Summary
-
Nacho Libre
‘s hilarious quotes show Jack Black’s comedic genius in this classic luchador comedy from 2006. - Ignacio’s love plot and friendship with Steven bring humorous moments of self-reflection and mistaken beliefs.
- Jack Black’s charm and physical comedy make every scene in
Nacho Libre
memorable and laugh-out-loud funny.
There are plenty of hilarious Nacho Libre quotes that show why Jack Black’s 2006 luchador sports comedy still performs well on streaming almost two decades later. The story follows Ignacio (Black), a cook in a monastery orphanage who cooks by day and wrestles as the masked luchador Nacho Libre by night. The film grossed over $80 million at the domestic box office against its $35 million budget, going on to net a further $19 million internationally (via Box Office Mojo). It also amassed a strong following in the years since its theatrical run, thanks mainly to its array of incredibly quotable one-liners.
Jack Black is a beloved comedic performer thanks to his classic roles in School of Rock and as one half of the musical duo Tenacious D. 2006’s Nacho Libre remains one of the best examples of the actor’s amazing gift for making audiences laugh with both his skills at physical comedy, timing, and his unique vocal delivery. Black fully commits to the silly role and delivers these hilarious Nacho Libre quotes with his typical wild energy.
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30 “Hug Hug, Kiss Kiss, Hug Hug, Big Kiss, Little Hug, Kiss Kiss, Little Kiss.”
Ignacio (Jack Black) Signs Off His Letter To Sister Encarnacion
The romance plot in Nacho Libre sees Ignacio pining for the new Nun at the Oaxaca monastery, Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera). It leads to some of the best quotes in the entire movie as Ignacio desperately tries to woo her without actually wooing her, since both of them have taken vows of celibacy. Ignacio constantly finds himself almost making a move but never quite doing it, and one of the funniest instances comes when he writes a letter to her.
While his letter is notably wholesome and innocent (though with clear undertones of barely-contained desire), he signs it off with a series of different-sized hugs and kisses. It’s Jack Black’s voiceover as Sister Encarnacion reads the letter that truly sells the scene, and Ignacio’s need to leave as many x’s and o’s as he possibly can (as though he’s actually hugging and kissing her) is both adorable and laugh-out-loud funny.
29 “I’m A Little Concerned Right Now. About… Your Salvation And Stuff.”
Ignacio (Jack Black) Confronts Esqueleto About His Lack Of Faith
Ignacio’s best friend in Nacho Libre is Steven (Hecto Jimenez) who wrestles under the Luchador name Esqueleto. While the pair got off to a rocky start since they met when Steven robbed Ignacio, the pair soon find themselves in the ring together as tag-team partners. However, one fact Ignacio can never seem to quite look past is Steven’s belief in science over religion. He brings this up multiple times, especially after the pair have just lost a match. On one occasion, he asks Steven why he’s never been baptized, which prompts this hilarious response:
Because I never got around to it ok? I dunno why you always have to be judging me because I only believe in science.
Not only is Esqueleto’s response of “I never got around to it” incredibly funny, Ignacio’s concern about his friends’ salvation “and stuff” is one of many moments that Jack Black’s titular character seems to downplay the importance of incredibly hefty existential topics of discussion. It’s one of several times this aspect of the pair’s friendship makes for an incredibly memorable bits of dialogue in Nacho Libre.
28 “How Did You Find Me In The Wilderness?”
Nacho (Jack Black) Is Astounded At Esqueleto’s Hunting Abilities
After getting banished from the monastery, Ignacio goes into self-imposed exile from his community. He decides to go and live in the wilderness to be alone. However, much to his frustration, he’s quickly found by Steven. Steven brings the news that he’d run over the foot of the top Luchador contender, which means that Ignacio has an opportunity to fight Ramses. While Ignacio eventually agrees, he’s at first more concerned over how Steven managed to find him in “the wilderness”.
Steven’s response of “I could see you from the village” quickly reveals that Ignacio’s retreat into “the wilderness” really just meant he’d walked out to the outskirts of the community, and hadn’t actually gone far at all. It’s a hilarious moment that also seems to somehow sum up Ignacio’s character perfectly, and, as always, the delivery of both Jack Black and Hector Jiminez are what truly sell the scene.
27 “Eagle Powers… Come To Me! Please!”
Nacho (Jack Black) Can’t Summon His Eagle Abilities
Ignacio tries many different things to become a better wrestler in Nacho Libre, including eating eagle eggs to get “eagle powers”. While Ignacio ultimately ends up defeating his rival Ramses, it’s not due to any kind of supernatural ability, though for much of the movie Ignacio genuinely believes that he has been gifted with the powers of an eagle when he enters the ring.
