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Marvel has recently begun telling more complex and in-depth stories through limited series. One of the most recent is the show Loki, which revisits the character Loki’s, not by revisiting past plotlines and schemes of the character, but by creating a whole new story and mind-bending plotline full of chaos, in which audiences can see Loki shine. Loki is, in fact, “the god of mischief,” so it is no surprise that his character is currently shinning its brightest as the anti-hero in the Loki series on Disney+ that practically brims with mayhem and confusion.
Although this iteration of the character is grabbing the spotlight, the character Loki has gone through a million storylines, character reworks and still has stood the test of time as a beloved character because he is such a good anti-hero. In every iteration of the character, no matter how hard the writers, comic book illustrators, or even more recently, directors, try to make Loki a villain, he always becomes an audience favorite, an anti-hero, and Disney’s decision to make him the protagonist of a storyline is essentially them succumbing to the inevitable. What makes Loki such an impressive and impactful anti-hero is his ability to change and evolve, his complex motivations, and his humanity that cannot be ignored, no matter how “dark” he goes.
Loki’s History
Loki’s complex character evolution usurps any storyline he is in. From comics to movies, and presently television shows, Loki is attention-grabbing and spotlight seeking; it is, after all, in the character’s nature to be noticed.
Who Is Loki? Who Was Loki?
Although, like most of his counterparts in the Marvel universe, Loki has gone through countless character changes, his fundamental backstory stays relatively the same. How his childhood and family strongly shaped his future is one of the many reasons why Loki, later on, becomes such a compelling anti-hero. Loki comes from Norse mythology, in which Loki is the ‘god of mischief’ and sorcery. In the mythology that the comic book character is based on, Loki is always the antagonist to Thor’s mighty and pure heart.
Loki is always meddling and trying to see through some nefarious plot or another, and in all mythology, he is usually foiled by one god or another. This affinity of failure is a motif that appears in the new Loki show and also is seen in all of the other Marvel movies he has appeared in. Thus, both the Loki from the mythology and the Loki in the MCU share most of the same backstory. (( “Loki In Comics Powers, Enemies, History: Marvel.” Marvel Entertainment. )).
Loki was a child of a frost giant who was essentially adopted by Odin, the ruler of Asgard and all of the other gods. Loki as a child, was mistrusted (since he was the god of mischief), isolated, and always in the shadow of his more beloved brother, Thor, Odin, and their mother Frigga’s bio-child. Throughout the many stories of Loki, it is clear that Loki becomes the more “evil” character that he evolves into in adulthood because of his mistreatment in childhood. The clear favoritism is shown to Thor, and the typecasting of Loki in his own life as the mischief-maker leads him to envy and hate his family, feel alone, and equate power with love (as his parents always praise the more powerful Thor).
This is who Loki has been for most of his existence: a powerful mischievous god with raging daddy issues, an affinity for chaos, and a want to be powerful and known — or at least that is how Loki appears at first glance. But, in reality, he is a powerful mischievous god, who wants to be loved, wants to be known and valued, and sees the beauty in the chaotic nature of life.
Loki As A Genderfluid Character
Aside from the internal character development that sets Loki apart and makes him a cosmic anti-hero, Loki is canonically (both in the comics and the MCU) genderfluid and pansexual. Loki being genderfluid means that he doesn’t identify with just one gender. Therefore, it is impossible to misgender Loki since he can be he/him, she/her, or they/them. Being pansexual means that Loki is attracted to others, regardless of gender identity (which is different from bisexual, who is attracted to men and women).
