My brain wonāt shut up, hence this post. One thing about me is that I love to analyze characters, especially the local trickster god. Iāve always wondered what a pre-thor 1 looked like in terms of the brothers, Asgard, and everything else. This is especially the case concerning Loki, probably due to him being the most fascinating, complex character Iāve ever seen. After a thorough AO3 search, Iāve realized that there arenāt that many fics going over possible childhoods; however, the ones we do have outline some trends. (All of this is my headcanon, but would love to hear your thoughts below). Now, first things first, the debate over how Lokiās mischief got started. I swear, this is one I see so often, and for good reason too. Personally, for me, his mischief was something that started innocent, but developed with trauma and time. I honestly believe that he wasnāt born malicious, but rather a normal kid. From the brief flashback in Thor 1, we meet the brothers, and both are totally normal children. Loki wasnāt displaying signs of being cruel or murderous, no that was, for some reason, an idea that sprouted post Thor-3. I honestly believe that Loki grew up pretty innocently. His mischief probably started with Thor or the Warriors 3, and was nothing more than childhood antics. I feel like as they got older, however, he was no longer blind to Odin and started to become aware of his favoritism. I believe he started to act out more, but was still not malicious or a villain. If any of you have read Where Mischief Lies, I believe he went on a similar arc. He tried to be the good son, always listening to his father, and always trying to get approval. He had mischief and trickery, but it wasnāt his entire personality. He grew bitter as the years progressed, and probably saw that his efforts were turning up in vain. Asgard itself was never kind to him, magic was a womanās sport, and he never truly fit in. He seems like a loner, probably favoring knowledge and books. I think itās important to state that he was still loyal to Thor. He was sassy, arrogant, smart, prone to mischief (but not fully a trickster), and still trying to be a good son. I believe he probably started to lie as he got older, same as his plots and pranks were intended to start hurting; he knew the value of information and gossip. He felt more and more left out as the years passed, feelings turning bitter and darker. I really just want to dictate my full belief that Loki wasnāt born hating Thor or fully mischievous or even evil. The mischief developed from innocence to an escape from his feelings. He constantly felt less than Thor, someone who couldnāt gain his fatherās love or affection. He tried constantly to be a good son, but it always left him in trouble. His turn towards lies came probably more towards his later childhood. He always was able to lie, and had, but it was never his personality. He lied early on with childhood pranks, schemes, and plots. However, it developed further as he got older and became bitter and lonely. He believed no one in Asgard could ever relate to him, and no one even liked him over Thor. His schemes became grander, harsher, and he became less kind. Similar to Thor 2, he appears cruel and like a showman. He delights in chaos, but, unlike post Thor 1, he still has a head on his shoulders. He has enough sense to still try to be a good son, even if itās in vain. Underneath his facades (which developed to full on masks) he is in so much pain. This entire post is so stupid and only my opinion (head canon), please donāt hate me for this. I donāt even know what this is; I just needed to write everything down and try to organize my thoughts.