This leads to several hilarious Nacho Libre quotes, and one of the best is when he attempts to summon his non-existent eagle powers to help him win the match when hope of victory seems lost. Pleading for his eagle powers to come to him is one of the funniest moments that occurs when Ignacio is wrestling in the ring as Nacho Libre, and it also somehow makes his final victory against Ramses all the sweeter when he wins without them.
26 “My Mother Gave It To Me Before She Died. It Was Her Lucky Machete. You Can Have It.”
Chancho (Darius Rose) Bequeaths A Gift To Ignacio
Chancho (Darius Rose), a young orphan at the Monastery, is one of the best supporting characters in Nacho Libre, and always seems to be there with some words of encouragement for Ignacio. One of the funniest of these comes when Ignacio informs Chancho that he plans to leave the village to go to the wilderness:
There is no place for me in this world. I don’t belong out there, and I don’t belong in here. So I’m going out into the Wilderness. Probably, to die.
This line from Ignacio is hilarious in its own right, but it’s nothing compared to Chancho’s response, which is delivered to deadpan perfection by young actor Darius Rose. Chancho pulls a machete seemingly from nowhere, which he then offers to Ignacio saying “you might need this”. Chancho then explains that it was his mother’s lucky machete. While this is a touching moment, the idea that someone would have a lucky machete seems both hilariously ridiculous and completely apt for the world of Nacho Libre.
25 “Do You Not Realize I Have Had Diarrhea Since Easter?”
Señor Ramon (Enrique Muñoz) Lets Ignacio Know How His Cooking Truly Tastes
While there is a lot of quirky humor and sight gags to keep Nacho Libre hilarious, there are some moments where the movie leans into toilet humor incredibly well. While Nacho Libre avoids relying too much on these types of jokes, Señor Ramon’s (Enrique Muñoz) very direct complaint about Nacho’s cooking is an unexpected laugh-out-loud moment.
It is an ongoing joke that Nacho’s cooking skills are not popular with the others in the commune, made worse by the fact that he has very little to work with in terms of ingredients. However, this is a very graphic visualization of how bad things have gotten. The idea of measuring the time of this illness to the last major holiday adds a somewhat absurd quality to the joke, rather than just betting on the fact that “diarrhea” will be a word the audience finds amusing.
24 “Ok… Maybe I Am Not Meant for These Duties. Cooking Duty. Dead Guy Duty. Maybe It’s Time for Me To Get A Better Duty!”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Questions His Role At The Monastary
Nacho Libre may be a comedy but it is also a classic underdog movie at its center, with its hero a man with potential and desire who is nevertheless overlooked and unappreciated by the world around him. There is a sense that Nacho feels he has a lot more potential than what he is being used for. After Señor Ramon complains about Nacho’s cooking, Nacho gently suggests that perhaps he is not the best one suited to these menial tasks.
Along with complaining about cooking duty, he suggests “dead guy duty” is also not his favorite, and the fact that Ignacio and his Monastic brethren are so used to this grim task that they casually rank it alongside regular daily chores is hilarious. It is also questionable to make the person on “dead guy duty” also responsible for the cooking.
23 “To Kiss Your Mouth. I Break My Vows. No No No No No No Way Jose. Unless You Want To.”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Admits His Conflicted Feelings To Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera) In Song
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Nacho Libre is not just about Nacho’s journey to become a wrestler, but it is also about his struggle with his forbidden love for the nun Sister Encarnacion, played by Ana de la Reguera. The feelings he has for her and his attempts to woo her suggest that his oaths as a priest are wavering. However, as Nacho shares his love song about Encarnacion, that message gets even more mixed, with him first emphatically denying that he would break his vows but insisting he would if she wanted to.
His conflicted desires expressed through Jack Black’s inimitable musical comedic style make for one of the funniest moments in
Nacho Libre.
While Nacho clearly cares about the orphans he looks after in the monastery, it is a funny ongoing joke throughout the movie that he is not all that passionate about his role as a priest. His conflicted desires expressed through Jack Black’s inimitable musical comedic style make for one of the funniest moments in Nacho Libre.
22 “Do You Remember When Everyone Was Shouting My Name, And I Used My Strength To Rip My Blouse.”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Reveals His Selective Memory
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Nacho’s early attempts at wrestling do not go well, but they do work to ignite a passion inside of him. He wants to be a winner in the ring, but once the fight is over, he looks back on it as a moment of glory that he wants to continue to chase. Nacho seems to have a warped memory, making his rather embarrassing and clumsy antics seem heroic in his own mind.
