The Best Quote From Each X-Men Movie

Summary

  • Magneto’s iconic line in X-Men encapsulates his drive for fighting the war by any means necessary.
  • Pyro’s declaration in X2 foreshadows his turn to villainy, showcasing the ease of radicalization for mutants.
  • Wolverine’s emotional “I love you” moment in X-Men: The Last Stand stands out as a genuinely heartfelt moment in the film.

Fox’s X-Men movies brought Marvel’s mutants to life on the big screen, and they each featured excellent and memorable quotes. From the very beginning of Fox’s X-Men movie timeline, the franchise sought to capture the essence of Marvel’s iconic mutant heroes and villains. As with any movie franchise, the X-Men movies had their share of ups and downs, but each of their portrayals of the characters had some degree of merit.

Each of Fox’s X-Men movies featured an expansive ensemble cast, bringing many Marvel characters to life in each adaptation. In every entry into the franchise, at least one of their respective characters was able to stand out with a particularly memorable quote that captured the spirit of either them as an individual or the overall themes of Marvel’s X-Men stories. With that in mind, here is the best quote from each X-Men movie.

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11 “The War Is Still Coming, Charles. And I Intend To Fight It, By Any Means Necessary.”

Ian McKellen as Magneto in X-Men (2000)

X-Men 2000 Movie Poster X-Men PG-13 Where to Watch

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Director Bryan Singer Release Date July 14, 2000 Runtime 104 Minutes

The cast of 2000’s X-Men featured many memorable takes on iconic characters, but few were as well-received as Ian McKellen’s Magneto. The film introduces the complex conflict between Magneto’s Brotherhood of Mutants and Professor X’s X-Men, with the latter setting out to thwart Magneto’s plan to convert all of the world’s leaders into mutants. The film’s conclusion sees Magneto stopped and imprisoned, with one of the film’s final moments showing Charles Xavier visiting his former friend.

The exchange between Magneto and Professor X is packed with quotable lines, but the most chilling of all is Magneto’s assertion that “the war is still coming, Charles. And I intend to fight it by any means necessary.” It’s a line that perfectly captures Magneto’s entire motivation, succinctly outlining the issue that leads to the two characters’ opposing stances across the entire franchise.

10 “You Know All Those Dangerous Mutants You Hear About On The News? I’m The Worst One.”

Aaron Stanford as Pyro in X2 (2003)

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Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 2, 2003 Runtime 134 Minutes

Of all of the elements of X2 that make it one of the best movies in Fox’s franchise, Pyro is perhaps the most underrated one of them. Introduced as one of the movie’s new additions to the team, Pyro is a hard-headed and arrogant young mutant with the ability to manipulate fire. His friendship with Iceman and Rogue sees him escape with them after William Stryker’s attack on the Xavier Institute.

After being cornered by Stryker’s forces at the Drakes’ house, Pyro steps up to get on the offensive, declaring: “You know all those dangerous mutants you hear about on the news? I’m the worst one.” The line marks Pyro’s abandonment of Xavier’s philosophy and the beginning of his villain turn, culminating in him joining Magneto later in the film. It’s an important line for the character, and demonstrates how easily young mutants can become radicalized.

9 “I Love You.”

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)

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Director Brett Ratner Release Date May 25, 2006 Runtime 104 Minutes

Long before he was announced to be appearing as part of Deadpool & Wolverine’s cast, Hugh Jackman was an iconic part of Fox’s original X-Men trilogy. Though X-Men: The Last Stand has always been considered the worst of the original three-film arc, Wolverine was given an excellent line at the most emotional moment in the entire movie. It comes as Jean Grey is unable to fight against the Phoenix Force, and the powerful entity inside her is building to destroy all life on Earth.

Painfully approaching thanks to his regenerative healing factor, the Phoenix asks him if he’d really die for a world that hates him, and he replies: “No, not for them. For you.” Then, he delivers a final “I love you” before killing the woman he loves and saving the world. It’s perhaps the only moment in The Last Stand that feels genuinely emotional, marking it as the best quote from the film.

