Oh Arcane, how I've missed you.
Netflix's League of Legends-based series rocked my world when it first came out in 2021 — and I didn't even know the first thing about League! But despite my lack of knowledge of the source material, I found that Arcane had everything I wanted in a fantasy series: a richly developed world, distinct factions full of nuanced relationships, and breathtaking magical powers and action sequences. Plus, there's no beating that animation.
With Arcane Season 1 setting the bar so high, I was worried there was no way its second (and tragically final) season would live up to that standard. Thankfully, Season 2 measures up in every conceivable way and then some, with the first six episodes made available for review raising the stakes to stunning, often unexpected new heights. Brutal, gorgeous, and absolutely devastating, Arcane Season 2 demands to be seen right when each new batch of episodes drops.
Let's start with the primary reason for wanting to watch Arcane Season 2 as soon as possible: to find out who lived after the explosion at the end of Season 1.
For three years, we've wondered whether Hextech creator Jayce (voiced by Kevin Alejandro), Piltover Councilor Mel (voiced by Toks Olagundoye), and inventor Viktor (voiced by Harry Lloyd) survived Jinx's (voiced by Fallout's Ella Purnell) shark rocket attack on the Council of Piltover. Arcane wastes no time informing us that there were, in fact, survivors (I'll give you time to learn their exact identities for yourself). However, there were also several catastrophic casualties, and these losses drive Piltover's reaction to the blast.
While the Council voted to give the undercity of Zaun sovereignty mere seconds before Jinx's rocket hit, that chance at peace is now officially off the table. Now, the twin cities threaten to spill into all-out war. Mel's mother and Noxian warlord Ambessa (voiced by Ellen Thomas) is ready to crack down with martial law. But Enforcer Caitlyn (voiced by Katie Leung), herself recovering from deep loss, has other plans. She assembles a strike force that includes herself and Jinx's sister Vi (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) to take Jinx down for good, especially since she's become a symbol of resistance for the Zaunites. Now, the stage is set for a knockdown, drag-out fight between sisters.
That Vi-Jinx showdown, when it comes, is a perfect encapsulation of what makes Arcane's approach to conflict so brilliant. Yes, there's an undeniable cool factor here: We're watching two great fighters pummel each other with supercharged gauntlets and guns, complete with prolonged slow-mo shots to emphasize the badassery on display. Yet all the character work that has led us here is on display too, with Jinx and Vi's every move informed by the love they once shared and the horror at what the other has become. It's the tragedy that wins out over the coolness, and that's the same with Arcane's larger portrayal of war in the League world.
That's because war pushes every Arcane character to an extreme, sometimes taking them in the total opposite direction from Season 1. Vi joins up with the Enforcers, even though they killed her parents, because she thinks it's an unavoidable necessity. A grief-stricken Caitlyn becomes a destructive monster in her pursuit of Jinx, unleashing hell upon the Zaunites. The latter is particularly painful to watch, as chemical warfare and police brutality become the norm in Zaun, and as characters we've grown to love grow corrupted by power and the need for vengeance.
But as much as Arcane's marketing pushes that this season is all about war and how it links to the rift between Vi and Jinx, Season 2 actually makes some strides into more cosmically weird territory. Innovations in the Hextech space push the boundaries of what is possible in Piltover, igniting discussions about transhumanism in ways that are both disquieting and utopic. That these conversations are happening alongside the Piltover-Zaun war is a reminder that the world of Arcane is so much bigger than these two cities — and so much stranger.
That strangeness also manifests in the arrival of new forms of magic and new factions for Arcane's players to contend with. And as exciting as that expansion is, it also threatens to cause issues for the series in terms of sticking the landing. Can the three episodes of the season that I still haven't seen wrap up these many loose ends, especially given with Arcane's breakneck pacing? (Sometimes, I do wish these episodes were an hour long instead of 40 minutes, and I don't say that often.) Arcane has yet to steer me truly wrong, but the jury's still out on whether it can fully stick the landing while juggling so many complex ideas and storylines.
Even if Arcane doesn't fully nail its ending, there's no doubt about how incredible it looks. Fortiche's animation was always masterful, but Arcane Season 2 somehow levels up.
Once again, we're treated to the show's combination of hand-painted and computer-animated visuals, which bring Piltover's soaring towers and Zaun's grimy underground to life. Now, though, Arcane plays further with animation styles that speak to specific characters' points of view. We saw a bit of this in Season 1, with scribbled line drawings and text overlaid on certain scenes bringing Jinx's perspective to life. In Season 2, it's a whole new ballgame.
Once again, we get Jinx's frenzied drawings. But we also get entire sequences made up of black-and-white charcoal drawings, neon panels straight out of a comic book, and watercolor flashbacks. Strange glitches in Hextech allow animators to go buck-wild with flesh-and-metal fusions, trippy space scapes, and bizarro architecture that calls to mind the warped biology of Annihilation. In one of Season 2's biggest swings, the series places us within the perspective of the beastly wolf-creature Warwick, to the point where all we see is a nightmarish frenzy of red blood trails and the clawed hands carrying us forward.
