Summary
Loki is among one of themost versatile characters in theMarvel Cinematic Universewhen it comes to his allegiances and personality. Across the Infinity Saga and right until his death, Loki would often act selfishly and help those who could bring him the most benefit, but it was not uncommon to see him commit heroic acts, especially after his change of heart and character development during later movies.
Despite Loki’s change of heart in the later movies,he started out as a villain. His jealousy of Thor and other insecurities led him to become an extremely selfish and occasionally violent individual, especially in the firstAvengersmovie. Not willing to accept his role in the family, he went too far in his lashing out and, for a time, became a puppet to Thanos, the main antagonist of the entire Infinity Saga.
8Was Willing To Betray Thor In Ragnarok
Clung To His Selfishness
Ragnarokwas a turning point for Loki’s character, as he was no longer an antagonist and, instead, acted as an ally to his brother, Thor. Eventually, the two of them get stranded on a planet called Sakaar and plan an escape together. However, despite his change of heart, Loki still remains selfish and arrogant at times.
Even though he was allied with Thor, Loki planned to betray his brother and have him stranded on the alien world for an eternity. While it could be interpreted that he wanted to protect Thor from what he saw as certain death from Hela, Loki still acted against his brother’s wishes and wanted to take his choice away from him.
7Usurped His Adoptive Father
Became A Careless Ruler
Loki’s arc in theDark Worldsaw him go from a remarkably low point to the fulfillment of all his dreams. As Loki faked his death, he masqueraded as Odin and became the Ruler of Asgard for four years straight. This was the initial goal that Loki yearned for, and he finally achieved it and could do whatever he wanted.
However, he has proved himself to be a rather faulty ruler. Loki was complacent and careless, only investing in entertainment for himself and making Asgard weaker from within. This made it an easier target for Hela to conquer and forced Loki on the back-foot, forcing him to side with his brother against a common enemy.
6Killed Phil Coulson
Murdered An Agent
Phil Coulson was a recurring characterduring the first phase of the MCU, helping characters such as Iron Man and Thor. Along with Nick Fury, he was an important figure in the creation of the Avengers initiative, as he worked with their members themselves. However, his life comes to an abrupt end at the hands of Loki.
When Loki invades the SHIELD Helicarrier, he battles Phil Coulson and brutally cuts down the agent. This was an inciting event for Avengers’ unity and a turning point in their dynamics. Coulson was a friend of theirs, and an opportunity to avenge his demise and bring Loki to justice brought the heroes together.
5Helped The Dark Elves
Accidentally Helped Kill His Mother
Thor: The Dark Worldwas a low point for Loki. After his humiliating defeat at the hands of Avengers, Loki remained confined on Asgard, still fueled by spite and hatred towards his brother. He slowly learned to see the light and make peace with his family, but he was not quite ready for this transformation yet.
Whenthe Dark Elves assaulted the prison, Loki told them directions to the palace in an attempt to get back at his father and have his vengeance fulfilled. However, the plan backfired and resulted in the death of Loki’s mother, who he loved and cared for. This was a major moment that set Loki on the path of redemption.
4Sent The Destroyer To Kill His Brother
Wanted To Leave No Competition
Loki’s relationship with his brother, Thor, has often faced tumultuous times and arguments, but it certainly peaked during the firstThormovie. After Thor was banished from Asgard to Earth, Loki saw this as an opportunity to remove his main competition in the most efficient way, by ending Thor.
To this end, he sends a powerful creation called the Destroyer to Earth to annihilate Thor. This construct caused mayhem and notable casualties, forcing Thor to fight it without his godly powers. In the end, Loki almost succeeded in killing Thor, but the god of thunder regained his powers and was able to reinstate himself.
3Killed His Real Father
Committed Himself To Vengeance
One of the major revelations in the firstThormovie was that Loki was shown to be a part-frost giant and only an adopted son of Odin and Frigga. His biological father was Laufey, the king of all the frost giants. They were a species opposed to Asgard, and Loki decided to use this war to his advantage and an effective coup.
Loki used Laufey and promised him a way to murder Odin but, instead, only used him for his gains and stabbed him in the back the moment that the frost giant became a liability. Despite his father’s cruel treatment of Loki, the way he deals with him is still remarkably cold and showcases how ruthless the God of Mischief can really be.
2Tried To Destroy Jotunheim
Attempted Genocide
To go further, Loki attempted to exterminate his entire race without any remorse. He saw frost giants as a weapon to cause unrest in Asgard and manipulate Thor, allowing the God of Mischief himself to claim the throne. The giants were an aggressive nation focused on war, which made them easy targets for Loki.
He wanted to trick them into a war and made them believe that he was on their side and that victory was possible. Loki then threatens to break the balance by destroying the entirety of Jotunheim, therefore essentially committing genocide on an entire species. This is made even more extreme by the fact that it was his own.
1Invaded New-York
Caused Major Carnage
Loki’s most ruthless action occurred duringThe Avengers. Hebecame an associate of Thanos, a villain who wanted to gather all the Infinity Stones, and a part of this desire involved the hunt for Tesseract. This led Loki to causing mayhem on helicarrier and causing Thor to return to earth, but the culmination of his actions was the battle of New York.
Loki allied himself with the Chitauri race, which caused massive chaos and created a threat that only the Avengers could resolve. Throughout this, Loki was at his most villainous, as he was completely uncaring about all the pain and casualties that he caused, only caring for the immense amount of power he wanted to gain.
