Lokihas spent most of hisMCUcareer being a morally gray character, although the monumental conclusion toLokiseason 2 raises the question of whether he’s finally worthy of lifting Mjolnir. The clandestine enchantment placed by Odin has precluded mostMCU characters from lifting Mjolnir, as exemplified by the scene inAvengers: Age of Ultronwhere most of the mostly virtuous Avengers struggled. Loki, meanwhile, has often found himself on the business end of Thor’s legendary hammer during his time as a villain and as a general thorn in his brother’s side.
Precisely what makes acharacter worthy of lifting Mjolnirhas never been overtly expressed, though it’s reasonable to draw conclusions based on those heroes who have managed so far. Traits shared by Thor, Captain America, Vision, and Jane, for example, suggest that worthiness is tied to selflessness, heroism, valor, and a willingness to sacrifice oneself for the greater good. While these aren’t exactly traits that would be associated withLoki in his early MCU appearances, a lot has happened to the fan-favorite antihero since then that may have changed his fortunes significantly.
Lokiseason 2 endedwith the erstwhile God of Mischief embracing a new role as the Multiverse’s caretaker, forsaking a happy life with his newfound friends to ensure the multiverse and free will can thrive. Loki now holds every timeline in the multiverse in his hands, using his godlike magic to revive timelines and allow them to flourish with him at the center as a living temporal loom. By doing so, he is now condemned to a life of abject loneliness, sacrificing everything so that the countless variants of every timeline can experience true freedom.
MCU’s Audience Is Divided About Whether Loki Could Lift Mjolnir
Loki Made A Huge Sacrifice But Lacks Other Qualities
The question of Loki’s worthiness was floated onReddit, where multiple users threw in their two cents on the matter. Unsurprisingly, it remains a divisive issue. While two prevailing opinions point out that Loki either has his hands full or is technically holding every variant of Mjolnir by holding every timeline in which it exists, other fans are divided over whether Loki’s immense self-sacrifice puts him on a par with Thor or whetherhe technically still doesn’t meet the criteria for Odin’s specific brand of “worthiness.”
The original poster suggests that Loki’s sacrifice is enough to make him worthy. After all, Thor was deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir in 2011’sThorafter sacrificing himself to protect others.
U/anrwliasboasts the third-most upvoted response, suggesting that Loki’s sacrifice should be more than enough for Mjolnir to deem him worthy, suggesting that if it doesn’t, Mjolnir isn’t worthy of Loki.
U/esmelusina, meanwhile, suggests that Mjolnir’s worthiness enchantment is more fickle, stating that Loki would not be able to wield Mjolnir as the enchantment is more subjective. Others agree thatLoki’s lack of self-assuredness hampers his chances.
U/Rutley69points out that simply being “good” can’t be the only criterion for wielding Mjolnir, as many more characters could otherwise wield the hammer in the MCU.
U/Rough-Day-6502points out that, while it’s probable that Loki can wield Mjolnir, it matters very little to the newly-minted God of Stories. It’s hard to argue with this logic, given Loki is now on a par withthe MCU’s most powerful cosmic beings.
Why Loki Could Most Likely Lift Mjolnir After His Season 2 Sacrifice
Loki Made A Huge Sacrifice And Demonstrates A Warrior’s Spirit
Loki’ssacrifice is arguably the biggest in the MCU. Variousafterlives depicted in the MCUshow that death is merely a gateway to another plane of existence, whereasLoki has seemingly condemned himself to an eternity of loneliness by accepting life outside of time. This selfless act has ensured the free will of countless individuals at great cost to himself. As for whether Loki embodies a warrior’s spirit, his myriad clashes throughoutLokishow that he is willing to fight for a cause, even if he isn’t as strong as Thor.
Still, it’s hard to discount the sheer scale of Loki’s sacrifice and his total reformation in Loki turning him into a true hero on par with any worthy Avenger.
With that being said, Loki is now arguably one of the most powerful beings in the MCU. Reviving entire timelines with his magic is no mean feat, and it’s easy to see Loki at the very least “holding” Mjolnir in a similar capacity to Hela inThor: Ragnarok. Still,it’s hard to discount the sheer scale of Loki’s sacrificeand his total reformation inLokiturning him into a true hero on par with any worthy Avenger.
Loki
Cast
Loki is a series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the alternate version of the titular character, Loki, after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Taken by the Time Variance Authority, he must confront his identity and choices while aiding in fixing the disrupted timeline to avert a greater threat.
