For nearly 50 years, Wolverine has been a staple in the world of Marvel in the comics as well the big-screen productions. For decades, the main iteration of the character, James Howlett, otherwise known as Logan or Weapon X, has been one of the most popular X-Men members as well as one of the most popular Marvel heroes, in general.
Along with Logan, there have been some other wildly popular iterations of the Wolverine character as well. Most recently, and arguably most notably, X-23, Laura Kinney, has taken over as the most popular Wolverine renewal after stealing the show in the 2017 Logan film. Since her introduction in 2004, X-23 has built up a solid case as to why she's an incredible version of the character, but there will always be a strong majority who consider Logan the one true Wolverine.
10 X-23: Faster/More Agile
Being significantly smaller than Logan, Laura brings much more speed and agility to her fighting. Her combat style is much more fluid than Logan's as well, allowing her to take down opponents before they even have a chance to fight back.
While that may not seem like something that makes her a better Wolverine, it significantly benefits her combat, which in all honesty is a lot of what being Wolverine is about. It's also an aspect that helps set her apart from Logan, giving her a more individualistic identity as a hero instead of just being a perfect rip-off of Logan's Wolverine.
9 Logan: Stronger
Just as speed and agility help X-23's case, brute strength certainly does the same on the behalf of Logan. A combination of rage and strength have always made Logan a forced to be reckoned with in combat, and on plenty of occasions have made him nearly impossible to take down.
That strength shows itself in many different ways. To start, it's seen firsthand in the way he uses his claws. Instead of using quickness and finesse, Logan typically opts for just a raw and brutalizing form of attack. It's also seen plenty in the way he fights back and overcomes injuries. Obviously, his healing factor is the main reason for that, but you can always see in Logan that his strength and will to fight are truly what makes him such a great warrior.
8 X-23: Foot Claws
One of the most unique aspects of Laura Kinney as Wolverine is her foot claws. Just as she has two claws that emerge from her hands, she also has one on each foot. While the claws themselves help separate X-23 from Logan's Wolverine, they're also another major contributor to her unique and agile fighting style.
Almost every time Laura fights, she manages to incorporate a flurry of kicks, using her foot claws almost as much as the one on her hands. They add a whole other element to her combat style and actually add to the fluidity and unpredictability of her combat as a whole.
7 Logan: Adamantium Skeleton
Along with just his raw strength, Logan's adamantium skeleton is the main reason that he is a nearly unbeatable hero. Although X-23 was created from a genetic sample of Logan, the adamantium was only used to coat her claws and not used to infuse her entire skeleton.
Logan's skeleton doesn't just provide him with fairly impenetrable skin, but it also significantly contributes to the speed, strength, and effectiveness of his healing factor. It's just another physical factor of Logan that contributes to him being a much better and almost indestructible Wolverine.
6 X-23: Better Team Member
If there's one thing that just about everyone knows about Logan it's that he prefers to operate alone. That seems strange for a hero that's been an essential X-Men member for years, but he's made it clear time and time again that he isn't happy fighting alongside or within a group of costumed heroes.
Laura Kinney, on the other hand, operates perfectly fine as part of a group. She embraces being a member of the X-Men and even sought out a role on the team. It's one of the biggest distinctions between her and Logan, and it certainly helps to have a Wolverine on the team that actually wants to be there.
5 Logan: Better Personality
To no fault of her own, X-23 was raised in a very closed society, making her somewhat rid of personality. For the most part, as everyone saw in Logan, she is often portrayed as a mute that showcases any kind of emotion other than brief stints of anger or rage.
Logan, however, is such a great character in large to his personality. Despite coming across as the lone-wolf, Logan's fiery personality is actually at its best amongst his fellow X-Men teammates. It's the personality that fans have fallen in love with over the years and what made him such a fantastic character on both page and screen. It's, in large, what actually made him Wolverine.
4 X-23: Kept Wolverine Legacy Alive
Although different iterations of the Wolverine character have kept the heroes' legacy afloat, it's really X-23 that is responsible for the continuation of the Wolverine tagline. After Logan died in the Death of Wolverine storyline, X-23 adopted the "Wolverine" title and even his iconic X-Men costume to honor his life. Obviously, she wouldn't exist without Logan, but then again, the Wolverine mantle probably would've died with him if it weren't for Laura.
3 Logan: Better Backstory
Not to say that X-23 doesn't have a wildly fascinating and complex backstory, but Logan's is almost unarguably better. His origin story extends so far back in time and is so vividly interesting it's hard not to consider it when you're discussing the best Wolverine.
Every part of Logan's backstory collectively makes him such an incredible hero and truly one of the most complicated Marvel characters of all time.
2 X-23: Raised As A Weapon/Assassin
Speaking of backstories, one of the most insane parts of X-23's is that she was raised and trained as a living weapon and deadly assassin.
Unlike Logan, she was designed to be a deadly weapon from her creation and that's something that has never truly left her. Although she's able to somewhat overcome the restraints of her design, she will always have that blind-rage, weaponized side to her that truly make her a newer version of Wolverine and so lethal in combat.
1 Logan: More Extensive History As Wolverine
At the end of the day, Logan's time and experience as Wolverine ultimately give him the leg up in this debate. X-23 is undoubtedly a terrific continuation of the Wolverine character, but Logan just seems to embody the spirit of the character much more as he's done for years.
The character of X-23 also holds perfectly fine outside of the Wolverine mantle. Although she's literally and genetically tied to Logan, that doesn't mean that she can't hold her own outside of the lense of him. She's proven to be a great character in both comics and on-screen, whether alongside Logan or not. However, as the original and with so many years of memories with him in the iconic costume and those three adamantium claws, Logan will likely always be regarded as the one true Wolverine.