Sometimes the monsters are real . . . Sometimes they're real and the only way to defeat them is to be the bigger monster.

The line frames “monsters” not as childish fantasies but as genuine threats—predators, abusers, or violent forces—that sometimes cannot be met with ordinary decency. Its second turn (“the only way…is to be the bigger monster”) suggests a grim ethic of survival: to protect oneself or others, one may need to adopt the enemy’s ruthlessness, power, or willingness to do harm. The quote therefore probes moral compromise and the cost of fighting evil on its own terms, echoing a recurring theme in dark fantasy: the boundary between hero and monster is porous, and victory may demand becoming what one fears. It invites readers to weigh necessity against corruption.