Warning! This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 2, Act 3.
Arcaneseason 2 closes out the story that began in 2021 with a final arc filled with sacrifice, the end to the Piltover-Zaun war, major character reveals, and the set up of severalLeague of Legendsspin-offs. Theending ofArcaneseason 1propelled the show into its final installment, bringing many major elements together in an epic finale. From the war between Piltover and Zaun, the other characters at play like Ambessa Medarda, the interpersonal connections of characters on both sides, and, arguably most importantly, thecreation ofArcane’s Hextech, season 2’s finale concluded everything that season 1 set-up.
The stage was set afterArcaneseason 2, episode 6’s climactic cliffhanger: Jayce continues his plan to defend tomorrow from the curse he believes is Hextech, while Vi, Caitlyn, and Jinx - some ofArcane’sLeague of Legendscharacters- reckon with the aftermath. As it turns out, another member ofArcane’s cast of characters, Viktor, became the centerpiece of the conflict in season 2’s ending, causing alliances to form while breaking others. As war loomed,Arcaneended by exploring Piltover’s fate, that of the characters caught in the center of the show’s war, and setting up several spin-off shows.
Viktor’s Motives & Masterplan Explained
Viktor Wanted To Achieve The Glorious Evolution
Viktor became the center ofArcaneseason 2’s conflict by the time of the show’s ending. Viktor was shown as a biblical figure inArcaneseason 2, Act II, leading a commune of Zaunites he had healed using his Hextech powers. After Jayce attempted to kill him, Viktor allied himself with Singed and Ambessa Medarda, allowing the former to combine his ailing body with the Shimmer-infused blood of theWarwick/Vander werewolf beast hybrid. In doing so, Viktor took on his final form, viewing the emotions of humanity as the source of its greatest good and equally great evil.
What Happened To Viktor In Arcane: New Body, Powers & Meaning Explained
Arcane season 2, Act I continued exploring the character of Viktor, showcasing some drastic changes for the inventor concerning Hextech.
Viktor then conducted his final plan; to unify humanity under one mind - his - and remove the terror, war, trauma, and violence from the worldthat comes with human emotion. To do so, he needed to reach the Hexgate core located beneath Piltover, teaming up with Ambessa and her Noxian forces as a result. Ambessa allied with Viktor to serve her own means of defeating the Black Rose, with Viktor promising to evolve her soldiers should she help him achieve his glorious plan.
Arcane Season 2 Made Viktor The One Who United Zaun & Piltover
Ironically, Viktor’s plan to “unify” humanity by making them machine husks as part of his glorious evolution is what unified the warring nations of Piltover and Zaun. The class war between the two has been at the heart ofArcane, with them coming so close yet so far to peace across the show’s 18 episodes. As it turns out,it was Viktor’s goal for his version of unity - that would have resulted in the destruction of Zaun, Piltover, and its people - that unified the two factionsto fight him.
Arcane Season 2 Reveals Jayce Was Always Destined To Save Viktor
Jayce’s Childhood Set Him On The Path To Arcane Season 2’s Ending
The creation of Hextech inArcaneseason 1 came from Jayce, who dreamed of giving magic to the people as he was once saved from a terrible storm by a powerful mage as a child.Arcaneseason 2 makes this flashback all the more meaningful, by revealing who this mysterious savior was, why he needed to save Jayce, and how that put him on the path to save not only Piltover but also Viktor from himself. Jayce’s disappearance in the Hexcore fromArcaneseason 2, Act I was integral to this.
It was revealed inArcaneseason 2’s ending that Jayce ended up in an alternate timeline, one in which Viktor succeeded in enacting his glorious evolution; humanity is gone, reduced to mechanical husks with no personality.The Viktor of that timeline recognized his mistakes and began journeying back through time to save multiple versions of young Jaycefrom the snowstorm. Viktor found the younger version of Jayce fromArcaneand gave him a rune that would eventually signify their friendship.
Viktor’s most iconic voice line from League of Legends involves him desiring the glorious evolution, explaining why Arcane chose this as Viktor’s endgame.
This Jayce is the one who succeeds in stopping Viktor inArcaneseason 2, brought about by Viktor himself. Looking at it from the alternate Viktor’s perspective, he needed Jayce to save another version of himself from his own actions. Jayce did so by appealing to his friendship with Viktor, with the two banishing themselves from Piltover using the rune that connected them. In the end, Viktor placed Jayce on the path to save him, and, in turn, all of Piltover, from himself.
Arcane Season 2, Act 3 Evolved Several Characters Into True Champions… But Not All Survived
The League Of Legends Champions Fulfill Their Destinies, But Some Do Not Live To See It Play Out
InArcaneseason 2, Act I, severalLeague of Legendschampions were formed. Vi and Caitlyn became more akin to their game counterparts, as did Viktor, with the latter being solidified inArcaneseason 2’s ending as the Machine Herald. InArcaneseason 2, Act III, even more characters evolved into theirLeague of Legendschampions, notably Ekko. It was revealed that Ekko and Heimerdinger were taken to an alternate timeline that was much more peaceful than Jayce’s after the Hexcore incident inArcaneseason 2, episode 3.
