Out of all six original Avengers, it’s arguably Thor who has changed the most over the course of the Infinity Saga. We met him as an undefeated warrior, a spoilt brat, and a god waiting to claim his throne. But by the end of Avengers: Endgame, he’s lost everything. The most devastating losses have been his friends and family.
Heimdall, the guardian of the Bifrost, has always been Thor’s best friend. And the God of Thunder has always had a love-hate relationship (in other words, a sibling relationship) with his adopted brother Loki. So, here are Thor’s 5 Sweetest Moments With Heimdall (And 5 With Loki).
With Heimdall: “Heimdall, when you’re ready.” (Thor: The Dark World)
In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Ned Leeds told Peter Parker he needed “a guy in the chair.” Apparently, every superhero has a guy in a chair, doing all their navigation and communication for them on a congregation of computer screens. Although Ned was the one who gave a name to it, Heimdall was Thor’s “guy in the chair” long before Ned became Peter’s.
The only difference is that Heimdall is an all-seeing mythical figure who doesn’t need a congregation of computer screens, because it’s all right before his eyes. Thor is so confident in his guy in the chair that in the middle of the battle, he’ll nonchalantly say, “Heimdall, when you’re ready.”
With Loki: “Get help!” (Thor: Ragnarok)
Although the previous two Thor movies had addressed Thor and Loki’s history with intense arguments and flashbacks to the most pivotal moments in their relationship, Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok gave us a sense of Thor and Loki’s past through anecdotes and inside jokes.
During one scene in the movie, the two are preparing to face some of the Grandmaster’s henchmen on Sakaar, and Thor dusts off one of their old gambits: “Get help!” Thor hoists up Loki and carries him around as he pretends to be injured, crying out for help, and then throws his brother at the distracted henchmen. Works every time.
With Heimdall: Committing treason together (Thor: The Dark World)
Heimdall is initially reluctant when Thor comes to him and asks him to operate the Bifrost against Odin’s orders in the hopes of preventing an attack by the Dark Elves, because it would be treasonous.
However, Thor eventually talks him into it, convincing him that it’s for the greater good. It’s treason in the short term, but in the long term, it’ll prevent a potentially world-ending attack on Asgard, so ultimately, it’s the right thing to do. The greatest test of friendship is whether or not they would commit treason for you, and Heimdall proved that he would even do that for Thor.
With Loki: Attending Frigga’s funeral (Thor: The Dark World)
Frigga’s death in Thor: The Dark World was heartbreaking for both Thor and Loki, and this is shown in the grave, mournful expressions on their faces as her coffin floated out to the edge of Asgard. Unlike Odin, who has a clear bias towards Thor, Frigga loved both of her sons equally. And as a result, they were both equally crushed when she was killed.
The Dark World is often criticized as one of the worst entries in the MCU – mainly because of its formulaic plot, dull villain, banal romantic subplot, and cringeworthy comic relief, and also because it’s generally forgettable – but the emotion in this scene is certainly palpable.
With Heimdall: “You’ll die for that!” (Avengers: Infinity War)
This is the promise that Thor makes to Thanos right after he stabs Heimdall through the chest, killing him. The God of Thunder doesn’t think twice. As soon as his best friend has been killed, he pledges to avenge him. (And it’s worth noting that, after a couple of failed attempts, he does – but only when he lets go of his ego and embraces the other Avengers.)
At least Heimdall didn’t die for nothing. Thanos only killed him because he resurrected the Hulk and summoned the Bifrost to take him to Doctor Strange and Wong to warn them that the Mad Titan was coming. Without Heimdall, Thanos probably would’ve won in the end.
With Loki: “You must be truly desperate to come to me for help.” (Thor: The Dark World)
This line might have been thrown in to give the trailer a neat soundbite to sum up the movie’s hook, but it’s still an indication of an interesting development in Thor and Loki’s sibling rivalry.
Even after all Loki has done – making himself the King of Asgard, refusing to let Thor come home from Midgard, terrorizing New York with alien invaders, cutting a deal with Thanos etc. – Thor still believes he can count on his brother for help, because at the end of the day, they’re brothers. Brothers can count on each other, no matter how many alien invasions they were responsible for.
With Heimdall: Joining Thor on the Statesman (Thor: Ragnarok)
All throughout Thor: Ragnarok, the titular apocalyptic event is slowly destroying Asgard as Hela’s hellish reign begins. Meanwhile, Thor himself is stuck as a gladiator on Sakaar, unable to stop it. The God of Thunder knows he can count on Heimdall to protect the Asgardians while he’s gone. And he does, taking the survivors through the woods to an ancient safe house.
Similarly, Heimdall knows he can count on Thor to come straight to Asgard as soon as he can and liberate the kingdom from Hela’s rule. Their reunion on the Statesman at the end of the movie is heartfelt.
With Loki: “All right, stop!” (Avengers: Infinity War)
In his earliest MCU storylines, Loki was a cold-blooded killer who didn’t care about his family and just wanted power. But as his character arc developed, it became clear that this was just how he wanted to see himself. He’s actually a lot more sensitive and caring than that.
He continues to lie to himself when Thanos arrives on the Statesman in the opening scene of Avengers: Infinity War. The Mad Titan asks Loki to hand over the Space Stone in exchange for his brother’s life and Loki says, “Kill away.” But as Thor is actually being snuffed out, Loki’s emotions rear their head and he cries out, “All right, stop!”
With Heimdall: “I need you to help me. Help me see.” (Thor: Ragnarok)
When Thor is trapped on Sakaar, he fears that Hela will succeed in killing the Asgardians and beginning her malevolent reign over his kingdom, while he remains helpless in his holding cell. So, he calls out to the one person he knows he can trust to help: Heimdall. He says, “Heimdall, I know you can see me. I need you to help me. Help me see.”
Heimdall can see Thor, but he’s at a great distance. He assures Thor that he’s found a stronghold built by ancient Asgardians and has turned it into a refuge for the survivors that he guided away from Hela’s destruction. But they’re not out of the woods yet!
With Loki: “Loki, I thought the world of you.” (Thor: Ragnarok)
This scene from Thor: Ragnarok perfectly encapsulates Thor and Loki’s relationship, perhaps better than any other scene in the MCU. In an elevator on Sakaar, the brothers have a rare heart-to-heart. Loki is surprised to hear Thor tell him, “I thought the world of you.”
All he’s ever wanted was the approval of his brother, having been jealous of him from a young age for being the true heir to Odin’s throne, and he’s just filled with regret when he finds out he used to have that approval, before his many evil mistakes. This is a huge turning point for Loki, and of course it took Thor to get him there.
