#arcana rakan

[sheenamuyrong]

Birds of a feather 🍂

[tokagrem]

NEVERMIND ITS BACK ON PACK IT UP BOYS

SUICIDE POSTPONED INTERNET IS BACK 🐬🐬🐬🐬🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈✨✨✨✨✨

[sxraphiim]

My take on Arcana Rakan—it’s a rough painting, but I’m so pleased with how he looks! 🖤♥️

[league-of-skins]

Arcana Xayah and Rakan

One half of a perpetually incomplete whole, Xayah has found her love not in the world of the Higher Arcana, but the Lower. As she strains to meet the fated Rakan and pull him upwards towards herself, their tension frays and forms discordant knots—setting the stage for something new.

One half of a perpetually incomplete whole, Rakan's fated love was not in the Lower World, but among the Higher Arcana far above. As the two rush to meet betwixt the lands of their birth, fate bubbles and boils over—a roiling sea from which a new order may emerge.

It’s a double feature!

General Information:

Price: 1350 RP Tier: Epic Release Date: April 14, 2022 Skinline: Arcana

Credits (Xayah):

Concept: Yanie Yang Splash Art: Marie Magny Model: Siao Sia Animations: Awen Yu Tech Art/Rigging: Crane Wang VFX: Huanmo Ju SFX: [I wasn't able to find credits for this position] Artist Lead: Duy Khanh Nguyen

Credits (Rakan):

Concept: Yanie Yang Splash Art: Marie Magny Model: Sylph Pang Animations: Kuma Hu Tech Art: Rongcheng Sheng, Chen Lai Rigging: Jason Sun VFX: Jianqi Huo, Yingfeng Zhao (concept) SFX: James Shen Artist Lead: Duy Khanh Nguyen

Concept:

I honestly don’t really understand Arcana’s lore and I find it visually impossible to differentiate between the higher and lower arcana but I can forgive that because I find Broken Covenant to be stylistically worse. Visually, Arcana simply appears more cohesive.

Several of Rakan's and Xayah's skins are based on the star-crossed lovers trope. With that being said, Arcana is at least unique in it not being good vs. evil like Broken Covenant or Star Guardian, but more of a hierarchical difference. It is interesting that in all of these instances, Rakan seems to be the one getting the short end of the stick.

All in all, I haven't really liked any of Xayah's or Rakan's skins since Elderwood but, for Arcana, at least, it is not at the fault of its concept.

Design:

I love the colors. I also love how Xayah’s cape ends are a little sharper than Rakan’s and how whole her cape goes from red to black, Rakan’s is the opposite and goes from black to red. I honestly think Rakan’s design has too much going on, especially in the top half, but it’s much more obvious in his chromas. I do like the stripe on his pants though.

Splash Art:

Thematically, their posing makes sense with Xayah being above Rakan and I do enjoy the half wing imagery with their capes. The issue is that it doesn't look good on the loading screen. The concept arts look so much better and while A is my personal favorite, I do love C's heart frame as well as the implication that Xayah succeeds in ascending Rakan so that they can be together.

Model:

I think Xayah looks absolutely wonderful, mostly staying true to her concept design. I really like the subtle cape changes as well but I’m very happy they kept the gold, feather-like layer at the top. I also quite like how Rakan’s arms turned out but some of the arm bracings do contribute to the noise. And, of course, Rakan wants to be loud and contrasting to Xayah, but I think in the context of this skin it’s better to rely on more subtle differences like the capes. I think having them look so similar and striving for that cohesiveness is done away by having to make Rakan “flashier” simply because he’s Rakan. And I believe that thought extends to their chromas as Xayah utilizes more muted colors in her clothing with occasional brighter hair while Rakan’s chromas are all bright and bold.

Chromas:

I'm not sure how chromas are made, but it's a little disappointing how the colors don't match well to each other despite the base skin accomplishing it fairly well. Something I especially enjoy is their contrasting capes, but the uncoordinated colors don't accomplish the same effect in their chromas.

