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DISCLAIMER: This review contains spoilers for Arcane Season 1, as well as some light spoilers for season 2
In 2021, Arcane took me by surprise. A show based on League of Legends, a game I have never played, and never intend to play, ended up being one of my favorite releases of the year. A mix of beautiful animation, interesting world building, compelling characters, and a killer narrative drew me in by the end of the first three episodes. By the time the first season was over, I was already clamoring for more, and now that time has come. Arcane’s second, and final, season has dropped, and it was worth the wait.
Ashes and Blood
Arcane Season 2 is split up into three “acts,”—three episodes each—and the first act picks up right where the first season left off. Jinx (Ella Purnell) has launched an attack on the opulent over-city of Piltover, blowing up the city’s council. As tensions rise between Piltover and Zaun, the underprivileged, underrepresented undercity, something must be done before things hit the boiling point. To apprehend Jinx, Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Caitlyn (Katie Leung) lead a team into the undercity to apprehend her. Meanwhile, concerning developments arise with the arcane with Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) and Viktor (Harry Lloyd).
The first act works as a perfect reintroduction to the world of Arcane after the show’s three-year hiatus, catching the viewer up on the relevant events of the last season while also pushing the narrative forward towards newer, uncertain grounds. Right out of the gate, Arcane Season 2 puts its characters on interesting new arcs. Caitlyn’s descent into grief-driven anger is as compelling as it is concerning, bringing light to the large disparities between the classes in the world of the show. I also like how Jinx begins to get a little more agency in this section, no longer burdened by as much paranoia as she was in the first season. She also gets to show her soft side, as she is accompanied by a mute child named Isha (Lucy Lowe).
Go Spin the Wheel and See Where It Lands
The following two acts of Arcane Season 2 also knock it out of the park, raising the stakes both physically and emotionally. The second act spends a lot of time honing in on Jinx and Vi’s sibling relationship, showing us how far the two have split from one another, while also highlighting how connected they still are. I also liked how this section builds on the character of Isha and her newfound bond with Jinx. The character dynamics that unfold adds much more depth to the characters, making the story itself even more captivating. Also present in Act 2 are various subplots that eventually converge into an explosive, and heartbreaking, cliffhanger. That’s one of the series’ greatest strengths, tying together different plots, making it so that every character has an impact on the story as a whole, and giving some characters chances to interact that the audience might not expect to see.
The third act of the season is the most mixed of bags for me. That’s not to say it’s bad. In fact, this act contains what may be my favorite episode of the season, but it is the final act of the entire series, and therefore has a lot of ground to cover in a limited amount of time. The act begins with a bit of a palette cleanser, an episode half dedicated to Ekko (Reed Shannon) and half dedicated to Jayce. The contrasting storylines in this episode provide new perspectives on the universe, oscillating between levity and gravity. I found myself particularly invested in Ekko’s story arc during the episode, for reasons I won’t disclose here in this review due to spoilers. That leaves the last two episodes to wrap up the entire story and, well, it does do that.
Arcane’s conclusion is an interesting thing to talk about. The series leaves many things unsettled, or somewhat unresolved. On one hand, some of this is good, both for leaving things up to the audience's imagination, and to drill home the idea that not everyone gets a fairytale ending. On the other hand, these last two episodes feel somewhat rushed, barrelling towards an epic conclusion while missing out on more of the slow-paced intimate character moments that the series has been loved for in the past. One particularly sour spot is how the series seems to put the conflict between Piltover and Zaun on the backburner, turning its back on the intriguing socio-political commentary that was a pleasant surprise in the past. Gone are the discussions of class disparity and injustice within Riot Games’ fantasy world, and in its place rests a bombastic final battle that seeks to jam-pack itself with crowd pleasers. In this way, the series’ final chapter is certainly dubious in nature, but I don’t think it sours the show’s narrative entirely. There’s still plenty to appreciate, and the ending is still far from a worst-case outcome.
Paint the Town Blue
I’d be remiss not to mention the incredible artistic work taking place in Arcane. The show continues to bolster its unique visual style, developed by French animation studio Fortiche. Characters and environments look like paintings, despite being modeled in three dimensions. Fortiche makes strides to experiment, as well, constantly trying things such as varying frame rates and visual styles during certain scenes, enhancing the emotional impact of these moments by a significant magnitude.
Arcane also excels in its music department, with songs coming in from a plethora of artists, each with their own unique sounds. Just to name a few, Season 2’s soundtrack features songs from Tom Morello, Twenty One Pilots, Stromae, Eason Chan, and even a song from the voice of Professor Heimerdinger himself, Mick Wingert. On top of that, Imagine Dragons and JID’s iconic opening song "Enemy" returns, alongside a brand new intro animation for the season. Arcane simply wouldn’t be itself without its striking visuals and exceptional soundtrack.
Feeling Fantastic
At the end of the day, Arcane Season 2 brings more of what’s good, bringing a conclusion to the beloved gaming adaptation. While not every aspect of the season is perfect, its flaws are easily overshadowed by the series’ wonderful characters, art, and music. While I still don’t have any interest in League of Legends, I’m excited to see what’s next for the future adaptations of this universe.
Graphic created by Willow Emig with image provided by Netflix promotional material for Arcane.
Sources: IMDB, League of Legends, IMDB, IMDB, IMDB, IMDB, IMDB, IMDB, IMDB, Riot Games Fortiche, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify, IMDB, Spotify, Spotify, Spotify
Photos: Netflix
Contact Ian Case with comments at ian.case@bsu.edu or on X, formerly known as Twitter @iancasian.
