| 1 | %% |
| 2 | %% |
| 3 | %%No putting tropes in spoiler titles per Administrivia/HandlingSpoilers. If a trope name is too spoilerific, pothole it in another trope or don't list it at all. |
| 4 | %% |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | %%Zero-context examples are not allowed on wiki pages. All such examples have been commented out. Please add proper context before uncommenting them. Examples must explain *how* they are examples. |
| 7 | %% |
| 8 | %% |
| 9 | %%Articles like "a", "an" and "the" aren't counted for alphabetization. |
| 10 | %% |
| 11 | %% |
| 12 | |
| 13 | [[center: [- [[Characters/MarvelCinematicUniverse Main Character Index]] > Heroic Organizations > [[Characters/MCUGuardiansOfTheGalaxy Guardians of the Galaxy]] > [[Characters/MCUPeterQuill Peter Quill]] | [[Characters/MCUGamora Gamora]] | [[Characters/MCUDrax Drax]] | '''Rocket Raccoon''' | [[Characters/MCUGroot Groot]] | [[Characters/MCUYonduUdonta Yondu Udonta]] | [[Characters/MCUNebula Nebula]]-]]] |
| 14 | ---- |
| 15 | !!{{Spoiler}}s for all works set prior to the end of ''Avengers: Endgame'' are unmarked. |
| 16 | !!''[[ComicBook/RocketRaccoon 89P13 / Rocket Raccoon]]'' |
| 17 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rocket_endgameprofile.png]] |
| 18 | [[caption-width-right:300:''"Ain't no thing like me, 'cept me!"'']] |
| 19 | !!! '''Species:''' Enhanced raccoon |
| 20 | !!!'''Affiliation(s):''' Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers (formerly) |
| 21 | !!! '''Voiced/Portrayed By:''' Creator/BradleyCooper (voice), Creator/SeanGunn (motion capture and voice as a child), Noah Raskin (voice as an infant), Oreo the Raccoon (movement and behavior modeling)[[labelnote:Foreign voice actors]]Sergio Zurita [''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'' to ''Film/AvengersEndgame''], Creator/EnriqueCervantes [''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' onwards] (Latin-American Spanish dub), Juan Logar Jr. (European Spanish dub), Koji Kato (Japanese dub), Creator/AlexisVictor (French dub), Maël Davan-Soulas (Canadian French dub), Mckeidy Lisita (Brazilian Portuguese dub), Sergey Kunitskiy [''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'' to ''Film/AvengersEndgame''], Igor Lichadeev [''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder''], Phillip Voloshin [''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3''] (Russian dub)[[/labelnote]] |
| 22 | !!! '''Appearances:''' ''Film/{{Guardians of the Galaxy|2014}}'' | ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' | ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' | ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' | ''Film/ThorLoveAndThunder'' | ''WesternAnimation/IAmGroot'' | ''Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial'' | ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3'' |
| 23 | |
| 24 | ->''"Well, I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart and put back together over and over and turned into some... some little monster!"'' |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Genetically and cybernetically modified by the High Evolutionary in an experiment to create intelligent life, Rocket managed to escape from his abusive captivity and found a life travelling the galaxy as a bounty hunter. Despite his appearance, he's a GadgeteerGenius with a penchant for heavy weaponry and explosives, and alongside his ''Flora colossus'' companion Groot, he's not one to be messed with. |
| 27 | ---- |
| 28 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 29 | |
| 30 | [[folder:#-E]] |
| 31 | * EleventhHourRanger: Rocket, Groot, and Thor join the battle in Wakanda after they have completed the creation of Stormbreaker. |
| 32 | * ThirteenIsUnlucky: {{Zigzagged}}. His designation while living a hellish life of being constantly ripped apart and pulled back together ''without anesthetics'' was ''89P'''13'''''; and yet he was the only subject among Batch 89 to have survived the purge at the guns of The High Evolutionary. Yet Rocket being the SoleSurvivor among his first friends left him with ''deep'' lifelong emotional scars and SurvivorGuilt that turned him from a sweet and innocent raccoon kit into the foul mouthed and cynical curmudgeon we meet him as in the [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014 first Volume]] of ''Guardians of The Galaxy.'' |
| 33 | * AccentAdaptation: In certain adaptations featuring the character prior to the MCU, Rocket had a Cockney accent. Here, his accent is clearly American, specifically [[BrooklynRage Brooklynese]] (which makes more sense when you remember that raccoons are native to North America). |
| 34 | * TheAce: He may be The High Evolutionary's greatest achievement, having mastered science and technology at a very young age and perfecting The High Evolutionary's own work when the man himself was at a loss for how to proceed. He then shows himself to be ''morally'' superior to the man as well, [[spoiler:doing everything he can to rescue his test subjects and refusing to kill him.]] |
| 35 | * AcePilot: Shows great skill when defending Xandar against the Necrocrafts, and in the sequel states he regards himself as the best pilot around (though Peter would dispute that). |
| 36 | * AdaptationNameChange: {{Downplayed}}. In the comics, he has a SpeciesSurname, and this version of Rocket is occasionally referred to as "Rocket Raccoon" in out-of-universe information, but in the film, he's just referred to as "Rocket" and is credited as such in the end credits. Here, he ''detests'' being called a raccoon. [[spoiler:{{Averted}} during the climax of ''Vol. 3''. After discovering he really is an uplifted raccoon, Rocket embraces his roots and defiantly calls himself Rocket Raccoon during his PreAsskickingOneLiner.]] |
| 37 | * AdventurerOutfit: His new gear starting in ''Endgame'' is a pretty classic Airman with the expected space twist, including a red ScarfOfAsskicking, goggles (part of the time, at least), and a pair of reconfigurable blaster pistols. |
| 38 | * AffectionateNickname: |
| 39 | ** Accidental; as Thor does not know what a raccoon is (and the raccoon in question not even bothering to tell him what his name is), he warmly refers to Rocket as "Rabbit" throughout the entirety of ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''. |
| 40 | ** Tony nicknames him "Ratchet", after one of the title characters in ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClank'' while they're building the Quantum Tunnel. Understandably, Rocket doesn't understand the reference. |
| 41 | * AlliterativeName: '''R'''ocket '''R'''accoon. |
| 42 | * AlternateSelf: He has one on Earth-72124. |
| 43 | * AMFMCharacterization: ''Vol. 3'' opens with Rocket quietly singing along to Music/{{Radiohead}}'s "Creep", which he is playing over Knowhere's PA system. It demonstrates that despite having a FoundFamily, Rocket still considers himself a freak of nature that shouldn't exist. [[spoiler:At the end of the movie, he along with everyone else in Knowhere dances along to Florence + the Machine’s “Dog Days Are Over”, signifying he’s finally found self-acceptance and is starting to move on from his traumatic past.]] |
| 44 | * {{Angrish}}: In ''Vol. 1'' he is eager to [[RefusalOfTheCall ditch the Infinity Stone]] and haul tail to the other side of the universe, and is none too happy when Groot decides to help Drax, forcing Rocket to either [[GotVolunteered risk his life playing hero]] or [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive abandon his one friend]]. |
| 45 | -->'''Rocket:''' ''Arrrrrrgggg!'' '''You're! Making! Me! BEAT! UP!! GRASS!!!''' |
| 46 | * AnimalStereotypes: A raccoon who's a bad-tempered kleptomaniac (indeed, he seems to find no moral issue with taking something if he wants it more than the rightful owner). |
| 47 | * AnimalSuperhero: Just look at him -- a gun-slinging talking raccoon. |
| 48 | * AnnoyingLaugh: He often lets out a forced laugh, and in ''Vol. 1'' Star-Lord even insults him for faking it so badly to express contempt for Peter's 12% of a plan. That doesn't stop him from doing it again in ''Vol. 2'' when he mocks Taserface. |
| 49 | -->'''Rocket:''' That is the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire life, because that is ''not'' a plan! |
| 50 | * AntiHero: At first, Rocket is explicitly ''not'' heroic. He's really abrasive, is OnlyInItForTheMoney when his TrueCompanions aren't directly concerned, and is plagued by existential crisis as a lonely experiment who has no one quite like him in the galaxy. |
| 51 | * AppropriatedAppellation: He spent the first two movies in denial that he was a raccoon, up to the point where calling him any kind of animal was a major BerserkButton for him. In the third film after facing his past and seeing that he was in fact a raccoon before the horrible experimentations he was subjected to, he triumphantly tells his creator his name's Rocket Raccoon. |
| 52 | * AscendedExtra: Rocket's role and importance is greatly increased with each Guardians of the Galaxy films. To summarize he started off as a supporting character in the first movie, then becomes the {{Deuteragonist}} in ''Vol 2.'', before finally becoming the main character in ''Vol 3'' with WordOfGod confirming that Rocket is TheProtagonist of the whole trilogy. |
| 53 | * AscendedMeme: In ''Infinity War'', during the FinalBattle in Wakanda, Rocket eyeballs Bucky's metal arm and attempts to buy it off him. |
| 54 | * AssShove: Rocket gives Thor a cybernetic eye and suggests he wash it, with this trope as Rocket's method of hiding it when he stole it. He says it ''after'' Thor has put the eye in. |
| 55 | * AttentionWhore: He comes across as this in ''Vol. 2''. From setting up a sound system right before a big fight to play Quill's music even though Quill himself says its a bad idea, to fighting with Quill over flying the ship, to all his failed attempts at Quill's sarcasm, it feels like Rocket has taken a shine to Quill but doesn't know how to express himself in a way that isn't jerkish. He looked genuinely happy during the short flashback shot of him and Quill flying together with jetpacks. |
| 56 | * AuthorAvatar: According to James Gunn himself, "Rocket is me". |
| 57 | * TheBabyOfTheBunch: In ''Vol. 3'', he's the last of Batch 89 and clearly the youngest out of all his childhood friends, being a baby and newly experimented on when they met while they were much older ([[VagueAge though their exact ages weren't clarified]]) and have been long done with the experiments. |
| 58 | * BabysFirstWords: A tragic variant; after being given self-awareness as a ''days-old cub'' by having his brain modified and his skull stapled back together ''without anesthetics'', his first words, wept to his new friends, defined his entire character. |
| 59 | -->'''Rocket:''' ''[Timidly]'' Hurts... |
| 60 | * BadassAdorable: No matter how surly or trigger-happy he is, at the end of the day he's just a badass in the body of a cute raccoon. |
| 61 | * BadassAndChildDuo: Although small himself, he fills this role with Baby Groot, although Baby Groot is a PintSizedPowerhouse. |
| 62 | * BarefootCartoonAnimal: Rocket doesn't wear footwear in the first two movies. {{Justified|Trope}} in ''Vol. 2'', which reveals that he retains his natural ability to climb tree trunks and branches, so wearing anything on his feet would affect his mobility. He does wears boots in most of ''Avengers: Endgame'', and it's partially {{averted}} in ''Vol. 3'', as he uses gravity boots as part of his uniform and in the beginning of the movie when he was testing them out. Still played straight during the flashbacks and when he's on the medical bay table. |
| 63 | * BaritoneOfStrength: He has a raspy, growly voice complete with an aggressive Brooklyn accent. |
| 64 | * BashSiblings: With his best friend Groot and the other Guardians of the Galaxy. |
| 65 | * BerserkButton: |