Catseye: I can excuse the hair colors but Xayah's clothes are much more orange while Rakan's are obviously yellow with purple accents for no reason. His hair also looks really bad.

Obsidian: They look good individually but lack the matching colors.

Pearl: Much more cohesive. Probably their best chroma together. The colors on both are gorgeous and Rakan's hair looks wonderful.

Rose Quartz: Both are nice but the pinks don't match.

Ruby: I really don't understand this one as the base skins are already very red. Xayah just doesn't look good with blonde hair and Rakan has barely changed. Again, their clothes don't match with Xayah's being orange again while Rakan's are almost a pinkish red.

Sapphire: I actually quite like Xayah's. Once again, Rakan's hair looks terrible.

Tanzanite: Once again, the colors don't match. Xayah's is more of a magenta while Rakan's is a much clearer purple. I dislike his hair.

Turquoise (Xayah): Pretty nice.

Emerald (Rakan): Emerald chromas aren't really supposed to look nice, but it's decent.

The biggest issue is that the colors simply don't match and that in giving Rakan the Emerald chroma, they each have a chroma that they cannot match with their partner. I think they did a really good job of contrasting Xayah's hair with her clothes and I appreciate how the colors are quite simple. Rakan, on the other hand, suffers a lot from the two-tone hair and it becomes difficult to make it look nice. Similarly, his much more decorated and complicated attire makes the many accents sort of overtake the chroma. I think the most obvious example of this is in their Sapphire chroma where while Xayah's yellow accents are more minimal, Rakan's are so prominent that they have to extend to his hair.

Animations:

No new animations aside from individual recalls. No new joint recall.

I really love Rakan's recall individually. Xayah's is extremely similar to Ahri's with her spreading out the tarot cards and picking one but their differences in personality are evident.

VFX:

I think Rakan's passive effects are beautiful with the red and yellow colors. My favorite ability is probably his W (Grand Entrance). I really enjoy the inclusion of the apple tree that's also present in their splash art, alluding to Xayah's efforts to ascend her lover as well as, of course, the first sin. I also love the charm effects from his R (The Quickness).

Xayah's particle effects are also beautiful. I really love her E (Bladecaller) root effects with the tarot cards floating around her opponent. Similarly, their inclusion in her R (Featherstorm) is also gorgeous.

Rakan's glowing effect on his cape is so well done and I really enjoy how the patterns on both of their capes appear to be moving down like stars falling from the sky with Rakan's being much more rapid than Xayah's. I think it's a wonderful detail. The visual effects are by far the highlight of these skins.

SFX:

Nothing too revolutionary, but they’re nice. You’ll most likely notice the visual effects more but I believe competent sound effects are the backbone of good visual effects.

Voice Over:

No new voice overs.

Value:

I personally would never buy this skin nor Broken Covenant. I think it's ridiculous that you can't get its full value if you choose to play the game effectively and utilize their Lover's Leap passive. I think it's even more ridiculous that Riot not only ignored this feedback, but did the exact opposite and completely scrapped their joint recall animation. I'd like to mention the Redeemed Star Guardian skins but I believe it warrants its own post.

I believe the precedence of Rakan and Xayah having unique joint recall animations was first set with their Sweetheart skins (their release skins, Cosmic, uses the base animation). In that skin, the animation is much simpler than their individual recalls, but still sweet and new. I'm not expecting them to make every new joint recall as elaborate as Elderwood's, but to scrap the idea entirely when Sweetheart Rakan and Xayah exists makes it seem like they're giving up.

[rebelquilled]

📱- This post will be a disaster because mobile but. Thinking about how… rito seems scared to do anything serious and edgy with Xayah and Rakan sometimes. At least when it comes to new verses. Broken covenant is close with Rakan, giving him a bit of a twist… but it’s kind of yet another skinline that Xayah is semi shafted.

And I’m saying this as someone who actually enjoys most of Xayah’s skins… but it feels like the stories crafted for them are so… surface level and vanilla these days.

