Have we seen the end of Ravonna Renslayer? Loki season 2 viewers have their theories

Loki
(Image credit: Disney Plus/Marvel)

The Loki season 2 finale was a big one. The last episode of the God of Mischief's exploits left us with a few more questions than we started with – and a major one involves former TVA judge Ravonna Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). Warning: there are Loki season 2 finale spoilers ahead! 

At the end of the season's final episode, we see Renslayer for the first time since she was pruned in episode 4 after the reveal that she led He Who Remains' (Jonathan Majors) army against the TVA. In episode 6, she wakes up in a strange landscape – there's a pyramid in the distance, and the TVA logo, "For all time, always", is inscribed on the ground at her feet, and a purple glow lights up her face. It's a cliffhanger of sorts, but viewers have their own theories about Renslayer's fate. 

"I think she probably tames or defeats [Alioth]," writes one Redditor, referring to the creature at the End of Time who destroys those who have been pruned. "Remember, in season 2 [He Who Remains] said she was pretty much the reason they won the multiversal war as his commander essentially. And [He Who Remains] said in season 1 that Alioth was used to win that war. So I take it as Renslayer was the one who likely reigned in Alioth to help [He Who Remains] win the multiversal war. The look on her face at the end of season 2 was more, “I’ll defeat you again” kind of a look to me. Determined and ready."

Another user posits: "It was probably an earlier version of the TVA that was destroyed by the loom and turned into void."

"Personally, I interpreted it as them revealing that the TVA and the End of Time are one and the same," says another. "The 'landscape', is where the TVA existed, and when it inevitably collapses (nothing lasts forever), that’s what it becomes. The fact you see Loki pull open Alioth’s clouds within the TVA, after dismantling the Loom really settled it for me. The 'Realm' of the TVA is built on that 'world'. And that’s what it becomes eventually. Basically it’s exactly the same as seeing the Statue of Liberty sticking out of the sand in the Planet of the Apes."

Others are convinced that there are other Kang variants at play, though. "My working theory is the TVA start pruning Kang variants as they discover them and they all end up at the void which is how we get the council of Kang etc. and from there the multiverse war starts with Kang variants," writes another Redditor. The pyramid behind Renslayer certainly points in the direction of another Kang variant, too.

Whatever the outcome, it may be a while until we find out what happens to Renslayer. It seems like Loki season 3 isn't on the cards, with Tom Hiddleston saying season 2 concluded his journey as the titular trickster, and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty isn't due on the big screen until 2026. 

Next up for the MCU, though, is Hawkeye spin-off Echo, which airs next year on Disney Plus and Hulu. In the meantime, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our guides to Marvel Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6.  

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Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.