| 66 | ** People making cracks at Rocket being an animal, and specifically a raccoon. [[spoiler:After he discovers and confirms that he truly ''is'' a raccoon, he soon accepts it, losing the button]]. |
| 67 | ** Subverted with Thor calling him "Rabbit". Despite being aggravated by people calling him a raccoon, he seems more confused and/or amused by Thor's mistake than anything. |
| 68 | ** People who use their losses as an excuse for their actions. As Rocket sees it, there is no one in the universe who hasn't lost something precious, so you don't get to act like you're special because of it and you don't get to risk other people's lives. A touch [[{{Hypocrite}} hypocritical]], considering that ''he'' uses the lack of compassion during ''his'' childhood as justification for his cruelty and cynicism towards ''everyone''; also, his ''"toughen up or die alone for all I care'' worldview was proven ''spectacularly'' wrong in ''Endgame'' when it was '''not''' his dismissive slap for Thor's grief that saved the depressed God from his downward spiral of self-pity, but a ''much''-needed loving hug of encouragement from his mother. |
| 69 | * BestFriend: Rocket is Groot's closest friend. He is explicitly stated twice in ''Vol. 3'' to be Peter's best friend among the Guardians (much to [[GreenEyedMonster Drax's jealousy]]). They're so close that Peter was the most determined to save Rocket's life and took everything the High Evolutionary did to him ''[[ItsPersonal very]]'' [[ItsPersonal personally]] (probably even more so than Rocket himself) upon learning about it, to the point where he's eager to ''kill'' him, and [[spoiler:cried when Rocket died and again when he got revived]]. He also seems to be Nebula’s best friend after bonding with her in ''Endgame'', considering that in ''Vol. 3'', she openly calls him a friend, even family (more openly compared to the other Guardians), and [[spoiler:weeps TearsOfJoy when she hears that he is alive and recovered]]. |
| 70 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: [[spoiler:Rocket was designed to be nonviolent, but when the High Evolutionary kills Lylla, Rocket snaps and tackles him to the ground, clawing his face down to the bone. The High Evolutionary approached him to mock his grief before the backup he called for could arrive, so he didn't believe Rocket was a threat, and was too surprised by Rocket's pounce to get out of the way. When the guards arrive, Rocket kills all of them without hesitation.]] |
| 71 | * {{BFG}}: Rocket's got a soft spot in his heart for a giant smoking gun, although given his size, just about every gun he wields looks like this since they're made for taller species than a raccoon. |
| 72 | * BigGuyLittleGuy: His partner is Groot, the towering "dumb tree". Later gets reversed when Groot has to regrow himself following his HeroicSacrifice to protect the rest of the Guardians during the crash of the ''Dark Aster'', turning Rocket into the larger of the two. |
| 73 | * BloodKnight: Just look at how he reacted to getting his hands on a Gatling gun. ''"Oh... YEAH."'' |
| 74 | * BlueIsHeroic: [[CharacterDevelopment To fit with how he gets more and more genuinely heroic in each of his appearances]], Rocket's new outfits in ''Vol. 2'', ''Avengers: Endgame'', and ''Vol. 3'' each have a primarily dark blue coloration. |
| 75 | * BodyHorror: |
| 76 | ** There are cybernetic implants protruding on his back and on either side of his chest above his sternum. Given his rap sheet only lists him as having a cybernetic skeletal structure, one can probably presume those are a part of that. |
| 77 | ** He states in a drunken, emotional episode in ''Vol. 1'' how he was torn apart and put back together repeatedly which gave him his cybernetic implants in the first place. [[spoiler:''Vol. 3'' shows that was ''not a lie'' as the audience and his fellow Guardians see for themselves the High Evolutionary's horrific experiments and implants he subjected the poor raccoon to when he was younger. Nebula, a fellow victim of cybernetic body horror herself, tearfully states outright that it's ''worse than what'' '''''Thanos''''' ''did to her.'']] |
| 78 | * BountyHunter: His day job. It's how he meets Peter in the first place, as Yondu had put a bounty on Peter's head and Rocket tried to collect. |
| 79 | * BrainsAndBrawn: The brains to Groot's brawn. Rocket is the resident GadgeteerGenius while Groot is one of the team's muscles. |
| 80 | * BreakingTheFourthWall: In TheStinger for [[Film/TheGuardiansOfTheGalaxyHolidaySpecial the holiday special]], when Groot ruins the decorations he was covered in, Rocket looks directly at the camera and says they're gonna have to have another Christmas special. |
| 81 | * BreakoutCharacter: |
| 82 | ** He and Groot became explosively popular due to their unique and quirky designs and personalities, and are heavily used in the promotion of the films. This caused both of them to get their own comic series in the mainstream Marvel Universe. |
| 83 | ** Rocket himself is often seen (along with Groot) as an overall mascot for the MCU, with many observers calling the franchise the series that made "a talking raccoon" into an actual three-dimensional character in live-action and a sign of their commitment to truly bringing to life the creativity and whimsy from the comics to the screen. |
| 84 | * BrokenBird: Probably embodies this the most out of all the Guardians, [[DysfunctionJunction which is notable since nearly all of them already have shitty pasts of their own]]. Getting experimented on multiple times while conscious and [[spoiler:watching your closest friends getting killed by a man you once viewed as a father figure who also deemed you a worthless failure not long before]] as a child ''does'' something to a person. |
| 85 | * BrokenPedestal: |
| 86 | ** He initially viewed the High Evolutionary as his father and clearly admired him, albeit while fearing him to a certain degree. His image of the man was shattered when he revealed he only viewed Rocket and his friends as failed experiments, was going to have them killed because of it, and mocked Rocket for ever believing otherwise. It got worse when he [[spoiler:murdered Lylla in front of him, and cruelly mocked his anguished crying upon losing her.]] |
| 87 | ** Although all the Guardians started to get sick of [[Characters/MCUThorOdinson Thor]] as of ''[[Film/ThorLoveAndThunder Love and Thunder]]'' due to his egotistical and AloofAlly tendencies (up to the point where they were ''relieved'' when he announced his plans to leave), Rocket arguably felt the strongest out of all of them, having already lost his respect for the God of Thunder a while back after seeing him lose himself to alcoholism and depression in ''Endgame''. This got to the point where after the Guardians and Thor split, Rocket never bothered to keep in contact with him. |
| 88 | * BrooklynRage: Bradley Cooper has cited Joe Pesci as his inspiration for the voice of the character, which explains why Rocket's accent matches his temperament. |
| 89 | * BrutalHonesty: He frequently says what he wants, when he wants, consequences be damned. For example, in ''Endgame'', when Professor Hulk tries to sensitively avoid the issue of Thor's grief and trauma-induced obesity five years after becoming a recluse, Rocket straight-out tells him that he looks like melted ice-cream. |
| 90 | * CallASmeerpARabbit: Invoked. While Rocket ''looks'' like a raccoon, when Peter brings it up during a quiet moment and suggests he's an Earth raccoon who was abducted and turned into an UpliftedAnimal, Rocket himself is skeptical. Given Drax comments on having eaten something that looks like Rocket in the past, it's possible he was originally some sort of alien animal, though it's also possible that a trapper nabbed a few from Earth and sold them in an alien market. Hilariously, Thor calls him "rabbit" throughout ''Infinity War'', which carries over into ''Endgame'' when some Asgardian guards also make that same mistake. [[spoiler:''Vol. 3'' confirms he was originally an Earth raccoon before all the experimentations.]] |
| 91 | * TheCaptain: He pretends to be this in ''Infinity War'' [[spoiler:before actually becoming it at the end of ''Vol. 3''.]] |
| 92 | * CantHoldHisLiquor: With his very small body mass, alcohol affects him significantly harder and faster than the others. His tongue is loosened considerably when he's had a few; he loses his DeadpanSnarker attitude and turns downright ''mean'' when insulted. It also loosens his unshakable façade as he reveals both his mental scars (being repeatedly vivisected and reconstructed has to have been immensely traumatic) and his belief that most people see him as some grotesque, unnatural freak. |
| 93 | * CardCarryingJerkass: He's very open about the fact he's a massive jerk. |
| 94 | --> '''Yondu:''' You're like a professional asshole or what?\ |
| 95 | '''Rocket:''' Pretty much a pro. |
| 96 | * CerebusRetcon: ''Vol. 3'' heavily implies that the RunningGag about Rocket's obsession with prosthetic limbs is fueled by [[spoiler:his backstory and friendship with Lylla, Teefs, and Floor, all of whom were animals with prosthetic limbs.]] |
| 97 | * CharacterDevelopment: He has one of the deepest character arcs in the entire MCU: |
| 98 | ** He starts out as a tough-talking badass with massive, hidden insecurities and self-loathing in ''Vol. 1''. When drunk in the bar on Knowhere, he makes it abundantly clear just how miserable his current state is. |
| 99 | ** After being accepted into a family by ''Vol. 2'', he has accepted who he is physically and begun to bond with his friends through stuff like Quill's music, but he still has to learn to move past his fear of being hurt in closer relationships. |
| 100 | ** By ''Infinity War'', he has matured enough to take on somewhat of a leadership role in his relationship with Thor, and ''Endgame'' brings his arc so far full circle when ''he's'' the sober one trying to bring the distressed, impaired Thor back to his senses. |
| 101 | ** Mirroring his emotional growth, his physical behavior and mannerisms can be seen becoming more and more human and less and less animal as time goes on. |
| 102 | ** As of ''Vol. 3'', Rocket is a ''very'' different character from his first appearance. [[spoiler:He not only is no longer insecure of who and what he is, but also [[ThouShallNotKill chooses not to kill the High Evolutionary]], something the old him would've done in a second, and is determined to save all of the captives on the ship, even the animals. All of this proves that he has moved past his greedy and self-serving desires and changed into the heroic, empathetic and strong-willed leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy who fights to protect the innocent.]] On another note, [[spoiler:he also accepts that, yes, he's a raccoon.]] |
| 103 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: With Lylla. [[spoiler:She was the first person he ever saw when he was imprisoned as an experiment and the first one to show him true kindness. Rocket became attached to her very quickly and he dreamed of living in the new world with her and their friends. She was similarly awestruck by his talent and wit and the two share many heartfelt moments together in their youth. Her death drives him mad with grief and causes his NoHoldsBarredBeatdown of the High Evolutionary.]] |
| 104 | * ChildProdigy: [[spoiler:''Vol. 3'' reveals he was the most intelligent and creative of all the High Evolutionary's experiments and the only one thus far to have ever conceptualized any original ideas as opposed to just building or fixing pre-existing ones more efficiently. He's also the one to give the High Evolutionary the fix to his machine that would allow him to create more advanced and sapient life forms. And when he escapes he [[InstantExpert immediately knew how to use a gun and fly the nearest ship he could climb into despite having never used either of those before]].]] |
