#Ekko and Heimerdinger will be allies

[marcmarcmomarc]

They’re fine. They’re okay. They’re all happy.

Vi and Caitlyn are getting married and are performing for their totally redeemed and totally not dead/totally revived allies, Pilties and Zaunites alike.

Jinx, Jayce, Viktor, Mel, Ekko, Vander, Silco, Heimerdinger, Sevika, Ambessa, Isha, Singed, Cassandra, Mylo, Claggor, Maddie, Steb, Loris, Tobias, Elora, Sky, everyone!

[vi-gilante-1010]

The beauty of timebomb as a ship for me before season 2 was that it was doomed to never work out. Jinx and Ekko were so close as kids, they pranked enforcers and built things together and had that childhood crush that's so powerful at the time because it's your first ever crush. But they grew into such opposite people. Jinx devolved into a self-serving maniac that bombed and attacked for her own fun and for the people she cared about, while Ekko became someone who fights for the safety of all Zaun, saddled with a sense of responsibility to build a life that people could feel safe in. Ekko builds to heal, while Jinx builds to destroy. They're opposites, but they once mattered so much to each other. Ekko is the one person from her childhood she didn't kill because she pushed him away. Powder is the one he had to watch due before his eyes in her transformation to Jinx. It's tragic and it's beautiful and it's the epitome of season 1's tragedy: it's what could've been.

Then season 2 arc 3 came and well. It's a little less beautiful now. Introducing some alternate universe that blames the arcane magic for everything that went wrong, but simultaneously shows peace and prosperity as gentrification, with all of Zaun's uniqueness and culture eradicated and absorbed by Piltover culture. And it's in this world where Timebomb is canon. It could happen, if only she'd lost her sister earlier! If only Silco hadn't been a revolutionary! And then Ekko, without much explanation, beelines for Jinx. Not for the tree he was supposedly trying to save, not for his unnamed friends, not even for Jayce's lab. He goes to Jinx. And he saves her- off screen, of course, can't have the actual heartfelt connection between them happen in front of the audience- and they paint all over each other and go to fight Ambessa, because gotta have them in the fight, I guess. And then she "dies" anyway, which does double down on the 'they're doomed' idea but forgets the reason why they were doomed in the first place. She'd MURDERED plenty of Fire lights, his friends, his allies. And we're just forgetting all that because the All Problems Are Solved au Powder danced with him in a pretty dress? Sure, yeah, okay, whatever.

The tree, Ekko's safe haven he'd worked so hard to build, the Fire lights as a whole are forgotten by the narrative. At best, they and the Jinxers are treated like one and the same by the end, which is silly because they should for all intents and purposes be rivals, if not flat out enemies. The tragedy is altered to be more palatable because look, they still live each other after all this time! But it severely waters down Ekko's resolve as a character and makes his growth contingent on her, yet also maintains the part where he's solely responsible for the future of Zaun and the safety of everyone by having him force himself to the brink to kill Viktor, and then he's alone. Alone, with no friends. The Fire lights were never valued enough by the narrative to have names. His and VI's relationship is completely dropped from season 2 as a whole. Jinx and Heimerdinger both fake their deaths and abandon him. We don't see the safe haven he poured his life into, we didn't see whether the tree survived or not. All we get is Ekko, alone on a roof in Zaun. The only Zaunite to not leave or die.

This was originally a timebomb post. But damn if Ekko wasn't done dirty. It's like everything he did was for nothing, and not even in a way that's tragic but satisfying to the narrative. We don't get to see the end results of either of the major points in his arc. We never find out what happened to the tree. We don't see him reconnect with Jinx. News flash, season 2: in order to cry 'show don't tell' for your characters, you have to actually show stuff. "Show don't tell" + "intentional omission" = "really well-animated nothing burger"

(This post was initially written before the timebomb MV. So I wanna go on record and say that that MV didn't help at all. I think it's a nice MV, but it makes Jinx's choice to disappear more confusing by doubling down on Ekko being her safe place, and is unequal in that it's all about Jinx's feelings and how Ekko is her saviour. Not a fan. And if that's supposed to be the reconnection of Jinx and Ekko, then why didn't we actually get that in the show? Bonus content is bonus; you shouldn't have to have it for the story to feel satisfying.)

[nocturneastra]

✦Rewrite the Stars✦

Background Context

In the original timeline, Viktor and Jayce invented Hextech in 193 A.P.F, an event that led to rapid technological progress but also catastrophic political, social, and personal consequences. Among the fallout: the rise of Silco, the proliferation of Shimmer, Powder's transformation into Jinx, Zaun’s suffering, and the fall of Piltover’s Council.

However, at the moment of their deaths—or perhaps as a last ripple of Arcane interference—they are thrown back in time to 190 A.P.F, four years before Hextech is born. Jayce is 20. Viktor is 22. They retain all their memories and trauma, and in doing so, create a divergent branch of history.

This timeline is defined not by Hextech but by their efforts to prevent it, to protect Zaun, and to build a future rooted in justice, science, and choice.

Age 22 – The Reset (190 A.P.F)

Event: Jayce and Viktor awaken in their younger bodies. They confirm it is 190 A.P.F via a newspaper headline and quickly realize: 

“We’re back. Four years before it all went to hell.”

Action: They destroy all research and notes related to Hextech and hide the unrefined crystals.

“Hextech was the match. Silco, Jinx, and the war were the fire.”

Effect: Hextech never exists. Piltover’s technological boom is delayed, and the council retains its traditionalist structures.

Event: Jayce convinces Heimerdinger to arrange a meeting with Mel Medarda. Drawing on his memories of her rise, Jayce pitches her future political role.

Event: During the meeting, Viktor accidentally pulls Mel into the Astral Plane, revealing glimpses of the ruined timeline.

Effect: Convinced by what she sees, Mel agrees to work with them as a silent ally. They become her secret advisors, never publicly associated with her.

Event: Jayce suggests the formation of a Zaunite-only peacekeeping force.

Effect: Mel discreetly relays the idea to Heimerdinger. In turn, Heimerdinger speaks to Sheriff Grayson, who reaches out to Vander for collaboration.

Age 23 – Foundations

Event: With Vander’s endorsement and Grayson’s cooperation, the Zaunite Force Program is piloted. Piltover enforcers are kept out of Zaun.

Effect: A 13-year-old Vi, although hesitant given her distrust and hate of enforcers, shows early interest in joining.

Event: Viktor suggests Mel and Heimerdinger quietly establish a scholarship fund for promising Undercity youth.

Effect: Powder (11) and Ekko (9) are identified for future sponsorship.

Event: Viktor contacts Singed, proposing a private arrangement: Viktor will use his abilities to cure Orianna (Singed's daughter), in exchange for Singed abandoning his work with Silco and joining Viktor’s cause for Zaunite advancement.

Age 24 – Family Begins

Event: Viktor and Jayce start a formal relationship.

Event: Viktor discovers he is pregnant.

Event: Jayce and Viktor marry in a quiet, private ceremony.

"We wasted time the first time around."

Effect: They purchase a modest home in Zaun, just beside the Piltover bridge.

Event: Vi (now 16) joins the enforcer program under Vander and Grayson’s guidance.

Event: Naph is born.

Context: Their marriage is not only a response to the pregnancy but a conscious decision to reclaim time they lost in the original timeline. Naph becomes a symbol of that second chance.

Age 25 – The Fall of the Chembarons

Event: With strategic backing from Mel and Piltover’s Council, a coordinated raid is launched on the Chembarons by the new enforcers of Zaun led by Sevika.

