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Recently, in an interview with BBC Radio 1's Ali Plumb, Tom Hiddleston teased that Loki Episode 4 "takes off in a new direction..." It would be accurate to say that this tease did not let us down. Episode 4 finally gave us a long-awaited backstory for Sylvie, most of which we had theorized.
The latest episode also contained four new variants of the titular character. The fourth episode of the hit series begins with Sylvie's backstory, followed by Loki and Sylvie getting arrested by the TVA.
Their apprehension is what saves them from the apocalypse on Lamentis-1. However, a mystery nexus event, which caused the TVA to find the Loki variants, remains unexplained.
Episode 4 brings new Loki variants: Old Loki, "Boastful" Loki, Kid Loki, and...Crocodile Loki?!
After being pruned by Judge Ramona Renslayer, Loki wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world. He exclaims, "Is this Hel? Am I dead?" and gets a reply, "Not yet, but you will be unless you come with us." Variant L1130 (the main variant in the series) then sees four variants of himself standing in front of him.
Hel is a place where Asgardians go when they die. However, when the TVA "prunes" someone, the 'pruned' presumably gets deleted out of existence. This prevents the variant from being a problem in the future or the past anymore. Episode 5 will undoubtedly explain this.
Old Loki
Fans theorized that this variant of the 'God of Mischief' will show up in the series because the news of Richard E Grant's casting was confirmed. Grant's character is seen wearing a "golden age" comic version of the character's costume.
This aged version of the Asgardian is expected to be the 'Ikol' Loki from the "Agent of Asgard" comic series. The previous episodes of season one had several elements that this comic series may have inspired.
Kid Loki
The comic "Thor #617" marked his first appearance. In that issue, the 'God of Mischief' is reincarnated into Kid Loki after he dies.
However, the MCU might establish some other more superficial backstory. Jack Veal plays this character in the series.
"Boastful" Loki
This version does not have its origin in the comics, but the episode's credits mentioned DeObia Oparei as "Boastful" Loki. This variant is also seen wielding a hammer, which is likely to be his version of Mjolnir.
Erm, Reptile Loki?
The shot of the different variants of the titular character at the end of Episode 4 surprised us all. But nothing could beat "Kid Loki" carrying a baby alligator or a crocodile with the trademark headgear of the Asgardian god.
This variant also does not have a comic book origin but could be a play on a version of Loki like "Throg" is for Thor.
How the internet reacted to the new variants
After the episode dropped, fans were excited to see a glimpse of the new variants of Loki. The episode also showcased a brief backstory for Sylvie, explaining why she is against TVA. Furthermore, Episode 4 also hinted at Loki developing feelings for Sylvie, essentially falling for a version of him.
All the variants teased in the mid-credit scene of Episode 4 are expected to get a brief backstory in the next episode. Episode 5 may also feature another variant, "President Loki," as well.
