#burdened with glorious purpose

[joyful-enchantress]

Loki’s costume at the end of S2E6 was perfect.

Yes, every part of it, down to those slippers.

And here’s my unsolicited (and delayed) thoughts on the matter.

First, let’s talk about his robe. Not only was it utterly beautiful, down to the draping and the deep, rich shade of green (and I mean come on, would we expect anything less?), its style was incredibly symbolic.

If you look at previous Loki ensembles, especially the ones that include a horned helmet, there is an air of grandeur and finery about them. The exquisitely stitched, buttery leather; the shiny gold trimmings and metal armor accents; the dramatic, billowing capes and overcoats. Even the silhouette of these looks is broad and structured — one might even say severe. Everything about these past looks screams “Look at me; I’m important” and reinforces Tony’s own observation in The Avengers that Loki is a “full-tilt diva” — he longs for the respect and attention that he deserves (and has been denied almost all of his life) and that longing is reflected in his clothing. They are reminiscent of the royal palace in which he was raised. They allow him to be battle-ready, because he’s had to fight and claw for every scrap of love and attention he’s managed to get. They represent a broken prince. A warrior cloaked in royalty. A would-be-king.

Now, compare that to his robe in Loki S2E6. It isn’t flashy. It has a soft silhouette. The shade of green is deeper and richer than we’ve seen; more earthy. An earthy shade of green which, in my opinion, is a nod to Yggdrasil, the cosmic tree that he will weave the branches of the multiverse into. The gold trimming across the front is subtle and understated - I even missed it at first and didn’t realize there was any gold trimming on the robe at all until I got a closer look later. It is simple. The draping is reminiscent of the robes worn by Buddhist monks. His robe reflects a Loki that has more wisdom and humility, and who has realized that being a good king — a proper god — means he will spend his life in service to others. It is the robe of a man who is confident and self-assured and knows exactly what kind of god he needs to be.

Now let’s talk about the slippers. I noticed that they got quite a bit of flack immediately after the finale aired. And I get it — they’re an odd choice, especially when we are so accustomed to the dramatic boots and finely-crafted and statement-making dress shoes he typically dons. For similar reasons as the robe, they are symbolic and fitting for Loki’s development into a wiser, more humble character. Don’t get me wrong, these loafers are still impeccably stylish, and no doubt they are of the finest craftsmanship, because this is still Loki we are talking about here. But they have a purpose, and that purpose is to get him to his final destination. These simple slippers barely even protect Loki’s feet, showing us a kind of vulnerability that we’re unaccustomed to seeing from Loki. He isn’t guarded in this moment; he’s open, connected to his purpose, and sure of himself. The shoes aren’t for battle; they aren’t meant to impress. They are meant to serve.

Now, about what is, quite possibly, my favorite feature of the costume. The horns. These iconic horns which we’ve associated with Loki from the very beginning take on an entirely reimagined look in the finale. First of all, they are bigger than any set we’ve seen resting upon Loki’s brow. So big, in fact, that they weren’t actually a physical part of the costume Tom Hiddleston wore. So big that they would likely hinder his performance if he actually had to bear their weight on his head.

In addition to their size, the horns are made of the same temporal-infused material from which both HWR’s talisman and the citadel at the end of time are constructed. Gone are the opulent golden horns that glisten and shine with the grandeur of royal finery. These horns are dark and heavy. They symbolize the unfathomable weight of the burden that Loki bears in his godly endeavor to save the multiverse. The golden temporal material that runs throughout the horns like veins is reminiscent, to me, of Kintsugi, the Japanese art of mending broken things with gold. And in a way, Loki is a broken thing that has been healed and mended throughout his personal journey of self-acceptance and friendship, and is now more beautiful than he ever has been. More humble. More selfless. More godly.