Effect: Silco and the remaining crime lords are arrested and imprisoned in the deepest levels of Stillwater.

Effect: With crime syndicates removed, Zaun’s call for independence strengthens.

Age 26 – Zaun Rises

Event: Zaun is officially declared an independent city-state with its own council.

Event: Vander becomes the head of this new council.

Event: Sevika is appointed Sheriff, with 18-year-old Vi as her second-in-command.

Event: Amaro is born.

Age 27–28 – Alchémica

Event: Viktor and Jayce step down from their roles as secret political advisors.

Event: With savings and Mel’s quiet endorsement, they found Alchémica, a company dedicated to Zaunite infrastructure and non-magical innovation.

Effect: They invent the Aetherium Lung, a biological respiratory device that improves air quality.

Effect: The Kiramman family's monopoly on ventilation collapses, and Piltover loses significant control over Zaun.

Age 29 – Old Roots

Event: Viktor begins development of protective suits for deep fissure exploration.

Event: He descends into the depths of Zaun and discovers Oshra Va’Zaun, an ancient, forgotten city.

Effect: Viktor retrieves early texts written in an old-Zaunite dialect, filled with arcane glyphs and references to lost magic.

Age 30 – New Life, New Legacy

Event: Blitz is born.

Event: Powder (now 18) and Ekko (16) begin their studies at a Piltover academy on full scholarship.

Age 31–34 – Consolidation

Event: Alchémica becomes Zaun’s largest and most respected employer.

Effect: Economic stability and public health improve across Zaun thanks to their innovations.

Effect: The Kiramman family retreats fully into Piltovan politics, relinquishing their influence over the Undercity.

Age 35 – Shocks and Revelations

Event: Naph, now 11, asks about her family’s roots. Viktor begins digging.

Discovery: Silco is Viktor’s biological father.

Effect: Viktor's internal conflict, knowing he's related to Silco.

Event: Viktor and Amaro (9) are caught in a structural collapse during a site visit.

Effect: Viktor saves his son, but Amaro loses a leg. He is later fitted with a prosthetic designed by his siblings and dads.

Age 36 – Magic Returns

Event: Viktor catches Naph reading one of the Oshra texts and unintentionally activating dormant arcane symbols.

Realization: Naph has inherited arcane sensitivity.

Jayce: “It’s happening again.”

But Viktor responds: “No. It’s happening differently.”

Event: Viktor begins quietly studying the glyphs and their effect on his children.

Age 37 – Gifted Blood

Event: Viktor tests Amaro and Blitz for traces of arcane power.

Result: All three children exhibit subtle, differing arcane abilities.

Response: Viktor keeps this secret, fearing what attention it might attract.

Age 38–39 – Safe Harbor

Event: Jayce and Viktor relocate their family to a secure residence between Piltover and Zaun.

Effect: They withdraw from public life, focusing on their family, their research, and ensuring their children grow up safe, away from political or magical exploitation.

Age 41 – Final Piece

Event: Viktor gives birth to their fourth child, a girl named Hex.

Event: Jayce undergoes a vasectomy, and they agree their family is complete.

Effect: They live quietly, prepared for any arcane resurgence, monitoring the patterns of power in their children and the world beyond.

[miaumiaux2]

i wonder how tf is ekko gonna go from being besties with heimerdinger to being allies with jinx(if that even happens) cause i doubt he can do both at the same time

if anyone has some theories i'd like to hear them

[lady-griffin]

My Arcane Season 2 Theories

I’m going to try and post some of my theories for Arcane S2 in more depth before it airs, but the chances of that seem to be less likely with each passing day.

So, here’s a list of some of my bigger theories.

I will admit, since this is the last season, I’m not as confident in some of these as I was before, so the theories are largely listed in order of how likely I think they are (more or less).

Also, if I happen to be right or wrong - please don't confirm either way with information from the leaks, as I want to watch the show and see for myself.

Theory 1

Heimerdinger didn’t just neglect the Undercity he took direct action against the “Undercity” or the group of people before there were even the Fissures.

Basically, Heimerdinger has a very dark past and he’s not exactly the sweet, grandfatherly wise-figure S1 made him out to be.

To be clear, I don’t think he’s putting on an act and I also don’t think he’s evil (necessarily), but I 100% believe he's done some truly horrific and objectively evil things, maybe not himself, but he certainly ordered them.

He’s justified his actions by telling himself and others it was necessary for the greater good, but that's rather subjective, especially when others who aren't you are suffering for this supposed "greater good."

There are dangerous threats and realities to this world, but that doesn’t justify the cruelty that’s happened to Zaun.

Some theories fall under this one

Theory 1A

A big part of “for the greater good” was to protect people from the ‘Arcane’ or to keep it hidden.

But because of his and Piltover actions, the 'Arcane' will now be found and used.

Heimerdinger has created an extremely vulnerable population of people who are suffering and are in dire need of help, and I think Viktor will try to help these people, but they will just become 'victims' of the Hexcore and the 'Arcane.' What exactly that means, I have no idea -

Nonetheless, Heimerdinger’s past actions will directly lead to what he was trying to prevent.

Theory 1B

A decent amount of Piltover’s history has been edited, erased, or straight up rewritten for the “greater good” and “keeping the peace.”

Theory 1C

Heimerdinger and Ekko will fall apart because of Heimerdinger’s actions in the past.

I think Heimerdinger will want Ekko to ignore the past (the opposite of what he was saying last season) and instead just look towards the future, but Ekko won’t.

Or even better, Ekko will realize you can't move forward until you address the past.

Theory 1D

Piltover may be 200 years old, but “Zaun” (Kha’Zhun or Osha Va Zaun) is significantly older; perhaps not 3,000 years old like in league lore, but it’s definitely older than Piltover.

Theory 1E

Genocide of mages. Lots of genocide.

Theory 2

Jinx and Ekko will team up and be allies.

Maybe this new found partnership won’t last until the end of the season, but I think their relationship will end on a far better point then it did in S1.

It might not be perfect or super happy, but there will at least be an indication of hope for these two.

Theory 3

Jinx won’t be immune to mind-control or mind-fuckery BUT it will be nearly impossible to keep her in that state.

While Jinx might easily succumb to someone taking over or messing with her mind, she will break free of it eventually and whoever (whatever) has done that to her should be terrified.

Obviously, this depends on who or what is going to be doing this and how they’ll do it, but unlike the majority of the other characters, Jinx doesn’t blindly trust her reality.

Because she can’t.

She's well aware that what she sees and hears isn’t always real, which is very unique to her.

The other characters have never had to question their reality let alone doubt what they’re seeing and hearing and that’ll make them even more vulnerable to this potential mind-fuckery or control than even Jinx is.

I also think Jinx is far more observant and intelligent then whoever (whatever) is going to be trying to control her thinks she is. Plus, her way of thinking and viewing the world is very unique to her and it won’t be easy to replicate and that’s not even including the fact she is very crazy.

Basically, I think Jinx’s mental instability is going to make her very vulnerable, but also give her a chance to fight back or really the life and experiences she’s had due to her mental instability will help her in one way or another.

A mini theory that's really more of a hope

BLANK will try to control or hurt Jinx using the memory or image of Silco, but this will be their downfall, as it won't work and they'll have a very furious Jinx to deal with.

Using Silco won’t work because Jinx can’t pretend she didn’t kill him, her guilt and self-loathing won’t let her. In addition, Jinx knew Silco better than anyone, certainly better than BLANK will know him, even if they are using Jinx's mind or memories.