Corrupted SG is the best skin not just because of the looks but it felt like the best reflection of the two.

Mainverse Xayah is not fully a hero. She is willing to let innocents die for her cause, she’s bitter and hateful. Rakan follows her while also keeping her in line but will do what he needs to her for her. Which corrupted SG reflects. Every other skin so far has like. Half heartedly attempted to make Xayah a neutral character where she’s neither the hero nor the villain, but idk it feel like they diminish what makes her exciting and mellow her out at the same time. She and Rakan are stripped of sounding dangerous and cool and left just being the forbidden love story… arcana, cosmic, broken covenant (didn’t start out forbidden I guess but lol), elderwood… even sg in a way because they were on opposing sides for most of the time lol.

Like. They can have this love story but we can make it something different, rito. And spice them up, give them their threat, their dynamic of Xayah being callous and kind of an anti-hero and Rakan a powerful not-just-the-boyfriend-who-needs-to-be-saved.

I have a lot of interest in broken covenant partially because I want to take the basics and make them way more intriguing because right now Xayah is once again just there to save Rakan lol.

And like another thought (I’m spaghetti braining right now don’t at me), they’re gunna be nerfed so fucking hard if they’re used anymore in SG just because they’re not corrupted anymore I bet. Like the two of them held off two teams of guardians alone and together while evil and they’ve learned to use their dark powers so theoretically they should now be some of the strongest of the guardians

But you know… you just know they’re gunna just be there and undermined/ignored/weakened because “lol they’re no longer needed to be the big baddies”

Outside of sweetheart, I don’t hate the skins really but. I feel like rito just throws them in half the time rather than really representing their characters and then they wonder why lol people think they’re annoying and nothing more - all this potential and they’re reduced to just their relationship 80% of the time in any skin not main. Their relationship is SUPER important but the dynamic and the balance is lacking a lot.

[infintasmal]

Rakan - Riot Verses

*Most verses are linked with Xayah as their skins are often released in pairs. However interactions with other character can of course occur without Xayah's presence or (if shipping is of interest) in verses in which they do not meet. Feel free to talk to me about it. Below are his standard, as Riot writes them (mostly) skin line verses.

Standard

Rakan can be seen in towns across Ionia, dancing and singing for the enjoyment of others (and himself, of course). He's long since left his home lands in order to learn more about the invading humans in hopes that he can draw their attention to the plight of the wild magic and the vastaya. He's vibrant, loud and always on the move. Most recently, he can be found with Xayah and her freedom fighters. He loves her more than even himself and is willing to do anything for her and their people.

Cosmic Dawn

Rakan is the dawn itself, a sun rising above the horizon. He dances through the cosmos, bringing light to the darkness, following forever after the shadowy dusk ahead of him.

Star Guardian - Corrupted

When their last mission went south, Rakan and Xayah were left to die. After watching Xayah take her last breath, Rakan followed shortly after. But the two were soon revived in the shadow of the Twilight Star, filled with hatred and resentment toward the team that abandoned them. And while Rakan laments his death, what he truly cannot forgive is watching Xayah fall before his eyes. Even in their second life, she struggles with her corruption and Rakan mourns his lost love. Now, he'll do anything to keep from losing her to the darkness completely, even if it means defeating his former friends.

*a verse after he 'redeems' Xayah but is still corrupted is also available

Star Guardian - Redeemed

Rakan's attempt to sacrifice himself in order to save Xayah is short lived but not entirely unsuccessful. She manages to track him through the cosmos and through the light of the First Star, his mind is freed from the darkness. He's now returned once more to the light, reunited with his home once again.

Elderwood

Rakan is the young fey prince of the Elderwood's Seelie Court, the Day Court. A monarch in all senses, he's endlessly curious about the world beyond his kingdom. Most recently, he's been meeting with the Unseelie Night Court's Princess Xayah, a rival turned lover. While his people object to the union, wishing to remain within their brightly lit dream, Rakan can't help but be drawn to that which he doesn't know. Perhaps a dance partner is just what his kingdom needs.

