This is a running article that I’ll update as Loki develops. I’ll make an effort to cover every aspect of the programme and explain the happenings in light of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, if not for the MCU’s events leading up to Endgame, where we witnessed time travel and the development of a number of timelines, we wouldn’t have this show. Spoilers ahead for the explanation of the television series Loki and the Holy Timeline.
Loki| Avengers| Endgame updates
Let’s start at the very top. The events in the film Endgame are what gave rise to the television series Loki.
What transpired in Endgame, then? The Avengers established a number of new timelines by going back in time using Pym Particles.
What guidelines for time travel are set down in Endgame? Any attempt to travel back in time by an individual results in a new timeline. Why? as your past is what it is and cannot be changed; it is unchangeable. A new timeline is produced by going back in time. In numerous interviews, the directors and writers attested to the validity of this idea. There is no ambiguity there, then. The Avengers Endgame Time Travel explained article and the three-minute video below illustrate how the Prime MCU timeline leads to numerous other parallel realities.
Loki from the year 2012
Particularly, returning to New York in 2012 triggers the creation of a new chronology. Prime-Hulk meets the Ancient One at this point and persuades her to give him the Time Stone. When Prime-Steve exclaims “Hail Hydra” in the lift at this point and snatches the sceptre, his 2012 temporal counterpart appears and challenges him. Prime-Tony attempts to steal the Tesseract at this point, but is stopped by the Hulk from the 2012 reality, who is hating on stairs. The Tesseract takes Loki from this timeline and makes him vanish. And in the series, we’re focusing on this Loki.
Keep in mind that none of these messy events occurred in the year 2012 in the MCU’s Prime Timeline, and there were no time travellers there. These differences in the occurrences cause the 2012 chronology to deviate. The conclusion of Endgame revealed that Steve was able to carry out their plan and bring the Mind Stone and Time Stone back to this timeline. So, according to Prime-Hulk, “from that timeline’s perspective, it’s if the stones never departed.”
Different Timelines, Universes, and Realities in the MCU and Loki
Alternative Timelines, Parallel Universes, and Branched Realities are all the same. All of them are equivalent. Describe them. They each have its own collection of individuals, locations, and events. Due to the causality of events, some of them might be somewhat similar while others would be dramatically different. In Endgame, it is revealed that Time Travel is one of the many causes that can lead to the emergence of a Branched Reality. Alternatively, it might well be the case that crucial decisions shaped a very different past. Every possible alternative could give rise to a Parallel World. The theory of parallel universes is based on real science, not just science fiction.
Scientists currently speculate that there may be an endless number of parallel universes, some of which may interact and contain different versions of ourselves. The idea of parallel universes is one that has been explored in quantum physics, which is why we have seen it in fiction.
They are known as [Alternate] Timelines by the Avengers and the TVA.
These were dubbed [Stacked] Universes by Kang.
Reality is what the Ancient One refers to in Endgame.
Loki| Who are the Time Keepers and what is the TVA?
The self-appointed Time Guardians have determined that a sacred path must be followed by all existing timelines. And it is the sole approach; any modifications that they deem improper must be eliminated. The Time Keepers establish the Time Variance Authority (TVA) organisation, which they utilise to guarantee that their ambitious Sacred Timeline plan is carried out. The TVA itself is absurdly bureaucratic and situated in an area outside of time. It is revealed that Kang, a different entity operating behind the TVA, is using the Time Keepers as a cover.
The Reset Charge’s purpose is what?
The episode of Loki that is the least clear is this one. Sylvie (Lady Loki) alleges that her reality was wiped in Episode 4. Long before Lady Loki existed, a reality (timeline) was established either as a result of Loki’s gender or for other factors. In either case, wiping out that timeline entails committing genocide against everyone who is a part of it at the exact moment that tiny Lady Loki is carried away.