What I’m really hoping for is Jinx won’t let anyone take Silco’s love away from her.

Silco’s love for his daughter will ultimately be a positive thing and help her when she’s at her lowest point – I'm imagining a similar scene to Vi being down for the count, but then “Vander” encouraged her to get up.

Theory 4

Vi won’t become Vi from the game; rather than becoming Piltover’s enforcer, she’ll end up as an enforcer for the Undercity – as in she’ll be a protector of Zaun.

Theory 5

Mel will be badly injured from Jinx’s bomb, but is ultimately saved by the Hexcore.

It will “heal” her, which won’t be a good thing in the end, as it will likely “corrupt” her and we’ll see her become a loyal servant to it or even controlled by it.

This could be why we see Ambessa in the area where that stained-glass bubble thing is, seemingly telling her men to charge while she has tears in her eyes.

Theory 6

Kino Medarda is alive.

Ambessa definitely think’s he dead, she wasn’t lying or trying to manipulate Mel, but Kino is alive and well (relatively speaking).

He’s either acting against his mother or whoever Ambessa thought killed him, or both. I think he will be an ally to his sister and if I'm right about Theory 5, important to her story and waking up from the Hexcore's control.

Theory 7

Jinx brought Fiddlesticks into the world in S1, Ep5 “Everyone Wants to Be My Enemy”

I’m sticking by this theory until the very end, even as it becomes more and more unlikely.

I just think it’s weird the first time we’re told how hextech works - basically opening up a gateway to the realm of the heebie-jeebies (Jinx’s words) and then after that explanation there’s a giant blast from Jinx's attempt at hextech, and then suddenly crows are very, very interested in Jinx.

Also let’s be real, Jinx is the one person whose luck is so bad that the first time she officially tries to use hextech, she opened a gateway or created a big enough rift which allowed Fiddlesticks back into the world.

Jayce and Viktor can play around with the stuff all they want without ever bringing forth any kind of demon, but Jinx does it ONCE and she summons the one and only primordial demon of fear, because of course she did. Of course, her luck is that bad.

And while not so much literally (though maybe, but I doubt it) there could be a bit of a Fiddlesticks vs Janna kind of thing with Jinx – as in who is Jinx?

Is she Fiddlestick’s Crow of Death or Janna’s Bluebird of Freedom?

I think if this were to happen it would be a symbolic “battle” more than anything, but this is a world where this stuff does indeed exist, so it's technically possible.

So, there we have it.

Some of these are pretty obvious, but I would feel remiss if I didn’t mention them. And others...

Listen if I happen to be right, I just want to point to this post and say – SEE!!! Look, I Was Right!!!!

But we shall see as November 9th (my birthday) approaches ever closer.

[justanerddummie]

I've got a lot of things to say about s2 so I'll divide them in two posts, spoilers after the cut beware

First thing first, the intro, it's beautiful I love it, it gives us a lot of information about every character and what they're going through, about how each and everyone of them is changing and that's exactly why I think it will change before the end of the season, once everyone is focus. I don't think it will change every act, even though I'd love that but I'd surprised if it didn't change at all.

Now let's talk about the juicy stuff.

Jinx

What I really want to talk about is the figth with Vi and Cait. I really don't think Jinx went there with the intention of dying, I think she went there with the intention of killing both Vi and Powder for good, and also found herself face to face with the monster she created, Caitlyn. When Caitlyn shot her finger off was probably the first time we've seen, Jinx, not Powder, actually being terrified and what is Jinx if not a mask, a persona that Powder has learnt to wear to survive the undercity when she was alone the first time around. Right now Powder needs people more than ever, she needs Ishta and she needs Sevika because Jinx isn't working anymore she needs to find a new way to be able to survive and I think it's the perfect timing for her to become the face of the revolution, because she's ready to accept people in her life once more, because simply surviving by being the baddest bitch around isn't viable anymore, she needs an higher purpose to move her forward and finally bring her out of the metaphorical cage her past rappresents. I can really see Jinx take on the role of protector this season, to the undercity, to Ishta and maybe Vi? After watching her stand up to Cait, literally blocking her bullets with her own body, I think Jinx has realized that even though Vi has made a lot of awful decision, she is still there, she just needs a little push to remember who she is. Let's be real the nothing else to lose clip has basically told us that they were teaming up again, we're getting the sisters back together this is just something that re-enforces the theory.

Sevika and Ishta

Ok, this is rough because I'm just speculating and I have nothing to base this hunch on, but I unfortunately think that Ishta is going to die, and that Sevika is going to betray Jinx. The only thing that supports this insane theory is that Arcane is a story told in cycles the end for how awful it is will never change, it's always the characters making the same mistakes of the past and to whom do we see Jinx being compared to? Vander. And who did Sevika betray? yep Vander. I'm pretty sure I'm wrong but I can totally see Sevika become the next Vander or Silco, by the end of the season, and I guess a lot of people think it's going to be Jinx but as Jinx has said herself to Smeech, "every one that gets close to me dies". Ishta and the people of the undercity are going to be collateral damage and this will prompt Sevika to turn on Jinx.

Ekko

He's the only one who got the assignment. He's the only one who tries to break the cycle of violence, he tries to do it with Jinx even though he gets blown up by a granade as a thank you and he breaks it with Heimerdinger without pointing the finder and this time he manages to get an ally in fighting the arcane pollution. No notes here, Ekko is the bestest boy.

Mel

I think the intro is telling us that by the end of the season Mel is going to be in the position Ambessa was in the blood and tears music video. I might be wrong but I can see her understanding what the fuck is Ambessa up against and choose to take her family side here. She is ready to become both the fox and the wolf (poor Jayce, he's going to get through another divorce). Also hasn't Mel been revealed a mage by the catastrophic promotional campaign? I guess that would explain how she and Jayce are unscathed.

Viktor

Jesus Viktor is kind of hot, I would love to talk about him but he's barely even been shown and I know basically nothing about lol lore. I can't understand if he's a good guy, a bad guy or a secret third option, so far I can only say that if he's able to control the arcane pollution in order to heal people he could be of help to Ekko.

Jayce

He keeps changing his mind on everything as usual, but I personally could have not argued with what he said to Viktor during the divorce. He was right morality means nothing if you have a chance of saving your friend's life. Other than that, I loved the weird glitchy thing at the base of the hex gates and how Ekko basically told him he's to blame for the arcane pollution that is destroying his home. Really hope Jayce owns up to it and does something to actually fix his mistakes.

Ambessa

I loved how she controls the scene while basically being background. The way she regards Caitlyn when she shuts Salo up at the meeting. It's obvious she thinks she's finally found the perfect person for the job, Caitlyn has the power to make Jayce build weapon with hextech, her family name carries way more respect than Salo, and what's more she's a decorated officer, the one who managed to uncover Marcus corruption. I mean she'd be every fascist wet dream, it's pretty obvious that the big houses of Piltover will get behind her without saying a word. Salo on the other hand would have been a much thougher sale, even if safer. Let's be real Caitlyn isn't a coward or an idiot like Salo and for as much as Ambessa will be trying to manipulate her, Caitlyn will be breathing down her neck. It's obvious at least to me that if the leader of a foreign country is offering help she will want something in return and Caitlyn being the daughter of a councilor will at least have had a bit of training in politics and know at least the basics. I can see Cait bend her morality to the limit willingly, but not fall for the manipulation, not completely at least. I really hope she'll not be that stupid, but I guess we'll have to see.

