MCU: Rocket Raccoon / Characters - TV Tropes

"Rocket: Wanted on over 50 charges of vehicular theft and escape from custody."

— Rhomann Dey

Accent Adaptation: In certain adaptations featuring the character prior to the MCU, Rocket had a Cockney accent. Here, his accent is clearly American, specifically Brooklynese. Ace Pilot: 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). Adaptation Name Change: Downplayed. In the comics, he has a Species Surname, 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 and it's unclear if he actually originates as an Earth raccoon. Adventurer Outfit: His new gear starting in Endgame is a pretty classic Airman with the expected space twist, including a red Scarf of Asskicking, goggles (part of the time, at least), and a pair of reconfigurable blaster pistols. Affectionate Nickname: Accidental; as Thor does not know what a raccoon is (and the raccoon in question not ever bothering to tell him what his name is), he warmly refers to Rocket as "Rabbit" throughout the entirety of Avengers: Infinity War. Tony nicknames him "Ratchet", after one of the title characters in Ratchet & Clank while they're building the Quantum Tunnel. Understandably, Rocket doesn't understand the reference. Angrish: In Vol. 1 he is eager to 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 risk his life playing hero or abandon his one friend.

Rocket: Arrrrrrgggg! You're! Making! Me! BEAT! UP!! GRASS!!!

Animal Stereotypes: A raccoon or raccoon-like alien 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). Animal Superhero: Just look at him — a gun-slinging talking raccoon. Annoying Laugh: 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.

Rocket: That is the most real, authentic, hysterical laugh of my entire life, because that is not a plan!

Anti-Hero: At first, Rocket is explicitly not heroic. He's really abrasive, is Only in It for the Money when his True Companions aren't directly concerned, and is plagued by existential crisis as a lonely experiment who has no one quite like him in the galaxy. Ascended Meme: In Infinity War, during the Final Battle in Wakanda, Rocket eyeballs Bucky's metal arm and attempts to buy it off him. Ass Shove: 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. Attention Whore: 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. Author Avatar: According to James Gunn himself, "Rocket is me". Badass Adorable: 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. Badass and Child Duo: Although small himself, he fills this role with Baby Groot, although Baby Groot is a Pint-Sized Powerhouse. Badass Baritone: The Japanese dub gives him a much deeper voice than Cooper's rendition. Barefoot Cartoon Animal: Rocket doesn't wear footwear. Justified 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 wears boots in most of Avengers: Endgame, so it is subverted there. Berserk Button: People making cracks at Rocket being an animal, and specifically a raccoon. 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 peoples' lives. 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. Big Guy, Little Guy: His partner is Groot, the towering "dumb tree". Later gets reversed when Groot has to regrow himself following his Heroic Sacrifice to protect the rest of the Guardians during the crash of the Dark Aster, turning Rocket into the larger of the two. Blood Knight: Just look at how he reacted to getting his hands on a Gatling gun. "Oh...yeah." Body Horror: 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. If what he said while drunk was true, his origins (being repeatedly dismembered and reassembled; given that he was able to recall it, it's reasonable to assume that he was vivisected) are also pretty goddamn horrific. Bounty Hunter: 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. Brains and Brawn: The brains to Groot's brawn. Rocket is the resident Gadgeteer Genius while Groot is one of the team's muscle. Breakout Character: He and Groot became explosively popular due to their unique and quirky designs and personalities, and are heavily used in promotion of the films. This caused both of them to get their own comic series in the mainstream Marvel Universe. 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. Brooklyn Rage: Bradley Cooper has cited Joe Pesci as his inspiration for the voice of the character, which explains why Rocket's accent matches his temperament. Brutal Honesty: 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. Call a Smeerp a "Rabbit": 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 Uplifted Animal, 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. Can't Hold His Liquor: 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 Deadpan Snarker 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. Character Development: He has one of the deepest character arcs in the entire MCU: 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. 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. 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. 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. Cloudcuckoolander's Minder: Sometimes he's the one looking after Groot and telling him what not to do, like drink from the city's display fountain. Collector of the Strange: 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. Combat Pragmatist: There is not a force in the universe that can make him fight fair. Guns, explosives, traps, improvised weapons, Tranquilizer Darts, jumping on people and punching the daylights out of them — he doesn't care as long as it means that he's winning. Comic-Book Movies Don't Use Codenames: 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. Ends up becoming a Justified Trope; being referred to as an animal is Rocket's Berserk Button. Covered in Scars: His back is a mess of surgical scars. Cradle of Loneliness: 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. Crazy-Prepared: 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. Create Your Own Villain: Had he not stolen from them, the Sovereign wouldn't have been out for the Guardian's blood. Cruel to Be Kind: 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. Cry Cute: 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 Heroic Sacrifice and when he shed tears of respect at the funeral of Yondu. 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 James Gunn has mentioned that there are 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. Dark and Troubled Past: Captured, vivisected while conscious, pieced back together with cybernetics and pumped full of mutagens to make the cybernetics take that also gave him sentience and human-level intelligence, and presumably dumped and forced to fend for himself in an unknown and hostile universe — it's a wonder that he's even half as well-adjusted as he is. Deadpan Snarker: He gets a few in. For example, when he needs Gamora to recover a piece of equipment for their escape from the Kyln.