| 105 | * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: Downplayed. He tends to be one of the more logical Guardians ([[DysfunctionJunction not that it says much]]), but he has a lot of quirks too, namely his uncontrollable kleptomania and his odd obsession with stealing people's prosthetic limbs. |
| 106 | ** Played straight in the flashbacks of ''Vol. 3''. |
| 107 | * CloudcuckoolandersMinder: Sometimes, he's the one looking after Groot and telling him what not to do, like drink from the city's display fountain. |
| 108 | * CollectorOfTheStrange: He will jump at any opportunity to take people's prosthetic body parts, seemingly just because he finds it funny. He's stolen a prisoner's leg, a gambler's eyeball, and attempted to buy Bucky's robot arm. |
| 109 | * ColorMotifs: {{Blue|IsHeroic}}. All of his outfits starting from the ending of ''Vol. 1'' are always colored blue or at least have some elements of blue (specifically navy blue). [[FireForgedFriends Two of the people who used to be his enemies yet soon have gotten close to him quickly after some bonding]] ([[NotSoDifferentRemark Yondu]] and [[OddFriendship Nebula]]) both have blue skin. ''Vol. 3'' reveals that when the High Evolutionary showed Rocket his first view of the outside world as a kit, one of the very first things he became enamored with was the blue sky. [[spoiler:The color of the [[AfterlifeAntechamber heaven-like setting]] he was briefly in while he was [[DisneyDeath briefly dying]] is sky blue]]. Personality-wise, he's one of the more logical Guardians and grows into a genuinely heroic character. |
| 110 | * CombatPragmatist: There is not a force in the universe that can make him fight fair. Guns, explosives, traps, improvised weapons, {{Tranquilizer Dart}}s, jumping on people and punching the daylights out of them -- he doesn't care as long as it means that he's winning. |
| 111 | * ComicBookMoviesDontUseCodenames: |
| 112 | ** Although the character's full name in the comics is Rocket Raccoon, in the film he's referred to simply as "Rocket". As it happens, he doesn't actually know what a raccoon ''is''. |
| 113 | ** Ends up becoming a JustifiedTrope; being referred to as an animal is Rocket's BerserkButton. |
| 114 | ** [[spoiler:{{Averted}} near the end of ''Vol. 3'' where he calls himself "Rocket Raccoon" in the final battle]]. |
| 115 | * CoveredInScars: His back is a mess of surgical scars. |
| 116 | * CradleOfLoneliness: In ''Vol. 1'' Rocket holds one of Groot's twigs, completely devastated and at a loss for how to process the death of his best friend. |
| 117 | * CrazyPrepared: When Rocket stays behind on Berhert in ''Vol. 2'', he outfits his campsite with an absurd number of traps and gadgets in the event of intruders. He also puts a speaker in the ''Milano'' to make it seem like he's humming along to "Southern Nights" by Glen Campbell inside the ship, when he's actually hiding up one of the trees watching the Ravagers. |
| 118 | * CreateYourOwnVillain: Had he not stolen from them, the Sovereign wouldn't have been out for the Guardian's blood. |
| 119 | * CruelToBeKind: He knocks out Gamora and forces everyone to evacuate the Ego's planet without Star-Lord, as telling the others would cost them their lives. |
| 120 | * {{Cyborg}}: His enhancements are what made him into the creature he is today. His skeleton was modified to grant him the ability to walk bipedally, and Creator/JamesGunn has [[WordOfGod mentioned]] that there are [[https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/936150872253333504 cybernetic components implanted in his brain]] that give him the fine motor control needed to produce his facial expressions. It's unclear, however, exactly how much of his enhancement is due to the cybernetics and how much is a product of his genetic modifications. |
| 121 | * TheCynic: Shows some shades of this, which is more obvious when protesting against Quill's more optimistic ideas. Considering what his [[DarkAndTroubledPast childhood]] was like, no one can blame him for being so cynical and pessimistic. |
| 122 | * CynicismCatalyst: [[spoiler:Watching Lylla get killed by the High Evolutionary and the rest of Batch 89 get killed by the High Evolutionary's guards while he was freeing them turned the once-optimistic and cheerful Rocket into the hardened and bitter bounty hunter he is now]]. |
| 123 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Even among a ragtag team like the Guardians, all of whom have troubled and depressing origins, Rocket ''still'' manages to stand out as the one with the most [[Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3 nightmarish backstory]]. [[spoiler:As a kit, he was kidnapped from Earth by the High Evolutionary, vivisected ''while conscious and with no anesthetic'', pieced back together with cybernetics, and pumped full of mutagens to make the cybernetics take, which also gave him sentience and genius-level intelligence. He was part of an experiment by the High Evolutionary to create a utopia and revered his master, until Rocket and his three cellmates (including his FirstLove Lylla) were revealed to have never been intended for the new world and the High Evolutionary callously ordered his friends' executions and Rocket's dissection for his brain. He attempted to escape with his friends, but they were all killed despite his best efforts (and Rocket horrifically [[FacialHorror disfigured]] the [[ArchEnemy High Evolutionary]] in a fit of UnstoppableRage, leaving the latter with a strong desire for revenge) and he was forced to flee the base to escape his former master and his impending execution, leaving him to fend for himself in an unknown and hostile universe while still an adolescent.]] It's a wonder that he's even half as well-adjusted as he is. His past is so sad that while [[spoiler:the Guardians looked at files from his time as a test subject, [[EveryoneCries everyone]] (especially [[TheHeart Mantis]]) [[EveryoneCries tears up]] and Nebula even states that what he went through was '''worse''' than what she went through with [[AbusiveParents Thanos]]]]. |
| 124 | * ADayInTheLimelight: Vol. 3 all but confirms Rocket as the protagonist, the movie focusing his DarkAndTroubledPast and him [[spoiler:facing off against his creator in the climax]]. |
| 125 | * DeadpanSnarker: With his quick wit and sharp tongue, he's easily the snarkiest of the Guardians, even before Peter. For example, when he needs Gamora to recover a piece of equipment for their escape from the Kyln. |
| 126 | --> '''Rocket:''' Supposedly, these bald bodies find you attractive, so maybe you could work out some kinda trade.\ |
| 127 | '''Gamora:''' You must be joking.\ |
| 128 | '''Rocket:''' No, I really heard they find you attractive. |
| 129 | * DeathSeeker: His devil-may-care, LethallyStupid tendency to ''deliberately'' antagonize powerful authority-figures throughout Volumes 1 and 2 of the ''Guardians'' displays the hallmarks of one who holds as much contempt for his own life as he does for the universe at large; tragically justified by ''Volume 3'' [[spoiler:wherein it's shown that he is the SoleSurvivor of a circle of animal friends murdered trying to escape the sadistic experiments of The High Evolutionary. Being forced to watch his friends coldly gunned-down before him '''as a child''',]] Rocket naturally lives life aimlessly as one already dead, and worse, ''worthless'' for [[spoiler:failing those who have loved him]]. |
| 130 | * DemolitionsExpert: Upon boarding Quill's ship, the first thing he did was scavenge parts for explosives. Not because they needed them, but apparently because he just felt it was nice to have. He even boasts that one could blow up a moon. Guess what they need to do in ''Vol. 2''? Blow up a moon-sized creature called "Ego". |
| 131 | * DenialOfAnimality: Even though he ultimately admits to being an UpliftedAnimal, he doesn't like when people outright refer to him as such. He gets angry being called a raccoon, possibly because it hits home too hard. In ''Vol. 2'', however, he's initially not so bothered by Peter calling him a "trash panda" (a nickname for raccoons) until Peter admits it's "worse" than being called a raccoon, and when Ego describes him as a "triangle-faced monkey", he almost lets loose a snarky comment but instead decides to see if his face really is triangular. Following his CharacterDevelopment, when Stark tells him in ''Endgame'' that he looked like a Build-a-Bear, Rocket immediately and graciously deflects instead of taking offense. [[spoiler:He fully embraces that he is a raccoon in ''Vol. 3'', even calling himself Rocket Raccoon]]. |
| 132 | * {{Deuteragonist}}: Is this in ''Vol. 2.'' His actions kicked off the plot, and his own character arc runs in parallel to Quill's. |
| 133 | * DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu: He manages to rig a bomb powerful enough to kill [[EldritchAbomination Ego]], a [[PhysicalGod Celestial]]. |
| 134 | * DisproportionateRetribution: This is how his rivalry with the High Evolutionary begins. In his youth, Rocket manages to find the error in the High Evolutionary's hyper-evolution chambers that keeps causing his test subjects to be highly unstable. This, however, makes the High Evolutionary hate him with every fiber because his ego can't handle how one of his failed subjects is able to solve something that even he couldn't be able to figure out. |
| 135 | * DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:[[BaitAndSwitch For a moment]], Rocket flatlines and has a near-death experience complete with a [[AfterlifeAntechamber heaven-like setting]] and his deceased childhood friends there. However, the override code miraculously implements successfully and Rocket is revived, much to Quill's delight]]. |
| 136 | * DitzyGenius: He has a genius-level intellect, is very proficient with tech, and is good at planning things on the fly but he also thinks the best time to play music is during a battle, plus he doesn't know how to wink or really know when Quill is being sarcastic (or insulting him when he outright calls him trash). |
| 137 | * DontTouchItYouIdiot: Rocket gives Groot a bomb with which to destroy Ego, showing him which button, if pressed, will activate the five-minute timer before it blows and which will set it off instantly. When Rocket asks Groot to repeat his demonstration, he keeps gesturing to the death button, provoking this reaction in Rocket. |
| 138 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: '''''And how.''''' [[spoiler:Rocket begins his life scared, confused, and barely able to understand the intelligence given to him against his will. But then he's able to make friends, hone his intelligence to become even smarter than the High Evolutionary, and find hope to move to the New World. Then his creator cruelly rejects him, his friends are killed, and he barely escapes to live a life as a criminal in a vast, uncaring galaxy. Over time, he is able to form a new friends in the Guardians and start to work past his abandonment issues, only to have them ripped away by Thanos' attack. ''And then,'' shortly after getting them back, he's put into a coma by one of the High Evolutionary's other creations and suffers an intense NearDeathExperience and a final confrontation with his creator]]. His rewards for making it through all of this include [[spoiler:the chance to save hundreds of beings and animals from going through what he did, leadership of the Guardians, and overall the chance to live a fulfilling, satisfying life helping others]]. And he deserves every bit of it. |
| 139 | * EscapeArtist: He's escaped from twenty-two different prisons throughout his career as a bounty hunter. When he gets to the Kyln, he's already figured out how to escape when they first enter the main yard, and they get out the next day. |
| 140 | * EveryoneHasStandards: |
