Pretty Little Liars: 100 of the Most Threatening Text Messages From “A”
Pretty Little Liars may have ended in 2017, but the show will forever live on in our hearts, thanks in part to the spinoff The Perfectionists, but also because the series gave us one of the most twisted and mysterious villain of all time: "A." Evolving over the course of seven seasons with three iterations, "A" had a lot of favorite pastimes: collecting dolls, ruining relationships, and, of course, sending threatening messages. Of all methods of communication, “A” definitely preferred text messages, and even embraced the use of emoji in later seasons to add that certain je ne sais quoi to those electronic threats.
However, over the course of the series, “A” got more and more creative with her methods of communication. Both Original “A” and Big “A” sent handwritten notes to the Liars — sometimes in the mail, and sometimes hidden (in lockers, or, y'know, body parts) — and Uber "A" utilized an entire game board for her evil pleasure. There’s even been a telegram — no joke. In honor of the evolution of PLL’s enigmatic villain, we ranked 100 of “A”’s messages, from least to most threatening. You’re welcome.
1/100“Maybe he fools around with students all of the time. A lot of teachers do. Just ask your dad.”
Aria received this text in the pilot, and it was the first “A” message we ever saw. She got the text when she sat down in Mr. Fitz’s English class and recognized him becaaause they just made out the other day. Um, awkward. And creepy. And not OK. And did we mention creepy?
2/100“Poor Spencer. Always wants Melissa’s boyfriends. But remember, if you kiss, I tell.”
Spencer received this text from “A” after things got a little...more than friendly between her and Wren, who was Melissa’s fiancé at the time. Yikes.
3/100“Be careful, Hanna. I hear prison food makes you fat.”
Hanna dabbled in shoplifting during season 1, most likely influenced by Mona. Of course “A” knew her every move and was ready to use that against her any way she could. (And let's not even begin to talk about the terrible fat-shaming involved here. Rude.)
4/100“Hey Em! I’ve been replaced. You’ve found another friend to kiss.”
When Emily received this text message in the first episode, it was assumed that “A” was actually Alison (her “death” hadn’t been confirmed yet).
5/100“When students kiss teachers, someone gets HURT. That’s a promise I’ll keep.”
For all the bad qualities that “A” possessed, at least she understood that Aria and Ezra’s relationship was bad news bears. Dating your teacher is weeeiiirddd. And illegal.
6/100“Did you get a goodnight kiss? Here’s one from me. Xo…”
Emily got this text from “A” after her sleepover with Maya. Remember, this was back when Emily was having a hard time coming out, so these taunting texts about her newfound relationship were especially upsetting to her.
7/100“If only she could see how guilty you look.”
As the Liars sat at the lunch table with Jenna, they all received this text. Definitely one of the creepier moments of the show, as they all looked around frantically to see who could have sent it.
8/100“Heads up, hon. Hefty Hanna never gets the guy.”
Granted, this text was about Sean, who pales in comparison to Hanna’s other relationships (cough, Caleb), so we’re glad that one didn’t work out. (And again with the fat-shaming? Really?)
9/100“Now I know TWO secrets. Hanna got dissed...and Emily got KISSED!”
“A” sent this to Hanna along with the photo booth printout of Emily and Maya kissing. Of course, because Hanna is awesome, she proceeded to encourage Emily to date whomever she wanted. Sorry, “A” — that one backfired on you.
10/100“Hey Em, you weren’t the only one with great expectations. Check it out. Xoxo.”
Poor Emily. She always received messages from “A” that taunted her about her feelings for Ali. But we learned later in the series that the sparks between them were totally mutual.
11/100“Do it right. I’ll be watching. Just like Tom Sawyer.”
Although Ali was supposedly dead, it sure felt like she sent this text to Spencer regarding her memorial. “That’s immortality, darlings.”
12/100“Define desertion. Seems like you’re about to lose Emily. Who’s next?”
“A” loved framing the girls for crimes they didn’t commit; she literally did this a zillion times throughout the series. Detective Wilden was all over Emily for the vandalization of the memorial, even though she wasn’t responsible at all.
