Riot Games has won itself over in the eyes of many fans with the artistic and careful episodic adaptation of League of Legends found with Arcane, which also digs deep into the franchise's lore. The show sets out to reveal the origin story of many of the game's Piltover and Zaun champions, most notably the stories between Vi, Jinx, and Caitlyn. The series delivered a story that can be enjoyed by both series regulars and people who are entirely new to it all, but the last episode left many loose ends unresolved.
Fortunately, at the end of the RiotX Arcane event celebrating the weekly release of the Netflix series' episodes, it was announced that season two is in production. While many have speculated that Arcane's seasons could easily cover different League of Legends regions, the announcement makes it clear that Arcane's focus is remaining on Piltover and Zaun for now by playing the voices of Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn in it. Using their voices most definitely ensures that season two will focus on them and their stories once more. This means that fans can definitely look forward to the series continuing where Episode 9 left off.
There will be spoilers for Arcane: League of Legends ahead.
Where Arcane Has Left Viewers
As the climactic finale to Riot Games' first episodic venture into adapting League of Legends, naturally many parts of the story finally give fans the payoff they've been wanting. The champion Jinx has accepted just who and what she is, Vi and Caitlyn are left to deal with the aftermath of Jinx's kidnapping, and Viktor has asked Jayce to assist in destroying his flesh-hungry magical creation, the Hexcore. These only scratch the surface of what Arcane has set up for the next season.
The biggest question many people take away from the ending involves Jinx managing to weaponize the Hextech crystal she stole at the start of the series. Fans finally see her use one of her iconic guns, Fishbones, to fire her Super Mega Death Rocket ultimate move, but it's aimed at Piltover's council as they agree to let Zaun have its independence. The episode ends just before the missile lands, leaving the entire season on one big cliffhanger.
Arcane's Ending Explained
There's still plenty of story for Arcane: League of Legends to tell, which had many fans hoping for a season two before the announcement. In regards to Jinx, some fans may think she's dead, as the light of the Super Mega Death Rocket leads her to fade in with it like she's caught in the blast. However, as of the second season teaser, she's confirmed to be alive. The fate of the council has yet to be seen, but council member Mel's golden armor shines in reaction to the rocket, which may mean something that puts the entire ending on its head.
The Piltover council is made up of characters that have a mixed amount of presence in the story. Where some were hardly focused on, making their deaths reasonable, Jayce and Vikor are among them. The two League champions, especially Viktor, have yet to reach where they are in the game, and therefore will most likely survive the blast. As far as how they do that, Mel's armor glowing in the fashion that it does is reminiscent of a few artifact items in League of Legends, namely the Zhonya's Paradox Hourglass. The ability that item has gives Mel a chance to save herself and potentially whoever she can protect, which will most likely be only Viktor and Jayce.
What League of Legends Says About Arcane's Future
Jayce has put down his hammer for now, but he's almost destined to pick it back up again. Meanwhile, the champion in League of Legends known as Viktor is rather different; being entirely robotic due to his own augmentations to himself. The Viktor found in Arcane is still far from how he is as a champion, meaning there's still room for him to transform himself in season two. This will most likely deal with the Hexcore, and whatever effects destroying it may leave on the augmented form Viktor has as of right now.
Alongside them, while Arcane has been filling in League of Legend's lore, there's a story that's been entirely untold so far that even the episodic series has yet to address. In regards to Caitlyn and Vi, the two may have escaped from Jinx's trappings, but they've still got a role to play. In League of Legends, Caitlyn is the Sheriff of Piltover's Enforcers, with Vi as her partner. Even though the former sheriff of Piltover had died at Jinx's hands in Arcane Act 3, Caitlyn has yet to become the sheriff after his death. There's also the potential to tell the story of how Vi became Caitlyn's partner fighting for the law in season two, which some fans may have a desire to finally see unfold.
Arcane isn't done with the champions they've shown so far, and they've already hinted at new ones approaching. There's ongoing developments regarding Noxus, as well as the foreshadowing in Act 3 regarding Warwick that gives fans a taste of what's coming in the next season. This sets up for another season of exploring champions' origins perfectly, while also saying that in time, other regions will most likely play their parts in any other future Arcane seasons.
In the meantime, Riot Games has given plenty of content to hold any eager fans off for the time being. Wild Rift is currently hosting an event featuring Jayce and Caitlyn, and those willing to play Legends of Runeterra will find stories added as part of the RiotX Arcane event starring Vi and Jinx. Their Path of Champions stories reveals that their relationship eventually evens out. The two still treat each other as sisters, and Vi still gets to call Jinx by her birth name, Powder, without any fuss. How the two got there after the crushing ending of Arcane is unknown, leaving it as yet another plot point among many for season two to explore.
League of Legends is available now for PC.