Arcane’s Season 2 is a masterpiece of animation focusing on the lore from the immensely popular League of Legends. The second season has many plotlines focusing on themes of fascism, power, corruption, family and rebellion that help shape a captivating story. With the musical stylings of Imagine Dragons and Twenty-One Pilots, and beautiful artwork to back it, Arcane is truly a work of art.
The story takes place in the fantasy town of Piltover and its underground sister city Zaun. Piltover is home to the wealthy, politicians and inventors while the city of Zaun homes the poor, criminals and whoever else is unable to afford to live in the respite of Piltover. While Piltover is bright, vibrant and beautiful architecturally, Zaun is dark, slummy and overall, less appealing.
A majority of the populous Piltover thinks of Zaun very lowly, with the citizens of Zaun being forced to struggle for necessities. Many residents are forced into thievery, gangs or rotten jobs just to survive. Because of this Zaun is looked down upon and subject to separation and restrictions from the politicians of Piltover.
The second season starts where the first left off, with Jinx firing a rocket into the capitol full of the leaders of the cities. Jinx’s is a very broken character, having lost most of her family, friends and sanity. Her story in the second season shows us how Zaun had begun to look up to her as an image for change. Jinx, however, is only interested in laying low before being forced back into the spotlight by a young girl she had saved in the second episode.
We also see Jinx struggle with family as she finds her lost father now mutated into a beast called Warwick. Jinx along with her sister Vi work diligently to get Warwick to Viktor whose body had fused with Hex Tech giving him Jesus like healing powers.
Viktor’s story centers on the struggles towards perfecting Hex Tech, an ultimate superweapon powered by the arcane. We see him become a Jesus like figure to the diseased people of Zaun leading them to a sanctuary. The Hex tech however causes him to lose his reason and instills the belief that he will fix the world. Those he has healed enter a hivemind of sorts being able to be controlled by Viktor at his will.
We also see the characters of Echo and Heimerdinger work through multiverses after tinkering with a power source that was polluting their home. Through this we get to see the characters we already know in a whole new light. They then find their way back to their universe and begin efforts to unite Piltover and Zaun
The biggest plotline we get to witness is the war of Viktor and the Ambessa. Viktor hopes to rush the Hex Gate and grow his power as well as his reach with the help of the Warlord Ambessa. Piltover and Zaun have now joined forces and fight this hivemind army with Warwick at their side.
Arcane‘s second season is a wonderful experience through and through that left me needing more. As you watch you begin to empathize with the characters and really feel the pain of each moment. If you haven’t yet taken an evening, hop on Netflix, and give this work of art a watch.