13/100“Break up Hanna and her hottie or you go back to being a junior high nottie. Don’t test me.”
This text would be a little more threatening if it weren’t for the fact that Mona totally sent this to herself. A+ for cleverness, though.
14/100“Dear Hanna, try putting it back together. Kisses!”
“A” sent this text along with a “gift” to Hanna: a broken glass heart, with a side of super glue.
15/100“Poor Em. You definitely have a type. Love me, lie for me.”
“A” couldn’t help but take constant jabs at Emily’s love life. This text was sent after a fight with Maya.
16/100“You can’t play cat and mouse if the mouse moves to Texas. I need you here, Em. Congrats!”
In efforts to dissuade her from moving away from Rosewood, “A” sent Emily’s mother a letter from a fake college scout, saying that if she stays at her current school, she’d be eligible for a full-ride scholarship. In a way, “A” actually helped Emily out here.
17/100“Hey Em, is it just me? Or does that suicide note look familiar?”
We can almost picture Mona getting annoyed that the Liars hadn’t figured it out sooner, so she decided to give them a little help. Ian’s suicide note was a lot like the messages from “A.”
18/100“Camp Mona is a scavenger hunt and I’m the prize. Come and find me, b*tches.”
Lol remember when Mona had a “glamping” birthday party? Naturally, the girls turned it into a battleground against “A” — and Hanna got hit by a car.
19/100“Don’t say I never gave you anything. Turn on your computer.”
When Aria turned her computer on, she found a video attachment that showed Ali and Ian together on that night, and it sure implicated Ian as a suspect in her murder.
20/100“Married for love or an alibi?”
This rhetorical question was sent to Spencer in regard to Melissa and Ian, who randomly got married during season 1. If Spencer didn’t suspect Melissa’s involvement in Ali’s disappearance, she sure did after this text.
21/100“A is for Alison, not Amateur.”
You can almost hear Mona saying, “DUH” at the end of this...and, not gonna lie, it made us wonder if Alison also could have been Uber "A" later on.
22/100“What fun. Two little liars under one roof. You’re making it so easy.”
“A” sent this note to Emily and Hanna – along with a gift basket, how thoughtful! The two girls were bunking together at Hanna’s house for a few days, and “A” was pretty excited about it.
23/100“Clue Ella in, and I’ll let you out.”
What was with “A” and trying to get the girls to turn against Aria and her parents? “A” used both Hanna and Emily as pawns to mess with Aria’s family.
24/100“Breaking news, b*tches. Spencer Hastings is now a person of interest in my death.”
Original “A” A.K.A. Mona went to great lengths to make the Liars think that the texts were coming from Ali. This one was sent to all of the girls after Spencer was named a suspect in Ali’s murder.
25/100“The LOVER and the SCORNED are now BFFs. Scared yet? You will be.”
“A” must have just figured out how to use her all-caps lock when she sent this text to Aria in Season 1. This message was about Ezra and Jenna, after he became obsessed with a short story that she wrote.
26/100“Buckle up, b*tches. Nothing is as it seems.”
The girls all received this text from “A” during the Season 1 finale – right before the showdown with Ian.
27/100“She’s still alive.”
The girls thought that Dr. Sullivan might be dead after she disappeared, but a text from “A” (along with Dr. Sullivan’s picture) convinced them otherwise.
28/100“Watch your backs. I didn’t.”
This text might not have been so threatening if it wasn’t for the fact that it was accompanied by a photo of Ali from that night, wearing that yellow tank top.
29/100“You’re as in the dark as Jenna. Looking for me in all the wrong places.”
“A” just couldn’t help taking stabs at Jenna’s blindness in so many of her text messages. It’s surprising that the Liars thought Jenna was “A” for this long — why would she insult herself so much? Then again, Mona sent herself texts, so….
30/100“You were always my favorite. Want to make a deal?”
Oddly enough, after Emily got this text in class, she walked to the chalkboard and circled the word “yes” on the board. At this point, she assumed that “A” was always watching.
