Some of the most memorable and quotable lines in the X-Men’s live-action and animated history have been delivered by Wolverine. In the years since his Marvel Comics debut in 1974’s The Incredible Hulk #180, James “Logan” Howlett, a.k.a. Wolverine, has become one of the most popular mutant superheroes to adapt into Marvel’s live-action and animated media. Two of these adaptations have become hugely popular, with Cal Dodd voicing Wolverine in the 1990s’ X-Men: The Animated Series and Marvel Studios Animation’s MCU revival, X-Men ’97, and Hugh Jackman achieving international acclaim for portraying Wolverine throughout 20th Century Fox’s live-action X-Men franchise.

Hugh Jackman previously portrayed Wolverine in nine live-action movies between 2000’s X-Men and 2017’s Logan, helping the character to become one of the most well-known and beloved members of the X-Men team. Jackman will be returning in Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, with the MCU Phase 5 project set to give Wolverine even more brutal action sequences and memorable quotes. Wolverine’s wit, humor, sarcasm and vulnerability have contributed to some of the most quotable lines in Fox’s X-Men franchise and Marvel’s other X-Men-focused projects, bringing depth to the clawed hero that will be brilliant to see replicated in the MCU.

12

“I Come With You, I’m Coming For Blood. No Law. No Code Of Conduct. You Point Me In The Right Direction, You Get The Hell Out Of My Way.”

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine, despite being one of the most hated installments in Fox’s X-Men franchise, uncovered new details about Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine’s backstory. This included the development of his brotherly relationship with Victor Creed’s Sabretooth, who ultimately ended up apparently killing Wolverine’s partner, Kayla Silverfox. When William Stryker proposes a deal with Wolverine, allowing him to hunt Creed if he undergoes a procedure to graft adamantium onto his skeleton, Wolverine delivers this iconic line.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

At the core of his character, Wolverine is an animal, though he battles with this side of himself continuously. This quote seems to suggest that Wolverine will give into his more brutal tendencies in battle with Creed, “coming for blood” rather than showing his brother mercy. Wolverine can be an incredibly brutal character, making him one of the most controversial members of the X-Men, and this brutality was put on full display at this moment.

11

“Go F*** Yourself.”

X-Men: First Class (2011)

James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier and Michael Fassbender’s Erik Lehnsherr built the first X-Men team in 2011’s X-Men: First Class, exploring the origins of Professor X and Magneto’s rivalry, and the birth of the X-Men in the 1960s. One potential recruit that the pair scout is Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, whom they find drinking at a bar. Upon approach, however, Xavier and Lehnsherr are quickly dismissed by the mutant, four decades before he would eventually cross paths with them again.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Wolverine’s regenerative healing factor gifts him an elongated lifespan, allowing him to appear as a young man despite being born in the 1830s. This enabled Hugh Jackman’s brief cameo in X-Men: First Class, solidifying the project as a prequel to Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, and providing a hugely entertaining moment. This line also perfectly sums up Wolverine’s thoughts about being drafted to a team and potentially controlled, though these philosophies would change.

10

“You Picked The Wrong House, Bub.”

X2 (2003)

When Storm and Jean Grey head to Boston to find Nightcrawler, and Professor X and Cyclops speak to the imprisoned Magneto in 2003’s X2, Wolverine is left as the only responsible adult at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. William Stryker and his soldiers choose this moment to invade the school and abduct some of the mutant students, while others manage to escape. Wolverine approaches some soldiers by declaring they “picked the wrong house,” before proceeding to slay several men.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Wolverine being left in charge of a number of young mutants could seem like a bad idea. However, Wolverine is fiercely protective of the students at Xavier’s School and, more than that, knows what they are capable of. Declaring that the soldiers “picked the wrong house” proves Wolverine has faith in his own ability to protect the young mutants, and in their ability to defend themselves, hinting at his parental instincts.

9

“I’m A Soldier, And I’ve Been Hiding Too Long.”