However, Esqueleto is less enchanted by the whole experience and responds with a reality check — “Yea, and I saw them knock you unconscious, ok?” The exchange between the two makes for a humorous exchange that also shows Nacho’s optimistic, if selective, way of viewing the world. Jack Black’s stoic expression as he falsely remembers the moment sells the line even more and cements Nacho’s charming delusions.
21 “I Saw A Bum Here.”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Fails To Cover His Tracks
Nacho usually has a pretty hard time hiding his double life which makes for a lot of his funniest hijinks in the movie. Not only does he have the kids to watch out for, but he also has to keep his true self from Sister Encarnacion. It’s fair to say that Nacho’s excuses as to why he’s always running off aren’t always the best. This gets ever more troublesome as Nacho grows more confident and bold with his lies.
This is shown as he tries to lead Encarnacion away from the fold by convincing her that he saw two homeless men in need of hearing the gospel, though Encarnacion isn’t impressed by his description of them as “bums”, and this Nacho Libre quote is all the funnier for Nacho’s confusion as to the issue with such a description. It shows that, despite being a likable oaf, he is still far from perfect.
20 “They Tried To Convert Each Other, But They Got Married, Instead — Then, They Died.”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Discusses His Tragic Past
When Ignacio meets Sister Encarnacion in her room in one of Jack Black’s best movies, the two make awkward conversation while eating toast. Prompted by Encarnacion, Ignacio explains his backstory, detailing how his parents — being from very different backgrounds — came to meet. He tells her that, though they tried to convert each other, they ended up married.
Black’s strange delivery of the line adds to the awkwardness (and hilarity) of the moment…
He then curtly explains that they died before whipping out a picture of the two that he had stuffed in his robe. Black’s strange delivery of the line adds to the awkwardness (and hilarity) of the moment as Encarnacion is left trying to respond to such a story. While their oaths might be one of the main reasons for keeping them from having a romance, it is also not as if Nacho is particularly skilled at wooing women.
19 “Beneath The Clothes, We Find A Man, And Beneath The Man We Find His… Nucleus.”
The Substance Of A Man According To Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black)
Nacho is always trying to impress Sister Encarnacion, and when she catches him in his expensive-looking “recreational clothes,” he tries to remind her that no matter how impressive he is, he is still just a man. It’s looked down upon for a man of Ignacio’s stature to own expensive clothes, so Nacho tries to explain it away.
He tries hard to be profound and intelligent — and self-assuredly believes it’s working. As he tries to break himself down further, he hilariously manages to get to the “nucleus.” Once again, it is Black’s delivery that sells the line as the word seems to come out involuntarily, and he wishes immediately that he could take it back. It is clear he has no idea what he is talking about, yet he tries his best to stick the landing.
18 “Tonight, We Are Going Up Against Satan’s Cavemen, And I Just Thought It Might Be A Good Idea If You Praise The Lord.”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Gives Esqueleto A Reason To Fight
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The subject of religion is a point of contention between Ignacio and his luchador partner in the professional wrestling movie. While Ignacio is firm in his faith, Esqueleto repeatedly states that he’s a man of science. Ignacio raises the issue before a match, but Esqueleto isn’t moved. Worried about his friend’s salvation, Nacho fills a bowl with water and quickly dunks his partner’s head in it several times.
He shouts this matter-of-fact observation, granting him an emergency baptism ahead of the match, with this hilarious Nacho Libre quote referencing a fight against “Satan’s Cavemen” as a reason for Esqueleto to feel the faith. Nacho comes off as cluelessly hypocritical in this moment as he is so willing to break his vows to be with Encarnacion, yet he is also willing to give his friend a forced baptism because he thinks religion is so important.
17 “Jesse, I Owe You 4.99 Plus Tax.”
A Small Glimpse At How Kind-Hearted Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Truly Is
Nacho tries to be a man of the people, but very few within the monastery actually like him. Perhaps it’s because of his quirks or his poor cooking, but no one locally really gets along with him. Of course, he eventually turns the public around, thanks to his alter-ego. Even though he cannot reveal himself to the community as the popular new fighter, he begins strutting around town with a renewed sense of popularity while still trying to be kind to everyone.
It is a moment of Nacho relishing his new acceptance rather than being laugh-out-loud funny…
The eagle-inspired wrestler tries his best to do right by people, even offering tax on the money he owes. It is a moment of Nacho relishing his new acceptance rather than being laugh-out-loud funny, and this Nacho Libre quote also shows that he is a kind person who cares for others, even if he has ambitions for himself.
16 “I Am Singing At This Party.”