31/100“Now it’s Caleb’s turn.”
All of the Liars received this group text, threatening that Caleb might be in trouble after his laptop was stolen by “A.”
32/100“Heads up, BFFs. It’s open season on liars and I’m hunting.”
In another group text, “A” basically confirmed that she is out to get all of the Liars. This text came when the girls were discussing the memorial they planned to erect for Ali, in the woods near the Kissing Rock.
33/100“Where there’s smoke, there’s payback.”
Poor Jenna. Girl can’t escape fires. Towards the end of season 2, Hanna and Spencer saved Jenna from yet another fire – this time in Jason’s house.
34/100“Lions and tigers and b*tches oh my! There’s no place like Homecoming. See you there.”
Nice Wizard of Oz reference, “A.” This ominous message let all the Liars know that major shhh was going to go down at homecoming. Oh, and to add to the wizardry, this message was hidden inside fortune cookies.
35/100“Thanks for getting Toby out of my way.”
After the showdown between Emily and Toby at homecoming, he went completely off the grid. Days later, his motorcycle turned up completely smashed. Almost immediately, Emily received a text from “A” to thank her for taking care of Toby. Hmm.
36/100“Don’t be scared, Spence. We’re all family here. Some more than others.”
In season 2, Spencer figured out that she and Jason are related; they have the same father. Seems like “A” knew that all along as well.
37/100“Hey Spence. I have one more surprise for you. Garrett isn’t their killer.”
The girls were convinced that Garrett was the killer of both Ali and Maya. Nope. “A” wanted them to know that they were totally wrong.
38/100“Cut Mona off? Big mistake. You’re not the only one who can slice and dice.”
This message was sent to Hanna during season 3, when the girls were a little fuzzy on who was sending the “A” texts. Mona was in Radley, but clearly working with this new “A,” later revealed to be CeCe.
39/100“Mona’s almost gone. Hanna’s next.”
This text was sent to Spencer while Mona was deep in Radley. It’s still unclear as to whether or not Mona actually needed to be committed, or if her stay at Radley did more harm than good. We’re voting for the latter — that place is scary.
40/100“Like Mommy, like daughter. Can you run from the law on those legs?”
“A” loved taunting Hanna about her family’s criminal tendencies. Whatever, “A,” Ashley Marin is the coolest mom on this show.
41/100“Thought you needed a little push, so I pushed send for you.”
What? “A” meddling in Aria’s relationship? Shocking! Aria received this text from “A” after “A” had sent Spencer a text pretending to be Aria, wanting to talk about her “breakup.”
42/100“Hear that? It’s the sound of your mistake. When you want the bell back, gimme a ring!”
After a church bell goes missing, Hanna accidentally accuses Caleb’s father of stealing it. A text from “A” lets her know how wrong she was.
43/100“Cleaning up Rosewood, one mean mommy at a time. Dig we must. Kisses.”
Aria got this text message in season 4 when her mom was considering moving to Vienna with Zack. She wasn’t sure exactly what “A” was planning for her mom, but it certainly seemed ominous.
44/100“Just a friendly tip. Maybe Hanna and her mom can share a lawyer.”
Poor Hanna and Ashley! “A” was hell-bent on making them suffer and pay for Detective Wilden’s death.
45/100That picture text of Wilden and Ashley.
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Towards the end of Season 3, “A” sent the girls a picture of Wilden and Ashley, moments before Ashley ran Wilden over with her car.
46/100“You’ll get your $$$ back if you do what I say. Sweet dreams.”
After the lasagna box money went missing, Hanna received a text message from “A” that blackmailed her into doing several bad and weird things in exchange for cash.
47/100“Want the money? Sit there and eat every one.”
Of course, this text was in regard to cupcakes. Yep. Cupcakes. Hanna had to literally eat a box of cupcakes in front of a table full of football players in order to get her mother’s money back.
48/100“You have Lucas’ heart. Now rip it out. Last dance $1000.”
