Summary
- Tommy Shelby’s memorable quotes make him a complex and iconic character on
Peaky Blinders. - Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Tommy is considered among his finest acting performances.
- Tommy’s quotes showcase his pragmatism, vulnerability, ego, and relentless determination.
Content warning: The following contains discussions of violence, murder, and suicide.
There are many memorable Thomas Shelby quotes from Peaky Blinders that solidify him as one of the most complex protagonists on television. The Shelby family patriarch, Thomas “Tommy” Shelby has everything that makes a perfect antihero. He is ruthless, cunning, and can sink to some dark places in order to achieve what he thinks is right. Most importantly, he speaks confidently and convincingly too. Tommy has a penchant for infusing creativity into his sentences. Whether he’s talking to a family member, a high-ranking government official, or a foe, the best Thomas Shelby quotes speak to the power of this man.
Even after Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Oppenheimer, many still call his role in Peaky Blinders as his finest acting to date. Most of the best lines in the series come from Tommy, showing the layers of the character. These memorable lines highlight the tragedy and sorrow in his life, the dark brutality he is capable of, and even the rare instances of his twisted sense of humor. Tommy Shelby is a TV character who will live on long after the show’s end and these quotes cement that fact.
25 “All Religion Is A Foolish Answer To A Foolish Question.”
Season 3, Episode 3
Tommy Shelby is a key reason that Peaky Blinders is such a popular show, and not just because he’s one of the most ruthless fictional gangsters ever conceived. Cillian Murphy’s character is also prone to a healthy dose of philosophizing, offering his unique takes on everything from the global politics of the early 20th century to religion. Such is the case with this memorable Peaky Blinders quote from season 3, episode 3.
Despite coming from a religious background and family, Tommy Shelby himself is mostly agnostic. It’s not that he rejects the idea of God or a higher power, he just simply views such speculation as a waste of time. The agnosticism demonstrated by this Peaky Blinders quote shows just how well Tommy’s stance works for his incredibly pragmatic character, and is much more fitting than if he’d been heavily religious, or even if his brutal experiences in the trenches of WWI had turned him into a staunch atheist.
24 “We Just Sell Different Parts Of Ourselves.”
Season 1, Episode 3
This is another Tommy Shelby quote that showcases the Peaky Blinder’s characters’ uniquely pragmatic view of the world. It’s not that Tommy has no morals or ethics, it’s more that he doesn’t let the opinions of others factor into what he deems as right or wrong. For Tommy Shelby, almost anything that can advance his particular cause is worth doing. However, this also makes him surprisingly non-judgmental, as this early quote from the third episode of season 1 demonstrates. Grace was one of Tommy’s great loves in the show, and the two had some incredibly memorable conversations even before they became an item.
Such as the case when Tommy tries to employ Grace for, essentially, escort services, specifically to spend some quality time with Billy Kimber. Grace is taken aback, and assumes that Tommy thinks she’s a sex worker. Tommy’s lightning-fast response essentially says that, even if she were, what she’d do is no different from any other person taking money for any other kind of act. To Tommy, there is literally no difference between a woman selling her body and a man selling his time as a soldier, laborer, or any other kind of job.
23 “This Is Just Myself, Talking To Myself, About Myself.”
Season 4, Episode 6
Tommy Shelby may appear mostly cool, calm, and collected, but this requires an incredible level of self-control on his part. Occasionally, his cool demeanor slips, and not just when he loses his temper with his subordinates, family, or enemies. There are several occasions when Tommy’s harrowing experience during the First World War catches up with him, and he breaks down under the undiagnosed PTSD he acquired in the trenches.
One of the most heartwrenching times this happens is during season 4 of Peaky Blinders, when Tommy finds himself unable to hold back his mental instability any longer. He is overheard by his housekeeper, who suggests he seek medical help. Tommy replies with this incredibly memorable Peaky Blinders quote, showing that he views his mental state as simply feedback from his own mind. However, it’s also one of the moments when Tommy is shown to be truly vulnerable, which is a key reason it sticks in the minds of many Peaky Blinders fans.
22 “I’m Not God. Not Yet”
Season 5, Episode 1
If Tommy Shelby could be said to have one flaw, it’s his incredibly overinflated ego. However, it would also be incredibly difficult to get him to see his own arrogance, since the abilities he’s so confident in have also seen him through time and time again. This ego is also, coincidentally, what makes him such an endearing character for Peaky Blinders fans — though the same can’t be said for the rest of the characters in the show, especially his family, who find this trait of his to be irksome, to say the least.
