Summary
Warning! This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 1
Season 2 ofArcanehas a lot of fantastic possibilities, with a few standout directions the story could likely go in. Something of an unprecedented hit, Netflix’s first season ofArcaneblew away both new viewers and returning fans ofLeague of Legends, the massively popular live-service game whose world the series takes place in. The jaw-droppingcliffhanger finale ofArcaneseason 1sets up plenty of irresistible possibilities for season 2, confirmed to be coming to the streaming service in November 2024.
Many theories speculating on wherethe second season ofArcanecould take viewers in the generation-spanning conflict between the twin cities of Zaun and Piltover are based on the events of the show themselves. However, drawing from the pre-established lore ofLeague of Legendsvastly expands the expectations for what new characters and events could be just around the corner. Either way, the phenomenal video game adaptation only becomes more hotly anticipated as new ideas for what the next season will bring continue to brew.
Arcane Season 1’s Cliffhanger Ending Explained & Season 2 Setup
Arcane season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger, with Jinx’s decision having major implications for the futures of Zaun and Piltover ahead of season 2.
8Jayce And VIktor Are The Sole Survivors Of Jinx’s Attack
The outcome of the blast is the biggest question mark of season 2
Season 1 ofArcaneended with a stunning sequence set to the soundtrack of Sting’s “What Could Have Been,” as Jinx fires a hextech-empowered rocket straight into the chambers of Piltover’s council during a critical decision.Among the attendants, the three most important characters are Mel Medara, Viktor, Jayce, and Caitlyn’s mother, Cassandra.Figuring out who survives this dramatic act of terrorism will be the most crucial deciding factor in formulating how season 2 will develop, with Viktor and Jayce seeming to be the only characters critical enough to survive.
The most dramatic suggestion for an outcome is the idea that Jayce is the only one to survive, becoming hardened in his attitude towards Zaun after Mel’s death.
As Piltover was in the process of voting to make peace with Zaun during the attack, the positive decision reached with the voting will almost certainly be rolled back. The most dramatic suggestion for an outcome is the idea that Jayce is the only one to survive, becoming hardened in his attitude towards Zaun after Mel’s death.The same goes for Caitlyn, whose anguish was already given a glimpse of, as the ending of season 1 saw her watch Jinx’s rocket streak across the sky straight towards her mother.
7Vander Becomes Warwick
A “theory” that is all but confirmed
One of the most popular monstrous champions inLeague of Legends, Warwick is a fearsome beast known to prowl the streets of Zaun.A werewolf-like hunter powered by chemtech, Warwick was once a normal man, experimented on by none other than Singed himself to become the creature he is by the time of hisLeague of Legendsappearance.Arcaneseems to be pointing towards an origin story for Warwick alongside its other famousLeague of Legendscharacters slated for season 2.
Early in the first season, only the slightest hints of Vander becoming Warwick come up, being referred to as the former “Hound of the Underground”.Eventually, when Vander ends up gaining a bestial form thanks to Singed’s Shimmer drug, the quiet notes of his iconic theme song can faintly be heard.Season 1 ends with Singed looking up at what appears to be the silhouette of a hairy, clawed specimen strung up on chains, all but confirming the theory ofVander as Warwick inArcane.
6Viktor Begins His Glorious Evolution
From timid inventor to machine herald
Viktor is another character inArcanewho appears dramatically different from his appearance inLeague of Legends.Starting the series as a colleague and eventual close friend of Jayce, Viktor is a Zaun-raised genius with an unfortunate unspecified illness. Towards the end of the first season, his story arc begins to revolve around his increasing desperation in finding a way to overcome his condition via the dangerous experimental Hexcore, resulting in a deadly explosion that kills his assistant and transforms him into a living piece of hextech.
In the video game, Viktor is obsessed with his “Glorious Revolution”, essentially the elimination of human error through forced mechanization.
It could be that the injuries he sustained from Jinx’s rocket will only further increase his reliance on hextech machinery, truly transforming him into the cybernetic Viktor as seen inLeague of Legends.In the video game, Viktor is obsessed with his “Glorious Revolution”, essentially the elimination of human error through forced mechanization.Season 2 could see Viktor fully begin orchestrating his terrifying vision for a world ruled by machines,shunning emotion after witnessing the disastrous results of Jinx and Vi’s falling out firsthand.
5Ambessa Will Bring Noxus To Zaun
Piltover and Zaun are both ripe for the taking
Mel Medara helped tie the larger world ofLeague of Legends’Runeterra intoArcaneby way of her mother, Ambessa.A warlord from the expansionist empire Noxus, Ambessa clearly seems to think little of Piltover and Zaun’s core beliefs, but recognizes the strategic value of both cities' fantastic technology. WhileNoxus is at war with another nationduring the events of season 1, the dramatic death of most of Piltover’s leadership could result in a priority change for the opportunistic Noxian leadership.