Cait and Vi will get their own post, cause seriously there is just too much to talk about.

[thedepressedjuggalette]

Arcane theory: Skye IS the Inspiration Rune.

Okay, I know it's kinda worthless to have a theory when the rest of the show is going to be coming out soon, but I need to get this brainrot out of my head while I can. But he warned fuck ton of spoilers ahead especially if I am right. Also there is so much brainrot you are probably going to call the cops on me.

And the title itself outright shows what my theory is.

However, let me elaborate.

I play League of Legends and like every single summoner on the rift knows there are more than just four runes trees.

It has been pointed out countless times that Viktor's Hexcore is incomplete.

Looking here we have Precision, Domination, Sorcery, and Resolve but one is missing which is the very obvious Inspiration Rune.

To give you a basic understanding of how these Runes work in game:

The Precision tree grants you improved attacks and sustainable damage.

The Domination tree grants you burst damage and target access.

The Sorcery tree grants you empowered abilities and resources control.

The Resolve tree grants you durability and crowd control.

But the Inspiration tree grants you creative tools and rule bending.

This all should sound familiar now that we have the first three episodes of season two.

Jayce, Ekko, and Heimerdinger had found that the arcane is upset from all the demands that Hextech had made and even started affecting the weaponry that Jayce had made.

Jayce and Victor's research and inventions are incomplete and thus are fairly unstable and volatile depending on what runes they had used for their inventions.

To give you an example as to what the Inspiration Rune does in comparison to the others let's look at the raw trees themselves.

The Inspiration tree is the most versatile of all the runes in League of Legends. When picking your runes you get the first "Keystone" rune tree and are able to pick from a variety of benefits before picking a supplementary rune set that doesn't offer as much of a drastic benefit as the first one but does offer a fair amount of goodies.

Here are the benefits you can pick from in the Inspiration tree.

From two simple images in this you can spot Hextech clearly -- one of them being outright called Hextech Flashtraption.

But to look at the analysis, the rule breaking in this tree is fucking insane with the keystone runes alone.

Glacial Augment:

Passive: Immobilizing an enemy champion will cause 3 glacial rays to emanate from them towards you and other nearby enemy champions, creating icy zones with a 700 unit radius that last for 3 (+ 100% of the immobilizing effect's duration) seconds.

Enemies within the icy zones, which have a width of 80 units, are slowed by 20% (+ 7% per 100 bonus AD) (+ 6% per 100 AP) (+ 9% per 10% heal and shield power) and have their damage reduced by 15% against your allies, excluding yourself.

Unsealed Spellbook:

Passive: While not channeling Teleport and being out-of-combat for 5 seconds, you can swap one of your equipped summoner spells to a new, single use summoner spell. You cannot select a summoner spell you have already equipped.

Your first swap becomes available after 6 minutes, with an initial 300 second cooldown. Selecting a unique summoner spell reduces the swap cooldown by 25 seconds. You must swap to 3 different summoner spells before returning to one you've already used.

Selecting a summoner spell puts it on a 5 second cooldown.

Using a selected summoner spell puts the summoner spell in the same slot on a 10 second cooldown.

(a summoner spell is a spell that you the player has that works outside of the champions themselves' skillset, from Flash -- a small blink that is used to bypass walls and dodge enemy attacks but is put on a rather long cool down, Ignite -- a spell used to set the enemy on fire for a short duration of time, and more.)

And finally First Strike:

Passive: Dealing damage or applying a crowd control effect to an enemy champion within the first 0.25 seconds of champion combat, grants 10 Gold 10 and First Strike for 3 seconds, causing all of your post-mitigation damage dealt against champions to deal 7% bonus true damage. Afterwards, you are granted gold equal to ( Melee role 50% / Ranged role 35%) of all bonus damage dealt within the duration.

First Strike will be placed on full cooldown after being struck by an enemy champion before you strike them.

These are completely different and outright insane in comparison to the other runes, which I will give one example from each tree.

From the Precision tree let's look at the most famous of them, Press the Attack:

Passive: Basic attacks on-hit against enemy champions apply a stack for 4 seconds, refreshing on subsequent applications, expiring upon attacking a new champion, and stacking up to 3 times. The third stack consumes all stacks to deal 40 − 160 (based on level) bonus Attack damage Magic damage adaptive damage and grant you 8% increased damage (except Hybrid penetration true damage) against champions until you are no longer in combat with them.

Adaptive Damage: This effect deals either physical or magic damage depending on the damage contribution from your attack damage and ability power to the effect's damage formula. Greater bonus damage from the AD (Attack Damage) ratio → Physical damage. Greater bonus damage from the AP (Ability Power) ratio → Magic damage.

If the damage contribution of AD and AP are zero or otherwise equal, the damage type depends on the effect's particular default.

From the Domination tree we have Dark Harvest:

Passive: Damaging basic attacks and ability damage against enemy champions below 50% of their maximum health deal 20 (+ 9 per Soul) (+ 10% bonus AD) (+ 5% AP) bonus Attack damage Magic damage adaptive damage and, after a 1.75-second delay, reap 1 Soul. This cannot occur again for 35 seconds, resetting to 1 second upon scoring a Damage rating takedown against an enemy champion.

While not on cooldown, also reap 1 Soul from receiving the kill credit of a champion killed by a minion, monster, or turret.

Adaptive Damage: This effect deals either physical or magic damage depending on the damage contribution from your attack damage and ability power to the effect's damage formula.

Greater bonus damage from the AD ratio → Physical damage. Greater bonus damage from the AP ratio → Magic damage. If the damage contribution of AD and AP are zero or otherwise equal, the damage type depends on the effect's particular default.

In Sorcery we have Arcane Comet:

Passive: Dealing ability damage to an enemy champion hurls an Arcane Comet at their current location that lands after 0.825 seconds, dealing 30 − 130 (based on level) (+ 10% bonus AD) (+ 5% AP) physical or magic damage to enemies within a 140 radius upon impact. Dealing forms of ability damage reduces the remaining cooldown. Spell damage: 20% Area damage: 10% per enemy hit Persistent damage: 5% If「 10% bonus AD ≥ 5% AP, 」「 bonus AD ≥ 50% AP, 」deals physical damage. If otherwise, deals magic damage.

And finally in Resolve we have Grasp of the Undying:

Passive: Entering combat generates 1 stack every second for the next 3 seconds, refreshing the duration with each instance of combat and stacking the effect up to 4 times. At maximum stacks, your next basic attack on-hit within 5 seconds against an enemy champion consumes all stacks to deal bonus magic damage equal to ( Melee role 3.5% / Ranged role 2.1%) of your maximum health, heal you for ( Melee role 1.3% / Ranged role 0.78%) of your maximum health), and permanently grant ( Melee role 5 / Ranged role 3) bonus health.

These are basic as hell where Inspiration's tree grants you so much versatility.

Now that we have this all established let's look at the entire point of Hextech as established by Viktor and Jayce.

They invented Hextech to IMPROVE LIVES.

For instance Jayce outright states that he made the Atlas Gauntlets to help the people mining in the Fissures to work faster and without fatigue. Hence improving efficiency.

If I were to assign runes to the gauntlets it would be the Resolve Tree.

However we have to look at something specific when it comes to Arcane and Hextech in general.

In Arcane and League of Legends Lore, you have to be BORN WITH MAGIC in order to use magic. Even in the second episode one of the Council members outright said you have to be "Born with Arcane talents, you can't just make them".