Ramses’s Party Goes In A Hilarious Direction Thanks To Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black)
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Nacho loves to sing and is seen coming up with his own songs at various times in the movie. However, he doesn’t do so well when he’s put on the spot and has to improvise a new song. When he’s in the middle of a party celebrating the legend that is his nemesis Ramses, he’s thrown into a situation where he has to sing a song. With a confused band behind him, Nacho starts singing about singing at the party, although it impressively morphs into an ode to Ramses.
The impromptu performance doesn’t go down well with his guest of honor, who throws a drink straight in his face. However, the scene does offer another chance for the movie to show off Jack Black’s musical skills, with the improvised song’s lyrics being hilariously bad only for Nacho to gain more confidence and get carried away with himself.
15 “Get That Corn Outta My Face!”
The Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Moment That Spawned A Meme
Whether it’s a drink to the face or a punch to the face, Nacho has an obsession with personal space and things getting in his face. This is especially true when he is in a bad mood which can result in him reacting in an outburst of anger that is typically ridiculous. When in the middle of an angry moment, his friend Esqueleto offers him some corn on a stick.
In a moment of frustration, Nacho yells at him, swatting away the corn. The sudden fury Jack Black displays is so unexpected and hilarious that it ends up being one of the most iconic Nacho Libre quotes to the point where it has been memed to this day. The fact that this results in a lame and childish fight between the two wrestler friends makes the moment even funnier.
14 “I Don’t Want To Get Paid To Lose! I Wanna Win!”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Makes His Wrestling Ambitions Clear
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Nacho gives his all to becoming a luchador, but he struggles to become truly great. At first, it is enough for him to show up to wrestling matches and lose because he’s still getting money that allows him to make better meals for the kids at the orphanage. As the film progresses, Nacho becomes discouraged and tells his wrestling partner he just wants to win for a change.
While Nacho Libre doesn’t come across as a very serious competitor, he has the heart and determination that makes him a true underdog worth cheering for. It is a rare moment for the audience to really understand his motivations and even feel sorry for Nacho, despite the fact that Jack Black’s dramatic and pained delivery of the line still makes it hard not to laugh. He manages to toe the line of being a lovable goof and a determined underdog.
13 “They Gave Me No Nutrients!”
Yet More Misguided Science Knowledge From Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black)
Director Jared Hess previously made the comedy Napoleon Dynamite and it is easy to see some similarities between the movies, especially with Nacho Libre‘s random silly scenes that don’t factor into the actual plot. In an attempt to better his wrestling skills, Nacho follows the advice of Steven’s friend and goes on a short quest for an eagle egg. The whole sidebar is a ridiculous display, but it leads to one of the funniest Nacho Libre quotes.
It is another example of Black’s brilliant delivery as he treats the lack of magic in the egg as such a serious situation.
Steven’s friend insists that, if Nacho eats the yolk of the egg, he will be endowed with the powers of an eagle. To Nacho’s dismay, despite accomplishing this, he sees no improvement in his performance, lamenting the egg didn’t even give him “nutrients.” It is another example of Black’s brilliant delivery as he treats the lack of magic in the egg as such a serious situation.
12 “Hey! Take It Easy!”
Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black) Only Wants A Fair Fight
On Nacho’s first night in the ring, he goes in a little overconfident. He decides to send Steven (Héctor Jiménez) in on his own while he tries to garner the audience’s affection. He becomes so caught up in this that he is completely oblivious to the torture Steven is enduring in the ring.
Once Nacho eventually turns around and sees what’s happening, he’s aghast. “Hey! Take it easy!” he yells at the other wrestler as if he didn’t know that wrestling would be so rough. It’s such a mild response to the beating that Esqueleto is enduring. The fact that Nacho is surprised by the violence of the sport is hilarious and this becomes something of a catchphrase for him as he chastises his rougher opponents, showing his innocent and likable nature in this brutish world.
11 “Be Grateful, Juan Pablo. Today Is Especially Delicious.
Reasons For Appreciating Life From Ignacio/Nacho (Jack Black)
While the fellow priests in the monastery are more blunt and insulting with their criticism of Nacho’s cooking, the orphans are also not thrilled about the food they are given each day. It’s unclear what kind of ingredients Nacho has to work with daily at the orphanage, but they are clearly subpar. In one of the early scenes of the film, the young children complain about the same old unappetizing food while Nacho tries to reassure him of the tastiness.
The line itself is another funny moment of Nacho taking a very serious tone while saying something utterly ridiculous. However, it is capped off with an even funnier gag as Nacho tries the food himself and his disgusted reaction sends the food out his nose. It is a brilliant bit of physical comedy from Jack Black.