Full spoilers follow for Arcane season 1 and League of Legends‘ extensive lore.
It’s been an excruciatingly long wait for Arcane season 2. Now, almost three years after its forebear was released, the critically acclaimed animated series’ second and final chapter will make its official Netflix debut on November 9.
As a massive Arcane fan, I’m equally delighted and relieved about its imminent return, but also melancholy that the end of one of my all-time favorite Netflix shows is in sight. It’s going to be a bittersweet moment when that final end credits sequence rolls.
Before that happens, Netflix and Fortiche Production’s take on Riot Games’ incredibly popular League of Legends (LoL) videogame franchise has plenty of questions to answer. To that end, I’ve handpicked eight of the biggest Arcane needs to tackle before the final curtain falls on the world’s best streaming service. I’ve included my own theories on how these may be answered, too, so be advised: while I have no insider knowledge about Arcane‘s next chapter, potential season 2 spoilers follow.
1. Who was killed in Jinx’s attack on Piltover’s council chamber?
One of the most agonizing things about the wait for Arcane season 2 has been its predecessor’s cliffhanger. In the final minutes of season 1’s finale, Jinx fires a missile from a Fishbones rocket launcher, powered by a Hextech gemstone (remember, she stole one in season 1 episode 4), at Piltover’s council chamber.
At the time, the City of Progress’ councilors were meeting to vote on whether to officially recognize Piltover’s undercity, aka Zaun, as an independent state. Council members Mel, Cassandra, Bolbok, Hoskel, Salo, Shoola, and Jayce – plus Jayce’s scientific partner Viktor – were present when the rocket approached. Just as the missile crashed through one of the chamber’s windows, the screen cut to black, so we don’t know who did and didn’t survive.
In my view, Jayce and Viktor definitely survived. The pair are conspicuous by their absence in Arcane season 2’s official trailer and other teasers, but they’re too integral to Arcane‘s overall story to be killed off.
I also suspect either Mel or Cassandra will live to fight another day – if I had to choose, I’d bank on Mel surviving over Cassandra. Before Jinx’s rocket makes its presence felt, Mel seems to supernaturally recognize that everyone’s in danger before the golden back of her dress lights up. To me, this implies she’s got a secret shielding ability that’ll protect her and anyone in her vicinity, which just so happens to be Jayce and Viktor. Additionally, a frame glimpsed in episode 3 of Bridging the Rift, a behind-the-scenes YouTube video series detailing Arcane‘s development, shows Cassandra’s daughter Caitlyn and her father looking crestfallen. It isn’t a still image from season 1, so it’s my suspicion – I haven’t watched Arcane season 2’s leaked episodes, so I don’t know for sure – that this is a scene taking place after Cassandra’s funeral.
2. What is the titular ‘Arcane’?
There were multiple, albeit vague, references to the titular magic-based occurrence in Arcane‘s first season, most notably during the Jayce-centric storylines in episodes 2 and 5. This season’s teasers have alluded to it, too, with the most obvious namedrop coming in the official trailer when an unrecognizable voice says “the Arcane is waking up”.
So, what is the “Arcane”? The word, as we know it, is defined as being something ‘understood by few; mysterious; secret’, which is a perfect description for… well, whatever the titular thing is. It’s got something to do with the magic that exists in Runeterra – i.e. the world that LoL is set in – but we can’t infer much else. My guess? It’ll not only tie into the incredibly powerful World Runes (more on these later) that shaped Runeterra, but also Jayce and Viktor’s research into Hextech, Hexcore, and any other experiments where science and magic are being fused (dangerously, in the eyes of some). As a by-product of their work and LoL‘s wider lore, it’ll likely concern the subliminal boundaries that exist between the material and spirit realms that exist in Riot’s fictional universe, too
3. Will Vi and Caitlyn finally get together?
Arcane season 1 did a terrific job of portraying LGBTQ relationships. Its sensitive and authentic handling of such dynamics was hailed, in some circles, for setting a gold standard for LGBTQ-plus presentation in visual media. Tokenistic, Arcane‘s exploration of sexual identity certainly isn’t, and that’s primarily down to the tactful way it examined Vi and Caitlyn’s ever-evolving romance-laced relationship in episodes 4 through 9.
Based on Arcane season 2’s first teaser, plus the new footage in its official trailer, it seems the pair’s constantly shifting bond will be tested more heavily this time around. By the time the show ends, fans will be desperate to know if this “oil and water” (as Vi puts it) dynamic will not only survive season 2’s events but thrive. It may not be in keeping with Arcane‘s largely grim tone, but I’d love to see Vi and Caitlyn earn their happy ending, regardless of what happens.
4. Who is the mage that saved Jayce and his mom?
Of all of my questions, this is arguably the least important because, well, answers to the other seven take priority for me. That said, the mystery surrounding this enigmatic magic-wielding individual is intriguing. For one, we’ve only seen them once before, i.e. during an episode 2 flashback sequence when they saved the lives of Jayce and his mom.
