Over the course of the past decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought famous heroes and villains onto the big screen, weaving beloved comic storylines into a new tapestry that never fails to entertain. Of course, some movies have been more popular than others, just like some villains are more memorable than the rest of their peers.
One of the most beloved villains of the MCU is, without a doubt, Loki. His first appearance in Thor earned actor Tom Hiddleston many accolades for his performance, and his subsequent return in Avengers cemented the God of Mischief as an MCU fan favorite. But more than a villain, Loki is a character who's experienced a lot of failures and losses.
10 He's Born An Unwanted Frost Giant Anomaly
Loki is raised as the prince of Asgard and brother of Thor. In reality, however, he is the son of Laufey, the king of Jotunheim. During the Asgard-Jotunheim war, he is found abandoned by Odin. Odin decides to take the child in, hiding the truth from everyone except a select few. The movie never quite makes it clear if Laufey truly rejects Loki, or if Odin is lying, as he's done on countless other occasions. However, an extra scene that didn't make it into the movie revealed that Laufey did indeed want to get rid of his supposedly malformed son. As Odin points out in Thor: The Dark World, Loki's birthright was to die on a frozen rock.
9 He Never Quite Fits In Among The Asgardians
After being rescued by Odin All-Father, Loki is adopted into the royal family, his true identity hidden under a special spell. Ironically, it appears to be magic he casts on himself, perhaps out of self-preservation. Odin may have later reinforced it with his own powers to make sure the illusion didn't break. But underneath Loki's false skin, he remains Jotun. He never fits in with the Asgardians, as deep inside, he knows he isn't truly one of them.
8 His Magic Is Viewed Dismissively By Everyone Around Him
In the comics, Loki is quite the powerhouse, able to do feats of magic that match his mythological counterpart. MCU Loki isn't quite on that level, but he is still a highly skilled warrior. His most notable ability is his magic, which he uses for a variety of purposes. His illusions can be deadly distractions, and he's able to telepathically connect to other people's minds. As shown in the Disney+ series, he is also telekinetic.
He's noted to have assisted Thor many times in battle. And yet, his magic is view dismissively. An extra scene in Thor clearly points out this dynamic. "Some do battle," Thor tells his brother. "Others just do tricks." Even the servant present laughs. It's supposed to be a joke, but it shows just how poorly Loki is viewed in Asgard.
7 He Wants His Father's Approval But He'll Never Have It
Having grown up in Thor's shadow, Loki wants nothing more than to be a worthy son and Thor's equal. Odin encourages this mentality, telling his sons that both of them were born to be kings even if only one can take the Asgardian throne. Of course, Odin's intention is to place Loki on the throne of Jotunheim, perhaps as a puppet king. But Loki doesn't know that, and he forces himself to be someone he is not for his father's sake.
In desperation and denial, he even tries to obliterate all signs of his Jotun background, killing his birth father to prove himself to his adoptive one. Even while Loki is dangling above the abyss of the Bifrost, Odin rejects him, leading Loki to attempt to take his own life. With his dying words, Odin claims to have loved both his sons, but this doesn't quite ring true, and Loki never truly gets closure.
6 He's Punished Far More Harshly Than Thor
When Thor trespasses on Jotunheim and nearly restarts the war between the frost giants and the Asgardians, the punishment he receives seems harsh. His father takes his power and banishes him to Earth to live as a mortal. But all that pales compares to the punishment Odin chooses for his youngest. After the invasion in New York, Odin sentences Loki to life imprisonment. Considering Thor's actions and Odin's own history as a conqueror, that's at the very least hypocritical. If that punishment had actually remained in place, Loki would have spent thousands of years in the dungeons, and Odin would have called it mercy.
5 He Will Never Make Amends With His Estranged Mother
One of the biggest influences on Loki is without a doubt his mother, Frigga. She is the one who encourages his magic, teaches him how to wield his skills, and is one of the few who support him. The relationship between the two suffers after he learns about his adoption. Loki feels deceived, and rightly so. Still, Frigga does love her adoptive son. It is presumably at her request that Odin doesn't execute Loki in Thor: The Dark World. She even tries to reach out to him while he is in prison. He rejects her, arguing that she is not his mother. It is the last thing he ever tells her, as she dies shortly after, killed by Skurge in the Dark Elves' attack. Loki will never be able to make amends with Frigga or tell her he loves her.
4 He Indirectly Causes Asgard's Destruction & Thanos's Attack On The Statesman
Despite his less than ideal history with Asgard, Loki genuinely loves his homeland and his people. But after Hela emerges from her imprisonment, it becomes obvious that with Asgard's power at her fingertips, she is unstoppable. Thor comes up with a brilliant but cruel plan. He distracts Hela while Loki goes to awaken Surtur, using the crown brought by Thor into Asgard's vault. Their strategy works and Hela is defeated, but Asgard is destroyed, and it's indirectly because of Loki's actions.
To make matters worse, Loki takes the Tessaract from the Asgardian Vault. This seems to be what leads Thanos to the Statesman, causing a new massacre and further decimating the remaining Asgardians. Thanos might have hunted them down either way, but Loki's reckless actions couldn't have helped.
3 His Destiny Is To Die At Thanos' Hands
The Disney+ series brings several new concepts to the table, delving deeper into the idea of the Multiverse than Avengers: Endgame ever did. It focuses on the 2012 version of Loki, who escapes imprisonment due to the Avengers' time heist, and introduces the Time Variance Authority, an organization whose role is to monitor deviations from the Sacred Timeline.
It is through them that Variant Loki learns his ultimate fate: he's supposed to die at Thanos's hands. But of course, being an agent of chaos, he's not satisfied with that concept. It's why there are so many versions of him running around, despite the TVA's best attempts to "prune" them.
2 He Can't Trust Anyone, Especially Not Himself
The Disney+ series brings together a colorful cast that, ironically, is formed partially out of Loki variants. Some of them are on the protagonist's side, while others are not. At one point in the series, the Lokis even start fighting each other, and Boastful Loki betrays Classic Loki in favor of President Loki. It's all a whirlwind of magic and confusion, and President Loki even gets his hand eaten by Alligator Loki. There's one thing fans can conclude from that scene. Loki truly can't trust anyone, especially not himself.
1 He Falls In Love With A Version Of Himself & Even That Goes Poorly
While the Disney+ series starts out focusing on Variant Loki, one of the most important characters is the female version of himself, Sylvie. Sylvie plans to destroy the TVA for having ruined her life. She and Loki end up working together, and throughout their adventures, they become close. Their relationship is so powerful it creates a nexus event that saves them from imminent death.
But in the end, when facing He Who Remains, Sylvie prioritizes her desire for revenge over Loki. They kiss, but she pushes him into a Timedoor. After she kills her foe, the Multiverse fractures, and Loki lands in a world far worse off than the one he comes from. It's unknown if the two will ever see each other again, but the course of events seems to suggest Loki is destined to be alone.