There's no denying that Arcane is a huge win for video game adaptations. Fans and critics agree that Arcane masterfully retells the backstories of various League of Legends champions at the same time. That's why it's great news that the first nine episodes only form the first season in a series; there are already clear hints that Arcane's second season will bring in even more League of Legends characters associated with Piltover and Zaun, weaving an increasingly elaborate tapestry telling the stories of the twin cities. However, Arcane is built around one small section of LoL lore; League of Legends still has a lot of untapped potential.
Even though League of Legends is a MOBA that doesn't often have opportunities to tell stories inside the game, Riot Games takes its lore very seriously. For many years, short stories have appeared regularly on the game's website, offering players snapshots of each champion's life and how those characters interact with one another, forming an intricate web of stories and relationships that spans an entire planet. Riot Games shouldn't settle for Arcane alone. It should invest in adaptations of LoL's many other stories parts of Runeterra that are vastly different from Piltover and Zaun. Arcane is a great achievement, but there are so many more stories to tell. Here are only a few strong candidates.
Burning Tides and the Harrowing
One of the most famous rivalries in League of Legends is between Sarah Fortune, better known as Miss Fortune, and the pirate captain Gangplank. These two characters have spent a long time battling for control of the island nation of Bilgewater, notoriously home to pirates and brigands of all kinds. Miss Fortune lost her mother to the murderous Gangplank when she was a child, and she sought vengeance ever since. Another show in the style of Arcane could explore Miss Fortune's backstory, showing her rise as a prominent bounty hunter in Bilgewater while Gangplank amasses power and reigns terror in his own right.
Two particular League of Legends events could make good seasons in a show about these characters. During the Burning Tides event in 2015, Miss Fortune overthrew Gangplank and assumed control of Bilgewater, but Gangplank now seeks vengeance. Later on, during the annual Harrowing where dark spirits from the Shadow Isles encroach upon the world, Gangplank and Miss Fortune struck a truce in order to protect themselves and Bilgewater from the onslaught with the help of many other League of Legends champions. While these characters will probably never see eye to eye, their adversarial relationship would be the great basis for a TV show.
The Sentinels Against The Ruined King
A more recent League of Legends event also involved the Shadow Isles but to a much greater extent. Players finally met Viego, the fabled Ruined King, as he began the Ruination, a massive Harrowing that would not end until he managed to find and resurrect his long-dead queen at any cost. The Sentinels Senna and Lucian teamed up with a number of other LoL characters new and old in order to stop Viego before he destroyed the world in his quest. Although this storyline might not prompt a great many seasons, it could still become a TV show as compelling as Arcane.
Admittedly, not every League of Legends fan was fond of the Ruination event's storyline, but a TV show about the Sentinels and the Ruined King could redeem the event in the eyes of fans. A show would have more time to explore the lives of each LoL champion that joined the Sentinels to defeat Viego, giving more well-rounded perspectives on their decisions and behavior that ultimately reflect better on League of Legends' world.
Ionia's War With Noxus
Another great candidate for a League of Legends TV show has particularly deep roots in the game. Many years ago, the warmongering nation of Noxus tried to invade the highly magical Ionia, resulting in a devastating war that Ionia eventually won. The result of the war was decided by a professional League of Legends match, which is remembered to this day by an in-game item recognizing Ionia's victory: the Ionian Boots of Lucidity. The war remains one of the most memorable and impactful conflicts between League of Legends nations, meaning it's ripe for a TV show adaptation.
There are tons of obvious character arcs that could flesh out a show about Ionia and Noxus' war within League of Legends. Irelia seems like an obvious protagonist since she became a leader of the resistance against Noxus and remains a de facto leader of Ionia to this day. Other Ionian characters like Yasuo, Yone, and members of Shen's warrior order called the Kinkou would serve as strong secondary protagonists, feeling the war's impact. At the same time, there's plenty of story threads about Noxus that could come to light, like Swain, Leblanc, and Darius' struggles for power and control within the ever-turbulent Noxus.
Demacia and Sylas' Mage Rebellion
One more valuable recent story thread comes from Demacia, home of major League of Legends mascots like Lux and Garen. The kingdom of Demacia is notable for its strict anti-magic policies, imprisoning mages and reinforcing its cities with petricite, a mineral that dampens magic. That order was thrown into chaos when Sylas escaped prison. Sylas, who was born with the ability to sense and copy other peoples' magical gifts, immediately began liberating and freeing other oppressed mages in order to foment a rebellion against Demacia. That storyline got a comic book about the secretly magical Lux and her relationships with Sylas and her brother Garen which would serve as the perfect basis for a new show in the style of Arcane.
These are only a few of the major storylines that constantly affect League of Legends, inspiring new champions, spurring in-game events, and more. It's a shame that MOBAs aren't great at telling stories within themselves, but Riot is getting better at finding ways to tell stories within the confines of League of Legends. Even so, Arcane is compelling evidence that Riot shouldn't settle for in-game storytelling. With the proper care and design, League of Legends lore can fit into the TV mold, in spite of what most video game adaptations would suggest. Hopefully, Riot takes Arcane's success and runs with it. Otherwise, it's leaving some great shows on the table.
League of Legends is available now for PC.