Rocket: Supposedly, these bald bodies find you attractive, so maybe you could work out some kinda trade. Gamora: You must be joking. Rocket: No, I really heard they find you attractive.

Demolitions Expert: 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". Deuteragonist: Is this in Vol. 2. His actions kicked off the plot, and his own character arc runs in parallel to Quill's. Did You Just Punch Out Cthulhu?: He manages to rig a bomb powerful enough to kill Ego, a Celestial. Ditzy Genius: 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). Don't Touch It, You Idiot!: 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. Escape Artist: 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. Everyone Has Standards: Implied in Vol 2, where among the many items Baby Groot brings to them — trying to get Yondu's prototype fin so they can escape — one of them is inexplicably a severed toe. Rocket, who has regularly expressed needs for peoples' mechanical appendages that he wants (but doesn't really need), just stares at it in shock (along with Yondu). He also neglects to mock Taserface's name until making sure that the Ravager mutineer's name was willfully chosen as it is, rather than being literal or metaphorical. 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. Facepalm: In Vol. 1 he does a double-facepalm on Kyln when Groot goes Leeroy Jenkins on their prison escape plan. Fantastic Racism: 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", and a Nova officer complains about taking orders from a "hamster"). 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. 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 messing with Rocket). Fire-Forged Friends: 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, Yondu ends up telling Rocket that the two of them are quite similar in that they both use a Hidden Heart of Gold-hiding facade to hide the pain of their pasts. Afterwards, the two become genuine friends enough that Rocket is the second most devastated by Yondu's death after Peter himself. Flechette Storm: His traps in Vol. 2 deliver volleys of darts toward the Ravagers, leaving them zero chance of avoiding them. For Want of a Nail: 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 stopping him in his tracks and even then they just barely managed to succeed. Fragile Speedster: 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 carrying some huge freaking guns. Also hiding behind Groot. Freudian Excuse: 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. Funny Animal: 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. Furry Denial: Even though he ultimately admits to being an Uplifted Animal, 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 Character Development, when Stark tells him in Endgame that he looked like a Build-a-Bear, Rocket immediately and graciously deflects instead of taking offense. Furry Reminder: 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: 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 remote-control triggers. 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. He remarks that he doesn't have a particularly long lifespan. He's fully capable of walking and running bipedally, but if he needs to really get somewhere quickly, Running on All Fours is the only option. 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. 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 things that real raccoons do. 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. Vol. 2 strongly implies that he retains the sensitive sense of smell and excellent hearing that a normal raccoon would have. According to Nat in Endgame, he was caught at least once eating garbage offscreen. The Gadfly: Definitely a prankster. See It Amused Me, below. Gadgeteer Genius: 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. Gotta Have It, Gonna Steal It: 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. Greed: He argues at one point that 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: raccoons love shiny things. Grumpy Bear: He spends half of Vol. 1 angry or annoyed at things. It's understandable: as a scientific experiment, he'd have no social skills. Guns Akimbo: 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. Hair-Trigger Temper: Played for laughs as Rocket can have a very bad temper as he can blow a fuse without much provocation with his moments of frequent shouting at the top of his lungs much to his team's amusement. 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. Hates Being Touched: 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". Heroic Comedic Sociopath: More "hero" than "sociopathic", but he's definitely one of the more violent and unfriendly members of the team. Hidden Heart of Gold: He acts like an asshole to everyone to hide his insecurities and traumatic past. He only reveals his true feelings when drunk and when his companion, Groot, is about to pull a Heroic Sacrifice. 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. Hiroshima as a Unit of Measure: In and out of universe, Rocket serves as this: In Avengers: Endgame, when Scott Lang makes a pitch to Steve and Black Widow about his idea that they could travel through time and recover the Infinity Stones, he is amazed at how quick Natasha is in taking it seriously. Natasha then replies that "I get emails from a raccoon", so of course time travel isn't crazy anymore for her to accept. In movie and fan circles, whenever people talk about whether a certain concept and character is too outlandish for live-action, the argument eventually turns to Rocket Raccoon's existence as proof that anything is possible. Hot-Blooded: 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. Humans Are Ugly: Implied by one Comically Missing the Point gag regarding a criminal supposedly finding Gamora attractive. Hypocritical Humor: Complains about Gamora biting his fingers during their first meeting/fight, but his own rap sheet warns that he bites. I Am a Monster: He states in Vol.1 when drunk:

