Loki is Thor's brother and was introduced to the MCU alongside him, but he went on to get his own variant-filled Disney+ series, previous Loki variants is just the start, however, and by the end of Loki season 1, the God of Mischief has met, fought, and even fallen in love with over a dozen alternate versions of himself (including one that's an alligator).
Through its exploration of the Sacred Timeline and the threat that variants present to it, Loki set up the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse - a concept that was teased in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Variants have been a key theme of the MCU's Phase 4 since Loki introduced them. Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield showed up as Peter Parker variants in What If...? series fast becoming full-time characters in their own right, the pan-timeline roster of Trickster Gods in Loki were the first to grace the MCU.
Marvel has since used the multiverse concept to incorporate IPs previously owned by Fox like The Fantastic Four, Venom, and the X-Men into the MCU, although only as cameos so far. As for Loki, audiences have seen so many Loki variants because, true to his trickster ways, he tried to break away from the sacred timeline almost as soon as he learned of its existence. This led to the introduction of such memorable Loki variants as the visibly older "Classic Loki" (Richard E Grant) and of course, Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie, known amongst fans before her name reveal as "Lady Loki". With Loki Season 2 confirmed, and the God of Mischief's brother returning in Thor: Love and Thunder, here's a recap of every Loki variant in the MCU.
Loki L1130
The main Loki variant in Loki was created during the events of destruction of Asgard, but he got all caught up on those events - as well as his own death - by viewing the TVA's records.
And after meeting Sylvie, this Loki L1130 decides to her in her crusade against the TVA, and the two even fall in love (a plot decision that caused more than its share of controversy in online discussion). At the end of Loki season 1, Sylvie sends Loki L1130 to an alternate version of the TVA using a tempad. In this new reality, Loki L1130 is shocked to find that Mobius and the rest of the TVA agents don't any of the events of season 1, or even Loki himself. It's likely that Loki isn't in Thor: Love and Thunder because the Loki L1130 is considered the main Earth 616 Loki since the original is still dead. With Loki L1130 currently trapped in an alternate branch of the multiverse, Loki season 2 will probably detail his attempts to return to the reality he re.
Lady Loki/Sylvie
The big reveal at the end of Loki episode 2 is the second of the main Loki variants the show follows - Lady Loki, otherwise known as Sylvie. This mysterious character, played by Sophia Di Martino, wears a variation of Loki's Asgardian clothing and has a similar hairstyle to his (albeit in blonde) as well as wearing a smaller version of his horned helmet. There's precedent for Lady Loki in the comics, where Loki was reborn into Lady Sif's body, and in the MCU Loki's files, the character is confirmed as gender-fluid. However, Di Martino's variant is more an amalgamation between the traditional comic Lady Loki and Sylvie the Enchantress, combining elements of both with a few new touches.
Sylvie lived happily on Asgard as a child before committing an as-yet-unknown crime against the Sacred Timeline (possibly aspiring to become a Valkyrie). Arrested by Ravonna Renslayer during her Minutemen days, Sylvie managed to swipe a TemPad and escape into a life on the run. Sylvie's overarching goal amounts to little more than revenge against the Time-Keepers who wronged her, but even after reaching their elusive chamber, Sylvie's thirst for vengeance remains unfulfilled. On her quest to discover who really runs the show at the TVA, Sylvie has developed a close, romantic connection to Tom Hiddleston's Loki L1130 variant. Sylvie became a fan favorite by the end of season 1, and many are hoping "Lady Loki" will be Loki season 2, especially since she was last seen in the show when she sent Loki L1130 to an alternate TVA with a tempad in the finale.
Classic Loki
Played by Richard E. Grant, this older Loki is what happens when the God of Mischief lives beyond the events of Avengers: Infinity War. Whereas most Lokis opt for daggers as their weapon of choice, this classic variant chose to master sorcery instead, becoming so skilled he was able to trick Thanos into murdering an illusion. Surviving past his fated point of death, Grant's Loki became a target of the TVA but managed to hide in exile for many years. Eventually coming to miss his brother, the variant took a step beyond his refuge and was immediately picked up by Minutemen, pruned, and sent to the Void.
Meeting the L1130 variant, this classic version of Loki (referred to as such because he wears the God of Mischief's earliest comic book outfit) rediscovered his glorious purpose and sacrificed his life to conjure a mirage of Asgard and distract Alioth, thereby allowing Sylvie and Loki to reach beyond the Void and discover the true enemy of all Lokis.
Kid Loki
Jack Veal's Kid Loki is obviously more threatening than he appears - his Nexus event was killing Thor. Though the full story hasn't yet been told, it seems this young variant took childhood sibling rivalry too far and actually succeeded in offing the God of Thunder, Odin's true son. This deviation from the Sacred Timeline earned Kid Loki a one-way ticket to the Void, where his Thor-killing exploits translated into leadership over the other Loki variants. The youngster seems to have a close bond with the Alligator Loki variant, and his temperament is more measured than his tender years and violent past might suggest.
