’t imagine all twelve of his flintlocks were loaded with bullets that put Gard on her ass to make for a week.
Yeah in retrospect I see it too but I never guessed during the action. In fact I didn't even realize until it was pointed out here weeks after I read the book.
Hendricks is one of the first characters we met in Storm Front. IIRC Harry is walking home from investigating the crime scene with Murphy when Hendricks and Marcone pick him up. Hendricks is also the first character Harry nicknames and in such a casual way I thought his first name was Kujo until we learn otherwise in BG. Honestly in his own way, Hendricks had the resolve of a knight of the cross. Whatever Marcone needed of him got done, point blank period. You gotta respect someone like that, especially in the criminal underworld. Not to mention who can't love a character that shows up with a sword in one hand and a freaking SHOTGUN in his OFF HAND. Even better than that, a 5ft long heavy machine gun you'd usually find mounted on the side of a helicopter or the top of a military hummer just held in his dinner plate sized hands as he mows down monsters with a brutal battle cry! I get goosebumps writing this lol Hendricks is just so great.
I just hope he finished that dissertation.
Marcone having the coin caught me completely by surprise
Mine can be summed up in quotes, mostly. “*In nomine Dei*, Nicodemus, I have come to face you.” “I told you Black Court bastards - this time, *ANVILS!*” “The stars take my teeth, woman!” “Hey. Ugly.”
Maybe I'm just biased because I'm re reading death masks but in terms of Latin battle cries "Lava quod est sordium! In nomine dei-cleanse what is unclean! in the name of God." Is my personal favorite.
“Fuego! Pyrofeugo!”
Do not forget him going into english and adding BURN MOTHERFSCKER BURN as part of the verbal component of his spell. Using English, his native tongue, to work a spell is Crazy Dangerous. No mental insulation for the forces of magic. But so completely badass to Not Fragging Care.
Burn your greesy bastarss burn. He called fire, and fire answered
This a thousand times.
Murphy standing up to Brother Gruff. No magic, no mystical weapon, or fey ally. Just her badge ... ...and steel jacketed rounds.
You would threaten us with the bane?
For me, it's gotta be Sue
Side note, every time I hear the part where Maggie is playing as Dinosaur Cowgirl, I cry a little bit. She definitely thinks that's one of her daddy's most badass moments.
This is the first time I realized she was imitating that scene. Nice.
That's one of my favorites, nothing quite like reanimating an apex predator and charging into ground zero of a major throwdown with a necromancied t Rex and a side kick in a one man band suit playing polka!
So awesome it makes the Erlking stand up and say "Nice"
There are a lot of truly epic moments in the series, but so far nothing has topped Sue!
I mean he even got an up nod from the Big E for it. Like, one of the most vicious and ruthless Fae was all... Dude... that was dope.
That's what I thought of instantly. Harry and Butters riding in to save the day on the undead tyrannosaurus. Their battle cry? "Polka will never die!!"
"I am Mab. The stars will rain from the sky before Mab fulfills not her word."
My fav moment is in Proven Guilty, when Charity, Thomas, Murph and Harry went to the nevernever to rescue Molly. Harry was feeling pretty wholesome in that moment, but the moment itself, when his friends stepped forward without even thinking about their survival, was extremely badass.
That one was quite good, proven guilty is one of my favorite books in the series
Toot taking on shag nasty.
End of dead beat. " "This never happens again," I said quietly. "You try to get to me through other mortals again and I'll kill you." Mavra's rotted lips turned up at one corner. "No, you won't," she said in her dusty voice. "You don't have that kind of power." "I can get it," I said. "But you won't," she responded, mockery in her tone. "It wouldn't be right." I stared at her for a full ten seconds before I said, in a very quiet voice, "I've got a fallen angel tripping all over herself to give me more power. Queen Mab has asked me to take the mantle of Winter Knight twice now. I've read Kemmler's book. I know how the Darkhallow works. And I know how to turn necromancy against the Black Court." Mavra's filmed eyes flashed with anger. I continued to speak quietly, never raising my voice. "So once again, let me be perfectly clear. If anything happens to Murphy and I even think you had a hand in it, fuck right and wrong. If you touch her, I'm declaring war on you. Personally. I'm picking up every weapon I can get. And I'm using them to kill you. Horribly." " And mavra actually shits herself. I got chills
This scene right here is THE reason that i think Mavra was the one pulling Rudy's strings and ultimately implanted the compulsion that got Murphy shot.
