#and Heimerdinger (that has to be related to the hexcore

[vi-is-badass]

I would have responded to this sooner, but I felt I needed to wait and allow the episodes to sink in and do a rewatch to see if my thoughts stayed the same. I'll be honest and say I do stand by what I initially said, but I also agree that it's not ooc.

The pieces are there for you to see why Vi does what she does. I just firmly believe that you shouldn't have to take any leaps in logic for a character that is the protagonist/deuteragonist even if the leap isn't huge. I also still think the intention is muddled at times by the execution.

But I will admit I was less bothered by these issues on rewatch!

I definitely respect your view on this. I can genuinely understand where you're coming from. I also understand that because Vi is my favorite character, I am going to be more critical of the writing she receives than I would be with other characters.

Funnily enough, I think I'm more optimistic about the pacing moving forward. Everything we've seen about Act 2 makes it sound like it will be very character-focused, dealing with Jinx accepting her new role as a symbol for the undercity and Vi's spiral now that she has no one to protect. To do that it would need to take a more measured approach.

I think the writers for Arcane are incredibly talented and know what they're doing. Even if I have some criticisms of the execution in the first act, I genuinely loved most of what happened and I am so excited to see where they go next.

Caitlyn and Vi weaponizing toxic air pollution against the undercity and then Jinx and Sevika using Janna’s temple to recreate her legendary miracle by blowing that toxic air back onto Piltover.

Jinx (and Sevika) just became the hero Zaun needs.

[multifandomloverthrowaway]

What Sky’s Character Should Have Been

(And why her and Viktor needed to be canon.)

This is LONG, and just my opinion. Please be nice!

In storytelling, each character, each scene, and each literary device is crucial for the advancement of the plot. If any is over or under utilized, the story remains cluttered or incomplete. That being said, it truly is a tragedy how horribly the characters, especially the Zaunite characters, came to be treated in season two. The characters and arcs set up in season one are butchered, and Viktor’s story is particularly disappointingly miswritten by the authors and misrepresented by the fandom, and we see this in the narrative and to a certain extent even fan treatment of Sky.

Sky is a ghost. Her presence, while tangible in the story, is not fully realized to the audience. We do not get to know much of her besides her interest in Viktor and a small flashback indicating that they knew of each other in their youth. Thus her existence and her death are ultimately unsatisfying; we do not know enough about her to be able to connect with her, and so she is ultimately only perceived to be an object to propel Viktor’s descent, even though we do not know much of his feelings towards her either. This is an unfortunate misuse of her as a supporting character, especially when it has a good potential reason to exist other than to solely be Viktor’s love interest.

Before understanding what Sky can represent, let us first define her in the context of the setting, particularly in relation to the characters that she supports. I have touched upon this in more detail in my Viktor character analysis posted, but for the TLDR:

It is clear that Jayce and Viktor are foils to one another. The difference in their opinions on Hextech sets them up to be a parallel to an important aspect of the class struggle set up in season one: Even when the oppressed are “good enough” to compete with their privileged peers, the resultant treatment by the oppressor between both is starkly different. Where the privileged will be lauded and commemorated, the oppressed will only be served minimal acceptance and approval. Thus, their characters and how they interact with one another, as well as the characters of their immediate mutual contacts and their own corresponding interactions, should serve explore this struggle further, especially when it comes to Sky, Mel, and Heimerdinger.

So Sky, like Viktor, should show how Piltover can misuse Zaunites against their hometown. However, to keep her character separate from him, unlike Viktor, who loses himself getting out of this trap and back to Zaun, Sky must be lost to trap itself. She must show just how inhumanely far Piltover will go in exploiting Zaun to maintain its subjugation over the latter. Like we see with other innocent Zaunite background characters that are killed by Piltover on the battleground, Sky must represent those that are killed in softer, more covert methods: through the extraction of Zaun’s finest intellect and the resulting false diplomacy. We must eventually see how Piltover indirectly kills her for being Zaunite, even though we know she is killed by Viktor and the Hexcore.

Sky then needs to have a fleshed out background that indicates of her optimism, grit, and innocence. It does not have to be as in depth as that of the main characters, but the audience must be shown the following:

Her academic prowess that indicates how she can capture sponsors and spin her botany research to help Zaun into something that Piltover thinks it can also benefit from. From which councilors or patrons does she benefit? How and why?

Her motivations for Zaun. What does she view an ideal Zaun to be? What would its relationship with Piltover be? We know she wants to make it better by creating natural greenery, but why does she choose to do so in Piltover? What pushed her to apply to the academy?

Her relation to Viktor, the only other known Zaunite at the academy. Did they interact more than that one time in the river? Were they friends or mutuals? How did Viktor help her get a position as his assistant and why? We know she is fond of him, but what about the other way around? What are their experiences at the academy like? How do they interact with casual prejudice? Do they stick up for each other? Do they find support in each other?

We must see her struggles to successfully obtain funding and traction for her own research due to Piltovan pushback and prejudice. (In this case, she must be in the same research group as Jayce and Viktor, but no longer their assistant as a decade is far too long to remain as such. She will be tied to Jayce’s name but not under him or Viktor.) This needs to be shown to contrast Jayce’s ease in becoming a councilor and gaining enough authority to push out Heimerdinger to further his and Viktor’s research. We need to see her project take the back seat because it is not the project that Jayce is directly tied to. We must see her have to to be careful and planned in who she talks to, how, and what she is able to get from them. This would provide a perfect parallel to Mel and about how being outsiders provides challenges when it comes to change; one being born into power with an imperialist upbringing and getting past Piltovans gracefully to a councilor position to invite it, and the other having no power and so relying on the street smarts and a resource seeking mindset from a more impoverished background to scavenge for it… yet both using the same methods (smooth talking, strategic connections, etc.) to do so.

