How “Arcane” mastered the intricate art of character writing

Following the lives of the residents of the fictional Piltover, “Arcane” blurs the lines of morality, politics and the human connection. 

By: Michael Doyle

SPOILER WARNING 

Set in the universe of the online video game “League of Legends,” the Emmy-winning animated action-adventure series “Arcane” released its first season in November 2021, with a second and final season later released in November 2024.  

“Arcane” goes where no video game series has gone before, re-imagining how we adapt video games to television. It takes the viewer into a mystical world of steampunk, sci-fi and fantasy. 

Split into three three-episode acts per season, “Arcane” follows the lives of sisters Vi and Jinx as they are embroiled in a class war between the affluent city of Piltover and the undercity of Zaun. 

As the series progresses, tensions between Piltover and Zaun increase. Characters struggle to pick sides in a war where lives are lost and morality becomes ambiguous. The true beauty in its writing is the complexity of nearly every character, accomplished through breaking down gender and character norms. 

Writing physically strong female characters is a trope that Hollywood has failed to consistently capture in TV and films as seen in the flat and shallow character development of Rey Skywalker from Star Wars or Captain Marvel in Avengers: Endgame.  

Defining characters by their gender or adding masculine personalities to women can hinder their character development due to the laziness of the writers.  

Writers sometimes fail to differentiate between the varied personalities of male and female characters, but Arcane’s Vi is a stark contrast to the lack of variation previously seen in shows and films. Vi is frequently seen losing physical, mental and emotional battles, but her inner strength captures her character and sells it to the audience. Despite losing family, lovers and the ambition to succeed, Vi isn’t defined by her failures, rather her tenacity to continue on.  

Throughout the first season, Jinx’s character is often defined by her dependency on others, switching from her adoptive father Vander to her older sister Vi, then to her other adoptive father Silco. Rather than coming from her gender, this dependency comes from her character’s trauma, age and insecurities. 

Jinx’s dependent nature is rooted in her childhood, yet “Arcane” doesn’t try to fetishize it or make it her only quality, instead focusing on her trauma that she breaks away from over time. This is a large difference between her “League of Legends” character, who wears skimpy clothing and is designed for the male gaze. 

Caitlyn Kiramman is perhaps the show’s most feminine main character, acting as an empathetic and passionate moral compass. Although these are usually seen as feminine traits in our society, not only are none of them gendered, but they are all traits Caitlyn picked up from her father. Kiramman is a combination of her assertive politician mother and soft-spoken, emotional father. 

The final main female characters are Ambessa Medarda and her daughter Mel. Ambessa is a ruthless military general, highlighted by her physicality and her actions to foil Mel, whose mental fortitude highlights her strength. Both characters use their respective strengths to control those around them, but their contrast in styles complement each other, creating strong independent female leaders. 

Similar to the female characters, the story’s male characters also contrast stereotypical gendered writing, but in an opposite way. Rather than breaking stereotypes, many of the male characters fit these stereotypes, but their flaws turn into deep problems because of it. 

Piltover’s resident scientist, now turned politician, Jayce Talis is strong and charismatic. He becomes the face of Piltover’s expansive scientific revolution, Hextech. His ability to succeed in what he does almost always inflates his ego, prompting him to believe he can force his way through his problems. However, this causes him to continue to struggle as he must learn how to work through his failure, embarking on a dark character arc throughout the second season.  

Jayce’s science partner and co-creator of Hextech, Viktor, is a deeply troubled, disabled and lonely individual from Zaun who often suppresses his emotions. His history of social isolation causes him to push people further away, forcing his issues to manifest violently, both physically and mentally. His emotions eventually come out, consuming both himself and those he cares about. Viktor’s obsession to make everything perfect is a projection of his insecurities, believing that a perfect society has no abnormalities. 

Silco, the leader of Zaun and the main antagonist of season one, is a character driven by revenge. As he speaks to his adoptive daughter Jinx, he admits that he once let a weak man die, referencing his prior self. Now, he is willing to do whatever it takes to seek his vengeance, unlike his former friend Vander who sought to gain Zaun’s independence peacefully. 

Silco’s ruthlessness destroys the citizens of Zaun and his aggression results in many lives, including his own, being lost. 

The most fascinating recurring theme of the show’s main characters is their attachment to their past or their future. Ultimately, the characters only find happiness in the moment they are able to break the chain and accept what’s out of their control. 

Vi, Jinx and now Ekko, a childhood friend of the sisters, all struggled to let go of how things used to be when they were kids. In an episode where Jayce, Ekko and Heimerdinger, the former Head of the Piltover Council travel to an alternate universe, Ekko shares a difficult conversation with that universe’s Jinx, whom he is in a romantic relationship with. 

“Ever wish you could just stay in one moment?” Ekko asks, as they hold each other. 

“Sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind,” Jinx responds. 

Both Jinx and Vi only reach the end of their character arc when Jinx breaks away from Vi’s life, forcing both of them to move on from their complicated and often violent relationship. No longer having the people of her past influencing her life, Vi is finally able to be in a happy relationship with Caitlyn. Ekko then has to let go of his life in the alternate universe and save all of Piltover. 

Following the death of his lab assistant Sky, Viktor’s obsession of what he doesn’t have further consumes his life. Viktor became fascinated by the Hexcore, his latest invention and its impact on the body.  

In a desperate attempt to extend his life, Viktor uses shimmer, a chemical substance that strengthens the user’s physical capabilities. This enables him to walk and run for the first time in his life. 

In the final season, Viktor becomes fused with the Hexcore and flees to Zaun to start a new society that is drugless, docile and follows his teachings. After converting his followers into a doll-like army to reach a glorious evolution, Jayce attempts to pull Viktor back to who he once was. 

“You’ve always wanted to cure what you thought were weaknesses,” Jayce tells him, referencing his leg and disease. “But you were never broken, Viktor. There is beauty in imperfections, they made you who you are.” 

Even with Viktor serving as an antagonist to all of Piltover and Zaun in the second season, the audience doesn’t want to see him punished, they want to see him saved. In addition, Silco was shown caring more about Jinx than the independence of Zaun, being willing to sacrifice his ultimate goal to protect her. 

Despite having many flaws, Silco’s pursuit of freedom was done to give the children of Zaun the upbringing they deserved. None of these main characters in the series are free of wrongdoing, but the characters are realistically flawed, relatable and human which creates sympathy.  

For a series that only amounted to two seasons and prominently featured over a dozen characters, “Arcane” absolutely exceeded all expectation. Even if it differed slightly from the preexisting canon of League of Legends, its characters were compelling and rich in their personality traits. Succeeding in writing female characters, male characters, protagonists and antagonists, “Arcane” set a new expectation for the expanding world of film adaptations. 

“Arcane” is available to watch on Netflix.