Loki's Saddest Season 2 Finale Quote Is A Heartbreaking MCU Reference

The clock finally struck for the God of Mischief in the "Loki" Season 2 finale, leaving the former villain as one of the greatest heroes, quite literally, of all time. The road for Loki (Tom Hiddleston) may have been a long one, spanning some unexpected centuries in the process, but it's how he ended things that struck a chord for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans.

Realizing what needs to be done, Loki makes the ultimate sacrifice, telling Mobius (Owen Wilson) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), "I know what kind of god I need to be. For you. For all of us," before taking a lone walk to revive the time streams and become He Who Remains. It's this element where history repeats itself, with Loki's poignant and perfect last line actually being one of his first from Phase One. In 2011's "Thor," following the battle between the princely brothers, Loki pleads to Odin (Anthony Hopkins) with the same quote, but he's blinded by ignorance and ill intent. Now, after so many years, Loki's last act proves times really have changed, and he could be an even more noble god than his father or hammer-throwing brother and still have some story left to tell.

After finally getting a throne to call his own, Loki is at the center of all time, keeping reality and everything bound to it in check. It's the kind of victory not even Thor can claim, but what may be even more upsetting is how only a handful of people know about it. Loki will be forever bound to the job he's taken on, keeping everything going but with no one to share the load. While there's always a chance "Loki" Season 3 could happen, this could be the last time we see Loki on screen. Although that's the perk of having a hand on time itself, you can drop in just about anywhere.

Hiddleston stated on "The Tonight Show" that the "Loki" Season 2 finale is the "conclusion to six films, 12 episodes, and 14 years of my life," cementing that might really be the character's swan song. With that said, keeping such a close eye on timelines of the past and present, there's a chance he has a better eye on what's coming than anyone and could play a prominent part in future MCU installments. Could Loki be what sends reluctant soldiers into "Avengers: Secret Wars"? Who can say, but there's plenty of time to find out.