For years, having just one Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe felt like a gift. But then, when the Disney Plus series Loki came out, Marvel gave its fans a whole slew of variations on Tom Hiddleston’s iconic god of mischief. Now Loki season 2 is on its way, which means we’ll get even more Loki and Sylvie—and possibly even more variants. While we wait, here’s a ranking of all the Loki variants in the MCU so far!
14. Snake Guy Loki
This is a Loki we only see in a hologram, while Mobius is explaining all the different Loki variants the TVA has pruned. I’m honestly not sure what Marvel was going for with this Loki. Is he dressed as a snake? What’s going on here? It’s probably for the best that the TVA put this poor soul out of his misery.
13. Viking Loki
This Loki’s Viking attire is closer to Skyrim than Marvel, and I’d love to learn what his deal is. But alas, since he’s just another hologram, we’ll probably never find out.
12. Monster Loki
I think all of our faces looked like Loki’s when we saw this variant pop up in Mobius’s hologram. Was this Loki born this way, or did he bulk up? If this timeline’s Loki was this jacked, then what in the name of Asgard did Thor look like?
11. Tour de France Loki
This variant is the best of the holograms that we see during Mobius’s pre-mission briefing. This Loki apparently doomed his timeline by competing in—and winning!—the Tour de France. I have a hard time imagining Loki riding any kind of bicycle at all, let alone competing in a bike race, so this variant is a hilarious treat. Plus you get to see Loki in shorts!
10. The Gang of Lokis
This is the gang that helps President Loki take over the Loki hideout. We never get any backstory for these guys. They’ve got some great costumes—I’m especially fond of the Loki with the handlebars for horns—but other than that, they don’t seem to have individual personalities. And really, is a Loki who just goes along with a mob of other Lokis truly a Loki at all? How did these Lokis all meet up and decide to become an indistinguishable hive mind? They’re definitely the weakest Lokis who appear in person in the MCU.
9. Kid Loki
From here on out, the rankings get pretty challenging, because every Loki is so good. Really, you could shuffle these Lokis in any random order and the rankings would still make sense.
Anyway, Kid Loki. I would lay down my life to protect this kiddo, even though he seems pretty capable of taking care of himself out in the void at the end of time. Kid Loki was pruned when he killed Thor (accidentally? On purpose? We don’t know yet), and eventually became King of the Void Lokis. When Mobius invites him and Classic Loki to come back to the TVA, Kid Loki refuses, saying that the void is his home. However, we may meet him again if Marvel brings the Young Avengers to the MCU.
8. Boastful Loki
Boastful Loki, man. What did he think he was going to accomplish by betraying the other Lokis in their hideout and becoming king? In fact, what are any of the Lokis trying to accomplish by calling themselves king? Even aside from his farfetched claims and over-the-top personality, Boastful Loki is great because his betrayal finally makes Kid Loki and Classic Loki realize that their cycle of betrayal and self-aggrandizement has to end.
7. President Loki
When asked about playing President Loki, the hardened variant who takes over the Lokis’ hideout in the void, Tom Hiddleston called him “almost the worst of the bad bunch … he’s the least vulnerable, the most autocratic and terrifyingly ambitious character who seems to have no empathy or care for anyone else.”
It’s true that you wouldn’t want to meet President Loki in a dark alley, but it’s fun to watch him posture, get betrayed, and then scream when Alligator Loki bites his hand off. Also, President Loki’s scene is the only time in Loki season 1 when Tom Hiddleston wears his iconic horns.
6. Frost Giant Loki
This variant appears in the “Party Thor” episode of What If…?, and he’s a delight from beginning to end. Frost Giant Loki grew up on Jotunheim, where he grew to the size of a normal frost giant and never felt the sense of inferiority that drove him to villainy on Asgard. It’s true that no one in this episode is really true to their characters—the fire giant Surtur, for instance, hits on the Statue of Liberty instead of waiting in his lair for Ragnarok—but it’s still a ton of fun to see how joyful and friendly Loki might have been if he’d led a different life. This particular Loki loves goofing around, partying, and wishing on shooting stars. Aww!