Loki's young whippersnapper variant is partially based on Kid Loki from the Marvel comic books, with the design and costume of both extremely similar (even down to the logo on his shirt). The original Kid Loki also sought to better himself rather than be consigned to a life of villainy. With that said, the comic character tried to prove himself to Thor, not murder him. He's also fond of Ghostbusters-themed juice boxes, apparently.
Boastful Loki
When a Loki variant holding a hammer appeared in the post-credits sequence of episode 4, fans might've thought a superhero God of Mischief had finally emerged. Unfortunately, Boastful Loki isn't just a fancy name, and DeObia Oparei's character likes to bend the truth to breaking point. Speaking with Hiddleston's character and the other variants, Boastful Loki claims his Nexus event was defeating Iron Man and Captain America in quick succession, then claiming a full Infinity Gauntlet all for himself. Obviously, this is untrue, and Boastful Loki's real time crime remains unknown. We can perhaps infer from Boastful Loki's tall tales that the hammer he carries is less of a Mjolnir variant and more a Mjolnir knock-off.
While his friends are on the road the redemption, Boastful Loki retains the God of Mischief's treacherous nature, betraying Kid Loki and making a power play himself. This variant also appears to lack the intelligence of other Lokis, not expecting to be betrayed by President Loki.
Alligator Loki
Is it a Loki? Is it just an alligator? Either way, the next great mystery of the MCU has arrived. Kid Loki and the others discovered an alligator in the Void world and assumed it was a Loki variant like them due to its green coloring. While no one seems to know for sure, Classic Loki can evidently understand the alligator's speech, suggesting he's more than a simple creature, and if the animal wasn't a Loki variant, he surely would've invented a better Nexus event than eating the wrong cat. Though Alligator Loki is quick to anger (taking a bite of Boastful Loki and President Loki), he seems to trust Kid Loki completely.
President Loki
After featuring heavily in Loki's marketing, many fans expected President Loki to play a significant part in proceedings on Disney+. Some even correctly speculated the plot would be partially inspired by the Vote Loki Marvel comic run that coincided with the 2016 U.S. election. President Loki finally surfaces in Loki episode 5 and is the only other live-action variant played by Tom Hiddleston. President Loki is lifted straight from the Vote Loki miniseries, in which the God of Mischief runs for president. His campaign platform argues that all of the candidates are liars and cheats, but he vows to boldly and proudly lie to the faces of Americans – a policy that makes him surprisingly popular.
The political pest is one of the Loki variants consigned to the Void by the TVA and leads a band of other, less ambitious Lokis also trapped at the end of time. Along with his silent cohorts, President Loki invades the bowling alley HQ attempting to steal Kid Loki's throne, revealing an allegiance with Boastful Loki which is quickly (and predictably) reneged upon. While politicians are usually magnanimous in their speech, President Loki manages to insult Alligator Loki and gets his hand bitten off in return (a neat nod to MCU Phase 2's motif of characters losing limbs). This sparks a furious battle between the variants. At present, no one knows for sure what became of this Loki candidate.
Hulk Loki
Perhaps the most bizarre-looking of all the Loki variants is one that resembles the Hulk, with greenish-yellow skin and powerful muscles. This version of Loki appears to have curved horns growing directly out of his head rather than adorning a helmet, and has torn clothing indicative of either a recent transformation or a semi-feral existence. The Loki that fans know and love is always seeking power, so perhaps this variant saw the Hulk and decided that he wanted some gamma-irradiated blood of his own. The Hulking Loki appears briefly in the comics when all the different Lokis are gathered together.
Viking Loki
One of the variants, Loki L7803, is a direct nod to a story told by Loki in Mighty Thor. The ancient Viking outfit, including a horned helmet that covers the top half of Loki's face and a cape of green moss, is hailed as gods by the Norsemen, so this Loki variant may have been one that was pruned for meddling centuries ago.
Tour De Loki
Not all Loki variants want to become the King of Space; Loki L1247 apparently just wanted to be praised for his long-distance cycling. Seen wearing the race leader's yellow jersey, some personalized bike shorts, and a bib with "Team Loki" emblazoned on it, Loki L1247 is also holding the Coupe Omnisports - the trophy given to the winner of the Tour de . This blue and gold cup made headlines in 2018 when Tour de winner Geraint Thomas' Coupe Omnisports was stolen. The trophy was never recovered, and Thomas was eventually given a replacement. Perhaps Loki L1247 was the culprit, and stole the Coupe Omnisports so that he could return home bragging that he'd been crowned the greatest cyclist on Midgard.