8 “My Whole Life I Felt Like An Animal. Then She Came Along.”

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Logan speaking to Stryker in X-Men Origins Wolverine

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Director Gavin Hood Release Date April 30, 2009 Runtime 107minutes

Much like its predecessor, X-Men Origins: Wolverine is not considered one of Fox’s better offerings in the X-Men franchise. However, it does chronicle a number of important developments in Wolverine’s story, including his romance with Kayla Silverfox and its heartbreaking ending. After believing her to be dead, a grieving Logan explains: “My whole life I thought I was an animal. Then she came along.

Logan’s assessment of his relationship is heartbreaking, particularly as the relationship (and Kayla’s death) is all revealed to have been nothing more than manipulation. The way that Logan sees Kayla is especially touching because of the way he had been treated previously, and upsetting as nothing appears to change afterward. It’s not just those aspects that make the quote memorable, though, as Jackman’s performance is powerful and layered, perfectly capturing the essence of the character.

7 “This Is What We’re Going To Do. I’m Going To Count To Three, And I’m Going To Move The Coin.”

Michael Fassbender as Magneto in X-Men: First Class (2011)

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Director Matthew Vaughn Release Date June 3, 2011 Runtime 131 minutes

X-Men: First Class reintroduced key figures from Marvel’s pantheon of mutants in a 1960s-set prequel chronicling the early days of Professor X and Magneto. The film focused on the actions of its villain, Sebastian Shaw, and his contributions to Magneto’s origin story, experimenting on him during WWII by forcing him to use his powers to move a coin. The film’s best quote comes during its climax, when Magneto finally comes face to face with Shaw once again.

Using the same coin from all those years before, Magneto uses the same line that Shaw would utter to him during his inhumane experiments. Magneto coldly tells Shaw: “This is what’s going to happen. I’m going to count to three, and then I’m going to move the coin.” He then uses his powers to drive the coin through Shaw’s skull, killing him. It’s a triumphant moment that also cements the dark path of vengeance that Magneto is embarking upon, making it an excellent quote.

6 “What Kind Of Monster Are You?”

Hiroyuki Sanada as Shingen Yashida in The Wolverine (2013)

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Director James Mangold Release Date July 26, 2013 Runtime 2h 6m

2013’s The Wolverine adapted a beloved comic book arc into live-action, with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine heading to Japan to reconnect with a figure from his past. After uncovering a plot to transfer his healing ability, Logan is forced to fight without the use of one of his most important assets. The film features a number of great quotes, but by far the best comes during the film’s climactic battle.

While fighting with Shingen Yashida, Logan is repeatedly stabbed and wounded. The villain continues to fight against the hero, only to eventually become incredulous at his ability to keep fighting. In disbelief, Shingen utters the line: “what kind of monster are you?”, perfectly capturing just what an unstoppable force Logan can be. It’s a line that speaks to the mutant’s willpower and his frightening presence from his enemies’ point of view, shoring up some of the movie’s core themes.

5 “To My Mutant Brothers And Sisters Out There, I Say This: No More Hiding. No More Suffering.”

Michael Fassbender as Magneto in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

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Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 22, 2014 Runtime 132minutes

X-Men: Days of Future Past combined the two separate timelines of Fox’s X-Men franchise by having Wolverine travel from a dark future in order to prevent the subjugation of mutants by Bolivar Trask’s Sentinels. The movie’s climax saw Magneto take control of the Sentinels and set out to attack the President of the United States. In a show of force, Magneto uses his abilities to lift an entire stadium while controlling the Sentinels, declaring his intentions to the world.

In a rousing and frightening speech, Magneto outlines how poorly humanity has treated mutants. He then goes on to directly address his own kind, saying: “To my mutant brothers and sisters out there, I say this: No more hiding. No more suffering.” It comes across as a declaration of war that seems all but certain to ignite a mutant rebellion, expertly delivered by Michael Fassbender, making it a perfect Magneto moment.