Another one of Hanna’s “jobs” was to lead Lucas on and then shut him down, hard. Poor Lucas. But he essentially turned into Rosewood’s Mark Zuckerberg in season 7, so we think he’s doing okay.
49/100“Want to help Mama get $$$? Show Aria’s mom what her kid’s been hiding.”
The final “odd job” for Hanna was to tip Ella off to the fact that Aria and Ezra had been dating in secret. Not cool, “A.” Not cool.
50/100“Almost got you busted. Wanna know how? Ask Hanna!”
And because “A” thrives on drama, she decided to add fuel to the fire by letting Aria know that Hanna had been meddling in her relationship.
51/100“Melissa’s plenty of guilty but she’s not ‘A’ material. Kisses.”
The girls couldn't help but suspect that Melissa was involved with “A” throughout the entire series. “A” sent this text after the girls found the masks of Melissa’s face. Which, btw, creepy af.
52/100“Break a leg. Stop. Kisses, A.”
Remember that weird PLL episode that was shot in black-and-white like a film noir? Yeah, even then “A” was sending messages — in the forms of telegrams.
53/100“The truth will bury you in a New York minute.”
After the liars “escAped” to New York, Alison received this text from “A” – most likely referencing the major shhh that went down with Shauna.
54/100“Look familiar? What’s missing?”
Aria got this text message from “A” along with a picture of Ezra’s desk in his apartment. She realizes that “A” has broken into the apartment, and sure enough, when she checks under the doormat, the key is gone. (Sidebar – who keeps a spare key underneath their doormat? Come on, Fitz).
55/100“Call off your techno-boy-toy or I tell the cops what your mom keeps in the lasagna box.”
Again with the threatening texts to Hanna regarding her mom’s money in the pasta box! That's a pretty iconic nickname for Caleb, though.
56/100“Stand down, b*tches. Play it my way and Emily stays safe.”
Emily got herself into some serious danger when she found herself alone with Nate, who was later revealed to be named Lyndon, and was Maya’s actual killer. She eventually had to act in self defense in a really dramatic episode.
57/100“You bark, I bite. Say my name, they BOTH get the blame.”
Hanna was momentarily considering going to the police (LOL) but then “A” texted her to warn that if she did, both of her parents would be blamed for Detective Wilden’s murder.
58/100“Time for the caged bird to sing.”
Nope, “A” wasn’t quoting poetry here – she was talking about Tippy the Bird. Tippy held all sorts of secrets – including the phone number that led to Mrs. Grunwald in Ravenswood.
59/100“You found my bracelet. Now come find me. Good luck, b*tches.”
The infamous Ali bracelet was found in the woods. Maybe that should have been the first sign to the girls that Ali was actually still alive?
60/100“New York, New York, it’s a hell of a town. Ali’s keeping secrets. Maybe that’s because of Hanna’s big mouth.”
After Ali returned in season 5, all of the girls had some trouble adjusting to having her back in their friend group — especially Hanna. After she accidentally told Jenna that the girls were in New York, all of the Liars received this text to clue them in on her slip.
61/100“Check mate.”
Ali couldn’t keep her story straight regarding her alleged kidnapping, and “A” knew it. Spencer received this text message, along with a voice recording of Ali talking about her fake kidnapping tale, letting her know that “A” was in control.
62/100“There’s only so much you can bury, Emily. You’re not done with me yet.”
After Ali’s memorial was trashed, Emily appeared looking completely muddy and stressed out when she received this text from “A.” Of course, it was later revealed to be Lucas who trashed Ali’s memorial.
63/100“Watch me make a girl disappear.”
So...this message was written in red letters on the blade of a saw. “A” was not messing around anymore.
64/100Keep calm, but watch your carry-on. There’s more blood where that came from.”
We can’t say that “A” doesn’t have a sense of humor. When Spencer was in London, “A” slipped a vial of blood in her bag so that it exploded in the middle of her Oxford interview.
65/100“Dear Daddy, Coming home for my birthday. You should plan a party to die for. Just you.”