We need to also know her relationship with Zaun and her perception of Piltover. She must be shown to nurture her feelings about the unfair treatment of her home into a more determined and optimistic view of potential equality and diplomacy, and their growth over time with her and Viktor’s research and their duty to represent Zaun. We should see her friendship with Jayce. We should see her interact with Mel and Heimerdinger. This not only lets the audience sympathize with her by empathizing with the struggles she faces above and her defiance in face of them, but also contrasts Viktor’s internal anger about Zaun and Piltover that he lets fester with his growing ailments and erasure of academic and technical contributions. This contrast sets her up nicely to symbolize the “good that could have been” in the relationship between Zaun and Piltover, and thus by extension, between Viktor and Jayce - hence her initial role as their assistant, and something that is cast aside as each character grows more towards their goals rather than the partnership.

This also sets her up to personify Viktor’s humanity. We’ve seen them meet. Let us see them study together, build things together, perhaps even fend for essentials together. Let us see how and why Sky fell in love with the Viktor from her youth. Let us know of Viktor’s endearment of her as we see him choose her to be his assistant. Let us see how they interact after facing prejudice from Piltovans and band together. Let us see her meet him when he’s on the hospital bed. Let us see her and Viktor be protective of and vulnerable with each other as they face the enemy. Let us see them bond just like we have seen him do so with Jayce. With Sky, we can see Viktor’s insecurities and his empathy like no other character can; in her we can see what makes him human.

This is integral to Viktor’s character and his arc. Whereas Jayce can actively work towards a future for his life with Mel and his career outside of Hextech, Viktor does not have the same luxury due to his illness. He cannot pursue anything but Hextech because his life and the lives of his people are on the line due to Piltover’s control. And that is precisely why when Sky loses her life due to the technology, it isn’t just Viktor that kills her. It’s Piltover’s waste, Piltover’s luxuries, Piltover’s unfulfilled promises that do. And Viktor realizes that after. Sky, in all her optimism, is fundamentally what Viktor could have strived for had he not let his anger and urgency spiral. As a mirror to Mel and Jayce, Sky is not just Viktor’s past but also his hopes for the future. And he realizes that he and Zaun has lost what could have been.

By giving Sky agency, we see just how much she could have done for the plot. But seeing how much the story fumbled Viktor, it’s not surprising to see her get “fridged” twice. I hope I did her justice!

If you’ve read this all, you deserve all the desserts. Thanks for reading!

[thatoneerin]

skyvik au thoughts because I was listening to papa roach and got ideas

okay so, this au, Sky notices Viktor's health is getting worse and worse, and that he's getting more and more obsessive over the hexcore. now, it doesn't exactly take a genius to tell that, while whatever Viktor's doing with the hexcore helps in the moment, it's just rushing him to an even earlier grave.

so, Sky starts leaving small notes around for Viktor, because to be entirely honest, he's almost always irritated and doesn't ever seem to be in the mood to talk, so this is the best she can come up with.

the notes are mostly the same, encouraging Viktor that if he ever needs someone to talk to or somewhere to stay, that she and her home are open. some are encouragements that she knows he's doing his best, and that she believes in him, even leaving little doodles on most of her notes related to what they say.

Viktor sees most of them. he acts like he doesn't, because stubborn habits die hard and dammit, he's doesn't need anything distracting him. but they always give him a moment of pause. he reads all of them, and even keeps some. He does still care for Sky and appreciates seeing her concern, but they don't do much to deter him. he has to figure out this magic, to be able to live longer and do more good for Piltover and Zaun, Sky of all people should be able to understand that.

and so, when Sky finds Viktor trying to gain the hexcore's power, she ends up being able to tear Viktor away from the hexcore before it consumes either of them. because, the power of love and friendship I guess? idk, it doesn't really matter.

after everything calms down, they're on the floor from the sudden blast of magic from the core after Viktor took his hand off of it. Viktor is, of course, pissed the hell off. why did she stop him?? he was so close!

but before he's able to say anything, Sky sees him and immediately wraps her arms around his waist. she starts to cry, saying how she was so scared, how she's been so scared for him, and what the hell was he thinking??? she's practically got her head in his lap at this point, gripping him tightly and latching her nails into his skin like she's scared someone's going to come and take him from her.

Viktor's inner turmoil is crazy. He hasn't had a genuine hug in years, and the last time Sky hugged him was when they were back in the academy together.

he's then suddenly pulled back to that memory.

it was their graduation day. the second Professor Heimerdinger congratulated the students for their hard work and declared them the newest graduating class, applause and cheering erupted, and Sky practically jumped on Viktor wrapping her arms around his neck. Viktor wrapped his arms around her, just being happy that he had someone to celebrate this with, especially a close friend like her.

Viktor is quiet for a long time as Sky cries into his lap. he then, finally, lightly touches her shoulder. she lifts her head up to him and...

oh god.

Sky has a large purple, almost birth mark looking skin tissue covering half of her face. it wraps around her left eye, which he now also notices it's iris and pupil are stark white.

oh god.

he did that.

he shakily reaches a hand to her face, which is also now covered in the same purple scar like tissue that's on Sky's face. Sky's eye goes to his hand momentarily, wide in shock at it's apperance, before he lightly grazes the scar on her face. they lock eyes, one golden pool spilling into the other two. Viktor finally breaks, tearing up and starting to apologize to Sky profusely.

Sky quickly wraps her arms around his neck, cradling the back of his head in one of her hands. he wraps his arms around her back, burying his head in the crook of her shoulder as his quiet sobs rattle through him.

they stay like that on the cold floor of the lab for a long, long time.