This outright shows that Jayce and Viktor are rule breaking.

To stabilize this that means a new Rune has to be made or found. So here is where my theory comes full circle.

Skye actively wanted to help Viktor because he inspired her. She was in love with him, and it was very clear to anyone with half a braincell that she loved him with all her heart.

I imagine that finding out his prognosis made her want to save him no matter what. And she unknowingly sacrificed her life for him when the Hexcore was going out of control. And it took her. After all to quote Fullmetal Alchemist "Human kind can not gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange."

So upon being taken by the Hexcore her sentience has possessed the Hexcore and is now trapped inside it. She is now leading Viktor to his dream of helping those in need in Zaun after saving him from the brink of death. Once something goes wrong however, she will stabilize Magic itself and become the rune of Inspiration, to ensure the safety of not only Viktor but all of Piltover, Zaun and even Runeterra as a whole.

I am probably super far off, but fuck you my brain is rotting and melting out of my ears to such a point I'm probably gonna go insane. Someone send help. I need an ambulance.

[cannibal-nightmares]

Arcane/League + Soul Eater crossover AU ideas

- Jinx is a meister, and Vi is a weapon (like that of the Atlas Gauntlets). While Vi was weilded by Claggor and Mylo as kids when they'd get up to trouble, she'd allow Jinx to weild her by the start of the series.

- Viktor tries to help develop demon weapons on the side of the allies until said allies inevitably betray him.

- Sevika is a weapon, but ever since she decided to go rogue against Vander, and when she lost her arm, she stays half in weapon form

- Jinx has weilded Sevika before, who might be a gatling gun, mini gun, and/or bladed weapon. 'Would be interesting if Sevika was Pow-Pow.

- A reason why Silco was estranged and had to work so hard to become a leader was because he was a lone weapon. Consider: Silco as Fishbones (or Fishbones containing his soul)

- Stein and Singed as enemy rivals.

- Double augmentation: Just as people can be augmented with hextech, so can demon weapons.

- Arachne and Silco in kahoots together against Piltover and the DWMA.

- Silco is not a witch, but witches trust him more than anyone outside of their circles.

- Finn, Renni, Smeech, and other chem-barons are followers of Arachne, just as characters like Giriko and Mosquito would be followers of Silco.

- yordle!Mosquito

- Jayce is a meister. I can't decide if Viktor is a weapon (especially as a Zaunite) who chooses to weild hextech, or if his interactions with The Void have corrupted his soul resonance abilities as a meister and he now depends on hextech to defend himself... OR Viktor’s illness diminished his abilities to transform into a weapon correctly or efficiently, so he depends on hextech.

- Something something Azusa Yumi and Caitlyn :)

- Marie, as a topsider, sympathizes with the Zaunites (and the children of Zaun to include our main characters of Vi and Powder) to the point that other Pilties tend to question her loving judgement.

- Something something Lord Death and Heimerdinger!

- As he grew complacent to Piltover's demands [for an effort towards peace], Vander was restrictive about Violet transforming into her weapon form.

- On that note, Vander could be a weapon who chooses not to transform. He sympathizes with Vi's want for rebellion, but tries to stay to his new-found principles. This would also allow for another element of tension between him and Silco. ("You'd die for the cause, but you won't fight for it?")

- Stein in a battle of wits in admiring Jinx, Viktor, and Silco. He can't help but be fascinated by their rough advances in science and their determinations.

- Stein microdoses shimmer like that of Viktor...

- "Madness" being synonymous with, related to, or originating from The Void ("the Void is a manifestation of the unknowable nothingness that lies beyond. It is a force of insatiable hunger ... To be a mortal touched by this power is to suffer an agonizing glimpse of eternal unreality, enough to shatter even the strongest mind.") Something something the book of Eibon + "the onset of madness" and the Void.

- Stein helping Viktor with shimmer, Viktor helping him with augmentation.

- Black Star was born in Zaun but was brought to Piltover as a baby. He runs into the main crew of Zaunite kids (Vi, Ekko, etc) as a pre-teen and has not been influenced by topside to see them any different from himself. He helps them get up to crafty shenanigans.

- Kid as the youngest member of the high council.

- Liz and Patty as Zaunites.

- While Zaunites (or at least Silco and chem-barons) get along with witches, they still face a bigger rogue evil: Medusa.

- Instead of black blood, shimmer; instead of shimmer, black blood. Or both!

- Medusa manages bigger ideas for evil in administering shimmer into Crona + Ragnarok and/or the kishin.

- Fire and Thunder as yordles? Could that be a thing?

- Stein and Heimerdinger as collaborators, up until the point Stein realizes how much Heimerdinger prioritizes the ignorance of arcane magic, especially after Viktor and Jayce prove it's scientific potential.

- Heimerdinger and Exclaibur. I just want to see them in the same room together. Hell, yordle!Excalibur, or Heimerdinger being equal to Excalibur in power. While I'd begin to headcanon him as a meister, screw it, weapon!Heimerdinger (despite that this goes against the idea that weapons are looked down upon by Pilties).

- High council meetings in the Death Room.

- Exclaibur being a guest of honor to the high council (at what cost...)

- Hextech/hex crystals and Brew Tempest...

- Don't let Gopher meet Silco. He'll probably love him more than he loves Lord Noah. Silco would use him in very similar ways that Noah does.

- Head-to-head rivalry for the kishin and/or Brew/Hextech specifically between Noah and Silco. Yes, I think Noah could instantly crush Silco, but Silco is far more strategically cunning.

- Viktor and Sky as a weapon/meister duo to some capacity :) heh

- If Caitlyn were a weapon, she'd have a momentary partnership with Jayce. If she were a meister, she'd partner with Violet. (imagine Caitlyn with the Atlas Gauntlets!)

- Something something Justin Law and Marcus?

- While I'd begin to think the main cast of Soul Eater kids are of similar ages to Violet, Powder, Claggor, etc, it'd be interesting if they could go to school with characters like that of Sky and Viktor.

- Something something Grayson and Auntie having similar dynamics and possibly even being a duo.

- Silco, Viktor, and/or Jinx facing madness. Or, really, literally any of the Arcane characters facing madness in the way all of the characters do in [the] Soul Eater [manga]

- Something something Vi and Maka... I just want to see how they'd interact...

- Crona and Jinx. Needn't I say more. Listen, re-read chapter 87 and come back to me.

- Mifune being some sort of bodyguard for Silco and Jinx. HC that Mifune was from Piltover. Something something Mifune and Sevika; Sevika looks after Angela with much more willingness than she has for Jinx.

- Soul being a Zaunite who made it to Piltover.

- Blair, Arisa, and Risa working at The Last Drop; Chupa Cabra's in the Undercity. Spirit frequenting The Last Drop despite that he is from Piltover.

- reaper!Mel Medarda, equal to that of Kid through most of the series. Is this too far-fetched? And what would that make of Ambessa Medarda? :3c

- on that note, reaper!Heimerdinger and the idea that there can be more than one Lord of Death

- The idea that Ambessa Medarda has long-secretly collaborated with witches for their power. Unbeknownst to the witches, Ambessa would betray them in a heartbeat, which proves further tensions as Piltover eventually tries to rectify their bonds with witches and Zaun against forces such as that of the kishin.

- Stein and Jinx getting along... I just feel like they'd resonate, but I can't place exactly how. Jinx would tease him so bad.

