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Arcane (TV series)

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Arcane
Title card of the first season
Also known asArcane: League of Legends
Genre
Created by
  • Christian Linke
  • Alex Yee
Based onLeague of Legends
by Riot Games
Showrunners
  • Christian Linke[1]
  • Alex Yee[2]
Directed by
  • Pascal Charrue
  • Arnaud Delord
  • Bart Maunoury
Voices of
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Enemy"
Composers
Country of origin
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producers
  • Christian Linke
  • Marc Merrill
  • Brandon Beck
  • Jane Chung
  • Thomas Vu
Running time39–50 minutes
Production companies
Budget$250 million[3]
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseNovember 6, 2021 (2021-11-06) –
November 23, 2024 (2024-11-23)

Arcane (titled onscreen as Arcane: League of Legends) is an adult animated steampunk action-adventure television series created by Christian Linke and Alex Yee. It was produced by the French animation studio Fortiche under the supervision of Riot Games, and distributed by Netflix. Set in Riot's League of Legends universe, it primarily focuses on sisters Vi and Jinx. The series was announced at the League of Legends tenth anniversary celebration in 2019, and its first season was released between November 6 and 20, 2021. A second and final season was released between November 9 and 23, 2024.

The first season was met with universal acclaim, with praise directed at its animation, story, worldbuilding, action sequences, characters, emotional weight, sound, and voice acting. The second season received positive reviews, with praise for the animation, visuals, and vocal performances, while its pacing had a mixed response.[4][5][6] Some have noted the series' appeal both to casual viewers who have never played League of Legends and to long-time fans of the game.[7] It also set the record as Netflix's highest-rated series at the time within a week of its premiere, ranked first on the Netflix Top 10 Chart in 52 countries, and ranked second on the chart in the United States. Several critics and publications considered it one of the best video game adaptations ever made.[8] In 2022, the series became the first streaming series to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program and won an Annie Award for Best General Audience Animated Television Broadcast Production.

Premise

[edit]

Amidst the escalating unrest between the rich, utopian city of Piltover and the seedy, oppressed underbelly of Zaun, sisters Vi and Jinx find themselves embroiled in a developing conflict over clashing convictions and arcane technologies.[9]

Voice cast

[edit]

Main

[edit]

Recurring

[edit]

Introduced in season 1

[edit]

Introduced in season 2

[edit]
  • Earl Baylon as Loris
  • Robbie Daymond as Scar (mute in season 1)
  • Stewart Scudamore as Rictus (mute in season 1)
  • Katy Townsend as Maddie Nolen
  • Lucy Lowe as Isha
  • Ashley Holliday as Gert
  • Minnie Driver as Illusionary Sorceress

Guests

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  • Imagine Dragons as the band The Last Drop (season 1)
  • JID as The Last Drop's rapper (season 1)
  • Ray Chen as an orchestra concert soloist (season 1)
  • Krizia Bajos as Ximena Talis (season 1)
  • Mira Furlan as Babette (season 1)
  • Salli Saffioti as Amara
  • Lenny Citrano as Smeech (mute in season 1)
  • Lex Lang as Chross (mute in season 1)
  • Eve Lindley as Lest (season 2)
  • Jeannie Tirado as Felicia (season 2)
  • Keston John as Kino Medarda (season 2)

Episodes

[edit]
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
19November 6, 2021 (2021-11-06)November 20, 2021 (2021-11-20)
29November 9, 2024 (2024-11-09)November 23, 2024 (2024-11-23)

