Is Kraglin Obfonteri Human? Origin & Powers Explained
Guardians of the Galaxy franchise introduced us to many lovable characters, including Kraglin Obfonteri. And while he wasn’t exactly introduced as a hero, Kraglin evolved to become the Guardian of the Galaxy and took part in numerous battles alongside Peter Quill, his former Ravagers team member. We know that Kraglin looks like a human for the most part but is, for the most part, unfamiliar with Earth and its customs, as most of what he knows comes from Peter Quill. Due to that, we decided to analyze Kraglin’s character in a bit more depth. Let’s see is Kraglin Obfonteri human?
Kraglin is not a human. He is Xandarian from planet Xandar. Xandarians are almost indistinguishable from humans at first glance, although they tend to be more durable than humans. Kraglin is an extremely skilled pilot, thief, and marksman, but so far, we haven’t witnessed any superhuman abilities on his part in terms of energy projection leading us to assume that he is generally as strong and as powerful as regular Xandarian.
Now that we’ve covered that Kraglin is an alien, it’s time to shed some more light on his mysterious origins and how potentially powerful he can be. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!
Kraglin spent most of his life as Yondu’s first mate
Kraglin Obfonteri was introduced to the MCU with the release of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. He is a member of Ravagers, the same team that served as Peter Quill’s family for the majority of his life.
Even though Kraglin hasn’t been introduced as a hero, he eventually takes part in numerous battles alongside Star-Lord and eventually joins Guardians of the Galaxy as an official member.
Kraglin was close to Yondu, as he served as his first mate. He was probably, besides Star-Lord, most affected by Yondu’s death.
Despite looking like a human, who are mostly native to Earth in the MCU, Kraglin doesn’t seem to know much about Earth. This is why he relies on Peter Quill to educate him about various customs, celebrities, and other things related to Earth. So, where is Kraglin from?
Where did Kraglin come from?
Kraglin Obfonteri is Xandarian, a race of people native to Xandar. Xandar is the capital of the Nova Empire in the Andromeda Galaxy. The planet was at the center of numerous conflicts in the MCU, almost being destroyed by Ronan the Accuser. Following his search for the Infinity Stones, Thanos set his sights on Xandar after Ronan failed. He demolished much of the Nova Empire to get the Stone and later killed half of the population of Xandar. The planet previously housed around 12 billion people.
Xandarians are, at first glance, extremely similar to humans in terms of their outward appearance, but the similarities are only surface-deep as some Xandarians have been shown to have blue blood, and the race is generally considered to be more durable than your average human. Xandarians are notable spacefarers and warriors, which is partly why the planet has been chosen as the capital of the Nova Empire.
As you can see, even though Kraglin is not a human but Xandarian, he shares some biological similarities with humans, as all Xandarians do. Despite common belief, Kraglin is also not related to Yondu Udonta in any way. Yondu Udonta belongs to the race of blue-skinned Centaurians, a spacefaring race with a history of slavery.
What are Kraglin’s powers?
Kraglin, so far, hasn’t manifested superhuman powers in terms of energy projection. However, we know that his Xandarian physiology makes him more durable than your average human being.
Due to his history with the Ravagers, Kraglin is an expert thief. His experience and skills led to him becoming the right hand of Yondu Udonta. He is a skilled marksman and an even better pilot, often seen maneuvering his way out of difficult situations. Most recently, Kraglin started mastering Yaka Arrow, which he inherited from the later Yondu.
How does Kraglin get the fin?
Kraglin’s fin is not just a fashion accessory. It is a Yaka Arrow controller that needs to be mounted on top of the head and resembles a large metallic fin. So, Kraglin got the “fin” after Yondu’s death when he inherited the arrow during the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Rocket Raccoon and Peter Quill repaired the broken Yaka Arrow and gave it to Kraglin Obfonteri, who attempted to use it successfully. Kraglin later became an official Guardians of the Galaxy member and used the arrow to combat threats in several instances. However, he lost the arrow in a lake and accidentally caused it to crash into his nose when he tried to call it with his whistle.
In the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Kraglin tries to utilize the arrow again, only to fail miserably, hitting Adam Warlock in the cheek and not injuring him at all. The arrow bounced off Warlock’s cheek like it was nothing.
Near the end of the movie, Kraglin attempts to control the Yaka Arrow once again, and this time he sees a vision of the late Yondu and seemingly finally gains control over the weapon. It is suspected that after this event, Kraglin finally gained some mastery at using it in combat.
Yaka Arrows are a traditional Centaurian weapon, and Yondu at one point admitted that he controls it with his intuition which might explain why Kraglin seems to be less skilled in its use.
