Now it's out in the UK and the US, we can finally talk about those Guardians of the Galaxy 3 deaths. While there had been plenty of hints from James Gunn ahead of its release, the actual details were a closely kept secret for a long time. Now we finally know what happened and to who, it's fair to say you'll need to bring your tissues to the theater. We've broken down who dies in the Marvel Phase 5 movie below so you can get caught up at a glance.
The new film revolves around a race to save Rocket Raccoon's life, with the High Evolutionary looming large as the main villain. With that in mind, you might be fearing for our favorite, cuddly raccoon's life. Plus, Gunn and Kevin Feige have teased that Gunn was free to kill off anyone he wanted in the threequel. But who does meet their match in the film? For that, you'll have to check out the below.
It should go without saying, but a warning that the following will contain major Guardians of the Galaxy 3 spoilers! Turn back now if you haven't seen the movie yet!
If you have, make sure to also check out our breakdown of the Guardians of the Galaxy 3 post-credits scenes and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 ending explained too.
Who dies in Guardians of the Galaxy 3? *Spoilers*
Ayesha
The Golden High Priestess of the Sovereign meets her end on Counter-Earth. Her spaceship – with her inside of it – is blown up right in front of her son Adam Warlock as he tries to retrieve Rocket Raccoon for the High Evolutionary. Adam presses on alone, though eventually he has a change of heart and ends up joining the new Guardians of the Galaxy.
The High Evolutionary
The High Evolutionary is a bit of a tricky one. He may or may not be dead after Rocket Raccoon refused to kill him, but then the entire spaceship blew up with the villain still on board. Considering we don't see a body, though, it's entirely possible that the High Evolutionary did survive somehow – and is out there continuing his evil schemes and experiments.
But, Gamora did peel his face off in a particularly gruesome moment. It's revealed that the High Evolutionary wears a mask after Rocket clawed up his real face while escaping from captivity. His actual face is a bloody, gory mess that looks seriously painful, which would surely make escaping even harder.
Rocket's friends
In the movie's saddest deaths, Lylla the otter, Teefs the walrus, and Floor the bunny are killed while Rocket tries to escape from the High Evolutionary (shown in a flashback). All four of the animals dreamed of making it to the new world and seeing the sky outside of their cages, but the High Evolutionary never had any intention of freeing them as he viewed them as imperfect.
The High Evolutionary himself shoots and kills Lylla, while Teefs and Floor are killed by the villain's guards. Rocket, though, escapes with his life.
Want more on Guardians of the Galaxy 3? Check out our chats with Chris Pratt on returning as Star-Lord and how dark the new movie is. His co-stars Will Poulter and Chukwudi Iwuji also tell GamesRadar all about their villains.
We've also compiled some spoilery deep dives on:
- Guardians of the Galaxy 3 cameos
- Will there be a Guardians of the Galaxy 4?
- Who are the new Guardians of the Galaxy?
- Guardians of the Galaxy 3 Easter eggs and Marvel references
- When will Guardians of the Galaxy 3 be on Disney Plus?
- What to watch before Guardians of the Galaxy 3?
- Who were the original Guardians of the Galaxy?
- Who is Phyla-Vell in Guardians of the Galaxy 3?
- Where are the MCU Guardians of the Galaxy in comics?
- Our guide to the Marvel timeline
- All of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows
- How to watch Marvel movies in order
