MCU: 25 most heartbreaking Marvel Cinematic Universe character deaths
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2..L to R: Yondu (Michael Rooker), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Star-Lord/Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket (Voiced by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Voiced by Vin Diesel)..Ph: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2017
7. Yondu
Movie it happened in: Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2
Why it was so heartbreaking: Admittedly, it was difficult to like Yondu at first in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He was viewed as the bad guy, but it was soon clear that there was more to him. Eventually, he worked on the side of good and we learned far more about his role in Quill’s upbringing over the years.
In fact, we learned that Yondu had chosen to raise Quill as his own. He taught Quill everything he knew, even though his initial task was to take Quill to Ego. Yondu’s actions were to protect the boy – okay, there were ulterior motives to prevent Ego’s plan, but it was also to protect the boy.
At the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Yondu decided not to get revenge against Quill for his role in Yondu not getting one of the Infinity Stones. This was a sign of weakness, but it also showed his love for Quill. It also made us start to love him, before the second movie when he helped Quill further.
As Ego’s planet started to collapse, it was clear that not everyone would make it out alive. Yondu, once again, put Quill first. He gave up his own spacesuit so that Quill would survive, knowingly sacrificing his own life while making it clear that Quill made him proud.
While that was definitely heartbreaking, it’s what came afterward that would put his death so high up on this list.
Quill refused to let Yondu’s body go until the rest of the Guardians showed up. Then Rocket called the Ravangers, who had previously abandoned Yondu. In the end, they were there to give Yondu the Ravanger farewell he deserved.
It was heartbreakingly beautiful and one of the hardest Marvel Cinematic Universe deaths in the whole Marvel Cinematic Universe to take.