Loki (Warriors Orochi)

Loki (ロキ, ˈloʊki) is the Norse god of deception. For the first part of the game, he is under the guise of Perseus (ペルセウス, Περσεύς) to deceive Zeus and the other Olympic gods by orders of his master, Odin.

He won ninth place in the Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate popularity poll.

Role in Games
The Warriors Orochi series has Loki, as Perseus, rebel against Zeus's machinations by entering Orochi's dimensional realm. "Perseus" first appears aiding the Rebel Army in attempting to seize one of the Arms of Ouroboros that had fallen into the hands of Nobunaga Oda. He then explains that Zeus had warped the dimensions, and that he felt partially guilty for their struggle as the Arms were crafted from Medusa, whom he had slain in the past. He also befriends Yukimura Sanada when he joins the Rebel Army.

"Perseus"'s desertion eventually causes Athena and Ares to enter the realm and attack the Rebel Army with their own allies. During the process, Yukimura Sanada is forced to deify himself at Mt. Dingjun to protect "Perseus" from Zhao Yun. When both the Rebel Army and the Oda Army merge to form the Coalition, Perseus aids the Coalition in rescuing other humans in their search for more Arms of Ouroboros. This eventually leads to him being tricked and captured by Zhong Hui at Nanzhong.

When the Coalition is attacked by Odin's army at Ji Province, Loki finally reveals is true identity and doggedly chases them down. Loki also reveals that his plan was to sabotage the Olympians for killing his allies and infusing their powers into various Arms. While the Coalition begins mobilizing against Zeus, Loki takes advantage of Ares's wish to surpass his father and offers him a position as "The King of Gods" should he switch sides. Ares would later do just that by killing his father and taking his power.

Now accompanied by Odin, Loki engages with the Coalition but continues to wonder why mortals are still so defiant against hopeless odds. At Baidi Castle, Loki is tasked with protecting Zeus's staff, Keraunos, and finds himself under attack by Yukimura. Much to his surprise, Yukimura still trusts him, and Loki is later defeated and forced to yield the weapon.

In the final battle against Odin, Loki, inspired by the humans, finally betrays Odin, revealing his true disdain for his ally after his war slaughtered countless friends of Loki. Despite this, Odin swiftly strikes Loki down and resurrects him as an undead minion; pitting him against the Coalition for a final time. Loki assures his former allies that as an undead, he was no longer alive and that they should not hesitate to strike him down.

It is presumed Loki is finally killed when Odin is defeated by the Coalition.

During Ultimate, Yukimura takes a different path and follows Loki to Odin's camp at the Wuzhang Plains. This causes Loki to defect earlier, and the pair are rescued by Gaia. As Odin can infinitely revive himself thanks to his soul being elsewhere, Loki aids the Coalition in searching out Odin's soul by using Gaia's ability to read the land's memory. When the Coalition are cornered by Odin's army at Changshan, Hades also arrives to assist, explaining that he was tricked into freeing Odin from the Underworld.

Throughout their battles, Odin continuously taunts Loki regarding the fate of the real Perseus. When the God is finally cornered at the Spring of Mimir, Odin and Loki reveal that Loki originally arrived with Perseus to join Odin as spies for Gaia, but Odin suspected their loyalty and ordered them to fight to the death. Unwilling to blow their cover or put his friend at risk, Perseus allowed himself to be killed by Loki. Once Odin is killed, Yggdrasil was now collapsing due to the loss of its power source. This forces Loki, the other gods and the Mystics to combine their powers to send the humans to safety.

If the real Perseus is revived before the final battle, Perseus reveals that the true mastermind is Hades, who wishes to kill Odin and take Yggdrasil's power for himself. By the time the Coalition arrive, Hades has already accomplished his task, and the Coalition is forced to flee back to Changshan to prepare a time-traveling ritual for Kaguya. Through this, they avert Odin's fate, and the god reveals that Hades's weapon, Bident, would be capable of severing him from Yggdrasil safely. Loki and Perseus accompany Odin to the Underworld, where they face illusions of their personal fears. Nonetheless, they succeed in their goal and return back to the realm to fight Hades.