Tommy putting his ego on display makes for some of the best
Peaky Blinders
quotes, though few match him proclaiming that, while he acknowledges he isn’t God, it may simply just be a matter of time.
Tommy putting his ego on display makes for some of the best Peaky Blinders quotes, though few match him proclaiming that, while he acknowledges he isn’t God, it may simply just be a matter of time. The quote comes when he’s confronted by his son Charlie, who tells Tommy that he’s “not God” out of frustration with Tommy’s refusal to change his mind. Charlie is even more frustrated by Tommy’s response, though audiences had the opposite reaction, as it’s one of the many great Tommy Shelby quotes that demonstrate his infectious ego and self-determination.
21 “She’s In The Past… And The Past Is Not My Concern.”
Season 1, Episode 6
This Tommy Shelby quote is incredibly memorable for several reasons. Firstly, it’s because it pertains to Grace, who many fans consider to be one of the best romantic partners Tommy has throughout the entirety of Peaky Blinders. There’s something incredibly heartbreaking about Tommy clearly trying to convince himself as well as Aunt Polly that he’s already moved on — though, as always, the way the character delivers this sentiment is slick, smooth, and yet another moment that cements Shelby as such a popular character.
However, there’s also a second layer to the quote that becomes much more apparent when considered retrospectively with the later events in Peaky Blinders. It’s shown time and time again that Tommy is struggling with PTSD after World War One. While his refusal to get bogged down in his past and only look forward seems like a symptom of his unmatched drive and determination at first, in hindsight it could also be an act of psychological self-defence to protect himself from the harrowing memories that he returned with after leaving the trenches of WW1.
20 “You Can Change What You Do, But You Can’t Change What You Want.”
Season 3, Episode 3
Tommy’s sister Ada is one of the few people who stands up to him and challenges some of the things he does. However, Tommy is quite good at getting under her skin as well. Tommy challenges the person Ada attempts to be by suggesting that it is not the person she actually is. As with many quotes from Tommy, this is aimed at someone else but can speak to his own personality.
Tommy has often tried to become something else and rise above the street level of the Peaky Blinders gang. Throughout the series, he makes attempts to enter high society and politics as well as become a legitimate businessman. It is clear that a lot of the people in these circles will always see him as a gangster, and when Tommy is being honest with himself, that’s how he sees it as well.
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19 “Lies Travel Faster Than The Truth.”
Season 1, Episode 3
The enemies of the Blinders use a lot of different tactics in an attempt to take out the gang which Tommy isn’t surprised by. When Danny Whizz-Bang returns from London, he reports to Tommy that he heard the news of an IRA member being shot by one of the Blinders. Tommy assures him that it is a lie but immediately knows it is being intentionally spread.
Tommy has a very cynical view of the world and understands that people will latch on to a lie more than the truth. He makes observations like this as if it is the way of the world and there is no way to change it. While there is a lot of truth in what Tommy says, it also seems like his beliefs like this are a way of justifying not trusting people in general and keeping the world at a safe distance.
18 “Today It Will Be Me Dead Or You. But Whoever It Is, He’ll Wake Up In Hell Tomorrow.”
Season 2, Episode 6
Campbell makes for one of the best villains on Peaky Blinders and his antagonistic relationship with Tommy yields some of the show’s best moments. Part of what makes Campbell so compelling and also detestable is that he sees himself as superior, ignoring the heinous and evil things he does that he justifies as being for the greater good. However, Tommy has a way of cutting through his hypocrisy.
In their final confrontation, the two men dig under each other’s skin in every way possible. Finally, Campbell suggests he’s already won because he is a man of God while Tommy is sure to be damned. However, Tommy delivers this epic line which cuts through Campbell’s idea of himself as a righteous man. It also shows that, despite all the terrible things Tommy has done, he at least knows the type of man he is and the punishment that awaits him.
17 “When You Plan Something Well, There’s No Need To Rush.”
Season 2, Episode 6
Throughout the series, Tommy often kept a relatively calm temperament even in the most intense circumstances. It is that demeanor that allows him to overcome many of the tight situations he finds himself in. When Campbell forces the Blinders to carry out his dark deeds, he meets Tommy at the racetrack and suggests that he should be busy if he plans on pulling the job off. Tommy points out that a well-laid plan means that there is no need to rush.