In that timeline, there is a king and queen of Asgard who are aware that they adopted a daughter. A different king and queen reside in a different historical period, and they are aware that they have adopted a son. These two kings and queens are two wholly different groups of individuals, each of whom has a unique set of memories and experiences as well as a distinct past. Lady Loki’s world and all the people, places, and future events associated with it would have to be erased in order to do so. As a result, I refer to it as a “Timeline Genocide”. Why remove the Variant before wiping away that timeframe since everything and everyone will be erased in any case? Unless they require the Variants, the TVA may simply leave them in their own timeline and erase them along with their realities.
It’s significant to note that many of the characters from Endgame were slain by the TVA when they arrested Loki in the first episode, including everyone from 2012, including 2012-Cap and 2012-Ancient-One. It would follow that all of the Endgame-created timelines would be deleted by the TVA. Recall Quill, who will search for the 2014-Gamora. She would, in fact, be eliminated by the TVA along with the 2014 timeframe. Sylvie’s suggestion of a timeline genocide may not sit well with the MCU as Zoe Saldana has already been cast as the 2014-Gamora, and we already know that the 2023-Gamora is dead.
The idea of a “reset” might function best if it merely entails eliminating the Variant’s effects from that timeline while leaving the others unaffected. We’ll learn more as the series progresses.
Who is Alioth and what is The Void?
All pruned timelines converge at The Void, a place of emptiness, to be consumed by a cosmic beast known as Alioth. The fact that people and objects are banished to The Void in Episode 5 supports the Genocide idea I discussed earlier.
Loki| What are the Acceptable Variance and the Holy Timeline?
The Time Keepers’ definition of a “holy timeline” is the sequence of actions or directions that all timelines must follow. Divergences are permitted in each timeline as long as they stay within the standard deviation (allowed variance), which is again determined by the Time Keepers. The set of diagrams below help to illustrate this idea. Dotted lines can you see them? Those are the “limits” that every timeline has to stay inside. The Sacred Timeline, or more accurately, the Sacred Path, is the central fat line.
The Time Keepers don’t have an issue as long as any timeline stays within the permitted standard deviation (allowed variance) from the Holy Way (Sacred Timeline). The Time Keepers locate the event’s root cause and prune it using the reset charge if an occurrence in any of the timelines generates a divergence outside the “acceptable” standard deviation.
The series frequently gives the impression that there is only one timeline and that there aren’t any other timelines because of the wording, or rather the bad use of words. Nevertheless, since Endgame shown that different timelines do really exist, this is not feasible. After discovering that there are several timelines existent, we are given the description of the Sacred Timeline. For instance, we already know that Nebula is dead in one timeline and that cannot be undone. So, we must consider multiple timelines as we understand this concept. Not to add that the next Dr. Strange movie will also deal with several timelines.
What is a variant, Loki?
Any individual who is accountable for an action that causes their timeline to depart from the Holy Timeline (or Sacred Path) beyond the permitted deviation established by the Time Keepers is referred to as a Variant.
From the series, we know that the Time Keepers approve of what the Prime-timeline Avengers did in the 2012 timeline. Loki from the 2012 timeline is labelled as a Variant because the Time Keepers deem his behavior—escape with the Tesseract—inappropriate.
Loki was imprisoned in the original MCU timeline, and Thanos eventually killed him. According to the Time Keepers, that is within the bounds of what is Sacred. Prime-Nebula causes the death of Nebula from the 2014 timeline. The Time Keepers state that this is acceptable for the 2014 timeframe.
Who is Lady Loki/Sylvie?
Loki was born a woman in a previous timeline, where Lady Loki/Sylvie is from. Bear in mind that Loki’s birth as a woman is within the Time Keepers’ Acceptable Variation. This is comparable to the alternate timeline in which Loki is an animal. Because Sylvie has been setting up traps for the TVA and stealing reset charges every time, she has been identified as a variation. She is causing events that have the potential to severely divert from the timeline revered by the Time Keepers.
