The following contains spoilers for episode five of Loki

At the very end of episode four of Loki, "The Nexus Event," Loki finds himself face to face with several more of his own variants. On top of a Loki that is an alligator, the three very different Lokis that greet him are credited in that episode as "Boastful Loki," "Classic Loki," and "Kid Loki."

Marvel comics fans were immediately excited to see Kid Loki. Kid Loki has been an established character in Marvel Comics for many years, and fans were ready to see what role he would play in the series. Portrayed in Loki by young actor Jack Veal, MCU's Kid Loki even wears a costume that is almost an exact replica of that of his comic book counterpart.

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The fifth episode of Loki, "Journey Into Mystery," featured more of Kid Loki and got fans even more excited about and interested in the MCU's version of the character. Fans hope to see more of him not only in the final episode of Loki, but in further projects in the MCU. But who exactly is Kid Loki in Marvel comics and beyond, and why is he important?

Kid Loki In Marvel Comics

Kid Loki Thor Talking

In the comics, original Loki died during the Siege of Asgard. However, before the battle, Loki manipulated his sister Hela into taking his name out of the Book of Hel, allowing him to be reborn. Thor finds Loki reborn as a much younger version of himself, living in Paris with no memories of the original Loki. Kid Loki claims that he has dreams about his past crimes, and is afraid to remember. Eventually, Thor partially restores his memories and original identity, and Loki returns to Asgard with Thor, remaining a child. Going forward, Kid Loki refuses to follow original Loki's path, wanting to be his own person. This consistently gets tested.

Kid Loki has had several storylines and gone through a lot of hardships, but he is often most associated with his time in the Young Avengers. In the 2013 Young Avengers comics relaunch, Kid Loki joins the team of young superheroes. The other members of the team are wary of him, knowing who he is and unsure if they should trust him. They're right to be wary, at first at least. However, Kid Loki is a powerful person to have on the team; he has all the powers of sorcery and magic of the original, which is impressive even when not up to full strength.

Kid Loki in Loki

Kid Loki, Old Man Loki and Tom HiddlestoneLoki

Kid Loki is a variant that was "pruned" from the timeline by the TVA after deviating from his intended path. He now resides in a void at the end of time where everything pruned gets sent, along with many other versions of Loki. He lives with an older Loki from the future who faked his death by Thanos, credited as Classic Loki, a black Loki who carries a fake hammer, credited as Boastful Loki, and an alligator variant of Loki. Kid Loki is often seen carrying around and communicating with the latter.

Despite being a child, the other Lokis seem to respect Kid Loki and follow him. When Loki questions this, Classic Loki says, "You'll do well to respect the boy. This is his kingdom," which is further backed up later when Kid Loki is seen lounging in a makeshift throne. Loki is skeptical, and asks Kid Loki what his Nexus Event was. "I killed Thor," Kid Loki responds.

While it is not brought up again or elaborated on, the knowledge that Kid Loki killed Thor lingers for the rest of the episode. When he later says, "whenever any of us does try and fix ourselves, they're sent here to die," it brings up even more questions about the circumstances of how he caused Thor's death. Kid Loki appears to be tough, clever, and curious, but not ruthless. He carries a golden dagger, which he gifts to Loki when he goes to defeat the tempest, Alioth.

Kid Loki and Classic Loki elect to stay in the void instead of go to the TVA with Mobius, but after Classic Loki's sacrifice at the end of the episode, it is unsure what will happen to Kid Loki. He is not seen after he leaves with Classic Loki and alligator Loki to safety, and is not shown reacting to Classic Loki's death.

Why Is He Important?

It is unclear if or how Kid Loki will go forward in the MCU. The ending of episode five definitely leaves the possibility open. But Kid Loki could be important for a number of reasons. First of all, he could be yet another indicator that the MCU is going forward with the Young Avengers. The MCU has set up or is in the process of introducing several members of the Young Avengers already--Wiccan and Speed in WandaVision, Patriot in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and America Chavez in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. While no one at Marvel has confirmed that a Young Avengers project is coming, the introduction of nearly the entire team seems to speak for itself.

Second, Kid Loki in just one episode has already been set up both as an interesting character on his own and as an interesting comparison to Loki himself. This is a variant of Loki who has already done one of the worst things he could have done; whether intentionally or unintentionally, he killed Thor. But he is also only a child, young enough to change, grow, and have a chance for redemption. Additionally, if his character arc was expanded upon and followed through in a Young Avengers project or otherwise, this could help carry variants as a concept into the MCU as a whole.

Loki is now streaming on Disney Plus.

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