Who are the best Thor characters? Since burning Asgard to the ground and taking to space, the god of Thunder has introduced some incredible new faces to the MCU. Some of them are good, some of them are evil, and some of them are made of rocks. Make of that what you will.
If you’d asked us during Phase 2 of the MCU about the suppporting players in the Thor cast, we’d have said Loki and Sif were the only worthwhile parts. After all, Loki is clearly one of the best Marvel villains, and we’ve all forgotten about Malekith the Accursed. You had to Google him, didn’t you? Admit it!
Some of the best actors in Hollywood have now shown up to assist Chris Hemsworth’s burly Asgardian (or try to defeat him). Even the Guardians of the Galaxy cast are involved now! Truly, picking the best Thor characters has become more difficult. That said, there are some obvious stand-outs, and we’ve been back through all the Thor movies in order to find who’s still a worthy ally or opponent for the son of Odin.
Who are the best Thor characters?
- Gorr
- Odin
- Heimdall
- Grandmaster
- Sif
- Darcy
- Jane
- Hela
- Skurge
- Valkyrie
- Thor
- Loki
- Korg
13. Gorr
Love and Thunder may not have been everyone’s cup of mead, but it’s undeniably that Gorr the God Butcher made for an exceptionally creepy villain. With his pasty white skin and hideous black dribble, this monochromatic menace looked incredibly striking, and he was surprisingly sympathetic for someone out to commit deicide.
A lot of that comes down to Christian Bale’s astounding acting chops, and we’ll never forget the terrifying scene when he appeared to the Asgardian children to show them the world’s most disturbing puppet show.
12. Odin
The one eyed wonder and Thor and Loki’s (don’t forget Hela) dear departed dad, Odin, was once a mighty warrior who conquered the Nine Realms and built the kingdom of Asgard. As he aged, though, he mellowed out and became a wise ruler who saw the folly of war and pride.
It’s for this reason that he humbled Thor by enchanting Mjolnir so it could only be lifted by the worthy. This ultimately led to the God of Thunder becoming one of Earth’s mightiest heroes and saving the universe from Thanos. Not that Odin was about to see his son’s triumph, as he died after Loki trapped him on Earth. Oops!
11. Heimdall
The all-seeing guardian of the Bifrost Bridge, Heimdall keeps a watchful eye on all who come in and out of the great, cosmic kingdom. Besides having an incredibly important job that makes him crucial to all Asgardians, he’s also a great source of wisdom, as he’s held his position for quite some time.
Idris Elba was underserved by the MCU in the four entries he appeared, but in that time he still managed to make sure Heimdall was one of the best MCU characters. Sometimes it’s the desire for more that keeps you thinking about a character.
10. Grandmaster
Is anyone having more fun within the confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe than Jeff Goldblum? He’s in his element playing the Grandmaster, the overseer of Sakaar who lives to watch unwitting gladiators kill each other in his personal arena.
This guy is somewhat menacing, but with an air of playful eccentricity and exuberance, typical of Goldblum. Really, all Taika Waititi did was bring the Jurassic Park cast member into the MCU, and let Goldblum do the rest. Good choice.
9. Sif
Sif is a low-key conduit for various branches of Marvel’s franchise, appearing in Agents of SHIELD and Loki after the first two Thor movies. She’s since returned for Thor: Love and Thunder, and not before time either.
A sister-in-arms to the Odinson, she’s clearly slain many enemies in the name of Asgard across the best superhero movies in the MCU. In Kenneth Branagh’s Thor, she’s compared to Xena: Warrior Princess – a fair compliment.
8. Darcy
At first, Darcy’s the slightly annoying assistant to Jane Foster, some comic relief that doesn’t quite work. Her ongoing appearances have given her a clear evolution into one of the most knowledgeable and understanding people in the MCU when it comes to superheroes.
She’s the person who discovers the Matrix-like anomaly that allows Thor to come back to Earth in The Dark World, and recently she was integral to SWORD’s investigations in one of the best Marvel series, WandaVision. Wherever she appears next, keep an eye on her.
