Was that Alioth? Loki fans think they've found deeper meaning in this season 2 finale moment

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Viewers think they might have spotted the End of Time's gatekeeper in 'Glorious Purpose'

Tom Hiddleston as Loki in Loki season 2
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Warning! This article contains major spoilers for Loki season 2. If you've not caught up yet, turn back now!

Well, that's it, Loki season 2 has concluded – and with one hell of a finale, too. After spending centuries reliving the same moments over and over, trying to stop the Temporal Loom from breaking, the titular god "fixed" it himself by using magic – not science.

Essentially, Loki gave up his life, albeit not in the literal sense, to sit on a throne for the foreseeable future and hold the timelines steady, allowing his pals back at the TVA to choose their own destinies and continue their search for He Who Remains variants. One moment in the episode depicts Loki and his timeline-stabilizing sacrifice as a tree, which is reminiscent of Yggdrasil, an immense and central sacred tree in Norse mythology.

Traditionally, Yggdrasil, also known as the World Tree, is said to connect the heavens, the terrestrial world, and, through its roots, the underworld – and fans think they've spotted another interesting cosmology reference in the shot, too...

"Absolutely stunning," a viewer said of the glimpse at Yggdrasil in Reddit. "Plus I'd bet all those flashes at the top of the tree are the Kang wars." Though another more interestingly added: "I took it as the flow of time where those are the beginning of time for those timelines and then the 'roots' is the end of time for them."

Loki season 2

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

"Does that mean Alioth is now Nidhogg eating the roots off Yggdrasil?" asked a third, referencing the dragon of the same name known in historical Viking society to gnaw at the bottom of the tree. 

"In my theory, Alioth always possibly was a variant of Nidhogg," a fourth replied. "Insane to think about but it makes sense, seeing as he was "created" or discovered by Kang variants, and later "harnessed" by [He Who Remains], effectively becoming his pet of sorts, now he just exists to gnaw on those who caused him to exist in the first place. Such a mindcluster, this show."

Alioth, the trans-temporal entity – or smoke monster, if you're so inclined – that guarded the Citadel at the End of Time was first seen in season 1, when Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) set out to confront He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). Later on in season 2 episode 6, which is appropriately titled 'Glorious Purpose', Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) appears to have been sent to the Void after her pruning, but not to the one where Loki and co. met Kid Loki, Classic Loki, and the like.

Instead, she looks to be in Egypt, which could point to a future confrontation between her and Kang variant Rama-Tut, who was introduced in the post-credits scene of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 

Loki season 2 is streaming now on Disney Plus. For more on the show, check out our deep-dives on:

Amy West
Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.

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