| 141 | ** Rocket is initially dismissive of the Orb when the Collector marvels at its beauty and destruction, wanting nothing more than to get paid for bringing it. But when Carina accidentally destroys herself and simultaneously blows up a good chunk of Nowhere in the process, Rocket is utterly horrified, and wants nothing to do with the Infinity Stone. His reaction when Gamora takes out the Stone once again says it all. |
| 142 | --->'''Rocket:''' ''What do you still have it for?!?!'' |
| 143 | ** Implied in ''Vol 2''. While Rocket has regularly expressed needs for peoples' mechanical appendages that he wants [[TheGadfly (but doesn't really need)]], it appears that he draws the line at taking people's actual limbs. When Baby Groot -- trying to get Yondu's prototype fin so they can escape -- inexplicably returns with a ''severed toe'' among the many items he brings to them, [[StunnedSilence Rocket just stares at it in shock.]] |
| 144 | --->'''Rocket:''' ''[quietly]'' ...Tell me you guys have a refrigerator somewhere with a bunch of severed human toes.\ |
| 145 | ''[Yondu just shakes his head, grimacing]''\ |
| 146 | '''Rocket:''' [[LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain Okay, then let's just agree never to discuss this.]] |
| 147 | ** He also neglects to mock [[AtrociousAlias Taserface's name]] until making sure that the Ravager mutineer's name was willfully chosen as it is, rather than being literal or metaphorical. |
| 148 | ** Of all the Guardians, Rocket is easily the most foul-mouthed of all of them, and wastes no time shooting it off to insult the rest of his colleagues for petty reasons. But when a teenage Groot dismissively curses at Quill during the events of ''Infinity War'' for asking him to put his video game away, even Rocket seems particularly disgusted at his new attitude, even threatening to throw Groot's game out into space because of it. |
| 149 | ** He despises the High Evolutionary for everything he stands for and for all he did to Rocket as a child. |
| 150 | [[/folder]] |
| 151 | |
| 152 | [[folder:F-N]] |
| 153 | * {{Facepalm}}: |
| 154 | ** In ''Vol. 1'' he does a double-facepalm on Kyln when Groot goes LeeroyJenkins on their prison escape plan. |
| 155 | ** Does one in ''Endgame'' while Thor is recalling [[Film/ThorTheDarkWorld his experience with the Aether]] rather oddly. |
| 156 | * FantasticRacism: |
| 157 | ** He claims that he is the victim of this, as he believes that people see him as a freak because he's the only talking raccoon in the galaxy, and many of the Nova officers act bigoted toward him for being different (e.g. he's treated even worse than the other Guardians when they're at the prison, to the point where his own record says he's a "lower life form" (though it also says he's genetically and cybernetically enhanced), and a Nova officer complains about taking orders from a "hamster"). |
| 158 | ** Drax treats him like an animal at times and expresses the desire to eat him, though it could be because he takes things very literally as opposed to actually feeling he's superior to him. |
| 159 | ** The Collector also acts bigoted towards him when he asks Groot if Rocket is his pet because he is an animal (although, judging from Tivan's smirk at Rocket's reaction, it's possible that he was just [[{{Troll}} messing with Rocket]]). |
| 160 | * FantasticSlurs: He frequently disparagingly refers to humans as "humies". |
| 161 | * FatalFlaw: He has a tendency to [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim push people away by being a jerk]], and fears getting attached to others because he fears losing them, as Yondu pointed out. He grows out of it. |
| 162 | * FireForgedFriends: With Yondu in ''Vol. 2'', after half of his Ravager crew mutinies and jettisons the loyal half to space, the two are forced to work together to escape. During this time, [[NotSoDifferentRemark Yondu ends up telling Rocket]] that the two of them are quite similar in that they both use a HiddenHeartOfGold-hiding façade to hide the pain of their pasts. Afterward, the two become genuine friends enough that Rocket is the second most devastated by Yondu's death after Peter himself. |
| 163 | * TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: A platonic example. The reason why Rocket dislikes people and is too insecure to openly show that he cares is because [[spoiler:when he was a kit, while escaping the pens, his first group of friends got killed as soon stepped out of their cages by the High Evolutionary. Rocket [[ILetGwenStacyDie blamed himself for not being able to save them]] and closed himself off from relationships so [[NeverBeHurtAgain he won't be hurt again]]]]. However, upon meeting [[BestFriend Groot]], and later [[FoundFamily the rest of the Guardians]], [[CharacterDevelopment Rocket started to open up on relationships again]]. |
| 164 | * FlechetteStorm: His traps in ''Vol. 2'' deliver volleys of darts toward the Ravagers, leaving them zero chance of avoiding them. |
| 165 | * {{Foil}}: To his creator, the High Evolutionary. They both developed a love for Earth's music (Rocket shares Quill's taste in music while the High Evolutionary likes classical and opera music), have hidden insecurities they hide behind a mask of arrogance and stoicism, and are both super geniuses. However, Rocket is foul-mouthed and uncouth yet cares deeply about his friends, and by ''Vol. 3'' has come around to truly caring about protecting the galaxy. Meanwhile, the High Evolutionary acts polite and sophisticated but is evil to the core and views everyone else as beneath him. Both of them are horribly scarred, mentally and physically, by each other no less -- But Rocket was able to move past his at the climax of ''Vol. 3'', while the High Evolutionary doubling down on his obsessions cements his downfall. |
| 166 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: Being the only member of the original Guardians of the Galaxy to survive the events of ''Infinity War'', thus gaining a very prominent supporting role in ''Endgame'' will allude to the fact that he's the true main protagonist of the [=GotG=] film trilogy. |
| 167 | * ForWantOfANail: Roughly half of the plot in the sequel (''especially'' the conception of Adam Warlock) would not have happened if he hadn't decided to steal from their clients. On the other hand, it's unlikely the Guardians would have destroyed Ego without those same stolen batteries, without which Ego would have consumed the universe, so while it was a stupid self-destructive move, it did end up working for the best. Regardless of the Guardians stealing from the Sovereign, Ego would have found Star-Lord eventually and it took Yondu and Rocket wising up to stop him in his tracks, and even then they just barely managed to succeed. |
| 168 | * FragileSpeedster: It's not known whether he's any tougher than a normal raccoon due to his bionics, but he depends largely on being really small, really fast, and [[{{BFG}} carrying some huge freaking guns]]. Also hiding behind Groot. |
| 169 | * FriendToAllLivingThings: ''Vol. 3'' shows him to be this, as he [[spoiler:convinces the rest of the Guardians to rescue not just the human children, but ''all'' the animals on board the High Evolutionary's ship]]. |
| 170 | * FreudianExcuse: His irritable demeanor is a result of him feeling alienated and mocked for his oddly unique nature, not helped by the fact that he was tortured into it via illegal and horrendously cruel experimentation. [[spoiler:''Vol. 3'' reveals that he's surly and closed-off to most people because he watched his first group of friends die at the hands of the High Evolutionary when they tried to escape captivity and doesn't want to experience that same pain again.]] |
| 171 | * FunnyAnimal: He resembles a raccoon walking on its hind legs. However, there is no little planet of cute talking raccoons out there: Rocket is the result of an illegal and very horrifying experiment with cybernetics and mutagens. |
| 172 | * FurryReminder: Even though he's able to speak and shoot guns and do most of the things that people can do, he’s still very much a raccoon, which plays to both his advantage and disadvantage: |
| 173 | ** He doesn't weigh very much. In ''Vol. 1'', Gamora is able to throw him some distance from an elevated walkway and later shove him and send him skidding across the sidewalk. In ''Vol. 2'', however, this is a huge advantage for him as he's able to scamper through the trees on Berhert, where the Ravagers can't catch him, as he accesses his weapons and [[TrapMaster remote-control triggers]]. It also means while he can be thrown very easily his low mass means he takes very little actual damage from it. |
| 174 | ** His raw physical strength is pretty poor. For example, in ''Endgame,'' when pinned under rubble near the climax of the film, he's ''completely'' helpless and would have quickly suffocated if Rhodey wasn't able to immediately free him. |
| 175 | ** He remarks that he doesn't have a particularly long lifespan. |
| 176 | ** He's fully capable of walking and running bipedally, but if he needs to really get somewhere quickly, RunningOnAllFours is the only option. |
| 177 | ** He occasionally ''growls'' and bares his teeth when he's particularly annoyed by something. According to his rap sheet in ''Vol. 1'', he also bites, but it isn't shown onscreen until he's startled by Mantis in the early part of ''Vol. 2''. |
| 178 | ** He also will sometimes wash his face by licking his hands and wiping them on it, and habitually steals things even if he doesn't really need them, both of which are [[AnimalStereotypes things that real raccoons do.]] |
| 179 | ** At the end of ''Vol. 1'', when Rocket is distraught over Groot's sacrifice, Drax strokes his fur gently. After a moment of hesitation, Rocket relaxes and is comforted by it, just like most animals. |
| 180 | ** ''Vol. 2'' strongly implies that he retains the [[TheNoseKnows sensitive sense of smell]] and excellent hearing that a normal raccoon would have. |
| 181 | ** According to Nat in ''Endgame'', he was caught at least once eating garbage offscreen. |
| 182 | ** ''Vol. 3'' contains a rare instance of this being PlayedForDrama. [[spoiler:While being mocked by the High Evolutionary, a young Rocket acts like any scared, angry raccoon would and attacks the man's face. The absolute state of said face after Rocket's mauling is a testament to the fact that,]] despite his vast intelligence, Rocket is still an animal with sharp claws and fangs who will use them when cornered. |
| 183 | * TheGadfly: Definitely a prankster, especially to his friends. [[ItAmusedMe He even steals just for the hell of it]]. |
| 184 | * GadgeteerGenius: Rocket repeatedly demonstrates a talent for fashioning useful things out of random junk in a time crunch. To whit: the Hadron Enforcer, a weapon that launches highly explosive rounds, was made from random bits that Rocket stripped from the ''Milano''. He also made a couple of explosives while doing so, including that one that can apparently blow up moons, which is no empty boast as the sequel demonstrates when he rigs up a bomb to destroy a moon-sized living planet, aided by the batteries that he had stolen from the Sovereign. '' Vol. 3'' demonstrates that he is this on a savant level [[spoiler:as he is able to figure out what was wrong with the High Evolutionary's hyper-evolution chamber at a single glance as a kit with a mental age of maybe 13 years old. He also creates a working card key ''in seconds'' using nothing but scraps he secreted away just in case.]] |
| 185 | * GottaHaveItGonnaStealIt: Though they were all fighting each other for the Orb, Rocket is a notorious case because he actually expresses the belief that it's not a crime to steal things if he believes he wants them more than their owners. In ''Vol. 2'' he makes fun of how he stole the Anulax Batteries from the Sovereign even as it gets the Guardians chased by their fleets. |