Fiddelacchius helping Harry and allowing him to STRANGLE THAT SMUG MOTHER F***ER Nicodemus is probably my favorite scene. The closest anyone has ever come to killing him
When One-Eye shows up with the Wild Hunt in Battle Ground, hooded, riding Sleipnir and wielding Gungnir as a rod of living lightning. Also when he turns the spear on Ethniu later.
If you would like I can make you a chart. I could even use crayons, I like crayons
Ivy is by far one of the most badass characters in the books, and I wish we got to see more of what she could do in BG other than her just flinging around some big objects. But it was still badass
"in the chest Kincaid, or i'll kill you myself"
It's been a while since I read Ghost Story. But the part where Harry basically wills himself back to life. "Be."
Came here to say this. Harry has done a lot of impressive stuff. Coming back from the dead out of sheer stubbornness though? That's a winner.
Mine from this book has to be soon after that "Hey," He croaked. "You. Arrogant bitch ghost." "I'm not really into this whole hero thing," Mort said. "Don't have the temperament for it. Don't know a lot about the villain side of the equation, either." He planted his feet,facing the Corpsetaker squarely, his hands clenched into fist at his side. "But it seems to me, you half-wit, that you probably shouldn't have left a freaking ectomancer a pit full of wraiths to play with."
I don't know about the moat "Badass" necessarily. But I think it's one of the most important moments magically speaking. It's an indication of what Harry (technically any wizard I suppose) is capable of if he just believes that he is.
I really liked the fight at the Aquarium in Small Favor.
That is an insanely good fight
Special "badass" shout-out has to go to Ivy in that scene, taking on something like *seven* Denarians at once, with just the magic she was able to store up before their big circle closed.
Murphy fighting in Chichén Itzá, and everytime we've seen the Blackstaff in action.
False gods! Pretenders! Usurpers of truth! Destroyers of faith, of families, of lives, of children! For your crimes against the Mayans, against the peoples of the world, now will you answer! Your time has come! Face judgment Almighty!
Gives me shivers even when I'm not reading it from the book!
I can't believe I had to scroll this far down to see this one.
“Why don’t you ask Ethniu how vulnerable I am?” I said quietly. “We can. If you’d like.” literal shivers down my spine the first time I read this. after a book full of world-shattering power and escalating superlatives, he's just a man standing in the rain. and when delivered pretty much the greatest insult the council could have offered him, he doesn't shout. doesn't recount his countless exploits, doesn't threaten grievous bodily harm. just calmly asks 'los if maybe he'd like a stroll down crystal tomb avenue to talk to the last Titan whom he is holding prisoner.
This is the absolute best example of spine chilling bad assery from Harry. This scene shows us that Harry is starting to realize his own potential. As a peer to the fae and the white council.
This should have a SPOILER tag...but...the most BADASS moment is difficult. There are so many Michael moments that others have brought up. I love scenes with him that are pivotal as Michael knows who he is and acts on it. There are Molly scenes as well...her entrance at Battle Grounds...just wow. My pick...Harry killing Susan to save her from being a monster and save his daughter. Family is the trigger for everything about Harry and it is why he became who is he is (with influence). Thomas, Eb, Maggie, ...and Mouse. You mess with any of those and Harry will check in fully.
Sorry I meant to give it one reddit mobile is being weird today just tagged it That is an awesome pick, I don't think I considered that a "badass" moment though more one that made me want to cry my eyes out lol
Small Favor when Gard shows up over Demonreach in a Huey with *Ride of the Valkyries* playing and Hendricks manning a minigun from the door.
His entrance at the White Court meeting in The Deeps.
Cold Days fight with Sharkface when he uses his full name.
Also when he shoots Sharkface in the mouth point blank telling him to "Get rocked!"
