Marvel’s Loki has, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Tom Hiddleston’s beloved interpretation, become one of the most popular modern-day Marvel characters. This is especially noteworthy because Loki is, at best, an anti-hero with villainous tendencies, and such characters are rarely as popular as Loki himself. Loki’s backstory is quite amazing and very interesting once you observe it fully, which is why I have decided to dedicate today’s fun article to Loki and his heritage within the comic books, explaining thereby why he is the way he is and how that fits into his larger story.
The comic books never completely revealed why Loki was so small for a Frost Giant, but it could be due to a genetic factor (something similar to human dwarfism) or the fact that he is partially Asgardian. Since we don’t know the exact reason, we can only make an educated guess whether and which theory is correct.
In today’s article, I am going to discuss Loki’s heritage within Marvel’s universe. You are going to find out the story of Loki’s birth and his growing up in Asgard, but also why he is so different from the Frost Giants and why he is so small when compared to them. It is going to be a very interesting text, so prepare yourselves and enjoy the show!
Is Loki a God or a Frost Giant?
In order to answer this question, I first have to tell you who Loki is, i.e., where he came from and why he is like he is. This is, by chance, not an easy task but I have done my best to give you an informative answer.
Many years ago, Bor, ruler of Asgard, was fighting the Frost Giants; he followed a wounded giant to a powerful sorcerer who was waiting for him. The sorcerer caught him inadvertently, turning Bor into snow.
By cursing his son Odin, he led the Asgardians into battle against the Frost Giants and killed Laufey, who was their king, in personal combat. Odin found a small child the size of an Asgardian, hidden within the main fortress of the Frost Giants. The boy was Loki, Leufey’s son, and Laufey had kept him hidden from the other Giants due to his shame at the small size of his son; he also hid him so that he wouldn’t have to look at him.
Odin took the boy, out of a combination of pity, to appease his father, and because he was the son of a worthy adversary killed in honorable combat, and raised him as his son alongside his biological son Thor.
Loki is considered the god of mischief and lies, his abilities being: teleportation, telekinesis, shapeshifting, and the most powerful, the power to hypnotize people at will to force them to do evil and macabre things to achieve their goals.
Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Loki resented the differences in which he and Thor were treated by the citizens of Asgard. Asgardians valued great strength, tenacity, and bravery in battle above all else, and Loki was clearly inferior to his brother Thor in those areas. What he lacked in size and strength, however, he made up for in power and skill, particularly as a sorcerer.
As Loki grew into adulthood, his natural talent for causing mischief would become apparent and he earned a nickname as the “God of lies and mischief”; his wickedness eventually turned to malice as his hunger for power and vengeance grew stronger.
Several times he tried to use tricks to get rid of Thor, like telling him to save a hole in the wall that he had made. Over time, his reputation went from being a playful and mischievous cheater to “God of Evil”.
Throughout the centuries, Loki tried many times to take over Asgard’s reign and destroy Thor. He even helped the Storm Giant Ghan escape Thor by planning to get a debt from him later, and aided other Asgard enemies, planning to take down Odin, who had grown tired of Loki’s antics, magically imprisoned him inside a tree until someone would shed a tear for him.
Loki finally broke free after causing a leaf to strike Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, in the eye, causing him to shed a tear. Loki has compiled an extensive criminal record in Asgard, and was frequently exiled. He met the sorcerer Eldred, who taught him black magic. He paid Eldred and then handed him over to the Fire demon Surtur.
As you can see, Loki is both an Asgardian God (raised as one, having similar powers) and a Frost Giant (his nature, his heritage), which brings us to the next section of this article.
Why is Loki so small if he’s a Frost Giant?
The exact reason for Loki’s small stature has never been revealed. As you had the opportunity to read in the previous section, Loki was born as an Asgardian-size baby and was hidden from the other Frost Giants until Odin took him in as his adopted son and Thor’s brother. And while the reasons might remain unknown, there some theories that suggest the reasons behind Loki’d small stature.
The first theory is a purely biological one, stating that Loki suffers from a sort of disorder that makes him small in stature, something similar to human dwarfism. This is something we cannot confirm, as the authors never really explained the reasons behind Loki’s looks and we don’t really know enough information on the biology of the Frost Giants, which is why this theory remains exactly that – a theory and nothing else.
A second theory proposes that Loki is not a pure-blooded Frost Giant, but rather a half-Giant/half-Asgardian. His Asgardian heritage, if existent, is not known so this is likewise a theory that we cannot confirm but it does fit the facts in a way and it does seem relatively plausible if you look at it that way.
Is Loki really a Frost Giant?
He is. At least partially. I have already explained Loki’s heritage in the sections above, so there’s no need for me to repeat myself here. But yes, the answer to this question is – yes, Loki is indeed a Frost Giant but he has been raised as an Asgardian.
He is a very atypical Frost Giant, which is the reason why his father hid him from the other Frosti Giants, but regardless of that, he absolutely is one. With this conclusion (or confirmation, depends on how you look at it), I am going to wrap today’s article, hoping that you had fun reading it. See you next time!