That isn’t the last we’ll see of this mysterious mage, though. They make a very brief appearance in season 2’s official trailer that mirrors a moment from season 1 episode 2. However, while that sequence showed the individual holding Runeterra in the palm of their hand, the clip in this season’s second trailer shows them holding a web-like metal-organic orb – one that’s identical to the spherical object in question 2’s main image, which can be seen in the same teaser.
Clearly, there’s more than meets the eye with this sorcerer, so it would be fascinating if season 2 tells us who they are. There are a whole host of mages among LoL‘s champion roster, so could one of these be used retroactively in Arcane as the wizard who saved Jayce and set him on his path to creating Hextech? It would be an incredibly fun way of bringing another LoL champion into the fold and, potentially, setting them up as the protagonist of a future LoL animated project (more on this in a bit).
5. Who is Arcane’s primary villain?
To casual observers, the answer to this is a simple one: Jinx. After all, she attacked Piltover’s council in season 1 episode 8. Season 2’s trailers and this suspense-filled, Jinx-starring clip also confirm she’s going to be public enemy number one heading into the series’ final eight episodes. But, I don’t think Arcane‘s deuteragonist – this show is mainly about Vi and Jinx, you know – is going to be one of the best Netflix shows‘ Big Bad.
If not her, then, who? There are other candidates more suited to being Arcane‘s chief antagonist. Viktor, who was walking a dark path by season 1’s end with his Hexcore studies, may enact his ‘glorious revolution’ plan from LoL, which could result in Piltover and Zaun allying themselves in a bid to thwart his plans.
Alternatively, Noxus warlord Ambessa might be Arcane‘s villain-in-chief. The empire she hails from is a brutal and expansionist one that invades other nations. With Hextech being viewed as the biggest scientific leap in generations, why wouldn’t Noxus want it for nefarious means? Let’s not forget that Ambessa and her Noxian troops are seen fighting Piltover’s enforcers in season 2’s main trailers, too. If they weren’t looking to acquire Hextech and/or bring Piltover under its blood-red banner, why would they attack the city Ambessa claims Noxus is protecting?
If not Jinx, Viktor, or Ambessa, the show’s main villain could be someone we’ve not seen yet. Arcane fans have a magical theory about who its real villain is after season 2’s second trailer arrived, and I can’t help but think they’re right on the money. Feel free to read that linked-to article if you want to ruin the potential surprise for yourself ahead of time.
6. Is Jinx going to survive the events of Arcane?
We don’t know, but I’d be stunned if Jinx is killed off in Arcane season 2. She’s one of the LoL‘s most popular champions, so unless Netflix, Riot, and Fortiche want to completely pull the rug out from under us and shockingly bump her off, I believe she’ll make it to the end of the series relatively unscathed.
And, let’s be honest: if – and it’s a big if – Zaun gains its independence by the time Arcane ends, it’ll need someone to defend it from outside forces. Who better to do that than Jinx, especially if her season 2 arc is positioned as a redemption story?
7. Who else could die in Arcane season 2?
Based on my limited LoL knowledge (I know some things, but I’m not a superfan), it’s safe to assume that characters in Arcane who are also champions in Riot’s video game series won’t die. If I’m right in my assumption, Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn, Jayce, Viktor, Ekko, Heimerdinger, and Singed will survive. Ambessa, who was recently installed as LoL‘s newest champion, is also likely to make it out alive.
Of course, this is all guesswork. Arcane has deviated from LoL‘s source material – a case in point being that Vi and Jinx are siblings in Netflix’s TV adaptation, but aren’t related in LoL. It’s possible, then, that any of the aforementioned characters could die in Arcane, which, as Jinx voice actor Ella Purnell exclusively teased to me in April, would make for an emotionally devastating finale. I’m still pretty confident that Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn, and Ekko won’t be among that contingent, however, and you can hold me to that once Arcane is done and dusted.
8. How will Arcane season 2 set up future League of Legends movie and TV adaptations?
This is where things get really interesting. With Arcane season 2 set to be the hit Netflix show’s final entry, there are numerous Runeterra-based stories that Netflix, Riot, and Fortiche could tell post-Arcane.
How about covering the extensive and controversial story of Noxus? Or, if Netflix wants to focus on one specific part of the imperialistic nation’s history, why not tackle Noxus’ iconic and bloody invasion of Ionia? This would put LoL champions including Irelia and General Swain front and center.
If not Noxus, why not adapt LoL‘s Rune Wars, a cataclysmic event that saw mortals use the titular magical stones and almost destroy Runeterra? Looking further into Runeterra’s past, a movie or series covering Icathia’s Void-based rebellion against Shurima, or the War of the Three Sisters, would equally make for absorbing television.
Arcane co-creator Christian Linke has already confirmed there are multiple LoL-based productions in development, so any of these could be getting made already. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to see which part of LoL lore will be adapted next – macabre as it’ll sound, I’d love to see the Rune Wars brought to life. Make it so, Netflix, Riot, and Fortiche.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
