Why the Classic Loki variant looked so familiar

Loki’s interactions with his variants were some of the first season’s highlights, but Classic Loki stood out in a way other non-reptilian variants did not. 

One of the best moments of the first season of Loki is the interaction between Loki and his variants. Trapped in the Void, Loki reluctantly teamed up with Boastful Loki, Classic Loki, Alligator Loki, and Kid Loki, all while running from President Loki. 

While Alligator Loki may have been a runaway success, Classic Loki caught the eye of most viewers, too. Portrayed by legendary Swazi-English actor Richard E. Grant, the character’s smug approach and garish costume immediately stand out. 

For fans who cannot shake the idea that Classic Loki looked surprisingly familiar, here’s a quick rundown of where you probably saw him. 

Who is Classic Loki on Disney+’s Loki? 

The Classic Loki who appears is a nod to the character’s earliest comic book appearances. That being said, it is explicitly not meant to be the Loki of the comic books, but a variant that used an illusion to fake his death at the hands of Thanos. 

Classic Loki survived his encounter with Thanos by faking his death and going into hiding.

Believed dead by the universe at large, Loki went into hiding. Trying to come out of isolation later in his life drew the attention of the TVA, which led to him being pruned. Arriving in The Void, he went into hiding with Boastful Loki, Alligator Loki, and Kid Loki. 

This version wears a costume very reminiscent of his original comic book costume. He’s also got a lot of the old Loki’s personality, including the smug sense of superiority that’s ultimately subverted by a desire to be better. 

Who is Classic Loki in Marvel Comics?

Loki’s first appearance was a garish gold and yellow costume with ornate horns in line with the comic book aesthetic of the time. This version of the character is much more of a traditional, moustache-twirling comic book supervillain.

The earliest versions of Loki were much more generic comic book villains.

Over the years, the look would be tweaked slightly. It would gain more of a skintight spandex look, then take on a more armored appearance. In the ’80s and ‘90s, it reached its peak, taking on some aspects of scale mail. 

Loki’s classic iteration largely disappeared when the character died during 2004’s Ragnarok storyline. Loki would be depicted in a more ornate costume before being redesigned to match his MCU counterpart better. These days, classic Loki occasionally appears as shorthand for stories set in the Silver Age. 

Loki season 2 is currently airing weekly on Disney Plus. For all the latest comic book news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.