[aurelion-solar]

Arcane Act 3 Spoilers

Season 2 Episodes 7-9 rambling/reaction (i'm a mess)

welp. AAAAAAAAAAAAA holy shit

episode 7:

mind fuckery with the ALTERNATE TIMELINE WHERE VI DIED AND HEXTECH NEVER GOT INVENTED HOLY FUCK - it's crazy to see how different things are with zaun seemingly having good relations with piltover?? the alternate jinx - still known as powder - with her pigtail buns 🥹

benzo and vander and silco and mylo and claggor??

powder and ekko together 😭😭

showing gert doing well being in a band in this timeline but then they're a jinxer who dies in the original timeline im sobbing

heimerdinger's song aww :)

jinx's shrine to vi then ekko's mural im yelling

the time limit being 4 seconds bc of ekko's ult i loveeee it

meanwhile jayce in the cosmic/body horror jumpscare timeline. that was horrifying

jayce climbing up all that way to find his own husk of a body jfc

HEIMERDINGER BETTER STILL BE ALIVE WHERE DID HE GO

someone riding a monocycle past ekko reminded me of LoR's gilded ekko skin, also bc he's dressed all fancy :)

episode 8:

hi I AM A MEL STAN I LOVE HER AND SHE'S SO COOL

LEBLANC? VERY INTERESTING

not the "i, robot" viktor husks im screaming they're so creepy

the zaunites who volunteered to fight against noxus made me so emotional ffs

CAIT AND VI AGAIN WE WON

poor vander he didn't deserve this 😭

VIKTOR'S FACE LITERALLY SPLITTING IN HALF IM SCREAMING WTF IS THAT

the way they repaired the council table with gold reminds me of kintsugi!

episode 9:

jinx burning the last drop and then ekko stopping her from ending it all mid-song was such a gag. they're so sweet omg, ekko's clothes having her paint on it aaa

maddie got what she deserved and nothing can convince me otherwise lol

rip loris though :(

the reveal of viktor not actually being in the hexcore orb thing DAMN the sense of dread that ran through me omfg

viktor's weird fuckass laser arm coming from his back is so gross

MEL AND CAITLYN TEAMING UP ON AMBESSA LET'S GO GIRLIES, i love seeing mel discovering her power omg she's awesome

the zero gravity fight in the hexgate was so cool, i loved it when viktor and jayce just flew through the middle of them lol??

ekko getting his clock hand weapon from in game YIPPEE king us amazing and u saved the day

VIKTOR AND JAYCE VIKTOR AND JAYCE their lives being so connected im actually yelling

"in all timelines and all possibilities" THAT'S RIGHT U DESERVE EACH OTHER i hope they're happy being gay wherever they went lol

jinx and warwick fml..... i mean WE DIDN'T SEE A BODY SO!!!! but the flashbacks to vi seeing vander die again i literally can't take thissss why can't vi and jinx have a happy ending sdjlskdjk

SEVIKA on the council AS SHE DESERVES!

scar has a daughter they're so cute 🥹

ORIANNA IS REAL AND ALIVE IM LITERALLY GONNA SCREAM

ERM SWAIN'S RAVEN FINDING SOMETHING IN THE RUBBLE OF JAYCE'S WEAPON?? the next show has gotta be about noxus right?

"the end" in jinx's handwriting please tell me she's alive

[l0vagrend]

What is "arcane" and what happened to Jayce and Viktor ? [+Ekko]

[ aka an arcane theory ramble based on League of Legends lore and what we know from the show ]

I. Runes

We know runes are powerful symbols and magical energy that is / was used by mages a long time ago, but was banished and forgotten by Piltover, because of the influence of Heimerdinger. Who saw what magic can do and how it can lead to ruin.

Jayce was saved by a mage and arcane/magical energy [hence the crystal in his wrist].

In the game's lore, there exist the most powerful runes, the World Runes. These runes are speculated to be the creator of everything in Runeterra. Everything came from these runes. However since they hold this enormous power, they are very dangerous and in wrong hands can cause ruin and destruction. Posessing just one rune, a fracture of a rune even, is enough to corrupt its wielder's mind. [khm Lord of the Rings].

I believe "arcane" aka magic, comes from these runes, and is present all over the land.

II. Ryze, the rune mage

In the game, a character named Ryze wields the task of collecting the World Runes to keep away from civilizations. He witnessed the runes destructive powers first hand during the Rune Wars. Where nations posessing just even one rune made them hungry for power.

Ryze binds each rune in a secret location far away from the eyes of others.

The Runes and arcane surrounding Ryze transformed his body, extended his life span. He went from a human looking mage to a purple rune mage. [Viktor is purple as well where his body made contact with the Hexcore]

III. In Legends of Runeterra

Legends of Runeterra is another Riot Games game revolving around the world of LoL. In it 5 shards of the World Runes are mentioned : shard of madness, shard of betrayal, shard of violence, shard of hope, shard of reverence. However there are at least 9 runes we know of from both Ryze's lore and Runeterra's.

So there is a possibility that a 6th Rune is present in the Arcane storyline.

IV. Hextech, artificial magic

Jayce created artificial arcane energy based on his experience with a mage. Hextech merges ancient magical powers with technology and machines.

HEX LITERALLY MEANS CURSE.

RUNETERRA HAS THE WORD RUNE IN IT.

But back to being normal !

V. Wild runes

Wild runes could mean that the original form of runes and arcane is present beyond the artifical machinery. It evolves and corrupts the environment around itself [see Victor's followers, the Hexgate, Ekko's tree].

VI. But where did Jayce go ?

I have 2 ideas for the whole Hexgate mind-fuckery. 1) its just arcane and runes related, 2) its arcane AND time related.

Its possible that the Wild Runes showed Jayce through visions the foreseeable future of the arcane corruption getting really out of hand [Victor and his followers changing in huge ways mentally not just physically].

But also Jayce himself got corrupted by the Wild Rune. His mind is all over the place.

His new LoL skin has a voice line that goes like :

"Unmade, made again. I never know how much of me is left."

Which could imply that he was changed in a much deeper level. I mean hell he looks fucked up and fused with arcane energy.

VII. What will happen with Viktor ?

He will lose his humanity fully and turn to machinery, become against humans and what makes them humans overall. I mean that is just canon LoL lore so its most likely to happen.

He will most likely be reconstructed, because his conciousness is still active and well in some kind of aether.

But also, in the intro we can see Jayce's hand is the one putting the mask on Viktor, he is the reason, like a butterfly effect that caused Viktor to become who he is, the Machine Herald.