Arcana

A resident of the poorer Lower World, Rakan's life was simple. So long as he had his music, he was content, even as he existed underfoot of the Archetypes. But after a chance encounter with the Higher Arcana's Xayah, he is anything but content. Not until they can be together. And even if the world itself should rewrite the patterns set before them, he won't stop until he's beside her, following her in their forbidden dance.

Broken Covenant

Rakan once lived contently as a poor thief, eking out a simple existence with his lover Xayah. But his antics brought him too close to the sun and he soon found himself at Vladimir's mercy. On the verge of death, Xayah pleaded for his life. In exchange for Vladimir's mercy, Rakan was revived as a Neverghaast, a being not quite dead but hungry for the Breath of Life, Aspira. Xayah, to pay her debt, spies on the world above. And Rakan, now trapped in the shadows, fears the monster he's becoming.

Dragonmancer

The only thing Rakan has ever taken seriously in his life is his love. While seeking new strength and new dances, he is swallowed by the darkness of his worst nightmares. But no shadow can hold his brilliance for long. Thinking only of Xayah and the life he longed for fighting beside her, he emerged victorious and banished the shadows away. The Devotion Dragon, watching from on high, saw a kindred spirit in Rakan and granted him power to match his soul.

Modern (Musicverse or other similar riotverses)

Rakan learned to dance before he learned to walk and he's been moving ever since. Now, he lives life to the fullest, a full time dancer combining the traditional dances of his heritage with a more modern twist. He has an avid social media presence, performing anywhere from clubs and theaters to street corners and protests. He believes dance and music are forces to bring people together. And if he can use his powers of beauty and theatrics to help his renegade girlfriend fight against The Man, then all the better.

[junnyh-o]

Ooooo fun!!!

Karlach (Baldur's Gate 3)

Striga (Castlevania)

Rakan (League of Legends)

Yennefer of Vengerberg (Witcher)

Julian Devorak (The Arcana: A Mystic Romance)

Gideon Nav (The Locked Tomb)

Eijiro Kirishima (My Hero Academia)

Noi (Dorohedoro)

Legoshi (Beastars)

Power (Chainsaw Man)

Tagging: @annavalentinerambles @thegreatvenere @junkyardescape @gravityoflight @blood-lich-crow @booking-and-blogging @cannibalelf @transgrahams @cyan-skies @innerjoker

@ladytabletop tagged me in 10 characters 10 fandoms 10 tags... I'm worried about the tags part.

Edalyn Clawthorne (The Owl House)

Batsy Claro (Monster High G1)

Suki (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)

Luci (Disenchanted)

Hecate (Lore Olympus)

Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy)

Sophie (Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle)

Clara (Barbie's The Nutcracker)

Wile E. Coyote (Looney Tunes)

10 people tagged (give or take) @jameskmarlowe @werewolfsister @aura218 @watcherofeternalflame @tench @thehappysorceress @captbexx @trufflesmushroom @savannahalexandraart @erysium if you got tagged and have no idea who i am, me apologies I don't ppl well and think you're cool XD

[aurelion-solar]

Arcana Xayah, Rakan, Ryze, Hecarim & Ahri 

[notoriouslydevious]

Arcana Rakan & Xayah by 赭艳

[aspectofthe-moon]

Arcana Xayah & Rakan

Icons and headers

[kiseikis]

⠀｡･ ✩ ⠀ ┊2022 ARCANA ICONS ─┈┈ ༣・゜

like/reblog if used! click here for matching headers

[cuppadoppio]

The Lovers

[reverbywerby]

arcana xayah rakan !!

[sets-yu-gurl]

I FINALLY FINISHED IT!!! Aren't they pretty?

I had fun doing this and I hope you guys like it too!

[league-of-skins]

Rakan, the Charmer

League of Legends:

Arcana Rakan