In the comics, it has been a common Loki trope that Loki can shapeshift and change his appearance at will. This has been utilized as a plot device, as Loki pretends to be someone or another to deceive and manipulate, but it also has stuck in more gender-bending ways (( Clute, Emily. “Loki’s Genderfluid History In Marvel Comics & Norse Mythology Explained.” ScreenRant, 21 June 2021. )). In many of the comics, Loki has been a woman, using she/her pronouns and everyone around her using them the same, without any confusion or it being a plot point. This genderfluidity also comes from mythology, as Loki is a god of mischief and often uses seduction in his mythology to cause chaos; she uses her female form to full effect in this regard. It has always been common for comic book characters to challenge gender norms; however, Loki’s transference from the page to the screen of Disney+ is what really sets him apart as a fan favorite.
In the series Loki, there is a scene where the audience can see a form regarding Loki filled out (episode 1, minute 15:05) (( “Glorious Purpose.” Loki, created by Michael Waldron, season 1, episode 1, Disney+, 2021. )). It has his name, age, and various other signifiers, and under gender, it reads: genderfluid. This is major for many reasons. In general, LGBTQ+ representation is sorely lacking in mainstream media, especially in Marvel, which historically has been a cis-male-dominated movie studio. Having Loki, the trickster, the extremely handsome and charming Tom Hiddleston, be a genderfluid character brings so much legitimacy to those who identify as anything outside of the gender binary. Representation in media, especially mainstream media, is a mighty thing.
Now more people than ever are having conversations about pansexuality (in a later scene, his pansexuality is confirmed as well while in conversation about his past lovers) (( “Lamentis.” Loki, created by Michael Waldron, season 1, episode 3, Disney+, 2021. )) and genderfluidity because a believed and major Marvel character is both of those things, and the conversations this sparks alone is a huge step in the direction of more inclusivity in media. Aside from Loki’s characteristics and his ability as a character to charm not only his rivals but the audience, Loki’s identity as a genderfluid person and someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community already makes him a better anti-hero than most out there today (at least in terms of depth and ability to represent more people).
Loki In The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Loki has too many incarnations to truly characterize them as a whole, but his MCU representation is one of the more comprehensively ones there is, especially as the new series, Loki,(( “Loki (TV Show, 2021): Cast, Characters, Release Date: Marvel.” Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Entertainment, 9 June 2021. )) is all about the multiverse theory, and the endless incarnations of Loki that there have been. This has been a way for the MCU to explore Loki’s many facets without having the audience become invested in following the storylines of every Loki there has ever been (instead, they chose just a few).
A Quick ‘Loki’ (2021) Summary
The new Disney+ Loki is a limited series spanning over six episodes, all-around an hour or so long. The basic premise is a little confusing, but that is also the point of the show. To fully understand how Loki is alive and not dead (as he dies officially at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame), one must understand the timeline theory. Multiple timelines are operating at once, multiple universes with little or major differences from our reality that all exist simultaneously. In ‘Endgame,’ when the protagonists have to go back in time to get the Infinity Stones, they accidentally cause the past Loki to escape.
Since this was never supposed to happen (it didn’t happen in the original Avengers movie), the Time Variance Authority steps in and captures Loki. The TVA is meant to keep the timelines in order to prevent chaos in the universe. They decide to hire Loki instead of getting rid of him because another version of Loki from another timeline has been wreaking havoc. They think another Loki would know how to stop them. From there, it is a story of chaos, love, and self-discovery, all with Loki as the center (our Loki, that is, and also, at times, a few more).
Loki’s Fake Self-Love
At the beginning of the series, Loki acts just as he has in every movie before this. He is arrogant to a fault, constantly boasting of his powers and prowess and how he is a “god.” In every instance before this, nothing truly has proved Loki wrong. Loki is a character that gets bested time and time again, and yet he always seems to get away.
However, the TVA is so much more powerful than Loki that his original ego begins to dissolve, and everything that makes him a “Loki” is slowly stripped away over the course of the series. We are left with something new, something as old as time, and as vulnerable as a child. We are left with the purest state of Loki, the Loki who has no expectations to live up to and so ceases to try and live up to any, and that is where the brilliance of the character shines.
