As far as comic book villains go, Ego, The Ever-Living Planet isn't anywhere near the top of the list. James Gunn has a way of making even the most minor of characters compelling in his Guardians of the Galaxy movies. The script and Kurt Russell's performance helped breathe life into the character that most found pretty dumb in the comics.

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It helped that he was written in as Quill's father, giving him an instant connection to the cast. It also helped mask that he was a villain, covering up for more than a few of the giveaways that are noticeable on a second watch.

8 The Explanation Of His Existence From Nothingness Hinted At His Desire For More

Peter Quill and Ego stare up at a Celestial-like brain

When Ego explained what he is to the Guardians, he said that he's a Celestial who came to be as a flickering brain adrift in space. While floating there, he was entirely isolated and alone, a fact that bothers him even to this day - as Kurt Russell portrayed nicely with his facial expressions.

It's Russell's stellar acting and subtle mannerisms that give a hint that Ego harbors a sense of anger and confusion for not only what he is but why he came into this world with no one. Those feelings were shown with the sheer fervor he had when speaking: he needed to find his meaning in life rather than simply wanting to. That sort of mentality always comes with egocentric behavior, placing his goals above anyone else.

7 The Fact That His Name Was Ego & He Was A Living Planet

Injured and furious Ego

While Ego was a Celestial first and foremost, he was still a giant planet. A being with the level of power needed to create a planet around themselves is rarely going to be benevolent, and they are certainly going to think highly of themselves.

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That aura of self-importance was a big part of the character, even if he kept it mostly under wraps for much of the movie. Almost every part of Ego's dialogue tied back into himself, subtly hinting at how fitting his name was. Characters beyond just Gamora should have wondered more about his motives rather than simply accepting his explanation and moving on.

6 There Always Had To Be An Ulterior Motive To Why He Sired Star-Lord & Why It Took Him So Long To Find His Son

Ego talking to his son Peter Quill in the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Quill can't be blamed for not thinking too critically about his dad suddenly coming back into his life. A father figure was the one thing he was always searching for, so having Ego return to him was a dream come true. That said, it seemed like there was always an ulterior motive to Ego even having Quill in the first place beyond simply loving Quill's mother. If he truly loved her as much as he stated, why didn't he bring her back to his planet rather than leaving her alone on Earth?

5 The Way Quill's Mother Described Ego & How No One In The Galaxy Knew What Quill Was Should Have Been A Hint

Ego & Mantis welcome guardians

On her deathbed, Quill's mother described Ego as a being made of pure light. The rest of the family regarded it as delusion, but it built Ego up to be an angelic figure who was beloved by all.

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Oftentimes, when a character is built up as being purely good, it's to pull the rug out from under the viewer, revealing that they aren't as pure as it seemed. That's further substantiated by how often characters, namely Ayesha, referred to Quill's heritage as unnatural. It all hinted at the fact that Ego wasn't going to be what he first seemed.

4 Ego's Explanation For Leaving Quill's Mother Felt Like He Was Leaving Out Parts Of The Story

Meredith & Ego Missouri 1980 Guardians 2

Ego's explanation of having to return to his planet to recharge made a degree of sense, since the humanoid form was more of a projection of the planet than anything else. What seemed off was how he said Meredith's death was too much for him to handle, even though he wasn't there for it at all.

Not only that, he kept saying that Quill couldn't understand why it was so difficult for him, hinting at there being more to the story than he was willing to say. Eventually, it's learned that it was because he was the one who gave Quill's mother her tumor.

3 Ego's Reaction When Quill Managed To Connect With The Center Of The Planet

Peter and ego play catching together Guardians 2

When Quill managed to connect with the core of the planet and awaken his celestial powers, Ego's reaction was far more than a happy dad. He tried to play it off like that and did a good job shifting the moment into playing catch with his son. That said, the way he reacted felt like he'd finally found the meaning he'd been searching for all these millennia.

The unbridled joy wasn't about Quill - it was because Quill proved Ego had successfully sired another celestial and that his plan for the Expansion could go forward. It's why everything about the interaction centered on getting Quill to show if he had celestial powers or not.

2 Gamora & Nebula Found The Heaps Of Skulls That Belonged To Ego's Other Kids

nebula and gamora find the skulls of ego's dead kids

Gamora and Nebula stumbling upon the mound of skulls was the first in-your-face giveaway that Ego wasn't what he seemed and transitioned to him revealing his full plans soon after. The mound itself makes so many of Ego's words take on a new meaning, such as him telling Quill that he'd made millions of mistakes, but Quill wasn't one of them. It was in direct reference to Quill being the one kid who wasn't a failure rather than Ego being happy to be a dad.

1 Comic Readers Already Knew That Ego, The Ever-Living Planet Was A Villain

Ego The Living Planet floating in space

While more of a bit character in comics who only popped in now and then through the centuries, Ego was always a bad guy. He may have had similar motives as his character did in the movie - of wanting to find another sentient planet such as himself - but just like Russell's portrayal, he went after his goals without any thought of the lives he took. He only ever cared about his own desires, as his name would suggest. It made it a dead giveaway that the MCU version would turn out to be bad by the end of the film.

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