Morana

Not that the post above even mentioned gratitude or owing thanks to anyone, but it wouldn’t kill them to show some for not ACTUALLY betraying Thor when their mission is placed entirely in his hands, and for saving Jane at least twice when Thor isn’t even looking, with zero discernible ulterior motive. Just sayin’. But hey, gratitude or whatever aside, at the very least you have to admit the guy can work wonders even when you handicap the hell out of him while trusting him (the guy you claim you don’t trust) not to take this fine opportunity to kill your ass.

Anonymous requested - ‘Loki being protective, kind and concerned.’  

Bonus:

Loki grew up as a royalty. Yes, he needed to learn manners and how to act and behave in a gently way, mostly for the sake of his own image. But those rules apply to equals of him. And as a prince, his equals are only other nobles. Not the maidens, the servants, not the normal peasants.

But when Loki is polite, he is polite to everyone, no matter the status. Any royal person, throughout the history, would just toss the goblet to that woman. Loki, though, he handed it over, and thanked her. He had zero reasons to do it, but he did it anyways. Which means, even though he grew up as a prince, literally surrounded by gold and luxury, he still sees the lower class as equals and respects them instead of looking down at them because they didn’t win the birth lottery, like he did.

Like, her three canon interests are Loki (when he was still a prince, probably even before Thor was named heir), Thor (when he's heir) and Valkyrie (aka the king).

Loki, after doing something nice: that was my secret normal twin, I'm the evil one.

Loki, after Thor gave a whole speech to the Avengers about how working with Loki won't be so bad: Welcome to my evil lair, mind the world domination plans *entering his house*

Loki, an excuse to be good: how am I supposed to conquer "Earth" is there is no "Earth" to conquer.

Loki: I've changed, truly! *Dramatically spins in chair* Muahahahahaha!

Loki, after being disturbed: Ah well, back to scheming *puts hands together and taps fingers*

So, I’ve had a very detailed interpretation of this topic for quite awhile and I’ve been waiting for the chance to meta about it. I’ve seen a few arguments in the fandom about what classifies as a Witch vs a Sorcerer vs a Mage in the mcu, and where Loki falls in that classification.

My basic headcanon is that- while “sorcerer” and “mage” and “magician” and “siedrmaster” etc are all individual categories with distinct definitions- the term “witch” is more of a slang politicised word for certain magic users. To put it simply, calling someone a witch is supposed to be an insult.

Witchery and the Demonisation of Outcasts

Part of the reason I sort of formed this idea is that real-world witchcraft in Salem and other places historically was a ruse to implicate women and some other people in fictitious crimes simply because they were defiant or progressive or separated in some way from the mainstream of society. I think it’s sort of the same thing in mcu-terms. (I haven’t decided if all magic users in the mcu see this topic the same way or if it’s just Asgardians, but nonetheless.)

I think in general a “witch” is a magic user who doesn’t have allegiance to a reputable organisation.

This is a little more complex because people (aesir in specific) tend to see independent practitioners as being untrustworthy and sort of rogue, whereas if they’re working for any entity thought to be associated with a noble cause, then that’s viewed as okay. (Examples being: Odin is a magic user, but he’s associated with government of Asgard so he’s good. The healers are magic users but they’re associated with the government so they’re good. Doctor Strange is associated with the sanctums so he’s okay. Etc etc)

MCU Witch Classifications

A perfect example of someone who’d definitely be considered a witch is Wanda. Maybe for a brief period in between AoU and CACW when she was at the compound, she could’ve been seen as just a magic user, but all through AoU and Civil War and everything post-CW she was a very rogue figure. She mostly flew solo didn’t really have ties with any specific organisation. The fact that she ended up a villain probably didn’t help the image of “witches” in universe either, but ya know.

Another example would be Amora from the tie-in book “Where Mischief Lies”. She was a student of sorcery on Asgard, but she didn’t work for the crown in any capacity, she was very underhanded, and she ultimately rebelled and got cast out. All throughout the book she’s referred to as a witch.

Mordo would definitely be considered one after he went off on his own. The idea of him once being a good guy working for the sanctums and then turning his back on it is a perfect illustration of how anti-witch people in-universe probably imagine witches.

Frigga is a little trickier. All throughout the movies she was never a witch because she obviously was loyal to the asgardian crown and used her magic to better Asgard, but Malekith called her one in TDW. This could imply that pre-movies before she married Odin she used to be independent practicing, or (and I think this is more accurate) Malekith was just using a common insult flung at mages.

