Editor's Note: The following article contains spoilers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

The Guardians of the Freakin' Galaxy! Before their first feature film in 2014, even the most hardcore Marvel fans weren't familiar with them. Now, two solo films, two Avengers films, a cameo in Thor: Love and Thunder, and a holiday special later, and they've become some of the most popular characters in the perpetual dynasty that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Without a doubt, one of the biggest triumphs for Marvel's lesser-known characters and likely paved the way for more solo films centering around those not a part of the core Avengers team.

Both Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 received an amazingly warm welcome from the Marvel fandom and are widely accepted as some of the funniest and the most emotional Marvel films ever made. Alas, all good things must come to an end eventually, and writer/director James Gunn has confirmed that the highly anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, would be the last Guardians film he would work on and the conclusion to this iteration of the team. While this doesn't necessarily mean that the entire team will get killed off, it does mean it will feature events that will irreparably change the MCU and the Guardians' team forever.

The presentation of the film and its trailer at last year's San Diego Comic-Con brought Gunn and the rest of the cast on stage to tears, providing even more evidence that this will be an emotional conclusion to the Guardians' journey. The stage also brought fan-favorite faces and all-new stars to join this galactic adventure. With the film finally in theaters, let's meet the returning out-of-this-world heroes and who they'll be crossing paths with.

Related:'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' Synopsis Teases the End of the Heroes as We Know Them

Chris Pratt as Peter Quill / Star-Lord

From the humble beginnings of a comic relief fan favorite on Parks & Recreation to a Han Solo-esque superhero, Chris Pratt's Marvel character is used to cracking jokes, but he's also one of the most tragic figures in the entire franchise. That's true from the get-go as the first time we meet Peter Quill, he's a child in a hospital and unable to accept the death of his terminally ill mother. Literal minutes after watching his mother die, Peter is abducted by a group calling themselves Ravagers; a group of aliens whose rough and gruff captain, Yondu (Michael Rooker), took the boy in and raised him as his own. Peter grew up to become a galaxy-trotting scoundrel with a heart of gold, with a penchant for outdated eighties references, and listening to his Sony Walkman, one of the few possessions from home that he has left. Peter eventually formed a friendship with a group of misfits, including a talking raccoon, an alien tree, a literal berserker, and most importantly, the beautiful daughter of the Mad Titan, whom Peter instantly fell for.

Now officially known as the Guardians of the Galaxy, Peter and his new family explored the galaxy looking for adventure before they eventually met Ego (Kurt Russell); a mysterious man claiming to be Peter's father. This was when Ego revealed himself to be an intergalactic god called a Celestial, and Peter inherited some of his power. Although Ego was not the benevolent father he appeared to be, as he tried to use Peter to conquer the galaxy and told him that he was the one who killed his mother. Peter and his friends stop Ego but at the cost of Yondu sacrificing himself to save his surrogate son.

Peter's next loss was the one that hurt the most. In the infamous Infinity War, Peter's beloved Gamora was killed by her own adoptive father, Thanos (Josh Brolin). His pain caused Peter to indirectly let Thanos get the rest of the Infinity Stones, causing him and half the universe to disappear into dust. He came back in Avengers: Endgame of course, but the pain that Peter felt was still there. When he discovered that there was a Gamora from another timeline somewhere out there in the universe now, he now can't help but try to find her.

As you might expect, the events of the team's time with the Avengers left a major scar on Peter, who has fallen into a deep depression following the death of the woman he loved. Though he still can't escape his depressive thoughts at the start of Vol. 3, he still is able to find some level of solace when his friends bring Christmas to Peter during The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. It's during that time that Mantis (Pom Klementieff) reveals that she and Peter are brother and sister, showing Peter that he still has family left in the galaxy.

Zoe Saldaña as Gamora

If you saw Avengers: Infinity War but for some reason skipped Endgame, you may be confused as to how Avatar's Zoe Saldaña is back in green makeup as Gamora. Gamora, like her adoptive siblings, were taken from their worlds by Thanos and raised to be his lieutenants and "children". When Gamora learned Thanos was after the Infinity Stones, she knew she had to betray him and stop him at all costs. She reluctantly joined the Guardians of the Galaxy and even was able to reconcile with her estranged sister, Nebula, and she formed a real romantic bond with the bumbling fool calling himself Star-Lord. Unfortunately, Gamora's story ends in tragedy, as Thanos tearfully killed his favorite daughter to obtain the elusive Soul Stone.

Yet that's not where Gamora's story ends, as the time-traveling antics of the Avengers in Endgame caught the attention of an alternate timeline's Thanos and an alternate Gamora along with him. Thanos and his forces entered the main Marvel Universe, where this Gamora too had a change of heart and turned against her purple father.