| 186 | * {{Greed}}: He argues at one point that [[InsaneTrollLogic if he wants a thing more than a person who owns it, the thing in question should rightfully be his and therefore taking it wouldn't be a criminal act]]. Possibly justified: [[MyInstinctsAreShowing raccoons]] ''love'' shiny things. |
| 187 | * GunsAkimbo: If he's going to use any weapon smaller than a two-handed rifle, he just has to have two, as seen in ''Vol. 2'' and ''Endgame''. |
| 188 | * HairTriggerTemper: Rocket has a ''very'' short-fused temper, and he can lose it and attack others without much provocation. Although it's subtle, he becomes more calmer as his CharacterDevelopment goes on. |
| 189 | * {{Hammerspace}}: In most of ''Vol. 2'' and ''Infinity War'', his giant space rifle is conveniently out of the way until the exact moment he needs it. |
| 190 | * HatesBeingTouched: Just because he looks like a cute little animal doesn't mean you get to treat him like one. Mantis finds this out the hard way when she tries at one point to "pet the puppy". That said, he liked it when Drax pet him, as he calmed down and visibly relaxed when he did it, indicating that it depends on the situation. |
| 191 | * HeartIsAnAwesomePower: |
| 192 | ** Rocket's main trait is his boundless creativity and ingenuity. This may not seem impressive at first, until it's revealed that out of all of the High Evolutionary's creations, Rocket is the ''only'' being to express this sort of independent creative thought. |
| 193 | ** As mentioned above, he's small and doesn't weigh very much, making him easy to pick up and throw. ''However'', his low mass means it doesn't actually hurt him all that much and enemies tend to forget about him after a toss, giving him a chance for a sneak attack. |
| 194 | * TheHero: Though Quill is definitely the face and gets most of the focus of the GOTG trilogy, as the white human man, Rocket's the one who gets the most development and usually comes up with the actual plans to save the day, starting from when they have to escape from prison. He's notably one of the only two Guardians to survive the Snap and plays a big role in setting up the Time Heist to help restore his found family. |
| 195 | * HeroicComedicSociopath: More "hero" than "sociopathic", but he's definitely one of the more violent and unfriendly members of the team. |
| 196 | * HiddenDepths: Aside from his HiddenHeartOfGold act, in the climax of ''Vol. 3'' when he's shown evacuating the children, Rocket seems to know their language (as everyone but Drax couldn't understand or talk to them), and also reveals that he's a FriendToAllLivingThings. |
| 197 | * HiddenHeartOfGold: He acts like an asshole to everyone to hide his insecurities and traumatic past. He only reveals his true feelings [[InVinoVeritas when drunk]] and when his companion, Groot, is about to pull a HeroicSacrifice. Yondu even spells this out to Rocket in ''Vol. 2'' noting that the moment he gets even a little bit of love and compassion from someone he has to act like an ass to push them away, just like Yondu himself. |
| 198 | * HotBlooded: Rocket is a snarky, aggressive, hard-drinking, ill-tempered bounty hunter who is at his absolute happiest when he's either blowing something up or mowing down enemies with a gun that by rights he shouldn't even be able to lift, and will gladly give anyone who demeans him a mouthful of hot lead. |
| 199 | * HumanAllAlong: Not ''human'', [[spoiler:but from Earth. Rocket turns out to be a terrestrial raccoon]]. |
| 200 | * HumanizingTears: A mean, abrasive, foul-mouthed little bastard though Rocket may be, he has been an ''actually'' adorable little raccoon when he wept like a helpless and lost child while holding Groot's remains after his HeroicSacrifice and when he shed tears of respect at the funeral of Yondu. |
| 201 | * HumansAreUgly: Implied by one ComicallyMissingThePoint gag regarding a criminal supposedly finding Gamora attractive. |
| 202 | * HypocriticalHumor: Complains about Gamora biting his fingers during their first meeting/fight, but his own rap sheet warns that he bites. |
| 203 | * IAmAMonster: He states in ''Vol. 1'' when drunk: |
| 204 | -->'''Rocket:''' Well, I didn't ask to get made! I didn't ask to be torn apart and put back together over and over and turned into some little monster! |
| 205 | * IAmNotWeasel: He is not a vermin or a rodent and calling him such when he's intoxicated is a pretty bad idea. Ironically, he also doesn't take well to being called a raccoon, despite that being what he ''literally'' is. He doesn't particularly mind when Thor calls him a "rabbit", though. |
| 206 | * ILetGwenStacyDie: Rocket feels responsible for [[spoiler:Lylla, Floor and Teefs' deaths because he was the one trying to break them all out. Even after many years, he still never forgave himself and apologizes to Lylla when he sees her again in the afterlife.]] |
| 207 | * ImmediateSelfContradiction: He reassures a kidnapped Kevin Bacon that he and the Guardians won't hurt him... then the actor makes the mistake of calling him [[BerserkButton a raccoon]]. |
| 208 | --> '''Rocket:''' [[IllKillYou I'LL KILL YOU!]] ''[leaps towards Kevin Bacon as Groot holds him back]'' DON'T ''EVER'' CALL ME THAT! |
| 209 | * ImprobableAimingSkills: |
| 210 | ** ''Vol. 1'': During the Kyln breakout, a brief point-of-view shot reveals that he's pinpointing Kyln security robots... on autofire... using somebody else's gun... one-handed... from the hip. |
| 211 | ** ''Vol. 2'': Rocket watches one of the video screens and sees a Ravager coming toward the control room. He scores a perfect hit ''shooting through the wall'' while holding his gun at arm's length and not even properly aiming it. After that first shot, it takes him no time at all to master the technique. |
| 212 | ** ''Vol. 3'': Flashbacks show the first time he ever picked up a gun. [[spoiler:He killed all three guards with just three shots.]] |
| 213 | * InelegantBlubbering: He may keep it together enough for ManlyTears when Groot prepares for his HeroicSacrifice, but once that's all over and he's on the ground surrounded by twigs, he goes to pieces and even starts guilt-tripping himself. |
| 214 | ** Does this again in ''Vol. 3'' after [[spoiler:seeing [[LoveInterest Lylla]], [[ChildhoodFriends Teefs and Floor]] for the first time in years]]. |
| 215 | * InferioritySuperiorityComplex: He'd never admit it unless he's drunk, but he secretly thinks people look down on him for being a disgusting freak of nature who shouldn't even be able to talk. Yondu notices this in ''Vol. 2'', and points out that they're not so different: |
| 216 | -->'''Yondu:''' You can fool yourself and everyone else, but you can't fool me. I know who you are.[...]I know everything about you![...]I know you play like you're the meanest and the hardest, but actually you're the most scared of all![...]I know you steal batteries you don't need and you push away anyone who's willing to put up with you because just a little bit of love reminds you of how big and empty that hole inside you actually is![...]I know them scientist what made you never gave a rat's ass about you![...]Just like my own damn parents who sold ME, their own little baby, into slavery! I know who you are, boy, because you're ''me''! |
| 217 | * InnocentProdigy: [[TheCynic Obviously not now]], but as a kit, despite his incredible intellect, Rocket was also very naive, and he genuinely believed he and his friends were going to Counter-Earth, until the High Evolutionary (who also mocked him for being this) said otherwise ''to his face''. Lampshaded when the High Evolutionary mentions that all of his creations are made to be nonviolent. |
| 218 | * InsaneTrollLogic: He thinks he should be legally allowed to take things from people if he believes he wants it more than the owner: |
| 219 | -->'''Rocket:''' Question. What if I see something that I want to take, and it belongs to someone else?\ |
| 220 | '''Rhomann Dey:''' Well, you will be arrested.\ |
| 221 | '''Rocket:''' But what if I want it more than the person who has it?\ |
| 222 | ''[{{beat}}]''\ |
| 223 | '''Dey:''' Still illegal.\ |
| 224 | '''Rocket:''' That doesn't follow. No, I want it more, sir. Do you understand? |
| 225 | * InstantExpert: Rocket demonstrates an ability to quickly understand complex systems and how to modify them to his purposes. It only takes him spending a day inside the Kyln to deduce how their security systems function and plot out an escape. [[spoiler:When the High Evolutionary demonstrates his malfunctioning hyper-evolution chamber, Rocket immediately understands what's wrong with it and how to fix it, despite lacking the vocabulary to explain all of its parts. He's also able to expertly wield a gun and fly a starship with no prior experience.]] |
| 226 | * InterspeciesFriendship: With everyone on his team, especially Groot. It's not like he has a choice. |
| 227 | --> '''Rocket:''' Ain't no thing like me, 'cept me. |
| 228 | * InVinoVeritas: When drunk, he rants about how he's sure that everyone considers him to be a monstrous, freakish joke and also about the painful experiments that were performed on him. |
| 229 | * {{Irony}}: |
| 230 | ** In ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' Rocket jokes that he doesn't have "that long of a lifespan anyway". By the end of ''Infinity War'', with Gamora dead at Thanos' hands and Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis, and Groot disintegrated in the aftermath of the BadassFingersnap, he's the only original member of the Guardians left alive. He's also perfectly healthy in 2023 when he's ''at least'' nine years old, which is considered middle-aged for raccoons raised in captivity, meaning that he's much longer-lived than he expected to be. |
| 231 | ** In a deleted scene from ''Endgame'', he ridicules the original Avengers for fighting the Chitauri on the ground during the Battle of New York rather than just immediately going for the built-in Chitauri kill switch, and denounces the Chitauri as the "suckiest army in the galaxy." During the final battle of the movie, he is very nearly killed by a Chitauri Leviathan, and is only saved due to Tony, one of the original six Avengers, dusting Thanos's army at that exact moment. |
| 232 | ** Turns out Rocket scarred the High Evolutionary — ''in both senses'' — about as badly as he hurt him. Except Rocket was a ''lot'' more efficient about it. |
| 233 | ** The High Evolutionary wants to create a race of people that will surpass him, or any other race in the galaxy. Rocket — who is considered a "failed" experiment yet who's also utterly unique — keeps surpassing the High Evolutionary in every single way. |
| 234 | * ItAmusedMe: He declares that to escape from a high-security space prison, he'll need [[NoodleImplements a specific kind of battery, one of the guards' security implants, and a fellow convict's prosthetic leg.]] Two of those things were essential; the third was simply for his own amusement. |
| 235 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: |
| 236 | ** The most profound example on the team. He's kind of a dick, but he looks after his buddies (Groot in particular). |
| 237 | ** Despite stating his objections to being a hero the loudest, he's clearly extremely distressed by the civilian and red-shirt casualties at the end of ''Vol. 1'' and goes out of his way to put his life on the line for them. |
| 238 | * JerkassHasAPoint: He phrased it pretty harshly, but Rocket is right on the money when he [[WhatTheHellHero calls out Drax]] for [[NiceJobBreakingItHero nearly getting them all killed by calling Ronan to Knowhere]]. |
| 239 | -->'''Rocket:''' "Oh, boo hoo, my wife and child are dead!"\ |
| 240 | '''Groot:''' {{GASP}}\ |
| 241 | '''Rocket:''' Oh, I don't care if it's mean! ''Everybody's'' got dead people! That's no excuse to get everyone ''else'' dead along the way! |
