Movie adaptations of video games have been a controversial topic in the community for decades. No matter what franchise tries to retell its story, video game movies seem to universally struggle to capture the game’s magic. TheLeague of LegendsadaptationArcanemight be in the midst of breaking that pattern, however. Tons of fans and critics have responded positively to the first episodes ofArcane,pointing to the TV show as a rare potential example of a truly beloved video game adaptation. Considering the vast depths of lore behindLeague of Legends,Arcanecertainly has the means to pave its own road to success.
AlthoughLeague of Legendsitself and the stories written for the game are still the primary sources of lore,Arcaneis written to fit neatly inside theLeague of Legendsuniverseand contribute to it a little, unlike other video game adaptations which often take major creative liberties. There are onlythree out of nine episodes ofArcaneavailable at the time of this writing, but so far,Arcaneis already rich with story threads consistent withLeague of Legends' established story and character backgrounds. From Jinx and Vi’s complicated relationship to the dawn of hextech to the tensions between Piltover and Zaun,Arcaneis a strikingly faithful representation ofLeague of Legends.
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Arcane’s Ties to League of Legends Lore
Arcane’s most obvious relationship withLeague of Legendsis through its characters.League of Legendsfeatures a staggering 157 playable champions, butArcanechooses a select few to focus on.Jinx and Vi are at the centerof the show. For many years, fans have firmly believed that Jinx and Vi are estranged sisters;Arcanenot only confirms that, but it explores their childhood and relationship in greater depths than ever before. Alongside Jinx and Vi, a secondary plot stars the young Jayce and Viktor as they invent Piltover’s signature hextech technology, despite Heimerdinger’s protests. Further characters like Caitlyn and Ekko have appeared inArcanetoo, and they’ll certainly affectArcane’s plot based on their known impact onLeague of Legends' story.
Arcanedoesn’t just retell the backstories ofLeague of Legendscharacters, though. It also ties into theLoLuniverse by depicting two of the game’s most famous locations: Piltover and Zaun. These twin cities are closely tied and famous for their technological advancements, but they’re not perfectly unified. Both suffer from corruption, inequality, and oppression in various forms.Arcaneoffers a fantastic opportunity to explore this part of theLeague of Legendsworld. Asa MOBA with a handful of fixed maps,LoLcan’t often take players to uncharted locations like Piltover and Zaun, soArcaneis an excellent opportunity to point theLoLuniverse’s camera in a new direction for a change.
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Arcane is Just Getting Started
It’s amazing how muchLoLstorytellingArcanehas already touched in with only three episodes released, but there’s almost certainly more on the horizon. Singed has been spotted working in the villainous Zaunite Chem-baron Silco’s labs, and the strength serum that Singed and Silco have producedcould lead to Dr. Mundomaking an appearance inArcane.What’s more, the presence of Singed could mean that his mutant creation Warwick will appear inArcane.Vander’s backstory suggests that he could become Warwick in future episodes, adding new tragic depths to Jinx and Vi’s adoptive father. In its opening act,Arcanehas really only scratched the surface of Piltover and Zaun’s established presence inLeague of Legends.
For now,Arcaneclearly takes a lot fromLeague of Legends,but it’s hard to sayhowArcanemight affectLeague of Legendsin turn. While the show isn’t meant to rewriteLeague of Legends' story, it could still establish new characters and concepts that make their way into the game. For instance, Riot Games teased a Zaunite champion in the September 2021 Champion Roadmap. That champion could be Silco, a character original toArcane,considering the champion’s focus on manipulation and wealth. For now, though, fans will have to settle forArcanemaking the most out of theLoLuniverse. If the rest ofArcaneis as good as its first act, then hopefullyLeague of Legendsgets more TV shows likeArcanesometime soon.
League of Legendsis available now for PC.
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