Loki is one of the most complicated and entertaining characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his best quotes underscore why. Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief is first introduced in Thor, but his arc extends well past the 2011 movie — and sees him changing significantly over time. Although he’s introduced as a self-interested villain, the MCU fully explores the layers of his character, ending his journey with him feeling more like a hero.
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As you might expect from a story that veers all over the place morally, Loki has a lot of great moments and amazing lines. Hiddleston does both comedy and serious scenes well, which means his character elicits laughs and imparts wisdom in equal measure. That makes it hard to narrow his greatest quotes down to just 10 picks. However, looking at all the MCU movies he’s in, these stand out the most.
10) “An Ant Has no Quarrel With a Boot.”
It may not make Loki’s character look good — in fact, it’s meant to show what an intimidating and callous villain he is — but this line from The Avengers gets me every time. When Nick Fury first encounters Loki, he recognizes him as a threat. But he’s also not sure what to make of him. He tells the God of Mischief that humans have no quarrel with him. Loki responds, “An ant has no quarrel with a boot.” It’s an incredible comeback, emphasizing the magnitude of what the Avengers are up against. Loki’s a god who has no empathy or regard for the people they’re protecting, and that’s precisely why they should fear him. It’s not the most powerful or important quote, but it’s a solid one all the same.
9) “You Ridiculous Bureaucrats Will Not Dictate How My Story Ends!”
One of Loki’s less-discussed quotes from the MCU, this line from Loki‘s series premiere is equal parts hilarious and powerful. Who among us hasn’t dealt with the shortcomings of bureaucracy? I’d wager it’s not on the same level as the timeline-erasing TVA, but Loki reminds us that we have a choice in how our story goes — even when obstacles stand in our path. It’s fitting, given Loki’s journey focuses so much on choice and how it impacts one’s legacy. It’s also delivered in a way that’s bound to make viewers laugh, as Hiddleston’s delivery always lands. Plus, there’s something comical about watching a god grapple with policies and procedures.
8) “I Have Been Falling for 30 Minutes!”
Speaking of Loki’s more comical lines, one that’s become iconic thanks to Hiddleston’s incredible delivery is from Thor Ragnarok: “I have been falling for 30 minutes!” Loki utters this after Doctor Strange traps him in a loop where he’s falling through space, a means of having a conversation with Thor without his brother present. When that loop finally stops, Loki lands on the floor and shouts this — and Hiddleston does such a hilarious job showing his frustration that it’s impossible not to hear this quote in his voice. It lacks the deeper meaning that accompanies many of Loki’s best lines, but the lighthearted fun of it is why it’s so great.
7) “I Didn’t Do It for Him.”
The MCU’s Loki is known for his death fakeouts, and one of those occurs in Thor: The Dark World. Of course, neither the audience nor Thor knows that Loki isn’t actually dying in this scene. And Thor’s reaction leads to a heartfelt and emotional moment between the two brothers, during which Thor tells Loki, “I’ll tell father what you did here today.” Loki responds, “I didn’t do it for him,” and it’s a huge turning point for a character who was once desperate for Odin’s approval. It also underscores how much Loki really does love his brother back — though that element is undercut a bit by the whole scene being an illusion to regain power.
6) “Your Savior Is Here!”
Loki’s hero moment in Thor: The Dark World may be undone later in the MCU, but Thor Ragnarok truly gives him a chance to do good. The end sees him aiding Thor and Asgard in the fight against Hera. And in yet another comedic moment for the character, he shows up to battle and tells everyone, “Your savior is here!” You get the sense that Loki’s been waiting a long time to make that proclamation, and Hiddleston once again nails the delivery. It’s not the most powerful sign of his growth, but it does mark a pivotal point in his character arc. It’s telling that Loki can say those words with only a little hint of sarcasm.
5) “I Assure You, Brother, the Sun Will Shine on Us Again”
When Thanos and his minions board the Statesman to take the Tesseract, Loki pretends to give it to him. Exasperated that he has it in the first place, and that he’s willing to hand it over, Thor tells him, “You really are the worst brother.” However, Loki’s planning something, and he tries to get that point across. He tells Thor, “I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again,” a line made more powerful by his death mere moments later. Loki may not succeed at outsmarting Thanos, but his final words to Thor are powerful. They offer hope and present the brothers as a united front, sending Loki off on a high note. His final line overall is stronger, as are a few other gems, but this one’s up there.
4) “Trying to Fix What’s Broken Is Hard. Hope Is Hard.”
A Loki quote that doesn’t get nearly enough attention is from Loki Season 2, and it showcases how far the character has come — but it’s also sure to resonate with anyone feeling cynical or hopeless about the world. That’s where Sylvie finds herself when she and Loki are discussing their options in Loki Season 2, Episode 4. She laments that it would just be easier to burn it all down and start again, to which Loki offers a surprisingly poignant bit of wisdom: “Annihilating is easy. Razing things to the ground is easy. Trying to fix what’s broken is hard. Hope is hard.” And he’s right, fixing and improving things is often the harder route, though it tends to be worthwhile. It’s a stunning reminder, and there’s no character more qualified to deliver it.
3) “You Will Never Be a God.”
Hiddleston’s Loki is still a major figure in the MCU, but it’s no longer the original version of him. The God of Mischief we meet in 2011’s Thor faces a tragic end in Avengers: Infinity War, setting the stakes for the Infinity Saga’s two-part conclusion. And his last words are some of his best: “You will never be a god.” He says this to Thanos, proving that the original timeline’s Loki really is one of the heroes by the end of his story. After all, it’s because Loki tries to outwit Thanos that he winds up in this situation. And his acknowledgment that physical power and fear don’t make Thanos a god signals an important shift in his values and characterization. It also feels, in some ways, like he’s talking to his former self. It’s a full-circle moment, but not quite as clearly as two others.
2) “I Know What Kind of God I Need to Be, for You. For All of Us.”
Hiddleston will return as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday next year, but Loki Season 2’s ending brings his MCU journey full circle and could easily have been the character’s send-off. The final episode of the Disney+ series sees Loki making the ultimate sacrifice. He becomes the God of Stories, a role that tasks him with holding the multiverse together at the End of Time. It’s a perfect fate, highlighting his growth, giving him the thing he always wanted, and punishing him for everything he’s done — all at the same time. In choosing this destiny, Loki becomes genuinely heroic and gets the “glorious purpose” he always wanted. However, given how much he desires companionship, this serves as a sentence of sorts as well. It’s truly the best ending in the MCU, alongside Iron Man’s, and this quote nails it. The only one that surpasses it is… well, the line that set it up 11 years earlier.
1) “I Am Loki of Asgard, and I Am Burdened With Glorious Purpose.”
The most iconic Loki line of the entire MCU is from his first encounter with Fury during The Avengers: “I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose.” It’s an introduction that many people identify the character by, and it’s one that lays the groundwork for his entire story. Loki is the villain of the 2012 film, believing his “glorious purpose” is to bend Earth to his will. He’s wrong about that, but he’s not incorrect that he has a larger destiny. After embarking on the MCU’s greatest redemption journey, Loki does, indeed, have a “glorious purpose.” Ironically, it’s to save Earth — and the rest of the multiverse — rather than reign over it. Looking back, this line told us exactly what to expect from him, rendering it the most important.
What’s your favorite Loki quote from the MCU? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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