Season 1 (2021)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
Act 1
11"Welcome to the Playground"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordChristian Linke & Alex YeeNovember 6, 2021 (2021-11-06)
Zaunite sisters Vi and Powder find their parents dead in the aftermath of a battle on the Bridge of Progress. They are taken in by Vander, the leader of the failed rebellion. Years later, Vi, Powder, and their adopted brothers, Mylo and Claggor, break into a Piltover penthouse. Powder steals a set of magical crystals but accidentally shatters one, causing an explosion that destroys part of the building. Fleeing back to Zaun, the siblings encounter Deckard and his thugs; while they beat them in a fistfight, Powder is chased and loses the loot. Vander, now a respected community leader in Zaun, reprimands the children for their carelessness and attempts to resolve matters with Grayson, Sheriff of Piltover's enforcers, and her subordinate Marcus. Vi berates Mylo for calling Powder a "jinx" and consoles her sister. Somewhere in Zaun, crime lord Silco extracts information from Deckard and works with the scientist Singed to test a volatile mutagen, Shimmer, on a rat.
22"Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordNick LuddingtonNovember 6, 2021 (2021-11-06)
The stolen crystals are revealed to belong to Jayce Talis, a student at Piltover's academy. Piltover's ruling council has him testify about his unsanctioned experiments; Jayce recounts how arcane magic saved his life as a child and believes it can revolutionize Piltover. However, the academy expels him when he reveals the magical nature of the experiments, and his research is ordered destroyed. On the verge of suicide, his beliefs are renewed when Viktor, the disabled assistant of Professor Heimerdinger, offers to help him. Meanwhile, in Zaun, Marcus pressures Vander to reveal the true culprits of the robbery, while the Zaunites pressure him to fight back against the enforcers. To protect the children, Vander remains neutral, leaving some to question his leadership. Vi decides to turn herself in. Elsewhere, Silco manipulates Deckard into swallowing a vial of Shimmer.
33"The Base Violence Necessary for Change"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordAsh BrannonNovember 6, 2021 (2021-11-06)
Vander stops Vi and offers himself to Grayson instead. Silco intervenes and captures Vander after a heavily mutated Deckard massacres Grayson and her men, sparing only Marcus. Vi, Mylo, and Claggor set out on a rescue mission, leaving Powder behind. In Piltover, Jayce and Viktor secretly experiment with the crystals under the discretion of councilor Mel Medarda and eventually invent Hextech. A flashback reveals that Vander once betrayed Silco and attempted to drown him. In Zaun, the siblings reach Vander but are cut off by Silco. Vi fights off Silco's thugs but is badly beaten by Deckard. Desperate to help, Powder causes an explosion with the stolen crystals, accidentally killing Mylo and Claggor. A wounded Vander takes Shimmer to kill Deckard and save Vi, but sacrifices himself in the process. In her grief, Vi hits Powder, calls her a "jinx," and walks away. Seeing Silco approach Powder, Vi tries to return but is ambushed and captured by Marcus. Believing Vi abandoned her, Powder breaks down in Silco's arms. He embraces Powder, vowing, "We'll show them all."
Act 2
44"Happy Progress Day!"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordDavid DunneNovember 13, 2021 (2021-11-13)
Several years later, Piltover prospers with Jayce's Hextech technology and celebrates its 200th anniversary on Progress Day. Jayce initially plans to unveil a gemstone-powered device he and Viktor developed but decides against it after Heimerdinger warns of its potential dangers. Powder, now a teenager going by Jinx, smuggles Shimmer for Silco, whom she sees as a surrogate father. During one operation, the Firelights, a rivaling Zaunite gang, interfere; Jinx mistakes a Firelight for Vi and has a violent breakdown. Caitlyn, an enforcer and Jayce's childhood friend, investigates the incident. Hoping to regain Silco's approval, Jinx steals Jayce's gemstone and triggers an explosion that kills six enforcers. In response, Jayce is granted a seat on Piltover's council to help protect the city. Seeking answers, Caitlyn travels to Stillwater Prison and encounters Vi, now an adult, imprisoned by Marcus.
55"Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordAmanda OvertonNovember 13, 2021 (2021-11-13)
Caitlyn releases Vi from prison to assist her in tracking down Silco. Meanwhile, Marcus secretly works with Silco to facilitate Shimmer smuggling while framing the Firelights for the Progress Day bombing. Still traumatized by her family's deaths, Jinx refuses to work on the gemstone. In response, Silco brings her to the river where Vander once tried to drown him and performs a symbolic "baptism" to convince her to embrace being Jinx. In Piltover, Mel begins a romantic relationship with Jayce while helping him navigate the political landscape he now finds himself in as a councilor. Viktor grows increasingly desperate to cure his worsening illness through Hextech. Vi tracks down Sevika, Silco's second-in-command, who reveals Jinx's allegiance to Silco. Distracted, Vi is stabbed by Sevika but is saved by Caitlyn, allowing them to escape. Jinx successfully refines the gemstone and constructs a device similar to Jayce’s to harness its power. Sevika reports Vi's return to Silco.
