Heartbreaking Avengers: Infinity War Theory Explains the Real Reason Behind Loki Attacking Thanos

Loki's death at the hands of Thanos in the beginning of Avengers: Infinity War wasn't just a shocking, tone-setting moment for the entire film (and arguably even into Avengers: Endgame that would follow). It was also a heartbreaking moment for fans as they watched the demise of a beloved character but witnessed Thor's grief at his brother's murder as well. Now, however, a fan theory suggests a more devastating truth behind Loki's death: he wasn't murdered by Thanos. Instead, it was a deliberate suicide on Loki's part with the intent that Thor would survive.

The theory is pretty straightforward. On Reddit, Redditor "u/GeneralIKenoA" suggests that Loki knew when he confronted Thanos that there was no way he'd get one over on him. He'd just seen Thanos take on both Thor and Hulk, making it unlikely that Loki honestly believed he could just charm his way up and stab Thanos. He also notes that Loki is smart enough to realize that even if he were able to kill Thanos, his allies would wipe them out in short order.

So, if Loki knew all of this then his "attempt" to kill Thanos was a ruse, a way to get Thanos to kill him, thus sparking Thor based on Thanos' "rule" about killing half the population. As Loki has worked with Thanos before, he would know about that clause, as it were. Thus, if Thanos kills Loki, the reasoning could be that Thanos would be "obligated to leave the only other royal Asgardian alive."

It's definitely an interesting theory and it's one that would put a new, devastating layer on Loki's whole redemption. The idea that he would sacrifice himself just to save Thor is one that would show not only the growth of the character but would make Thor's own journey through Infinity War and Endgame even more emotionally resonant.

That said, not everyone really agrees with this theory. Several fans commented on the theory noting that while Thanos has been seen to spare some characters specifically -- such as when he spared a young Gamora in his killing of half the life on her home planet -- Thanos has also repeatedly noted the randomness of reducing the population by half. A couple of other fans note that while they're willing to go along with the idea that Loki was too smart to think he could just kill Thanos, they think that it may have been just a distraction move, something that would create enough chaos for them to disable Thanos then and there.

There are also those that still cling to the theory that Loki didn't actually die killing Thanos and that the whole thing was an elaborate illusion by the trickster god.

Whatever the motivation behind Loki's brash action, the outcome is the same. He perished by Thanos' hand, giving Thor a deeply personal reason to go after Thanos. That one action ultimately leads Thor on his own journey of failure and redemption.

What do you think? Did Loki deliberately attack Thanos knowing that he would die so he could save Thor? What's your best explanation for that heartbreaking death? Let us know in the comments below.