He Who Remains in 'Loki' Is the Character We Suspected All Along (SPOILERS)
Published July 14 2021, 11:12 a.m. ET
Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for the finale of Loki Season 1.
The explosive season finale of Loki has Marvel fans talking, but there's one character in particular who made an impression on audiences everywhere. When Loki and Sylvie finally discover the citadel at the end of the world, its occupant, the mysterious He Who Remains, lives within. But who is He Who Remains, and where does he fit into Phase 4 of the MCU? Here's what we know.
So, who is He Who Remains in 'Loki'? He's a character we will see again.
Not even 10 minutes into Loki's season finale, Miss Minutes appears to explain to Loki and Sylvie what they have stumbled upon. After successfully defeating Alioth in the previous episode, they arrive at a mysterious citadel at the end of time in search of its occupant. Miss Minutes appears to offer Loki and Sylvie everything they've wanted in exchange for their cooperation, but when they refuse, she disappears.
Before Miss Minutes takes off, she says that the citadel belongs to He Who Remains, though that is not his only name. Shortly after, Loki and Sylvie run into He Who Remains, dressed sharply in a purple robe and eating an apple. Although he does not use this name directly, it is Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror. (He even touches on this point by saying he has been called "a conqueror" before.)
After getting a begrudging Loki and Sylvie to sit and talk with him, it's clear that He Who Remains isn't the only version of himself — there are several variants he alludes to, all far more dangerous and terrifying than himself. He takes time to explain the TVA and the universe that Loki and Sylvie have been living in but cautions them that killing him will only bring about the multiverse versions of himself.
Kang has figured out the secret of the multiverse and claims that a scientist variant of himself in the 31st century was able to restore order to the timeline by creating the TVA and preventing branching off. He offers Sylvie and Loki his job as head of the TVA, something Loki appears to consider, but Sylvie refuses to bargain.
In the end, Sylvie ends up betraying Loki and stabbing He Who Remains, who gives her a final wink and says he will see her soon. Sylvie's act of vengeance ushers in the multiverse, which could very well lead to an all-out war. Loki returns to the TVA, where its residents do not remember him, and Kang's face has conveniently replaced the previous TVA statues.
Fans already know that Kang the Conqueror will return in full in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, but it sounds like there may be a few other versions of his character ready to cause destruction and mayhem in the MCU. If He Who Remains is the least villainous version of himself, the stakes could be much higher in Phase 4 when the variants arrive to, well, conquer.
All episodes of Season 1 of Loki are now streaming on Disney Plus.