Loki may well have become one of the MCU’s most popular figures, but there are many things that fans choose to ignore about the character.

Although Loki‘s journey from a standard villain to a complex and beloved MCU character has been excellent, there are many things about him that fans refuse to admit. First introduced early in the MCU’s movie timeline in 2011’s Thor, Loki is one of the franchise’s longest-standing surviving characters. The journey he has undertaken in that time has seen him undergo a huge shift in personality, transforming from a conniving villain to a Multiverse hero.

As beloved as Loki may be after his appearance in what is considered to be one of the MCU’s best TV shows, he’s not without his faults. In fact, there are many issues with Marvel’s depiction of the character and the way his story has played out that many fans simply fail to acknowledge. With that in mind, here are 10 things about Loki that no MCU fan will admit.

10. Loki Isn’t As Complex As He Appears

His MCU Arc Has Made Him Less Interesting

In the early movies of the MCU, Loki was introduced as an unpredictable rogue intent on chaos and control. Loki’s villainous ambitions were offset by a desire for approval and acceptance from his father, and then twisted by his later discovery that he was adopted as a baby when his Frost Giant parents left him for dead. Loki’s characterization initially saw him tipped as the franchise’s most complex and morally-gray villain.

As excellent as this status was, it didn’t last. Loki’s character arc across his MCU appearances saw many changes to the former villain, most notably his becoming more of an anti-hero figure. By making Loki less morally ambiguous, the MCU also made him far less interesting, robbing him of one of his uniquely intriguing qualities in order to have him better fit the niche carved for him by his own popularity.

9. Loki Made A Poor Villain

Loki’s Tenure As A Villain Was Disastrous

Though Loki’s villain status made him an interesting character, the sad truth is that he wasn’t particularly good at it. Acting as the main antagonist in 2011’s Thor and 2012’s The Avengers, Loki was once considered the MCU’s most prominent villain. Unfortunately, he was a terrible choice for that role in the franchise, and made a poor villain compared to the heroes he was up against.

In every encounter with the heroes, Loki seems to come away beaten in one way or another. His only true strength is in his power of deception, which doesn’t work as often as he’d hoped. He has a little more success in The Avengers, but even the support of Thanos and possession of the Mind Stone wasn’t enough to give Loki the edge over the heroes. In hindsight, it’s clear that Loki’s time as a villain was a waste of his talents.

8. Loki’s Greatest Moment Was Given To A Variant

Loki’s Most Triumphant Display Of Power Was Performed By Someone Else

Loki season 1 saw the God of Mischief introduced to the endless and mind-bending possibilities of the multiverse after he finds himself captured by the TVA. Seeking the figure at the head of the organization, Loki finds himself in the Void at the end of time, surrounded by his own variants and hunted by the powerful creature Alioth. In order to reach the Citadel at the End of Time, he must distract Alioth, leading to one of Loki’s most impressive displays of power in the MCU.

It’s not the MCU’s main Loki that gets the triumphant moment, however. Instead, it’s one of his variants, identified as Classic Loki, played by Richard E. Grant. Classic Loki conjures a sprawling illusion of Asgard to draw Alioth away, sacrificing his life to help Loki on his way. The fact that Loki’s most powerful and selfless act wasn’t even performed by the MCU’s own version of the character outlines how the franchise has failed him.

7. Loki’s Heroic Sacrifice Actually Granted His Villain Wish

Being The God Of Stories Gives The Villain His Happy Ending

The ending of Loki season 2 saw the titular character achieve his first true act of heroism. Upon realizing that the only way to stabilize the Temporal Loom was to sacrifice himself to hold it together, Loki opted to do so to protect the multiverse. This transformed Loki into the God of Stories, an immensely powerful being with a huge amount of control over reality.

Though it seems heroic, it’s actually a rather convenient ending for the one-time villain. His original villain schemes revolved around gaining control and power over others, and his supposedly heroic act of sacrifice gave him exactly that. Though giving up the life he had may seem noble, Loki ultimately achieved what he always wanted: a throne upon which to sit and feel superior, conveniently achieving the glorious purpose he once declared it was his destiny to fulfill.

6. Loki Should Be Incredibly Unlikable

Tom Hiddleston Has Saved Loki From Obscurity

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of Loki as a character in the MCU is that he simply should not be at all likable. Most of Loki’s actions and words are either unpleasant or outright lies, and he’s proven multiple times that even his closest family members should not trust him. His attempts to manipulate and subjugate those around him make him a particularly nasty, selfish character.

