I immediately want to say Eight. His reaction to everything is physical. He has a bluntness that I think goes beyond the literal thinking of his people. He’ll say anything, which is an Eight trait. The filmmakers use that, an Eight’s willingness to speak without a filter, and combine it with his innate lack of metaphor, to drive much of his comedy. He calls a sympathetic character, Mantis, ugly and we laugh. That’s a tough balance to hit.
At the end of the first Guardians, he comforts Rocket by petting him. It’s such a beautiful, honest moment that feels perfect. That is the Eight coming through. Physical, tender, and the absolute right thing to do when a heart is broken.