The power vacuum currently left in both Piltover and Zaun with the deaths of the Council and Silco, respectively, presents a ripe opportunity for Noxus to step in as a conquering force.Not only that, but the death of her daughter, Mel, could give Ambessa a very personal stake in the invasion of Zaun as well.If the survivors of Jinx’s attack can’t take control of Piltover in time, the city could very well risk becoming a vassal state of Noxus, expanding the empire’s influence even further.
4Singed Turns Out To Be Stanwick Pididly
His connection to VIktor could be proof enough
Behind the events of the tragic creation of many of Zaun’s monsters in bothLeague of LegendsandArcaneis none other than Singed, the twisted chemical expert that holds little regard for life, human or otherwise.Singed’s origins are still something of a mystery,and it’s very possible that he could be some kind of outcast from Piltover’s academia that found himself in the sumps of Zaun. There’s little doubt that Singed is not the scientist’s real name, and some evidence points to his real name being none other than Stanwick Pididly.
Pididly is known for taking credit from Viktor for the creation of Blitzcrank, one of his first robots, and resurrecting the Zaunite tyrant Urgot into his monstrous mechanical form.
In theLeague of Legendslore, Stanwick Pididly is a name that has woven its way through the background of several Piltovan champions.Pididly is known for taking credit from Viktor for the creation of Blitzcrank, one of his first robots, and resurrecting the Zaunite tyrant Urgot into his monstrous mechanical form.Arcane’s story makes some significant deviations from the lore ofLeague of Legends, meaning that the Stanwick Pididly whose statue Jayce admires could turn out to be a younger Singed, possibly thought to be dead.
3Shimmer Is Revealed To Be Connected To The Void
The drug’s sickly purple hues may be no coincidence
The dangerous substance invented by Singed known as Shimmer has been encountered by most ofthe cast ofArcaneby the end of season 1. Whether simply surviving a fight with a Shimmer user like Vi or actually using it like Jinx and Vander,Arcane’s prospective characters have become very familiar with the drug.Known for its transformative properties, Shimmer enhances the physical attributes of its subjects in exchange for a gradual loss of sanity and the possibility of grotesque transformation, twisting heavy users' bodies into horrific beasts.
Known for their purple coloration, the look of Shimmer users evokes an infamous location fromLeague of Legends, the Void.The Void is an extradimensional world teeming with horrific, Lovecraftian creatures, most of which bear a distinctive purple color. The bio-organic transformations of Shimmer’s body horror and distinctive purple hues could imply that Singed created the drug with some influence or source from the Void, making its usage possibly all the more dangerous.
2Camille Will Be Sent In To Assassinate Jinx And Ekko
The Steel Shadow could soon cast herself over Zaun
The trouble brewing in Zaun has officially reared its head by the end ofArcane’s first season, culminating in Jinx’s rise as a deadly force of chaos. Combined with Ekko’s increased efforts to better the quality of life in Zaun,Piltover’s leadership may struggle to avoid all-out war.An order for the simple assassination of both figures may be what Piltover needs to maintain control over their neighbors, and no one could be better thanLeague of Legendschampion Camille for the job.
Season 2 ofArcanecould introduce Camille as a way to stop the war with Zaun before it starts with the swift assassination of Zaunite dissidents.
A cybernetic noble of the high-ranking Piltovan Ferros Clan, Camille was transformed into a living weapon to become a stealthy enforcer for the interests of her family and Piltovan nobility as a whole. Known for her hextech enhancements, bladed legs, and utter lack of empathy,Camille is perhaps the single deadliest woman in all of Piltover.Season 2 ofArcanecould introduce Camille as a way to stop the war with Zaun before it starts with the swift assassination of Zaunite dissidents.
1Heimerdinger Will Take Ekko’s Firelights To The Next Level
The combination of Ekko and Heimerdinger’s genius could give Zaun the advantage it needs
By the end ofArcaneseason 1, Heimerdinger has been completely ejected by Piltover’s leadership, leaving him to fall in with Ekko and his Firelights.Ekko was at the center of some of thebest fight scenes ofArcaneso far, but the addition of Heimerdinger’s genius designs into his arsenal could be the edge he needs to excel against the sure invasion of Zaun by Piltovan forces. InLeague of Legends, Heimerdinger is the designer of weapons ranging from automated turrets to swarms of rockets, all of which could prove useful in the conflict to come.
However, Ekko’s most famous invention, sorely absent from season 1 ofArcane, is the most exciting creation Heimerdinger could help with. InLeague of Legends, Ekko uses the Z-Drive, an incredible device that allows him to re-wind time. As the two work together in the final moments of season 1, a clock can be seen ticking away in the foreground, suggesting that Heimerdinger may help Ekko finally introduce the Z-Drive into the lore ofArcane.
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.