After a hard battle, the Coalition finally defeats the powered up Hades, Odin sends Loki and the others away as Yggdrasil collapses, promising to return safely

In side stages, Loki's first meeting with Gaia and Perseus is shown when he prostrates himself to them regarding Odin's mad plan for Ragnarok. Although Perseus is skeptical, Gaia trusts Loki's conviction of even surrendering his own sacred treasure to gain their aid. Together, Loki and Perseus defeat several of Asgardian saboteurs sent by Odin to Olympus. Loki also appears during Gaia's farewell battle with the humans before they return to their respective realms, aiding Odin's charge against the humans.

Personality
While disguised as Perseus, Loki was notably more sympathetic to the humans than the other gods of Olympus, possibly owing to his status as a demi-god. As such, he sees it as his responsibility to safeguard them, even if it means opposing his family. During his time with the humans, he got along with Naotora, Yukimura and Guan Yinping. He would also learn first-hand of humanity's stubborn defiance in the face of impossibility as well as their refusal to give up hope.

When his deception is revealed, Loki still sports his gentle smile, though using it to hide his true, vengeful, nature. Bitter about the demise of his Asgardian friends and the loss of his powers, he is not above scheming and manipulating others for his own ends, seeing the humans as a means to an end. Over time, however, the constant battles against the humans eventually causes him to reconsider his path, to the point where he believes himself to be a fool for even questioning why they would still defy Odin. Yukimura's continued belief in him, despite his betrayal, ultimately causes him to finally betray Odin in favor of genuinely protecting the humans. Given Loki's strained relationship with Odin, he initially finds irony in the coalition saving him when Hades's plans are revealed, but eventually decides to continue serving him after the humans influenced Odin to overcome his selfishness and conquer his fear of death.

He attempts to study Orochi's behavior, seeing him as an enigma that seems to covet something deeper than his own demise, though becomes surprised when Orochi sees through him as well. Despite his turmulous relationship with Athena, even as Perseus, the two seem to be able to make amends, being equally surprised at how they can still form a friendship despite the rocky start.

Loki's complete disguise as Perseus to the point of being mistaken even by his family is a result of his relationship with the real Perseus. In fact, Loki values his friendship with Perseus more than anything else, and was devastated when he was forced to kill him. Loki being able to mimic Perseus's appearance and personality was the sole reason that he did not go insane from the emotional trauma. Even after he was revived, Loki still regrets the experience and constantly apologizes for his actions to Perseus.

The real Perseus is more or less a reflection of Loki's guise as himself, save for being more upbeat whenever he speaks. He seems to make friends rather quickly, as he bonds with Yukimura over alcohol and gets along with him well, just as Loki did. Perseus shares his feelings of true friendship with Loki, and repeatedly forgives Loki for killing him, as he willingly sacrificed himself to Loki in the first place. However, Perseus does get quite nervous around Gaia, especially when she expresses concern for his lack of physique compared to Zeus and Hades.

Character Symbolism
Perseus, the figure whom Loki masquerades as, is a mythological hero born from Zeus and Danaë, a mortal princess from Argos. He accomplished many feats for the gods and later became the founder of Mycenae. Most notable of his feat was his success of killing Medusa, a gorgon, with the help of Athena. Perseus here only had one eye, which is a reference during his quest to kill Medusa, where Perseus found the Gray Sisters who all share an eye. Perseus took the eye as ransom in exchange for knowledge to defeat Medusa. This reflects his ploy in Warriors Orochi 4, where Loki used his identity of Perseus to trick the Coalition to help Odin without their knowledge.

Loki's weapon, the Mistilteinn, is of Nordic origin. It was used to slay Baldur, the son of Odin and Frigg, serving as a hint to his secret identity while under the guise of Perseus. Loki, as a cruel joke out of many others he committed, presented the object during a typical everyday contest where fellow gods would fling things at Baldur's body just for humoring his gifted invulnerability. The gods were all shocked due to Baldur being fatally wounded by the Mistilteinn when they were all least expecting it, as the object was the only thing revealed to be able to harm him. In various texts, it was often confused with mistletoe due to its naming (and hence its plant-like design); other records have claimed it was either also a sword or a spear.