Now, Loki. So, post-Thor 1, Loki’s definitely a witch. Like full stop. He fits right into the archetype. However, during the first movie it’s a little more tricky to say. He was a prince, so he definitely had allegiance to a noble organisation, and yet his brother and friends still referred to him as a witch (not sure if this is canon or fanon but I choose to believe it happened). I’m pretty sure this was more of a jab at him than an actual categorisation. As in, they were implying that- even though he was supposedly loyal to the crown- he was still underhanded and devious and not to be trusted. They weren’t insulting his use of magic, they were insulting him as a person. Whether or not he was actually disloyal rebel up to that point, is up to interpretation, but I would argue that yes he was. A little bit. In “Where Mischief Lies” (which is supposed to be canon), his struggle between trying to please his family and just going off the deep end and “being a full fledged witch” (actual paraphrasing of the book) is like the main storyline.

Loki fight for and sacrificed so much for others, but if he gets anything it must be bad because it was something Loki wanted.

Even if he does no harm and what he gets harms no one it still a bad because how dare Loki benefit.

Loki fight for and sacrificed so much for others, but if he gets anything it must be bad because it was something Loki wanted.

The worst part is

That wasn't what he wanted

He didn't want that throne

He doesn't just point that out several times in the MCU AND the show

But also he was put in an impossible position

He had three options:

Do nothing, and have the loom (plot device) delet the TVA and all the timelines EXCEPT the sacred timeline

Destroy the loom, safe the TVA and let ALL the timelines die, until timelines naturalyl occur again how ever long that will take

Kill Sylvie and keep the multiverse from happening, keep the status quo of the TVA pruning whole universes again and again

SO he tried his best to safe EVERYONE

He destroyed the loom but held on to the timlines so they would not die

Therby safing Sylvie, the TVA AND as many timelines as he can hold on to

Turning teh TVA in to an agency that specifically hunts Kang Variants and therby safing as many peope as possible

Condemning himslef to a fate worse then death

Existing outside of time, holding on to the timelines forever

And becasu ehe does that sitting down on a chair

-> We are never told why the rocks take on teh shape of a throne, wether that is something he doe sor something the stone does on its own

It's considered bad, becasue throne ...

Never mind that HWR sat in a god dman CASTLE oustide of time ...

Was he supposed to just akwardly stand there?

Or sit on the floor?

Lie seriously, how dare he hold on to his bones ...

Hargh!

THIS

I hate that story vicerally! It's the glorification of the Procrustean bed

I guess be generous, but making it so rainbow fish has to rip off parts of their body makes the lesson seem a little extreme.

Give me a piece of your hair so I can feel special, cut off all your hair so everyone can have a piece of it.

I was taking some screenshots to make an edit and re-noticed the ragged green cloth/blanket that’s with baby Loki because it raises some questions—if someone is abandoning a baby to die because it’s a runt, why would they bother to give it even a raggedy blanket? But on the other hand, in what scenario would a prince have such a ragged blanket anyway?

1. The Mind Flayer is an Autonomous Entity:

​If you’ve seen about the play, you know the most terrifying scene happens in the bathroom. The Mind Flayer takes the form of Patty Newby to torment and manipulate Henry. This isn't Henry talking to himself; it’s an ancient, cosmic predator using his deepest love and greatest fears as a weapon to break his spirit. The Mind Flayer has its own agency, its own cruelty, and its own agenda. It didn't need Henry to "give it a brain"—it already had a terrifying one.

2. Skinned" Minds vs. Possession:

​We’ve seen the Mind Flayer control Will and Billy, but what happened to Henry was different. Henry’s mind wasn’t just "occupied"—it was skinned. ​While Will and Billy were aware they were being used, the Mind Flayer spent decades rewriting Henry’s identity. By the time we see him in Season 4, his memories a part are distorted. Kate Trefry herself confirmed that Henry is an unreliable narrator.

3. Redemption: It’s Not About Forgiveness:

​This is the most important part. People often confuse redemption with forgiveness.​Forgiveness is external. It’s whether Eleven, the town of Hawkins, or the audience "likes" him again. Redemption is internal. It’s the moment a character realizes: "What I did was wrong, and I am going to try to do the right thing now." ​Henry’s redemption wouldn't be about everyone forgive him. It would be about him regaining his autonomy. To turn his power against the Mind Flayer. It doesn't erase the blood on his hands, but it restores his humanity.

Think about Anakin Skywalker. When he threw the Emperor down the reactor shaft to save Luke, the galaxy didn't suddenly forget he was Darth Vader. His crimes weren't erased. But in that moment, he stopped being a puppet. He regained his autonomy and chose to do the right thing.