7. Jane
At the start, Jane’s relationship with Thor felt a little predictable, and her characterization felt rather bland — but Jane Foster was, by far, the best part of Love and Thunder.
Natalie Portman really gave her all in her final appearance as the character, which saw her become a hero in her own right as Mighty Thor while carrying a devastating secret. She brought a lot of adventure, comedy, but also hard-hitting emotion to an otherwise bland and confusing Marvel movie. It’s just a shame we couldn’t see more of her as Mighty Thor.
6. Hela
Remember seeing goth Marvel villain Cate Blanchett catch Mjolnir mid-air and then crush it in the trailer for Thor: Ragnarok? Good times. After two meandering installments with lackluster bad guys, Hela was a legitimate threat to the lives of Thor and the people of Asgard.
She certainly brought enough disruption, and just like any of the best movie villains, had a kernel of truth to her animosity. Blanchett isn’t just here to cash a check either, portraying Thor and Loki’s lost sibling with cavalier entitlement. We’re happy to see her, and she knows it.
5. Skurge
Karl Urban adds another major property to his credits, first as Loki’s guardian of the Bifrost, then as Hela’s henchman. He’s better serving the latter than the former, with a wide inventory of heavy duty weapons at his disposal.
A hard man on the surface, he’s shown to have a softer side as Hela’s plan comes to fruition. His all-guns-blazing death is earned, though we still miss Urban’s dry comedic delivery.
4. Valkyrie
A warrior so great that Thor himself looked up to her. When Hela knocked her for six, she became one of the greatest mercenaries on Sakaar, a place full of gladiators. After that, she helps relocate the Asgardians to Earth post-Snap.
Valkyrie’s one of the people that makes the God of Thunder look good. She does most of what he does better, to the point he gives her leadership of the New Asgard. Where is our Tessa Thompson-led Valkyrie movie or series, eh?
3. Thor
Thor Odinson is the heart and soul of the Thor movies. And that’s not just because they’re literally named after him. It’s also because we’ve seen him evolve and grow over the last four films from an arrogant poser to a formidable Avenger that’s truly worthy of Mjolnir.
All in all, Chris Hemsworth brings bags of charisma to the MCU’s very own himbo, and when it comes to Gorr’s resurrected daughter, he isn’t the stepdad. He’s the dad that stepped up.
2.Loki
Being the one consistently brilliant part of any Thor production, Loki manages to make even The Dark World a touch worthwhile (but only a touch). The scorned adopted brother of Odinson may seem like an evil Marvel villain, but really he just loves making a mess and wants to be loved.
At this point, Tom Hiddleston’s portrayal has become its own thing. His redemption in Ragnarok and ending with Infinity War allowed for a decoupling that now gives Loki more room to shine. We expect great things from the Loki season 2 release date.
1. Korg
Most director inserts are brief cameos or something that’s trying to be clever. Taika Waititi creates someone that’s made of rocks and wants to kick ghosts.
More than just absurd comedy, Korg’s kind and gentle nature relieve tension as well. He’s a dedicated friend and a worthwhile ally since he’s, y’know, composed entirely of stone. His revolution never quite got off the ground, but he’s practically an Avenger these days, so probably not that bothered.
That’s our list – sure, we could’ve included Thor or Odin, but where’s the fun in being obvious? For more marvelous lists, check out our guide to the best fantasy movies. Or, for more comic book goodies, here’s what to expect from Marvel’s Phase 5 and the Avengers 5 release date.
Still not satisfied? You can read about why Chris Hemsworth still loves the worst Thor movie. We’ve also done a deep dive into the Ant-Man cast and listed the best best Ant-Man characters. You should also definitely check out our article breaking down how to watch all the Marvel movies in order and find out why the MCU must learn this lesson from the Fast and Furious movies.
Finally, like Odin, we’ve got one eye on the future and broken down all the new movies coming to the MCU soon, including, of course, the The Marvels release date, the Captain America 4 release date, and the Deadpool 3 release date.