It is another moment of Tommy’s confidence shining through, as he doesn’t leave things to chance and always ensures that he is one step ahead of his enemies. As if proving his point on the matter, he says this to Campbell while also knowing that his plan will actually put an end to the inspector.
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16 “The Only Way To Guarantee Peace Is By Making The Prospect Of War Seem Hopeless.”
Season 3, Episode 2
Though the Blinders are all complicit in some terrible things, those close to Tommy are often shocked by the things that he does. He has shown time and time again that he will take extreme means in ensuring that the Peaky Blinders are the ones who come out on top. After agreeing to peace with his enemies, Polly learns that Tommy has gone back on that deal and struck them with a devastating attack.
It is the kind of cold-blooded and remorseless view that made Tommy so powerful and so terrifying.
When she confronts him about it, Tommy makes it clear he doesn’t believe in peace talks and that the best way to end the fighting is to show the enemy there is no way to win. It is the kind of cold-blooded and remorseless view that made Tommy so powerful and so terrifying. He is not interested in playing the honorable way if it doesn’t mean victory is assured.
15 “I Don’t Pay For Suits. My Suits Are On The House Or The House Burns Down.”
Season 1, Episode 3
As Grace and Tommy prepare to go to the races together for the first time, she laments about not finding an appropriate dress to wear. She then asks him if he has paid for the suit he’ll be wearing. Being the boss of the most feared criminal organization in Birmingham has its perks as he doesn’t pay. The fashion-savvy Tommy Shelby expects tailors to hand him the best suits, or else they’ll be made to go out of business.
It’s for their own good — and his too — because he gets to satisfy his fashion appetites without spending a dime. This move matches old mob practices where small businesses are expected to remit part of their revenue to the reigning criminal organization. However, it also conflicts with the persona Tommy has in the early seasons of being something of a blue-collar hero.
14 “Conviction Introduces Emotion, Which Is The Enemy Of Oratory.”
Season 5, Episode 6
Among the historical figures on Peaky Blinders, Winston Churchill appears and requests a meeting with Tommy where he compliments him for giving a beautiful speech in the House of Representatives. The then Home Secretary wonders whether Tommy believes his own words. Never being one to lie to make himself look better, Tommy freely admits that he doesn’t. According to him, being emotionally attached to an issue makes it harder to talk about it.
It is a reminder that Tommy presents himself as not just a gangster but a scholar too.
In this scene, Tommy and Churchill realize they have much more in common than they thought. They both understand the importance of saying what needs to be said to achieve a specific goal. Churchill also points out that Tommy’s quote is borrowed from Greek literature. It is a reminder that Tommy presents himself as not just a gangster but a scholar too.
13 “If You Make The Wrong Choice, You Won’t See 11:44.”
Season 3, Episode 3
Though he is not the strongest man or the man with the most power, Tommmy always has a way of issuing a threat so that people know not to cross him. Tommy interrogates an associate of The Economic League, aka Section D, in prison, but the man refuses to talk. Tommy thus takes out his clock. It’s approaching 11:43. He gives the man seconds to decide who he is more afraid of, the Blinders or Section D.
The Blinders’ boss has a strong belief in his own abilities; hence, he thinks of himself as far more capable than all his enemies. In truth, the far-right organization has proven to be way more dangerous than the Blinders as it has some of the most sadistic and evilest people on the show. Nevertheless, the manner in which Tommy packages the words in his threats always does the trick.
12 “Good Taste Is For People Who Can’t Afford Sapphires.”
Season 3, Episode 2
Though Grace was killed off in season 3 of Peaky Blinders, it’s unclear if her romance with Tommy really would have worked out as they are so different. Since they are going to a charity event, Grace is concerned that it wouldn’t be in good taste for her to wear the sapphire necklace Tommy gave her.
Grace is right to be concerned about showing off in an event that is meant to help the less fortunate but Tommy also believes that the rich ought not have to be apologetic about their wealth. The line shows his romantic side, but it is more of a helping hand for Grace as she gets accustomed to Tommy’s life. Sadly, it is a life that they are not destined to share together as Grace is killed shortly after this charming exchange.
11 “When Fortune Drops Something Valuable Into Your Lap, You Don’t Just Dump It On The Bank Of The Cut.”