4 “I Feel A Great Swell Of Pity For The Poor Soul That Comes To My School Looking For Trouble.“

James MacAvoy as Charles Xavier in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)

X-Men Apocalypse Movie Poster X-Men Apocalypse PG-13

Director Bryan Singer Release Date May 27, 2016 Runtime 144 Minutes

The many characters in X-Men: Apocalypse face off against the titular villain in epic fashion, and in spite of the movie’s shortcomings, there are a number of great quotes contained within the movie. After defeating Apocalypse and saving the Earth, the X-Men of Fox’s earlier timeline outline their differing stances on other issues facing the world’s mutants. A late exchange between James McAvoy’s Professor X and Michael Fassbender’s Magneto serves up by far the best quote of the movie.

Professor X declares to Magneto that he “feels a great swell of pity for the poor soul that comes to my school looking for trouble.” The line perfectly mirrors one from 2000’s X-Men spoken by Patrick Stewart’s Professor X to Ian McKellen’s Magneto, drawing an excellent parallel between the two timelines. The throwback is a great and unexpected link to the franchise’s other iteration of its heroes.

3 “So… This Is What It Feels Like.”

Hugh Jackman as Logan in Logan (2017)

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Director James Mangold Release Date March 3, 2017 Runtime 137 Minutes

Logan is widely considered one of the best superhero movies ever made, loosely adapting the beloved Old Man Logan storyline of the comics. The movie follows a version of Logan who has all but lost his healing factor, and who discovers his DNA has been used to create a child. While helping her escape to find freedom, he is fatally wounded, prompting an emotional ending for the iconic hero. His death scene is incredibly powerful, and his last line is one of the movie’s best quotes.

As Logan dies, he simply says: “So this is what it feels like.” The line captures Logan’s quiet curiosity about the one thing that he had been surrounded by all his life. Having seen countless friends and loved ones die, his final words being an acknowledgment that he too will finally experience death is a subtly powerful and poignant end for the character.

2 “This Whole Time, We’ve Been Trying To Protect These Kids From The World, When Really, We Should’ve Been Protecting Them From You.”

Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy in Dark Phoenix (2019)

Dark Phoenix - Poster Dark Phoenix PG-13

Director Simon Kinberg Release Date June 5, 2019 Runtime 114 Minutes

Dark Phoenix is far from the most popular movie in Fox’s franchise – in fact, many consider it by far the worst. Its adaptation of the story of the same name might have been lacking in some ways, but the film still features some excellent quotes. Perhaps the most memorable comes after Mystique’s death, when an enraged Hank McCoy is directing his anger at Charles Xavier.

In the heat of the moment, McCoy tells Xavier: “This whole time, we’ve been trying to protect these kids from the world, when really, we should’ve been protecting them from you.” It’s a cutting remark that captures Beast’s upset over Mystique’s death and Xavier’s part in it. The human drama of the moment is exceptionally communicated by the line, and it also represents the growing disputes between different members of the X-Men.

1 “This Place Takes Your Greatest Fear And Makes You Live Through It, Until It Kills You.”

Alice Braga as Dr. Cecilia Reyes in The New Mutants (2020)

Alice Braga as Cecilia Reyes in New Mutants

The New Mutants (2020) - Poster The New Mutants (2020) PG-13

Director Josh Boone Release Date April 2, 2020 Runtime 94 Minutes

The New Mutants was one of Fox’s biggest failures with regard to the X-Men franchise, and is far from one of its most memorable entries. Even so, a quote from its villain stands out as one of the movie’s best, as it captures the tone of the entire film. Dr. Cecilia Reyes isn’t immediately revealed as the film’s villain, but her assessment of Milbury Hospital certainly hinted at her true nature.

Reyes says that: “This place takes your greatest fear and makes you live through it, until it kills you.” It’s a dark and unsettling description of a medical facility, and one that highlights Reyes’ role as a villain. Though The New Mutants is hardly the best movie in the franchise, Reyes’ line is still a great quote, because it helps to establish the more horror-centric approach the film took to its place in the X-Men franchise.

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