Who Is Wolverine’s True Love?

As someone who’s lived for over a century, it’s only natural that Wolverine has been in love with many women. From Jean Grey, to Silver Fox, there have been many who’ve caught his interest. A common trait that binds these women is that they die tragically for being close to him. Some have survived, but their relationship with Logan has never been the same after. But out of all of them, who can be considered Wolverine’s true love? Here I examine some of the women he’s loved and lost and give my opinion on who holds that place in his heart.

As a boy in Canada, Logan’s first love was a girl named Rose O’Hara. She was a childhood companion, and though she didn’t feel the same way, she was impaled on his claws and killed. Silver Fox was a mutant who Wolverine loved in the early 1900s, until she was killed by Sabretooth. He loved a Japanese woman called Itsu in the 1940s and had a son with her called Daken. He also has an on and off relationship with a former assassin called Yukio who is the guardian of his adoptive daughter, Amiko.

Credit: Stacey Lee at oddplacement.com

When I think of Wolverine I picture three major love interests for him: Mariko Yashida, Jean Grey and Storm. Each woman represents a different facet of his personality and responded to him in different ways. Wolverine met Mariko in Japan and fell in love with her over the course of several adventures. They became engaged and he was eventually forced to mercy kill her after she was poisoned. She represents a past love that Wolverine will always remember.

Wolverine’s relationship with Jean can best be described as one-sided. Although there was chemistry between them, Jean remained faithful to Cyclops. Logan has spent years pining for her, even after she died, but I would never describe her as his true love. Jean represents a love that could’ve been.

Logan and Storm have shared a deep bond for years. They’ve been team mates, friends and lovers. In the most recent Wolverine series leading up to his death, he and Storm were together. Storm is a woman who doesn’t need to be defined by a relationship. She’s powerful enough to take care of herself and is Wolverine’s equal in many things. Storm represents love in the present and a future that can be built.

Based on this, I believe Storm is his true love. Both of them have survived trauma that each other can relate to. Storm brings a stability that keeps Logan anchored to the X-Men. She is the kind of woman that gives him space when he needs to wander, but calls him out when he’s being distant. Storm is someone who can give him the peace he wants and there is no greater definition of love.

Love is about seeing someone at their best and worse. It’s about patience, sacrifice, fighting, screaming, understanding and bravery. Wolverine and Storm have that kind of relationship.