| NOTE: This page is exclusively about the Marvel Cinematic Universe incarnation of the character, as his comic counterpart hasn't been approved Inconsistently Admirable. |
| “ | I understand your moral objections to what the TVA does. And my methods are deceptive. But the mission, it never was. Without me, without the TVA... everything burns. | „ |
| ~ He Who Remains attempting to justify his actions. |
| “ | You came to kill the devil, right? Well, guess what? I keep you safe. And if you think I'm evil, well, just wait till you meet my variants. | „ |
| ~ He Who Remains warning Loki and Sylvie about his variants. |
He Who Remains, formerly known as Victor Timely, is the overarching antagonist of the Infinity Saga and one of the main antagonists of the Multiverse Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He is a variant of a 31st-century scientist named Victor Timely, who uncovered the existence of the Multiverse. In an effort to stop his more dangerous counterparts—particularly the war-hungry Kang the Conqueror—from taking control, he harnessed a powerful entity called Alioth. With it, he reshaped the Multiverse into a single, controlled "Sacred Timeline" and established the Time Variance Authority (TVA). The TVA, made up of individuals taken from alternate realities and stripped of their memories, was tasked with maintaining this timeline and preventing the creation of branching paths that could give rise to new Kang variants.
He was portrayed by Jonathan Majors.
His Good Ranking[]
What Makes Him Admirable?[]
In General[]
- Despite his crimes, he remains affable and courteous with Loki and Sylvie, never using force, even when threatened. He explains everything and gives them a real choice.
- He’s an extremist who does everything to stop Kang and other dangerous versions of himself from coming back and starting another Multiversal War—which happens right after he dies.
- Despite the MCU's exceptionally high standards, he stands out for his feat of saving all of reality and protecting it from complete annihilation.
- This is further supported in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, where Kang the Conqueror officially debuts and demonstrates the horrifying consequences of his variants.
Background[]
- He ended a catastrophic war between his Variants, many of whom were power-hungry and destructive (like Kang the Conqueror), by weaponizing Alioth and creating the Sacred Timeline to preserve peace.
- After living countless lifetimes, he gave up any chance at a normal life. He endured isolation and the burden of controlling all of time, not for personal gain, but to protect existence.
- He claims to have tried millions of different scenarios in an effort to avoid Kang’s return and the destruction of countless timelines, but ultimately resorted to pruning to protect reality.
- His Temporal Loom failsafe was intended to prevent the Multiverse from expanding unchecked, which would allow Kang Variants to re-emerge and destroy everything.
Loki[]
- Instead of holding onto power forever, he chose to accept death, trusting that the cycle would eventually lead to someone better—namely, Loki (Variant L1130)—to take his place.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- Although his actions were done for the greater good, he still committed numerous atrocities, such as
- Restricting Earth-616 to a single timeline, effectively severing it from the rest of the Multiverse and stripping its inhabitants of free will.
- Kidnapping people from the Sacred Timeline, wiping their memories, and forcing them to work for the TVA under a fabricated narrative about the Time Keepers.
- Allowing innocent people to be pruned and sent to the Void to be eaten by Alioth, or letting others like Classic Loki die—all part of his larger plan.
- Orchestrating Loki and Sylvie’s entire journey, including their pain, trauma, and near-death experiences, just to shape Loki into a worthy successor.
- Using Miss Minutes to tempt them with their greatest wishes, even though he knew those offers were impossible—just to stall or manipulate them.
- Installing a failsafe in the Temporal Loom that would erase everything outside the Sacred Timeline.
- Becoming tired of his role and letting Sylvie kill him, fully aware it would unleash chaos and widespread destruction.
- Even after death, ensuring a version of himself (Victor Timely) would rise to power again—showing he always wanted to stay in control, whether people agreed or not.
- He is very mischievous, as shown in his interactions with Loki and Sylvie, such as playfully dodging the latter’s attacks. He rarely takes things seriously, often turning tense situations into a joke. At one point, he even stands on his desk with manic energy while explaining his backstory.
- He has a jerkish moment when he snaps at Sylvie, telling her to shut up and calling her a hypocrite. Although, he arguably has a point in calling out her hypocrisy.
Trivia[]
- Although his methods were morally dubious, He Who Remains—along with Victor Timely—is one of the few Kang variants who can be seen as somewhat heroic, as his ultimate goal was to safeguard the Multiverse from destruction.
- This morally gray portrayal was a deliberate choice by the writers, meant to highlight how much less heinous He Who Remains is compared to his more dangerous variants. In contrast, his comic book version is portrayed in a much less heroic light, largely due to his limited appearances and a lack of character development.
External Links[]
- He Who Remains on the Disney Wiki
- He Who Remains on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
- He Who Remains on the Heroes Wiki
- He Who Remains on the Villains Wiki
- He Who Remains on the Inconsistently Heinous Wiki
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 Inconsistently Admirable
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