The following article contains spoilers for episode 5 of Loki.
Over the past decade, Loki has gone from being an extremely obnoxious character to someone who is willing to sacrifice his own life to protect his adoptive brother Thor (while still remaining obnoxious, of course). His redemption arc over the course of his appearance in the MCU has been massive. However, Loki was seen dying in the first few minutes of 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, leaving fans feeling heartbroken.
When the Disney Plus series was announced, bringing back the fan-favorite character, fans were curious to see if the new version of Loki would be able to redeem himself in the same way. It had taken a decade for Loki to finally be in his brother’s good books, so would it be possible for him to reach the same level of absolution in just six weeks? Well, episode 5 of Loki has already achieved his redemption.
Though fans never truly hated the character, they had come to love Loki after the six MCU films that he has appeared in so far. But watching him die at the hands of Thanos meant that all those moments were of no use, as ultimately he was going to meet his horrid fate. When the God of Mischief returned in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, albeit very briefly, fans were excited to see what direction the writers would take him in. However, after stealing the Tesseract and escaping captivity, there was no mention of what happened to Loki, until now.
Two years after fans last saw him managing to break free, the story picked up in the standalone series that is now streaming on Disney Plus. It was interesting to see this alternate version of the Asgardian prince deal with the tricky situation that he had fallen into after being arrested by the Time Variance Authority for his crimes against the sacred timeline. Having no recollection of the events that took place after the Battle of New York, this was the Loki who still hated the Avengers and was in cahoots with supervillain Thanos. He had in no way redeemed himself for all his devious ways and was the arrogant narcissist that fans met in 2011’s Thor.
However, as the series progressed, this version of Loki started to grow on fans as well. He might have acted difficult in the first episode, but ever since he learnt of his true fate and his mother’s death, he has become a lot more humble. In the past five weeks, several of his actions have convinced fans that they don’t need the original Loki to return, as this version of the God of Mischief is on his way to redeem himself and become the anti-hero that they love.
After seeing Owen Wilson’s Agent Mobius M. Mobius being pruned last week, Loki was evidently emotional to see his friend dying. It was reminiscent of Thor’s emotions upon seeing Loki’s lifeless form. Even though Mobius isn’t his brother, Loki has come to form an emotional bond with the character over the course of the series thus far. The two proved to be great partners while tracking Sylvie and have come to trust each other, despite Loki being a serial liar.
After being pruned himself and landing in an unknown realm, where he meets several Loki Variants, the Asgardian prince is ecstatic to discover that his friend Mobius is in fact alive. This week’s episode, “Journey Into Mystery,” has brought forth major character development for Loki. The character who has become synonymous with lying and backstabbing is seen hugging Mobius in what could potentially be their final meeting, as Loki and Sylvie prepare to go up against Alioth, the large smoke monster guarding the post-apocalyptic world. His friendship with Mobius shows that Loki is capable of working with someone else, and isn't the sole warrior he claims to be. Also, it is a big deal for him to have gained another individual’s trust, something that has never been witnessed in the MCU before.
Speaking of trust, it seems like the Asgardian has gained another person’s trust - Sylvie’s. As Loki and Sylvie have another emotional moment minutes before their attempt to enchant Alioth, Sylvie asks the God of Mischief how she can be sure that he won’t betray her in the final moments. He responds: “I betrayed my father, my brother, my home. I know what I did, and I know why I did it. And that’s not who I am anymore. I won’t let you down.”
Loki's confession that he has "betrayed everyone who ever loved [him]" is an important moment for the character. He finally admits to his wrongdoings in the past, which is major growth for his character. His promise to never betray Sylvie seems more real and believable than any agreement that Loki has made in the past. Even though they both struggle with their feelings for each other, it seems fitting to have them both open up to an alternate version of themselves.
Classic Loki also has a part to play in Loki’s transformation in this week’s episode. His reveal about escaping death at the hands of Thanos, only to later be discovered by the TVA because he “missed [his] brother” shows that the character can truly change his ways. His love for Thor proves that Lokis can actually form a bond with other people and write their own stories.
In the final moments of the episode, Classic Loki is seen creating a fake Asgard projection to distract Alioth, in order to help Sylvie and Loki complete their mission of enchanting him and finding a way to whoever is responsible for creating the TVA. This moment and Classic Loki’s sacrifice goes to show that Lokis are in fact capable of being selfless and the original Loki would surely take a page out of his book.
The first episode of the Disney Plus series established that Loki’s role in the sacred timeline is fixed and his presence is only to assist the remaining members of the Avengers become better versions of themselves. But, Classic Loki’s sacrifice makes it evident that Loki isn’t meant to just be a villain. While Classic Loki may have spent most of his life living on a remote planet, the original Loki has learned that he would rather find companionship. “You go, I go,” he is heard telling Sylvie before she goes off to fight Alioth, and in that moment, the new version of Loki truly grows into the fan-favorite character that took a decade to be loved.
Loki is now streaming on Disney Plus.