Arcaneseason 2 just had its most shocking, heartbreaking death scene. From the beginning, it’s clear Riot’sArcanewasn’t the kind of show to pull any punches. Season 1 opened with two children orphaned, and from there, the story wove through an intricate narrative in which nobody really felt safe. That’s despite the fact the animated show feels like something of a prequel to theLeague of Legendsgame, and so many ofArcane’s charactersappear in that - which meant viewers tend to assume they’re safe.
If there’s one rule most stories follow, though, it’s thatchild characters tend to be safe. That meant I didn’t really worry about Isha, the young child who idolized Jinx and gave her a new experience of family. I freely admit I’m not really familiar withLeague of Legendslore;Arcanewas my introduction to it, and I’ve loved it. I was vaguely aware that Isha doesn’t appear in the games, but I just thought she was a fun addition. And then came the ending ofArcaneseason 2, act 2…
Arcane Season 2, Act 2 Comes To An Explosive (& Shocking) Ending
It was all going so well…
At first, the final episode ofArcaneseason 2, act 2 looked set to end on an optimistic note. So many characters were working together for the first time against Ambessa;Vander’s resurrection as a werewolf beastforced Vi and Jinx to put their bitter history behind them, and Caitlyn helped Vi strategize against the Noxian warlord. It all went terribly wrong, though, whenJayce killed Viktor-his presence a wild card nobody had expected. This gave Ambessa time to recover from Vi’s attack, and she led her soldiers in a military strike. Meanwhile, Vander went feral after Viktor’s death.
This all looked like a precursor to tragedy.
I watched with a growing sense of shock, suddenly realizing this all looked like a precursor to tragedy. Surely Vi and Jinx were safe, though, I reasoned - which meant was growing very concerned indeed about Caitlyn, who I still liked despite what felt like a pronounced heel-turn inArcaneseason 2. I should have been focused on Isha, though, as I realized when the child launched a sacrifice play to save the day, placing multiple energy sphere in Jinx’sHextechgun and triggering a spectacular explosion.
I Can’t Believe Arcane Actually Killed A Kid
Isha’s sacrifice saved the day, but at a terrible price
Children tend to be safe in animated TV shows. That meantI really had no ideaArcanewas about to kill Isha, and I watched with mounting horror as the episode cycled through flashbacks retelling her story. This was a beautiful and poignant way of reminding us how great a character she was, and a smart way of exploiting the old trope of a person’s life just before they died. It also meant my heart broke at the scene.
How will Isha’s death affect the main characters inArcane? I genuinely don’t know; Jinx seemed to be on a path of reconciliation with the rest of her family, setting up an ending that would’ve been so wonderfully wholesome, but now everything has been upended. Riot has promised an explosive ending toArcane- there aren’t even press screeners - so I genuinely don’t know what to expect next.
Arcane
Cast
Arcane is an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, debuting in 2021. It explores the conflict between the affluent city of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Central to the story are two sisters whose allegiance to opposing sides of a technological and ideological war strains their bond.
