Marvel Cinematic Universe: Why Loki is such a great villain

Loki, Thor’s twisted adoptive brother has been a favourite of MCU fans since 2011’s Thor movie. Though, there is so much to him than just the evil sibling who wants revenge.

Loki might be biologically a Frost Giant, but that doesn’t mean he’s not an Asgardian too. After all, Odin and Frigga adopted him as their son and treated him as such, though he arguably wasn’t as loved as Thor was (given he was raised to be king). This ultimately led to the revelation that the youngest prince wasn’t actually royalty and he ultmately sided with his own kind. Though, there is so much more to him than just backstabbing and the family issues.

The trickster god was probably the most relatable MCU villain before the arrival of Killmonger in Black Panther. All Loki wanted was a little attention and to be treated in the same regard as his brother. Let’s dive into our analysis of what makes this semi-Asgardian tick and why he’s such a great villain.

Family issues

It’s no secret that Loki was always envious of Thor. Even as young boys, he showed he was jealous of his overly adored and future king of a sibling. While their mother, Frigga, loved both her sons equally, it never sat well with Odin that his wife loved their children in the same manner.

Odin never had time for Loki as he grew up and distanced himself from him, knowing exactly what he was; a Frost Giant who might’ve broken Asgard in two if the news ever got out. The kingdom was perfectly capable of looking the other way when it came to the adopted prince, but that’s not how he saw it.

Loki loved and adored his mother just as Thor did. Frigga was one of the few people who was willing to forgive him after all he did. Losing her was what put a short-lived halt on his rivalry with his brother so they could avenge her death. She was probably the only person he truly loved and respected.

Own Agenda

Thor and Loki were complete opposites. While this might be obvious as they’re on different sides, the God of Mischief isn’t actually known for listening to anyone and often has his own agenda. There’s been so many times when the outlaw prince has stabbed his allies in the back at the very last second. He also has a bad habit of ‘dying’ and coming back to continue to wreck havoc.

Redemption Arc

Despite his villainous ways, Loki – unlike his villainous comrades Thanos and Justin Hammer – actually has a heart. Sure, his constant betrayals hurt his brother, but he will defend Thor and, by extension, his family and, sometimes, even people if he has to. One example of this is evident in Thor Ragnarok, where he reluctantly agrees to fake an injury to get past the Grandmaster’s guards. In fact, most of his appearances in the MCU prior to his death in Avengers: Infinity War led to his redemption.

When you look at how he almost outwitted Thanos only to get his neck snapped as a result, he basically sacrificed himself to protect his brother (whom he had seemingly stabbed in the back just moments before). Yes, we know it doesn’t make much sense to be going back and forth between alliances, but if you look past his flaws, Loki has had to endure more than the average villain.

First he gets adopted by a father who hides a huge secret from him, then all his life he has to play second fiddle to a brother who is cherished more. Also, to make it even more of an insult, he is constantly smacked around by the Hulk like a rag doll for insulting the big green brute. Finally, he gets killed by a purple alien who thinks wiping out half the universe will allow people to have more food and supplies.

If Loki didn’t care about his brother or his adoptive home he wouldn’t have avenged his mother’s death and he wouldn’t have tried to kill Thanos to protect his brother. In the end, all that Loki has been through forged him into a better person, highlighting the good and allowing it to take control of the bad.

Never simple

Loki could be described as an anti-hero; someone who is neither good or bad – a bit like Harley Quinn or Poison Ivy in DC Comics. He had his own agenda that didn’t match up with any villain he joined forces with.

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If he wanted the world to tremble, he would damn sure tried to make it happen… but it failed most of the time. This is evident when he tried to get civilians to bow down to him and some of them refused. This goes to show that people were not blind to how he could twist the situation to his advantage. They were willing to stand against him and not cower in fear of having a god standing before them.

Loki and his schemes were always muddled as they never panned out the way he wanted them to. His mind was never set to one goal and it was always plotting something else if his Plan A didn’t go the way he expected he would. He always had a plan and that made him oddly engaging – something that paved the way for the great anti-hero he would become.

Next. Marvel Cinematic Universe profile: A look at Stellan Skarsgard’s career. dark

We love Loki and we can’t wait to see more of him in the MCU. What’s your view on the God of Mischief? Tell us below!

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Why Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is the MCU’s greatest villain

By C.J. Hawkings | Sep 1, 2020