In addition to the horns, the cape, too, is the largest we’ve seen Loki wear. And while at first, this dramatically oversized cape may seem to stand in opposition to the humility that the rest of the outfit encapsulates, it works. It works because, like the horns, it is symbolic of the burden Loki has chosen to bear. This cape would be unbearably heavy; it would make even the most basic movement difficult. And on top of its sheer size, his cape even becomes torn into strips that are woven into the timelines themselves, literally securing his burden — his service to the multiverse — around his neck.

Lastly, I want to talk about the way this outfit manifested. There’s been a common thread throughout this discussion about the humility and selflessness that this ensemble puts on display. And while that’s true, we’re talking about a relative level of humility and selflessness, when compared to Loki’s previous tendencies. This is still Loki we’re talking about here. He’s got a flair for the dramatic. He’s nothing if not intentional about the way he presents himself. And the way he marched down that gangway like it was his own personal runway, while his clothing fell away in shreds and tatters to reveal this completely fresh but familiar look, was completely on-brand for him. It was theatrical. It was glorious.

His outfit at the end featured accessories that were heavy and larger than life. Those parts were a burden.

It wasn’t short on the style and drama that we’re so accustomed to seeing from Loki. It was glorious.

And every part of it, down to his humble shoes, was fit for purpose.

One look at this finale costume and you know, without doubt, that Loki is burdened with glorious purpose.

A/N: If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my unsolicited thoughts on this beautiful piece of costume design! Also, apologies for the delay in posting. I know some of you have been told this post was coming since the night the finale aired, weeks ago. Thank you for your patience with me as I gathered my thoughts and found the time to organize them and type them out.

🏷️ @peachyjinx @acidcasualties @muddyorbsblr @lokischambermaid @lokisgoodgirl @mochie85 @tallseaweed @give-me-a-moose @fictive-sl0th @coldnique @maple-seed @loopsisloops @gigglingtiggerv2 @simplyholl @superficialdomina @mischief2sarawr @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @wheredafandomat @liminalpebble @ladyofthestayingpower ++

#loki #loki season 2 #loki series #loki show #loki finale #glorious purpose #burdened with glorious purpose #costume design #loki costume #joyful enchantress writes #costume analysis #costume symbolism

[abby118]

tell me again how he was doing it willingly

#loki #the avengers #2011-2013 loki supremacy #fuck thanos #BURDENED with glorious purpose #ffs

[xjade-lotusx]

This may just be the masochistic side of my brain talking who loves Shakespearean levels of tragedy but I liked the ending

#i never thought loki would get a super happy ending anyway #but the way they brought his story back to the very beginning was amazing #burdened with glorious purpose #always #loki #tom hiddleston #owen wilson #mobius #loki laufeyson

[morally-grey-variant]

#stickers #artist #redbubble #loki of asgard #loki series #loki fanfic #loki god of mischief #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #burdened with glorious purpose #glorious purpose #i know what kind of god i need to be #lokius #tva loki #loki

[fandomfanservice]

Loki Season 2, that finale - what a character arc!

That’s how it’s done 👏🏿🌳👏🏿🌳👏🏿🌳👏🏿🌳👏🏿🌳👏🏿

Could there be hope for the MCU, future phases and this dynasty

#marvel mcu #mcu #mcu loki #loki season 2 #loki series #tom hiddleston #loki laufeyson #loki ending #loki odinson #yggdrasil #welcome home multiverse #mcu multiverse #saturdaysgirl #mcu phase 5 #burdened with glorious purpose

[beejsdevilishsoulmate]

I couldn't help myself...

I've become one of those cat ladies who buys clothes for her fur baby 🤣🤣🤦🏻‍♀️

The hoodie say Mama's Boy...

But seriously how adorable does Loki look with his little bow tie?!