[thewistlingbadger]

SEASON 2 ARCANE COLD OPEN PREDICTIONS!!!!

In season one of arcane, the majority of the episodes all started out with a flashback before rolling to the intro and actually starting the episode. These cold opens served as introductions to characters and also as highlights as to who/what the main focus of the episode would be. In this post, I'm going to make some predictions for what season 2's cold opens could be, from how likely I believe they'll happen to how unlikely I believe they'll happen!

1. Jinx

This is the one I feel most confident about. Jinx did not have her own cold open last season despite being a main character. Based off what we've seen in season 2 promotions, it looks like she's going to be a big character this season too. A while ago on Reddit, the arcane writers confirmed that season 2 would have flashbacks between jinx and silco that take place during the time jump on season 1. Because of this, I strongly believe that we will see a jinx cold open that takes place during the time skip with silco. I also believe that this episode will most likely be in act 3. Last season, Mel's cold open was in act 3 and not only did it set up an entirely new character and add to Mel's backstory, it also foreshadowed a major shift in the narrative: Piltover granting Zaun its independence. I feel that the flashback we get as jinx's cold open will be important to a fatal decision she will make, and will most likely contain advice from silco that is really important or either a memory that is really important.

2. Ekko

I also feel really strongly about this. Ekko didn't get a cold open last season. Instead, the firelights got their own cold open that explained who were as a faction. It showed that they were a group of people that despised silco as much as they despised Piltover. Based on S2 promotions, it looks like Ekko is going to be a big character this season. We see him working with heimerdinger, Vi, and perhaps even Jinx. One of the elements of season 1 that was present but not explained was the relationship between jinx and Ekko. In act 1, they didn't have any scenes together but later in the show, their relationship is a really important mystery. If Ekko gets a cold open, I believe it will show him and Jinx reuniting some time during the s1 time skip. If this is true, then I think the time skip will show their falling out, preteen models for both of them, and maybe even some of what Zaun was like in the early days of Silco. I believe that if we get this cold open, the episode will show the turning point in their relationship: from allies to enemies to allies again.

3. Vander

Many have speculated that Warwick, a wolf like character from League of Legends (the IP arcane is based on), will be present in S2. Many have also speculated that this character will be Vander, based off of silhouettes we've seen and also the fact that Vander was called "the hound of the underground" in season 1. If this is true, and if we get a cold open of him, I believe it will either be the episode he is fully introduced or the episode after. I also believe this will take place in act 2. The cold open itself will most likely provide Vander's perspective of his conflict with Silco, and it may also show what Zaun was like in the era before the show. There's also the possibility that his cold open will show what happened that night on the bridge, before he found vi, or what happened the night he died, and what happened with singed began experimenting with him (allegedly).

4. Sevika

Sevika is very interesting, because although she was present for all acts of the first season, she didn't get much development. However, it seems that in S2 sevika will have a bigger role and partner up with Jinx. If we get a sevika cold open, I would expect it to give her character more depth, explain her loyalty/relationship with silco, or perhaps even give her a backstory. There's also a possibility that this cold open could take place either during the time skip or in the era we never got to see of Zaun; the era of Vander AND Silco, working together side by side.

5. Ambessa

I really hesitate to put this prediction out there. The biggest reason being that ambessa was introduced last season IN a cold open. We've already seen who she was before the show, so what could we possibly gain from an Ambessa cold open? I believe the only reason we could get this cold open is because of the role she'll play in S2, which looks to be a big one. If she gets a cold open, I would expect it to be more about noxus and less about her. Noxus was referred to multiple times in s1 but it was never seen. With s2 being the final season of arcane, the final season of Piltover and zaun, a cold open with Noxus would introduce a new setting and make the audience suspectable to a story in that setting. Her cold open could also show what her life was like without mel and what happened while she was Piltover. An Ambessa cold open would most likely happen in act 3 or act 1: at the end of the war or its start.

6. Singed

Singed is a character clouded by mystery. He's connected to silco and Viktor, but little is known about him since he was a very small part of season 1. We have seen him in promotional material though, so it begs the question; will singed have a bigger role in this season? It's also important to note that in the final minutes of season 1, we saw singed. If singed is behind Warwick (who is theorized to be Vander) then there's a chance he'll get a cold open. If Viktor goes back to singed for help, this would make him a bigger character. A cold open from him would most likely include information about himself, information about Zaun before arcane, or information about Warwick. My personal guess is that it'll have to do with his daughter or with his relationship to silco or Vander. This cold open would most likely occur early in the show to introduce Warwick. Most likely either act one or act two.

7. Wren

This one is TRULY a long shot. In season 1, Wren was Marcus's little girl. Silco used her to threaten Marcus and a few episodes later, Marcus ended up dying at the hands of Jinx. In one of the earlier promotions, we saw a new enforcer character who appeared to be a femme red head. This matches the description of Wren and many began to speculate that these two characters were one in the same. Whether this is true remains to be seen. If wren is this girl, and she has a big role in the upcoming season, then it's possible that she would have a cold open. I would expect her cold open to show what happened to her after Marcus's death and perhaps provide motivation for her to become an enforcer. This cold open would most likely occur early on in the show to introduce her character.

While writing this I noticed that if all of these predictions come true, then we will get more Zaun narratives than Piltover narratives. I believe this will most likely be the case regardless since Piltover got more narratives in season 1 than Zaun did. Besides if we are to take Ambessa's words as fact, the council is dead. If season 2 follows season 1's structure, then we'll have two episodes without cold opens. I predict that the first episode will not have a cold open and will jump in right where s1 left off. What do you think of these predictions? Do you think any of these will happen? Reply to this and tell me your own thoughts!

[ao3feed-piltovers-finest]

Lighting the Blue Flare

by brunetteandblond

Vi knew she wouldn't ever be free after she won her Games five years ago, but she wasn't expecting to go back into the arena. She won her Games out of desperation to get back to her sister. After years of falling apart since then and her sister having found someone else that makes her happy, she doesn't exactly have the same drive to make it out of the arena a second time.

That is, until she becomes allies with Caitlyn Kiramman, a Victor from District 1 that Vi has despised for years, who shows her that there could be more to life than simply staying alive.

AKA an Arcane Hunger Games: Catching Fire AU

Words: 4538, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Arcane: League of Legends (Cartoon 2021)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M

Characters: Vi (League of Legends), Caitlyn (League of Legends), Ekko (League of Legends), Jinx (League of Legends), Jayce (League of Legends), Viktor (League of Legends), Mel Medarda, Ambessa Medarda, Benzo (Arcane: League of Legends), Silco (Arcane: League of Legends), Mylo (Arcane: League of Legends), Claggor (Arcane: League of Legends), Heimerdinger (League of Legends), Salo (Arcane: League of Legends)

Relationships: Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends), Ekko/Jinx (League of Legends), Mel Medarda/Sevika, Jayce/Viktor (League of Legends), Jinx & Vi (League of Legends), Claggor (Arcane) & Ekko & Jinx (League of Legends) & Mylo (Arcane) & Vi (League of Legends)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Catching Fire AU, Vi is a Victor from District 12, Cait is a Victor from District 1, Salo is Snow, Timebomb - Freeform, caitvist's CaitVi Week 2022, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Allies, Vi Needs a Hug (League of Legends), Vi Loves Caitlyn (League of Legends), Vi and Cait are lesbians, Angst, Smut, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Vi is Trying Her Best (League of Legends), Protective Vi (League of Legends)

Read onA03. from AO3 works tagged ‘Caitlyn/Vi (League of Legends)’

[goddessofroyalty]

Hello! Love your Zaun family AU! I was wondering how you came up with it? I apologize if this has already been asked somewhere

So I absolutely cannot take full credit for this verse. It's always kind of been a collaborative thing where people helped me build on the verse through sending me asks about things to inspire me to fill it out more and a lot of yes-anding.

