Tom Hiddleston’s trickster is generally a pretty cool cat. He is, after all, a god, and there are few things that can pose a serious threat to his well-being. But in Loki season 2, episode 2 we saw him lose his cool, having been told by X-05 that “you just make everything worse. For Mobius, for B-15… for your mother”.
Loki clearly didn’t take this well. Longtime MCU fans will know all about his mother, who appeared in Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and Avengers: Endgame. But if you’re coming to Loki fresh or you simply want a catch-up, let’s quickly recap who she is.
‘You are our son, Loki. And we your family.’
Loki’s adoptive mother is Frigga, as played by Rene Russo. She was the Queen of Asgard, the wife of Anthony Hopkins’ Odin, and the biological mother of Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. When Odin returned from Jotunheim after the war with the Frost Giants he brought the young son of his defeated foe Laufey with him.
This child was Loki, whom Frigga raised as if he was her own. Despite her efforts, Loki felt as if he grew up in Thor’s shadow, leading to a burning resentment he’s still clearly getting over.
Frigga’s story ended in tragedy during Thor: The Dark World. During Malekith’s sacking of Asgard, Frigga defended Jane Foster, who had the Aether (later revealed to be the Reality Stone) hidden within her. Frigga refused to give up Jane’s location, and Malekith’s lieutenant Kurse impaled her on his sword, killing her.
The depressing twist for Loki is that he’d given Kurse the directions to escape the Asgardian palace dungeon, meaning he felt responsible for her death. This marked a major turning point for the sacred timeline Loki, as he reflected on his past actions and the misery they’d caused.
‘You had her tricks, but I had her trust.’
But it’s worth remembering that the Loki in Loki didn’t experience Frigga’s death firsthand, as he jumped away from his destined path soon after The Avengers‘ Battle of New York. However, this Loki did see Frigga’s death on the TVA’s holoprojector, which encouraged him to fight alongside them.
Loki and Frigga obviously had a close relationship, and even though this Loki didn’t actively contribute to her death he clearly still feels guilty about it, which is why X-05’s comments about him “making everything worse” for her cut so deeply. In a way, it’s impressive that X-05 is still alive after saying this to Loki’s face, so perhaps his time in the TVA really has changed the God of Mischief from a villain into a hero.