[there is a highly likely possibility that LoL Viktor will receive a rework after Arcane to fit the canon]

VIII. What will happen to Ekko ?

In the game he has time related abilities, so it would fit that when he comes back he gains these abilities. Rewinding time will be useful thats for sure ! [Idk about Heimerdinger tho]

BUT this is all i could come up with so far and these are just thoughts and theories ! :]]

posts/videos that inspired me to make this : 1, 2, where did jayce go ?, the cataclysm, ryze cinematic explained

[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.

[infinitelystrangemachinex]

I mean I get it, but you have to remember that Heimerdinger is a scientist, and he goes about learning and changing the way a scientist does: through research and experimentation. I hope he’s not like, fixed or anything, but Heimerdinger especially would be receptive to change if it’s supported by the “research” he’s conducting through his experiences with Ekko in the Undercity.

Caitlyn being the other Piltie who gets “fixed” also doesn’t come out of nowhere, as she’s very explicitly characterized as someone who values the Undercity and its culture more than the culture of Piltover, if not through respect than at least through a lack of personal disdain.

By that I mean, she largely dislikes Piltover’s cultural/political values because of what it means to her as the daughter of a councilor, and either through naive ignorance or genuine curiosity values Zaun’s cultural/political identity above her homeland’s. It’s even demonstrated in her first line in the show.

This is why you have characters like Singed or Marcus to foil characters like Cecil or Caitlyn: Singed is opposite to Cecil in that he was largely uninterested in exploring a different way towards progress (his “I thought you’d understand line” to Viktor), and Marcus is opposite to Caitlyn in that he so truly believes in Piltover’s superiority so as to refuse even engaging with Zaun and its people on any sympathetic level. They’re meant to demonstrate how and why these characters are growing as they are, and what it looks like when/if they might fail to do so.

I get where you're coming from and I understand the roles these characters play in Arcane's story. I also understand that the writers intended to show Heimerdinger's receptiveness to change and grow because he is a scientist, and that Caitlyn is in a period of flux in her understanding the social imbalances between Piltover and the undercity. I actually do not believe that Caitlyn is "fixed," though the writing still leaves me with the impression that Heimerdinger has changed his views. I guess we'll see what he's like in the turmoil of season 2! And if Heimerdinger still represents the status quo or not.

As much as I stress that I understand what the writers were doing, I also still stand by how I feel that the execution simply did not land for me. I felt that way on my first watch of the show, and I still feel that way upon many subsequent rewatches! For example, today, I like Caitlyn, but she doesn't intrigue me as a character. Her appeal to Ekko in ep 7 still grates on me. What I do like, however, is how the writing in eps 7 and 8 in particular unwound some of Caitlyn's ignorance and naivete.

I think Heimerdinger is fun and charming, but I also feel underwhelmed by his epiphany arriving - in my opinion - hundreds of years too late. We also all know that Heimerdinger is 100% right about the Hexcore and about Viktor, but I still find his inability to relate to Viktor or help him after working with him for years casts a pall on Heimerdinger's character. There's a lot that can happen in season 2 that could comment on all this, particularly on the immortality aspect, which would reorient my opinions on Heimerdinger, but for now I still have my underwhelmed feelings in how he was written in spite of the writers' clear intentions toward him, and in spite of what they accomplished in placing him opposite someone like Singed.

Arcane is my favorite show, which makes it all the more interesting to pick apart for me!

[taliswho]

@poisonedpowder said: HC + Heimerdinger

( despite his canon actions, jayce actually looks up to heimerdinger. a lot. he has a lot of trust in the guy, and absolutely enjoyed being his student. from my perspective, jayce began to feel frustrated with heimerdinger because he believes that his perspective as a member of a species with several century-long lifespans warped his perspective on the safety of his work. while he eventually grew to agree with this perspective - mostly exclusively on the safety of the hexcore - he keeps very close the idea that progress can be rushed if it means improving lives that need to be improved now. at this point, he understands if heimerdinger doesn't have as much trust in him now as his former pupil - and as the person who introduced legislative action that would result in him being voted out of the council - but he still looks up to him. jayce has a relationship with heimerdinger's advice in the sense that he can healthily take it with a grain of salt, especially since he is of the belief that young, new minds will be the most beneficial for the progress that is going to be made. either way, his viewpoints can become convoluted with each other at times, but he still appreciates and respects the knowledge that his time with his professor has given him. and even though he figured it was the right decision at the time, it was still a little painful, forcing his former mentor into retirement. )

send me hc + a word of your choosing and i'll write a headcanon relating to that word !

[arcgayne]

my reasoning:

(these rankings are based on multiple criteria, such as relatability, hotness, relevance, how interesting they are as a character, and so on and so forth).

1) Jinx: she’s literally me. so silly and mentally unstable. needs therapy so bad and it shows. i fucking love her. please get help queen

2) Ekko: literally has never done anything wrong ever. moral compass strong as fuck. bonus points for looking cool. he’s also literally me but jinx wins over him bc she’s more unhinged.

3) Viktor: my fucking beloved. Do I want to be him? Do I want to be with him? Realistically I want neither of these things but unrealistically I need this man in ways even the hexcore couldn’t comprehend.

4) Mel: God I fucking love a powerful smart beautiful woman. AND she has mommy issues? she’s literally perfect. i’m rotating her in my head as we speak

5) Vi: hot tragic lesbian. almost lost points for becoming a cop but then she quit so it’s all good. for now. I have knowledge about what she ends up doing bc of the video game and I am currently choosing to ignore it in favor of the show timeline. Let me dream.

6) Sevika: hot. muscles. vodka aunt. hot. emotionally unavailable. hot. did i mention hot

7) grayson: i think it’s hilarious that she ranks higher than everyone else below her on this list. she literally only gets points for being attractive. especially her voice like ugghhh. what else can i say.