Kenneth DiLaurentis received this cryptic card from Charlotte, after he swore to Alison that his third child did not exist. (It should be noted that Mr. DiLaurentis was basically the world’s worst father.)
66/100“I know you dug her grave. Now I’m digging yours.”
During season 4, Spencer was convinced that she might have killed Ali – and Mrs. DiLaurentis didn’t help that theory. One night, Spencer found a pile of dirt in her bed with this accompanying message. Gross.
67/100“Bet you miss her every day. Kisses.”
“A” sent this message to Toby, along with a picture of his deceased mother. From there, “A” sent Toby on a string of errands in exchange for information about his mom’s death.
68/100“See how easy it is for me to get your blood?”
To make this message even scarier, it was written on the bottom of the plastic triangle that accompanies the Ouija Board. Aaaand all of the letters on the board were crossed out, with the exception of the letter “A.” Naturally.
69/100“Better be at prom. It’s our last chance to dance. Come alone.”
Ali received this message from Charlotte in the season 6A finale. At the time, she seemed to have momentarily forgotten than “A” had been torturing them for years — all she could focus on was the fact that she needed to meet her sibling.
70/100“You still have something that belongs to me. Bring it, or one of you leaves in a body bag.”
The girls received this group text during the season 2 finale. At the time, the Liars were in possession of “A”’s cell phone, and were strongly advised to return it.
71/100“This kind of lie will stay on your permanent record.”
In a display of ultimate wizardry, Big “A” hacked the credit card machine at the Brew and printed Aria’s email to Jackie on a receipt, along with this ominous message. Seriously, CeCe, how did you do that????
72/100“The truth won’t set you free, b*tches. I’m going to bury you with it. Kisses.”
The Liars received this text from Big “A” immediately after Wilden’s funeral. This is also when Detective Holbrook appeared on the scene, and the girls knew that their troubles were far from over.
73/100“Do Mom and Dad know you’re watching murder movies? Bet it would kill them to find out.”
Hmm, pretty ominous, “A.” The girls all got this text towards the end of season 2, and immediately worried about their parents’ safety.
74/100“I don’t lurk in the shadows, I hide in plain sight.”
Spencer received this text message from “A” during season 6B, leading us all to believe that Uber “A” is definitely a character that we already know.
75/100“Mention me and someone dies. You have 30 seconds to leave that room.”
In a rare moment, the girls were considering telling Dr. Sullivan about everything that went down in the dollhouse. However, they quickly backed out of it (obviously) when they receive this text message, along with a photo of Sara Harvey sleeping.
76/100“Thanks for giving me Hanna. You’re free to go.”
This was the first text that was signed “A.D.” instead of just “A,” and was sent to all the Liars during the season 6B finale — right after Hanna had been kidnapped.
77/100“Thanks for donating to my get-into-jail fund.”
After Mona’s “murder,” Big “A” let the girls know that they were all going to be implicated in the crime. The Liars all received this text with a picture of vials of blood.
78/100“I’m watching you.”
Chronologically, this was the very first “A” text, sent to Alison. It was revealed in the flashback episode that occurred during season 2, aptly titled, “The First Secret.”
79/100“You know who did it and I’m going to make you talk.”
This was the first text from Uber “A” in season 6B, and it was sent to Aria regarding Charlotte’s murder. It was also the first text with emojis – “A” was getting with the times.
80/100“A lie for a lie, an eye for an eye. The bell tolls for Hanna.”
With the hashtag #SaveHanna circulating everywhere, we didn’t know whether or not Hanna was going to live. The girls got this message at the beginning of season 7, shortly before finding the creepy Hanna doll hanging from the church tower.
81/100“Rat me out, your blood’s next.”
So, back in season 1, the girls thought that Ali might have been killed with Ian’s trophy because it was covered in blood. But after they turned it over to the police, they found out that the blood was actually rat’s blood. This was definitely the one and only time the Liars went to the police.
82/100“You didn’t take me seriously so I thought I’d light a fire under your ass.”
