#i want jayce to question how far viktor will go to get his glorious evolution

[slitherred]

I'm sorry but I don't like the leaked mask design. 😔

He looks more like an Otherworldly Father than the Robot Daddy I was expecting.

[pixieswashere]

EXACTLY like that was so so frustrating because even if we know that Arcane is it's own "iteration" or well used to be....(I think it's confirmed canon which um...yeah thats a choice after having a multiverse ep.) In the OG lore, Viktor BECAME the Machine Herald by his own hands....He literally chose that path and while you can argue some of his lore feels like it could be fleshed out. The point is that his rise to glory was....from his own accord and vision.

Viktor's decisions were tested by Piltover constantly taking advantage of him (Professors/ ppl constantly stealing his hard work....from a Zaunite who had nothing.) while Zaun suffered because they still have gas and chemical incidents that are brushed off by the elite. Viktor so far as we know was the ONLY person to come up with his mechanical suit because he knew Zaun was suffering and wanted to aid the labor force.....and a professor stole his idea....his invention. Even after he became the Machine Herald, Viktor wasn't revealed to be... a total psychopath as the rumors in his short story suggest....He just made decisions that were very morally questionable in terms of The Glorious Evolution and he never really forced ANYONE to join....He gave them the CHOICE (Ex: "There is always a choice." - Viktor)

The lost opportunity to have Viktor a tragic anti-hero who is STILL viewed as the enemy from BOTH sides even though he has spent his life helping people (after Piltover is labeling him as a monster) after he left Piltover to cement his legacy in saving Zaun from war and Jayce constantly breaking his trust is actually a really good way to end his arc and way to end off his story (not only does it open for continuations like for Jayvik moments and IN GENERAL, but it's stays true to a satisfying yet promising prequel to show that VILLAINS or rather Anti-Heroes too are MADE....They make decisions influenced by the current state of their world, views, morals, and ect.)

It's a very realistic lens to show how not ALL people are viewed as heroes....or will have their image be ruined in favor of "keeping the peace" (cough Piltover cough) even if they're intentions weren't all bad or they're wrongdoings small. It's a pretty realistic thing that happens in the real world with some political figures or groups (in Propoganda, War, and etc.)

This could've also opened up the explanation for champions like Renata and etc. Bc we could've had her be the person who would take in Viktor after he left Piltover with the proposition of having him as her "co-partner"(but not with the right intentions....mostly ofc because maybe she wants to fund weapons/Hextech to monopolize it and aid it for Zaun too) Which would set off his arc to go on his own path, it makes sense for him to do this and...it's a good way to subverting the original lore.

Compared to having him be a wizard and a magic user this WHOLE time...which in my opinion diminishes a lot of what we've seen him do and is capable of in S1....and feels like cheap way to write him as a Gary Stu. When first of all....if we are to be logical:

1) Ryze is still a wizard and would've known about the events of S2 bc mages/magic users get their power from the Arcane. He literally spen his entire life searching runes and his role as a mage, so he WOULD'VE KNOWN about the warping disarray that was happening and imo, was a robbed aspect to address this as a part of Heimerdinger's backstory/a meaningful redemption arc.

2) Jayce (not even Viktor) DIDN'T even invent Hextech....it was actually Camille and House Ferros (....Nice try Fortiche) Jayce just made it a public revolutionary discovery to Piltover, so in reality Dumbledore! Viktor didn't really "invent" shit bc in the timeline he was only present during Jayce's childhood (Unless Riot retcons that too and says that Viktor was also there when Camille invented it....which is yknow S level writing.)

3) Also the multiverse aspect is so contrived bc if every universe is a parallel universe of "what could have been" or "what if", then this would mean in a universe where he is the mage there would be another parallel were Viktor is a wizard but with differences to what happened. REALISTICALLY, if we are going with this theory....it makes no sense for their NOT to be a universe where Viktor ISNT the Villain. Like this entire Multiverse worldbuilding was so badly written, bc it feels like a poorly excuse to give a reason as to why Viktor is the villain??? (which is very ignorantly ableist argument in my opinion) and it goes AGAINST the Multiverse/Alternate Universe theory bc it's impossible for EVERY universe to have the exact same outcome (It's like they just rounded down the worst outcomes, even tho it's A MULTIVERSE...Dr. Strange level speech excuse.)

So yeah definitely still a Machine Herald fan and Herald of the Arcane fan. BUT mostly a Machine Herald fan because...He doesn't just look good in metal....He's like an actually pretty cool guy, who just wants to create inventions and do crimes in peace...(like a true based introvert), AND HE'S A DAD WHO LOVES HIS ROBOT SON??? (Herald of the Arcane could never...)

P.S. if the creators still wanted a multiverse with the s2 finale ending. They would have to have a 3 to 4 season to really flesh the story more (bc after all the writing pitfalls they shouldve done a 3 - 4 seasons to flesh the plotlines/character arcs out). Or simply have a Convergence spinoff for Ekko (I bet $100 they'll end up doing that shi.)

We didn't even see Viktor do anything with his smart mind in season 2, it's ridiculous.

This man is the co-creater of Hextech and has been building working machinery since he was a child. That man is a genius, and season 1 showed us.

Season 2 however, threw all of that out the fucking window...