66"When These Walls Come Tumbling Down"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordAlex YeeNovember 13, 2021 (2021-11-13)
After Viktor collapses in the lab, he and Jayce begin to study the "Hexcore," a revolutionary Hextech device capable of interacting with organic matter and potentially curing diseases. However, Heimerdinger deems it too dangerous and orders it destroyed, prompting Jayce to orchestrate his removal from the council. Alone, Viktor seeks out Singed, his former mentor, for help in perfecting the Hexcore. Silco orders Marcus to kill Vi and Caitlyn before they can return to Piltover. Meanwhile, Jayce orders a bridge blockade for Piltover's protection. Jinx interrogates Sevika and learns of Vi's return. Vi and Caitlyn take refuge in a safehouse as Vi recovers from her fight with Sevika, but Silco locates them after bribing local addicts with Shimmer. After escaping, the pair spot a blue flare—one Vi gave Jinx before their ill-fated mission to rescue Vander. The sisters reunite, but Caitlyn's presence triggers Jinx's mistrust. The Firelights suddenly intervene, steal the gemstone, and abduct Caitlyn and Vi, leaving Jinx behind, screaming in anguish.
Act 3
77"The Boy Savior"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordNick LuddingtonNovember 20, 2021 (2021-11-20)
The Firelights' leader is revealed to be Ekko, Vi and Powder's childhood friend. After Vander's death, Silco seized control of Zaun and made the populace dependent on Shimmer; the Firelights have been leading efforts to thwart him and rehabilitate addicts. Ekko warns Vi that the Powder they knew is gone and only Jinx remains, though Vi refuses to believe him. Singed provides Viktor with a variant of Shimmer to enable the Hexcore to modify his deteriorating body, which Viktor hides from Jayce after the latter unintentionally insults his Zaun origins. Jayce's blockades fuel tensions between the two cities. Caitlyn convinces Ekko to return the gemstone to Piltover while Vi leaves to find Jinx. At the blockade, Marcus stops Ekko and Caitlyn and prepares to kill the latter after shooting Ekko. Seeing this, Vi runs back to help, but Jinx, envious of Caitlyn, unleashes explosives which kill Marcus and his enforcers. Ekko fights Jinx as Vi and an injured Caitlyn flee to Piltover. Ekko nearly defeats Jinx but hesitates to deliver the final blow, allowing her to detonate an explosive near them.
88"Oil and Water"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordBen St. John & Mollie St. JohnNovember 20, 2021 (2021-11-20)
Silco finds a heavily injured Jinx in the aftermath of the explosion and realizes she has recovered the gemstone. He brings her to Singed for treatment, during which Jinx hallucinates that Vi and Caitlyn are the ones operating the painful procedure. Singed injects Jinx with Shimmer, causing her eyes to glow purple. Ambessa, Mel's mother and a Noxian warlord, arrives in Piltover after the assassination of Mel's brother to prepare her for the brewing war with Zaun. Meanwhile, Heimerdinger, now exiled, meets an injured Ekko. Viktor succeeds in healing his body through the Hexcore and is able to run for the first time, but further experimentation accidentally kills his assistant and childhood friend, Sky. Frustrated by the council's inaction against Silco, Vi leaves Caitlyn and partners with Jayce to dismantle Silco's Shimmer factories. Armed with Hextech weapons, they defeat Shimmer-enhanced soldiers, but Jayce accidentally kills a child worker during the fight. Caitlyn is kidnapped by Jinx.
99"The Monster You Created"Pascal Charrue & Arnaud DelordChristian Linke & Alex YeeNovember 20, 2021 (2021-11-20)
The death of the child, son of chem-baroness Renni, forces Jayce to realize the potential cost of a war between Piltover and Zaun. He brokers a peace treaty with Silco, offering Zaun's independence in exchange for Jinx. Ekko reveals the Firelights' hideout to Heimerdinger. Stricken with guilt over Sky's death, Viktor has Jayce promise to destroy the Hexcore. Silco laments choosing between Zaun's freedom and Jinx, who overhears him. After beating Sevika in a fight, Vi is abducted by Jinx and awakes restrained alongside Caitlyn and Silco in the warehouse where Vander died. Jinx hands Vi a pistol and forces her to choose between Caitlyn and herself. Vi refuses and instead appeals to their childhood, causing Jinx to suffer a traumatic breakdown. Silco breaks free and fires at Vi, but misses. Jinx shoots him, and with his dying breath, Silco reaffirms his fatherly love for her. Devastated, Jinx finally embraces her new identity. She weaponizes the gemstone into a rocket launcher and fires at the Piltover council just as they approve Zaun's independence.

