Rocket Raccoon’s backstory was fully revealed in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and one line in particular encapsulates just how tragic his life was. Before their MCU debut in 2014, the Guardians of the Galaxy was a hero team that most casual Marvel fans were unfamiliar with. However, their live-action debut has now made them one of Marvel’s most popular hero teams with many viewers falling for the group’s unique humor and found family dynamic. Every member of the Guardians plays their own role in the group, with each of them coming from their own tragic backstory.

One of the original members of the group, it was clear that there was more to Rocket than meets the eye when he was first introduced. Rocket’s snarky banter with Star-Lord and camaraderie with Groot were some of the reasons fans grew to love him, yet you could always tell that he was hiding some emotional pain. In a fitting end to the trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 made Rocket the main character, fleshing out the true tragic scope of his life and giving context to why he’s the way that he is.

Rocket’s MCU Story Is Already Tragic Without Looking At Any Deeper Meanings In His Arc

Rocket Was Clearly Experimented On

The audience already had a feeling that Rocket was a product of some sort of experimentation upon his initial on-screen debut. He is clearly what humans know to be a raccoon, yet he possesses human-like qualities that would only be possible with some genetic mutation. Rocket is not someone who divulges personal information so easily, especially to the Guardians who he had just met. The first time that anyone in the Guardians gets visual confirmation that Rocket has been modified in some way is by complete accident, as Rocket didn’t want anyone seeing the scarring on his back from implants.

Even without going into the exact details of the experiments run on Rocket, the visual proof of the experiments was enough to garner sympathy from most viewers. Just like other individuals in the MCU who have been experimented on, it’s a tragic situation no matter the circumstances. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 revealed that the experimentation was at the hands of the High Evolutionary. The context definitely made the situation worse, but Rocket’s backstory already stood as tragic in its own right even without looking into the deeper meaning of it all.

1 Guardians Of The Galaxy 3 Line Explains Rocket’s Tech Skills & Bonds With His Friends In A Truly Tragic Way

This Line Explains Why Rocket Collects Broken Parts

The Guardians franchise has always excelled at mixing comedic moments with emotional weight, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is no different. The movie is packed with heartwrenching moments, with one of the saddest being Rocket’s temporary reunion with his friends in the afterlife. While thinking about the horrors they experienced together in the past, Rocket tells Lylla that the High Evolutionary “made us just to throw us away, like garbage.” It’s common for people to feel thrown aside by others, but in Rocket’s specific situation, the line stings even more.

The High Evolutionary created experiments like Rocket and his friends because he was trying to craft his idea of a perfect species. Tearing apart what he deemed broken, the High Evolutionary disposed of experiments that he deemed unuseful. That could be why Rocket finds such an interest in collecting broken parts and engineering them into something new since that was how he was supposedly created. He sees value in things that others throw away and wants to give them new life, which could also explain why he finds such a bond with the other broken members of the Guardians.

The Rocket Line Also Explains Why The Character Needed A Happy Ending In The MCU Trilogy

Rocket Ends The Film As The Guardians’ New Leader

Many fans theorized that one main character was going to die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and right off the bat, it seemed like Rocket was going to be the one to go. After going in-depth about his backstory, it was the right decision to keep him alive. Every member of the Guardians deserved a happy ending in the trilogy, but it felt especially necessary for Rocket after just seeing the extent of his torture. He found his purpose in life and finally opened himself up to caring about others with his full heart.

The film ends with most of the Guardians parting ways, which initially upsets Rocket. However, he takes up the mantle of the leader of the team after the other members express their belief in him. Making him the next leader of the Guardians with a new team to lead solidifies the growth that the character has gone through, and it’s a much more satisfying trilogy end for the character as opposed to him dying. Rocket may have one of the saddest backstories in the MCU, so him getting his happy ending in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 feels well-deserved.