Who Dies in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

James Gunn always promised that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 would be an emotional gut punch – and he wasn’t lying. For years Marvel fans have been running wild with speculation about who would die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 – to the point that there are probably a fair number of fans seeking this article out BEFORE they see the film, just emotionally prepare themselves. All we will say before getting into the grisly details is that a lot of the biggest tragedies in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may not be the ones most fans expected… 

(WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOLLOW!) 

Who Dies In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3? 

NONE OF THE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY DIE IN VOL. 3. – Let’s just get this part out of the way: All the years of Marvel fan dread and anxiety turn out to be for naught, as James Gunn surprises us all by NOT killing off a single Guardian of the Galaxy. There are several near-death misleads for just about every character in the group (Rocket, Groot, Nebula, Star-Lord, Drax, Mantis…) but in the end, none of the heroes pay the ultimate price. 

The “tragedy” of Guardians of the Galaxy 3‘s ending is found in the team splitting up and going their separate ways. Peter Quill returns to Earth to reconnect with his family; Nebula and Drax stay to lead the Guardians’ settlement on Knowhere; Gamora embraces her place as one of the Ravagers; Mantis goes solo looking for some much-needed self-identity; and Rocket, Groot, Cosmo, and Kraglin form a whole new Guardians team.

That all said, there are some significant Marvel Cinematic Universe character deaths in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: 

Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki)

The High Priestess of the Sovereign returns in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 – but doesn’t make it out alive. The Sovereign are revealed to be some of The High Evolutionary’s failed designs for a utopia, and Ayesha’s “son” Adam Warlock is the enforcer that the High Evolutionary tasks with capturing Rocket. When The Guardians collide with The High Evolutionary on his Counter-Earth, the mad geneticist ends up destroying the entire world – viewing it as another failed experiment. Ayesha and Adam had arrived on Counter-Earth in pursuit of the Guardians; Adam cannot reach his “mother ” in time as the planet is being eradicated, and Ayesha is destroyed with it. Her death causes Adam Warlock to join the Guardians. 

Lylla (Linda Cardellini) / Teefs (Asim Chaudhry) / Floor (Mikaela Hoover) 

Rocket’s dark and horrifying origin story is told in flashbacks during Guardians of the Galaxy 3 – with the climatic memory being the night he tried to escape from the High Evolutionary, and everything went tragically wrong. 

Rocket’s heightened intelligence gave the High Evolutionary the breakthrough needed for his genetic advancements – but Rocket also learned that he and his cyborg-animal friends – the otter Lylla, the walrus Teefs, and the rabbit Floor – were headed for death, as the High Evolutionary moved on to a new phase of test subjects. Rocket staged a jailbreak, but the High Evolutionary intervened, and in the ensuing fight Rocket’s friends were gunned down by the High Evolutionary’s forces. 

The incident breaks Rocket, and he nearly slashes the High Evolutionary’s face off with his claws. 

War Pig (Judy Greer) 

The High Evolutionary’s nightmarish enforcer is sent to the Guardians’ ship while Quill is meeting with him, in a secret attempt to capture Rocket while he’s incapacitated. Gamora is the only one still left behind to defend Rocket, but War Pig proves to live up to its name, nearly taking Gamora out. Adam Warlock arrives looking to continue his own beef with the Guardians and destroys War Pig. 

The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) 

The High Evolutionary gets what he deserves. Things come full circle in Rocket’s life when the High Evolutionary catches him trying to save a bunch of raccoons from captivity aboard the villain’s ship. Rocket and the High Evolutionary go at it, but the furry hero is nearly killed – before his tried-and-true family, the Guardians of the Galaxy, jump in to save him, and put the beatdown of a lifetime on the High Evolutionary. Rocket doesn’t finish his creator, but like Christian Bale’s Batman, he doesn’t save him, either. High Evolutionary is last seen going down with the flaming wreckage of his ship. 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is now in theaters.