Few superheroes have benefited as much from their supporting cast as Wolverine. Throughout Logan's decades-long character arc, he has been shaped by the allies around him. He entered the Marvel Universe as a lone wolf, but he's far from alone the way he is now. His character development gave Wolverine a sharp 180º turn towards himself.
A turnaround like this doesn't happen so easily overnight, especially for an often stubborn character like Wolverine. No man is an island and no man becomes more than that alone. It was his cast of supporting characters that surrounded him for several years that helped contribute to the development of Wolverine's character. Even as that arc concluded, the allies who made a profound impact on Wolverine's hero's journey continued to be present in recent stories, proving to be among his closest and most legitimate friends.
10
Dead Pool
A reluctant best friend
Thanks to the Hollywood blockbuster, people love the friendship between Wolverine and Deadpool, but They had a bond in the comics long before the film came out. Like the film, the comic book dynamic often finds Logan playing the straight man frustrated by Wade Wilson's ridiculous antics. As frustrated as Wolverine is with Deadpool, they are still extremely close.
Deadpool has gotten Wolverine out of more trouble than he could count and vice versa. Plus, as much as Wolverine is easily angered by Deadpool, he's also amused enough to fall in love with his energy. Their strange and complicated dynamic has made them closer than ever now. The former Weapon X assassins may not like each other all the time, but they always help each other out when needed.
9
Captain America
WWII vets devastated by time
Captain America and Wolverine fought together in World War II, giving them a bond that few can understand. Steve Rogers is a fish out of water, out of place in his time, while as a virtually immortal man, Wolverine always feels out of place with his peers and his time period. This allowed Logan and Steve to bond not just through their experiences in war, but as men outside of time.
It's a unique experience even by Marvel standards, but it allowed both characters to share a unique bond. While there are certainly characters on this list that Wolverine is closer to than the original Captain America, no one understands what he goes through on a daily basis on as emotional a level as Steve, and that's enough to be ranked among Wolverine's closest friends.
8
Carlos Xavier
Wolverine believed in his dream As someone who has been viewed exclusively as a weapon his entire life, Logan resonated that someone could see him as more than that.
When Wolverine joined the X-Men, it was to kill Professor X, simply because he was programmed to do so. Instead of getting rid of Logan when he was unable to do so, he saw the wild rodent's potential, opting to telepathically remove this programming from Wolverine's mind before offering him a place on the team. As someone who has been viewed exclusively as a weapon his entire life, Logan resonated that someone could see him as more than that.
Wolverine never forgot that moment, and made Wolverine want to believe not only in Xavier's dream for himself, but also in his dream for mutants. Unfortunately, Wolverine has become so fed up with the fallout from Krakoa's demise lately that it has not only fractured his relationship with Charles, but also his ideology of the dream Xavier had. Still, that initial bond is what led to Wolvie becoming a hero.
7
Storm
A lover and a friend
Wolverine has had countless love affairs over the years, but few where he can consider his partner more than just his partner. Often, Logan's lovers are civilians who are far from superheroes or even mutants. Sometimes your suitors are true damsels in distress. With Storm, he is able to be with someone he considers a leader, fighting partner, and lover all at the same time..
Wolverine recently rekindled his underrated romance with Storm, but there isn't much hope that it will last. Usually, the respective torches they carry for other lovers like Jean Gray and T'Challa are enough for the spark to fade, but the beauty of their relationship is that they are close enough to always maintain a friendship when the spark goes out.
6
On your own
One of your most trusted friends
It's interesting to see how far Wolverine and Rogue's relationship has grown over the years. At first, Wolverine really hated Rogue. It didn't seem right to him that a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants would oppose the X-Men for so long only to join them when he needed help. However, as time passed, Rogue managed to gain Wolverine's trust, and during this period, Wolverine came to believe that Rogue had achieved genuine redemption.
Since then, Wolverine has come to trust Rogue more than most people in his life, including those on this list.. He even trusts her enough to follow her example as the new leader of the X-Men. Wolverine doesn't trust many people, but he trusts even fewer enough to call them his leader. He's more than happy to make that exception for Rogue. In fact, he encourages Rogue to lead his team to begin with.
5
Colossus
Wolverine's Tag Team Partner
Of all the partners Wolverine has worked alongside, Colossus might be the best. Their dynamic created the famous Fastball Special, undoubtedly Wolverine's best (and favorite) attack. It's a tag team move where Colossus catches the canuck in the palm of his hand and launches him into the air like a real baseball awaiting his home run.
A move like this doesn't come naturally between two strangers or mere X-Men co-workers. It's the superhero equivalent of a fall in trust, where one partner has to have complete faith in the other, and Logan trusts Piotr with his life.. Logan and Rasputin have a friendship outside of working together, where Wolverine is both a mentor and a friend, even if that guidance comes with some tough love from time to time.
4
Kitty Pride
Like a daughter to Wolverine
A moment of tough love occurs when Wolverine lets Juggernaut attack Colossus because the latter broke Kitty Pryde's heart. As much as Logan loves Colossus, it doesn't replace his love for the former Shadowkat. If Wolverine and Colossus share a mentor-mentee relationship, then his relationship with Kitty carries more of a father-daughter dynamic.
Wolverine leaned on Kate for years, providing guidance whenever needed, especially during the Days of Future Past plot. In the most recent comics, the two manage to stand shoulder to shoulder. He still looks at her like a concerned father as he fears she is following in his dark footsteps by following Ogun under a new codename, but their mentor-to-protégé relationship has evolved into genuine partners who trust each other during battles on an equal level. .
3
Spider-Man
An unexpected friendship
Of all the friendships on this list, Logan's bond with Peter Parker may seem the most unlikely. Spidey's cheerful demeanor coupled with Wolverine's brooding nihilism doesn't seem like the most ideal combination, but their bond is strengthened beyond their differences. Spider-Man's eagerness to get closer to Wolverine despite these differences endeared Logan to his character.
Case in point, there was one time a year when Wolverine tricked Spider-Man into spending a day together on his birthday, just so he wouldn't have to drink alone on his birthday. Although Peter initially felt cheated, he understood how important this was to Wolverine and so this became an annual tradition for them.
2
Cyclops
Just like Wolverine (and lover?)
The roots of Wolverine and Cyclops' relationship were rooted in a mutual desire for Jean Gray that evolved into the two competing for the telepath's affections. Years later, even though they didn't like each other, they would come to respect each other, to the point of even agreeing to share Jean to resolve the conflict. It is also heavily implied that their union was polymorphous, turning the love triangle into a trio (although X-Men's editor would reject this theory).
Their brotherhood has evolved in surprising ways over the years, but most of all, the two have an undeniable bond.
Their dynamic in the comics is nothing like the movies. Gone are the days of endless, petty bickering, as the two have gained more than respect for each other in the years of working together: they have gained a genuine friendship.
1
Nocturnal
Wolverine's best friend
No X-Man or Marvel character in general has formed as close a bond with Wolverine as Nightcrawler.. Their platonic love for each other is greater than Logan's deeper romantic affairs. These are two men who their entire lives were ostracized for who they were and considered monsters for one reason or another. They formed a kinship through their relationship with each other on this level, as well as the potential they saw in each other to be so much more.
For Wolverine, he appreciated that Kurt Wagner never treated him like an animal, while Kurt was happy that someone saw him as more than the devil he looked like. It also helps that they were introduced to the X-Men at the same time, transporting each other on the heroes' journey from the beginning. It's hard to imagine what kind of superhero Wolverine it would be without Nightcrawler's influence.