Warning! This article contains major spoilers for Loki season 2. If you've not yet caught up, turn back now!
The Loki season 2 finale was an emotional affair, with the titular Marvel character essentially sacrificing himself to save his friends (and the universe). He didn't give up his life, though, at least not in the traditional sense, so fans are trying to work out what it'll mean going forward.
On Reddit, one viewer tried to soothe others by reminding them that the Loki we've been watching for the last six weeks is just one variant of the God of Mischief. "This Loki is trapped as a Time God, but there are an infinite number of other Lokis who are not trapped," they explained. "One Loki sacrificed himself, and all the other Loki's get to be Loki. Kinda poetic."
"Loki finally did what he hasn't been able to do this whole time: be truly selfless," said another, a theory that ties in with writer Eric Martin describing season 2 as the closing of a book. "Everything has always been about him, for him. Until he finally realized that the only way to get what he wanted (his friends surviving) was making the ultimate sacrifice."
"I think he's there until an opportunity to defeat Kang once and for all arises," a third, more optimistic, fan chimed in. "I'm betting he'll be the force that comes in clutch to save the day during the 'all is lost' moment in one of the upcoming Avengers movies."
"In Norse mythology, and in the MCU, it is always Loki's fate to move the cycle forward. Even his name (according to some entomologists) is from the word for loop or knots," added a fourth. "I look at it not as being sad, because Loki always knew that he had a glorious purpose... He just never understood what it was. And he didn't understand it until those last moments where he chose to be the sacrifice so that others could have free will and the opportunity to be who they chose to be."
Episode 6 ends with Loki choosing not to kill Sylvie before she can kill He Who Remains. Instead, he elects to "fix" the Temporal Loom himself, rather than sending the ill-fated Timely out with his Throughput Multiplier – and risking the latter turning into spaghetti for the umpteenth time.
Using his magic, he manages to grab all the loose timelines, and make his way to some sort of throne, where he plonks himself down and holds the branches steady. Essentially, the former villain makes himself a World Tree, a motif from Norse mythology, that is said to connect the heavens, the terrestrial world, and, through its roots, the underworld.
Loki season 2 is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more on the show, check out our deep-dives on:
- When does Loki season 2 take place on the Marvel timeline?
- Loki season 1 recap
- How to watch the Marvel movies in order
- Marvel Phase 5
- Upcoming Marvel movies and shows
- Victor Timely comic book history explained
- He Who Remains comic book history explained
- The Time Variance Authority comic book history explained
- Mobius comic book history explained
- Sylvie comic book history explained
- Loki season 2 episode 1 post-credits scene explained
- What is time-slipping?
- All the differences between comic book Loki and show Loki
- Loki season 2 episode 1 recap and Easter eggs
- Loki season 2 episode 2 recap and Easter eggs
- Loki season 2 episode 3 recap and Easter eggs
- Loki season 2 episode 4 recap and Easter eggs
- What’s Sylvie holding at the end of episode 2?
- Brad Wolfe isn't the Zaniac fans know from the comics
- What is the Zaniac in Marvel Comics?