#personal #a glimpse into manic!stardusts life #cat #crazy cat lady #cat mum #fur baby #cat in a hoodie #mama's boy #bow tie #cat with a bow tie #he looks so handsome #cuteness overload #this is so damn cute to me #loki #loki cat of mischief #he is burdened with glorious purpose #burdened with glorious purpose

[past-present-future-cable]

The ending to Loki absolutely broke my heart. Like damn

#loki #loki season 2 #burdened with glorious purpose #i cried #also i hate silvie #legit do not like her #and seeing him make the world tree? #stahp #loki spoilers

[thehopefulwonderlandcollector]

Here I am emotionally recovering from Loki's S2 Finale, waiting for my chance to see THG:TBOSAS in Theaters, and then I come across this...

Read it. That's all I can say here.

#loki #the hunger games #archive of our own #crossover #bravo #bravo over and over to this author #burdened with glorious purpose #may the odds be ever in your favor #everybody sit down and read this #read this now

[animejunki5]

When #Loki    was presented with two choices at the end, he created another no one else thought of. For whatever reason, it made me think of Aang when he fought Ozai. Both found their own solutions to problems that they could live with. Loki truly is Burdened With Glorious Purpose 😔🥺👑💚

#loki season 2 #loki #loki series #avatar aang #aang #ozai #fire lord ozai #burdened with glorious purpose

[thiddleston]

#loki #graduation #burdened with glorious purpose #tom hiddleston

[chasingmidnights]

Enjoy a late night Loki collage I created earlier today. I love how this one turned out! I created some others earlier today as well that I'll be posting soon as well. But for now, Loki will have to do!

#marvel #loki #loki of asgard #tom hiddleston #pinterest #lokiedit #burdened with glorious purpose #loki eye candy

[missfay49]

he just BECOMES as yggdrasil? he just, you don't understand, he just becomes the tree? the core of time itself? he just wields the power of literal gods and transforms the flow of all timelines into a tree, using the timelines themselves as the fibers and pathways to create a self-supporting structure that he feeds his own power through like life-support? for all of eternity? to keep everyone and everything in existence EXISTING??? he just takes the form of the thing he has grown up knowing about, yggdrasil, for his whole life, dreaming of conquering all sentient life forms on all the trees branches, and instead of conquering it, he creates and powers and guides the very flow of time itself that those people will freely live upon? the symbolism. i'm dying, the symbolism. yall. yalllll.

#loki #loki spoilers #loki season 2 #i cant #i can't live like this #atlas #doomed for eternity to hold up reality #burdened #with glorious purpose he is burdened

[p4nishers]

"i'm burdened with glorious purpose" and "i never wanted the throne, i only ever wanted to be your equal" and "i remember a shadow. living in the shade of your greatness" and "your birthright was to die as a child" and "you were born to cause pain and suffering and death" and "do you think what makes a loki a loki is the fact that we're destined to lose?" and "you are alone and you always will be" and "my life was a waste of time" and "most purpose is more burden than glory" and "how do you live with [the burden]?" "scar tissue" and "no, there's no comfort, you just choose your burden" and "i know what i want, i know what kind of god i need to be, for you" and

#do u see where im going with this bc i dont #the 'BURDENED with glorious purpose' always gets me they're literally fucking burdened to achieve glory their whole life and they're #destined to lose and keep trying #loki #loki spoilers #loki series #loki season 2 #loki laufeyson #addition: 'you can't trust and i can't be trusted'

[morally-grey-variant]

I am Loki of Asgard, and I am burdened with glorious purpose

#loki #stickers #artist #redbubble #glorious purpose #loki of asgard #burdened with glorious purpose #Loki smut #loki laufeyson #loki series #loki season 2 #lokius

[daisybell17]

I am Loki of Asgard and I am burdened with glorious purpose.

#loki #loki laufeyson #loki god of mischief #mcu loki #loki series #loki marvel #loki god of stories #tom hiddleston loki #loki 2011 #loki tom hiddleston #loki and thor #loki’s glorious purpose #i am loki of asgard and i am burdened with glorious purpose #loki is amazing #loki odinson #loki season 2

[inspectorcrayon]

... will you sip?

#crayo art #grimace shake #dst #dontstarvetogether #i have been burdened with glorious purpose