One Line From Loki Proves Kang Is Way More Powerful Than Thanos

Screen Rant

By Bill Bradley

Published Jul 28, 2021

Thanos was the main villain of the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but one line in Loki shows Kang is more powerful.

WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for Loki episode 6.

Though Thanos was the big bad of the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one line from Loki proves Kang is the stronger villain. Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino) finally meet He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the Loki finale. He Who Remains is a Kang the Conqueror variant who secretly runs the Time Variance Authority. According to the character, the TVA is the only thing that brings order to the timeline. Without it, an infinite number of Kang variants would start a Multiversal War. Lady Loki ultimately kills He Who Remains, which seemingly unleashes the Multiverse (and many Kang the Conqueror variants) onto the MCU.

Thanos (Josh Brolin) was the menacing figure always lurking in the background of the MCU. In Avengers: Infinity War, the Mad Titan carried out a plot to destroy half of all life, handing the Avengers their first real loss and numerous dead heroes. Though the Avengers reversed Thanos' deadly finger snap in Avengers: Endgame, a remarkable amount of circumstances had to go just right for the superheroes to win. Other than Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), it seemed no Avenger could take on Thanos and his Infinity Stones in one-on-one combat.

While Thanos was the MCU's most formidable villain thus far, Loki shows Kang is taking things to a new level. In Loki episode 4, the TVA successfully captures Loki and Lady Loki after saving the pair from dying in an apocalypse on Lamentis-1. However, Mobius (Owen Wilson) isn't allowed to question Lady Loki for some reason, making him suspicious of the TVA. Talking to Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku), Mobius says, "You know, we brought in Kree, Titans, vampires. Why is it the two orphan demigods are such a pain in the ass?" And with that, the MCU confirms Kang the Conqueror is its most dangerous villain yet.

In the MCU, the most notable Titan is Thanos, so the line seems directly pointed at him. If the TVA, an agency made up of regular people, can arrest Titans, it shows that even Thanos is no match for the organization, let alone the person who controls it. Yes, Thanos destroyed half of all life, but that's only because it was allowed in the TVA's Sacred Timeline. If Kang didn't want Thanos to carry out his plot, he could've easily stopped it. After all, the TVA is filled with useless Infinity Stones, reducing the items that gave Thanos his power to mere paperweights.

Because of time travel, it's not a fair fight. In one-on-one combat, even sans Infinity Stones, Thanos would take Kang. At the end of the day, Kang is just a regular person. Thanos, however, is even unique among Titans, making him one of the most powerful beings in the universe. But the Avengers, time-traveling novices, were able to take down the Mad Titan with the help of a little time-hopping. With Kang being the master of the entire timeline in Loki, Thanos wouldn't stand a chance.

More: Loki: Who Is Miss Minutes Working For? (Is She Really In Charge)

Loki will return in season 2.