2026 Narnia Madness Tip-off
What is the greatest quote from “The Chronicles of Narnia”?
There are so many iconic lines and quotes from The Chronicles of Narnia, but which one is the greatest? It’s March, so there’s only one way to answer. ‘Tis the season for brackets.
Last year in Narnia Madness, you decided The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was C.S. Lewis’ greatest work of fiction. In 2024, you voted Lucy Pevensie as the greatest Narnia character ever. This year, we want to find the greatest Narnia quote.
The four regions are: Human, which includes quotes from sons of Adam and daughters of Eve; Aslan, highlighting lines from the Lion; Narrator, those hidden gems that Lewis drops in his role; and Narnian, filled with quotes from characters on the other side of the wardrobe door.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll narrow down the field and determine the winner of the 2026 Narnia Madness. But I also want you to win as well. Keep reading for an opportunity to win a free book and a year’s paid subscription to The Wardrobe Door.
Narnia Madness will run each week until the first week of April.
Valiant 16 — March 4
Magnificent 8 — March 11
Just Four — March 18
Narnia Quote Championship — March 25
Always Winner and Never Loser Announcement — April 1
Voting in each round lasts three days, so make sure you have your votes in before Saturday.
Without further ado, let’s reveal the 2026 Narnia Madness bracket!
Human Region on Earth
A quote from Lucy grabbing the top spot probably isn’t surprising, after she won the 2024 Narnia Madness. But you may be expecting a quote from the 20025 Narnia Madness winning book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Instead, it’s from the final book in the series, The Last Battle.
“In our world too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.”
In the opening round, Lucy facing another iconic female character with a great quote in The Last Battle. Jill Pole demonstrates her devotion to Narnia.
“I’d rather be killed fighting for Narnia than grow old and stupid at home and perhaps go about in a bathchair and then die in the end just the same.”
The second Pevensie to enter Narnia takes the second seed in the Human region, but again not with a quote from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Here we hear from a redeemed and restored King Edmund in The Horse and His Boy.
“But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did.”
Edmund is facing someone who was there at the creation of Narnia and tried to give some advice to Peter and Susan about Lucy and Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. With the three seed, Professor Digory Kirke wonders what schools are teaching.
“Logic!” said the Professor half to himself. “Why don’t they teach logic at these schools?
Aslan Region in Aslan’s Country
This will be Aslan’s first official entry into a Narnia bracket. I excluded him from the 2024 tournament because it seemed unfair. He has to be in this time around, however. No greatest quote bracket would be complete without some of his words.
The top seeded quote may be from a surprising book but it’s the statement that gives us a deeper understanding of who Aslan actually is. From his explanation to Edmund and Lucy about why they won’t be returning to Narnia in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
“But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.”
Matched up against that quote is a great bit of lionly wisdom from The Magician’s Nephew. Speaking to Polly about the result of Jadis plucking an apple from the garden, Aslan says:
“All get what they want: they do not always like it.”
The two seed in the Aslan region comes from the second Narnia book, Prince Caspian, as Aslan addresses Caspian’s shame at learning his ancestors were pirates from Earth.
“You come of the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve,” said Aslan. “And that is both honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth. Be content.”
Facing off against that quote is the climactic line of my favorite Narnia scene that never fails to make me cry. In The Horse and His Boy, Aslan explains to Shasta how he has been with him for his entire life.
“I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”
Narrator Region in The Wood Between the Worlds
I almost had a different region, but the more I worked on this bracket, the more I knew we needed a region full of quotes from Lewis as the narrator.
What else could be the top seed except one of the greatest opening lines of all time. From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.
In the four seed spot is some classic advice from The Silver Chair:
Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later and then you still have to decide what to do.
No. 2 in the region comes from The Magician’s Nephew and the narrator explaining why Uncle Andrew was having a much more difficult and confusing time in Narnia than the others.
For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.
The three seed comes from the climax of the entire series, the end of The Last Battle, and the realization that the characters had made it to Aslan’s Country.
All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.
Narnia Region in Narnia
It wouldn’t be Narnia Madness without including quotes from Narnians. The no. 1 seed has to be Mr. Beaver’s explanation of who Aslan is in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Another Talking Beasts slides in at the fourth spot. Trufflehunter the Badger declares his trust in Aslan and even engages in some accidental prophecy, as help was indeed waiting at the door at this portion of Prince Caspian:
“The help will come,” said Trufflehunter. “I stand by Aslan. Have patience, like us beasts. The help will come. It may be even now at the door.”
The final two quotes come from two of the most iconic Narnians. First, the two seed is one of the most rousing speeches from one of the most dour characters. In The Silver Chair, Puddleglum declares his allegiance:
“I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”
The most valiant of mice, Reepicheep, makes his destination known with the three seed quote in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader:
My own plans are made. While I can, I sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise and Peepiceek will be head of the talking mice in Narnia.
How You Can Win Narnia Madness
Within the bracket, there are at least two quotes from every Narnia book. Obviously, there are also some classic lines that were left out. After I compiled the quotes, I was a little surprised The Last Battle and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader were the two books with three quotes. I also didn’t expect Dawn Treader to end up with two of the four one seeds.
For your chance to win 2026 Narnia Madness, email me your guesses to WardrobeDoor@gmail.com for these two questions:
Which quote do you think will win the 2026 Narnia Madness bracket?
What quote from a Narnia book not in the bracket do you think should have been included?
Narnia Madness Prizes
One grand prize winner will win their choice of one of four Narnia companion books and a free one-year paid subscription to The Wardrobe Door.
Three first runner-ups will receive a Narnia companion book and receive a free one-month paid subscription to The Wardrobe Door.
Six second runner-ups will win a free one-month paid subscription to The Wardrobe Door.
The four book options are among my most frequently used resources in developing the Narnia read-alongs:
Companion to Narnia: A Complete Guide to the Magical World of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia — Paul Ford
Into the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles — David C. Downing
Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis — Michael Ward
Past Watchful Dragons: The Origin, Interpretation, and Appreciation of the Chronicles of Narnia — Walter Hooper
Email your guess to WardrobeDoor@gmail.com. Every correct guess for either question submitted before March 11 counts for one entry apiece.
They’ll be two questions after each week of voting, so you can have up to eight total entries in the random drawing.
I’ll announce the contest winners on April 1, the same day the tournament winner is revealed.
For Narnia and Aslan!