The Tragedy of Loki of Asgard: A Glimpse Into the God of Mischief

Contributing Writer

Nevaeh Lugo

Spoiler alert: This article contains both major and minor spoilers from the following Marvel movies: “Thor,” “Avengers,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Infinity War.”

“Every villain is a hero in his own mind.”

In 2013, Tom Hiddleston, the actor who portrays Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, made this comment in the middle of a press tour for the latest Thor movie at the time, Thor: The Dark World.

But what does that mean?

The movie adaptation of the comic book character, loosely based on the mythological Norse god, stole the hearts of fans from his first appearance in the 2011 film Thor.

Many would consider him a tragic villain, in the sense that being victimized by a series of distressing events led him on his path of villainy, rather than an inherent sense of corruption.

Since the release of the movie, Hiddleston has grown accustomed to facing the recurring question: “Is Loki really evil?”

Though his answers would change in wording and length, he was always consistent and unwavering in his response: no.

So, what drove Loki to be this way?

The tragedy of Loki’s character is multifaceted, as each uncovered detail serves to add another layer of misery.

At the risk of taking a therapist’s approach, it all began in his childhood. Though the first of his films begins later in his life, stories from different characters around him allow viewers to piece together how Loki was treated in his younger years.

The biggest on-screen reveal about Loki’s childhood comes in a scene from Thor that many fans found emotionally devastating, in which Odin, Loki’s adoptive father, reveals his true heritage.

After a great war between the realms of Asgard and Jotunheim, Odin noticed its king, Laufey, had left his newborn baby behind to die. Odin took this baby in, with the hope that it would serve as a tool to keep peace between the two realms. Odin even raised this baby as his own son: Loki.

Upon receiving the news in his adulthood that he was adopted and was actually born among the race he was raised to despise (bear in mind his age had crossed over a millennium at this point), Loki understandably does not take the news well.

“You know, it all makes sense now,” Loki said. “Why you favored Thor all these years. Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard!”

Unpacking what he said, it becomes clear that Loki ultimately feels unloved in comparison to his widely adored brother, Thor.

On top of that gut punch, he’s still processing the fact that everything he’d ever been told was a lie. He is not Asgardian. His family is not his by blood. He was born a race that the entire kingdom of Asgard hates, and he never actually had a chance to earn a spot on the throne.

The actions he takes after this revelation only serve to worsen his situation. And though he is, by storytelling standards, the antagonist of the film, he still never acts out of malice — not once.

In Thor, his actions are driven by a desire for paternal validation.

In the 2012 film Avengers, he is driven by the influence of the scepter in his hand, as well as the unseen forces who gave it to him.

In Thor: The Dark World, a moment of ignorance leads to his indirect hand in his own mother’s death.

Every action he takes, though not malicious, still causes some sense of misery for others.

Fitting for a tragic character, Loki seems to finally begin to heal in Thor: Ragnarok, knowing the experience of fighting on his brother’s side — the side of “good” — only to meet his untimely demise in Avengers: Infinity War, which takes place immediately afterward.

Fans were excited by his return in the miniseries Loki, but since the Loki in that show was plucked from earlier in the timeline and thrown into an alternate life, a return for the fan-favorite Loki, referred to as “sacred timeline Loki,” doesn’t seem to have a plausible means of return.

By definition, tragedy always ends in death. But to die amid a moment of respite from a lifetime of suffering is a true form of tragedy.