The Early History of Loki
Explained in Loki| Episode 1 (Glorious Purpose)
2012-timeline The TVA has Loki in custody and has scheduled him for pruning. The Time Keepers have designated Loki as a Variant as a result of his theft of the Tesseract. In order to find and capture this other Loki who has been creating traps and stealing reset charges from the TVA, Morbius, who has been attempting to track down another Loki Variant, enlists the assistance of 2012-timeline Loki. As long as it suits him, Loki agrees to assist Morbius in maintaining his life. An crucial detail in this episode is that Mobius discovers a youngster in 1549 who is chewing Kablooie bubble gum.
Explained in Loki| Episode 2 (The Variant)
Loki learns that because catastrophic events are so massive, a Variant’s presence there would not change how things turn out. Because any alteration to that timeline prior to the catastrophe would be too small in comparison to the apocalypse itself, it becomes impossible for the TVA to read a Variant’s temporal aura in the proximity of an apocalypse.
To illustrate, Loki and Morbius travel to Pompeii just before the city is completely destroyed by the volcanic disaster. They act in this way without telling the TVA. Loki raises a commotion by warning the populace of their imminent doom. Ordinarily, TVA would be informed of such an occurrence, but as was predicted, TVA is not informed of Loki’s meddling in Pompeii. What Loki is doing affects that chronology very little to none compared to what Pompeii will go through.
Morbius remembers Kablooie, the chewing gum that was available from 2047 until 2051. So, Loki and Morbius cross-reference all doomsday scenarios from these years to determine the Alabama catastrophic storm event in 2050. The TVA travels to 2050 to clean the other Loki variant’s hurricane shelter. Morbius receives approval to bring Loki along.
Loki discovers that the other Loki is using magic to influence the thoughts of many customers, including Hunter B-15, the operation’s leader, in the shop. The other Loki variant is revealed to be a woman in Loki Episode 2, and she uses all the reset charges she’s been taking to make impacts at various times in time and produce a number of diverging timelines. Loki flees with her as she passes through a time portal and vanishes.
Explained in Loki| Episode 3 (Lamentis)
To stop TVA’s operations, Lady Loki makes a comeback. Loki keeps up with them and suggests they collaborate. Lady Loki is uninterested, therefore a battle breaks out between the two of them. When Ravonna arrives, she threatens the two with a revolver. A planet is poised to crush the moon Lementis-1 in the year 2077 when Loki activates the temporal pad, sending the two Lokis there. Another end-of-the-world catastrophe being used by Lady Loki to conceal herself is this one. Unfortunately, the TemPad loses power, leaving the Lokis stranded. Lady Loki claims that she goes by the name Sylvie.
With the help of their skills, the two are able to board a train that will carry them to an arc with sufficient power to charge the TemPad. Sadly, Loki becomes inebriated and exposed and is ejected from the train; Sylvie jumps off with him because he is carrying the TemPad, which is broken by his fall.
The two make one last, desperate attempt to reach the arc on foot, but before they can get there, a planet fragment destroys it, sealing their fate along with that of the other moon residents.
Loki| Episode 3 reveals two crucial details|
Since they come from different timelines, Loki and Sylvie have distinct pasts.
According to Sylvie, all of the TVA employees are different species that had previously lived on Earth. Yet, it appears that nobody at TVA is aware of this.
Explained in Loki| Episode 4 (The Nexus Event)
We see that Sylvie was just a young child when the TVA kidnapped her. She manages to escape using Ravonna’s TemPad, though, and has been hiding out ever since, surviving in the shadows of apocalypses. Loki looks to have fallen in love with Sylvie, which may be the reason why we witness a massive Nexus spike on the TVA screen that is more noticeable than the destruction of a moon and its inhabitants. The two Lokis are found and captured by the TVA using this Nexus event as a guide.
The various branching events that Sylvie in Episode 2 caused appear to have been erased by the TVA. Pfft. There goes that.
