For the Love of Loki

In my recent ventures through that virtual abyss that is the internet, I've seen a profound interest in some character called Loki. For a long while, I just ignored it, but after seeing the footage from this year's Comic Con, the excitement surrounding this Loki only seemed to increase exponentially. That's when I decided my curiosity could be contained no longer! I did what any normal person of this generation would do and googled his name. 

Upon discovering that Loki was a major character in both Thor and The Avengers (two blockbuster movies that I don't know how I ever missed, but I did), I decided to watch them and find out just what all the excitement was about.

Now, I'd be lying if I didn't say I took an immediate liking to Loki's character in Thor. His wounded villain story is by no means unfamiliar, and yet I fell for it- entirely. I was, and am still, consumed by this character. If you ask me, the film would've been more appropriately titled Loki, not Thor. Now, that's just my personal opinion, but judging by the enormous fan base surrounding Loki, I'd say I'm not alone in this. The question though, is why? Why is this man, this fictional character, this villain so admired? Well, after doing my "research" (if it can be called that), this is my analysis:

Why is Loki Loved?

1) Well, perhaps the most obvious reason is that he is emotionally wounded. While Loki is not particularly frightening or even overly evil as a villain, he does have reasonable and relate-able motivation to support his actions.

 

His unfortunate situation humanizes him, and leaves people feeling sorry for him. I can't deny that I am one of those people. Come on, you'd have to be heartless not to feel the slightest pang of despair when Loki falls at the end of Thor. Behind that mask of villainy, there's an innocent child just trying to prove himself and begging to be loved and accepted.

(no matter how many times I see that, it still breaks my heart)

I'd even go so far as to argue that Loki is not a villain at all in Thor. I think this scene is the turning point which leads into his more obviously aggressive role in The Avengers.

2) The second thing Loki has going for him is the actor behind his character: the one and only Tom Hiddleston. For starters, he's English (and not bad looking). That in itself is reason enough for some people to like Loki. However, for others, it's his deeply resonant acting that wins over in the end. Tom plays Loki with such calm, casual, and deliberate demeanor, that the dynamic of his powerful character becomes truly enchanting. Everything about Loki feels very natural. He's extremely confident- which can be seen in the way he walks and holds himself- but quite introverted compared to other villains. You can see his mind at work constantly, and his eyes often speak louder than his words. If you don't follow me, just take a look at this clip and tell me that Loki isn't a smooth-as-silk villain:

And then there's the fact that Tom Hiddleston doesn't play Loki at all, he becomes Loki, taking the performance to an entirely different level of entertainment. It's quite easy to obsess over such incredible talent and dedication to a part. Take his appearance at Comic Con for instance:

(can you imagine how chilling must it have been to hear that voice as you're sitting there in the dark)

3) Another one of the great things about Loki is the humor that surrounds him. While the character himself is quite amusing,

even the ways in which he gets defeated are hilarious!

4) The last thing that makes Loki so interesting (and don't get me wrong, this list could go on forever, but I had to stop somewhere) is that he isn't human, which makes him an immediate object of intrigue. Now, of course, Thor isn't human either, but Thor is the more predictable hero archetype. As the God of Mischief, Loki is mysterious and dubious. His character is thrilling, keeping people on the edge of their seats, always curious.

Personally, I'm a big fan of Loki and his roles in both Thor and The Avengers. I've heard it said that Loki is the weakest of the Marvel villains, and while that's one way of looking at it, I disagree. Loki is simply different. He has an entirely unique motivation and personality. His power resides more with his mind and his trickery than with brute force, and I think that's the beauty of his character. In fact, the actor Tom Hiddleston himself sums it all up quite nicely when he says "what Marvel is so clever at is that they make their heroes flawed and their villains heroic" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWiRNhtvbr0).


Now that I've talked about what I think of Loki, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. Leave a comment telling me if you like or dislike Loki and why you think that is!