Moments before this text came through, Uber “A” took control of the fireplace in Lucas’s apartment and gave Aria some serious third-degree burns. “A” had clearly gone from blackmailing to actual violence.
83/100“B*tch can’t see you but I do. Tonight’s the night I kill you.”
When we finally realized that Ali was alive (yay!) we also learned that Ali was getting text messages as well. This was one of the first messages sent from Big “A” to Alison.
84/100“See how easy it is for me to get my hands around your neck?”
In a stunning display of creepiness, Emily figured out that she received a massage from “A” at the spa. Whatever knots might have been rubbed away definitely reappeared immediately.
85/100“Can U C Me Yet?”
This was not just an ordinary “A” message – it was hidden in the eye chart when Spencer was at the doctor. As if the glaucoma test machine wasn’t scary enough, she had to deal with the fact that “A” was totally in the room with her.
86/100“See how easy it is for me to kill you? If you leave Rosewood, I will.”
In season 5, “A” was determined to make sure that Alison stayed in Rosewood – even though she tried to run away, like, a dozen times.
87/100No fun chugging lake water, is it? Choke on this, b*tch.”
“A” was not playing games here. Hanna took a big gulp of water from a glass, only to realize that it was lake water. Her phone buzzed with this text moments later.
88/100“Next time, you’ll be left faceless.”
Hanna received this text message after being attacked by the flock of mannequins in the boutique store. Um, terrifying.
89/100“Reminder: I own you.”
Emily got this message with a picture of her lab results...that showed that she was taking steroids. Um, yes, “A” actually injected Emily with steroids. That was a new level of terrifying.
90/100“We’re all in this together. Act normal, b*tches.”
During season 5, the Liars were walking through Rosewood when they passed a shop that had TV screens in the window. The screens started flashing the words “We’re all in this together” with video footage from when Ali visited Hanna in her hospital room (back when she was presumed to be dead). Wouldn’t it have been great if the girls just broke into the High School Musical dance routine?
91/100“What will you do when the rest of me comes out of the grave?”
Yeah, so...Spencer received this note inside a corset she was wearing. And, oh, yeah, the structure of the corset was replaced with finger bones.
92/100“It’s not over until I say it is. Sleep tight while you can, b*tches.”
Just as the season 1 premiere ended with a group text, so did the season 1 finale. The girls all received this group text after Ian’s body vanished from the bell tower at the end of the episode.
93/100“Sorry about losing my temper. My bad. Love, ‘A.’”
This message wouldn’t be so creepy if it weren’t for the fact that it was written on Hanna’s cast. That meant that “A” was in her hospital room while she was sleeping. Okay, that is frightening.
94/100“You’re mine now. Kisses.”
This was the first text that was sent to Mona in the other girls’ presence, letting them know that a new “A” was on the scene.
95/100“This is what live bait looks like. Now we’re even, b*tches!”
We’re pretty sure the girls haven’t ordered takeout since this night. They opened up their container of what they thought would be noodles, only to find that it was replaced with live worms.
96/100“This is just the first taste of my venom. Kisses.”
Okay, this was really messed up. Remember when “A” locked Ella in her car and planted an entire swarm of bees in there?! Aria got this text shortly afterwards.
97/100“Mona played with dolls. I play with body parts. Game on, b*tches.”
The first text from Big “A” aka CeCe. But, let’s be real: CeCe loved her dolls too.
98/100“I buried your mom the same way I watched her bury you.”
Aaaand, chills. Ali received this message from “A” along with footage of Jessica DiLaurentis being buried in the backyard.
99/100“I’m still here, b*tches, and I know everything.”
This is perhaps the most iconic text message from PLL, and it was the very first group-text from “A.” The liars’ phones all blew up simultaneously as they stepped outside Ali’s funeral, and it was the first time that they figured out that “A” might not stand for Alison. Dun dun dunnnn.
And finally, the most terrifying of them all...
100/100“I told you, dead girls can’t smile. Stop looking.”
There’s literally been nothing scarier on this show than the time that Big “A” hid a tiny rolled up message inside Hanna’s tooth. Your move, "Professor."