In terms of the official how it came to be it started with this post of me talking about the levels of self-indulgent I get when it comes to the Vanco children followed by this ask which confirmed that someone else was also interested in it and then the rest kind of carried on from there.

Generally though, I kept coming back to this idea of kind of personifying Viktor's feelings of obligation towards Zaun by having Silco be his parent. A very real voice telling him that he should be doing more for Zaun with his intelligence and inventions and stop getting dragged into making Piltover more money. And around the same time I was talking to people in the comments of some of my other fics about how Claggor and Mylo kind of looked like they could be Vanco babies.

From there I kind of latched onto the idea of Jayce and Silco having to deal with each other in the political sphere of Piltover. Especially Jayce being someone who made Silco want to bang his head against the wall 80% of the time while also being his most useful ally.

Letting Jayvik interact with the younger Zaun characters as well was a big driver (more of the Jayce and Vi disaster duo; Ekko and Powder/Jinx having access to them as kind of mentors without it being a super formal teacher-and-student relationship). But also just a lot of little ideas I had floating around my head that fit together well enough to create a basis for a verse.

To get real world political I don't think I will ever be able to forget the fact that I made it a thing that the Zaun Representative was an almost meaningless tokenistic role the Piltover Council created on Heimerdinger's insistence that gave Zaun a Voice but no voting power only for my country to a year later vote down a very similar concept. Nor can I ignore the fact I work in Government and I basically cursed Vander and Silco to a life of bureaucracal hell in the verse. But this was more subconscious influence then planned on my part.

[mollysunder]

Jinx, Viktor, and Ekko: Zaun's Messiest Trio

I really can't wait for season 2 of Arcane, mostly to finally see Jinx, Ekko, and Viktor interact. All three have this dynamic where every person has a reason to be suspicious of the other, but each would absolutely benefit if they managed to work together.

Despite the fact that Viktor hasn't met either Jinx or Ekko, all three still manage to (or at least will) know something about the other characters, which colors the bias of the others when they meet next season. I decided to list out a few of the ongoing threads on what has happened and what could happen between Ekko, Jinx, and Viktor based on that.

Ekko and Jinx:

Ekko doesn't know that Jinx stole back the hexgem during their fight.

Will Ekko feel partially responsible for the coming war between Zaun and Piltover because he let his past with Jinx stop him from killing her on the bridge?

Ekko doesn't know Jinx set him and the Firelights up to take the fall for the hexgem heist and the explosion on the bridge. Has this happened under Jinx's direction before?

Jinx may or may not have more firelight bombs stationed near his base

When it's revealed that Jinx robbed Jayce's apartment with Ekko's help in the 1st act, will that only further tie Jinx's past crimes to the Firelights by Piltover's establishment?

There's a theory that Ekko saved himself and Jinx by knocking away her grenade. Would Jinx know that if it were true?

Does Jinx know that Ekko has a giant mural that includes a younger version of herself?

How many times did Ekko try to reach out to Jinx? What was the final straw?

How many Firelights has Jinx personally killed? How many were on the wall?

Is "Boy Savior" a nickname Jinx sarcastically came up with, or is it something from before Silco's coup?

How does Ekko feel about the fact Scar is the Firelight that tries to take a killing shot of Jinx the most often?

Jinx and Viktor:

Jinx fired a rocket in Viktor's direction during the finale, potentially putting him in a position where his work with the hexcore is exposed.

Will Viktor resent Jinx for the actions she's committed and the lives she's cost since she sparked the war?

Jinx is technically the reason Viktor and Jayce were able to partner with each other in the first place

Viktor likely learned from Jayce and from attending the last council meeting that Jinx was responsible for the attacks since her capture was a part of the negotiation terms. He may have also learned that Vi was the one to inform the council.

Will Viktor be the one to tell Jinx it was Vi who gave her name to the Council?

Both unknowingly share Singed as an advisory source. Viktor goes to Singed for help with the Hexcore, and Jinx wanted to send the hexgem to Singed when she was having trouble unlocking hextech.

Singed is the source of both characters' transmutations through Shimmer.

Viktor knows how to defuse Jinx's bombs. Can he do it again?

If Viktor knew he could get Shimmer from Singed, the source of it, then how much does Viktor know about the Shimmer trade in Zaun? Does Viktor know about its other key actors like Jinx and Silco?

Jinx understands that hextech really just connects humans to the "realm of heebie jeebies" , like she grasps the danger. Does Viktor understand that, or was he too desperate to care?

Since Viktor spent a part of his youth assisting Singed and saw Singed's Shimmer transfusion surgery of Rio. Does that mean when Jinx and Viktor meet, he'll understand exactly what Singed did to Jinx that saved her life because Singed did the same to Rio?

Viktor and Ekko:

Ekko most likely only knows about Viktor through Heimerdinger, which will color expectations of Viktor's motivations

Ekko doesn't know that Viktor gave Singed (Silco's ally) access to hextech related blueprints.

Will Viktor learn that Ekko is also partially responsible for his and Jayce's meeting? If Ekko hadn't cased Jayce's apartment, Jinx and family wouldn't have blown up the building, which is how Viktor learns about Jayce's research.

Viktor might know that Jinx is responsible for the hexgem heist and the lives it cost, but the only physical evidence he saw was a grenade covered in Firelight symbols. Viktor might first assume that Jinx is associated with the Firelights.

Will Heimerdinger reveal to Ekko some new terrible details of Singed's history and fall from grace as it becomes apparent that Singed and Viktor are working together, further biasing Ekko against Viktor?

There's a theory that Sky is related to the Firelight with the bird mask. If the theory's true, then when it gets out that Viktor accidentally killed Sky, he's immediately alienated himself from Ekko's faction. If the theory's wrong, he'd still be an irresponsible man who got a fellow Zaunite killed in the eyes of many.

How would Ekko feel learning that Viktor was asked to represent Zaun in the peace deal despite the fact Viktor hasn't lived in Zaun for years and he's affiliated with Silco's associate Singed?

This is what I could think of on the fly, there's definitely more I'd add later. I just really hope we get more into these different Zaunite perspectives. I always felt like Arcane and League in general are too interested in pairing stories for Zaunites with a Piltovan foil, especially in a way that focuses on "reconciling" class issues. I want to see Zaunites that lived under the same conditions and reacted differently because of very minute differences in resources and chance in opportunity that became foundational in forming their perspective actually interact. Let them be strong together or tear each other apart!

The former plz tho!

Or just let them talk to each other! You know Ekko never actually spoke a word to Jinx in the first season?!?!? Not when they were kids, not in the timeskip.

Update: Turns out Ekko was created to have Viktor as one of his primary enemies. It seems pretty one-sided on Ekko's part, but we'll see.

[anamateurhumanbeing]

Finished Act 1 of Arcane's second season. It was alright. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but It definitely felt weaker than any of season 1's acts. But it was still overall good, and there's definitely a lot of interesting setup that has me excited for the rest of the season.

Spoiler-filled ramble below.

