‘Loki’: Who Was He Who Remains? What Happened to Him?

‘Loki’ introduced us to many new things we did not get the chance to see in the MCU before, and among those things are also some new and interesting characters. One of the most special ones was He Who Remains, whom Loki was eager to meet throughout the first season and only managed to do so in the season’s finale. So, let’s see who was He Who Remains in ‘Loki’ Season 1 and what happened to him.

He Who Remains is the first season’s main antagonist – the creator of the Sacred Timeline and the TVA. Many years ago, he stopped the Multiversal War and found that the only way to keep the timeline in order was by pruning any timelines and people that did not match his plans. He wanted Loki and Sylvie to take his place as TVA’s leaders, but Sylvie killed him instead.

Now that you know who He Who Remains is, let’s see in more detail how did Loki and Sylvie found him, what he wanted from them, and what happens to him at the end. Keep reading to learn more about how it all went down in the show!

Loki and Sylvie met He Who Remains at The Citadel at the End of Time

Loki and Sylvie wanted to resolve one of the biggest mysteries: who created the TVA? It was believed at first that the Time Keepers founded the TVA, but when it was revealed that they were nothing more than mindless androids, that theory fell in the water. Sylvie was determined to find the person behind it all and correctly concluded that the creator must be in a place Beyond the Void and the end of time.

When Sylvie and Loki defeated Alioth, they entered The Citadel at the End of Time. Miss Minutes was there, and the first thing she said to them was that He Who Remains awaited their arrival. He was ready to offer Loki and Sylvie a deal and make their greatest desires come true, but everything seemed sketchy.

After that, He Who Remains introduced himself to two Lokis and invited them to talk in his office. Loki was surprised to see that the person standing before him was nothing but a man made from flesh and blood. On the other hand, Sylvie was pleased with that since she thought that would make him easier to kill. Both Sylvie and Loki learned soon enough that He Who Remains is more than meets the eye.

He Who Remains knew in advance what was about to happen, so Loki and Sylvie could not kill him no matter how hard they tried. He admitted that the morality behind the TVA might be questionable and that his methods are a bit deceptive, but the end goal of why he is doing everything is not evil. Without him and the TVA, everything would burn. All of this sounded vague, and Loki and Sylvie still had no idea who He Who Remains really was. Then, he went straight to the point.

He Who Remains ended the Multiversal War created TVA and Sacred Timeline

He Who Remains said that Eons ago, one of his Variants lived on Earth in the 31st century. He was a scientist and discovered the existence of the Multiverse. Other Variants discovered it, too, and soon, they started to communicate and share knowledge and technology. But the peace did not last because the Mulitversal War began. The war almost annihilated everything and everyone, but He Who Remains found a way to end the war. He then created the Sacred Timeline, managed the flow of time, and created the TVA to prevent further branches.

After hearing this story, Loki and Sylvie were offered to take He Who Remains’s place. He spent many years protecting the timeline and became tired and unambitious to continue doing it further. That’s why he sought someone to replace him, and the Lokis seemed like the perfect candidates. He Who Remains gave them two options: to kill him and set his more evil Variants, such as Kang the Conqueror loose or take his place and rule the TVA.

Loki found the idea of having that kind of power in his hands appealing, but Sylvie had revenge on her mind. So, the two Lokis got into a heated fight until they realized they didn’t want to hurt each other. All that made Sylvie realize that she and Loki want different things in life, so she pushed the God of Mischief through a portal leading to TVA’s headquarters.

Sylvie then turned toward He Who Remains with only one intent- to kill him. She used her sword and stabbed He Who Remains in the chest, killing him on the spot. This event broke the Sacred Timeline and created branches beyond repair. With the He Who Remains now gone, all his Variants, including Kang the Conqueror, were free to return, and they were far more ominous than him.

The show’s second season will provide us with more answers about the aftermath of He Who Remains’s death, and it is set to be released on October 6, 2023!

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