The Marvel Cinematic Universe took to the stars in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, introducing a small handful of new heroes including the Ravager Star-Lord, the deadly assassin Gamora, and the rogue mercenary Rocket Raccoon. Rocket may be annoying and selfish at times, but he sure can handle himself in a fight.

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In both Guardians movies and a few other MCU entries, Rocket Raccoon got himself into plenty of battles, and he always knows how to survive and even get rich in the process. Rocket may not have a perfect combat record in the MCU, but he does have a number of fights that stand out above the rest, whether or not he won those battles.

10 Rocket Raccoon & Guardians Vs The Abilisk

The Guardians battle an Abilisk in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2.

Early in 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the entire Guardians crew was halfway through a mission for the Sovereign race when the enormous Abilisk monster arrived, and the Guardians had no choice but to fight it. Rocket did his part, laying down heavy fire with every weapon he had.

Rocket had more than survival on his mind during this battle, though. He knew how valuable those batteries were, and he had a habit of stealing other people's valuables. Perhaps during this fight, he was already daydreaming about how rich he'd get by pawning off the Sovereign's batteries after the mission.

9 WINNER: Rocket Raccoon & Guardians

Rocket Raccoon and Groot are smiling while looking through a hole blasted into a wall.

Although the massive Abilisk was like a terrifying Dungeons & Dragons boss battle, there was no real doubt that Rocket and his fellow Guardians would win this fight. No way would they lose to some random creature, and the Guardians regularly use trickery to defeat foes stronger than they are.

Rocket didn't personally deal the finishing blow in this fight, but he certainly did his part, and he watched as Drax the Destroyer recklessly leaped into the Abilisk's maw. Soon, Gamora used her sword to slice the beast's gut wide open, ending the fight as a Guardians victory. But Rocket was just getting started.

8 Rocket Raccoon & Guardians Vs Ronan The Accuser

Ronan The Accuser wields his hammer in the MCU

During the climax of the first Guardians movie, the mighty Kree warrior Ronan the Accuser assaulted the world of Xandar and its capital with his massive ship. He wanted the Power Stone for the sake of his master, the mad titan Thanos himself. All seemed lost.

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That was when the newly formed Guardians helped rally Xandar's defenders and took the fight to Ronan personally. At one point, they crashed Ronan's battleship, and the battle amid Xandar's wreckage turned personal. But Ronan had the Power Stone on his side.

7 WINNER: Rocket Raccoon & Guardians

Guardians Of The Galaxy, Nova Machina Gun, Nova Corps, Peter Quill, Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, Groot, Drax

Ronan could only barely handle the Power Stone's strength, but the tricky Guardians managed to relieve him of it, and that Infinity Stone went flying through the air. Ronan desperately reached out for it, but so did Star-Lord, who seized it in his hand. He needed help with this, though.

Rocket, Drax, and Gamora all linked hands with Star-Lord and one another, bearing the Power Stone's burden together. Rocket did his part, and while the process nearly destroyed him, he endured, and he helped defeat Ronan once and for all. Not bad for a wisecracking space raccoon.

6 Rocket Raccoon & Star-Lord Vs Sovereign Fleet

A sovereign space fighter flying in space in the MCU/GotG.

Rocket Raccoon, being his typical self, swiped a few batteries from his Sovereign clients, and he almost got away with it. But the proud Sovereign people soon realized what had happened, and they sent an entire fleet of remote-controlled space fighters to forcibly take back the goods.

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Rocket and Star-Lord both took the helm and flew their ship in an intense space battle, desperate to destroy enough Sovereign fighters so they could escape to another corner of the galaxy. Rocket and Star-Lord did their best, but it was a losing battle. Things were looking dire.

5 WINNER: Ego

Ego 1

Not even Rocket Raccoon, who had been engineered to be an elite pilot, could survive this space battle for much longer, but he wouldn't admit it. Fortunately for him, another party arrived at the last moment to decide the battle - the mighty Celestial named Ego, father of Star-Lord.

Ego used his overwhelming power to easily destroy the entire Sovereign fighter fleet, and he reached out to the Guardians as an ally and friend. Rocket and Groot stayed behind with the damaged ship while the others were then welcomed to Ego's planet body, far from the Sovereign, until they learned the truth about their rescuer.

4 Rocket Raccoon & Friends Vs Taserface's Crew

Groot, Rocket, and Yondu fight Ravagers GotG 2 - MCU

At one point in Guardians 2, Rocket and Groot were captured by the thuggish Taserface, and for that matter, so was Yondu Udonta. Rocket and his friends were helpless captives aboard the ship Taserface had stolen from Yondu, but not for long. Rocket and Groot had an escape plan.

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With Groot's help, Rocket secured a head-fin for Yondu, who installed it on his head just in time to use his unique arrow. Rocket, Groot, and Yondu were fully armed and ready, and then they launched their violent escape. It's now or never.

3 WINNER: Rocket Raccoon & Friends

Yondu facing Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Rocket, Groot, and Yondu were vastly outnumbered in this battle, but that wasn't a concern. These three heroes had serious firepower on their side, and they didn't even have to kill everyone aboard. They just needed to fight their way to the hangar and escape aboard a small ship, which they did.

Rocket and his two allies slaughtered Taserface's crew with impunity, and that was when Yondu became a true Guardian of the Galaxy. Finally, Yondu wrapped up the battle by setting the ship to explode, taking Taserface with it. Rocket was shocked, but he had to accept it, and then the trio made their way to Ego.

2 Rocket Raccoon & Guardians Vs Ego

Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

When Rocket, Yondu, and Groot arrived at Ego, things were already dire. Ego had been outed as a villain and monster, so it was up to the souped-up Guardians team to fight him for survival. Rocket did his part, flying around and firing his weapons to keep both Ego and the Sovereign at bay.

Rocket had an idea. He and the baby-sized Groot could set up improvised explosives and destroy Ego's delicate brain, but it wasn't easy. At one point, Ego had the upper hand, and each Guardian was trapped and helpless. Rocket couldn't do a thing.

1 WINNER: Rocket Raccoon & Guardians

Rocket Raccoon holding a weapon in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Star-Lord used his own Celestial powers to fight back, and he turned the tables on his planet-sized father just in time. The Guardians were freed, and this gave Groot his chance to finally put the explosive device in place and arm it correctly. Rocket and the others regrouped and fled the doomed Ego, though Rocket was forced to leave both Star-Lord and Yondu behind.

Rocket was actually deeply upset at leaving two friends behind to claim victory, a rare but precious moment of compassion from this selfish mercenary. To Rocket's immense relief, Star-Lord later arrived safe and sound aboard the ship but at the cost of Yondu's life. It was a bittersweet victory for Rocket and the others.