Groot is the tree-like humanoid who serves as Rocket’s accomplice in the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy. He is an extraterrestrial Flora colossus with enormous strength, regenerative abilities, and a distinctive vocabulary consisting almost entirely of “I am Groot.”
Groot and Rocket first appear together as bounty hunters pursuing Peter Quill on the planet Xandar. Their capture leads them to the Kyln prison, where they join Quill, Gamora, and Drax in an escape. The group eventually becomes the Guardians of the Galaxy and fights Ronan the Accuser.
Although Groot usually repeats the same phrase, other characters understand different meanings from his tone and context. Rocket is especially close to him and can interpret his speech. In the film’s climax, Groot sacrifices himself to protect his friends during the crash of Ronan’s ship, saying “We are Groot” before forming a protective wooden cocoon.
A common continuity mix-up concerns Baby Groot. The sapling that grows afterward is generally treated as a new Groot rather than the original surviving unchanged. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Groot is voiced by Vin Diesel.