Caitlyn is becoming a full on villain. Using the vent systems designed by her mother to help the people of Zaun, as a weapon against them in order to avenge her, cold. And then there's the scene where she attempts to shoot Jinx despite Vi and Isha being in the way. Sure she wasn't trying to hurt either of them, but the fact is she still took that risk. And of course the ending, with her becoming the general under Ambessa's thumb. I love all of it. I thought Caitlyn was a pretty good character in Season 1, but her villain arc is far more interesting than anything she did last season, and the best part of this one. I hope she gets worse.

Ambessa's a pretty good character too. I called her staging the attack on the memorial, and I do love how ruthless she is but I am glad there is some nuance to her, as she clearly does miss her son and care for Mel. I can't wait to see more of her with Caitlyn.

What they're doing with Jinx is interesting. I like that she and Sevika have become allies, finding common ground after Silco's death. Her becoming a more heroic figure to the people of Zaun is a pretty interesting direction to take her after last season was more about her becoming a villain, especially as a parallel to Caitlyn becoming darker in her pursuit of Jinx. I need to see them have a 1 v 1 fight. I must confess though, I do not care much for the kid, and I think her jumping inbetween Vi and Jinx during their otherwise really great fight did not feel earned because of how little Jinx and Isha actually bonded. I am looking forward to seeing more though, and I hope Jinx is simultaneously a better and worse role-model than Silco. Oh yeah, the Silco water scene was beautiful.

All the stuff about Jayce, Ekko, Heimerdinger, Mel, and Viktor was all neat, but all of that was more setup, so I don't have many strong feelings on any of them. Nothing bad, but nothing great so far either. It was fun seeing Jayce and Ekko interact though.

And then there's Vi. This is where the act lost me. Going in I was already wondering how they were going to make Vi becoming an enforcer feel natural. The answer? They didn't! Vi changing her mind and becoming an enforcer felt like it happened way to soon. But I would have been fine with it if it was just Vi becoming an enforcer, it's her going along with Caitlyn's plan to literally gas the lanes that I cannot buy. I said I like Caitlyn going down that path, but Vi following her down it really doesn't make sense. Perhaps it would have made more sense if we actually saw how Vi felt about becoming an enforcer and attacking her home, but despite showing Vi's turmoil before becoming an enforcer, they forget to show her turmoil after becoming an enforcer.

I thought her relationship with Jinx was good. I was a little iffy on how easily she was ready to say she had no sister at first, but as the act progressed, it felt more like she was trying to convince herself more than she was trying to convince Jinx or Caitlyn. Speaking of Vi and Caitlyn, will I get crucified if I say I don't like how CaitVi was handled? And I thought Vi becoming an enforcer was rushed, it felt like they just brushed by an entire seasons worth of development and drama with their relationship. I didn't really care about them falling out, because they literally became a couple at the start of the same episode. It is a real shame, because Vi was one of my favourite characters last season. While I certainly think they can still get Vi's character back on track, I am not sure how they'll make Caitlyn and Vi get back together, or if I even still want that.

Aside from maybe a few clumsy lines of dialogue, Vi really was the only weak link in the act, everything else was great. The music, the animation, the art, the fights, all just as good as Season 1, cannot wait for next week to get more.

[chronicsyd]

im wondering if its jayce that equips vi with the new gold black gauntlets or maybe even heimerdinger + ekko. not sure if its because they wanted to distinguish their champions, only vi and caitlyn are in black and gold, the other enforcers are still wearing blue, as seen by the frame of the green face fish guy of cait's special ops team in act 1... but it does seem like vi allies back with the enforcers because she has the enforcer badge on her belt

the way I'm seeing it, Jayce fixes her gauntlets back to their original state in act 1 when she becomes an Enforcer alongside Caitlyn (because of that one teaser we got back in June, i strongly believe that opening shot are Jayce's hands fixing the gauntlet and we've seen him wearing the gloves while working on the Hammer back in episode 7) and in the clips of Vi as an Enforcer they still look to be that blue and gold. and while the very few clips of Vi I've seen with her still wearing them in her undercity getup don't have great lighting i think they're already black and gold here. namely this frame in particular

while the lighting is still pretty dark, the colors of the gauntlets don't match the royal blue we've seen with them, they look closer to the black we see later in the trailer. but by looking at Vi's shoulder we see she's already wearing her black jacket, so i believe that she paints them herself to better disguise herself in the undercity because of how strongly blue and gold are attached to the Enforcers.

Now, as for Vi and Caitlyn being in black and gold? I do agree with you that it makes the two more distinguishable but Caitlyn in the least is wearing very large tactical gear compared to the others. I had to rewatch to find the badge, but yes it does seem that Vi eventually rejoins the Enforcers in the 3rd act. I don't know if they're making a point of making Vi And Caitlyn wearing black and gold compared to the others or if it's just them wearing matching uniforms.

[hextechmaturgy]

HATE that ekko and heimerdinger are allies

[des8pudels8kern]

Arcane spoilers:

I thought the S2 pacing was off, put compared to S2 Arc 3 the rest of S2 was positively leisurely. S2 Arcs 1-2 should have been one season, and S2 Arc 3 another one. People kept having new plans, new relationship dynamics, new gadgets and abilities, that all seem to have come out of nowhere. When did you learn that? When did you build that? When did you guys build a rapport? Also, what even is your motivation for doing what you do? It's a show, how about showing the progress of getting from A to B?

Also, I still maintain that Viktor is my favourite and I am willing to excuse every atrocity he has committed. Cinnamon roll etc etc. The poor guy was pushed towards radicalisation at every turn!

(Caution, biased rambling ahead:)

He wanted to use hextech to help people, but Piltover's council blocked that and made them focus on uses to further their riches instead. He lost faith in hextech after he saw it not only not help people, but kill (consume?) someone and asked Jayce to destroy it, but instead Jayce used it on him. He ended up in an altered state of being and found a way to finally use hextech to help people, which, yes, did also give others altered states of being and some sort of hivemind, but at that point there was no indication he had any intention of expanding his glorious revolution beyond volunteers. He tried to help Vander, even though Sky warned him that it might kill him (or the hexcore in the guise of Sky - either way, the fact that Viktor went ahead despite Sky/the hexcore not wanting him to shows that he was not taken over by the hexcore). Jayce attacked him and his commune with no explanation or reason (at least not given at the time), and only then did he ally himself with Ambessa, to destroy the forces that would and already tried to destroy him and his commune and because Jayce did too much damage for him to do so without help. Did Jayce's attack destroy the other minds in the hivemind? Before, they moved and talked individually, with Viktor just able to slip in, so to speak (though we didn't see much of how the commune worked - again, too rushed, not enough time to explore and give depth), after, it looked more like empty bodies he used as extensions. But even then, he still showed moral integrity, telling Ambessa he'd enhance everybody who wanted to (I don't remember the wording) to achieve their goal, not everybody she brought him. And then, the moment Jayce said "I just want my partner back" and showed him flashback where Viktor himself said "taking over will end in stagnation and solitude, not peace and progress," he stopped.

I conclude that, if Jayce had shown Viktor his memories in Arc 2, the way flashback!Viktor told him to "only you can show me this"), Viktor would have ceased right then and there because he's a genuinely decent person who doesn't want power, but to do good. They could have cut all of Arc 3 but Ekko&Heimerdinger's adventures and that explanation and interaction (which I did love - "you must go, Jayce" - "we finish this together!") and instead used that extra time to let the story and characters breathe a bit.

Also, he obviously would have healed Vander's mind first, so Vander, Vi, Jinx and Isha would have lived happily ever after as one big, happy adopted family, the end.