Season 2 (2024)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
Act 1
101"Heavy Is the Crown"Arnaud Delord, Bart Maunoury, Pascal Charrue, Etienne MatteraAmanda OvertonNovember 9, 2024 (2024-11-09)
Jayce and Mel, alongside councilors Shoola and Salo, survive Jinx's rocket attack. However, Salo is left crippled and the other members, including Caitlyn's mother, are killed, while Viktor is mortally wounded. Jayce reneges on his promise to destroy the Hexcore and instead uses it to save Viktor, which fuses with his body. The Council plans retaliation against Zaun, though Mel opposes using Hextech weaponry. A despondent Vi refuses Caitlyn's offer to join the enforcers, recalling the enforcers killing her parents during Vander's last riot attempt. After learning from junior officer Maddie Nolan that Caitlyn vouched for her following Jayce's attack in Zaun, Vi attends the memorial for the fallen councilors. The memorial is attacked by Renni in revenge for Silco's death and Jayce killing her son. Vi, Caitlyn, and the enforcers fight Renni and her crew until Ambessa and her soldiers arrive and kill them all. Realizing that the use of Hextech weaponry is inevitable, Jayce begins developing new arms and provides Caitlyn, now promoted to Commander, with a custom rifle. Caitlyn assembles a task force, including Vi, to confront Jinx and the remaining Chem-Barons as well as to end the production of Shimmer. Elsewhere, Singed hunts a pair of wolves to a cave and prepares to use a toxic gas canister on them.
112"Watch It All Burn"Arnaud Delord, Bart Maunoury, Marietta RenNick LuddingtonNovember 9, 2024 (2024-11-09)
After Silco's death, Zaun devolves into anarchy as chem-barons Smeech, Chross, and Margot fight for control of the Undercity, despite Sevika's pleas for unity. Smeech proposes surrendering Jinx to Piltover in exchange for ceasing the hostilities, but Sevika refuses. Jinx meets a young orphan named Isha who follows her after Jinx saved her from attackers. In Piltover, Viktor awakes from his coma to a fully metal-clad body and, realizing that Jayce broke his promise, parts ways with him. He returns to Zaun, where he inspires a cult-like following after healing Huck, a Shimmer addict, with his newfound powers. Ekko's Firelights struggle with the influx of refugees from Zaun's civil war, and the Tree begins to show signs of corruption. Ekko and Heimerdinger sneak into the Academy and discuss the matter with Jayce. Caitlyn's team raids Jinx's childhood arcade; Jinx escapes after spotting Vi in full enforcer attire, causing her to break down. She is ambushed by Smeech and his crew but is saved by Isha and Sevika, who kills Smeech. Jinx reveals to Sevika that she intends to "finish [off] what's left of [her] family". In his lab, Singed begins to experiment on the organs of the wolves he caught.
123"Finally Got the Name Right"Arnaud Delord, Bart Maunoury, Christelle AbgrallHenry JonesNovember 9, 2024 (2024-11-09)
Jinx plans to return "the Gray" — collected factory pollutants from Piltover — via the ventilation system. Concerned by Caitlyn's increased aggression after her mother's death, Vi implores her not to change; Caitlyn promises not to before the two share a kiss. After a failed assassination attempt on Ambessa, the Black Rose, a Noxian cabal, abducts Mel. Ekko, Jayce and Heimerdinger explore Viktor's theory of "wild runes", arcane anomalies caused by Hextech exploitation. In the Hex Vault, they discover a massive mutating orb contaminating Zaun. Deep within Zaun, Vi and Caitlyn confront Jinx and are ambushed by Sevika. While Caitlyn fights Sevika off, Vi duels and subdues Jinx. Jinx accepts death at Vi’s hands, but Isha intervenes and shields Jinx. Vi disarms Caitlyn after she doesn't heed her calls to stop shooting at Jinx at the risk of hitting Isha. Sevika detonates Jinx's paint bombs and opens an air duct, spreading the Gray across Piltover as she escapes with Jinx and Isha. Angered that Vi's actions have resulted in Jinx getting away again, Caitlyn hits Vi and leaves her behind, causing Vi to break down in tears. Ambessa, revealed to have orchestrated the memorial attack, blames the assassination attempt on Zaun to engineer the imposition of martial law, before appointing Caitlyn as commander-in-chief, which she accepts. In Zaun, Singed feeds his blood into his newly created human-wolf hybrid.
Act 2
134"Paint the Town Blue"Arnaud Delord, Bart Maunoury, Marietta RenGraham McNeillNovember 16, 2024 (2024-11-16)
Sometime after the declaration of martial law, a joint Piltovan-Noxian force has occupied Zaun, Jinx has gone into hiding with Isha, Caitlyn is now in a relationship with Maddie, and Jayce, Ekko, and Heimerdinger have been missing since they encountered the wild rune in the Hex Vault. However, Caitlyn grows suspicious of Ambessa, who has unsuccessfully tried to conduct her own Hextech research. Sevika tries to convince Jinx, who is seen as a hero by the Zaunites, to lead a revolt, but she refuses. Unfortunately, Isha gets captured at a rally by enforcers led by Ambessa's right-hand man Rictus. Singed is also taken but leaves a blood trail for his human-wolf hybrid to follow. Sevika alerts Jinx, and they break into Stillwater Hold to rescue Isha just as the beast attacks the prison, slaughtering guards and inmates alike. Jinx fights the creature while Sevika escapes with Isha but is overpowered. Just as it prepares to kill her, however, it recognizes her as Powder.
145"Blisters and Bedrock"Arnaud Delord, Bart MaunouryKristina Felske, Giovanna SarquisNovember 16, 2024 (2024-11-16)
