❝ And if finds me,
The fight inside is coursing through my veins.
And it's raging,
The fight inside is breaking me again. ❞
— NOTHING AND EVERYTHING, by Red
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❝I never wanted the throne, I only ever wanted to be your equal!❞
Well, in order to ease everyone's suffering, I'm going to break this talk about Loki into parts via movie. First up, Thor. Stay tuned for more.
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...
This is going to be interesting. I actually didn't watch this movie until after I saw the Avengers. It had been on my radar, but I never made the time. So yeah, after witnessing Tom Hiddleston's performance in the Avengers, I wanted to see what the set up had been with the origin story for the God of Thunder and co. I mean, how does one not want to investigate after watching that?
I'll spare you my thoughts on this movie for now—but I can say right off the bat, the villainous Loki that I had seen in the Avengers was different here. I now understood why. If you take a step back and analyze him a bit, you'll begin to understand too. A lot of his behavior is a result of his upbringing. For instance, right off the bat, we see Odin promising Asgard to his sons. In reality, we know it is only Thor's to claim, especially when it flashes to his present day coronation. Loki at some point in his upbringing picked up on that. He believed that he was hindered from the crown, simply because he was not the golden child. It was not until later in this movie that he saw that there was more to it—and that reality came crashing down upon him in the most brutal way too.
Anyway, as I briefly mentioned, Thor and Loki are very similar in this movie at the start. There is a lot of parallels, and as I said the reason for that is their upbringing. They are royalty. They are use to getting what they want without objections. The big difference is, that Thor had a humbling experience that grounded him by the end of the movie. He learned. Loki did not.
In reality, things probably would have not became so ugly had Loki been told the truth of his heritage long before. I think what made it worse for him was the fact that growing up he had heard nothing but horrendous tales about the Frost Giants. They're associated with all that is a blight upon the world and for him to find out he was one of the same—it was crushing. Loki had already struggled with insecurities, that was so very evident, but to come to the conclusion that it was not because of his actions, but because of who he was caused him to snap. It had been such poor parenting to basically paint anyone that was not Asgardian in such a bad light.
Odin really fucked up, but he had never been father of the year. In fact, a lot of people like to think he is one of the biggest villains—at least all those people who adore Loki and want to shift blame. I don't agree with this logic. In fact, Odin and Loki share far more similarities than you'd think.
While it isn't solely expressed in the films, it is evident by tiny details and bits of dialogue that Loki had always been close to his mother. They showcase that with the way Loki mirrors the same gestures and ticks that Frigga does on screen. The actors themselves spun that detail. Additionally, Frigga has showcased that she too delves with illusions and she too, is a mischievous person. She went behind Odin's back to continue seeing her son, regardless of his decree. They are very similar in that aspect.
So, how is it that Loki ended up so much like Odin instead? It is because Loki tries so very hard to be like his father. It's quite transparent that he has always sought his approval, but Odin's gaze was always upon Thor. I mean, considering how elitist and prejudice Odin is, it's not a surprise that he favors his own flesh and blood. Of course, he's going to have a softer spot for his birth son over his adopted one—especially when that child is the son of his sworn enemy.
It is clear, by Odin's words, that when he initially decided to take in Loki that he was to be used almost as a bargaining chip. Yes, he may have decided not to kill him because he was nothing more than a baby, but evidentially Loki was left to die by Laufey. There is a whole whirlwind of theories behind this and I'm just going to graze them, because otherwise this is going to wind up longer than it already has begun to be.
Anyway, people have argued that Loki had been left inside a temple for safekeeping—because such places are often a sanctity and that Odin lied about Loki being abandoned. However, the deleted scene in which Loki meets with Laufey makes it seem like Laufey left him there intentionally for Odin to pick up. Loki made it clear that he had been taken in by Odin and Laufey does not strike me as stupid. He's the king of Jötunheim and that is a position of power that requires some semblance of intelligence. The audience is led to believe they're not too bright, but that is not the case. They've been raging wars for centuries and someone who is sharp is required to plan their moves in battle. He knew Odin may empathize with his runt child and perhaps he could use it later. Who knows. Regardless, either way, both father figures are assholes and Loki's birthright seemed to be nothing more to be used as a pawn in the universe. The sad reality of it all.
