Image: Riot Games
Some Arcane fans believed there were many open-ended questions after the finale of Arcane Season 2. Here are some answers to the most common questions.
The final season of Arcane, the League of Legends animated series, is over, but discussions and theories are still popping up all over the internet. While theories are abound, some of these questions were answered by none other than Arcane showrunner Christian Linke in a two-hour interview with popular LoL content creator Necrit, who specialises in LoL lore.
We will also attempt to answer other questions based on the details and scenes from Act III, and how they might be connected to the lore. Here are the answers to five of the most common questions Arcane fans have in the finale.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead. If you haven’t watched Act III, come back later!
Are Jinx and Warwick alive?
Most of us were probably overwhelmed with emotion when the final scene with Jinx, Vi, and Warwick unfolded. It was especially reminiscent of a similar scene in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, where Gwen Stacey died after Peter Parker failed to save her.
In this scene, Jinx and Warwick fall downwards, when Jinx removes the stone from Vi’s gauntlet to use one of her monkey grenades. Most of us pay attention to Vi as it explodes, but some sharp-eyed viewers would have spotted a bright streak of pink flash away quickly. Jinx can use shimmer to flash out of a dangerous situation, which makes this a possible sign that she survived.
Other clues pointing to Jinx's survival include Caitlyn documenting the recent events and studying the vents—all while holding what remains of the same grenade Jinx used for the explosion. Finally, there’s the Zepellin that travels out of Piltover and Zaun, a callback to the Zepellin that we saw in the opening scene of Season 1, which Powder said she would ride one day. While these theories seem to be solid evidence in support of Jinx’s survival however, none of it is entirely confirmed.
The other assumption was that Warwick was gone for good after Jinx used the grenade. After all, Vander is dead, and so is the hive-mind entity Viktor created in him. Most viewers forget that the beast is still alive in him—that’s why he was able to stir trouble against Jinx and Vi.
The beast that Singed created was also made to regenerate pretty fast, so he may have survived—and with Singed around, we can never count out reviving the Hound of Zaun—just without a trace of Vander, but potentially more of the wolf we know in-game.
Where did Heimerdinger go, and will we see him again?
Another character with a very sad ending was Heimerdinger, who sacrificed himself so that Ekko could return to their universe. We even see his skeleton, as the Anomaly they recreated seemed to have shocked his body throughout before he vanished.
However, Heimerdinger is also a Yordle—they’re powerful spirits who typically live in Bandle City. There’s a possibility that Heimerdinger could have returned to Bandle City and respawned somewhere in Piltover or Zaun in the future. Christian Linke also confirmed that this won’t be the last time we see the Yordle professor, who is a personal favourite for the Arcane showrunner.
“Personally, I’m not done with Heimerdinger,” he told Necrit in the stream. Necrit also said in response to Linke that he “could see that happening," in regards to a reapparance, especially since the Anomaly messes with time and Heimerdinger could have been thrown into a different timeline or universe again.
Is Hextech gone in this universe?
In episode 9, Ekko threw the Z-drive at Viktor, which caused a reaction that broke Viktor’s mask. Jayce showed Viktor the future he saw in an alternative universe. After this revelation, Jayce gives Viktor the rune on his wrist. The rune is infused into Viktor and causes a reaction that seemingly zaps both of them from existence. Some assumed that they were dead or transported into a parallel universe—taking Hextech with them.
Christian Linke disputed this in Necrit’s stream. “The Hexcore, that’s a different question,” he clarifies. “The Hextech still exists… the question [now is]… can Piltover keep the lid on it, you know?”
What happened to Jayce and Viktor?
Speaking of the explosion in episode 9, if one paid close attention, the explosion happened only within Viktor's and Jayce's consciousnesses. It looked like the rune absorbed only Jayce and Viktor's physical bodies after this event. There are two possibilities here. First, like Heimerdinger, the rune may have taken Jayce and Viktor to a different timeline or universe—where they might once again fall apart despite everything they've gone through. After all, in LoL's original lore, they were arch-enemies.
However, based on what Christian Linke implied about what became of the Hexcore (which was the one causing the anomaly), it may also be possible that the Hexcore took Viktor and everything else it “cured." Because Jayce held onto Viktor, the Hexcore may have taken him too. However, what we've all learned from most movies and TV series is that if there's no physical body found, then there's no evidence that one is truly dead. So like most characters mentioned in this article, we might see them again in some shape or form in the future.
What will happen to Mel and Noxus?
Mel takes her mother’s place and returns to Noxus soon after the calamity caused by Viktor, Ambessa, and Singed is over. And while this means that Noxus has withdrawn from Piltover and Zaun, we also saw a curious easter egg of a black raven with three (six?) sets of eyes on one side, pecking through the rubble atop the now defunct Hexgates.
This is a potential reference to Swain, who is part of the Trifarix of Noxus that Ambessa hinted at when she sparred with Caitlyn in Episode 6, The Message Hidden within the Pattern. Linke mentioned in Necrit’s stream that although it could be Swain, it could also be someone else from Noxus. In LoL lore, the ravens also equate to Raum, a powerful demon in Noxus who eventually makes a pact with Swain.
Ambessa’s death leaves a power vacuum, so Mel may clash with other influential, bloodthirsty Noxian leaders. The presence of Raum/Swainw’s ravens also allows for the introduction of the region—and many different locations like Shurima, Ionia, and Noxus itself.
Bonus question: What's next after Arcane?
The most important question is what’s next for League of Legends adaptations after Arcane, to which Christian Linke has already confirmed that three projects are in the works. By putting the spotlight on the Noxians led by Ambessa in Season 2 of Arcane, introducing the region in full won't be too difficult once the next project rolls in. And with Noxus being at the centre of many wars and power struggles in Runeterra—the transition to Ionia and Demacia will be natural as well.
Most LoL fans will be expecting another heavy chapter for anything related to Ionia, since many champion stories talk about the tragic invasion of Ionia, where Noxus will be able to harness most of its magic for sinister purposes. And finally, there's Demacia, another strong nation that's in constant conflict with Noxus, where most fans will be looking forward to the story of the Demacian siblings Garen and Lux, and their conflict with the Mageseeker, Sylas.
With all the exciting stories that Riot and the Arcane showrunners have yet to explore, there's much more to look forward to in the coming years for fans of both the series and LoL alike.