| 242 | * KleptomaniacHero: His name should be "Klepto" instead of "Rocket": |
| 243 | ** ''Vol. 1'': He argues to Rhomann Dey that wanting an object more than its owner does entitle him to it, despite Rhomann's objections to that logic. |
| 244 | ** ''Vol. 2'': A good part of the plot starts because he stole some Annulax Batteries from the Sovereign. The very things the Sovereign specifically hired the Guardians to, y'know, ''guard.'' And he did it for no other reason than "they were easy to steal" and the Sovereign were douchebags. Alternatively, he did it as part of his complex about pushing others away and wanting to be hated. |
| 245 | ** ''Infinity War'': He gives Thor a cybernetic eye that he stole from its owner as payment for a bet. Later, he makes a promise that he's going to steal Bucky's robotic arm while fighting off Thanos's forces. |
| 246 | ** ''Vol. 3'': The opening scene reveals that despite his character development, he regularly swipes Quill's Zune. |
| 247 | * KlingonsLoveShakespeare: |
| 248 | ** In ''Vol. 2'', he seems to have come to really like Quill's Earth music, to the point that he chooses to "prepare" for the arrival of the Abilisk by setting up a stereo to give them background music -- something even ''Quill'' thinks is pointless. Unless he was doing that for Baby Groot, of course. Then again, the fact he uses that music twice more in the movie for his own benefit suggests he really has grown to like it. |
| 249 | ** When left behind to fix the ''Milano'', during his takedown of the Ravagers when they come after him, he plays "Southern Nights" and even sings along for a bit. |
| 250 | ** When he and Yondu are getting ready to escape, he asks Kraglin to put on one of Quill's songs to serve as background music to their breakout. |
| 251 | ** Rocket's more open about liking Quill's music in ''Vol. 3'', from him regularly swiping his Zune to singing to songs in a few scenes. [[spoiler:Peter even gifts him the Zune in the final scene]]. |
| 252 | * LargeHam: Always angry and shouting (as mentioned above, Joe Pesci imitation!), and frequently trying to impose himself with his speech to compensate his small size. |
| 253 | * LastOfHisKind: |
| 254 | ** He believes himself to be the only being in the universe like him. [[spoiler:''Vol. 3'' reveals this is actually the case when flashbacks to his youth reveal that his friends, who were cybernetically enhanced animals like him, were killed]]. |
| 255 | ** After Thanos wipes out half of the universe, Rocket is the last Guardian alive from the original team. No longer the case in ''Endgame'' when everyone (except Gamora, although there's one around from the Time Heist) comes back thanks to his and the Avengers' efforts. |
| 256 | * TheLeader: [[spoiler:Of the new team of Guardians of the Galaxy at the end of Vol. 3.]] |
| 257 | * LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: His reaction in ''Vol. 2'' when Baby Groot brings a freshly-severed toe: |
| 258 | -->'''Rocket:''' ''[to Yondu]'' Let's just agree to never discuss this. |
| 259 | * MacGyvering: Rigs up weaponry, rudimentary ship parts, and booby traps a few times throughout the films. |
| 260 | * MadBomber: He tends to build bombs for fun, and seems to like the idea of [[EarthShatteringKaboom blowing up moons]] a little too much. To Peter's horror, he is way too lax about safety, leaving his grenades out in the open, causing him to freak out. It gets worse when in the sequel, he carries an Atom Bomb in his bag, which comes in handy to destroy a universe-consuming living planet. |
| 261 | * ManlyTears: During Groot's HeroicSacrifice. Drax comforts him after the battle. Gets this again in the sequel, after Yondu's HeroicSacrifice. |
| 262 | * MeaningfulRename: In ''Vol. 3'', a young Rocket and his childhood friends give themselves new names, when they prepare to live on Counter-Earth. Rocket chooses "Rocket", after he sees one blast into outer space. Later in the movie, [[spoiler:Rocket realizes he is indeed a raccoon, and finally brands himself as '''Rocket Raccoon''']]. |
| 263 | * MilkingTheGiantCow: He mimics the Collector's LargeHam demeanor to mock him. |
| 264 | * MoreDakka: A huge fan of massive and repeating firepower. |
| 265 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Towards the finale of ''Vol. 1'', he utterly breaks down after Groot's HeroicSacrifice, realising that he was a bit of a dick. |
| 266 | * MyGreatestSecondChance: [[spoiler:After failing to save his friends from the High Evolutionary all those years ago, Rocket gets some personal redemption by defeating him and saving all of the children and test subjects.]] |
| 267 | * MyInstinctsAreShowing: Despite being uplifted, sapient, and conversant, Rocket still exhibits a lot of baseline raccoon traits. He has a kleptomaniac streak, is quite deft with his tiny hands, and has a rather short and vicious temper. |
| 268 | * MythologyGag: Rocket's outfit in ''Endgame'' is very similar to the uniform he and the rest of the Guardians wore in the beloved Abnett and Lanning run of ''Guardians of the Galaxy''. |
| 269 | * TheNapoleon: Rocket's easily the smallest member of the Guardians, easily the rudest, and is tied with Drax when it comes to violence. |
| 270 | * NeverMyFault: In ''Vol. 2'' Rocket is completely unwilling to take responsibility for the Sovereign attacking them even though his theft of their batteries is the catalyst that starts the plot of the movie. He also claims that the Guardians and their issues are "mostly Drax's" fault. Rocket's CharacterDevelopment and arc with Yondu eventually make him realise he was wrong and apologise to Quill at the end of the movie. |
| 271 | * NiceGuy: Rocket was created to be nonviolent, and as a kit, he was sweet and naive, and shown to care about his friends much more openly than his present self did. All the loss and torture he went through under the High Evolutionary eradicated the sweet kit he once was, at least [[HiddenHeartOfGold openly]]. Part of his CharacterDevelopment involves him opening his heart once again to [[FoundFamily the Guardians]] and by the time of ''Vol. 3'', while not as close as he was to his kit self and still being a bit of a jerk, he's ''much'' nicer than he was in previous installments. |
| 272 | * NinjaPirateRobotZombie: He's a badass gun-toting gadgeteer superhero cyborg talking ''space raccoon.'' |
| 273 | * NominalHero: Even after he joins the Guardians, he's a violent thief who's mainly in it for the money and to stick around with his TrueCompanions, not out of any genuine sense of altruism. He's not as murder-happy as Drax, but he'll steal and lie with abandon. He gradually grows out of this through CharacterDevelopment. |
| 274 | * TheNoseKnows: Because of his animal biology, Rocket has an excellent sense of smell. |
| 275 | * NotSoDifferentRemark: Once Yondu decides to call him out on his behavior, Rocket comes down to noticing he's equally guilty. |
| 276 | -->'''Rocket:''' What kind of a pair are we? |
| 277 | * NotWorthKilling: [[spoiler:When he has an injured and paralyzed High Evolutionary at his mercy, Rocket decides not to kill him because he's both above killing a defenseless man and he'd rather use that time to rescue the Evolutionary's remaining test subjects.]] |
| 278 | * NWordPrivileges: His BerserkButton is being called anything other than "Rocket", and being called a "rabbit" would certainly set him off. Unless the one calling him that is Thor, then he'll let it pass because Thor is one of the few people he genuinely respects. |
| 279 | [[/folder]] |
| 280 | |
| 281 | [[folder:O-Y]] |
| 282 | * ObliviousToHisOwnDescription: Has no idea what a "raccoon" is, probably due to the lack of Earth fauna elsewhere in the galaxy. [[spoiler:He finally does learn about raccoons in ''Vol. 3'' after rescuing the baby raccoons from the lab he was created in]]. |
| 283 | * OddFriendship: |
| 284 | ** With Groot: One is a PintSizedPowerhouse with a HairTriggerTemper, the other a GentleGiant. |
| 285 | ** He also develops a close bond with Thor, a large, polite, and well-read monarch, when they meet in ''Infinity War''. |
| 286 | ** By ''Endgame'', he's developed friendships with most of the remaining Avengers during the TimeSkip despite sticking out like a sore thumb due to his species and rebellious personality. |
| 287 | ** He appears to be friendly with Hulk. They’re both sent to New Asgard to pick up Thor, and Rocket refers to Hulk as “Big Green”. They also listen to music together as they travel. |
| 288 | * OneManArmy: One raccoon army. In ''Vol. 2'' he takes out a considerable number of ravagers that approach his camp with his various traps and hand-to-paw combat. |
| 289 | * OnlyInItForTheMoney: Initially, the only reason he doesn't turn in Peter for the bounty is that the cash value of the Orb is ''much'' higher. |
| 290 | * OOCIsSeriousBusiness: |
| 291 | ** At the beginning of ''Endgame'', Rocket is still grieving over the loss of the other Guardians that when Tony mistakes him for a Build-A-Bear, Rocket simply snarks back at him silently instead of angrily lashing out like he usually does. |
| 292 | ** After the Avengers Compound is blown up by 2014 Thanos, Rocket, along with Hulk and Rhodey, becomes trapped under the rubble. Rocket immediately panics, frantically yelling at Rhodey to save him. As the wreckage becomes too much for Hulk to bear and they’re about to drown, Rocket begins to whimper and gasp for air. |
| 293 | ** In ''Vol. 3'', when Rocket [[spoiler:sees Lylla in a vision for the first time in years, the usually closed-off raccoon [[InelegantBlubbering starts openly weeping like a baby]]]]. |
| 294 | * PapaWolf: Rocket cares for and treats Baby Groot like a son. When Thanos orders a massive bombardment during the Battle of Earth, Rocket instinctively places himself between the resurrected Groot and the barrage of explosions. |
| 295 | ** [[spoiler:Also acts as this to a pack of baby raccoons when he gets them out of the cage later on, which given his species is closer to a literal interpretation of the trope, although the way it's done makes it look curiously like an opossum family.]] |
| 296 | * PardonMyKlingon: At a couple of points in ''Vol. 1'', he says "d'ast" or "d'asted" in place of "damn" or "damned". |
| 297 | * ParentalSubstitute: He acts like Baby Groot's father. Tragically, [[WordOfGod James Gunn confirms]] that as Adolescent Groot is fading away in ''Infinity War'', his last line to Rocket is "Dad!" [[TearJerker Ouch.]] |
| 298 | * PetTheDog: Early on, his relationship with Groot is the only real proof that Rocket's not a dick through and through. |
| 299 | * PintSizedPowerhouse: He's the size of a raccoon but has no problems wielding huge guns and using them with great skill. This also means he's strong enough to take down a full-grown man with just a few well-placed punches. |
| 300 | * PlayingWithSyringes: He is a product of medical experimentation GoneHorriblyRight. |
| 301 | * PoliticallyIncorrectHero: He appears to view people with physical disabilities as being inferior (or just funny), to the point where he even removes their fake legs or fake eyes for fun. Implied to be part of his [[InferioritySuperiorityComplex complex]], as Rocket himself has been modified so that he needs prosthetics to move. Ditto his childhood friends, whose enhancements were more noticeable and cruder than Rocket's own implants. |
| 302 | * ThePrankster: He'll make trouble or complicate things just for the fun of it -- though he's smart enough to (largely) stow the pranks when things get desperate. |
| 303 | * PreAsskickingOneLiner: [[spoiler:Has an ''epic'' one when he faces the High Evolutionary. Doubles as CharacterDevelopment as he discovered and accepted that he is an [[UpliftedAnimal uplifted raccoon]].]] |
| 304 | -->'''Rocket:''' The name's ''Rocket''... [[spoiler:[[MeaningfulRename Rocket]] (''DramaticGuncock'') [[MeaningfulRename Raccoon]]. ''(fires)'']] |
