Thanos’ Quote “I Can Finally Rest,” Explained

Thanos was many things, and while most can be described as bad, he was also a visionary. He believed the cause he fought for was right and was determined to collect all the Infinity Stones. In the MCU, he didn’t want the Stones for himself and personal glory but for saving the universe from overpopulation and depletion of resources. The fact that he did not mind killing half of the universe’s population is another pair of sleeves. Thanos had a plan, and after completing that plan, he intended to rest and enjoy the fruits of his labor. In this article, we’ll explain what Thanos’ quote ”I can finally rest” means.

Thanos said, “I’d finally rest and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe.” Ever since his home planet, Titan, faced extinction, he knew what he had to do to prevent the whole universe from suffering Titan’s fate. He aimed to wipe out half of the universe’s population to ensure survival. His mission was long, hard, and full of obstacles, so once he’d completed his mission, he would rest peacefully, knowing that he fulfilled his destiny.

Even though almost nobody agreed with Thanos’ plans, he did not care. He believed his intentions were good, even though the cost might be high. Eventually, he completed his plans and was able to rest. However, he did not rest for long, and the universe wasn’t grateful as he thought. Let’s see the bigger picture behind all of this.

According to Thanos, the hardest choices require the hardest wills

Thanos comes from the planet Titan. It was a beautiful place that faced problems like many other planets. There were too many people and not enough resources to feed them all. Eventually, Titan faced extinction, and Thanos offered a solution.

To ensure Titan’s survival, Thanos suggested a random genocide that would not discriminate. It would be dispassionate and fair to the rich and the poor alike. His suggestion was disapproved, and he was considered a madman because of his proposal. Eventually, nature took its course, and Titan was no more.

Thanos never forgot what happened, and what bugged him the most was the fact that there was a way to prevent the extinction of his people, but instead, Titans weren’t brave enough to do what it took. Since that day, Thanos made it his life mission to prevent the same fate from happening to any other planet and took matters into his hands.

He traveled across the universe and performed genocides on various planets. Some of the planets Thanos traveled to and killed half of the population there, alongside his army, were Zen-Whoberi and Kylos. On Zen-Whoberi, he spared Gamora’s life. She was a little girl then, and Thanos took her under her wing and adopted her. Nevertheless, Gamora never forgave him for what he did.

The massacre of Kylos was performed by Ronan the Accuser, who enacted Thanos’ plans and did what Thanos ordered him to do. Ronan killed Drax’s family on Kylos, so Ronan and Thanos became Drax’s mortal enemies. Whenever Thanos’ forces went, they left people in despair and grief, and no one praised Mad Titan’s actions as good and noble.

At some point, Thanos realized that he would need the Infinity Stones to wipe trillions of people from existence across the universe. He could snap his fingers with the Stones, and everyone would cease to exist. In his eyes, that was called mercy. No one would need to suffer painful deaths. They would just evaporate, and the universe would be less populated because of it. It was not an easy task, and it required many lives sacrificed. That’s why he was the only one with a strong will to do what it takes.

Eventually, he did it. He collected all the Infinity Stones, snapped his fingers, and half of the universe’s population was no more. After that, Thanos could rest.

After the snap, Thanos found his rest and peace in the Garden

Before the Avengers and Thanos confronted each other on Titan, Thanos explained to Doctor Strange what his plans were. Mad Titan described what happened to his home planet and why is determined his goals were noble. Doctor Strange wanted to know what Thanos planned to do after the snap. The answer was surprising. Thanos meant to do nothing- when all is finished, he would rest and ‘watch the sun rise on a grateful universe.’

It was not the first time that Thanos mentioned that. As Nebula later revealed, Thanos often talked about his grand plans and what he would do once it was over. She said Thanos always talked about the place called ”Garden”, where he would find peace when his mission was complete.

And Thanos did as planned. After he used the Infinity Stones and left the universe with half of the population gone, he went to the Garden, hung his shield away, and watched the sunrise in peace in delight.

However, his peace and enjoyment were short-lived. Thanos never wanted to comprehend that no one approved his methods, and everyone hated him. Instead of the grateful universe he wanted to create, he created a universe full of angry, bitter, and mourning people who wished nothing more than to avenge those they lost by the ”snap.” Thanos eventually had to face the consequences of his actions, and his punishment was death.

“I’d finally rest and watch the sun rise on a grateful universe” is a powerful quote that allows us to see Thanos’ determination and aspirations well. Mad Titan thought it was his destiny to save the universe, and he would not stop until he finished what he started.