Recognizing the beast as Vander, Jinx seeks out Vi, who became a pit fighter following her falling out with Caitlyn. Though skeptical, Vi follows Jinx to an abandoned mine where Vander tracks and initially attacks them. However, he ultimately recognizes Vi and embraces her along with Jinx and Isha. Meanwhile, Ambessa hires Singed to track Vander, with Caitlyn deducing his true identity as expelled Piltovan academic Corin Reveck who created Shimmer as one of many attempts to cure his comatose and terminally ill daughter Orianna. Elsewhere, Mel finds herself in a Black Rose prison where she reunites with her supposedly deceased brother Kino, from whom she learns that Ambessa had an illegitimate child who is their captors' true target. However, she realizes this 'Kino' is an illusion before being chained, causing her latent magical power to be unleashed. At the Hex Vault, Jayce is released from the wild rune and encounters Salo, who was healed by Viktor, while retrieving a Hexgate core. Scarred by the experience, Jayce vows to destroy Hextech before killing Salo.
156"The Message Hidden Within the Pattern"Arnaud Delord, Bart MaunouryAlex YeeNovember 16, 2024 (2024-11-16)
Viktor and the spiritual essence of Sky investigate the wild rune phenomenon after witnessing Salo's murder. Jinx, Vi and Isha take Vander to Viktor's sanctuary in the hopes he can be healed. Across several days, Viktor begins to draw out Vander's humanity. With Singed's help, Ambessa and Caitlyn track Vander to the sanctuary. Singed attempts to persuade Viktor to give Vander up, but Viktor refuses, seeing that Singed only wishes to save Orianna. While tailing Singed as he returns to the Noxian camp, Vi is intercepted and captured by Caitlyn. Ambessa orders Caitlyn and Singed to reverse Viktor's efforts. It is revealed Vi and Caitlyn have worked together, and they neutralize both Ambessa and Singed. Haunted by his experience in the wild rune, Jayce infiltrates the sanctuary and kills Viktor, provoking a physical backlash from the people Viktor healed, including Vander who becomes uncontrollably savage, killing Rictus. Ambessa recovers and charges into the sanctuary with her soldiers. Isha overloads Jinx's pistol with Hextech gems and sacrifices herself to destroy Vander and the Noxian soldiers, to Jinx's despair.
Act 3
167"Pretend Like It's the First Time"Arnaud Delord, Bart MaunouryAmanda OvertonNovember 23, 2024 (2024-11-23)
After the events at the Hex Vault, Ekko and Heimerdinger find themselves in a parallel universe where Hextech was never invented, Mylo, Claggor, and Benzo are still alive, and Vander and Silco are on good terms, though Vi died during Jayce's apartment robbery. To return home, the two work with this universe's Powder, who never became Jinx, to recreate the wild rune and channel it into a time reversal device. At a party, Ekko and Powder share an intimate moment before he heads to the improved device. However, it is not strong enough for both of them, prompting Heimerdinger to only return Ekko while he disappears, his fate unknown. Meanwhile, Jayce is instead transported to a post-apocalyptic future where Hextech has wiped out Piltover and reunites with the hooded figure who gave him the rune stone when he was a child. Learning this future is a result of Viktor's actions, Jayce promises to stop him before being sent back by the figure, leading to the events at Viktor's sanctuary.
178"Killing Is a Cycle"Arnaud Delord, Bart MaunouryAlex Yee, Amanda OvertonNovember 23, 2024 (2024-11-23)
Following Isha's sacrifice, Jinx surrenders to the enforcers. Caitlyn reunites with Jayce and Mel, who survived her ordeals thanks to her newfound magical powers and returned to Piltover while learning of Ambessa's overreaching ambitions. After failing to negotiate with Jayce and Mel, a resurgent Viktor, now one with the arcane, communicates to Ambessa offering to enhance her soldiers in exchange for access to the wild rune beneath the Hexgates, while Singed starts working to regenerate Vander, now stripped of all his prior memories. In her cell, Jinx experiences visions of Silco, who tells her "violence is a cycle that can only be broken when one walks away", and is released by Vi, only for Jinx to lock her up, intending on killing herself. Caitlyn later releases Vi from the cell, and they have sex. Jayce teams up with Caitlyn to evacuate Zaun and organize Piltover's defense against Ambessa's assault. Mel attempts to negotiate with Ambessa, but it ends in vain as Viktor empowers his servants for war.
189"The Dirt Under Your Nails"Arnaud Delord, Bart MaunouryAlex Yee, Christian LinkeNovember 23, 2024 (2024-11-23)
As Ambessa launches her attack, the Piltovans hold the line for Jayce to shut the Hex Vault down but are overwhelmed, with Maddie — revealed to be a double-agent — sabotaging their plans. Fortunately, the Zaunites come to their aid with Jinx, who was dissuaded from suicide by Ekko. However, the attack is revealed to be a distraction while Viktor infiltrates the Vault, and the resistance is neutralized by his servants — including Vander, who attacks Vi and Jinx. After Mel kills Maddie, Caitlyn separates Ambessa from the runes she used as protection against the Black Rose, allowing the sorcerers to fatally injure her, after which she dies in Mel's arms. Taking control of the wild rune, Viktor subdues everyone except Ekko, who disrupts the brainwashing using his time-travel device. Jayce then convinces Viktor to abandon his plan by disclosing his encounter with the hooded figure — revealed to be Viktor's repentant future self. Working together, they destroy the wild rune, disappearing in the process. However, Vander remains feral, prompting Jinx to stop him by seemingly sacrificing himself. Afterward, Sevika becomes Zaun's representative on the Council, Mel departs for Noxus, Singed successfully cures his daughter, while Vi and Caitlyn ponder their future.