5. Classic Loki
The MCU’s Classic Loki is very different from his comics counterpart, who’s literally the God of Evil. This Loki, who was pruned by the TVA after living in self-imposed exile for thousands of years, has clearly gained kindness and wisdom with age, and it’s fascinating to watch “our” Loki see what he might turn out like in the future. (If young Loki has any thoughts on his older self’s outfit, we’re not privy to them.) Although Classic Loki seems reluctant to help TVA Loki at first, he eventually comes around, distracting Alioth with a magical replica of Asgard so that Sylvie and Loki can try and get to He Who Remains. Classic Loki also gives us a hint of how powerful a Loki can become if they hone their sorcery skills.
4. Alligator Loki
While Alligator Loki didn’t quite make it to the top of this ranking, many fans consider him the superior Loki of the bunch. Where did Alligator Loki come from? Was it the same timeline as Throg? Was he always an alligator or was there a magical mishap? Who made his little helmet for him? How did he and Kid Loki become so close?
Despite these questions, what’s certain is that Alligator Loki has a serious attitude, and he’s not afraid to use those teeth. If you can’t get enough of him, you can read his continuing adventures in the Alligator Loki comics.
3. Sylvie
It’s true that longtime Loki fans didn’t get the genderfluid Lady Loki they were hoping for in Sylvie, but Sylvie is still one of the best Lokis in the MCU. After the TVA prunes her timeline and arrests her (as a child, no less), Sylvie makes it her life’s mission to get revenge by destroying the TVA for good. She grows up in an endless string of apocalypses, never making any friends or forging any real relationships, and when she finally meets TVA Loki, she finds that she doesn’t know how to get close to anyone. Still, Sylvie tries her best to trust him, and it’s only when Loki suggests that they should consider taking over the TVA instead of destroying it that she finally turns her back on him and finishes her mission.
Sylvie is both broken and astonishingly resilient, considering what she’s been through, and those are the qualities that make her so sympathetic and relatable. It’s going to be interesting to see what she does with her life in season 2.
2. TVA Loki
TVA Loki is the main character of Loki, and although he starts out more or less like his counterpart in the Sacred Timeline, his character arc quickly takes a sharp detour. Confronted with the tragedy of how his life would have gone if his timeline hadn’t been pruned—Loki watches himself accidentally kill Frigga and then get executed by Thanos—Loki is forced to rebuild his identity from scratch. But thanks to his friendship with Mobius, Sylvie, and the other Loki variants, Loki discovers that there’s actually a kind and noble person buried under all that resentment and anger.
When season 1 ended, a lot of fans complained that TVA Loki had become passive and boring compared to the Loki they knew. What you have to understand, though, is that this Loki’s story is only half over. Season 1 left him at rock bottom, alone in the multiverse without a plan or an ally, but season 2 is sure to build him back up into something new.
1. Sacred Timeline Loki
TVA Loki is great, but the original Loki—the Loki of Thor 1-3, Avengers, and Avengers: Infinity War—is the greatest Loki in the MCU yet. This Loki is sly, charismatic, bitchy, and ultimately heroic. He’s everything you could possibly want in a trickster.
The Loki of the Sacred Timeline starts off with one of the best villain origin stories in the MCU. Growing up on Asgard, Loki feels like he never fit in, but he can’t figure out what makes him different from all the Asgardians around him. When Odin finally tells him the truth—that he’s actually a frost giant whose appearance has been magically altered to look Asgardian—Loki’s world crumbles. Then, after a year of torture and brainwashing by Thanos’s Black Order (at least, that’s the fan theory), he emerges as the supervillain whom the Avengers have to come together to defeat.
But like TVA Loki, Sacred Timeline Loki has a redemption arc. After he and Thor come to an uneasy truce, Loki proves that he has a heart by saving Jane from the Dark Elves, helping Thor defeat Hela at Ragnarok, and finally giving his life trying to take out Thanos. Although he never quite makes it to the throne of Asgard (aside from a couple of tricks and technicalities), Sacred Timeline Loki is an absolute king.
Who’s your favorite Loki? Do you disagree with any of the rankings? Let us know in the comments!
(featured image: Marvel)
