Here’s Why Ouroboros’ Name Is So Important in ‘Loki’

We understand that Timely is a variant of He Who Remains and possesses the knowledge and ingenuity behind the various inventions used by the TVA to oversee the Sacred Timeline. However, he attributes all his knowledge to Ouroboros, the author of the TVA guidebook that served as a foundation for his understanding. The clarity about OB’s name arises from the encounter between OB and Timely, and that’s what we’re here to delve into.

Ouroboros is not a ‘Loki’ concept

The narrative of ‘Loki’ Season 2 introduces us to Ouroboros, also known as OB, a pivotal new character with a significant role in the second season. OB serves as the resident tech expert at the TVA, overseeing all technological aspects. Additionally, he authored the TVA guidebook, a crucial resource for members seeking information on the TVA’s technologies and guidelines.

The term “ouroboros” is likely familiar to many, having appeared in various literary works, movies, and even anime. The concept holds prominence in literature and fiction for good reason.

In ancient alchemical texts, the ouroboros symbolize a serpent or dragon consuming its own tail. This act allows the creature to be reborn from itself, embodying an infinite loop where the serpent exists indefinitely by consuming itself.

The symbol finds significance in multiple mythologies, including Greek and Egyptian, owing to its profound connection to the spiritual belief that everything exists in an eternal cycle—a concept integral to alchemy.

Alchemy, a discipline that explores equivalent exchange, involves sacrificing something to create something new. This aligns with the Law of Conservation of Energy in physics, asserting that energy cannot be created or destroyed but only transformed. In essence, things undergo constant change in an unending cycle of creation and destruction.

The Ouroboros symbol encapsulates the idea that the serpent’s perpetual rebirth through self-consumption is a crucial aspect of ancient spiritual and alchemical beliefs. Its resemblance to the infinity symbol, drawing inspiration from the Mobius strip, further reinforces the notion of an endless cycle.

OB has that name for a good reason

Revisiting our discussion, episode 4 of ‘Loki’ unveils a meeting between OB and Victor Timely, whom Loki and Mobius successfully brought to the TVA following the events of episode 3.

In the previous episode, we learned that Ravonna Renslayer provided a TVA guidebook to a younger Victor Timely. He used this guidebook to accelerate his intellectual development, crediting Ouroboros’s writings within the guidebook for providing him with life direction. Timely felt a connection with Ouroboros, sensing as though the ancient figure spoke directly to him as he read the guidebook.

Upon meeting OB at the TVA, Timely was awestruck, realizing he was face-to-face with the man behind the guidebook that transformed him into a better inventor. Expressing admiration, Timely commended OB’s genius. However, OB humbly revealed that he wrote the guidebook based on the ideas of a 19th-century genius named Victor Timely. OB believed this historical figure could have rivaled Albert Einstein with better technology during his era.

The revelation struck OB when he recognized the living Victor Timely before him. Loki grappled with the complexity of the situation, realizing Timely’s genius was facilitated by the TVA guidebook authored by OB, utilizing the ideas of Victor Timely. OB acknowledged this intricate loop as “like a snake eating its own tail.”

Here, OB’s name gains clarity, embodying the ouroboros principle rooted in spirituality and alchemy. The infinite loop is evident: OB wrote the guidebook thanks to Timely’s ideas, and Timely’s ideas flourished due to the existence of the guidebook. This reciprocal relationship forms a perpetual cycle where the writings of OB and the ideas of Timely coexist, birthing each other.

While it may seem confusing, it aligns with the peculiar temporal dynamics within the TVA, existing beyond the conventional boundaries of time and space. The TVA’s ability to traverse different points in the Sacred Timeline allows for the metaphorical intertwining of Ouroboros and Victor Timely, where each figuratively consumes the other’s serpent, giving rise to the technologies and ideas utilized by the TVA.

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