Arcane boldly burst onto our screens back in November 2021, bringing together breathtaking animation, a brilliant story, a bodacious cast of characters, and a bomb soundtrack to make arguably the best video game adaption ever brought to the screen. And after 3 years, it’s back for round 2.
The League of Legends adaptation left us hanging with season 1’s monster of a cliffhanger. And soon, we’ll know exactly what happens when Jinx’s rocket strikes. Who’s making it out alive? Not everybody, and certainly not the viewers. But before we find out, here’s what you need to know before the release of Arcane season 2.
When and where to watch Arcane’s FINAL Season
Arcane season 2 will drop (no doubt with a big boom) exclusively onto Netflix in 3 parts, with the first part set to drop on November 9. The remaining parts will come out the following 2 Saturdays, November 16 and November 23.
And before you get your hopes up about season 3, it has been revealed that this second season will actually be the show’s final season. Arcane’s creators “had a very specific ending in mind” and only needed 2 seasons to tell the story they so deliberately crafted. So sit back, relax (if you can), and soak up the final season. And then maybe cry afterward.
Arcane season 1 recap
Arcane follows many different characters and stories that, as season 1 progresses, begin to intersect before totally merging in the final episode, “The Monster You Created.” Jinx “invited” (kidnapped) Vi, Caitlyn, and Silco to her Mad Hatter’s tea party. Vi and Caitlyn narrowly survive, but Jinx kills Silco and seemingly reaches total insanity, putting Powder in the past for good. Jinx’s actions will most definitely have an effect on herself, Vi, and even Zaun now that Silco is out of the equation.
Then, season 1 went out with a literal bang as we watched Jinx’s rocket soar towards the Council’s meeting spot. Every member of the Council, plus Viktor, was within. They had just decided to agree to Silco’s deal to make the Undercity its own nation. But whether or not this decision will even matter remains to be seen. But what’s important is that all of these characters (3 of which—Jayce, Viktor, and Mel—are main characters) are in mortal danger. What happens when the rocket strikes will no doubt have a massive impact on season 2.
Other Key Details
- Heimerdinger (who is no longer a Councilor) has aligned himself with Ekko and the Firelights.
- The Hexcore’s fate is left hanging. After it disintegrated Viktor’s assistant, Viktor realized it had to be destroyed. But as of now, the Hexcore is just sitting in his lab. Considering that Heimerdinger said the Hexcore looked like a world-destroying weapon he’d seen before, the Hexcore is likely going to be a major player in season 2.
- A mystery foe is after the Medardas and is very likely going to bring major problems to Piltover.
- The tensions between Zaun and Piltover are at an all-time high. Plus, Silco’s death creates a power vacuum in Zaun, and, depending on the results of Jinx’s rocket, a power vacuum could also erupt in Piltover. The perfect storm for war is brewing, and tensions will come to a head in Arcane season 2.
What To Expect in Season 2
Season 2 is likely going to be jam-packed with story, action, and everything season 1 had but on steroids. If season 1 was the mess around season, season 2 is the find-out season. Which will be exciting for viewers and considerably less exciting for the characters themselves. While plenty of intrigue surrounds this upcoming season, here are some facts and speculation to further fuel your anticipation.
Main Characters Returning and New Characters Appearing
We’ll no doubt be seeing plenty of familiar faces, as the voice actors for Vi, Jinx, and Caitlyn have been confirmed to be returning. Interestingly, Kevin Alejandro, the voice actor for Jayce, has also hinted at an appearance—potentially meaning that Jayce survives the inevitable Council explosion. The official trailer for season 2 also shows the return of Ekko, Heimerdinger, Ambessa Medarda, Silco’s main woman, Sevika, and Singed.
But it also seems that Arcane will be adding to its already robust character lineup. Caitlyn appears to have a small team of recurring allies. Plus, popular League of Legends character Warwick also seems to be making his debut. Internet sleuths are speculating that Warwick is actually a revived and altered Vander.
A Banging Soundtrack
Season 1 knocked it out of the park with its original soundtrack (OST), which included Imagine Dragons, Pusha T, and Sting. So naturally, I have really high expectations for season 2’s OST to be as good as, if not better than, season 1’s. And I’m not worried either, as we’ve already gotten a delicious first taste in the official trailer with Ashnikko’s “Paint the Town Blue” and in the series trailer with “Come Play,” a collaboration between Stray Kids, Young Miko, and Tom Morello.
The full tracklist has dropped, featuring songs from Twenty-One Pilots, d4vd, Stefflon Don, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Woodkid, who also featured in season 1. And judging from the songs already released, we’re in for a serious treat.
More of the Same and Plenty of New: Trailer Details and Speculation
There’s a lot to dig through in the trailers and teasers that have been released for Arcane’s final season. But based on the trailers, it seems like season 2 will include and build off of season 1’s best features. This means a number of incredible fight scenes (one or more of which will most certainly be a Vi and Jinx showdown) and plenty of drama, surprise, and utter chaos. After all, war is coming to Piltover. On multiple fronts too, from both the Zaunites and the trouble Ambessa is bringing. And maybe even civil unrest from within Piltover.
We’ll also likely see more exploration of magic or the arcane. Multiple shots in the official trailer hint at this, from the floating people at 1:19 to the multicolored orb (potentially an evolved Hexcore) that shows up in the hands of what could be a mage at 1:52. We’ll likely find out if Heimerdinger was ultimately right in season 1: Is mixing magic and science a bad idea?
Character Progression
Jinx seems to have become a (potentially unwilling) paragon for Zaun, giving her an army to use against Piltover. On top of this sudden leadership position, she’ll have to deal with the blowback of killing her father figure and her continuous spiral into homicidal madness. Vi also appears to be in the midst of an internal struggle, as seen in the “Nothing to Lose” clip and the official trailer. She dons an enforcer uniform as well as an all-black rogue getup, hinting at a potential identity crisis. She’s from the Undercity but is siding with Topside, and she’s fighting her own sister, who she tried so hard to save but seemingly couldn’t. So, no doubt she has a lot to juggle.
Caitlyn appears to be going full enforcer mode to end Jinx for good, no matter what it costs her personally (which could be Vi, as their romance seems to be on the rocks in the “Nothing to Lose” clip). It’s not a huge leap to assume that she’s highly motivated by Jinx killing her mother with the rocket. Ekko also seems ready to go all out, though what exactly he’s fighting for is a little murky. We do see multiple shots of him riding the hoverboard with Vi, though, so their team-up seems inevitable.
Lastly, the trailers have been coy (definitely on purpose) about the fates of Jayce, Viktor, and Mel. I don’t think it would be out of the question that at least one of them actually dies. But it’s also possible, for the sake of the plot, that they all survive. However, just because they survive doesn’t mean they’re unscathed. Ultimately, whatever happens to them, death or not, will have massive effects in the second season.
As ready as we can be
Any way you spin it, Arcane Season 2 is going to be insane. We can analyze trailers all day, but I don’t think we’ll be able to fully crack what’s coming. The sheer unpredictability of next season is what makes it so exciting. And maybe a little terrifying, because based on the first season, this doesn’t seem like the kind of show where everyone gets a happy ending. So get excited…and prepare for the worst.