| 305 | * PrimaryColorChampion: The outfit that Rocket wears in ''Avengers: Endgame'' is dark blue with red streaks. |
| 306 | * PrisonEscapeArtist: By the start of ''Vol. 1'', he's escaped 22 prisons. By the end, he's escaped 23 (24 if "received a full pardon" counts). 25 by the end of ''Vol. 2'', (if the Ravager ship prison counts). Plus, in ''Vol. 3'', [[spoiler:the flashbacks shows him escaping the High Evolutionary's lab, which certainly counts as the worst prison of all]]. |
| 307 | * TheProtagonist: Despite the beginning of the first movie centering on Quill, [[WordOfGod James Gunn confirmed]] him to be the main protagonist of the Guardians of the Galaxy series. |
| 308 | -->'''Lylla:''' [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall This story has been yours all along. You just didn't know it.]] |
| 309 | * PsychopathicManchild: In the first two movies he comes across as this frequently getting into temper tantrums whenever someone makes fun of his appearance or almost getting the Guardians killed because he and Peter were busy fighting over who's the best captain like two squabbling siblings. Starting with ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' while he is still a bit surly and grumpy he has matured a bit until he finally completes his arc in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol3''. |
| 310 | * PuppyDogEyes: His eyes resemble these in ''Vol. 3'' when [[spoiler:he sees the cage of raccoon kits]]. |
| 311 | * RaceNameBasis: In ''Infinity War'', Thor calls him by what he thinks Rocket is -- "Rabbit". |
| 312 | * RammingAlwaysWorks: This is what Rocket does on Knowhere against Ronan's forces, and against Ronan himself. |
| 313 | * RascallyRaccoon: He does have his moments of being like this. At the end, he gets into a long talk with a Nova Corps officer about the definition of stealing if he wants something more than the owner. |
| 314 | * RealMenWearPink: [[https://www.instagram.com/p/BR_RGZ3DeUp/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D Acoording to this post]] [[WordOfGod from James Gunn]], Rocket's favorite color is pink. |
| 315 | * TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: In ''Vol. 2'', he gets those twice: |
| 316 | ** After they barely survive the encounter with the Sovereign fleet, Gamora tells him and Peter Quill that either of them could have easily evaded their pursuers had they not let their arrogance and need to outdo each other get in the way. |
| 317 | ** After they escape and kill the mutineers, Yondu tells him that his mean personality and abrasiveness are just a defense mechanism and that he's actually afraid of being loved because it will remind him of how lonely he really is. |
| 318 | * RedIsHeroic: Rocket wears a red Ravager outfit during the final battle against Ronan. In ''Endgame'', his outfit had some red elements in it, such as the scarf. |
| 319 | * RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear: Has a tendency to do this when talking to Groot so we can understand exactly what he said. This is toned down in ''Vol. 2'', where they allow the context to fill in the blanks, or else he's translating for somebody else's convenience (mostly Yondu). |
| 320 | * RunningGag: |
| 321 | ** He hates being referred to as an animal. Naturally, everyone calls him an animal name when they meet him. And aside from Quill, Natasha, Scott, [[spoiler:Lylla, and eventually himself]], they always call him something other than a raccoon. To wit: |
| 322 | *** Garthan Saal called him a hamster. |
| 323 | *** Ego called him a monkey. |
| 324 | *** Mantis called him a puppy. |
| 325 | *** Yondu called him a rat. |
| 326 | *** Nebula called him a fox. |
| 327 | *** Thor and several Asgardian warriors called him a rabbit. |
| 328 | *** Ayesha and Adam Warlock called him a squirrel. |
| 329 | *** Stakar called him a hedgehog. |
| 330 | *** Alternate Gamora called him a badger. |
| 331 | ** Meanwhile, Rocket insists he's not a raccoon, which Peter and Lylla both say he is. [[spoiler:Turns out he ''is'' a raccoon, and embraces the identity at the end of Vol. 3]]. |
| 332 | * RunningOnAllFours: Understandably, he's faster on four legs than two. Rocket briefly does it in ''Vol. 1'' when dodging drone fire and a few times in ''Vol. 2'', notably leaping from branch to branch in a forest and landing on all fours when he jumps down. He also comes out of a chair and runs on all fours toward the end of the movie and looks perfectly comfortable doing so. We see it again in ''Endgame,'' when he's forced to do it in order to outrun the guards on Asgard and, in ''Vol. 3'', he does it to escape The High Evolutionary as an adolescent and towards the end when he's jumping off the bridge with the other animals. |
| 333 | * SadClown: Is the one most likely to come up with a witty or snarky remark to hide the pain he feels inside over growing up tortured, abused, and having watched his friends die and feeling like it's his fault. |
| 334 | * ScienceHero: |
| 335 | ** By ''Vol. 2'', the increased stability and access to resources that come with being a hero have enabled him to move beyond MacGyvering and into full-blown inventing and prototyping. He designed and built the [[JetPack aero-rigs]] seen in the film from scratch, apparently based on technology reverse-engineered from Quill's collapsible helmet. |
| 336 | ** In ''Endgame,'' he's a critical part of the effort to undo the Decimation, being heavily involved in the construction of both the quantum time machine and the new Infinity Gauntlet. |
| 337 | ** And in ''Vol. 3'' his first scene involves him testing anti-gravity boots that he apparently invented during his spare time. [[spoiler:Which come handy during the climax to NoSell The High Evolutionary's gravity powers]]. |
| 338 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: He attempts this in ''Vol. 1'' when Ronan gets the Infinity Stone and Peter and Gamora get captured by the Ravagers, but Groot and Drax talk him out of it. |
| 339 | * SerkisFolk: James Gunn's brother Sean played Rocket on-set, while the character is voiced by Bradley Cooper. |
| 340 | * ShoulderTeammate: In ''Vol. 1'', he climbs on top of Groot during the prison escape, first to seek protection against the drones, and then takes advantage of the higher viewpoint to indulge in MoreDakka once he gets his paws on a gun. In ''Infinity War'', he sits on Thor's shoulder when they arrive in Wakanda. In ''Endgame'' he enters the final battle perched on War Machine's shoulder and stays there as the Avengers charge the forces of Thanos. |
| 341 | * ShorterMeansSmarter: He's the shortest member of the guardians and also the tech genius of the group. In fact, he's so smart that the High Evolutionary even wanted him back for his brains. |
| 342 | * ShrinkingViolet: ''Vol. 3'''s flashbacks reveal that as a child, Rocket was rather shy and soft-spoken. He often had difficulty speaking up and seems generally nervous in social situations that don't involve his friends. By the present day, he's instead begun covering up his anxiety with sarcasm and cruel jabs. |
| 343 | * SkewedPriorities: While waiting to fight an interdimensional space monster, Rocket is assembling a speaker system so they can kick ass to music. Even Peter can't go along with this one. |
| 344 | * SleevesAreForWimps: Rocket never wears sleeves until ''Endgame''. Even his prison garb doesn't have them. |
| 345 | * TheSmartGuy: Rocket acts as the GadgeteerGenius of the team, and masterminds a GreatEscape overnight. In the finale of both films, his devices are instrumental to defeating the BigBad. |
| 346 | -->'''Thor:''' The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you. |
| 347 | ** In the pre-show for ''Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout!'' at Disney California Adventure, he specifically refers to himself as "One of the Guardians of the Galaxy; the smart one!" |
| 348 | ** His intelligence is notable enough for the BigBad in the third film to explicitly be after his brain. |
| 349 | * SmarterThanYouLook: His impulsiveness, prone to {{Malaproper}}, and coarse personality make him come off like an idiot, and, for obvious reasons, him being a small, cute animal makes most of the people he comes in contact with not take him the least bit seriously, but he's actually stunningly intelligent (outright said multiple times to be the smartest out of all the Guardians) and a highly capable GadgeteerGenius. |
| 350 | * SnarkyNonHumanSidekick: He is a snarky, cynical raccoon with a HiddenHeartOfGold. |
| 351 | * SoleSurvivor: Rocket is the only original member of the Guardians to survive the events of ''Infinity War''. |
| 352 | ** [[spoiler:He's also the sole survivor of Batch 89]]. |
| 353 | * SourOutsideSadInside: Rocket is one of the biggest [[{{Jerkass}} jerkasses]] in the cast, but Yondu remarks that his abrasiveness only hides the sadness inside his heart as a reject from his creators. |
| 354 | * SpeciesSurname: [[spoiler:Rocket finally adds "Raccoon" to the end of his name after fully understanding his origins.]] |
| 355 | * StarringSpecialEffects: He is a BreakoutCharacter and a CGI creation. |
| 356 | * StepfordSnarker: A couple scenes make it clear that his wise-cracking, tough-guy façade is covering up some severe mental scars. In ''Vol. 2'', he admits that's really the case. |
| 357 | * StickyFingers: In ''Vol. 2''. Damn it, Rocket. Stealing from your employers is a bad enough idea. Stealing from employers who believe any insult to them warrants a painful and quick death is swiping the IdiotBall. |
| 358 | * StrongerThanTheyLook: Absolutely no one expected this raccoon to beat up two grown men with his bare hands and even knocking one of them out. [[spoiler: This is also shown in the flashbacks of ''Vol. 3'' where tackles the High Evolutionary to the ground and rips his face off. And he does this when he's much younger and smaller.]] |
| 359 | * SuddenlyShouting: In ''Vol. 1'': |
| 360 | -->'''Rocket:''' I got one plan and that plan requires a ''freakin''' Quarnex battery so ''FIGURE IT OUT!!!!'' |
| 361 | * SuperheroPackingHeat: The little rascal adores big guns and often uses them. In ''Infinity War'', he asks if he can buy one from Bucky. |
| 362 | * SuperPrototype: What Rocket is, essentially. True, he may not be as physically impressive as the High Evolutionary's other creations such as the Humanimals or the Sovereign. But Rocket is capable of ''independent creative thought.'' This trait is apparently so unique that the Evolutionary has created several ''civilizations'' of beings, and ''none'' of them have been able to achieve the same intellectual prowess. |
| 363 | * SupportingProtagonist: It's stated outright that the Guardians' saga had been Rocket's story all along, tracking his growth from selfish bounty hunter to selfless hero. That said the first two films focused on Quill with Rocket becoming TheHero and focus in ''Vol. 3''. |
| 364 | * SureLetsGoWithThat: In ''Infinity War'', Thor assumes that Rocket is a) a rabbit and b) the captain of the Guardians' ship. Amusingly, Rocket never bothers to correct him on either count. |
| 365 | -->'''Thor:''' I assume you're the captain, sir.\ |
| 366 | '''Rocket:''' You're very perceptive. |
| 367 | * SurvivorGuilt: Rocket constantly and deliberately antagonizes the universe, almost as if he ''wants'' it to beat him to death as punishment for [[spoiler:failing to save his childhood friends from the cages and guns of The High Evolutionary.]] He has ''never'' forgiven himself for this failure, believing that [[spoiler:he should have died *with* those who have loved and trusted him.]] |
| 368 | * TenderTears: Despite acting tough and is one of the more [[{{Jerkass}} jerkish]] Guardians (less so as his CharacterDevelopment goes on), Rocket is the one who sheds these type of tears in [[OncePerEpisode every film of the trilogy]]: |