Production

[edit]

Riot Games CEO Nicolo Laurent said it took six years to make the first season of Arcane.[12]

Arcane's production differed from standard industry practice. The idea for Arcane first came from Christian Linke in 2015 after Riot had initially delved into other media to help strengthen the connections players had with the IP such as cinematic trailers and music videos. But at that point, none of the promotional content had any dialogue. Next, instead of finding a new animation studio that specialized in television animation, Riot decided to continue their partnership with Fortiche who had produced music videos for them. Riot also targeted the "adult-minded" animation market instead of more established markets for video game to television animation adaptations.[13]

Arcane was first announced at the League of Legends 10th anniversary celebration in 2019,[14] and is set in Riot's League of Legends fictional universe,[15][16] In September 2021, it was announced that Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, Kevin Alejandro, Katie Leung, Jason Spisak, Toks Olagundoye, JB Blanc and Harry Lloyd had joined the voice cast.[17]

On November 20, 2021, following the conclusion of Arcane's first season, Riot Games and Netflix announced that a second season was in production for a planned post-2022 release.[18][12] In June 2024, it was announced that the second season would be the series' last.[19] The series concluded on November 23, 2024.[20] The combined budget of both seasons is reported to be $250 million.[3]

Broadcast

[edit]

Marketing

[edit]