8) sky: perfect angel. so fucking smart and cool. deserves better. i need to know more about her or i will actually explode. hearing her voice made me so happy y’all have no idea

9) powder: baby. deserves the world. only ranks lower bc she doesn’t exactly “exist” anymore or whatever. justice for powder AND jinx 2025

10) caitlyn: hot. but ew cop moment. the fact that her sympathy for zaunites was crushed so easily really annoys me. like girl do you even have principles. ur revenge era would be cool if it wasn’t police brutality like noooo caitlyn pls don’t let a dictator use you to further destabilize your country for her own gain you’re so sexyyy ahaha… idk man it’s complicated. she should quit her job and get a new one. and then get therapy.

11) Jayce: he’s interesting in that he is a good example of a privileged person attempting to make things better by utilizing the system, only to get sucked into said system, becoming part of it and therefore part of the problem. the road to hell is paved with good intentions. his intentions are so good and yet. he is idiot. I hope Ekko and heimydingy are able to lessen his idiocy.

12) ambessa: hooottttttttttt. so fucking hot. goddamn. have y’all SEEN the music video for blood sweat and tears. i’m fucking FERAL. unfortunately for her, looks aren’t everything and she’s the fucking worst so here we are.

13) elora: beautiful powerful wonderful woman. need more of her. what is her life like. have she and mel ever kissed. much to think about here.

14) heimerdinger: he’s annoying and he doesn’t take the much needed time to explain why he makes the decisions he’s making... but he’s also right. which i hate because he’s annoying. but i also like that he’s annoying because it shows the very true fact that ppl who are annoying can in fact be right about things. also his heist with ekko was funny and endearing so he has that going for him. ekko carried tho ngl

15) vander: he’s cool cuz he’s a swag dad. a kind man and a protective guy. all around a great dude tbh. ranks lower because he doesn’t have any particularly interesting character traits to me.

16) finn: he looks cool as fuck but isn’t relevant and is also kind of an annoying brat. which is funny but like also bro. stop.

17) ximena: literally lost some of her fingers to frostbite to protect her baby child kid son. based. i love her.

18) cassandra: milf. the scene with the her and the gun? cool as fuck. ranks lower bc, again, not very relevant. and also dead lol

19) tobias: imma be honest idrc abt tobias at all i just didn’t want to separate him from his wife. he has enough of that in the show LOL

20) claggor: sweet boy. deserved better. i wonder what he would be like now if he’d been able to grow up.

21) silco: morally i hate this guy but he’s also a fascinating character. he’s cool as fuck and a bitch. plus he does eyeball drugs. there are so many fucked up things about this dude i can’t list them all. overall he’s a very well done character and an absolutely fantastic villain. what a piece of work.

22) benzo: just an all around good dude. ranks low bc he’s extremely irrelevant. sorry dude. if this was a morals contest he’d obv be ranked higher, but it’s not, so here we are.

23) jericho: had to look him up LOLLLL thanks for making food for vi i guess. people who make food for other people are the best. that being said he ranks low because, again, irrelevant.

24) mylo: cringe fail asshole. not ranked last bc he was a kid, so i can give him the benefit of the doubt, cuz maybe he would’ve been a better person as an adult… but also he never got to be one so oops lol get ranked low loser

25) singed: brother euughhh. i like drugs too but not THAT much. maybe give this man some backstory and i’ll care about him. as it stands rn idgaf about this guy. i rebuke thee, get AWAY

26) marcus: fucking piece of shit rat. fuck this guy. selfish coward and i hate him forever. die

Here's a fun little sorter I put together for Arcane characters! Reblog with your list!

Let the sorting commence!

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

Ever since I learned that Viktor got into the Academy by pretending to be a student until he impressed Heimerdinger enough to stay, his character arc becomes a lot more clear.

He starts out with sneaking into a university, something that could that could get him arrested but it pays off. He meets a disgraced academic with a theory he likes and is immediately on board with breaking and entering and tampering with evidence on the off chance that this’ll work out, and it does, beyond his wildest dreams. He decides to go visit Zaun in the middle of a blockade and manages to get the Shimmer he needs and not get shot. He does a highly dangerous experiment with the Hexcore, and his leg gets better. He does an even bigger experiment....and his lab assistant gets disintegrated right in front of him, and it becomes clear that the Hexcore has become dangerous and he can’t control it or destroy it.

Viktor’s entire arc through the show (or at least the first season) is him taking larger and larger risks in the name of science and having them pay off against all odds, right up until the moment it doesn’t. It’s a much more interesting story about arrogance than “dumbass says he’s God and gets ironically smote by lightning”, because it happens so naturally and so slowly that you can’t even see it coming until it punches you in the face. It’s not an overblown ego or obvious pride, it’s simple confirmation bias, and it’s vastly more relatable and terrifying in that way.

[fire-of-the-sun]

Viktor: Mage Foreshadowing

Though there was a lot of clever foreshadowing for Viktor’s future in season 1, I want to address the imagery of the mage specifically. Our first reveal of the mage is during Jayce’s trial where Heimerdinger warns of the potential destruction that magic can create. 

Heimerdinger: "I've seen this power in the wrong hands. It corrupts. It consumes. Lays waste to civilizations." 

There is no particular indication that this is linked to Viktor yet beyond him being present and clearly intrigued by Jayce’s speech in favor of pursuing magic.

During the presentation of the hexcore, Heimerdinger sees the imagery of the mage again, this time shown within a Void-like structure inside the hexcore. If you listen carefully, you can actually hear Viktor’s theme playing here as well, giving more evidence to prove that the figure he’s speaking of will be him. Heimerdinger reiterates his claims of its destructive power: 

Heimerdinger: “I’ve seen nations destroyed by a single seed and it looked exactly like this.” 

He then studies Viktor, confirming that it’s already starting to have an effect on him despite him not yet beginning the experiments on himself. 

Heimerdinger: “Viktor, something’s different, what did you do? It’s that thing. It must be destroyed!”

After the hexcore has already absorbed some of his blood, we get a scene where Viktor is sitting and watching it, transfixed, while laced within the same Void-like structures as shown before - a brilliant way of showing that his mind has already been entangled in its webs and referencing the previous image. 

