While at first glance the protagonists of Guardians of the Galaxy seem like a group of comical characters, the reality is that they are some of the most powerful individuals in the MCU.

Whether it be down to cybernetic enhancements or extreme combat training, the power levels in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies are off the charts. Measuring the most powerful main characters in the Guardians solo films, whether they are heroes or villains, reveals that the movies introduced a wide array of strong individuals to the franchise. Notably, Thanos is not considered a main character here, so not included among the characters.

Updated on November 21st, 2022 by Stacie Rook:

The Guardians returned to the MCU in Thor: Love and Thunder, but are set to take center stage in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, coming to Disney+ on November 25th. This will be followed by The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, releasing May 2023.

10 Drax The Destroyer

Drax's power comes not only from his alien strength and durability, but from his all-consuming desire to avenge his family after they were killed by Thanos. This drive for revenge has caused Drax to make some bad decisions, like charging at Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and being immediately turned into cubes, but it also gives him an intense drive to never stop pursuing his goals.

While it's easy to sum up Drax as a character as comedic relief, he is in actual fact an extremely competent fighter, especially when it comes to the dual knives he wields. Unfortunately, though, these abilities are often undercut by his impulsive nature.

9 Groot

While Groot isn't the most verbose of characters in the MCU, he is still a fan favorite with some very powerful abilities. Groot has the ability to grow his arms into vines that are incredibly strong, throwing around his enemies like they weigh nothing.

Groot can use this ability to create shields, stab through enemies, or even generate a sphere that protected his teammates from a spaceship crash in the first Guardians movie. Groot also has extreme regenerative abilities, from growing back his arm after using it to create the handle to Thor's new weapon, to growing an entirely new body after his sacrifice to save the rest of the Guardians.

8 Rocket Raccoon

Although his appearance is like that of a typical raccoon from Earth, Rocket Raccoon is surprisingly powerful due to his extensive cybernetic enhancements. Rocket has a cybernetically-enhanced brain, allowing him to not only communicate, but plan prison escapes, pilot spaceships effectively, and use any weapon that comes his way. In fact, because of these skills, some fans feel that Rocket should lead the Guardians.

Additionally, Rocket has a skeleton enhanced with cybernetics, allowing him to survive massive hits, as seen when the Avengers compound came down on him in Avengers: Endgame. This also makes Rocket more dexterous, allowing him to sneak, dodge, and jump around in combat situations. Rocket's cybernetic enhancements combined with his expert combat abilities make him a tough fight for many opponents.

7 Ronan the Accuser

One of the strongest Kree in the MCU, Ronan the Accuser is a powerful zealot with an intense hatred for the Skrulls and the Nova Empire. He worked for Thanos for years searching for the Orb, the device that held the Power Stone. While Ronan is powerful on his own, his betrayal of Thanos and use of the Power Stone really proved his capabilities.

Not many mortal creatures can withstand the power of an Infinity Stone. Ronan was not only able to withstand direct contact with the Power Stone, but also put it in his hammer, known as the Cosmi-Rod, and use it to easily defeat the Guardians. If it hadn't been for Quill's distracting dance-off, Ronan may have become a serious problem in the franchise, but the MCU villain was killed off too soon.

6 Yondu Udonta

Yondu Udonta might not initially seem powerful, but his total mastery over his Yaka Arrow proves that he's a dangerous foe to have. The Yaka Arrow is an extremely fast, armor-piercing antigravity arrow that Yondu controls through his cybernetic headpiece, and his whistles.

Yondu exercises complete control over the arrow, using it like a dagger at the throat of Peter Quill, or to take out an entire shipful of Ravagers. If it wasn't for his tragic sacrifice in the fight against Ego, Yondu would have made a great ally in the fight against Thanos. The Yaka Arrow is one of the most powerful weapons in the MCU, and Yondu wields it expertly.

5 Nebula

Daughter of Thanos and sister of Gamora, Nebula may have the strongest cybernetics in the MCU. Nebula was enhanced by Thanos every time she lost a fight to Gamora in one of their training matches, and though this caused her substantial trauma, it also made her extremely powerful. Nebula's cybernetics make her more powerful than any standard human, granting her superhuman strength, durability, speed, and dexterity.

Nebula easily survived the trip back from Titan that almost killed Tony Stark, and she has endured many injuries, including a mighty blow from the Infinity Gauntlet. Nebula can heal from wounds extremely quickly, and she became a master assassin after years of training with Thanos, making her one of the strongest characters in the Guardians franchise.

4 Gamora

Daughter of Thanos, Gamora's alien physiology and biological enhancements make her one of the most feared individuals in the galaxy. Gamora is extremely strong, throwing her enemies across the battlefield with relative ease.

Gamora's bionic enhancements include a toxin-filtering liver, nano-machines in her blood, and enhanced eyesight. All of this combined with her master-level swordsmanship and combat skills make her a powerful Guardian of the Galaxy.

3 Mantis

Mantis is one of the strongest Guardians of the Galaxy due to her empathic abilities, yet she remains an underrated MCU hero. She is able to feel other people's emotions and manipulate them entirely. While Mantis' combat abilities are not as obvious as some of her teammates', she is still a competent fighter. When this is combined with her ability to manipulate emotions and put people to sleep, Mantis becomes one of the biggest threats the Guardians have.

Mantis was at the center of the plan to get the Infinity Gauntlet away from Thanos, and if it wasn't for Quill's rash charge at the Titan, Thanos may have been stopped before he snapped half the universe away. Although Mantis is remembered for her funny moments, she's not a hero to be underestimated.

2 Peter Quill/ Star-Lord

While Peter Quill isn't as powerful as he once was (since the death of his father), if all the powers he has ever had are taken into account, Star-Lord is by far the most powerful Guardian.

Peter's half-Celestial nature not only gave him near-infinite durability, allowing him to hold the Power Stone in the palm of his hand, but it also gave him the ability to manipulate light into physical objects and made him functionally immortal so long as Ego still lived. While Quill has since lost some of his abilities, there's no denying that when they're all taken into account, no other Guardian of the Galaxy would stand a chance against him.

1 Ego

Ego is not only the strongest character in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, he is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU so far. An immortal Celestial, he's existed since nearly the beginning of time. He has total control over light and is able to manipulate it not only into tentacle-like weapons, but also into a humanoid body for himself.

Ego can manipulate people's minds, create biological life, and manipulate matter at the molecular level. He also exists as an entire planet, only able to be killed if the "brain" at the core of the planet is destroyed. It took all the Guardians, including Quill at his full power, to defeat him. Had any of these characters tried to fight Ego on their own, the outcome would definitely have been different.

NEXT: 10 Memes That Perfectly Sum Up The MCU's Guardians Of The Galaxy Movies