The Marvel Cinematic Universe took to the stars in Phase 2 with the 2014 feature Guardians of the Galaxy, introducing the Guardians and their allies, friends, and rivals in true style. The Guardians movies feature some of the MCU’s most colorful and fascinating characters of all, and some are fan-favorites.
MCU fans can easily decide who’s the best Guardians of the Galaxy with a few basic metrics, such as who has the coolest and most memorable dialogue, or the most compelling character arc, or the strongest and coolest powers/weapons. A handful of Guardians characters rise to the top as the best in this corner of the MCU, and they helped make the MCU what it is today.
10 Rhomann Dey
Rhomann Dey was a minor but likable supporting character in the Guardians storylines. Fans like him because he is a tough but fair Nova Corps member in uniform, and Rhomann had simple but warm charisma as a proud family man who sometimes helps the Guardians as a minor hero.
Rhomann’s character is basic but balanced, with him taking his duty seriously but also bending the rules to help the rogue Guardians save the day. And like Scott Lang, Rhomann is a great MCU characters because he’s actually a great father, a rare species in the MCU.
9 Kraglin Obfonteri
Kraglin Obfonteri is a Xandar man and a former Ravager who was loyal to his captain, Yondu. At first, there wasn’t much to say about Kraglin as Yondu’s lackey, but when Taserface led a mutiny against Yondu in Vol. 2, Kraglin had to take a stand.
Kraglin delighted MCU fans when he betrayed Taserface to help Yondu, Groot, and Rocket Raccoon escape, earning him major points as a reliable friend who will always do the right thing. He can also be pretty funny at times and is now learning to control the Yaka arrow to honor Yondu’s memory.
8 Ego
Ego the Celestial may have been a selfish villain, but he was still a fascinating and unique MCU character, meaning he ranks among the best Guardians of the Galaxy characters. To begin with, he’s a total novelty, an ancient Celestial who formed his body into a small planet with a giant, glowing brain in its core.
That made Ego a visually dazzling cosmic threat like no other in the MCU, and he had a strong personality to match. He dreamed big, aiming to seed the entire universe with life in his own image to establish himself as the ultimate life-form, stoking his already massive ego even more.
7 Mantis
The kind, cheerful Mantis was once little more than Ego’s lonely assistant, ignorant of society and the universe at large. This made her both charmingly and sadly clueless about almost everything when she met the Guardians, but now she is a Guardian herself and is seeing the world for the first time.
Mantis won over MCU fans with her likable personality, fascinating empath powers, and her gently goofy sense of humor. She has great chemistry with Drax, who gruffly empowered her in Vol. 2, and she cherishes Star-Lord, Gamora, and the others as her best friends.
6 Yondu Udonta
When he first appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy, Yondu Udonta was a minor villain who often antagonized Star-Lord, so he wasn’t likable. In hindsight, fans now recognize Yondu as one of the best Guardians characters with his tough but caring personality, cool fighting style, and his personal arc with Star-Lord.
Yondu vastly improved his image in Vol. 2, where he was fleshed out as Star-Lord’s rough but caring foster father who would die for his son. That earned Yondu a proper Ravager funeral, and that, combined with his improved humor and moments of vulnerability, made Yondu one of the better Guardians characters.
5 Drax The Destroyer
Drax the Destroyer is more than a discount Hulk in the Guardians movies. He may be comically blunt and recklessly brave in battle, but Drax also has a surprisingly deep personality as someone who loves fighting and loved his family even more.
Drax is crude and juvenile even by Guardians standards, but he also greatly values his new friends and sees them as his new family after losing his wife and daughter. Also, Drax is glad to share relationship advice or empower other people to support them, and he will gladly share a laugh with people to cheer them up, too.
4 Gamora
Gamora is an elite assassin who once worked for her foster father Thanos, but she has since had a change of heart. Gamora and her foster sister Nebula both decided to turn on Thanos and figure out their own destinies, though they still clashed with one another for a time.
Gamora helps keep the Guardians grounded as a smart, serious fighter who doesn’t have time for jokes. Even if she’s hardcore on the outside, though, Gamora still has a warm heart and impressed MCU fans with her touching romantic arc with Star-Lord, her new ally and lover.
3 Groot
The tree-like alien Groot has been a delight to watch from the very beginning. Even if he only says “I am Groot” on the outside, Groot is highly expressive with his facial expressions, his body language, and his staunch loyalty to his new Guardians friends.
Groot is a great MCU character because he’s goofy, unpredictable, brave, and highly memorable, which are key traits of any great Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Groot is also fond of music and dancing, as he showed in his adorable baby Groot form, and his adult form is a scarily effective fighter.
2 Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon burst onto the scene as a smart, cunning, and foul-mouthed antihero raccoon with heavy firepower and a brash personality. Rocket is easy to like with his fascinating mix of tough-talking sarcasm and serious vulnerability, proving there’s more to him than his sharp-tongued quips.
Rocket is also one of the best Guardians characters thanks to his crafty, resourceful thinking, his leadership skills, and his rough, honest remarks about everyone and everything around him. Rocket is proud to be his own authentic self even if other characters don’t like it, which fans find admirable.
1 Star-Lord
Born as Peter Quill on Earth and later calling himself Star-Lord, this MCU protagonist charmed fans at once with his goofball antics and his highly relatable insecurities and flaws. Star-Lord thinks he’s a big-shot space hero, but deep down, he’s still just a kid who longs for a real family to love him.
All this makes Star-Lord a more wholesome version of Rocket Raccoon, a vulnerable person who deflects the serious issues with humor witty one-liners. Star-Lord has strong charisma as the Guardians’ unofficial leader, and he’s also a resourceful thinker who actually has some pretty great plans in mind.
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