League of Legends is a long-running franchise filled with lore that can be overwhelming to understand. In the three weeks it took to release the prequel series Arcane, my name is Deepcut, welcome back to Cartoon Universe. Today, let’s discuss if Arcane is a series that can be enjoyed without having played League of Legends and delve into explaining the ending and its implications for future seasons.
Before diving into the details, it’s important to note that the creators intended Arcane to cater to long-time League of Legends fans. As a prequel, the show exhibits a case of prequelitis in a positive way. For those unfamiliar with the term, prequelitis refers to a prequel that delves into the origins of its characters and plots, introducing new twists and turns that surprise the audience. It showcases how characters evolve from their past to the present story known to fans.
The series begins with a scene depicting a war-torn land, with two characters, Vi and Powder, navigating through the chaos. Long-time League of Legends fans recognize Vi and Powder as Jinx, a chaotic evil villain from the series, portrayed here as a child. While there are hints of their connection in the games, it was never explored extensively. The revelation of their sisterly bond and shared childhood experiences was a significant moment for fans.
The narrative unfolds to reveal a world where Vi and Powder’s parents met their fate in a battle instigated by Vander, a rugged fighter striving for equality between Piltover and Zaun. Piltover stands as a prosperous city of privilege and wealth, while Zaun struggles with pollution and poverty due to Piltover’s actions. Vander, after the battle, takes Vi and Powder under his wing, becoming a surrogate father to them.
Fast forward a few years, Vi forms a group of friends who engage in Robin Hood-like activities in Piltover, stealing from the rich to improve the lives of Zaun’s residents. This dynamic, while expected for those unfamiliar with the games, holds significant weight for players who have delved into the League of Legends universe.
Vi and Powder’s Origins
The revelation of Vi and Powder’s true identities as Jinx and Vi, respectively, serves as a pivotal moment in Arcane. Their bond as sisters and the hardships they faced in their childhood shape their characters and motivations throughout the series.
Vander’s Influence
Vander’s role as a mentor and father figure to Vi and Powder adds depth to their characters and drives the narrative forward. His actions and decisions have a lasting impact on the trajectory of the story, setting the stage for future conflicts and resolutions.
As the series progresses, the complexities of relationships, power dynamics, and personal struggles come to the forefront, setting the stage for a compelling narrative that transcends the boundaries of a mere prequel. Arcane weaves a tale of redemption, betrayal, and resilience, inviting both fans and newcomers to immerse themselves in a world where choices have far-reaching consequences.
In conclusion, Arcane stands as a testament to the rich storytelling potential of the League of Legends universe, offering a fresh perspective on familiar characters and settings. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or a newcomer to the franchise, Arcane delivers a captivating narrative that explores the depths of human nature and the enduring bonds that shape our destinies. With a pretty big reveal in the game, Vi is what is called an enforcer for the city of Piltover. Enforcers are something akin to police, though they are largely responsible for enforcing the status quo that has the people of Piltover being so privileged and the people of Zan being so oppressed. Part of Vi’s story will, of course, be how she did a 180 from fighting against the enforcers and what they stand for to becoming one of them by the time the main story of the game starts.
The story escalates with Vi struggling to get Powder to be an efficient member of the team. She isn’t just lagging behind the others in terms of skill, but she has a tendency to mess things up. The show is divided into mini-arcs that release three episodes at a time and attempt to tell a complete story within those three episodes. This builds into the bigger story of the season and the series as a whole.
By the end of this first arc, we see Vander being kidnapped by local bad boy Silko, and Vi decides to leave Powder behind to go off and save him with her band of ragtag misfits. The interesting thing about prequels is that if you play the games, you already know which characters have a guaranteed survival, such as Vi and Powder. When new characters are introduced, they can often be seen as expendable, as you can’t kill off characters that exist later in the games, and you need someone there to kill off for dramatic effect. In this way, being a fan of the games perhaps actively hurts the viewing experience. For people like me who had never played the game, seeing who died in this third episode was a pretty big shock.
Spoilers ahead, so turn back now if you’re watching this without watching the show, unless you like spoilers, in which case, enjoy. Everyone dies but Vi and Powder. All of this is thanks to Powder perfecting a cool monkey bomb that ends up blowing up everyone except for Vi and ruining her rescue mission. This probably wasn’t too surprising for fans of the game, but for those of us going in blind, it balanced out the experience of the prequel by giving us stakes and surprises that we don’t know the answers to, even if fans of the game likely did.
It is here that Vi abandons Powder, calling her a jinx in a very pointed way that eventually leads to Powder adopting the nickname. Powder ends up being taken in by the baddie Silko, and Vi gets captured by the enforcers and imprisoned. I did a little more research before getting to this episode, so Powder’s dark moment and the beginning of her transformation to Jinx wasn’t exactly a surprise to me. But for others who went in blind and had no idea who Jinx was before this moment, I’d love to know your opinions down below.
Over the course of the next six episodes, we see the characters continue to grow and develop, with yet another time jump to help cement Powder as her new alter ego, Jinx. Jinx has been driven mad by what happened with her sister and seems to have been further pushed into insanity by Silko. Jinx has multiple voices in her head. In the final arcs of Arcane, we witness the intense struggle between Piltover and Zaun, with Vi’s emergence from prison and her quest to find her sister, Jinx. Despite not fully aligning with the enforcers, Vi’s relationship with a particular woman begins to shape her transition from a Zaun thief to the character we know from the games.
The series also focuses on the potential for peace between Piltover and Zaun, with Vi, her new girlfriend, and Jace working towards an agreement with the kingpin of Zaun. While peace seems attainable, Jace seeks retribution for past attacks orchestrated by Silko, the kingpin. The situation escalates when Silko is killed by Jinx, who is validated by his final words, believing she is perfect as she is.
As the story unfolds, Jinx’s descent into darkness leads to a climactic moment where she sets off a bomb at the council of Piltover. The season concludes with the bomb’s impending detonation, leaving viewers on edge about the fate of the council.
For those unfamiliar with the game, the unpredictability of the outcome adds to the excitement of the show. While some characters are known to appear in the games, others may face uncertain fates in future seasons. Characters like Jace and Victor, who undergo significant transformations in the series, may meet different destinies compared to their game counterparts.
The impending blast at the council could result in the demise of several characters, potentially including Victor. However, the outcome remains uncertain, leaving room for speculation on who will survive and how their stories will unfold in future seasons. It is possible that the characters from the show will come out of hiding within the games and reveal that they had been around the entire time. I’m sure a lot of fans would love to see some of these new characters brought into the games in some way. However, only time will tell. While I ultimately think the show is a great experience even if you haven’t played the games, I was really confused in the beginning.
I’m curious about the experience of other people who had never played the games before. Let me know your opinion in a comment down below. See you next time @ FOC!