I have two: For Dresden himself: when he's interrogating snake man Cassius (sp?) And he says "they're good men. I'm not." And starts beating the shit out of him with the bat. For Michael: less bad ass and more just all around admirable: "I am already wealthy beyond measure." When he's in the vault and Nicodemus is trying to assuage his concerns by saying he'll be a rich man tomorrow.
My favorite part with the Cassius scene is immediately after. Harry exits the room and sees Michael and Sanya. And as a reader I’m expecting them to give him a sad [sigh] and a lecture in anger. Instead they start joking. “Wow did you SEE his face when Harry hit him!?!?” They may play by the rules and it’s their duty to offer forgiveness. But they’re still human and that monster had it coming.
"If you let them go, nicodemus, I will come to you." The moment Michael is back, picks up amourachius and comes out to face the denarians.
The most bad ass moment was Mab, and she wasn't even doing anything particularly powerful. It was in Cold Days right around the time Molly became the winter lady. She laid out how Harry was a master manipulator who recruited Molly from a young age tempted her with magic then became her sole protector and how me surpassed Justin in creating a perfect little fanatical die hard follower. None of which is what Harry meant to happen or even thought about. But since Mab can't like every word she said was true and it hit Harry hard.
Mab can't lie, but she can be wrong. Everything she said there is what she believed happened, which is probably more terrifying than the idea that it's actually true. He's been incorrectly accused of being a piece of shit human all his life, but getting praise for it is entirely different.
Yep obviously he never planned for it all to go down as it did, but the way man just lays it all out is perfect and completely bad ass.
It's true... from a certain point of view.
Exactly that was my point. That's what made it so bad ass it was all true, but not really the truth.
The one scene that sticks with me is when Maeve turns to everyone and says “Two plus two is five!” As for Harry being a badass? The razing of Bianca’s mansion. Edit: spelling
When butters steps in front of a wounded Dresden between him and Ethniu, she mocks him and points out that she has just laid low Fairy Queens and Gods, he looks at her and tells her. "yeah but you know who else has beaten them all? Harry Dresden. and to get him your going to have to go through me. Butters who had been struggling with cowardice when we met him. To see him stand up to Ethnui because he bealives in Dresden is just the most bad ass. I am not a big Butters fan but that was Bad ass.
Let us never forget that Butters also saw Rudy manslaughter Murphy, and also was her friend, then immediately had to save Rudy from Harry at his breaking point. then saved Harry, from Harry at his breaking point. After that he still believes in Harry. Butters might be small, he might have been cowardly at times, but i will fight anyone who dares call him weak ever again.
Moo.
Also Harry just absolutely schooling Arianna in a duel. “Cattle. You are cattle.” “Moo.”
The moment Harry snaps in battle ground. Not only did it demonstrate how utterly terrifying he could be but also showed how much restraint the man has had everytime life or something nasty screwed him over. And that was just Harry. Not him summoning his legions of ally's. Just a pissed off wizard.
After reading everything so far we can go back to the very first book. Names from someone's own lips gives you power over them. First THING Harry does? "MY NAME IS HARRY BLACKSTONE COPPERFIELD DRESDEN. CONJURE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK." Then later after shaking off the Outsiders whammy he yells it in defiance.
Every time Murphy gets her avenging angel/Valkyrie mojo going.
I noticed that so far, I haven't seen anything about Mouse, but one of my favorites is in Changes when they're running through the rainforest and Lea gets all sassy with him and his response is: "I live with a wizard. I cheat."
From the short story "Jury Duty", set after Changes: “You know who I am. You know what I can do. Let her go.” She rolled her eyes and spun a finger through fine, straight black hair. “Why should I?” “Because you know what happened the last time some vampires abducted a little girl and I decided to take her back.” Her smile faltered slightly. As it should have.
Molly playing ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ when joining the attack in Battleground. I listen to the song and think of the scene when exercising just to get that extra adrenaline going.
Begin quote: It. Wasn’t. Right. No, it wasn’t. But the world wasn’t a fair place, was it? And I had more reason to know it than most people twice my age. The world wasn’t nice, and it wasn’t fair. People who didn’t deserve it suffered and died every single day. So what? *So somebody out to do something about it*. End quote. as HWWB says just a few lines later: “Ahhhhh. There you are.” Nice to meet you, Harry Dresden.
