Loki’s 10 Most Impressive Displays Of Power Over 12 Years In The MCU

Tom Hiddleston has portrayed Loki in the MCU for twelve years, and has been given the chance to showcase some of the God of Mischief’s most powerful and impressive powers. Hiddleston debuted as Loki in 2011’s Thor, introduced as the adoptive brother and antagonist to Chris Hemsworth’s titular God of Thunder. As a baby Frost Giant, Loki was adopted by Odin and raised as an Asgardian, though his father’s favoritism of Thor meant that Loki was always vying for attention, and channeled this to become a master of manipulation. Despite starting as a villain, Loki’s MCU timeline would eventually lead to him becoming one of the franchise’s most formidable heroes.

Loki appeared in five MCU projects before his demise at the hands of the Mad Titan Thanos in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, but Tom Hiddleston reprised the role in Avengers: Endgame as a variant of Loki, and went on to star in his own solo Disney+ series in the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. This has made Loki one of the MCU’s longest-running characters, and has provided the God of Mischief with many opportunities to show off his impressive set of abilities. Raised under the tutelage of his witch mother Frigga, Loki’s mastery of sorcery, illusions, and magic, combined with his remarkable intellect, makes him one of the MCU’s most powerful characters.

10 Loki Takes Control Of SHIELD Agents

The Avengers (2012)

After his apparent death at the end of 2011’s Thor, Loki returned in 2012’s The Avengers to become the first villain for the MCU’s premiere superhero team. Loki arrived on Earth through a portal cast by the Tesseract, greeting SHIELD operatives, including Director Nick Fury, armed with a powerful scepter that contained the Mind Stone. This scepter gave Loki the ability to take control of anyone’s mind, and he uses this on Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, and scientist Erik Selvig, both of whom he’d need for his plan. This control had a lasting impact on Barton and Selvig, extending into subsequent MCU projects, proving just how powerful this puppetry was.

9 Loki Casts Illusions To Trick Malekith & Thor

Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Thor employed the help of the imprisoned Loki in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World in order to sneak an Aether-infected Jane Foster off Asgard in hopes of luring the Dark Elf Malekith to Svartalfheim, a.k.a. the Dark World. Their plan involved Malekith releasing the Aether from within Jane Foster, which meant he had to believe that Thor had been defeated. This trickery came courtesy of Loki, who cast an illusion to make it seem as though he had severed Thor’s Mjolnir-wielding hand. Perhaps the more impressive of Loki’s illusions in The Dark World was that of his own death, which he realistically faked, allowing him to later assume Asgard’s throne.

8 Loki Catches Hawkeye’s Arrow

The Avengers (2012)

During The Avengers, Loki waged war on New York City in a desperate attempt to assume control over the planet his brother adored, though the MCU’s original Avengers team put up a good fight. This included Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, who had been broken free from Loki’s mind control by Natasha Romanoff. Barton’s accurate aim allowed him to target Loki, even though the God of Mischief was flying through the skies of New York. Even Hawkeye’s aim was no match for Loki, however, as he caught the arrow in mid-air, though it quickly proceeded to explode and blast him back onto Stark Tower where he’d be incapacitated by the Hulk.

7 Loki Uses Shadows To Restrain Brad Wolfe

Loki Season 2, Episode 2 (2023)

While 2021’s Loki season 1 saw Loki introduced to the TVA, 2023’s season 2 featured him as a bona fide member of the organization. Working with Mobius to track down the missing Sylvie, Loki crossed paths with Hunter X-5, a.k.a. Brad Wolfe, who had set up a life on a branching timeline as a 1970s movie star after finding Sylvie and realizing he could have a life outside the TVA. Wolfe and Loki engaged in a brilliant chase through the streets of London, but the TVA hunter was eventually captured thanks to Loki’s use of his own shadows. Loki’s use of shadows was an innovative upgrade for his power set.

