Warning: This article contains Thor: Love and Thunder features one scene that proves the titular Thunder God is better than Odin when it comes to their powers and the significance of Mjolnir. Being the son of the Allfather can be a heavy burden, with a high standard of expectations. Nonetheless, Thor has always looked up to his father, Odin, and aspired to rule as he had, despite not always agreeing with him. As Thor has journeyed, he's come to realize rulership isn't for him, and while he still heeds his father's lessons, the Asgardian Avenger has gone on to become much more than his forbearer, which is shown in Thor: Love and Thunder.
In his fourth solo movie, Thor embarks on a mission to stop Gorr the God Butcher from wiping out all gods. Thor: Love and Thunder only shows Gorr killing one god, with the narrative then largely following Thor's mission to retrieve the children whom Gorr kidnapped from New Asgard. The plot is on a relatively small scale for the MCU, working as a standalone movie within Phase 4, but it's still effective. The sequel shows that Thor is always a protector, whether for Avengers-level threats or simply keeping New Asgard safe.
The MCU has continually proven that Thor is more selfless, more attuned to what goes on around him, and overall more heroic than his father, Odin. Thor's father sat on the throne of Asgard, watching over the MCU's Nine Realms, but he was rarely seen actively keeping them safe, with that job always falling to Thor. Now, one scene in Thor: Love and Thunder regarding the powers of Thor has indefinitely proven that Odin is the lesser figure when it comes to comparing him and his Thunder God son.
Thor: Love And Thunder Perfectly Flipped Odin's Meanest Lesson
The first can lift Mjolnir again.
Finally, though, in his fourth movie, Thor flips this lesson when he uses the very same enchantment to imbue the Asgardian kids with powers. Odin uses the enchantment as punishment, and in Thor: Love and Thunder, the God of Thunder uses the enchantment for something positive and empowering. Thor doesn't hesitate to share his powers and understands he can't fight Gorr alone. He is now confident to it when he needs help and doesn't see himself as mightier than anyone else, as Odin often did. This shows how much more well-rounded he is than his father. It distills both Odin and Thor down to their core being: Odin is ruled by fear, and Thor leads with love.
Odin, in Thor's eyes, is often put on a pedestal. Thor greatly ires him, and he does have some good reasons for that, but not even the Allfather was immune to making wrong decisions or being harsher than needed. In all of his experiences, good and bad, Thor has learned the power of understanding and balance, which was perfectly shown in this flipped scene in Thor: Love and Thunder.