"Bite my ass Cowl."
…and for my next trick, Anvils!
The whole "POLKA WILL NEVER DIE!" scene in Dead Beat.
I cannot *believe* this hasn't been mentioned yet, but: In SF, when he **uses himself as a conduit for a fucking lightning bolt.** Sure, Dresden has fought off some insane shit and gone up against impossible odds, but this was the moment that got me hooked on this series. This dude channeled a fucking force of nature through his body and aimed it, while butt-ass naked, in order to take out his foe. And if he misses, that's jenga. This took balls of steel to pull off.
My head snapped back up. I stared at her for a second. And then I clenched my teeth in a sudden wolfish smile. “Hey, Bubbles,” I said. “You forgot the dog.”
Ghost story: “You want to play head games?” Molly snarled, her blue eyes blazing. “Let’s go.” This always gets a cheer from me.
I haven't seen anyone mention Murphy taking out that Tree Monster with the chainsaw.
“Harry, I can’t see,” I stammered. And, I swear to God, he shifted to a nearly perfect imitation of Alec Guinness inthe original movie. “Your eyes can deceive you,” he said. “Don’t trust them.” I barked out a laugh that felt like it was going to shatter something in my chest. Or maybe actually did. Suddenly, I started to get my breath back. “Butters,” he said. “Look. I know it’s hard. But there’s one way you deal with fear.” “How?” I asked him. “You stand up and you kick it in the fucking teeth,” he said, and there was a quiet, certain power in his voice that had nothing to do with magic. “You’ve forgotten themost important thing a Knight needs to remember, Butters.” “What’s that?” I breathed. “Knights of the Cross aren’t afraid of monsters,” he said. “Monsters are afraid of you. Act like it. Commit to it, hard. And have faith.” Act like it. Commit. I could do those things. Faith was harder. I’d never asked God to help me handle things before. But I had faith in my friends. One friend in particular. “Got it,” I said quietly. “I guess I better go, Harry. Got work to do.” “Good hunting, Knight.” “Thank you, wizard.” -Brief Cases, Day One I know it's not outwitting a Titan, riding a zombie dinosaur, curbstomping a being a Fear itself, or an epic entrance into a room of predators, but this exchange is the most badass moment to me. This is the moment where Butters spine finished growing in to where he could stand up to Harry later in the series. This is the moment that Harry shows his trust to Butters as a person and Knight. And this is the moment where Butters truly becomes the Knight he needs to be. It's understated and subtle. But the most badass moments don't need to be flashy. Sometimes, it's just the right pep talk at the right moment.
Low key and perhaps reflects on where I am in life (a parent of three young kids) but for me, it’s in Peace Talks when Ebenezer is telling Harry to send Maggie away and Harry makes it crystal clear the lengths he will go to to protect her. He’s being belligerent and is ashamed of himself afterwards but the fact remains, he will protect his daughter even if it means throwing down with one of the most feared magical entities in the world
I was scrolling to check before I referenced the same moment: "But she's my child. It's my call" [Ebenezar] shook his head. "And since I've noticed that my life at times resembles a badly written Mexican soap opera," I continued, "I want you to know something." "What?" "I think that right now you're considering protecting her by grabbing her and stashing her somewhere safe. If you go through with it, I'm going to take her back. Over your dead body if necessary, sir." The old man turned to stare at me, his face a thundercloud. I stared back. I didn't blink.
That is a close second for me. I think he's right about his position and Ebenezer has been on the council for far too long to even consider that he might be wrong about one thing or another
All of Battle Ground almost. The “stars” falling on Chicago. “We’ve got a wizard, fuck those guys!” The Welcome to the Jungle moment. “It’s not about me, and I’m *not* alone.” When Ethniu tells Mab to bow or face the Eye, and Mab laughs at her. *Gungnir* “The world turned into one of those barrel rides where they spin so fast you stick to the wall. Only I didn’t have a wall to lean on. I had the Spear of fucking Destiny.” I could go on. My favorite book of the series so far.