As a side note, I think his crutch here and in other scenes of the show is meant to look reminiscent of a mage’s staff.

As Viktor begins to prepare himself for his first transmutation, we intercut to Jayce looking through a book that features a familiar image: a painting of the same powerful, glowing mage above the destruction of a city as shown in episode 2. It’s no coincidence that this was shown right as Viktor is about to take his first step to becoming that very being. 

Though it might just a coincidence, the rune Viktor is etching onto his leg brace is diamond shaped and very similar to the shape of the glow around the mage as well. The rune itself may have some special meaning that I’m not aware of so feel free to share if you do!

Though not the same image that we’ve seen thus far, we get another visual interpretation of a mage (with three arms) on a tarot card shown after Viktor receives his terminal diagnosis, cleverly foreshadowing his future transformation. Though I won’t go into detail about the meaning of the cards (I’m not very familiar with the subject and others have already discussed them at length) the death card could not only support the news of his diagnosis, but also potentially foreshadow the death he will bring, starting with Sky. 

Beyond physically seeing the mage in relation to him, we also get a few lines that foreshadow a darker fate for Viktor regarding magic. In episode 2, there’s a scene where Viktor and Heimerdinger discuss Jayce’s experiments and Heimerdinger says: 

Heimerdinger: “Magic is far too dangerous in the wrong hands.” 

(Which ties directly into Heimerdinger’s previous line: “I’ve seen this power in the wrong hands,” regarding mages). We then see Viktor promptly stealing Jayce’s notebook, more than likely foreshadowing that his are the wrong hands that Heimerdinger warns will bring danger and destruction.

Based on the lore from League of Legends and the foreshadowing in the show, Viktor is undoubtedly going to transform into the Machine Herald, but whether that’s the destructive, civilization ending threat Heimerdinger warns of or if the show will perhaps continue its trend of taking characters to unexpected places remains to be seen. Will Viktor surprise us, fight back against the corrupting influence of the hexcore and find a way to use it for good? Or will he be unable to escape his dark fate and repeat the history Heimerdinger so fears? 

To read more of my thoughts on Viktor and Arcane, search the tag #arcanemeta on my blog. 

[moonsdancer]

I feel like people often conflate Jayce and Viktor's core drives and desires in ways that sometimes aren't useful and don't really feel true to the narrative.

Like, Viktor is very clearly a play on the 'mad scientist' archetype, in the most obvious of ways. He displays a good number, if not all, of the characteristics that have made this archetype so popular and recognisable. Including:

Being driven by a near all-consuming drive and ambition inextricable from their work and to the exclusion of anything else. One of the first things Viktor talks about is not being satisfied with just being an assistant, later, he's preoccupied by leaving a 'legacy' as per the conversation with Heimerdinger; pretty much the only place he seems to be fulfilled and have some measure of joy is in the lab;

Loneliness, tend to work alone and eschew companionship and socialization as it would distract from them achieving their goals. This man quite literally spends his life in the lab - we have no indication that Viktor has any other preoccupations or even a life outside of that lab. Does he have hobbies? A domicile? A family or friends? Even though he's known Sky since they were kids he calls her "Ms Young" like they're nothing but professional acquaintances;

Often can be tragic heroes awaiting a hubristic fall of some kind, of which Sky's fate was a mere foretaste, or slide onto more villainous paths etc.;

Driven by goals and results; see the stakes of their scientific exploration as far higher than regular concerns. And in Viktor's case, it's partly understandable since he needs this science to quite literally save his own life and "fix" his "condition" but at the same time, the conversation with Singed is kind of setting the stage for some of the quandaries he's going to deal with in the coming seasons when it comes to developing the Hexcore in ways that may cross lines of "morality". And even in ep4, we see how Jayce hesitates, in line with Heimerdinger's recommendations, where Viktor is constantly pushing for further development no matter the dangers to himself and potentially others etc. etc. etc.

While some of these can describe Jayce, they don't really ~fit~ Jayce in the same way, he certainly doesn't relate to the 'mad scientist' archetype in the way Viktor clearly is:

Jayce does love science and he's an incredibly gifted inventor. But what inspired him and set him on his route was magic. The wonder of it, the capacity of it to save life, to make miracles happen.

While he's driven, and we can really see that in his journal archives, and sometimes to the point of irrational actions at times that actively put him in a fix e.g. almost getting himself banished because he piped up in front of the council. Jayce isn't driven in the way Viktor is. If he was, then he'd also be happy to spend his entire life inside the lab.

Jayce enjoys and actively seeks out companionship. His friendship with Caitlyn is one of the first things we learn about him. While Viktor is hunched over his desk trying to figure out the secrets of Hextech, Jayce is preparing to go out on a date. While Viktor is wasting away and collapsing in the lab, Jayce is literally making love and cuddling with his new girlfriend. These two people are not the same, and never will be, that's kind of the point.

Jayce also has a very public-facing persona in the show that he's comfortable with, and I'd say he actually enjoys. He knows how to work a crowd, he's charismatic and charming, and he's aware of it. There's a reason why he's the face of Hextech, and it's not just because he's the Piltovan so obviously those audiences would be more open to him. It's because he's damn good at it.

The childhood drawing is key, too, imo. It speaks to Jayce's core drives as much as his first encounter with magic does. He wants to be a hero, he wants to take practical action, he wants to DO. That's at the heart of his desires, not necessarily scientific exploration. It's why he crafts a super-hammer for himself, why he'll likely eventually continue to be a vigilante.

Also, feels important to remember that he comes from a family of tool-makers so even the way he understands 'helping' and scientific invention is to make functional tools that improve lives. That's the approach he applies to Hextech - he wants to put this tool in the hands of the people the way his father put hammers in the hands of the people.

