Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brings an epic and emotional ending to the franchise–and its eponymous team. After nearly a decade in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the first chapter of the Guardians’ story has finally come to a close. However, future adventures may remain on the horizon for some.
While some of the Guardians are sure to return in later MCU movies, each of them gets an ending of sorts in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Some of these endings prove to be surprisingly emotional and fitting, bringing an end to each character’s long-running journey in the franchise while leaving room for future appearances.
Spoilers ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
10 Cosmo
Cosmo the Space-Dog has a limited role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, having joined the team at some point between the events of Avengers: Endgame and the recent holiday special. The film ends with Cosmo continuing to work with the Guardians on Knowhere, building a better society for countless refugees in the galaxy.
In truth, Cosmo’s story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is only beginning. The character surely has many more adventures ahead of her, but for now, knowing that she is safe and happy among the Guardians of the Galaxy will have to be enough to appease audiences.
9 Adam Warlock
Adam Warlock mostly takes a back seat in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, leaving room for the main characters to take the spotlight. However, the ending of the film does have Adam come to see the truth about the Guardians, leading him to join the team by the time the credits roll. A mid-credit scene even shows him on a mission, having become a full-fledged Guardian of the Galaxy.
While some viewers might have been disappointed with how Adam Warlock was used in the film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does set him up for future adventures. The cosmically powered superhero’s ending therein is really not an ending at all, but rather the beginning of his time in the MCU.
8 Kraglin Obfonteri
Kraglin Obfonteri may not have much to do in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but he does get a worthwhile conclusion to his ongoing character arc. Despite struggling with using Yondu’s arrow throughout the film, Kraglin finally manages to master it during the final battle after seeing a vision of his former captain telling him to use his heart.
Kraglin has never been the emotional center of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, but he has delivered some truly meaningful moments over the years. Finally, reconciling his new place on the Guardians with his memory of Yondu is perfect for Kraglin’s final appearance, though the film’s mid-credits scene suggests that he could show up again someday.
7 Mantis
While it was possible that Mantis would emerge as the Guardians of the Galaxy’s next leader, the character makes a surprising departure from the team at the end of their latest film. Recognizing that she has never had the chance to choose her own life, Mantis goes off on her own to find herself amongst the stars.
This ending suggests that audiences haven’t seen the last of Mantis just yet. In fact, her travels appear to hint that Mantis is beginning a new chapter of her character arc in the MCU, setting her up for future adventures. Nevertheless, her recognition that she must renew her sense of self is a beautiful moment for the character.
6 Groot
Groot, who is generally one of the MCU’s happiest characters, gets a relatively unemotional yet groundbreaking ending in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In addition to expanding his vocabulary, Groot also appears to finally reach his full growth, developing into an enormous, kaiju-like creature in the film’s mid-credits scene.
Groot’s new design signals a new era for the character in the MCU, which also closely resembles his appearance in Marvel Comics. His final moments in the film also imply that Groot will indeed be back, perhaps as a more central character, in future MCU movies.
5 Nebula
The ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 sees many original Guardians stepping away from the team. Nebula, however, doubles down on her commitment to the team, stepping in to run the day-to-day matters on Knowhere alongside Cosmo, Kraglin, and Drax.
Nebula has truly come a long way from her villainous roots in the early Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The latest film shows just how altruistic the character has become, devoting her life to making the refugees of Knowhere feel safe and comfortable. This is the perfect ending for her character, as she finally finds a place where she belongs–and where she can make life a little bit better for those in a dark place.
4 Gamora
In a striking and effective subversion of audience expectations, Gamora does not join the Guardians of the Galaxy by the end of the film. Instead, Peter Quill and her former teammates learn to accept this new Gamora for who she is, not who they want her to be. In the end, Gamora returns to the Ravagers, who appear to have become as close to her as the Guardians were to the original Gamora.
Gamora has consistently been one of Marvel’s best-written female characters, with each new appearance delving deeper into her characterization. Even with the original Gamora dead, this new version of the character upholds her legacy without repeating the same story beats from her early appearances. And, as audiences are surely happy to see, she still manages to find a family for herself.
3 Drax
Drax the Destroyer gets a surprisingly happy ending in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After he and his team save a group of children from the High Evolutionary’s ship, they are brought back to Knowhere, where Drax fills in as their father figure. Overcome with glee for the first time in years, Drax drops his inhibitions and breaks out into dance in the film’s final moments.
Drax was responsible for some of the MCU’s funniest jokes over the years, making it easy to forget his tragic backstory, wherein his wife and daughter were killed by Thanos. This ending gives Drax what he had been missing for so long: fatherhood. As Mantis and Nebula emotionally point out, Drax was never meant to be a destroyer–he was meant to be a dad.
2 Star-Lord
Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, undergoes some heavy character development in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. After narrowly avoiding death aboard the High Evolutionary’s exploding ship, Quill finally decides to return home to reunite with his grandfather, whom he had not seen since Ravagers abducted him as a child.
Quill’s reunion with his grandfather is emotional and beautiful, but also deeply important to his character’s future. After so many years of jumping back and forth from distraction to distraction, Peter is finally ready to face his childhood trauma and find himself back on Earth. This renewed sense of identity bodes well for Peter’s future appearances in the MCU.
1 Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon is the emotional center of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and the franchise as a whole. Having survived the battle with the High Evolutionary against all odds, Rocket becomes the new captain of the Guardians of the Galaxy, leaving him to train and lead a new team that includes Groot, Kraglin, Cosmo, Phyla-Vell, and Adam Warlock.
Rocket’s farewell promises a better future, having finally accepted his role as a leader among the Guardians of the Galaxy. Finally, at home among the friends he always dreamed of having, Rocket gets to live out his childhood wishes: flying away into a beautiful sky.
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