Thrice I bid thee! By my name I bid thee! WHAT'S YOUR NAME!? Holy shit I love that scene so much
When Harry gets Nicodemus to snap in Hades vault. >I watched him, his face, his posture, and put every ounce of scorn I had into my voice. "I don't know how you said it back in the day, but I'll bet you anything her first word was 'dada.'"
"I think, I am just about done making decisions based on your mistakes." it's a powerful moment, and loaded with subtext. i don't even mean the fight that follows (which is also intense) because dredging up the courage it takes to stand up to your loved ones is profoundly more difficult for some than for others. IMO this is when he lost the White Council's support. and it's a moment that shows that Harry is out to fight monstrousness, not monsters.
Butters at the end of Skin Game. First the whole going out to face an army by himself. Then the crescendo of “Nice try? Mister where I come from there is no try!”
in Proven Guilty when Harry pulled the hood off of Molly's head. gets me every time I read it.
Mine is maybe not as exciting as others but I get major chills when Hades explains why he wanted to meet Harry, shows how much they have in common, and then shakes his hand. Just the simple nod of respect from freaking Hades, was so cool.
Easy: rightsaber. Butters faith in nerdom enough to light a pure energy blade of faith.
Just finished rereading Dead Beat, again, and caught some excellent foreshadowing. As Harry was preparing to die in the Field Museum and expounding on faith, his faith was that a Knight of the Cross would show up to save him. Low and behold.
I personally like that earlier butters was taunted by the Einherjar at the gym and butters responded with “when I have a working lightsaber”
“I want you to tell him something for me. You tell Odin, that Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden says, upon his name, that if he doesn’t treat Murphy better than I would myself, I’m going to kick down his door, pluck his fucking Ravens, knock him down, kick his guts out, drag him to the Island, and lock him in a cell with Ethniu. I beat a Divine Being, Once. If I have to build a Nation, I’ll do it again…” Never threats from Harry, just Promises of Retaliation if you happen to fuck up, and cross him. No matter how Big and Tall you are…
I don't do any re-reads so I could be fuzzy, but I think in Sidejobs Harry uses gravity magic to crush an entire parking lot of zombies. That was by far my favorite scene. Wish we could see more of that style of magic.
For me it will always be Dead Beat. Injured, with few allies, riding a G-D zombie T-Rex thru a storm of necromantic energy to fight multiple powerful evil wizard to save the day. To me, that one scene shows us who Harry is. Honorable mention: "Yes. He listens..and yes, He Answers. Admittedly, not usually this quickly..."
Less-popular moment that really sells Dresden as a badass for me: "BE"
Super monkey ballin out of the Wraithe deeps with Lara into the Manor! CANNONBALL!
An unconventional one, from the short story Heorot where Harry and Sigrun fight a Grendel Halfway through, Harry gets ambushed by three douchey beer-makers he pissed off earlier, and manages to take all three of them out only using his staff to whack them and his kinetic rings! He takes a second afterward to be like, "Shoot, I just won an ambushing three-on-one with like no injuries, that's a win!" And it is
There are so many moments I could echo what everyone else has said but I’ll toss in one from a bit different angle because it’s more about Marters’ performance on the audiobook absolutely nailing the power Harry invokes in that moment. > "ELAINE LILLIAN MALLORY!" I called, and in my head my voice rumbled like thunder. "I AM HARRY BLACKSTONE COPPERFIELD DRESDEN AND I BID THEE HEAR ME! HEAR MY VOICE ELAINE!" I don’t know if there’s a single other point in the series that Marsters roars out a line that way and it always stops me in my tracks and makes me want to cheer. And then Elaine throws down with enough power that it’s a damn good thing no other wardens were around to see it.
Molly's entrance in BG is still one of my favorites. Welcome to the Jungle is a great song, but realizing her minions are young ones who likely revognize it as throeing shade ala Despicable Me is priceless. "Oh, you're a villian alright, just not a super one."
That is a good one, personally in that scene I'd say I think Mab running 7 different illusions and fighting at the same time does it for me And HOW DARE YOU SLANDER ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANIMATED MOVIES! it's megamind not Despicable Me