Season 1, Episode 1
Part of what makes Tommy achieve some of the things he does in the show is that he is willing to take the risks most are too afraid of. Among the many important things that happen in the Peaky Blinders pilot is the Birmingham gang grabbing the wrong crate of weapons during a routine pickup. It turns out it’s a cache of government artillery headed for Libya. Tommy is urged to return it, but he refuses, reasoning that such a fortune turn should not be disregarded simply out of fear.
Trouble comes in the form of Inspector Campbell, who is sent to retrieve the weapons. However, Tommy’s decision to hold on to the weapons proves to be the right move later on. If he’d given back the weapons, he’d never have achieved certain things in his life, including marrying Grace and being a close associate of Winston Churchill.
10 “I’m Just An Extreme Example Of What A Working Man Can Achieve.”
Season 4, Episode 4
Tommy is shown to achieve great things and gain wealth, which is in stark contrast to his modest beginnings, and he has no intention of going back. Niall Devlin gets paranoid when mines and factories shut down because of the Shelby company’s activities. He tells Tommy that they might get shot for being traitors to their class. However, Tommy doesn’t believe he is a traitor to his class and only sees himself as a hardworking man.
Crime shows and movies have always reminded viewers that established criminals see no problems with their actions. They consider their trade to be as important as any other job. Tommy shares the same opinion. He is also right about himself being a hardworking man since he rose from a frontline soldier in the trenches to one of the biggest crime lords in Britain.
9 “I Think, Arthur. That’s What I Do. I Think. So That You Don’t Have To.”
Season 1, Episode 1
Tommy and his reckless brother Arthur share many memorable moments on the show but their relationship is always a little uneasy. Arthur once calls out Tommy for thinking that he can take on Billy Kimber by himself. Tommy puts him in his place, instructing him to leave “thinking” to him since he’s the one who’s good at it. Tommy is aware that Arthur is more of a brawn than brains kind of person.
He knows his brother isn’t the best decision-maker, and that’s why he brushes off his concerns very quickly. Tommy’s conclusions about Arthur are quickly proven when Arthur’s carelessness makes him the first member of the Peaky Blinders to be arrested by Inspector Campbell. Though Tommy clearly loves his brother, he is not shy about being blunt with him what he needs to hear the truth.
8 “No Fighting. No F***ing Fighting, No Fighting, NO F***ING FIGHTING!”
Season 3, Episode 1
As the central character with whom fans spend the most time throughout Peaky Blinders’ six seasons, Tommy Shelby is almost always a key part of some of the show’s most iconic scenes. That includes this, one of the most recognizable moments from the show that also gets one of the show’s biggest laughs.
Tommy is a great leader and inspires both fear and confidence in those around him, and this is a classic example of that as he attempts to keep the families civil on the day of his wedding. As Tommy finishes his impassioned plea for civility, a poor waiter accidentally bumps into him causing Tommy to violently overreact. It is a rare moment of comedy in the rather dour show. However, it is also a moment that shows, as much as he tries to separate himself from the rougher things he works with, he is one of them.
7 “It’s Not A Good Idea To Look At Tommy Shelby The Wrong Way.”
Season 1, Episode 2
While their romance is one of the most heartwarming aspects of the show, there were trying times for Tommy and Grace before they got together. After discovering that Grace never worked in Dublin as she claimed, Tommy begins suspecting her. To spook her, he tells her a story of how he shot his horse for looking at him the wrong way.
The Blinders’ boss has always been a dangerous man, but he is aware that some people might not believe how ruthless he can be. It’s his duty to remind them. The subtle threat somehow works because Grace, who is an undercover agent, becomes more cautious and less aggressive while pursuing Tommy. This way, she takes too long to get the information required. Time breeds affection as she finds herself falling in love with him.
6 “If I Should Die, Then You Will Die. Know That!”
Season 2, Episode 4
Part of what gives Tommy so much confidence is not that he is invincible if someone attacks him, but rather that he builds a reputation that makes anyone scared to even think about attacking him. The deal between Tommy and The Crown includes plenty of favors. One of those involves Tommy assassinating Field Marshal Henry Russell. Tommy does not trust Major Campbell, so before he sets off for the mission, he assures him that if something were to happen to him, the retaliation would be swift.
Tommy’s poise is evident once again in this scene. He knows the risk of his mission, but that doesn’t get him worried. His eyes are on the benefits. Having been a good boss all along, he trusts his people to avenge his death if it were to happen. Tommy also proves once again how he has mastered the art of making subtle threats.