Voice Actors

 * Hiro Shimono - Warriors Orochi 4

Quotes

 * See also Loki/Quotes


 * "Yukimura... You seem to feel some affection towards me. I have no idea why. Can you explain it?"
 * "You and I have fought together and talked with each other on many an occasion now. I believe more than enough time has passed for us to trust each other."
 * "I could understand you trusting Perseus, but why trust me? I think nothing of tricking people. To achieve my goals, I will do absolutely anything."
 * "If you did that, it would be for a reason that means a lot to you, yes? I think that level of commitment to a cause is an admirable thing. Besides... You say these things, but your expression betrays how you really feel. You seem conflicted, as if you want me to criticize you. It is not the kind of expression worn by a truly evil man."
 * "Hah... You are far too trusting, Yukimura. How do you know this is not all an act on my part?"
 * "I do not care if it is. It remains an incontrovertible truth that I feel affection and trust towards you."
 * "You really are a fool..."
 * Loki and Yukimura; Warriors Orochi 4


 * "Perseus... Where are you?"
 * "What is it, Loki? I'm right here."
 * "Forgive me. If I lose sight of you, I become most anxious. When I lost you the first time, I maintained my sanity by borrowing your form. It allowed me to believe you were still alive."
 * "Loki... A brief instant in time for me has been a long and arduous road for you, hasn't it? But listen, Loki... Under Lady Gaia's command, we've fought alongside each other many times. Nothing can compare with those memories."
 * "You're right, Perseus. Having you in front of me again brings back nothing but pleasant memories.
 * "Right? So let's not end the fun now. More glorious days, overcoming all adversity, lie ahead."
 * "Indeed. I will continue to treasure your friendship. I hope you'll do the same."
 * "Thank you, Loki. This friendship is truly eternal."
 * Loki and Perseus; Warriors Orochi 4 Ultimate

Ground Moveset

 * undefined: Loki uses Gleipnir to bind enemies, while Perseus summons a Trident to produce waves forward.
 * , undefined: Loki sends Lævateinn underground then uses its power to sprout a large tree vine up to launch enemies airborne, while Perseus uses Talaria to fly upward as he kicks enemies into the air.
 * ,, undefined: Loki equips Mjölnir, then flies up and slams the hammer down on enemies with an electric shock. Perseus summons lightning around him with Caduceus to stun the opponents.
 * ,, , undefined: Loki equips Dáinsleif, does a spinning slash along the ground making fire, then does a hopping fiery slash. Perseus uses the Bow of Artemis to shoot his Mistilteinn upward, then it flies down and create a shockwave after landing.
 * ,, , , undefined: Loki deploys Brísingamen to send a blast of fire forward, while Perseus executes several spinning slashes with Harpe then throws it forward.
 * ,, , , , undefined: Loki summons Gungnir and positions it above enemies before dropping it, while Perseus uses Keraunos to summon a controllable lightning ball.


 * Loki summons replicas of sacred treasures and launches them rapidly at enemies. Perseus summons Harpe, Bow of Artemis & Mistilteinn and Keraunos, then use them one by one to attack.

Fighting Style
Although Loki and Perseus's main weapon is a spear, they are capable of summoning the Sacred Treasures at will and using a multitude of them to attack surrounding foes. Loki and Perseus each use a different set of Sacred Treasures, with Loki pulling from the Norse weapons and Perseus pulling from the Greek weapons. It is advisable to use Agility on their weapons due to the slow attack speed for both of them, and since Loki requires time to prepare his charge attacks with the sacred treasures despite not being Power type, Steadfast can help prevent interruptions during the execution.