The Gamora we meet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has found a new place in this strange new timeline as a prominent member of Stakar Ogord's (Sylvester Stallone) Ravagers, and suffice it to say, she's understandably confused and weirded out by this Peter Quill person.

Dave Bautista as Drax

Dave Bautista's Drax the Destroyer isn't just one of the funniest characters in Guardians movies, he could be the funniest character in any MCU film. At first glance, Drax seems like your typical muscle-bound meathead, and while he is certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer, he still maintains a heavy heart after losing his family to Thanos. Despite that tragic past, Drax still provides great levity to the team, albeit unintentionally, as his species is incapable of understanding sarcasm and takes every single statement literally.

Drax may have lost the family he had, but he found a new one in the Guardians team, being more than willing to put his life on the line for this band of misfits that he's grown to love. His fervent desire to make his best friend, Peter, happy in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special shows how much he's become attached to this lovable bunch of a-holes.

Related:Drax Is a Reincarnated Saxophone (Draxophone) Player: How Your Favorite MCU Characters Are Wildly Different In the Comics

Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon

Hangover star Bradley Cooper's CGI raccoon has always kept things pretty private and reserved, but Vol. 3 is set to really delve into the technologically advanced mammal's past.

Rocket, along with his trusty tree companion Groot, started out as bounty hunters tracking down marks throughout the galaxy. That was how they meet Peter Quill, but a galaxy-destroying set of circumstances saw the pair form a team of "jackasses standing in a circle" that would later be called the Guardians of the Galaxy. In Vol. 2, Rocket's attitude problems persist, causing a significant rift between him and the rest of the team while caring for the new baby form of Groot. That's until he forms an unlikely alliance with Yondu whose mistakes show Rocket the value of having a family and cherishing them.

Vol. 3 has flashbacks to a much younger Rocket, showing his evolution from a normal infant Raccoon into the evolved lifeform at the hands of the nefarious High Evolutionary. We also see Rocket interact with his longtime comic love interest, Lylla Otter (Linda Cardellini) making her MCU debut in the film.

Vin Diesel as Groot

In stark contrast to his angry rodent friend, Groot is a sweetheart on the inside despite occasionally having to resort to brute strength. Vin Diesel doesn't get too much amazing dialogue since the only things Groot is capable of saying are "I" and "am" and "Groot", with Rocket being the only one able to understand his unique language. Even then, Groot was a selfless and kindhearted gentle giant, who even sacrificed his original form to save his friends in a fight with Ronan (Lee Pace). But that wasn't the end of Groot, as a single stick from the battle was used by Rocket to reincarnate his wooden companion, creating an absolutely adorable Baby Groot. His evolution continues into Avengers: Infinity War, where Groot is now an angsty teenager being raised by half a dozen parental figures.

Vol. 3 sees Groot going through yet another stage of puberty. Groot has bulked up quite a bit and is no longer the skinny twig he was before, so he's probably in his college year body-building phase.

Karen Gillan as Nebula

The other Guardians have their moral problems, but Karen Gillan's Nebula was introduced as a full-blown villain. Nebula spent years being tortured and cybernetically altered by her father Thanos, never quite being able to match the skill of her sister Gamora. This caused a bitter rivalry between the two, and Nebula devoted her life to besting her sister and ultimately killing her. Eventually, however, Gamora helped Nebula see that all the pain she felt was because of Thanos, not her. It was a long road, but Nebula eventually forgave her sister, helped the Avengers reverse Thanos's snap, and even became a fully-fledged member of the team.

That's not to say that Nebula still isn't rough around the edges, as she's become something of the strict mom in the group and is always reprimanding the team when they act silly. That being said, she has developed an unbreakable bond and attachment with Rocket, even giving him Bucky's (Sebastian Stan) arm for Christmas.

Pom Klementieff as Mantis

One of the newer additions to the team, Mantis has a lot in common with Drax in the sense that they're both pretty naive and don't have the greatest social skills.

Mantis was raised by Ego, and he used her supernatural abilities as an empath to help him get some rest, a difficult thing to do when you're a living planet god. Perhaps her connection with Ego let Mantis forgive his plans to recreate the galaxy in his image, but eventually, she saw the light and has since become a valued member of the Guardians team. Though Drax mocks her appearance regularly, he and the rest of the team have grown to greatly care for her.

Mantis gets a chance to really shine as a leading character in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, where she tries to give the best Christmas ever to her brother, Peter.

Sean Gunn as Kraglin

Initially just a clever little way for James Gunn to put his brother in his films, Sean Gunn as Kraglin has gone from a goofy side character to a part of the family. Kraglin used to be Yondu's second in command during their time with the Ravagers. What he lacked in brains he made up for in fierce loyalty to his captain, and was gutted like the rest of the team in the midst of his heroic sacrifice. Perhaps in a way to honor Yondu, Kraglin had his captain's signature fin (the source of his deadly and powerful arrow) and fastened it to his head. We see him try to use it in an end credits scene of Vol. 2, but the young Ravager clearly needs quite a bit of practice with the one-of-a-kind weapon.