Ekko’s Hextech invention allows him to briefly rewind time by four seconds…
There, the two worked with a sane Powder to develop new variations of Hextech that would lead to them returning home. Heimerdinger sadly sacrificed himself to do so, allowing Ekko to embrace hisLeague of Legendssubtitle; The Boy Who Shattered Time. Ekko’s Hextech invention allows him to briefly rewind time by four seconds, emulating his ultimate ability fromLeague of Legends. This becomes vital in the final battle against Viktor and Ambessa.
Singed’s experiments allowed him to save his daughter, Orianna, both of whom are League of Legends characters.
InArcaneseason 2, Act III, Jayce also embraced hisLeague of Legendssubtitle: The Defender of Tomorrow. However, not all ofArcane’sLeague of Legendscharacters survived. As alluded to, Heimerdinger was tragically lost to help Ekko become who he was meant to be, while Jinx sacrificed herself to save Vi from Warwick, the latter of whom is also aLeaguecharacter who perished inArcane.
Jinx’s Sacrifice Is The Real Reason Arcane Is Ending After Season 2
Jinx’s sacrifice to save Vi is an incredibly important plot point and even explainswhyArcaneis ending with season 2. Since the onset of the show, Jinx/Powder has been integral at every point. It was Powder’s attempts to help that killed Claggor, Mylo, and injured Vander inArcaneseason 1, putting her on the path to becoming Jinx. Jinx’s chaos alongside Silco furthered the Piltover/Zaun war, with her attack on the council inArcaneseason 1’s final scene setting in motion the events of season 2.
Even the alternate version of Powder was instrumental in allowing Ekko to become his true self and return him to his timeline, which subsequently saved Piltover from Viktor. Evidently, Jinx has been the fulcrum around whichArcane’s entire story has hinged. InArcaneseason 2’s ending, Jinx died to save Vi.With Jinx gone, so too isArcane’s story, which was so inextricably bound to her, explaining why this show is ending to make way for others in the universe that move beyond that of Jinx/Powder.
Arcane’s Spinoff Setup Explained
The Future Of The Franchise Is Established
It was confirmed long beforeArcane’s final season that this franchise would continue in the form of other shows. As alluded to,Arcane’s story ended with Jinx, but that did not stop the show from setting up several future stories that could be told. Perhaps the most intriguing relates to the aftermath ofMel’s capture byArcane’s Black Rose. The reveal that Mel is somewhat of a sister to the Black Rose and a mage in her own right is endlessly intriguing, yet her final acts inArcaneseason 2’s ending hint at more conflict on the horizon.
Who Are The Black Rose In Arcane?
The Black Rose in season 2 of Arcane is a mysterious and powerful new faction, and their lore connections in League of Legends could tease their role.
Mel used her newfound powers to stop Ambessa’s attack against Piltover, while also betraying the mysterious leader of the Black Rose. InArcaneseason 2’s final scenes, Mel is seen taking her mother’s place.While Mel will naturally be a different, likely more benevolent ruler than Ambessa was, this implies she is taking up her mother’s fight against the Black Rose, which sounds intriguing enough to warrant anArcanespin-off that could explore the kingdom of Noxus, theLeague of Legendschampions it contains, and its mysterious cabal of sorcerers.
Also left open was the story of Caitlyn and Vi. The two are shown together inArcaneseason 2’s final scene as a couple, though one committed to a future fight. Caitlyn asks"Are you still in this fight, Violet?“to which Vi replies"I am the dirt under your nails, cupcake. Nothing’s gonna clean me out.“Vi’s line givesArcaneseason 2, episode 9 its title, and leads into a shot of an airship flying out across the ocean, setting the couple up for future stories.
Arcane’s surviving characters are clearly not done yet…
What the fight is that Caitlyn is referring to remains to be seen, but there are certainly possibilities. One likelihood is that the duo, alongside Jayce and Mel, are venturing out to find other Hexgates. These were constructed across Runeterra in season 1 when Jayce was using Hextech for trade. The events ofArcaneseason 2 naturally raised the dangers of Hextech, meaning Caitlyn and Vi could be seeking an end to it completely. Another possibility is they are helping Mel with her conflicts. Regardless,Arcane’s surviving characters are clearly not done yet.
The Real Meaning Of Arcane Season 2’s Ending
Arcaneis a show that seemed simple on the surface but evolved into so much more. Overall,Arcanewas about exploring humanity, and whether we - as a species - can overcome, or, more aptly, balance the things that make us human;Arcaneexplores how human emotions like love and friendship can lead to so much good, but cause so much heartache and even lead to violence, war, trauma, and death.Arcaneraised the questions of whether these emotions can be conquered to create peace, and, via Viktor’s story, if that could ever work.
Arcaneraises the idea that humanity will always be inherently flawed, but that there is beauty in imperfections. These imperfections are what make us human and are precisely what lead to ingrained values of love, friendship, and freedom. Then comes the cycle of violence born from this humanity, whichArcaneexplores via Piltover, Zaun, Vi, Jinx, Silco, Vander, Ambessa, and so many of its layered characters. Can the cycle of violence be broken and can humanity be perfected?Arcanedoes not necessarily give an answer, but maybe, it did not need to in order to explore a story so unabashedly human.
Arcane
Cast
Arcane is an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, debuting in 2021. It explores the conflict between the affluent city of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Central to the story are two sisters whose allegiance to opposing sides of a technological and ideological war strains their bond.
