Does Rocket die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3?

Does Rocket die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3? We were all prepared for the beloved raccoon to kick the bucket, but does he actually die in the third movie?

In our review, we wrote: “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 isn’t so much an MCU faith restorer as a glorious, soulful ember burning above the cinders of a cinematic universe – it’s nice to remember how it felt being hooked on a feeling.”

The threequel that’s topping the box office – and is also the final chapter in the trilogy – sees the Guardians facing off with the High Evolutionary, an incredibly powerful foe from Rocket’s past. Alongside Gamora, they work together in an effort to save his life.

If you’ve seen any of the marketing, be it posters or trailers, there’s been good reason to believe Rocket could kick the bucket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 – but does he die? Spoilers to follow, obviously…

Does Rocket die in Guardians of the Galaxy 3?

No, Rocket doesn’t die in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3.

The movie’s main story kicks off when Adam Warlock crashes into Nowhere and nearly kills Rocket. The Guardians try to help him, but the medical equipment sets off his “kill switch”, a feature implanted by the High Evolutionary to prevent anyone from tinkering with him for his benefit.

He’s essentially in a coma for much of the movie, looking back on his traumatic past. Long story short, he was taken by the High Evolutionary as a baby, torturously altered, and left in a cage with other furry pals in a similar situation; more specifically, Lylla, Teeths, and Floor.

He does technically die at one point, flatlining just as Peter gets him exactly the thing he needs to stay alive, but Lylla says he’s not ready for the “forever and beautiful sky” yet, and he’s brought back to life.

You can find out more about the rest of the movie’s ending here, and details of who actually dies here, but the main thing is, Rocket is still alive and better than ever in the MCU.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is in cinemas now. You can read our review here, while for more on the movie, head to our dedicated GOTG page, or check out the below articles…

Best Easter Eggs | Pete Davidson cameo | Who dies? | Counter-Earth explained | Number of post-credits scenes | Avengers: Infinity War reference | Phyla-Vell explained | Is Yondu in GOTG 3? | Chris Pratt wants to return | Lylla, Teef and Floor explained | Does Rocket die? | Doctor Moreau influence | Adam Warlock, hero or villain? | High Evolutionary explained | Soundtrack details | Description of post-credit scenes | All actors and characters | Runtime explained | Why Rocket is the MVP | Is it streaming? | What is Blurp? | Ending explained | GOTG movies ranked | Will there be a Vol 4?