| 369 | ** ''Vol. 1'': When Groot is about to die. |
| 370 | ** ''Vol. 2'': During Yondu's funeral. |
| 371 | ** ''Vol. 3'': [[spoiler:When he saves all the baby raccoons and sees all the other animals in the cages]]. |
| 372 | * ThisIsGonnaSuck: His reaction when he realizes Groot has run away with the bomb but seems intent on pressing the wrong button. |
| 373 | -->'''Rocket:''' We're all gonna die. |
| 374 | * ThouShaltNotKill: [[spoiler:Develops this at the end of ''Vol. 3'', where he chooses not to kill the High Evolutionary.]] |
| 375 | * TimeShiftedActor: In ''Vol. 3'', Rocket is voiced by various actors during the different stages of his life. He's voiced by Noah Raskin as a baby, Creator/SeanGunn as a child[[note]]who also does the motion-capture for Rocket in all his appearances[[/note]], and Creator/BradleyCooper as an adolescent/adult. |
| 376 | * ToiletHumour: Rocket threatening to put one of Drax's turds in Peter's pillowcase in ''Vol. 2''. |
| 377 | * TokenEvilTeammate: Even for the anti-heroic standards of the group, Rocket stands out as the most amoral, vicious, and least altruistic of the bunch (if not for Drax, he'd also win most belligerent). Extra irony points for being the closest to the ''[[TokenGoodTeammate least]]'' assholish member of the group, Groot. He does seem to be getting better though, with ''Vol. 2'' addressing how a lot of his behavior is due to self hatred and trying to get people he's close to to hate him. |
| 378 | * TokenNonHuman: When he and Nebula join the Avengers during the five-year skip in ''Endgame'', they're the only ones not to be human, enhanced or not. |
| 379 | * TookALevelInBadass: When the flashbacks of ''Vol. 3'' show him as a naive kit who was created to be nonviolent, it's hard to imagine him growing up to be the snarky, cynical bounty hunter who debuts with a {{BFG}} in ''Vol. 1''. [[spoiler:After the High Evolutionary tells him Batch 89 was never intended to see the new world and kills Lylla in front of him, he discovers that he can be violent after all, mauling the High Evolutionary and killing all the guards.]] |
| 380 | * TookALevelInDumbass: In ''Vol. 2'', he thinks he can get away with stealing from his employers, can't tell that Peter is insulting him when he calls him a trash panda, and can't tell that Peter is being sarcastic when he clearly is. He is still smart enough to make a bunch of high-tech weaponry and come up with some good plans in the sequel but he somehow seemed to get more ditzy in between the two films. The ditziness, however, was completely gone by ''Infinity War'' and ''Endgame'' and he went back to being his smart yet abrasive self, albeit being [[CharacterDevelopment more mature than before]]. |
| 381 | * TookALevelInJerkass: In ''Vol. 2'' he is somehow more abrasive and ruder to his friends. Even Peter, who normally puts up with his behavior with ease, chews the raccoon out on his douchebaggery after the particularly low blow of mockingly calling Quill an "orphan boy". Rocket admits later that his attitude is a cover to his self-loathing. |
| 382 | * TookALevelInKindness: Even more so than other Guardians. By ''Infinity War'', he openly admits that he cares for his team, and tries to comfort Thor, when the Asgardian somewhat breaks down, in sharp contrast with his jerkassery in ''Vol. 2''. Given that the events of both Guardians movies had chronologically happened four years ago, it's likely that being with his new family had this effect on him. |
| 383 | ** In ''Endgame'', following the events of the Snap, Rocket has grown more affectionate to those he considers family, sitting beside Nebula and holding her hand upon reuniting. He has also grown into a wiser, more selfles and exceptional team player, trying to console Thor after everything he has been through but also reminding him of their duty to the people they could still save. |
| 384 | ** By ''Vol. 3'', although he's still as snarky as ever, Rocket is notably significantly more compassionate, empathetic, and heroic in this film, and none of his vices are shown even once [[MyInstinctsAreShowing (aside from swiping Quill's Zune a couple of times)]]. These traits become more noticeable following his [[spoiler:[[NearDeathExperience near-death experience]], meeting the souls of his friends in the afterlife and revival]]. [[spoiler:He also felt empathy to the point of [[TenderTears shedding a few tears]] when he sees the animals in the lab that were captured and locked in cages like he was, and he vows to save all of them along with the children (and is notably the only who saw the animals as equals and worth saving as he was one of them, whilst the other Guardians only prioritized the human children), a ''very'' far cry from how Rocket [[KickTheDog uncaringly mocked Drax for losing his family]] and planned on [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere running far away from Ronan]] in the first movie. His empathy is shown again during the outing with the new Guardians where he admits he feels guilty for fighting wild animals but doesn't see another way to protect the village. TheReveal of how [[DarkAndTroubledPast dark and troubled his past is]] made him extra sympathetic]]. |
| 385 | * TragicKeepsake: The scarf he wears in ''Endgame'' appears to be the same scarf that Quill owned prior to his death in ''Infinity War''. |
| 386 | ** The odd little tablet device he carries throughout ''Vol. 3'' is the key he used to escape his cage. He's carried it his entire life, likely to remind himself how he failed his friends. |
| 387 | * TranslatorBuddy: At first, he's the only one who seems to understand what Groot is really saying. Come the sequel, the rest of the team seems to have the nuances of Groot's "language" down, but Rocket is still the one to provide most of the spoken translating for Groot. |
| 388 | * TrapMaster: In the sequel, he takes down a huge number of Ravagers attempting to ambush him, Nebula and Groot by booby-trapping the forest around them with tranquilizer dart shooters and anti-gravity mines. It works ''ridiculously well'' for the most part. Really the only reason it fails is because there's too many Ravagers spread out too much for Rocket to get all of them. And [[OneManArmy Yondu's]] leading them. |
| 389 | * TraumaButton: Upon boarding the High Evolutionary's ship for the first time in years at the climax of ''Vol. 3'', Rocket has flashbacks to both the Evolutionary's abuse and [[spoiler:Lylla, Teefs, and Floor's deaths]]. |
| 390 | * {{Troll}}: In ''Endgame'', he can't help but yell "[[JumpScare BOOM!]]" to mess with Tony and Bruce after the three of them finish putting the Infinity Stones into the Infinity Gauntlet they built. |
| 391 | * TrueCompanions: With Groot before meeting the others as they've been bounty hunting together for a long time. He takes Groot's sacrifice the hardest and is especially pissed when Ronan walks out of the attack unharmed. |
| 392 | * UnstoppableRage: Rocket is quite brittle and quick to anger as it is, but he had a particularly chilling example of this when [[spoiler:Lylla died]]. When the High Evolutionary [[spoiler:mocks him for crying over her dead body, all the years of abuse and betrayal he suffered cumulate into him ''unleashing'' himself on his creator, who's powerless to stop him as he unabashedly mauls his face beyond repair. He's too traumatized by the deaths of his friends and his creator's betrayal to take in what he's done, but it's quite jarring to see him utterly lose his mind in rage at that young an age.]] |
| 393 | * UpliftedAnimal: Rocket is the result of "illegal genetic and cybernetic experiments on a lower life form". The sheer monstrousness of the techniques used echoes ''Literature/TheIslandOfDoctorMoreau.'' The only thing not clear is whether Rocket was an Earth raccoon or merely some alien equivalent that looks a lot like one. [[spoiler:''Vol. 3'' confirms he is indeed an Earth raccoon, one of a large number that the High Evolutionary took for his experiments when visiting Earth.]] |
| 394 | * UsedToBeASweetKid: ''Vol. 3'' reveals via [[TroubledBackstoryFlashback flashbacks to his childhood]] that Rocket used to be a very innocent and child-like kit who was eager to impress his father figure, wanted to fly on rockets in the blue sky with his friends in the new world and had hope that he would do so. [[spoiler:Then said friends die by the hands by said father figure, and moments before, that man said Rocket wasn't worth anything other than his unique brain and was definitely ''not'' going to the new world]]. It's no wonder Rocket became a bitterly, even bitingly sarcastic, foul-mouthed, [[TheCynic cynical]] and generally misanthropic {{jerkass}} by the time we see him in the first movie. |
| 395 | * VocalDissonance: He has a fairly deep and gruff voice for such a small creature, especially when he speaks more slowly (The way he said "Oh... YEAH..." in the first movie, the way he said "Word" at the end of the third movie, and the way he said "The name's Rocket...Rocket Raccoon" are probably the most prominent examples). |
| 396 | * VitriolicBestBuds: This is explicitly now the relationship between Rocket and Quill, who spent most of ''Vol. 2'' and ''Infinity War'' arguing and feuding but when Rocket gets mortally wounded, Quill is '''devastated''' and describes Rocket as his best friend repeatedly. |
| 397 | * WeakButSkilled: Makes up for his lack of physical power with great creativity and mechanical ingenuity, tactical finesse, and an overwhelming willingness to fight dirty. He's still strong enough to knock out a grown man with his bare hands if given the opportunity. |
| 398 | * WeAreAsMayflies: Rocket mentions in ''Vol. 1'' that he doesn't have a very long lifespan, though he doesn't elaborate. By the end of ''Endgame'', however, he's still in apparently prime physical condition 9 years after we first saw him, so he might have been wrong on that. [[note]]For what it's worth, raccoons can live up to 20 years in captivity, and his genetic and cybernetic enhancements open all sorts of possibilities. That's not even telling what the Infinity Stone's power did to him.[[/note]] |
| 399 | * WhatTheHellHero: Calls Drax out for trying to take on Ronan's forces all by himself and endangering everyone else in the process. |
| 400 | * WhosLaughingNow: A (mostly) non-antagonistic example; this is implied to be his motive behind acting as tough and confrontational as he does; Rocket's spent a lot of his existence being treated like a joke, and he's ''very'' bitter about it. |
| 401 | -->'''Rocket:''' Let’s see if you can laugh after five or six good shots to your '''FRICKIN’ FACE'''!! |
| 402 | * YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:At the end of ''Vol. 3'', Quill decides to return to Earth and relinquishes leadership of the Guardians to Rocket]]. |
| 403 | * YouAreNumberSix: Rocket's real "name" is Subject 89P13 and the Nova Corps officers refer to him as such. |
| 404 | [[/folder]] |
| 405 | |
| 406 | !!Variants |
| 407 | |
| 408 | [[folder:Party Thor's Rocket Raccoon]] |
| 409 | !!''89P13 / Rocket Raccoon'' |
| 410 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/f39ac031_92d8_487a_8405_66a58de7284d.jpeg]] |
| 411 | %%[[caption-width-right:300:some caption text]] |
| 412 | !!!'''Species:''' Enhanced raccoon (Halfworlder) |
| 413 | !!!'''Voiced By:''' N/A |
| 414 | !!!'''Appearances:''' ''[[WesternAnimation/WhatIf2021 What If...?]]'' |
| 415 | |
| 416 | On Earth-72124, Rocket comes to Midgard to participate in Thor's planet-wide party. |
| 417 | ----- |
| 418 | * TheCameo: His sole appearance consists of him being passed out in a bathroom sink. |
| 419 | * InSpiteOfANail: Thor still mistakes him for a rabbit in this timeline. |
| 420 | [[/folder]] |
| 421 | ---- |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Characters / MCURocketRaccoon
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
