There’s a heartbreaking moment in Thor that proves Loki truly loved Odin. Being that he’s the God of Mischief, it’s usually unclear what exactly Loki’s motivations are. In truth, they seem to change from moment to moment. However, there is one overlooked scene from 2011’s Thor that may reveal Loki’s true character.
As a baby, Loki was adopted by Odin, the king of Asgard, following a war with the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Odin found Loki, the abandoned offspring of Frost Giant leader Laufey, and took him in. After discovering this as an adult, Loki really isn’t in a good headspace. Though Odin took Loki hoping that it would bring peace with the Frost Giants, he grew to love his son. But, not believing this, the God of Mischief lashes out at his father, thinking his true Frost Giant identity is the reason Odin always seemed to favor his other son, Thor.
Despite his daddy issues, one moment reveals Loki’s real feelings about Odin. After Loki learns his real parentage and berates Odin in Thor, the latter falls into Odinsleep, a state of deep sleep that lets him recharge but leaves him vulnerable. It’s a very convenient excuse for a father trying to get out of a tough conversation. Loki then creates a plan to let Laufey, his biological father, into Asgard so the Frost Giant leader can kill Odin and retrieve the Casket of Ancient Winters, a weapon the Asgardians took from Jotunheim. Then, just before Laufey kills Odin, Loki slays his own biological father, proving where his loyalties lie.
Nothing is cut and dry here. The scene could easily be looked at as Loki trying to act like a hero to earn the favor of the Asgardians and Odin. But after killing Laufey, who previously proclaimed Odin's death would be "at the hand of Laufey," Loki says a poignant line to his biological father: “Your death came by the son of Odin.” If the God of Mischief simply wanted power, he could’ve let Laufey kill Odin and taken the Asgardian throne for good. But it wasn’t about that. He loves Odin. Despite where he came from, he is Odin's son, and that line of dialogue proves it. Perhaps even more than power, he wants Odin’s love and respect. Otherwise, the line would have centered around himself, not "the son of Odin."
Unfortunately, Loki takes things a tad too far at the end of Thor. When proving he’s a worthy son, he attempts to use the Bifrost to commit genocide and wipe out the Frost Giants. After Thor thwarts his plan and destroys the Bifrost bridge, Loki is left hanging over an abyss and pleading up to Odin, who has finally awakened. The fact that the king of Asgard disapproves of his actions breaks him. This sends Loki, quite literally, into a downward spiral as he lets himself fall into a wormhole and becomes the vengeful character seen in The Avengers. Of course, the act of killing Laufey, and that heartbreaking line of dialogue, proved what Loki truly wanted: his father’s love.