It is safe to assume that Odin in no way wanted to grow attached to Loki and kept himself distant. He had a job of being a king over being a father and more than likely left the actually raising of his sons part to his wife and the handmaids. I say this, because Odin is a very archaic character and as such, has a very backwards way of thinking (i.e.: him comparing Jane to a goat). Odin, also in the comics, is an utter shithead and the MCU Odin is just a fraction of this elitist persona. Yeah.
But, as I mentioned, he favors Thor over Loki because he is of blood. Thor is his biological son and being the type of person he is, he is more than likely was proud to have such a strong warrior as his son. Thor literally is the ideal Asgardian.
And then...you have Loki.
Loki is the complete opposite of Thor in a multitude of ways. The contrast exist not only in the physical attributes—Thor being fair-haired and broad and Loki being dark-haired and lean. No, the difference also lies in their strengths. There is no doubt that Thor is much more physically stronger than Loki. This is not up for debate. However, Loki made amends with his weaknesses and spun himself strength in another area: magic.
If you studied Asgard, as ever brief as they show it on screen, it is pretty clear that magic tends to be an art that women take part in. Sure, you can argue that Odin also possess a great deal of magic, considering how he enchanted Mjölnir, sent Thor to Earth, etc, but overall, he is not seen casting left and right. He keeps most of this to a limit because he is tapping into something much more than magic. The ones spinning basic spells tend to be healers, who are seen as women and men are the ones decked out in armor and going into war.
With the exception of Lady Sif, but she has been pointed out as being different than the average women of Asgard.
But, before I stray off, I point all this out because it seems that Loki studying magic more than likely left him even more of an outcast in comparison to the warriors. In fact, the warriors have been seen on screen poking fun at his magical abilities, because they believe magic to be just a sleight of hand and not something commendable. This has a lot to do with Asgard's history and traditions. Asgard, first and foremost is a place that was forged over centuries of "blood and tears". War, power, and control are a big thing for them and Thor: Ragnarok made that quite clear. Hell, the opening sequences in the other two movies show that too.
Loki knows this, but he sticks to what he's good at it. More than likely, his mother being the source of reason for it (in the comics, she's from Vanaheim—a realm that relies heavily on magic, which just solidifies her incline for it). She probably taught him a lot of the basics and this entire thing helped strengthen their bond. She more than likely encouraged him to continue to work hard and that Odin does care for him.
But, as we all know, self-doubt can be a terrible thing.
And there is no doubt that he sought Odin's approval because he wanted his father to look at him the same way he looked at Thor. He wanted to be spoken to and addressed the same way as Thor was by the people around them. The only person who seemed to give him genuine treatment is his mother. I say this, because in yet another deleted scene, a servant laughs at Loki in a scene before the coronation in the first movie. Loki, of course, is offended.
Did Loki overreact? Absolutely, but I think there is some more to explore there. He may have overreacted because of all the teasing he has undergone by Thor and the warriors. I honestly think that this is really the case, considering how people seem to kind of dismiss him unless he's in the presence of Thor. He's always been the one in the shadows.
But what caused people to treat him less, even though he is also a prince? He is supposedly an equal to Thor, as claimed by Odin, but he is also not in any way on the same level. Could Loki have done something to get this treatment? I'm going to make a guess here and say yes. However, I'm also going to point out that some of the reasoning behind it is not entirely his fault—at the end of the day though, the actions are his regardless of the conclusion in the cause and effect.
More than likely, Loki also dealt with prejudices. Just look at him—in comparison to the Aesir around him, he just simply looks out of place. There are so many warm tones and fair-haired characters in the background, that Loki's green palette and his dark features stick out.
Not to mention Loki craves attention. Just take a look at his helmet. That's a choice.
He seemed to have grown up and learned not to care about the consequences of his actions, as long as the end resulted in the attention he wanted. This is what I mean about being at fault. He totally had control to be the better person, but he chose to act out. His mischief, no doubt, got him into a lot of trouble.
