With the release of the newest Loki trailer, the God of Mischief is not holding back, using his combat, knife and magic skills throughout the preview. It’s exciting to see Loki in action once more, and this is a great reminder about how powerful the god is, but he still has weaknesses. This article will address his strengths and weakness specifically in relation to the MCU, as his comic counterpart has exhibited a wider range of magical abilities at the time of this writing.
Loki Is a Frost Giant, With Superhuman Strength, Durability & Longevity
Initially believing he was an Asgardian, Loki’s reality shattered when he learned he was a Frost Giant. He is Laufey’s son, but he was born smaller than most Frost Giants and was abandoned. Odin found the baby, and after taking him in his arms, Loki’s appearance shifted to resemble that of an Asgardian. From there, Frigga and Odin raised him as their own, keeping his true identity a secret.
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Frost Giants are from Jotunheim, and they have blue skin, red eyes and raised patterns across their bodies. They’re often taller than Asgardians; however, as seen with Loki, there are rare cases where their stature is not as extreme. They’re better suited for the cold and can manipulate ice. As seen in Thor, Loki has these abilities, as he is unaffected by a Frost Giant’s touch in battle and can use the Casket of Winters; however, he has not used his Jotun powers actively in the MCU since Thor.
Loki also benefits from other traits he inherited from Laufey, like his strength, durability and longevity. While not Asgardian, he can hold his own in a fight against Asgardians, including Thor. He may lose to the God of Thunder, but the fact he can go toe to toe with him proves how strong Loki is. He even survives the Hulk beating him in The Avengers, proving Loki is ridiculously durable. Furthermore, Frost Giants age like Asgardians, with Loki growing up beside Thor without anyone suspecting his real identity.
Loki Is a Master Sorcerer, Trained by Frigga Herself
Loki is a magic user who was trained by Frigga, and both exhibit similar magical abilities, like casting illusion. Loki can make copies of himself to trick others, like he did with the Frost Giants and Thor in the 2011 film. These duplicates, while not tangible, are so convincing that Thor falls for the same trick in The Avengers. He can also cast illusions of other things, like Thor’s severed hand in Thor: The Dark World.
Along with being able to project an illusion, Loki can shapeshift, which he does a number of times in The Dark World, turning into Captain America, an Asgardian guard and Odin. He can also change another person’s appearance, making Thor look like Lady Sif. On a smaller scale, he can use this ability to change what he’s wearing, transforming his black suit in Thor: Ragnarok into his Asgardian clothes.
Loki can also conjure objects, as he seemingly pulls knives out of thin air throughout the Thor franchise. He does this trick again in Avengers: Infinity War, where he conjures the Tesseract for Thanos before conjuring a knife in hopes of stabbing the Mad Titan.
On top of this, the God of Mischief can manipulate someone’s mind. In the end credits of Thor, it’s alluded to that he influences Erik Selvig to take the job with S.H.I.E.L.D. He also uses some sort of spell to trick Odin into believing he’s an elderly human. He even forces Valkyrie to relive her trauma by touching her forehead. Whether it’s telepathy, spellcasting or something else entirely, Loki can magically influence the mind.
Furthermore, Loki exhibits telekinesis; although, he rarely uses it in the MCU. When Loki learns of Frigga’s death, his emotions send the furniture in his cell flying. Along with this ability, Loki can emit blasts of energy. While he’s done this before using weapons, in the Loki trailer, it appears the trickster uses just his hands to conjure this energy.
Loki Is a Genius-Level Tactician & Master Combatant (& Gods of Lies)
Given his reputation as a trickster, it’s not surprising that Loki is a genius. In Thor, he orchestrates two Frost Giant attacks, and in The Dark World, he deceives Thor and takes over Asgard while disguised as Odin. Throughout The Avengers, he also proves he’s a genius tactician, plotting the MCU’s first on screen alien invasion. He lost, but this is a feat that changes the world forever. Even in Ragnarok he proves he’s a master manipulator, easily winning the Grandmaster’s favor with his words.
Loki’s intelligence is where he shines, but he is also great in a fight. Along with the natural advantages he has, he’s also trained in combat. Without any weapons, he is a good fighter, but with them, he is even better, exhibiting amazing dexterity with his knife throwing. He also holds his own in a fight against Valkyrie in Ragnarok. While he loses, she is one of the best Asgardian warriors.
Loki May Be a God, But He Has MANY Weaknesses
Despite his strengths, Loki has his weakness. Afterall, he’s considered weak by Frost Giant standards. If Thor uses Mjolnir against him, Loki can also be rendered immobile. Plus, he can be beaten badly enough that he cannot continue to fight, as seen when the Hulk tosses him around. Furthermore, he can die, with Thanos killing him in Infinity War. Along with this, Loki can be contained. The Avengers and the Asgardians both imprison Loki, and there are restraints that can prevent him from using his powers, like the ones he wears at the end of The Avengers.
Finally, Loki’s emotions make him vulnerable. This can be a strength and weakness, depending on the situation. For instance, the turmoil he feels about his Jotun identity is what drives his villainous plot in Thor, putting him on a path that’s hard to return from. His love for Frigga also takes a huge toll on him mentally, as seen in The Dark World; however, love is also what leads to some of his better decisions.
It’s his love for Thor that leads him to return to Asgard in Ragnarok, helping save his people from Hela. However, this love is also what leads him to take on Thanos. He could’ve saved himself, but Loki chose not to and died a hero; however, the God of Mischief in Loki is not this version of the character, so how he deals with his emotions will surely be interesting.
Loki stars Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Richard E. Grant. The series premieres June 11 on Disney+.
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