Even so, Tom Hiddleston’s performance still somehow creates a sense of charm about the God of Mischief. It’s impossible not to be drawn in by the magnetic energy of Hiddleston’s performance, which, combined with sound writing, has made Loki seem far more nuanced than he truly is. Ultimately, despite all of Loki’s unfavorable qualities, the MCU has found a way to present him as a more pleasant character, leading many to overlook his countless flaws.

5. Loki Never Truly Cared About His Family

Loki Isn’t As Affected By His Losses As He Should Be

On the surface, part of Loki’s story has always revolved around his desire to fit in and earn the love and respect of his family. It’s one of the central themes of Thor, and is mentioned again in The Avengers before being revisited in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. However, one aspect of Loki that’s too often ignored is that despite all his talk about family and acceptance, he seems to care very little about those who are supposedly important to him.

After being indirectly responsible for his mother Frigga’s death, Loki does show some signs of grief. After his father’s death, however, Loki reacts very little, even when faced with the appearance of his long-lost sister. What’s more, Loki made multiple attempts to kill both Thor and Odin, and risked their lives multiple times through his schemes, making it seem as though he never cared about them as much as he asserted.

4. Loki’s Main Role In The Infinity Saga Was His First Appearance

The Villain Played A Deceptively Minor Role In The Franchise’s Earlier Years

Though Loki initially served as a primary villain in Phase 1 of the MCU, he went on to appear in multiple movies leading up to the culmination of the Infinity Saga. Despite his early role in Thanos’ plans and having played his part in getting Thor exiled to Earth, Loki eventually helped the heroes around him in their attempts to thwart the Mad Titan. Interestingly, Loki actually had next to no impact on the Infinity Saga’s story after the events of The Avengers.

Thor’s story saw Loki unable to have any considerable lasting impact, but The Avengers saw him team up with Thanos to attempt to invade Earth. After that, Loki barely influenced the overall MCU story whatsoever, playing a minor supporting role that involved very little of note. This actually paints Loki as one of the most pointless characters in the Infinity Saga, as his continued presence still wasn’t enough for him to leave a mark on its story.

3. Loki’s Story Arc Is Bad For The Wider MCU

Giving Loki Redemption Makes The MCU’s Story Seem Too Neat

Introduced as one of the MCU’s most fascinating and complicated characters, Loki seemed to have a lot of promise in the franchise’s early days. As his story continued, this perceived depth wasn’t explored in any real way, but he did undergo a significant character shift. Eventually, Loki established himself as a heroic figure in the MCU, albeit not in the traditional sense.

Loki’s MCU arc might seem satisfying, but it’s bad for the wider franchise. Loki going from a villain to a hero of sorts is the sort of change that feels forced and predictable, and Loki’s success will potentially encourage other similar arcs. Loki becoming a less self-serving figure robs the franchise of one of its most intriguing and unpredictable villains, making not only Loki’s stories but the entire MCU seem significantly duller as a result.

2. Loki Cheating Death Has Tampered With His Story’s Stakes

Loki’s Uncanny Knack For Survival Makes His Stories Less Interesting

One of the most common aspects of Loki’s adventures in the MCU is his repeated scrapes with death. For a god, Loki tastes mortality all too often, with characters believing him to have expired on numerous occasions. At the end of 2011’s Thor, 2013’s Thor: The Dark World, and again in Avengers: Infinity War, Loki was seemingly killed, only to return through one magical means or another.

Loki’s uncanny knack for surviving seemingly mortal injuries or events has wider implications for his MCU future, though. Having seen Loki die so many times, it’s unlikely that audiences will ever believe a real death, rendering him narratively invulnerable and thereby lowering any potential stakes considerably. By having a character who seemingly can’t die, the MCU has changed Loki’s character in a way that undermines the emotional impact of any future outings.

1. The “New” MCU Loki Never Experienced Most Of His Best Moments

Timeline Resets Mean The MCU Erased Some Of Loki’s Biggest Character Developments

Though Phase 4 finally saw Loki given a chance to shine in his own solo project, this came with an often-ignored caveat. As Loki was killed during the events of Avengers: Infinity War, it’s actually explained that a variant from a branching reality escaped after the events of The Avengers and was brought into the TVA. This places Loki’s version of the character much earlier in the timeline, causing a very subtle issue.

The events of Thor: The Dark World, Thor: Ragnarok, and Avengers: Infinity War, were some of the most significant in Loki’s character development, especially where they related to his relationship with Thor. Loki’s version of the character – the MCU’s “new” Loki – never experienced any of those events, and is effectively an entirely different character. Removing much of the foundation laid by prior appearances makes Loki ring somewhat hollow as a character in his solo show, as a lot of the context for his personality was quietly erased.