Riot Games promoted the launch of Arcane through events in their games, including League of Legends, Legends of Runeterra, Teamfight Tactics, League of Legends: Wild Rift, and Valorant as "RiotX Arcane".[21] It launched promotional collaborations with non-Riot games such as PUBG Mobile,[22] Fortnite,[23] and Among Us.[24]

On November 6, 2021, for the global premiere, Riot Games streamed the first episode on Twitch. Some content creators were allowed to co-stream the first three episodes of the series once they received permission from Riot Games, a first for a Netflix series, which also allowed viewers to retrieve in-game drops during the premiere.[25] Drops were only included in the games League of Legends (Arcane Capsule), Wild Rift (“A Single Tear” Emote), Teamfight Tactics (Gizmos & Gadgets Little Legends Egg), Legends of Runeterra (“Fascinating” Emote), and Valorant ("Fishbones" Gun Buddy).[26] The premiere received 1.8 million concurrent viewers on Twitch.

On November 21, Netflix and Riot Games partnered with Secret Cinema to bring players directly into the world of Arcane with an in-person experience in Los Angeles, California. The experience was "equipped with bespoke backstories and missions, the line between actors and audience is truly blurred as players explore the dark and dangerous underworld and encounter its inhabitants—the strange, the sinister and sometimes even the friendly".[27]

Release

[edit]

Originally set for a 2020 release, the show was rescheduled for a release in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28] It was scheduled for a simultaneous November 6, 2021, release on Netflix and China's Tencent Video,[29] with the series broken into nine episodes, with three episode "acts" being released once a week over three weeks.[30][31]

Home media

[edit]

In June 2024, it was announced that GKIDS had acquired the home video rights to Arcane.[32] The digital copy was released on September 24, 2024, and the 4K Blu-ray on 8 October.[33]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Main article: Arcane League of Legends

On November 20, 2021, songs from the first season were released on Amazon Music.[34] The series had a different opening theme in China, "孤勇者 (Gu Yong Zhe)" performed by Eason Chan. The soundtrack of the second season was released on November 23, 2024.[35][36]

Reception

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]
Critical response of Arcane
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
1100% (30 reviews)[37]—
2100% (31 reviews)[38]86 (7 reviews)[39]
The performances of Hailee Steinfeld (top) and Ella Purnell (bottom), voice actors for Vi and Jinx, respectively, received praise.

Season 1

[edit]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating to the first season, with an average rating of 9.20/10, based on 30 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, "Arcane makes an arresting first impression, combining a spectacular mix of 2D and 3D animation with an emotionally compelling story to deliver a video game adaptation that could become legendary."[37] The series also became Netflix's number-one show in November 2021,[40] setting the record as Netflix's highest-rated series so far within a week of its premiere, ranked first on the Netflix Top 10 Chart in 52 countries, and ranked second on the chart in the United States.[41]

Writing for IGN, Rafael Motamayor called the first season of Arcane a "classic in the making, and the nail in the coffin of the so-called video game curse." He noted that the show worked for fans of League of Legends and newcomers, saying that "the character stories are what keep you engaged episode after episode; the lore is just icing on the cake." He also praised the voice cast, highlighting the performances of Leung, Purnell, Aghdashloo and Steinfeld, calling the latter performance the show's standout. Praising the animation, Motamayor called it the "most stunning piece of animation since Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and compared it to Invincible in terms of episode structure. He concluded by saying that Arcane "delivers a killing blow to the idea that video games cannot be masterfully adapted... with compelling characters, an endearing story, and fascinating lore and worldbuilding, as well as striking visuals," calling it a "once-in-a-generation masterpiece" and giving it a 10 out of 10 rating.[42]

Andrew Webster of The Verge praised the "fantasy-meets-steampunk world" and how no knowledge of League was needed to understand the show. Despite calling Act 1 "a fairly typical fantasy tale" he lauded the animation, saying that "each frame looks like a gorgeous piece of hand-painted concept art; in motion, it's like nothing I've ever seen" and that "it's also a world that feels lived-in and fully realized."[43] Matt Cabral of Common Sense Media called the first season "visually stunning" and that it "features the sort of nuanced characterizations, thoughtful storytelling, and rich worldbuilding typically associated with big-budget, big-screen epics." He also took note of the blend of fantasy, steampunk and sci-fi with emphasis on how the story puts a "fresh spin on the heavily recycled premise." Cabral concluded that viewers didn't need to have played League to appreciate the show.[44]