The Wolverine (2013)

2013’s The Wolverine marked a huge shift from Hugh Jackman’s previous solo movie. The Wolverine sees Logan travel to Japan to bid farewell to an old friend from Nagasaki, Ichirō Yashida, but becomes embroiled in a plot to kill Yashida’s granddaughter, Mariko. After having her life saved repeatedly, and forming a romantic bond with the mutant, Mariko urges Wolverine to stay. In response, he notes that he has been “hiding too long,” implying he will instead return to the X-Men.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

The Wolverine explored Logan’s mental state following Jean Grey’s death, which prompted him to go into hiding in the Canadian wilderness. Wolverine’s admission that he is a soldier, and his time in hiding is over, proves that he has finally moved on, and has stopped running from his responsibilities. This would lead to Wolverine rejoining the X-Men for the coming war, and the events of X-Men: Days of Future Past.

8

“Magneto’s Right, There Is A War Coming. Are You Sure You’re On The Right Side?”

X-Men (2000)

Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine acted as the audience’s eyes and ears in 2000’s X-Men, as he was introduced to the X-Men team for the first time. Wolverine’s then-inability to work well as part of a team was evident, particularly during this exchange with Storm, in which Wolverine questioned whether Professor X’s philosophy was right. Wolverine would eventually team up with the X-Men to take down Magneto and save Rogue, but only after finally choosing a side.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

As well as putting Wolverine’s difficult personality front-and-center, this quote provided the first mention of the now-iconic phrase, “Magneto is right,” in Fox’s X-Men franchise. This phrase rose to prominence after Marvel Comics’ E is for Extinction event in 2001, as many began to empathize with Magneto’s view that humans are bad and mutants should be superior. This belief informs most of Magneto’s villainous actions, so it was great to see it reborn in live-action.

7

“You Were Hurting People, Jean. I Had To. I Love You, Jean. I Always Will.”

The Wolverine (2013)

While Logan suggesting he’d been “hiding too long” in The Wolverine implied his X-Men return, another quote saw him finally move on from carrying responsibility for Jean Grey’s death. Throughout The Wolverine, Logan is plagued by dreams of Jean Grey, but at this moment, he finally explains his actions in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand. Wolverine noted that he “had to” kill Jean to stop her from hurting anyone else as the Dark Phoenix, letting himself off the hook.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

It was incredibly cathartic to see Wolverine finally let go of the past and stop holding himself accountable for Jean Grey’s death. Her actions as the Dark Phoenix threatened the lives of everyone on Earth, mutant and human alike, so Wolverine was right in taking her out. This was a very emotional moment in The Wolverine, but cemented his love for Jean Grey, as well as his commitment to his heroism.

6

“You Know, Sometimes When You Cage The Beast, The Beast Gets Angry.”

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

Prior to Jean Grey losing control as the Dark Phoenix in X-Men: The Last Stand, Professor X explained to Wolverine that he had spent years building walls inside Jean’s mind. This saw Wolverine provide a foreshadowing warning to Xavier that, when the beast is caged, it “gets angry.” Ultimately, this is exactly what happens, as Jean Grey unleashing the Phoenix leads to Professor X’s death, and the deaths of many others during the final battle on Alcatraz Island.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

While Wolverine is talking about the beast inside Jean Grey’s mind at this moment, he is also referring to himself. Many have tried to cage Wolverine over the years, most notably William Stryker, but this only made him more angry and brutal. The fact that Wolverine relates to Jean on a deeper level in The Last Stand cements his love for her, and makes her demise at his hands even more tragic.

5

“You’re Gonna Have To Learn To Live With That.”

Logan (2017)

2017’s Logan marked the end of Hugh Jackman’s career as Wolverine, as the adamantium bonded to his skeleton was revealed to have been slowly poisoning him over the years. Luckily, Dafne Keen’s debut as Laura, a.k.a. X-23, presented the opportunity for Wolverine to be replaced, with Logan exploring a road trip for the father and daughter to get the latter to safety. This speech, however, saw Wolverine use his own experience to ensure his daughter knew what the future held.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Wolverine surely wanted to tell Laura that she wouldn’t need to hurt people, or that it would become easier over time, but this simply wouldn’t have been true. Instead, he passes on the only advice he can, a simple proclamation of, “you’re gonna have to learn to live with that.” Since Laura likely has the same elongated lifespan as her biological father, this is tragically true for the young mutant.

