Loki, also known as Atreus, is one of the main characters in God of War Ragnarok. Based on the god from Norse mythology, there have been many different versions of Loki, with one of the most popular being the Marvel Cinematic Universe's God of Mischief.
Loki from God of War Ragnarok and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films have a lot in common, but also share some differences. As they play different roles in each story, there are a lot of comparisons to be made between the two.
Loki in God of War Ragnarok
In God of War Ragnarok, Atreus goes on a journey to learn who he is supposed to become. At the end of the previous game, Atreus learned that he was to become Loki, but wasn't sure what fate had in store for him. While searching for answers about himself, he learns of a prophecy in which he kills his father and works for Odin. Outraged by this, Atreus decides to go to Asgard and help Odin with the intention of betraying him.
Odin sends Atreus on a quest to search for broken pieces of a mask. Once Atreus retrieves them all, however, he keeps them and reunites with his comrades, who go to war against Odin. During the epic battle, Atreus decides to stop the Allfather's plans by breaking the mask apart once more. Atreus, Kratos, Freya, and Sindri then kill Odin, saving thousands throughout the Nine Realms. Knowing that his loved ones are safe, Atreus continues his journey to get a better understanding of who he will become.
God of War Ragnarok's version of Loki cares a lot about his friends and family, willing to do anything in order to keep them safe. While he can be manipulative, his intentions are always good, and he wants to do what he thinks is right, often tricking those that he finds to be a threat. He always tries to be very helpful, which sometimes leads him to make mistakes that have grave consequences. His poor decisions and flaws motivate him to do whatever is necessary in order to protect those across the Nine Realms, as he tries to be better.
Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Loki's story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins in Thor, in which he wanted to prove that he was worthy of ruling over Asgard to Odin. In the process, he and Thor battled against each other, with Thor winning. After his failure, Loki began working for Thanos and went to Earth in The Avengers. There, he fought Thor once again, along with Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, and Hawkeye.
The Avengers defeated Loki and sent him back to Asgard in Thor: The Dark World. He was placed in a prison until he and Thor joined forces to defeat the Dark Elves that killed their mother. During this time, Loki faked his death and took on Odin's form, manipulating the Asgardians in order to finally achieve his goal. When Thor learned of Loki's manipulation in Thor: Ragnarok, the two had to put their strife aside in order to defeat their older sister, Hela, who attempted to take control of Asgard and proved to be a worse ruler than Loki. In order to save the Asgardians, the brothers had to destroy their home and bring everyone onto a spaceship, which Thanos found in the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War. Loki attempted to manipulate Thanos into believing that he was still loyal to him, but the Mad Titan saw through his act and killed him instead.
Loki returned through time distortion in Loki. Alongside the Time Variance Authority, Loki works to track down another variant of himself, known as Sylvie. However, Loki and Sylvie work together and meet He Who Remains, who had created the timeline and gave the two variants the opportunity to take his place. As Sylvie blamed He Who Remains for the hardships she had to face in life, she killed him, changing the timeline and leaving Loki behind in a reality unknown to him.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Loki cares a lot about being in power, doing whatever he finds necessary in order to be worshiped. His motivation for manipulation is more personal, as he only cares about what is best for him in the beginning of his journey. However, as time passes, he learns to care about others and is willing to put them above himself. He doesn't always think things through and his actions often bring him nothing but trouble. Obsessed by achieving his goals, it usually takes him a long time to learn his lessons.
Comparing the Two Versions of Loki
Both versions of Loki are unsure of who they are supposed to be in the beginning of their journeys, but for very different reasons. While in God of War Ragnarok, Loki wanted to learn more about himself as he didn't know much of the person he was meant to become, the Loki in the Marvel movies learned that everything he once believed about himself was a lie, causing him to become determined to prove that he was superior to others. Because of this, their reasons for manipulating others are very different. Atreus manipulates people in order to protect those that he loves, while the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Loki is much more selfish and tricks others to achieve his personal goals.
Their relationships with other characters are also quite different. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki was adopted by Odin when he was a baby, making Thor his brother. Loki wanted Odin to love him as much as he loved Thor, which made Loki and Thor rivals to each other; they often fought but also made an incredible team when they could put their differences aside. Loki and Thor also have to put their differences aside in God of War Ragnarok, but don't have the bond that their Marvel counterparts had. Thor despises Atreus and wants to kill his father, only working with him when Odin orders him to. Obviously, Atreus and Odin's relationship also differs, as the two tried to manipulate each other and became great enemies in the process.
Lastly, while Marvel's Loki was raised on Asgard, which was actually the last of the Nine Realms that Atreus went to. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki had a deep connection to Asgard and wanted to rule over the Asgardians. For Atreus, Asgard was a temporary home where he made both friends and enemies alike. However, he didn't care about that realm nearly as much as he cared about others that he had spent many days in, especially Midgard. The two versions of Loki share many similarities but are also very different characters, each playing an important role in the stories they are in. Their journeys will likely continue in the next season of Loki and the next God of War game.
God of War Ragnarok is available now for PS4 and PS5.