[augustameretrix]

I think that's all true; what I meant to say with "eminently political" is that in season 2 the arcane gets out of hand not because of how it is deployed by piltover but because of a "mad scientist" sort of character arc

in season 1 viktor desperately wants to keep the council out of the lab as much as possible despite fully believing in the potential of what he's building with jayce because he doesn't trust piltover to just put it to good use, while jayce thinks technological progress will automatically translate to progress overall when that would take good policy.

it's also pretty clear piltover's worried sick about the hexcore falling into the hands of jinx, a wild card who's only committed to the illegitimate (from piltover's point of view) leader of zaun (or so they think at least)

of course the personal element is already present in viktor's arc as it relates to his illness, to singed, to sky, but it is one part of the whole picture, and it's not the one that ties viktor and jayce's storyline to, say, vi and jinx's and makes everything feel nice and "redundant". i believe that effect follows from making the crux of the arcane issue the politics of piltover and zaun.

on the other hand to me season 2 comes across as overall less cohesive precisely because the personal element overshadows almost everything else. now it is the council that can't afford to ignore what came out of that lab: from the end of arc 2 onward all political action is aimed at containing or controlling the effects of the arcane that viktor single-handedly unleashed. it's no longer about the ways even dangerous technology can or cannot be used in a society, it's about someone doing The Apocalypse on their own and then everything else comes in to play its role. which is why in this season (well, from act 2 actually) vi and jinx, for instance, have as much to do with the arcane as literally anyone passing by, whereas last season they were heavily involved in it.

and while i'm still not clear on what exactly made the alternate universe in episode 7 the way it is, i think it's fair to say it is implied it has at least something to do with piltover not looking into hextech at all, as if to suggest there's no possible regulation or system that would allow humans to study the arcane without ending up like viktor - meaning in turn either that "human nature" is impervious to politics or that as heimerdinger said there's just something wacky about the arcane.

anyways, I actually did like the jayvik storyline (especially the visuals, my god the visuals), but I also think the overall structure of arcane took a hit as a direct result of how the former was written

I think this one line in episode 3 sums up what didnt work for me in season 2 and that is the idea that the arcane problem is not eminently political

[arcane-temp-fandomblog]

Arcane character parallels / Heimerdinger vs Singed / Ugliness of saving lives

So I'm really thinking if Singed and Heimerdinger are intentionally a parallel to each other, with one siding with Zaun and the other with Piltover on what is acceptable price for Progress. Both meeting aspiring young people in Zaun - Viktor & Ekko.

But more how are these two character's constructed as mentors or guides. Because while Ekko and Heimerdinger aren't shown as different in power relation, Ekko doesn't reach out in same way to anyone topside. We have one example - Viktor that can serve as comparison.

So when Viktor & Jayce are working on Hexcore and can't figure out how to make it do healing magic, there are very similarly phrased conversations between Heimerdinger and Singed. And both give prophecy of what will be the fallout for engaging in trying to find the cure through hexcore.

First Heimerdinger:

Heimerdinger is very sorry that Viktor is dying, but the stakes are either one life or whole nations destroyed. That is his warning.

How will be these nations destroyed by the hexcore - we don't know? Will it be through healing magic? Will it be through evil hexcore magic? Will it be through magic?

And the ending is - Viktor & Jayce either destroy the hexcore by themselves or Heimerdinger will do it for them. This research is against the ethos. Those are their choices. Same difference.

btw. if you agree with Heimedinger, you should even more agree with Ambessa in Mel's fllashback when she cuts of the head of 'the symbol of old regime'. She at least tells you her reasoning of stakes of both options and chooses to take the action in her own hands.

Anyway, then we have Singed, but for now he's only referred to by Silco & Jinx as 'the doctor', and whose name most probably will be Corin Reveck (if Orianna is his daughter).

But we have very similar exchange - just in different order, but I'll rearrange them:

Singed finds hexcore's results fascinating. He also offers a possible reason why it doesn't work - I can assume it's probably by chance correct since Hexcore and Viktor are bonded by blood. So it may not work on random organisms like plants. Plus he offers even material solution - shimmer. Is it perfect solution? eh no - but undercity was never a place for perfect solutions.

But there's a warning too:

And imo. it's about how Piltover society with it's strict Ethos of science will react to taking this path by Viktor. But as it stands it's a very grounded explanation of pros and cons of choice Viktor has in front of him. For me these sound more tangible than nations destroyed.

I really want to know what was the situation Singed and Heimerdinger parted ways about, because I don't know what progress means for Singed. It for sure involves saving lives and helping Silco in his nation of Zaun project against Piltover.

I mean Singed for sure isn't perfect in his methods, but these are situations people run to him for help as a doctor. At deaths door and as a doctor he'll have to get his own hands dirty to try to fix it. Like look at this mob-dad being all panicked his baby girl will die.

And then he explains to Silco what may be the price or worst case scenario of saving her life.

Also love that Silco can't even answer if he's prepared to lose Jinx. He's not. What a true villain.

There's only one choice he doesn't leave up to Silco, and that is to witness the pain Jinx will be going through or her death. It may all be related to the fate of his own daughter as he alludes. And maybe also to do some extra experiments on her. But honestly, who knows since at that point Jinx so out of it, she's oozing shimmer - and I'm pretty sure all her other visions of Vi and Caitlyn are very coloured too. Like them being there. But let's take wild guesses fo yes/no/maybe?

Hmm, maybe, maybe this is his time of revenge after she burned half of his body and face off in explosion. Long time coming that one.

In the end he saves her life. Not perfectly and in nice way, actually the process was traumatic and ugly, but life is a life. What's the other option? Letting her die?

And that leads me to this two contrasting scenes - between Singed & Viktor and Heimerdinger & Ekko.

They even both have an issue with the leg, well for Viktor it's just normal, but Ekko has it temporarily. But the fascination with inventiveness of someone else. The spinning of the rotor. Thou for Singed it must be more like seeing a lonely but gifted child, since it's not like Singed couldn't make such things himself with how much he relies on different equipment.

