Potential Character for Mrs. Kelsey and Tumblr 8/24/2023:
Groot, Guardian of the Galaxy – He Is Groot:
Spoiler alert! Watch out and take care!
Background:
It’s unknown how Groot came to join Rocket Raccoon, but likely it began somewhere after Rocket escaped from the High Evolutionary. At the time, Rocket was grappling with survivor’s guilt, and was afraid that if he befriended Groot, Groot would be killed and it would be Rocket’s fault. Unfortunately, Groot refused to go away, no matter how many times Rocket ordered him to. Ultimately, Groot convinced Rocket to let him stay on for “one job”. After that, that “one job” turned into “one more job”, and “one more job” after that, until Rocket ultimately made Groot his partner or sidekick (besides, Rocket was kind of small, and Groot was big, so he could use the muscle). Also, Rocket (being a brainy sort) quickly figured out how to interpret the only phrase Groot ever said: “I am Groot”.
Rocket and Groot ultimately went on to (alongside Peter “Star Lord” Quill, Drax the Destroyer, and Gamora) found the Guardians of the Galaxy. During their first adventure together, Groot willingly sacrificed himself to protect his friends. Fortunately, Groot was reborn from a small clipping of himself.
A lot happened after that.
Personality:
Groot is usually very gentle and warm, displaying kindness towards innocent life. However, he can also be merciless and brutal towards his enemies, especially if they threaten his friends. He once extended his arm and put it into a row into numerous Kree before they got to him, Drax, and Quill.
As a baby, Groot can misinterpret the simplest requests, which was exhibited when he was having trouble bringing Yondu's prototype fin and pressing the “death button” on the bomb used to kill Ego.
He is loyal to Rocket and the other Guardians, and was even willing to die to protect them, as shown in the Battle of Xandar, when he willingly sacrificed himself to save his friends. Before his sacrifice, he told Rocket that they had to save their friends when Star-Lord and Gamora were being held by Yondu and the Ravagers.
As an adolescent, Groot displayed the typical behavior of a human teenager, such as being rude, making a mess of his own space and getting obsessed with playing video games. Unlike his father, he hardly smiled and seemed to be unaware of his surroundings most of the time. He frequently snapped at his Guardian companions when he got told off (as most teenagers do), resulting in them, notably Rocket and Peter murmuring about how they miss the old Groot and how annoying the new Groot is. Nevertheless, Groot’s loyalty to his companions remains as strong as ever and he staunchly stands by them during fights, fully retaining his old courage and headstrong nature. He even went as far as to resist the pain of the newly heated pieces of Stormbreaker (Thor's axe) and sacrificed his arm to create the axe without hesitation. He also seemed to look up to Rocket, referring to him as “Dad” in his native tongue as he faded away due to the Blip.
How he is like me:
We both want to protect our friends and are quite strong.
How he is NOT like me:
He’s more even-tempered. I can TRY to be more even-tempered with calming strategies and the like. Also, I can try to practice being even-tempered.
Kelsey Notes:
Groot is always quiet, especially in battle but this does not stop him from knowing when he needs to take action.
This is important for you because in a moment of frustration, you have the instinct to speak out and if a problem isn’t solved quick enough, it might lead you to make verbal threats.
Not only do people need time to help you solve a problem, they need to be able to talk you through the process that helped them to solve the problem. This way, it is more likely you will know how to handle this problem in the future.
It’s important to remember Groot’s patience. When we are working to control our own behavior, being patient is a critical aspect to prevent us from lashing out at others.
