Summary

• Despite Odin's death, Loki's appearance as an Asgardian remained unchanged, sparking theories about the cause.
• One theory suggests that Odin's powerful magic kept Loki in his Asgardian form even after Odin died.
• The idea that a spell can persist after its caster dies is ed by examples in the MCU, like Dr. Strange's spell protecting the Eye of Agamotto.

Although Odin died in Thor: Ragnarok, Loki did not revert to his Frost Giant form with blue skin, leading fans to theorize about what caused his appearance to remain Asgardian even after his original link to Asgard was gone in the MCU. In a flashback in Thor, Odin explained that he found Loki as a baby in Jotunheim. Loki had been abandoned by his father, Laufey, the King of the Frost Giants and one of Odin’s greatest enemies. Although Loki was unusually small, he still initially had blue skin and red eyes like other Frost Giants. He transformed to look like an Asgardian after Odin picked him up, though, and continued to appear that way even after Odin died.

This has led viewers to question why Loki did not turn blue after Odin’s death in Thor: Ragnarok. If coming into with Odin originally caused Loki’s appearance to change, then Loki seemingly should have transformed back after that connection was lost in Odin’s powers, which were so powerful that they persisted after he died.

Theory: Odin's Magic Kept Loki In Asgardian Form Even After He Died

Citing the Marvel Visual Dictionary, this theory explains that Odin used magic to make Loki seem Asgardian. However, Odin must have used stronger magic than a simple illusion. Otherwise, Loki would have turned blue in Loki when he entered the Time Variance Authority (TVA) Office, where magic and powers did not work.

This means that Odin must have used a formal spell on Loki, which did not require constant magical upkeep. The spell was permanent, making it so Loki only reverted to having blue skin when touching a Frost Giant or one of their artifacts. Since Loki’s appearance was a spell, not just an illusion, it could not be broken or reversed by Odin’s death.

How The MCU s The Odin Theory

This idea - that a spell can persist after its caster dies - has precedent in the MCU. In Avengers: Infinity War, one of Thanos’ minions, Ebony Maw, tried to steal the Eye of Agamotto, an Infinity Stone, from Dr. Strange. Dr. Strange’s spell prevented Maw from touching the Infinity Stone though, and Dr. Strange explained that his spell would continue to protect the Eye of Agamotto even if he died. In the same way, Odin’s spell on Loki continued to affect him, preventing Loki from transforming back to having blue skin both after Odin’s death and in the TVA Office in Loki.