Additionally, there is no doubt that others also had knowledge of Loki being adopted—at least people in the palace. I say this, because how else would someone explain a baby coming into the picture out of the blue?
I can see it being secreted in one of two ways, and both are tied to Odin. The All-Father may have spun some kind of powerful spell through Asgard, altering the memories of all but Frigga that Loki is his own. Remember, while he may not really show it much on screen, he is incredibly strong. Evidence? He kept Hela locked up, he set the worthy spell on Mjölnir, he mustered up enough magic to send Thor to Earth in Avengers. Shall I go on? Considering this is just all the known things he's done in the MCU alone, if I were to list all his comic book accomplishments too, your jaw would drop. He is deceptively strong for an old man.
Additionally, this just seems more plausible because just look at Hela for fuck's sake. How the hell did he keep her completely a secret? My other reasoning would be Odin threatening people from speaking out loud about the truth, but you can only keep certain people's mouth shut for so long before the truth finds a way out.
I think this second theory makes sense when you think about it broadly. People within the palace may have known the truth about Loki, but they had to accept him regardless. As a result, it is kind of the situation with Loki and Odin—not of blood, so therefore not as important.
Yeah.
Therefore, whenever Loki made a mistake it held greater weight since he never initially belonged in Asgard. Children make mistakes—everyone knows this. Thing is, more than likely, Loki was never treated the same way as Thor and thus grew bitter over time. Yeah, it sounds like I'm making him a victim here.
But he was, in a way—and he handled it completely wrong as he grew older. Instead of trying to prove himself otherwise, he tormented and tricked those who mocked and teased him. So, whenever he did something genuine, people looked at him with the same level of discontent that he served. Loki never learned how to be the bigger person. The cycle just spun on and the victim became the victimizer once again.
And he seems to realize this, accepting his role as a "monster" and going all out to show everyone just how terrible he is. In a sick and poetic way, he wanted to turn those lies into truths because it just easier—but he's still lying, just to himself.
Regardless of his mistreatment, he still had all the perks that came with being a prince. In a way, his flaws are of his own doing, because his jealousy, bitterness, and self-loathing just grew over time. He never learned better and never had anyone teach him otherwise. You can argue that Frigga was a good influence on him, but a mother can only do so much for her child.
In the end, Loki turning into a villain was his destiny. There had been such a build up to the sick truth, that Loki snapped. I'm pretty sure later down the road he reflected upon how stupid he had been about this, but during this entire movie he just went crazy with jealousy and hatred.
It was a complete build up after all those years and it did not help that the truth was something that he had been told on several occasions was horrendous. I wonder how he felt when he realized that if Thor knew just what he was, would he forget the fact that they grew up as brothers? A part of me thinks he thought Thor would no longer accept him and thus was the first one to react and betray him. He didn't want to get hurt and wanted to deliver the hurting himself.
Aside from Thor, it is also clear he wanted to do Odin proud. He set up a whole entire plan where it seemed he would betray Odin by letting Laufey into Asgard to slay the unconscious king, but he ended up killing his birth father instead. An examination of this through a psychological perspective, would say that he killed Laufey in order to bury the truth. He found out the truth, but in no way wanted to accept the reality and was desperate to stay as Odin's son. However, now with the truth out there, the only thing he could do is try and destroy it. He wanted to get rid of all the Frost Giants as his second move. That is how bad he had snapped.
It is literally the epitome of the idiom: Out of sight, out of mind.
Rewatching the final few minutes of the movie, you can also see how distraught he is. He is throwing threats at Thor and he is just beyond reasoning, because he is so hung up on the reality that has come crashing down on him. He didn't have any time to sit on this—to talk about it, because as soon as he tells Odin that he knows, the All-Father falls into a coma. Of course, he's not going to strike down his adoptive father, as angry as he is, so he channels that anger next at Thor: the golden child.
Loki has absolutely snapped in this movie and he still clings to this hatred as he plummets off the Bïfrost. In fact, he let's go himself when he hears Odin's disappointment. Loki all his life has wanted nothing but his father's approval, but to finally hear such disappointment is the tipping point. He is beyond trying to make amends and find reason. He instead chooses just to give up and fall.
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Thor (2011) © Marvel Studios