Guardians Of The Galaxy ended up being the real surprise hit of the MCU, with the blend of music, bright colors, and a fantastic story helping these films really become popular. But it was the characters themselves that made their two stand-alone films, and appearances within other MCU films standout.
The core group are all incredibly different within their personalities and that total mix of ideas and attitudes is what makes them so fun to watch together. They aren't the perfect team and the characters all have their individual flaws, but that's why people connected to them so well, finding this group incredibly relatable.
Ronan The Acc
While the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie is one of the best in the MCU, the villain leaves a lot to be desired. Ronan The Acc is obviously not meant to be likeable, due to the fact he's the bad guy in the film. However, that doesn't mean he needs to be such a bland character.
The likes of Loki and Thanos were somewhat likeable as villains purely because of how interesting they were and the personalities that they had. Whereas Ronan was a very standard villain who was merely a puppet to Thanos until he decided to go out on his own, and even then he didn't show much for audiences to grip onto.
Ego
Ego was part of the second Guardians movie and was revealed to be the father of Star-Lord. This was obviously a huge part and a big revelation, but it didn't quite connect on-screen as well as it could have done, and while Ego was an interesting character, he certainly wasn't the most likeable.
The fact that he was responsible for the death of Star-Lord's mother instantly made him very unlikable plus the fact he had created and killed tons of children. But he did have a little more personality and purpose than Ronan, which made him slightly more likeable.
Gamora
Gamora might be one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, but that doesn't necessarily make her the most likeable. Because of her upbringing with Thanos, Gamora isn't very trusting and is quite standoffish in her mannerisms.
At times she can lack in real personality, and while that certainly improves every time she's involved in a movie, it does make her harder to like than some of the other main characters. When she does let loose and have a little fun, Gamora does showcase a lighter personality, but there just aren't enough of those moments.
Nebula
Just like her sister, Nebula is also quite robotic in her personality, and while she does initially start out as a villain, that all changes as the moves go on. Her character progression is the most exciting and well developed out of anybody in this franchise and that's what makes her such a great character.
By the time Avengers: End Game comes around, Nebula is incredibly likeable and the emotional side of her story really is very intriguing to watch develop. Seeing her start to show more of a personality and understanding leads to some great comedic moments too, which is always fun.
Groot
Groot obviously provides tons of funny moments throughout the films that the group is involved with. Whether he's an adult, a baby, or a grumpy teenager, the character is played well to really showcase his age even though he cannot talk outside of saying his own name.
Groot brings a lot of physical comedy to the movies and that created a great connection with audiences. Plus, he is very unselfish, even in his teenage form he thinks of others and is happy to put his own body and life on the line for them, which makes him very likeable.
Mantis
Mantis might not be introduced until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, but she immediately makes an excellent impact on the group. It didn't take long for Mantis to become very popular and her connection with Drax was one of the funniest parts about that movie.
Mantis has an amazing dry sense of humor and it allowed her to be absolutely hilarious at points. However, she is also a very sensitive character as well, and the combination of the two made her very likeable.
Yondu
Yondu might be seen as a villain at points, doing whatever he wants and whatever suits him best. However, deep down, Yondu really does care about Star-Lord and wants to do his best by him to try and make sure he's safe and that is something audiences do connect with.
He's confident in his abilities and his whistling is one of the most exciting abilities within the entire MCU. He comes out with some amazing one-liners that are hilarious, and that helped make him a very likeable person. Plus, he's Mary Poppins ya'll, who doesn't love that?
Rocket
Rocket is a true loud mouth and someone who often talks a lot of trash to pretty much everyone. However, he is also a total pyrotechnic nut as well, and seeing all that combined into one created a really fun character. His relationship with Star-Lord is a lot of fun as they both claim to be the leader of the group, and Rocket's confidence really does make him a compelling character.
However, even though he tries to act tough and confident, deep down Rocket is a very emotional character. Having that softer side to him appearing every now and then is what stops him going overboard and helps to make him very likeable.
Star-Lord
The self-proclaimed leader of the Guardians, Star-Lord is a character who isn't short on confidence and isn't afraid to let people know about it. While it essentially boils down to arrogance, Chris Pratt manages to perform in such a way that it isn't annoying and his confidence actually ends up being quite charming and endearing.
He's not as cool or as skilled as he thinks he is, but Star-Lord certainly has the gift of the gab. He does also go through an awful lot with his mother dying and the way he is treated. Despite that, Star-Lord still tries his best to be nice to everyone, often trying to help others as much as possible, which is what ultimately makes him very likeable.
Drax
The most likeable character from the Guardians of the Galaxy world is certainly Drax. He is played brilliantly by Dave Bautista who really broke out in Hollywood thanks to this role. Drax might be hot-headed and quick to react, but that comes from the hard times he has been through.
Losing his family is something that provides a softer side to him and makes Drax easier to connect with than a lot of the other characters. However, the real reason that Drax is the most likeable is because of how funny he is. The dry one-liners that he pops up with are consistently hilarious and that really made him a surprise hit.