In Vol. 3, Kraglin is still trying to get the hang of Yondu's arrow while he holds down the fort on the team's new based on Knowhere.

Maria Bakalova as Cosmo the Spacedog

The next character, being played by Borat Subsequent Moviefilm breakout Maria Bakalova, is one that we've seen before but haven't heard.

Cosmo the Spacedog had a brief appearance in the original Guardians of the Galaxy film, being one of many creatures trapped in the Collector's (Benicio Del Toro) expansive collection. Cosmo presumably escaped after the collection was destroyed, but they kept their mouths shut for the whole film. In the comics, Cosmo is a bit more talkative, being a Russian cosmonaut canine that was sent into space and obtained psychic abilities. An unusually powerful entity, Cosmo is often a friend to the Guardians and is another adorable addition to the films.

Sylvester Stallone as Stakar Ogord

Before he was King Shark in The Suicide Squad, legendary eighties action movie icon Sylvester Stallone was Stakar Ogord, a highly respected Ravager captain. Just like Kraglin looked up to Yondu, Yondu looked up to Stakar (known as Starhawk in the comics). Stakar took Yondu in when he was a young slave and raised him on their code, but then shunned his formal pupil when Yondu broke that code and kidnaped a child on Earth.

Thankfully, Yondu redeemed himself, and his heroic deeds with the Guardians inspired Stakar to reunite with some old friends. In another end credits scene for Vol. 2, Stakar can be seen forming a team of his own, featuring his first mate Martinex (Michael Rosenbaum), his wife Aleta Ogord (Michelle Yeoh), and some old friends like Charlie-27 (Ving Rhames), Mainframe (Miley Cyrus), and Krugar. Stallone returns as Stalkar in Vol. 3 have taken Gamora under his wing, with Martinex and Mainframe also returning (with Tara Strong taking over from Cyrus).

Elizabeth Debicki as Ayesha

A secondary antagonist from Vol. 2, Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki) has a master plan for revenge in Vol. 3. Ayesha is the High Priestess of the Sovereign, an alien race that views themselves as the perfect lifeforms. The Guardians earned her wrath when Rocket stole some valuable Anulax Batteries and brought the whole Sovereign fleet on their tail.

The Guardians won of course and Ayesha wasted the resources of her people. Now half-mad and with the anger of the Sovereign council upon her, Ayesha ends the film with her creating a new ultimate life form, one whom she affectionately names Adam.

Will Poulter as Adam Warlock

One of the newest characters to join the Guardians trilogy is also one that fans have been eagerly awaiting to see. That character is the all-powerful Adam Warlock, and he'll be brought to life by Midsommar star Will Poulter.

Warlock in the comics could very well be considered the Guardians of the Galaxy equivalent of Vision in a lot of ways. He is an ultra-powerful, perfect organism who was artificially created and has miraculous Superman-like abilities like super-strength and flight. He even, like Vision, has a historic connection to the Infinity Stones that he makes use of, but that probably won't make its way into the films since the Infinity Saga is long over, and the stones they're named after are long destroyed. Being such a well-known member of the team, Warlock will likely start out as a foe hunting down the Guardians before eventually teaming up with them and stopping the film's true villain.

Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary

After already working with James Gunn on the highly successful Peacemaker, Chukwudi Iwuji will be reuniting with the writer/director as a new major threat: The High Evolutionary.

The name of Marvel's newest psychopath is pretty self-explanatory. Like Ayesha, the High Evolutionary is obsessed with creating the perfect specimen of high evolution, but he takes it a step further than even those pompous gold aliens. Instead of just using DNA from scratch, the High Evolutionary takes already existing people and creatures and "enhances" them, in the hope of creating an infallible being. Another difference between the High Evolutionary and the Sovereign is that the Sovereign think they've already made the perfect being, but the High Evolutionary is never satisfied. He will torture and mutilate millions of lifeforms in his quest for pure perfection, and that quest has been going on so long to the point that a young Rocket was one of his own test subjects.

Linda Cardellini as Lylla Otter

Over twenty years after she played Velma in the James Gunn-written live-action Scooby-Doo, Linda Cardellini has reunited with Gunn to voice Rocket's historic love-interest, Lylla Otter.

Rocket and Lylla go way back in the comics, both being once normal animals who were given sentience and ruthlessly experimented on. The two reunite at various points in the comics, many of which involve the two enhanced mammals having a history with one another. We'll have to see if Lylla was able to escape her prison as Rocket did or if she became one of the many victims of the High Evolutionary.

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