Marvel: Thor and Loki Are Brothers, but There’s a Catch

Thor and Loki are among the most iconic duos in the MCU, even if they aren’t always on the same side. With Loki, you never know whether he has ulterior motives for helping you or plans to doublecross you at the last moment. This is also one of the reasons why fans got to adore this wildcard, with his personality fitting for the God of Mischief. There is a good reason why Loki acts the way he does, and it all comes down to his ancestry and parentage. Thor and Loki are only technically brothers, both in the MCU and comics, and now we’re going to explore that. 

Thor and Loki are adoptive brothers both in the MCU and in the comics. Loki was born a son to the King of Frost Giants Laufey, but the king decided to keep him a secret due to his small size. Following Laufey’s defeat at the hands of Odin, the Asgardian god decided to take custody of the child and raise him as his own son, alongside Thor, who was Odin’s biological son. 

Now that we’ve covered the familiar connection between Loki and Thor, it’s time to analyze it in more detail. If you’re interested in more, stay with us and keep reading!

Loki is, in reality, a Frost Giant but was adopted into the Asgardian royal family 

Despite the fact that Loki grew up pampered, having a status befitting a member of the royal Asgardian family, there were always differences between him and Thor, both physical and in regard to their manners and personalities. 

Loki was never a full-blooded Asgardian. In fact, he was the son of one of Odin’s greatest enemies, Frost Giant King Laufey. 

Loki was born on Jottunheim, an ancestral home realm of the Frost Giants. As you all know, Frost Giants were mortal enemies of Asgardians, and the two races spent countless eons trying to bring destruction to each other’s doorsteps. Loki was born in 965 A.D. Instead of being his father’s pride and joy, the babe turned out to be weaker and smaller than the rest of Frost Giant children, which caused Laufey to abandon him at a temple to die.

During the final war between Frost Giants and Asgardians, Laufey was defeated, but the Casket of Ancient Winters was not the only thing that Odin found in this god-forsaken realm. He also found small Loki abandoned and took him under his own wing. Odin had to use magic to alter his appearance. Frost Giants typically have blue-tinted skin, so Odin had to make some alterations before Loki could be introduced to the Asgardians as a royal family member. 

Who was Loki’s mother? 

In the MCU, Loki’s mother was never specified; still, we do have the answer in the comics. In the comics, Loki was born to King Laufey and Queen Farbauti, the wife of Laufey. Farbauti and King Laufey were Frost Giants, so they were shocked when Loki was born considerably smaller and weaker than the rest of the Frost Giants. Both Laufey and Farbauti were ashamed, and this even led Farbauti to commit suicide by stabbing herself in the heart with an ice dagger, although Loki suspected that it was Laufey who killed her, blaming the child’s size on his mother.

The rest of Loki’s story in the comics went more or less the same. He was discovered by Odin and brought to Asgard. 

Loki was always jealous of his brother and the fact that he will inherit the throne 

No matter how much the Asgardian royal family tried to accommodate Loki and treated him more or less an equal to Thor, the elephant in the room was the fact that he would never be able to inherit the throne of Asgard, as it would be a sacrilege for Frost Giant to sit on it. The throne of Asgard was, conveniently, one thing that Loki truly wanted; he always worked restlessly to impress Odin, and soon, the natural rivalry between the brothers turned into much more malevolent feelings where Loki started seeking not only to depose his adoptive brother, but if he fails in it, he even sought Asgard’s destruction. 

Where Thor excelled in foolhardiness, combat, and generosity, Loki grew to become fascinated with magic, deceit, and tricks, which led him to prank Thor often, sometimes even hurting him physically. Years later, this will manifest in a much more serious manner, with deadly consequences. 

Even though Loki ultimately killed his biological father, he could never truly decide whether he wanted to save Asgard, rule it, or destroy it. No matter how many second chances Loki has gotten from his adoptive family, his true nature always resurfaces, leading him to make a deal with Thanos. 

Loki, embittered that he was sentenced to prison for his crimes against the royal family and Asgard, decided to escape and offer Thanos his allegiance and Infinity Stone for the Chitauri army, which he could use to conquer Earth. Unsurprisingly, Loki decided to doublecross Thanos, which led the Mad Titan to break his neck, killing him instantly. Loki is in the MCU, survived by his many variants, but the original Loki is dead. 

Who is older, Thor or Loki? 

The answer to this question is not as conclusive as we would have hoped it to be due to Thor’s inconsistent age throughout the franchise, as he has given us several different ages over the course of his appearances. But turning to the MCU wiki, Thor’s birth year is listed as anywhere between 964 A.D. and 965 A.D., while Loki’s birth year is 965 A.D., which means that Thor and Loki are the same age in the MCU, with Thor probably being a few years older than his adoptive brother. 

This was somewhat confirmed in ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ when Thor tells one story when Loki shapeshifted into a snake and attacked him, stating that they were both eight at that time, confirming that they are around the same age in the MCU. 

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