Why Loki Weighs 525lbs (But Doesn’t Look It)

Loki isn’t just a master of mischief burdened with glorious purpose – he’s also secretly a hefty boy. The same promotional video for Loki that confirmed the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the character is genderfluid also revealed that Loki Laufeyson weighs in at an impressive 525lbs.

It’s established in Marvel Comics lore that Asgardians weigh considerably more than humans, despite being the same size as them, because their bodies are much more dense and powerful. For comparison’s sake, official Marvel stats on Loki’s adoptive brother Thor put him at 640lbs. But while this explanation works for Thor and other Asgardians like Heimdall and the Warriors Three, Loki’s heritage is a little more complicated. The mismatch between his weight and appearance might not be down to dense musculature, but because Loki is actually much bigger than he appears.

The 2011 movie Thor established that Loki is not Odin’s son, but the son of Laufey, leader of the Frost Giants of Jotunheim. Loki was found as a baby by Odin after a great battle between the Asgardians and the Frost Giants, and as Odin held the infant its appearance changed to look like an Asgardian. It’s unclear whether this was Odin’s magic at work, or latent magic inside Loki changing his appearance like a chameleon. Loki’s skin has since briefly reverted to Frost Giant blue on a couple of occasions, but otherwise he maintains his human-looking form and can shift his appearance with ease. It’s possible, therefore, that Loki’s weight is simply something that does not change with the rest of him, and is a hint at his long-forgotten true form. Loki weighs 525lbs, quite simply, because he’s a giant.

Of course, there are other potential explanations. The identity of Loki’s biological mother has never been revealed in the MCU, but it has been theorized that she was an Asgardian and that Loki therefore inherited both the dense physicality of the Asgardians and the savage, chaotic nature of the Frost Giants. This would explain both why he feels so comfortable looking like an Asgardian, even after learning his true nature, and also why his appearance shifted from Frost Giant to Asgardian in Odin’s presence.

Despite the fact that Loki has appeared in six of the MCU movies and is now starring in his own TV show, there are still aspects of the character that are a mystery. Even the Time Variance Authority, with its immense power and reach, apparently struggled to pin down details like his age and date of birth. Regardless of the exact reasons for it, the fact that Loki weighs in at 525lbs certainly explains why “Get Help” is such an effective tactic.

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Hannah Shaw-Williams
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Hannah has been with Screen Rant since 2013, covering news, features, movie premieres, Comic-Con and more! You can follow her on Twitter @HSW3K

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