4

“Then We Stand Together. X-Men, All Of Us.”

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

X-Men: The Last Stand marked tragedy for the X-Men team, as Professor X was killed by Jean Grey, leaving them without a leader. This led to Wolverine and Storm stepping up to the plate, creating the opportunity for Wolverine to deliver a powerful speech, rousing the younger members of the team who were frightened to head into an actual battle. Declaring that they need to stand together as X-Men, Wolverine’s story in Fox’s original X-Men trilogy came full circle.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Wolverine had initially not been interested in joining the X-Men team back in 2000’s X-Men, even suggesting that Professor X’s side of the fight may have been the wrong one. However, in X-Men: The Last Stand, he cemented his dedication to the team and to Professor X’s cause. This was a beautiful full-circle moment for the clawed mutant, which would continue into his subsequent adventures, both solo and with the X-Men.

3

“Been In A Lot Of Wars, Bub. The Brave Always Die First”

X-Men ’97 Season 1, Episode 9, “Tolerance Is Extinction – Part 2” (2024)

After first voicing the clawed X-Men member in X-Men: The Animated Series between 1992 and 1997, Cal Dodd returned to voice her hero in Marvel Studios Animation’s new revival, X-Men ’97. Unlike Fox’s X-Men franchise, X-Men ’97 has sidelined Wolverine, but he has still had some excellent moments, including this one in X-Men ’97 episode 9, “Tolerance is Extinction – Part 2”. This episode ended with Wolverine stabbing Magneto and delivering this poignant quote before the Master of Magnetism turned the tide.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Wolverine’s “the brave always die first” quote came back to bite him immediately in X-Men ’97 episode 9. Wolverine was brave enough to stab Magneto, hoping to defeat him and save Professor X, but Magneto responded by tearing the adamantium from Wolverine’s body. This act of brutality makes Wolverine’s quote the fastest piece of foreshadowing possible, but also gives meaning to other deaths, including Gambit’s and Jean Grey’s.

2

“So, This Is What It Feels Like.”

Logan (2017)

In an emotional final salvo, 2017’s Logan ended with the death of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, being watched over by his daughter, Laura. As well as passing on good advice, such as “don’t be what they made you,” this moment also saw Wolverine have a moment of realization, as he finally understood what it felt like to die. The adamantium in Wolverine’s body had been slowly poisoning him for years, weakening his abilities and making it possible for him to finally die, culminating in the most heartbreaking moment of Fox’s X-Men franchise.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Wolverine had been denied death for almost two centuries because of his regenerative healing factor, so him finally realizing what death feels like is a moment of catharsis. Of course, this was truly emotional for fans of the clawed mutant, particularly after such a beautiful storyline in Logan. However, this death was the perfect ending for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine.

1

“Your Best Is Enough. Trust Me.”

X-Men: Days Of Future Past (2014)

X-Men: Days of Future Past is widely regarded as one of the strongest additions to Fox’s X-Men franchise, due in part to its blending of the old and new cast of X-Men actors. During this moment, Wolverine, who has been sent back in time to negate the future war, urges James McAvoy’s Charles Xavier to bring together the X-Men and help other mutants. Naming Storm, Cyclops and Jean Grey, Wolverine ensures that the original X-Men team would come together again, as is proven in the movie’s final moments.

What Makes This Such A Great Wolverine Quote?

Throughout Fox’s original X-Men trilogy, Professor X was depicted as an almost flawless hero who always knew the right course, and was confident in his abilities. McAvoy’s portrayal of the younger Xavier showed more humanity and doubt, though Wolverine noting that his “best is enough” perhaps fueled some of his future confidence, and once again proved Logan’s commitment to his X-Men family.