Loki’s Real Self-Love (And ‘Sylvie’)
Aside from confirming Lokis’ genderfluidity, Loki immediately shows its viewers it means business when the “big bad” is a female Loki. She, however, has cast off the name Loki and instead goes by Sylvie. Although she is a Loki and shares many of the same attributes that the “original” Loki share, they manifest themselves in different ways, making her distinctly her own. Where Loki is cunning and mischievous, seemingly for the sake of being so, Sylvie always has a purpose and drive. Where Loki is aware of the expectations of those around him that he will be evil, stab them in the back, and never be truthful and plays into their ideas, Sylvie doesn’t seem to care.
Sylvie is cunning, mistrustful, and the same damaged child as Loki, yet the way she exhibits her characteristics makes him painfully aware of his shortcomings. She is literally a different version of him, but one with a purpose (her purpose is to take down the seemingly nefarious TVA). As the series progresses, Loki, who has never really had a firm bond with anyone (except tentatively Thor, tentatively), starts to find a friend and foster a love for Sylvie.
Sylvie, who is Loki, so, yes, Loki falls in love with Loki (it is weird, and whether this is incestuous or not is something hotly debated in the fandom). Making Loki’s relationship with someone who is essentially himself an external metaphor for his own ability to love and learn to love himself. As Loki falls more and more in love with Sylvie, in all her strongest and weakest moments. He begins to notice how much there really is to love about himself, and real self-love comes through (this is very different from his original vapid ego). Self-love is a crucial and extremely hard-won lesson for many, so having this anti-hero, the guy literally created so that heroes could win, begin to recognize himself as someone worthy of love, is a compelling statement to make. Loki, deep down, wants love, and what is more loveable than that.
Loki Is Relatable
So why is Loki a great anti-hero? Loki is painfully, ironically human (even though he is technically a god). Unlike villains or anti-heroes with stoic purpose, cruel wants, emotionless greed, Loki is a chaotic mess. Loki goes from one failed scheme to the next for seemingly no reason. It isn’t until the series Loki that he begins to analyze himself more critically. The realization that all he truly wants is not to be alone, and yet he always finds himself that way, is incredibly heartbreaking and incredibly relatable.
This relatability factor is what overall makes him a great anti-hero. In good villain versus hero tales, the depth and complexity of the villain make or breaks the plot. If an audience cannot empathize or sympathize with a villain’s motivations, they are nothing more than a flat character meant to move the plot. This can be fine (see most of Disney’s princess movies), but it also leads to more forgettable villainy and less investment in the story. When villains have just the right amount of characterization, they make the movie/show/book more believable. However, once the “villain” starts to become too understandable and their actions almost excusable, they dip into the anti-hero realm (( “What Is an Anti-Villain? Definition, Tips, and Examples.” Reedsy. )).
Loki’s latest evolution in the series Loki just solidified him as an anti-hero for our generation. A messy and chaotic character (as messy and chaotic as the timelines themselves), and yet someone who realizes that they have control over their own narrative. If Loki, the god of mischief, can learn to trust, not only a literal incarnation of himself, but others who share the same ideals and pursuits as him, then anyone can do just about anything. This living lesson of a person is too compelling not to love. So Loki takes a step back from the role he has always been type-casted to be and instead decides to wield some agency over his life, and the outcome is his messy self and a change in the timeline.
Where Do We Go With Our Anti-Hero Loki?
Loki is pansexual, genderfluid and all he wants is love. He is a representational character, who doesn’t always do the right thing, but tends to be sympathetic anyway because of his tragic motivation. Going forward, who knows where Loki will be. Loki will remain a staple character in the MCU as well as in the comic books, but possibly the character development is done on the show; Loki will allow for more interesting narratives to be explored on the page.
What the MCU has done with Loki so far has already shaken up the world of superheroes and anti-heroes; with Loki blazing through previously upheld archetypes and constraining ideals, they are allowing for a much more expansive and inclusive MCU in the future.