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!

I Am Not Weasel: 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. Improbable Aiming Skills: 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. Vol. 2: Rocket watches one of 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. Inelegant Blubbering: He may keep it together enough for Manly Tears when Groot prepares for his Heroic Sacrifice, 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. Inferiority Superiority Complex: 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:

Yondu: 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 scientists 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.

Insane Troll Logic: He thinks he should be legally allowed to take things from people if he believes he wants it more than the owner: Interspecies Friendship: With everyone on his team, especially Groot. It's not like he has a choice.

Rocket: Ain't no thing like me, 'cept me.

In Vino Veritas: 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. Irony: 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 Badass Fingersnap, 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. It Amused Me: He declares that to escape from a high-security space prison, he'll need 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.

N-Word Privileges: His Berserk Button 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. Oblivious to His Own Description: Has no idea what a "raccoon" is, probably due to the lack of Earth fauna elsewhere in the galaxy. Odd Friendship: With Groot: One is a Pint-Sized Powerhouse with a Hair-Trigger Temper, the other a Gentle Giant. He also develops a close bond with Thor, a large, polite, and well-read monarch, when they meet in Infinity War. By Endgame, he's developed friendships with most of the remaining Avengers during the Time Skip despite sticking out like a sore thumb due to his species and rebellious personality. One-Man Army: 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. Only in It for the Money: Initially, the only reason he doesn't turn in Peter for the bounty is because the cash value of the Orb is much higher. OOC Is Serious Business: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. Pardon My Klingon: At a couple of points in Vol. 1, he says "d'ast" or "d'asted" in place of "damn" or "damned". Parental Substitute: He acts likes Baby Groot's father. Tragically, James Gunn confirms that as Adolescent Groot is fading away in Infinity War, his last line to Rocket is "Dad!" Ouch. Pet the Dog: Early on, his relationship with Groot is the only real proof that Rocket's not a through and through dick. Pint-Sized Powerhouse: 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. Playing with Syringes: He is a products of medical experimentation Gone Horribly Right. Politically Incorrect Hero: 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. The Prankster: 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. Prison Escape Artist: 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). Race Name Basis: In Infinity War, Thor calls him by what he thinks Rocket is — "Rabbit". Rascally Raccoon: 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. Ramming Always Works: This is what Rocket does on Knowhere against Ronan's forces, and against Ronan himself. "The Reason You Suck" Speech: In Vol. 2, he gets those twice: 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. 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. Repeating So the Audience Can Hear: 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). Running Gag: He hates being referred to as an animal. Naturally everyone calls him an animal name when they meet him. And aside from Quill and Natasha, they always call him something other than raccoon. To wit, A Nova Corp officer called him a hamster Ego called him a monkey Mantis called him a puppy Yondu called him a rat Nebula calls him a fox Thor and several Asgardian warriors called him a rabbit Running on All Fours: 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. Science Hero: 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 aero-rigs seen in the film from scratch, apparently based on technology reverse-engineered from Quill's collapsible helmet. 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. Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: 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. Serkis Folk: James Gunn's brother Sean played Rocket on-set, while the character is voiced by Bradley Cooper. Shoulder Teammate: In Vol. 1, he climbs on top of Groot during the prison escape, first to seek protection against the drones, and then taking advantage of the higher viewpoint to indulge in More Dakka 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. Skewed Priorities: While waiting to fight an inter-dimensional space monster, Rocket is assembling a speaker system so they can kick ass to music. Even Peter can't go along with this one. Sleeves Are for Wimps: Rocket never wears sleeves until Endgame. Even his prison garb doesn't have them. The Smart Guy: Rocket acts as the Gadgeteer Genius of the team, and masterminds a Great Escape overnight. In the finale of both films, his devices are instrumental to defeating the Big Bad.