Rare Weapon Acquisition

 * Stage: Destined to be Destroyed (Loki) / Odin's Rescue (Perseus)

Norse Mythology
The son both a goddess and a giant, Loki would become a steadfast ally to both Thor and Odin though his antics often required him to clean up a significant amount of his own messes. On one event, Loki had accidentally allowed a builder to use the steed, Svaðilfari, in order to build a barrier for the gods in exchange for Freyja's hand in marriage should the task be completed within three seasons. As a result, Loki, who was blamed for the builder's staggering progress, transformed into a mare to seduce Svaðilfari and successfully kept the builder from completing the task in the agreed term. Unfortunately, Loki would end up being impregnated whilst a mare and ended up giving birth to the eight-legged steed, Sleipnir. In another incident involving Freyja's hand in marriage, Loki would join Thor when the latter impersonated the goddess in order to retrieve his hammer after it was stolen by the giant, Thyrmr. Loki ended up acting as a bridesmaid and had to cover up for the "bride's" obnoxious and violent nature.

During Ragnarok, however, Loki's relationship with the gods was finally destroyed when he tricked the blind Höðr into killing his brother Baldr with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, and then went to the god's subsequent banquet to taunt and insult the gods, including Baldr's mother Frigg. This would be the final straw as the enraged gods punished Loki severely; having him tied to a rock with the intestines his son, Nari, and having a snake fastened in front of him that would continuously drip venom on him. Suffering this near endless torture would drive Loki mad, and he eventually escaped his confinement and rallied his children, demons, and giants to face the gods. Loki would duel against the god, Heimdallr, and the pair would slay one another.

Greek Mythology
Purported to be the founder of the fabled Mycanaea, Perseus was borne from the princess, Danaë, who had been impregnated by Zeus after it was foretold that her son would overthrow and kill her father. Unwilling to kill a son of Zeus, Perseus and his mother were cast into the sea and raised by Dictys, brother of the king, Polydectes. As Polydectes attempted to woo Perseus' mother, he plotted to have Perseus exiled for constantly blocking his attempts. He once invited Perseus to a banquet and began asking steeds as gifts from the guests. When Perseus was unable to offer one, Polydectes instead asked for the head of the gorgon, Medusa. The gods, having seen the young demi-god's growth, would come to Perseus' aid, with Athena providing instructions in obtaining the equipment needed for the mission, Zeus providing the adamantine sword, Harpe, Hermes' winged sandals, a polished silver shield from Athena herself, and Hades lending his Helm of Darkness.

Perseus then snuck into the Gorgons' cave, and slew Medusa through the reflection from his shield before fleeing thanks to Hades' helm and Hermes' sandals. After the beast's death, Perseus would keep Medusa's head as a weapon, using it to petrify King Atlas, who refused to provide Perseus shelter during his return trip, Phineus, who challenged him for the right to marry Andromeda, and Polydectes, after learning that the constant advances forced his mother into a fugitive. Perseus would eventually learn of his true parentage and returned to his mother's homeland of Argos, where his grandfather, still weary of the oracle's prophecy, opted for self-exile. As fate would have it, the pair would coincidentally attend a funeral games hosted Teutamides, King of Larissa, and Perseus accidentally killed his grandfather with a misdirected discus. Guilty of his act and too ashamed to take the throne, Perseus left Argos and headed east with an army and conquered Medes before forming the country of Persia.

Perseus' death, ironically, would come during his old age. Unable to see properly during a battle, Perseus once again attempted to utilize Medusa's head, but his poor vision caused him to believe the head was ineffective. In an attempt to examine his tool, Perseus inadvertently turned the head towards him and was petrified instantly.

Trivia

 * All of Loki's default system voice lines as Perseus were re-recorded for the real Perseus to reflect his more upbeat personality compared to Loki.
 * Loki disguise his appearance as Perseus his very similar to real Perseus the noticable difference his their color underneath their cloth (Chiton) Loki wearing blue while the real Perseus wearing turquoise.
 * However, both Perseus' and disguised Loki's DLC Legendary Costumes have the exact same colors, making them indistinguishable looks-wise.