All of the Guardians of the Galaxy use humor as a coping mechanism, and hide real pain from past traumas under the facade of a thieving misfit, but it’s the most poignantly prevalent in Rocket. He has a sociopathic attitude towards violence, but he’s also dealing with deep insecurities.
Bradley Cooper has compared Rocket to Joe Pesci’s quick-witted hothead character, Tommy DeVito from Goodfellas, and just like Tommy, Rocket has plenty of both hilarious and heartbreaking moments. So, here are five Rocket quotes from the MCU that made us laugh out loud, as well as five that broke our hearts.
Funniest: “You Look Like Melted Ice Cream.”
Thor’s physical transformation after the five-year time jump in Avengers: Endgame was mostly played as a part of his tragedy. The God of Thunder’s alcoholism and weight gain were visual signals that he had spiraled into a deep depression following his failure to prevent Thanos from wiping out half of all life.
Still, that doesn’t mean Rocket didn’t get in a few jabs at Thor’s weight, like this one: “You look like melted ice cream.”
Most Heartbreaking: “I Didn’t Ask To Get Made!”
As the Guardians wait for the Collector to come and make them an offer for the Power Stone, Rocket gets drunk and starts a bar fight with Drax after he calls him “vermin.” Rocket reveals his insecurities as he talks about how he was created: “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!”
Quill assures him, “Rocket, no one’s calling you a monster,” and calms him down. It was a tragic glimpse at Rocket’s hinted-at backstory.
Funniest: “You Just Wanna Suck The Joy Out Of Everything.”
Referring to an explosives device on the Guardians’ ship, Rocket says, “That’s for if things get really hardcore. Or if you wanna blow up moons.”
Gamora snaps at him, “No one’s blowing up moons,” and he sighs, “You just wanna suck the joy out of everything.” It’s just like Rocket to want to blow up moons for fun.
Most Heartbreaking: “What Kind Of A Pair Are We?”
A few unlikely alliances came together in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, from Gamora and Nebula to Drax and Mantis, but perhaps the most surprising was Rocket and Yondu, who bonded over using the same defense against their feelings.
At one point, Yondu cuts right to Rocket’s core and says, “I know you steal batteries you don’t need and you push away anyone who’s wiling 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.” He concludes, “I know who you are, boy, because you’re me,” and Rocket says, “What kind of a pair are we?”
Funniest: “Can You Believe They Call Us Criminals When He’s Assaulting Us With That Haircut?”
He might get called names like “vermin” and “rodent” and “trash panda,” but Rocket can give as good as he gets. He always has the perfect insult for any situation.
When the Guardians are getting accosted for being a band of misfits who do a bunch of illegal stuff, Rocket says, “Can you believe they call us criminals when he’s assaulting us with that haircut?”
Most Heartbreaking: “Sorry, I Can Only Afford To Lose One Friend Today.”
As Rocket is leaving Ego’s imploding planet, he gives Yondu the only Holographic Spacesuit he has left, knowing he’ll have to choose between saving his own life and saving Quill’s.
Up on the ship, Gamora heads for the door to return to the planet’s surface when she finds out Quill didn’t make it back, but Rocket knocks her out and says, “Sorry, I can only afford to lose one friend today.” The friend in question in Yondu, because he knows the decision he’s going to make.
Funniest: “Bunch Of Jackasses, Standing In A Circle.”
When Peter Quill first suggests protecting Xandar from Ronan to the other would-be Guardians of the Galaxy, they’re all a little hesitant to help. However, as he gives a pep talk that brings them together, they stand beside him, one by one.
Rocket is the last one left sitting, and he reluctantly joins them: “Ah, what the hell. I don’t got that long a lifespan anyway.” So, he stands alongside the other Guardians and says, “Well, now, I’m standing. Happy? We’re all standing now. Bunch of jackasses, standing in a circle.”
Most Heartbreaking: “He Says, ‘Welcome To The Frickin’ Guardians Of The Galaxy!’…”
The ending of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 doesn’t forgive Yondu for his past mistakes, but he does achieve a sort of redemption in the heroic sacrifice he makes to save Quill.
Rocket and Groot admire this sacrifice, and Groot tells him, “We are Groot.” Yondu doesn’t speak Groot’s language, so he needs Rocket to translate it for him: “He says, ‘Welcome to the frickin’ Guardians of the Galaxy!’”
Funniest: “…Only He Didn’t Use ‘Frickin’.’”
After translating Groot’s heartfelt message to Yondu, Rocket adds, “…only he didn’t use ‘frickin’.’” This implies that Groot — who is only a baby at this point — actually told Yondu, “Welcome to the f*ckin’ Guardians of the Galaxy.” Then, Rocket jets off and heads for the ship, telling Groot, “We’re gonna have to have a serious talk about your language.”
The great thing about Groot speaking only in the phrase “I am Groot” is that the other characters can hint that he’s saying things that wouldn’t normally be allowed in a PG-13 movie.
Most Heartbreaking: “You Killed Groot!”
Groot sacrifices himself to save the other Guardians of the Galaxy when Ronan the Accuser’s ship is going down over Xandar. The surviving Guardians then confront Ronan on the planet’s surface.
They’re all affected by Groot’s death, but as his lifelong friend, Rocket is affected the most. The raw emotion when he tells Ronan, “You killed Groot!,” is what makes this such a heartbreaking moment.