When Cif kicks Loki in the crotch, Loki is transported to that same instant, where he is forced to repeat it indefinitely. When Loki asserts that everyone in TVA is a variant and not a product of the Time Keepers, Morbius doesn’t believe him. Yet, Ravonna’s claim that C-20 lost her mind until she was unable to speak any more and died leaves Morbius with some uncertainty. And that Sylvie’s employment of an enchantment spell on her was the cause of this. Morbius supports this fabrication by swiping Ravonna’s TemPad, seeing the video that demonstrates C-20 was in good condition, and asserting that she had a life prior to the TVA.
Despite Morbius’ best efforts to aid Loki, Ravonna casts him out for treachery.
When Loki and Sylvie are taken to the timekeepers for their purging, B-15 gets in the way and gives the two the advantage.
When Sylvie beheads one of the three Time Keepers, it becomes apparent that they are all mindless androids. The question of who truly founded the TVA remains.
Ravonna purges Loki before he can confess his love to Sylvie. Sylvie kidnaps Ravonna in order to learn more.
Loki wakes up in a location to confront other alternate Lokis in the mid-credits scene.
Explained in Loki: Episode 5 (Adventure Into Mystery)
Four additional Lokis await Loki.
Old Loki: In his timeline, Thanos did not end up killing him. He pretended to be dead and spent the majority of his life by himself on a lifeless planet. When he finally chose to seek out Thor out of loneliness, the TVA picked him up and pruned him.
In a future in which Loki was an alligator at birth, the TVA hunted down the alligator after it accidentally ate the wrong neighbor’s cat.
Child Loki: The TVA pruned a younger Loki in his timeline after he killed Thor.
Loki is cocky and boasts to have slain Captain America and Iron Man in addition to obtaining all six Infinity Stones. Unlikely.
How did Loki the Child murder Thor?
In Thor: Ragnarok, there is a conversation that gives a pretty good indication of how Kid Loki would have killed Thor in his timeline.
He did attempt to murder me. On several instances. He once changed himself into a snake when we were kids, and he is aware of my fascination for snakes. I picked up the snake to admire it, but as soon as I did, he changed back into himself. “Yes, it’s me!” he exclaimed. He also stabbed me.
After escorting Loki to their underground hiding area, the four Lokis are assaulted by a different group of Lokis who beat them up as a result of a sequence of comical backstabbings. Alligator Loki, Child, and Old leave the bunker.
In the meantime, Sylvie learns from Ravonna that a Loki might still be alive in The Void and decides the only way to find him is by pruning herself, which she does while also bringing Ravonna’s TemPad.
Ravonna is actively seeking information about the TVA’s originator. B-15, whom she is imprisoning, is questioned about Sylvie.
Upon entering The Void, Sylvie is immediately pursued by Alioth, whom she briefly links with in an effort to enchant it. Morbius saves the woman. The two of them team up with Aligator Loki, Child Loki, Old Loki, and Loki.
Morbius receives Ravonna’s TemPad from Sylvie, which he uses to return to the TVA and set it ablaze.
Loki receives his magical sword from Child Loki, who then departs. While Old Loki distracts the beast with a large Asgard illusion, Loki and Sylvie team up to cast an enchantment spell on Alioth. While Alioth consumes Old Loki, Loki and Sylvie successfully enchant the beast to open a passageway that leads them past The Void.
Explained in Loki Finale| Episode 6 (Forever and Always)
Beginning with dialogue from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that vanishes into nothing, Loki’s Season 1 finale shows the birth and death of other newborn universes. This opening montage does a good job of depicting the emergence and demise of several timelines.
Who is the villain in the Loki season finale?
Loki and Sylvie travel through The Void to the edge of time, where they find He Who Remains in a home that guards the Sacred Timeline. Who is “the antagonist”? Kang The Conqueror is who I am. While in reality, Season 2 of Loki will feature antagonists who are his alternate selves from a variety of other universes.
