Wolverinehas been the X-Men’s resident scrapper since being introduced to the team inGiant-Size X-Menin 1975. This role would eventually evolve as he settled with the team into a mentor for many of the younger X-Men who joined the team after him. As time went on, his character evolved to become a teacher to many young mutants. Hollywood has noticed this. Many shows and films have used Wolverine as the rough teacher who guides students into becoming warriors and defenders of Professor X’s dreams of peaceful coexistence.
The role of Wolverine in the MCU is yet to be determined. All signs point to a strong debutwith Wolverine’s unlikely frenemy, Deadpool, inDeadpool 3, where they’ll surely trade blows and then team up to fight a common enemy (hey, it’s not our fault that these films have a formula we know by heart).
While we may not see Wolverine babysit Wade in the upcomingDeadpool 3, we can see him perform his duty as a guardian for many X-Men in the Fox anthology and many TV shows of the past. The following is a list of the most beloved Wolverine sidekicks and how they made their bones with the ol' Canucklehead.
This young mutant girl first appears inUncanny X-Men#244.Jubileepossesses the ability to create explosive plasma blasts and is often portrayed as being carefree and rebellious. She was chosen as our surrogate character when thegreatX-Men: The Animated Seriesdebuted.
Back then, the world was exposed to the wonders of mutant-dom through her eyes. Wolverine felt the need to train and protect Jubilee after failing to protect Morph, ayoung mutant shapeshifterwho dies in the show’s first episode. They had a close relationship for most of the show’s duration, with both saving the day multiple times.
9Kitty Pryde
Kitty Prydewas Wolverine’s first protégée in the comics. First appearing in the 1980sUncanny X-Men#129, Kitty was originally just a young mutant girl who befriends X-Men after they track her down with Cerebro. She quickly proves to be a valuable asset to the X-Men team with her powers of phasing through solid objects after rescuing Wolverine, Storm, and Colossus from the Hellfire Club.
Kitty proved so popular that her introduction’s plot was adapted into the script for the never aired pilot of the firstX-Menshow,Pryde of the X-Men, which was consequently adapted into a side-scrolling video game by Konami a few years later.
Rogue’s real name is Ann Marie. The southern belle was introduced inThe Avengers Annual#10 in 1981 as a member of The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. She was Mystique’s adopted child, with the power to absorb the abilities of any super-powered person she came in contact with. Rogue was chosen as our surrogate character in the firstX-Menfilm,played by Oscar-winner Anna Paquin.
Wolverine fiercely protects her and becomes the plot’s driving force after being abducted by Magneto. While her comic counterpart can fly and is nearly invulnerable after absorbing the powers of Ms. Marvel, Rogue is usually portrayed as a soft-spoken girl in the Fox Anthology. She retained her comic origin in the ‘96X-Menshow. She would be transformed into a Goth girl with a knack for Gambit, a servant of Magneto inX-Men Evolution.
Hisako Ichiki made her comic debut inAstonishing X-Men#4, published in 2004. Joss Whedon and John Cassaday created the character for “The Cure” storyline, which would become the main plotline ofX-Men 3.Armorbecame a protégée of Wolverine after Kitty Pryde went missing into space when the X-Men went to war against Breakworld.
While Hisako has yet to make her film debut, she took the role of Jubilee in theMarvel Anime: X-Menshow produced in 2010. She would go on to be trained and assimilated into The X-Men by Wolverine after Emma Frost failed to recruit her.
Dakenis the son of Wolverine and a Japanese woman named Itsu. He possesses many of the same abilities as his father, including enhanced senses, healing factor,and adamantium-laced claws. Unlike his father, however, Daken is a sadist who enjoys inflicting pain on others. He has also been known to use pheromones to control those around him.
Related:X-Men Comics That Inspired the Movies
He debuted inWolverine: Origins#10 (2006) and has since become a recurring character in various X-Men-related comics after solving his daddy issues and accepting his father. Daken has accumulated a rich backstory in the comics but has yet to debut on the big screen. He’s seen action in multiple video games, such asMarvel’s Avenger AllianceandMarvel’s Puzzle Quest.
5Kayla Silverfox
Kayla Silverfoxwas a member of Team X, a group of super-powered mercenaries assembled by Weapon X that included Wolverine, Sabretooth, and Maverick. She was a valuable partner for Logan during their time as Black Ops operatives. When they finally retired, they went on to have a romantic relationship, but Sabretooth later killed her.
Kayla appeared in theX-Men Animated Serieswith a backstory similar to the one depicted in the comicsand inX-Men Origins: Wolverine, where she was Logan’s lover. In the film, she has the mutant power of tactile manipulation, which she uses to help Logan defeat William Stryker before dying of her wounds.
Yukiois a ninja assassin who has helped Wolverine on many occasions in the comics. She is an expert marksman and swordsman. Her skills have saved Wolverine’s life on more than one occasion. While she’s never been on any animated show,she made her film debut inThe Wolverineas Logan’s partner and protégée.
The character was retconned to be a mutant with the ability to foresee the death of any person she encounters. One interesting factoid about Yukio is that she was created as a potential romantic interest for Storm back in the day, but Marvel Editorial shut down the idea. This was changed for her second appearance inDeadpool 2as she appeared as Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s girlfriend.
3Laura Kinney/X-23
Now here’s a popular Wolverine sidekick that debuted first in a TV show well before the comics. Laura Kinney, aka X-23, is a clone of Wolverine created by SHIELD. She first appeared in season three ofthe must-watchX-Men Evolution. Laura has all the same abilities as her “father,” including regeneration, heightened senses, and Adamantium claws. She was raised as a weapon and spent most of her life in captivity until Wolverine finally liberated her.
Since then, Laura has become a force to be reckoned with in her own right. She is an excellent fighter and has even bested Logan in combat several times. She is also a member of the X-Men, bearing the same name as her “dad.” Laura had time to shine in the movies when she debuted in 2017’s Logan. The heartbreaking story would see Yukio’s prophecy onThe Wolverinecome true: “I see you die, holding your own heart in your hand.” Wolverine dies holding Laura’s hand while she calls him “Daddy” for the first time.
Domino, whose real name is Neena Thurman, has the mutant ability to manipulate luck. Domino and Wolverine have a complicated relationship, as her past often puts her at odds with him. They would become partners and co-leaders in the Black Ops iteration of X-Force, with their relationship evolving into lovers.
Related:Wolverine Movies in Order: How to Watch the X-Men Character Chronologically and By Release Date
Domino appears in several episodes of theX-Men Animated SeriesandWolverine & The X-Men. She also makes an appearance in the Deadpool video game developed by Activision. Domino made her live-action debut inDeadpool 2, played by Zazie Beetz, where she’s a close associate of Cable and Wade.
Wade is the second man on our list, and the only reason he’s here is that he’s proven to be an annoyance to Logan, more than a sidekick, yet it’s impossible to deny the partnership between these two characters. A passion project for Ryan Reynolds,Deadpooldebuted in the Marvel Universe in New Mutants #98 in 1991. Writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld created him.
The Merc with a Mouth is an anti-hero who has been a member of X-Force and the Avengers. He is known for his senseless dark humor and his fourth-wall-breaking. Often described as “a chaotic force of nature,” Wade is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Universe and has been featured in several video games, animated series, and movies. He’s set to make hisreturn alongside Wolverine forDeadpool 3.