The versatility of Arcane's art style is just one of many reasons why it's going to hurt so much to say goodbye to this series, even if it's getting a conclusive ending. However, according to a Nov. 6 report by Variety, the series was originally budgeted for a five-season arc. Variety also reported that Arcane cost roughly $250 million to produce, making it the most expensive animated show of all time. Due to its hefty price tag, it's unlikely we'll see anything quite like it again — at least, not for a few more years. Until then, we can continue to appreciate Arcane for the marvel that it is: a true Hextech gem in the rough.
The first three episodes of Arcane Season 2 are now streaming on Netflix, with three more episodes dropping on Nov. 16 and Nov. 23, respectively.
How Arcane Season 2 Reimagines The World of League of Legends
Three episodes each, bringing the total to nine, and yes, this is the last season and you will not have to wait until 2027 for it to continue. Co-creator Christian Linke has previously spoken about why they're ending it after just two seasons: "We always felt it was going to be a two-season story." I can certainly understand that, and from the sound of it, season 2 is just as good as season 1, so you're going to want to go out on top. Arcane season 2 currently has a 95% audience score. There aren't enough scored reviews in yet for a critic score, but all are positive so far and it may be aiming for another perfect 100% like season 1.
It is going to be hard to judge the season until all nine episodes are out, and that may make scores fluctuate from here. But it seems clear that the three year gap was worth the wait. And I am honestly a little relieved the story can just end and we do not have to wait another three years for more. We are supposedly going to get other stories in the League of Legends universe as shows, but this one specifically will end. Only 100+ other non-featured champions to go…
The Final Season Takes Inspiration from Real-World Politics
“Arcane” is set in a utopian city called Piltover and the wasteland city that runs underneath it called Zaun. Its citizens live off the scraps of rich Piltover residents oppressed by a police force. In attempts to wage this gap, or border some sort of peace through a partnership between these two cities, total war emerges, or so Season 2 will tell.
When asked at the premiere of the second season in Los Angeles if the series took any inspiration from real life or specific historical events, Linke said, “If you’re asking me whether we were inspired by two sides of one nation who are incapable of even talking to each other anymore at a certain point, yes.”
He continued to explain this fact was exacerbated by the election, “It only got worse,” he said. “When we started this, it was like, ‘Yeah, there’s a certain inability to co-exist.’ But, I mean, you know, the election isn’t far away. And it’s only gotten worse. So I think there definitely is a bit of a mirror like at the end of the day.”
Writer Amanda Overton also shared sentiments about being inspired by present day issues: “We were always feeling this sort of widening left wealth gap just in our lifetimes, and it felt like we could do that in a really inspiring imaginative fun way.”
Arcane Season 2: A World of Shifting Alliances and Bad Blood
The first three episodes of Arcane Season 2, which are available now on Netflix, are a whirlwind of action, drama, and intrigue. The creators, Christian Linke and Alex Yee, once again deliver a compelling narrative that is both visually stunning and emotionally resonant.
The season picks up right where Season 1 left off, with the aftermath of Jinx's attack on the Piltover Council still fresh in everyone's minds. Caitlyn is grieving the loss of her mother, and Vi is determined to bring her sister to justice. But the war between Piltover and Zaun is about to begin, and the stakes are higher than ever.
One of the most interesting aspects of the first three episodes is the way that the creators explore the complexities of power and the consequences of war. It's a world where even the most well-meaning characters can be corrupted by their own desires.
There are a few intriguing developments that set the stage for what’s sure to be an explosive second half of the season. First, we see Viktor's transformation into a “Machine Herald,” which is the version that League of Legends players know and love. Second, we meet a new character who seems to have a lot in common with the iconic League of Legends champion, Warwick. Finally, we see Jinx and Sevika take a dangerous step, with an action that potentially floods Piltover with the Gray, which is a powerful substance that could have devastating consequences for both cities.
Arcane Season 2 Is A Masterclass in Animation
Arcane Season 2 is a true visual feast. The animation is simply breathtaking, and it's a huge part of what makes the series so captivating.
Fortiche's animation was always masterful, but Arcane Season 2 somehow levels up. Once again, we're treated to the show's combination of hand-painted and computer-animated visuals, which bring Piltover's soaring towers and Zaun's grimy underground to life. Now, though, Arcane plays further with animation styles that speak to specific characters' points of view.
We saw a bit of this in Season 1, with scribbled line drawings and text overlaid on certain scenes bringing Jinx's perspective to life. In Season 2, it's a whole new ballgame. Once again, we get Jinx's frenzied drawings. But we also get entire sequences made up of black-and-white charcoal drawings, neon panels straight out of a comic book, and watercolor flashbacks. Strange glitches in Hextech allow animators to go buck-wild with flesh-and-metal fusions, trippy space scapes, and bizarro architecture that calls to mind the warped biology of Annihilation. In one of Season 2's biggest swings, the series places us within the perspective of the beastly wolf-creature Warwick, to the point where all we see is a nightmarish frenzy of red blood trails and the clawed hands carrying us forward.
The End of An Era
There's no doubt that Arcane Season 2 is a worthy successor to the first season. It's a powerful, moving, and visually stunning show that will leave you wanting more. But even though it's the final season, it's a fitting end to a truly remarkable series.
And while Arcane is a great story about two sisters who are trying to find their way in a world that is tearing them apart, it's also a story about the human cost of war, the importance of family, and the power of love. Arcane is a must-watch for anyone who loves fantasy, sci-fi, and animation. It's a show that will stay with you long after you've finished watching it.