Thor: The rabbit is correct, and clearly the smartest among you.

Snarky Non-Human Sidekick: He is a snarky cynical raccoon with a Hidden Heart of Gold. Sole Survivor: Rocket is the only original member of the Guardians to survive the events of Infinity War. Sour Outside, Sad Inside: Rocket is one of the biggest Jerkasses in the cast, but Yondu remarks that his abrasiveness only hides the sadness inside his heart as a reject from his creators. Starring Special Effects: He is a Breakout Character and a CGI creation. Stepford Snarker: 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. Sticky Fingers: 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 Idiot Ball. Suddenly SHOUTING!: In Vol. 1:

Rocket: I got one plan and that plan requires a frickin Quarnex battery so FIGURE IT OUT!!!!

Superhero Packing Heat: The little rascal adores big guns and often uses them. In Infinity War, he asks if he can buy one from Bucky. Sure, Let's Go with That: 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.

Thor: I assume you're the captain, sir. Rocket: You're very perceptive.

This Is Gonna Suck: His reaction when he realizes Groot has run away with the bomb but seems intent on pressing the wrong button.

Rocket: We're all gonna die.

Toilet Humour: Rocket threatening to put one of Drax's turds in Peter's pillowcase in Vol. 2. Token Evil Teammate: 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 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. Token Non-Human: He is a talking anthropomorphic raccoon in the team of human (or human-like) Guardians. Took a Level in Dumbass: In Vol. 2, he thinks he can get away with stealing from his employers, can't tell that Peter is insulting him when he literally calls him trash, 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 more mature than before. Took a Level in Jerkass: 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. Took a Level in Kindness: 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 affect on him. Tragic Keepsake: The scarf he wears in Endgame appears to be the same scarf that Quill owned prior to his death in Infinity War. Translator Buddy: 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. Trap Master: 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 Yondu's leading them. Troll: In Endgame, he can't help but yell "BOOM!" to mess with Tony and Bruce after the three of them finish putting the Infinity Stones into the Infinity Gauntlet they built. True Companions: 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. Uplifted Animal: Rocket is the result of "illegal genetic and cybernetic experiments on a lower life form". The sheer monstrousness of the techniques used echoes The Island of Doctor Moreau. The only thing not clear is whether Rocket was an Earth raccoon or merely some alien equivalent that looks a lot like one. Vocal Dissonance: His scratchy voice can seem a little weird coming from the body of a cute little raccoon. Weak, but Skilled: 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. We Are as Mayflies: 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. What the Hell, Hero?: Calls Drax out for trying to take on Ronan's forces all by himself and endangering everyone else in the process. Who's Laughing Now?: 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. You Are Number 6: Rocket's real "name" is Subject 89P13 and the Nova Corps officers refer to him as such.