Why Loki Never Killed Thor (But Kid Loki Did)

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

Loki revealed that the variant Kid Loki had killed his brother Thor prior to being introduced, raising the question of why he did so when the staple MCU Loki never did. Loki introduced a dazzling variety of Gods of Mischief into the show, ranging from Alligator Loki to a replica of the original comic version of the character. Though all Loki share some common traits - such as a penchant for creating chaos - it was quickly established that the differences in their respective pasts resulted in each having some decidedly different personality traits, allowing each Loki to stand out as an individual.

Despite the relatively short time available to focus on the variants introduced at the end of Loki episode 4, every one of them got their moment in the proverbial sun; Boastful Loki pulling a characteristic double-cross, Alligator Loki biting President Loki's hand off, and Classic Loki using his impressive powers while sacrificing himself for his brethren. Kid Loki, however, had an especially unusual moment, as his most memorable scene comes with him casually mentioning to the protagonist Loki that the younger version had killed his respective Thor some time ago.

This is surprising on two levels, the first being that it's easy to assume the youngest Loki would be the least bloodthirsty, and secondly that in the comics, Kid Loki is ostensibly the nicest version of the character. Indeed, this may be part of the reason MCU's Kid Loki killed his Thor, as it meant many Marvel comic readers would have been doubly shocked. Fundamentally, though, Kid Loki's murder of Thor exists as a reminder that any Loki is capable of becoming a villain, even the most outwardly innocent-seeming. This said, it seems there are two reasons why the MCU's main Loki never killed Thor when Kid Loki did - partially because he never truly wanted to kill him, and partially because it constitutes a Nexus event, as it did for Kid Loki.

The fact that practically every Loki seems to have a complicated relationship with their family would explain why killing Thor is likely a borderline universal Nexus event. Though the main Loki has repeatedly fought with his brother, it's clear even in his most villainous moments that he cares for the God of Thunder, and this would explain why his timeline isn't fated to have a moment where he slays him. Similarly, since Thor is an integral part of many important events such as the efforts to take down Thanos - and presumably is in the vast majority of timelines - having him perish before he could contribute would also no doubt be an issue for that respective universe.

It's worth note that Kid Loki seems to have had an especially difficult time of things, even by Loki standards, as his world lies in tatters half-consumed by Alioth - which potentially explains why he mentions having eaten wolf and snake, presumably having been on the run from the creature in an apocalyptic world for quite some time. It seems unlikely that details surrounding why Kid Loki murdered his brother will ever be provided, but what is transparent in the short time Loki shows the character is that a timeline in which a Loki kills their Thor is generally going to be the worst potential version of that timeline.

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

Loki releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.