6 Classic Loki Creates An Asgard Illusion

Loki Season 1, Episode 5 (2021)

Loki season 1’s penultimate episode introduced several other Loki variants to the MCU, including DeObia Oparei’s Boastful Loki, Jack Veal’s Kid Loki, and Richard E. Grant’s Classic Loki. While not all Loki variants were allies to Loki and Sylvie, Classic Loki proved helpful while the pair were attempting to enchant Alioth. Showcasing more range, power, and imagination than Loki ever had with his own illusions, Classic Loki cast the image of Asgard across the Void, confusing Alioth and buying Loki and Sylvie enough time to complete their mission. Unfortunately, this came at the cost of Classic Loki’s own life, but gave him the chance to realize his “glorious purpose.”

5 Loki Almost Destroys Jotunheim

Thor (2011)

Tom Hiddleston’s debut in 2011’s Thor saw him fully fit the brief of villain opposite Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, not least because of his manipulation to get Thor exiled from Asgard, but also in his willingness to commit genocide by wiping out the Frost Giants. Constantly on the hunt for his father’s approval, Loki orchestrated Thor’s failure in the opening battle on Jotunheim, and later allowed a group of Frost Giants into Asgard so they could kill Odin. Loki dispatched of these Frost Giants, including Laufey, but used their entrance into Asgard to justify destroying Jotunheim with the power of the Bifrost Bridge, though he was thwarted by Thor.

4 Loki & Sylvie Enchant Alioth

Loki Season 1, Episode 5 (2021)

Thanks to Classic Loki’s distraction of Alioth in Loki season 1, episode 5, “Journey Into Mystery,” Loki and Sylvie were gifted with the opportunity to enchant the terrifying creature. Hiddleston’s Loki had never used enchantment before, and Sylvie had only ever enchanted humans, nothing on the scale of Alioth. Working together, however, the pair succeeded in subduing the creature, which then granted them access to the Citadel at the End of Time and marked the debut of Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains. Loki’s enchantment hasn’t been shown off since, but this was still a remarkable feat from the two God of Mischief variants.

3 Loki Manipulates Odin’s Powerful Mind

Thor: Ragnarok (2017)

In his early MCU appearances, Anthony Hopkins’ Odin proved himself to be a worthy King, and one of the most powerful figures in the entire MCU roster. Nevertheless, even Odin’s mind was susceptible to Loki’s trickery and magic, as the God of Mischief manipulated his father and stashed him away in a retirement home on Earth in order to assume the Asgardian throne. This ruse was uncovered by Thor shortly after he returned to Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok, though he and Loki would find their father just in time to see him die. The fact that Loki could seize even Odin’s mind proves just how capable a sorcerer he is.​​​​​​​

2 Loki Controls His Time-Slipping

Loki Season 2, Episode 5 (2023)

2023’s Loki season 2 saw Loki inflicted with “time-slipping”, a process that dragged him violently between the past, present, and future, and across a variety of different timelines. This was seen as a curse in Loki season 2’s premiere, but Loki learned to control this ability in the season’s penultimate episode following the explosion of the Temporal Loom. This control allowed him to travel back to the TVA and spend centuries trying to save his friends. Loki’s new time-slipping ability meant he could find out more information from He Who Remains prior to his death, and seek advice and bid farewell to Sylvie and Mobius before making the ultimate sacrifice.

1 Loki Becomes A God In The MCU

Loki Season 2, Episode 6 (2023)

By far the most impressive feat of power displayed by Loki came in the finale of Loki season 2. After realizing that the Temporal Loom couldn’t be adjusted for the multiverse’s infinite branches, Loki elected to destroy it and assume its role himself. Gathering up the branches of the multiverse, Loki transformed into a true God, taking his position in the Citadel at the End of Time, and sitting guard over the entire multiverse for eternity. This meant that Loki truly became a hero, as he sacrificed his own freedom to protect that of everyone else on every branching timeline, becoming perhaps the most powerful character in the entire MCU.