Tale of Kang
Kang is a scientist from one timeline who connected with other Kangs in the 31st century (or timelines). While some Kangs were cooperative and kind, other Kang incarnations were malevolent and sought to rule the parallel realms. This sparked a full-scale multiverse conflict. Kang (from the Sacred Timeline) discovered the beast Alioth and used it to destroy all other timelines save for one in order to put an end to the turmoil. To ensure that all alternative timelines are wiped out, he establishes the TVA.
Kang says he doesn’t know the future after that, despite having travelled through time to create a route for Loki and Sylvie to reach him. So, he offers Loki and Sylvie two options, just like The Architect did for Neo in The Matrix: Reloaded.
Kill him, then let the other Kangs create havoc.
Aid him in managing the TVA.
What has Kang been doing with the TVA and the Sacred Timeline?
Kang asserts that several realities, timelines, and parallel universes can coexist. It is not a problem for him.
Take Old Loki’s timeline, for instance. He didn’t try to murder Thanos in his universe. Instead, he pretended to be dead, made his getaway, and spent a very long period alone. Kang asserted that the Holy Way was not broken in this Universe. Hence, he did not give the TVA instructions to trim this Universe. Nevertheless, as soon as Old Loki made the decision to get up and go look for Thor, Kang received information (a Nexus event) that this universe was going to diverge and eventually pursue a route where an Evil Kang (The Conqueror) would be created.
As a result, the TVA enters this universe, captures Old Loki, and resets everything (universe, timeline, reality). Old Loki is then put on trial at the TVA for his misdeeds, pruned, and sent to The Void. He does, however, survive Alioth, and he has been residing in The Void. The universes of all the other Lokis have likewise been destroyed, and only they remain in The Void as the only inhabitants of their individual Realities.
To Loki, Sylvie responds, “I remember Asgard. My life, my family, and my home. Chaos is the manifestation of the universe’s desire to be free. like how I was the Goddess of Mischief from birth. And when that sufficiently diverted from the Holy Timeline, the TVA appeared, destroyed my reality, and captured me.
Both her universe and the people she knew were obliterated. Nonetheless, her Universe was allowed to continue existing up until the day she was kidnapped because, up until that point, that Universe followed the Holy Path. On that particular day, whatever Sylvie would have done as a youngster would have caused a divergence and opened the door for the birth of an Evil Kang. Sylvie escapes after the TVA arrives, captures her, and destroys her entire Reality.
Kang’s plan is to exterminate all living things in innocent Timelines, Universes, and Realities in order to stop one man from being born in each of those Universes.
Loki vs. Sylvie
Loki believes Kang could be telling the truth, but Sylvie is completely focused on getting her revenge. Sylvie kills Kang and sends Loki to “a” TVA after a quick struggle and kiss. The Holy Timeline will soon spread out into infinity.
What happened to Ravonna in the Loki finale?
Ravonna in the TVA is a version, as is well known. We briefly see Ravonna, a teacher, in 2018 (on what seems to be the Sacred Timeline). This is how B-15, who has been let free by Morbius, informs everyone that everyone in the TVA is a variation. Kang gives Ravonna some information back at the TVA. Arriving and attempting to prune Ravonna despite her lack of consent, Morbius. After Morbius fails, Ravonna spares him and goes in pursuit of the truth to an unidentified period or timeframe.
Why do Morbius and B-15 fail to recognise Loki at the end of Loki?
Other timelines have erupted as a result of Kang’s death. As a result, the TVA’s formation process has changed. It appears that the TVA that Sylvie sent Loki is a different version managed by a different Kang. Hence, alternative Morbius and B-15, who had never encountered Loki before and thus do not recognise him, are the characters we meet in the ending of the final episode of Loki. We also notice a huge statue of Kang, which Loki is aware was absent from the TVA.
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