And then there's the final point where the respective two people reach a connection - they are having the same kind of day in both instances. Viktor is less trusting in stranger's intentions as a child than Ekko as an adult, but oh well:

Singed is always such a scary wildcard in comparison to Heimerdinger. So I guess it's good Ekko skipped that step entirely and met Heimerdinger first. He even offers medical advice, kind of wrong student of his but... Ekko is not dying. Or researching hexcore. Anyway, we've seen he tried to offer assistance just couldn't, so he's going back to Piltover's side. The undercity can stay as it is I guess. Nothing to be done. Complete opposite of Singed which dragged Jinx from death's door. But at what cost...

I really wonder if Ekko and Heimerdinger are having exact same day? One was nearly killed and one strolled around a district of a city. Kind of weird to have to sneak into there but whatever works for him.

Anyway, I wonder if and how this parallel will unfold, as another poster mentioned Heimerdinger's students track record is... eh? 0 of 3. What we've seen. Joking, it probably is way more since he's been the Dean of the Academy for 200 years.

Cautiously I'll sign my name under Singed being the better mentor material. Prove me wrong Arcane Season 2, I dare you.

Other posts by me - Arcane meta analysis posts - mostly politics, tech and character parallels. Oh, and since I love to torment myself with my phobia of insects, I actually probably found what is Heimerdinger's symbol animal. For Singed as in Corin Reveck - it's a moth since Reveck is a genus of moths. While it was hard to fit Heimerdinger's last name into a genus, I found some insect genus contenders like Australomimetus Heimer and Plesiophantes Heimer. One is a spider family that feeds on other spiders and other is a family of spiders commonly known as money spinders. Dinger is just a slang term for something 'excellent'. Take it as one will, if there's is a reasoning to giving everyone insect associated symbolism in this story. For all symbols and surnames so far: Firelights, Crow, Butterfly and the “Bastion of Enlightenment” that is a beacon to all the Moths

[arcane-ish]

Arcane’s A+ Parenting Week - Secrets

Ah, Vander, my beloved, he really is the king of secrets, isn't he?

Okay, Vander actually probably doesn't have that many secrets, but I think his story shows how his secrets negatively affect his children.

Vander has a secret deal with Piltover. The deal is that he prevents people (however he does that ...?) from committing crimes in Piltover. However, Vi does not know this. Now he did tell her that "the Northside is off-limits" but it seems that Vi does not understand Vi (and I don't think it's entirely clear that it's off-limits to *everybody*, not just her because they are too young ("we could handle a real job")).

Either way, because of this Vi takes her siblings to a heist topside, causing the inciting incidents and endangering Vander's deal.

When Vi later does find out about the deal from Ekko she is upset, but not so upset that it would seriously endanger Vander's relationship with her, she is still willing to listen to him and his reasons.

Now generally I don't think that it is that unreasonable for a parent to not share everything with a child if they deem them to young. However, I feel if he didn't want to let Vi in on what is really going on and why staying away from topside is that important, then IMO he needed to have a closer eye on them to ensure that they are following his rules if he is not willing to give them a good reason.

To me, this is the other situation where I think he should have told Vi more about what was going on. IMO if he had warned here that there is an enemy from his past targetting him specifically, maybe she would have been more careful coming after him.

I don't think he needed to tell her the whole story (again presuming that he even guessed that it was Silco), but even just telling her about a concrete enemy and maybe even describing them might have helped.

Vander is a man who tries to hide his past. And imo that is a very relatable emotion. Particularly if it seems like he really has things to be ashamed of. I still think in this case, him keeping many things to himself, not giving Vi the necessary information to assess the situation bit him in the ass badly.

Now, if Vander's problem is that he doesn't share enough information with Vi about his past and about how he is running his operation, Silco arguably is the extreme in the opposite direction.

It seems that he is candid to her about his past crimes, he uses her as part of his operation, he lets her listen in on his business meetings and he even discusses his plans, strategy and priorities with her.

We didn't really really get to a point where we see that bit him in the ass specifically, but still, I tend to think that that isn't the healthiest parental behavior either.

(that said, it should be noted that Jinx in Act 2 is older than Vi in Act 1, so that makes it a bit more reasonable that Vander didn't include Vi as much in his operations)

Another character who finds themselves in a similar situation is Heimerdinger.

I feeI like Heimer is usually pretty clear on what he wants his "kids" to do (ie research more/longer before moving to real world application, stop the research, destroy the hexcore). But just like Vander he is pretty bad at explaining to them why they should do the things he wants them to do.

(just with Heimer we don't know if he is hiding something or whether he is just bad at "human")

The last one in our category is Singed. I think we can pretty much assume Singed has a lot of secret he's keeping. However, none of his secrets have really been revealed yet (pretty sure that is coming in season 2), so it's kind of hard to "rate" him in that regard ;)

[bedknees]

Since the Arcane writers are just creating their own story and confirmed that champions aren't necessarily safe from dying, what would you like to happen with Viktor's story and who do you think they might kill off if they take that route?

I want Viktor to become a radicalized leftist tbh 😆. I want him to be fucking livid about all the shit that's happened with Zaun and how he was held back from helping them more. I want him to fry the council members (except for Mel and Jayce) with the hex claw. I would die for him to become the anti hero of my dreams. And if the Hexcore remains a corrupting influence, make him fight it! Let him win the mind battle! I want him to defy expectations and use this "evil" thing for good despite everything. Show that it doesn't always have to be a hopeless tragedy when in possession of such power. People are expecting his arc to conclude tragically as a villain. I want that subverted so bad!!

And this is wish fulfillment for me, but I think it would be an incredibly fun subversion for Viktor to leave for Zaun and make new friends. Like, form genuine connections with others. And at the same time, show him progressively augmenting himself and becoming more affable as he makes those changes. It would be a great narrative twist; he's becoming more machine than man but he's forming more human connections than he ever has.

Then, go the opposite route with Jayce! Have him become more withdrawn and only partaking in surface level relationships despite having his "humanity" in tact. It would match his LOL lore too; he is not good at relating to people, especially those not as smart as him (which is most people lol).

As for champion deaths, I feel like Heimerdinger and Singed are in the most danger. I can't place it, but I think if anyone was to die it'd be one of them.