The Arcane Characters Who Could Return in League of Legends Adaptations

Is the end of Arcane the end of Vi and Jinx? We look at the Runeterra figures who could return for the next League of Legends story.

Mel Medarda in Arcane season 2
Photo: Netflix

This article contains Arcane spoilers.

Sadly, Arcane has ended and with it the tale of Piltover and Zaun. The Netflix show punctuated the finality of the story with several tragic deaths, and although the problems of the divided city are far from solved, there’s hope that things will improve because of the sacrifices that were made. However, Riot Games and animation partner Fortiche Production clearly have no intention of leaving the world of Runeterra, and there are plenty of locations and elements of game lore to expand upon.

In fact, the Arcane series finale already laid the groundwork for the next League of Legends adaptation and where it might take place. All indications are that we’re headed to Noxus, the home of war-mongering conquerors and the hidden society of the Black Rose. In the aftermath of the battle with her mother, Mel is seen sitting aboard a Noxian vessel headed back home, and it is likely she will be one Arcane character we will be seeing more of in the next adaptation, perhaps even as a main character.

But what other characters might make cameos in the next iteration of Arcane, whatever new title it may have? The montage at the end of the finale hinted at the future in store for some characters whose arcs are incomplete.

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Orianna Should Make Her Debut

The longest running of these would have to be that of Singed’s daughter, who has been sealed in a glass coffin for years. She appears to be awake and gazing into a mirror in the final scenes, and it seems unlikely that Arcane would introduce Orianna, as she is known to League of Legends players, only to leave her behind in the next show.

Caitlyn, Sevika, and Even Vi Could Visit Noxus

It’s possible that Piltover council members like Caitlyn or the newly installed Zaun representative, Sevika, could be part of some sort of diplomatic visit to Noxus if the story warranted such a thing. Vi could even come with! But these characters are more likely to have finished their arcs. Even Ekko has earned a completed story with his heroic actions in the Arcane finale, defeating Viktor and saving Jinx for her part in the battle for Piltover.

Jinx Might Have More Story to Tell

But what about Jinx herself? Does her story end with the bringing together of Zaun and Piltover and taking out the creature Warwick, whose “gloriously evolved” form no longer contained any remnant of Vander? Perhaps not! Several clues point to Jinx still being alive and likely to appear again in future League of Legends adaptations beyond Arcane.

First, if you look closely at the explosion at the hexgates after Jinx and Warwick fall, there is a purple, Shimmer-like streak coming out of the mostly blue cloud of smoke. Jinx’s Shimmer power does allow her to quasi-teleport short distances or at least zoom quickly from one spot to another. Granted, if that were the only clue that Jinx might still be alive, it would be pretty weak evidence, but there’s more to this theory than just a glimmer of purple.

The second indication that Jinx escaped her fall is that, during the montage at the end of the Arcane finale, Caitlyn is seen adding Jayce’s Hexgate plans to the Kiramman archive using the key she inherited from her mother. On the blueprints, she examines some of the ventilation shafts coming off of the core where Jinx’s explosion happened. In Caitlyn’s hand is the monkey-head cap from Jinx’s grenade, and after examining it briefly, she smiles subtly, as though understanding that Jinx probably used these shafts to escape the blast.

But perhaps the most important clue that points not only to Jinx’s survival but also to her departure from Piltover is the closing shot of a white-winged airship flying away from the camera. This scene mirrors one from the Arcane premiere in which an airship is seen flying above Vi, Powder, Clagger, and Mylo before they carry out their heist. Powder sees the flying vehicle and says to the group, “One day, I’m gonna ride in one of those things.” Obviously someone has to be in that airship at the end of the series, and this quote screams the undeniable truth: it’s Jinx!

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Where she’s going is anyone’s guess, but her departure from the main setting of Arcane leaves open the door to her appearance in a future series. Could she end up in Noxus, where the next adaptation is likely to be set? Sure! Will she be a main character in that story? Probably not. She could either make a cameo in the next series or even save her resurfacing for a third or fourth League of Legends outing. However, it seems unlikely that her leaving her sister and everyone else behind is a throwaway detail.

Make no mistake: the future of storytelling in Runeterra is likely to focus on brand new heroes. Hints of League of Legends characters like Noxian general Swain and Black Rose leader LeBlanc have already been dropped in Arcane. But viewers love to see familiar faces popping in across entries in a franchise, and there’s no way Riot Games would pass up the chance to remind Arcane viewers of the show that started it all.

Both seasons of Arcane are available to stream on Netflix now.