You Got Guts

This is a Stock Phrase, typically said by an older, tougher character, about a younger, supposedly weaker character. The older character could be an Aloof Older Brother or Mentor figure, or it could be a villain taunting his young foe.

Differs from You Got Spunk in that the latter refers to a villain taunting the captured heroine, although the words "spunk" and "guts" are interchangeable in either context. "Guts" may also be substituted with "balls" in some works. Hold Your Hippogriffs can even apply to this sometimes.

Third-person variants are also possible, especially when the older guy doesn't want to admit his respect for the youngster to his face.

Film
"Snowbell: You've got guts, kid! And you've got spunk! Not to mention moxy! You've got guts, spunk, and moxy!"
 * From Stuart Little 2:

"Alma: Yes, proper! In another year I'll have enough money saved. Then I'm going to go back to my home town in Oregon, and I'm going to build a house for my mother and myself, and join the country club and take up golf. Then I'll meet the proper man with the proper position, to make a proper wife, and can run a proper home and raise proper children. And I'll be HAPPY because when you're PROPER you're SAFE!
 * From Here to Eternity:

Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: You've got guts, honey. I hope you can pull that off.

Alma: I do mean it when I say I need you. 'Cause I'm lonely. You think I'm lying, don't you?

Robert E. Lee "Prew' Prewitt: Nobody ever lies about being lonely."


 * The infamous "You got a lotta guts, Oscar!" from The Story of Ricky. Infamous because it was in response to Oscar using his own intestines to strangle Ricky.
 * In The Jungle Book, Shere Khan says to Mowgli, "You have spirit for one so small."

Live Action TV
"Ken: That... was not... permitted!
 * Buffy the Vampire Slayer:

Buffy: Yeah, but it was fun.

Ken: You've got guts. I think I'd like to slice you open, and play with them!"


 * Variant in the Twilight Zone episode "Caesar and Me": The ventriloquist's evil dummy (now minus ventriloquist) tells the little girl that she has a "hip attitude", and encourages her to become his new accomplice.
 * When Milton Berle did a burlesque comedy routine with Fozzie, one of the jokes Fozzie wanted Milton to do prompted him to tell Fozzie this.
 * Was always said at the end of episodes of Nickelodeon GUTS, mostly as a Title Drop. "No ifs, ands or buts...these kids got guts!"

Toys
"Carapar: Despite your bad nerves, you always did have guts. Don't make me spill them out into the sea, okay?"
 * Bionicle:

Video Games

 * The Elona if, after being ambushed by bandits, you chose to fight rather than hand over your goods and money, the bandit leader will complement you on having guts.
 * Of course, if you're feeling sufficiently cheap, but don't have the levels to actually fight off the bandits, you can refuse to hand over money, then turn tail and run instead of facing the bandits.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time: Upon a young Link drawing his sword and making an attack, Ganondorf tells him, "You've got guts, kid."

Western Animation
"Dennis: You've got guts, kid. Too bad I'm gonna rip'em out of you."
 * Another variation: In an episode of Recess, substitute teacher Mr. E tells Mikey that he's "got chops."
 * Darkwing Duck says something like this about Gosalyn in the pilot. If I remember right, it's 'If they knew how much spirit you had, I bet they'd be running the other way!', referring to would-be kidnappers.
 * The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie:

"Blackie: Who were those guys?
 * After The Real Ghostbusters help the ghost of a private eye stop the ghost of a burglar cursed by an ancient Egyptian artifact he tried to steal.

Sam: The Ghostbusters. They got moxie."