Reviewing the first four episodes of the first season, Tara Bennett of Paste enjoyed the way that "[the creators] purposefully made an adult animated drama that unflinchingly utilizes violence, adult language, and very dark storylines when needed to make the lives of the large ensemble cast resonate." Bennett favorably compared the series to Game of Thrones, Shadow and Bone, Castlevania and BioShock. She was also positive about the "nuance and subtle facial movements" of Fortiche's animation combined with the performances from Steinfeld, Jenness, Purnell and Spisak. Bennett called "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons "infectious" and that the show is "the new benchmark for what can be done when it comes to successfully translating worthy videogame universes into a different medium."[45]

Many publications considered the series one of the best video game adaptations.[46][47][48]

Season 2

[edit]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season received a rating of 100% based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 9/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Expansive in scope while hurtling towards the endgame at a rollicking pace, Arcane's second and final season is a supremely satisfying capper to an epic saga."[38] Review aggregator Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the second season a score of 86 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[39]

Accolades

[edit]

Arcane became the first streaming television series based on a video game as well as the first video game adaptation to win both Annie Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards, as the former became the first streaming series to both win the most awards from the same nominations in a single year, and to sweep the Annies with nine, while the latter won Outstanding Animated Program, becoming the first Netflix series to do so.[49] Arcane also won the inaugural category Best Adaptation (awarded to media based on video games) from The Game Awards 2022.[50]

Award Date of ceremony Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Annecy International Animated Film Festival June 18, 2022 Best Television Production "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down" Nominated [51]
Annie Awards March 12, 2022 Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down" Won [52]
Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé, Frédéric Macé, and Jérôme Dupré (for "Oil and Water") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Léa Chervet (for "The Monster You Created") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Evan Monteiro (for "Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord, and Barthelemy Maunoury (for "The Monster You Created") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Julien Georgel, Aymeric Kevin, and Arnaud Baudry (for "Happy Progress Day!") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Simon Andriveau (for "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Ella Purnell (for "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") Won
Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production Christian Linke and Alex Yee (for "The Monster You Created") Won
Billboard Music Awards May 15, 2022 Top Soundtrack Various Artists Nominated [53]
British Film Editors Cut Above Awards April 29, 2022 Best Edited Series: Animation Ivan Bilancio, Gilad Carmel, Roberto Fernandez, Lawrence Gan, Martin Jay, Benjamin Massoubre, Ernesto Matamoros Cox, Nazim Meslem, Emmanuel Pilinski, and David Ian Salter Won [54]
Dorian Awards August 17, 2022 Best Animated Show Arcane Nominated [55]
Golden Reel Awards March 13, 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Non-Theatrical Animation Brad Beaumont, Eliot Connors, Alexander Temple, Shannon Beaumont, Alexander Ephraim, Dan O' Connell, John Cucci, and Alex Seaver (for "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") Won [56]
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards August 14, 2022 Best Streaming Animated Series or Television Movie Arcane Won [57]
Hugo Awards September 1–5, 2022 Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Christian Linke, Alex Yee, Conor Sheehy, Ash Brannon, Pascal Charrue, and Arnaud Delord (for "The Monster You Created") Nominated [58]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards September 3–4, 2022 Outstanding Animated Program Christian Linke, Marc Merrill, Brandon Beck, Jane Chung, Thomas Vu, Jerôme Combe, Melinda Wunsch Dilger, Pascal Charrue, Arnaud Delord, Alex Yee, Ash Brannon, Conor Sheehy, Barthelemy Maunoury, and David Lyerly (for "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") Won [59]
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation Brad Beaumont, Eliot Connors, Shannon Beaumon, Alex Ephraim, Alexander Temple, Alex Seaver, Dan O'Connel, and John Cucci (for "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Bruno Couchinho (background designer) (for "When These Walls Come Tumbling Down") Won [60]
Julien Georgel (art direction) (for "Happy Progress Day!") Won
Anne-Laure To (color script artist) (for "The Boy Savior") Won
Saturn Awards October 25, 2022 Best Animated Series on Television Arcane Nominated [61]
The Game Awards December 8, 2022 Best Adaptation Won [62]
December 12, 2024 Pending [63]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Animation and co-production
  2. ^ Production

References

[edit]
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