Do we like them?

Do we like Loki?

A character from Thor / The Avengers / Loki (Marvel Cinematic Universe) (2011–2023)

Our score: 7 out of 10. A liar, a troublemaker and sometimes a real danger. But he's funny, he can change, and he's best when he's reluctantly on the right side. We'd back him, with one eye on the exits.

Loki is a prince of Asgard, raised in the shadow of his golden-haired brother Thor. He's clever, charming, and good at illusions and tricks. He's also convinced that he deserves more than he gets. In his first film, that resentment tips into scheming against his family and the throne.

For much of the early MCU he is the villain Earth's heroes have to stop. He's a manipulator with big ideas and a bruised ego, and the harm he causes is real. But the writers keep giving him a wounded, lonely side. That makes him hard to hate, and Tom Hiddleston's wit makes him hard to ignore. His quips and sibling rivalry with Thor give the films some of their best banter.

Over the years his loyalties wobble. He works with Thor when it suits him, betrays him when it suits him better, and keeps changing his mind. That's why he scores as a fun, flawed favourite and not a true hero. He wins points for style, self-awareness and the occasional act of real courage. He loses them for the damage he did before he got there. His own Disney+ series then strips him back to the schemer and sends him through a time-bending bureaucracy that makes him look at who he is.

His arc ends up as a redemption story. He makes a genuine sacrifice for his brother and his people, and a later version of him chooses to take on a huge burden to protect everyone else. The mischief-maker becomes someone who gives himself up so others can be safe, which is why he earns a solid, if not perfect, score.