How Powerful Each Loki Variant Really Is (& Who Is The Strongest)

WARNING: Spoilers for Loki episode 5, "Journey into Mystery."

Loki episode 5 introduces a series of Loki variants - but how powerful is each one, and who amongst them is the most powerful? While the Loki variants do all share some common traits, their skillsets do appear to be massively varied. Some of these differences are obvious - for example, Alligator Loki can only speak alligator and thus isn't as good as manipulating people - but even many very similar Loki variants have surprisingly different abilities.

On a base level, most versions of Loki thus far seem to share some of the same abilities, those being energy manipulation, telekinesis, and some form of illusion magic - although the degree to which these abilities are used and honed varies from Loki to Loki. Similarly, all seem to share the same enhanced durability and super-strength - even those who don't appear to have Frost Giant heritage.

The nature of variants obviously means no two Lokis are the same - be that in their personality, their past, or their powers. This also means some are stronger than others, either as a result of practice or simple, good old-fashioned luck. Here's every Loki variant so far, and how powerful each of them truly is.

"Original" Loki

Loki appearing in horms and armor in Thor

Being the "main" Loki for the MCU is both a blessing and a curse for Loki, as it means he has perhaps the most potential of all the Gods of Mischief seen so far, but also starts off perhaps the weakest so he can have more growth over the course of his time in the franchise. Loki's main weapons are his magical powers and his cunning - which work especially well together given he specializes largely in illusion magic, effectively disguising or hiding himself several times throughout the franchise. Loki's duplication casting abilities are notably impressive, as he has continually fooled Thor with them - and while the Asgardian isn't perhaps the smartest MCU figure, he does know his brother well enough that this is a considerable feat.

All this said, Loki's most impressive feat is also his worst deed, as his use of magic to convince Odin to leave Asgard so he could steal his place is no easy task, given Odin's own power levels. With Sylvie teaching Loki more about his range of magical abilities, it's clear Loki serves to enhance his powers further.

Lady Loki

An image of Sylvie using her powers in Loki

Lady Loki - known better in the series as Sylvie - has a skillset that appears closest to the "main" Loki', although it seems her magic may be slightly more potent, as she has cast magic in Time Variance Authority offices, which was prior to that supposedly impossible. Similarly, Sylvie also has a slightly wider range of abilities, as she is capable of using her mental manipulation powers to "enchant" others so as to access their memories and trap people in their own recollections - a skill that also makes her able to possess their bodies entirely, seemingly able to imbue whoever she resides within with her level of durability and super-strength. Though not the most powerful in terms of sheer firepower, Sylvie's abilities are the most useful for the type of antics Loki variants typically get up to, making her both a serious threat and potentially the best magic-user for Loki to learn from.

Classic Loki

In fitting with his appearance reflecting the original Marvel comics Loki, Classic Loki currently appears to be the most powerful Loki variant in the MCU. While he's technically only been shown losing one fight - whereas Sylvie and Loki have managed their fair share of successful battles - that fight was against Alioth. Though some viewers think Classic Loki is not dead, even if he did die at the hands of Alioth, he truly proved himself powerful while doing so, as the scale of his illusion powers are so immense that he managed to create a lifelike entire city of Agard and sustain it for long enough to fully distract the beast. Similarly, Classic Loki's anecdote about creating a replica of himself so real that it fooled even Thanos is a clear sign that his powers are a step above the rest - although this may simply be due to him potentially having had more time to hone his magic. Classic Loki also has teleportation powers, that others don't appear to possess, and his telekinesis and energy manipulation appears slightly more potent, meaning his repertoire is also the most well-rounded.

President Loki

As the name President Loki suggests this variant was successful in some form of a political campaign, it's safe to say he's one of the more silver-tongued variants - an idea backed up by the fact that he has managed to recruit a Mad Max-like group of vagabonds to do his bidding by the point he's introduced in Loki episode 5. That said, the fact he gets a hand bitten off by Alligator Loki - who appears to have no special abilities or powers whatsoever - suggests he is not the most proficient fighter of the Loki variants. That said, Loki's ability to convince others to do his bidding is one of his most dangerous skills, so he's still not exactly a pushover.

Kid Loki

Despite Kid Loki doing relatively little in the way of showing his powers, it's made readily apparent how strong he is - as Classic Loki, whose intense magical abilities are shown, treats him with a level of respect that suggests he's a worthy ally. Indeed, the fact that Kid Loki has killed his version of Thor does support this idea - although, with Kid Loki's conjuration powers and his flaming sword, it may have just been the element of surprise that aided him in this particular murder. It is worth note that Alioth's world supposedly also being Kid Loki's suggests he has been on the run from the creature the longest, which may also mean he has the greatest survivalist skillset.

Boastful Loki

Boastful Loki is an especially tricky figure in terms of figuring out powers, as his level of strength is entirely dependant on how truthful he is being with his various stories about defeating the likes of Captain America and Iron Man in order to obtain the Infinity Stones. If he is being truthful, then he's massively powerful, with abilities potentially outdoing even Classic Loki - but there's also evidence to suggest otherwise. Were Boastful Loki to have powers or wit to this degree, it seems unlikely he would have made the deal he did with President Loki, suggesting that in actual fact, his most impressive skill is his ability to boast about himself with questionably truthful claims. However, the fact he wields a Mjolnir-esque hammer does lend itself to the idea that he can hold his own in a fight, even if he didn't have the capabilities to outdo Classic and Kid Loki.

The Pruned Lokis

Tragically, there are some Loki variants whose powers will remain largely mysterious to viewers, as the versions of Loki that were already "pruned" by the TVA will likely never be shown onscreen again aside from the brief glimpse of them in Loki - which provided a short look at figures like Hulk Loki, Cycling Loki, and Viking Loki. While Hulk Loki definitely had enhanced strength beyond that of the usual Loki heritage, it seems likely that none of these variants were especially powerful, given that they all fell foul of the TVA and weren't strong enough to escape, or useful enough to be recruited.

Next: Loki Episode 5: Every Marvel Easter Egg In The Void

Loki releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.