Loki quotes from Loki

Loki

How many, if they had a choice, would have chosen to stay? Mobius always said the TVA was the only life he'd ever known and he liked it. It gave him... purpose.

Sylvie

It was never his choice to begin with, Loki. He Who Remains did that.

Loki

But Mobius should have a choice now, no? Shouldn't they all? To return to the TVA if they want?

Sylvie

No. You would be ripping people from their lives, showing them something that they cannot unsee... what kinda choice is that?

Loki

You don't care? I guess not. I guess it's all worked out just the way you want it to, and you're fine just walking away. So selfish!

Sylvie

Of course I'm selfish! I want a life! I want to live. What's wrong with wanting something, Loki?

Loki

I want my friends back. I don't wanna be alone.

Sylvie

See? We're back to selfish. I know this is hard, but your friends are back where they belong.

Loki

But without them... where do I belong?

Sylvie

We're all writing our own stories now. Go write yours.

You controlled your time-slipping!

Loki

Yes. It's not about where, when or why... It's about who. I can rewrite the story.

Loki

O.B., how long will it take me to know everything that you know about mechanics, physics and engineering?

Ouroboros

How much do you know?

Loki

Let's assume I don't know much. But I'm a fast learner... and I'm a god.

He Who Remains

This... This isn't the first time we've had this conversation, is it?

Loki

How did you know?

He Who Remains

I know about the slipping? And who do you think paved that road? Any guesses? Survey says...

Loki

He... Who Remains.

He Who Remains

I made the tough choices, that's why I get the big chair. I keep us safe. Can't you see what I'm offering here is mercy?

Loki

For me, or for you?

Mobius

You wanna hear a good story? Listen to this one. A couple Hunters went out on a mission somewhere near the Black Sea to find a Variant who's gonna be responsible for five thousand deaths -- five thousand deaths that were not in the proper flow of time. They get there, and there's a little hiccup; the Variant is an eight-year-old boy. He was just minding his own business! Swimming with his brother, jumping off the dock... And one of the Hunters, who had never had trouble pruning before, he had never hesitated but that day, he did! He paused. Timeline started to branch, more Variants appeared, happened so fast his partner had to step in and prune the kid. But by then, cat was out of the bag. Couple Hunters died, all because that one Hunter... he lost sight of the bigger picture. You gotta keep the big picture in mind.

Loki

Hm.

Mobius

Most purpose is more "burden" than "glory". And trust me, you never wanna be the guy who avoids it 'cause you can't live with the burden.

Loki

How do you live with it?

Mobius

...scar tissue.

Sylvie

It's not enough to protect the Sacred Timeline, Loki. Even down there is full of death and destruction and injustice. Do you really wanna be the god who takes away everyone's free will so you can protect that?

Loki

But what good is free will if everyone's dead?

Sylvie

And who are you to say we can't die trying? Who are you to say we can't die fighting? You're replacing one nightmare with another. I grew up in apocalypses, Loki. I've lived through enough of them to know that sometimes, it's okay to destroy something.