Arcane Season 2 Part 1 has finally landed on Netflix and ends with a familiar scene, a fight between Vi and Jinx and rising tensions between Zaun and Piltover.
It’s been a long three years for fans of the League of Legends series, but the wait is over. The second and final chapter of Arcane will conclude the story of the estranged sisters and the burgeoning civil war.
Arcane Season 2 is split into three parts, which will air in November. Part 1 picks up where we left off in the Season 1 finale, when Jinx fully embraced her evil side and launched a Hextech missile towards Piltover’s Council.
It was bad timing, especially since members voted in favor of a peace agreement. Things have gone from bad to worse, with tensions reaching boiling point towards the end of Part 1. Warning: spoilers ahead!
Arcane Season 2 Part 1 ends with Singed and Warwick
Do you remember the first look at Arcane season 2? Well, that’s the exact scene Part 1 ends showing Singed with his monstrous creation, Warwick.
Singed’s sinister experiments are teased in the final scene of the first three episodes, and it’s clear he’s up to no good. First, the mad scientist was shown acquiring a pair of gnarly looking wolves while he was busy splicing DNA in episode 2.
As we know from the League of Legends games, this is how Warwick came into existence. Although he was once human, Singed pumped him full of chemicals containing spliced monster DNA, resulting in the werewolf-like beast with a thirst for blood.
This is what has led many to believe that Warwick could actually be Vander, especially after the tease in the Arcane season 1 finale, which featured Singed with a man who looked suspiciously like the “Hound of the Underground.”
We don’t know if this is true or not, which means we end on a cliffhanger. But one thing is clear: Singed seems ready to unleash the beast in Season 2, Part 2.
Ambessa declares martial law for Zaun
NetflixAs teased in the Arcane Season 2 trailer: Ambessa continues to scheme behind the scenes and use others to her advantage, culminating in the declaration of martial law against Zaun. and appointing Caitlyn as general to lead Piltover until the ‘threat is vanquished’.
Relations between Piltover and the Undercity had been rocky leading up to this moment, after Jinx bombarded the Council. Of the members, Mel, Shoola and Salo survived, but several of them were injured – and Caitlyn’s mother, Cassandra, was killed.
Despite her mother Ambessa’s wishes, Mel wants to keep the peace and prevent innocents from being murdered. She tries to convince them that this is the work of a lone Zaunite (Jinx), but Shoola and Salo are out for blood.
They eventually come to a compromise: they will invade Zaun in the hunt for Jinx, but only if they refrain from using Hextech weapons, something Ambessa has wanted to get her hands on since her arrival in Piltover.
However, during Cassandra’s memorial, a group of Chem barons led by Renni infiltrates the event, causing further death and destruction.
At another Council meeting, Salo argues that they should defend themselves with Hextech weapons, and Caitlyn bursts in – and she doesn’t mess around.
She orders a strike team with three objectives: locate Jinx; dismantle Shimmer; and neutralize all agents still loyal to Silco. This time, Vi is even willing to join in as an Enforcer, wanting to support her partner and get revenge on Jinx.
Vi and Jinx compete against each other
NetflixThis leads to a battle involving two sides: Caitlyn, Vi and the Enforcers; and Jinx, Sevika and “Baby Jinx” Isha. None of them are killedBefore anyone can make their move, Sevika detonates a chem-bomb that explodes throughout the undercity all the way to Piltover.
Before that, Caitlyn and Vi go to the alleys to find Jinx. They reach a deserted clearing covered in Jinx’s scribbles, and as Vi goes inside, she tells her to take a shot if she can. It’s a heartbreaking moment to know that Vi has fully accepted that Powder is gone.
When Caitlyn shoots Jinx, Sevika throws down a shield to protect her. Meanwhile, Ishda, the young orphan who has become like a sister to Jinx, watches from the sidelines.
The four of them engage in a technology-driven fight, which results in Jinx having her middle finger cut off. Vi is able to overpower her, with Jinx telling her, “I’m ready.” I’m glad it’s you.”
This causes Vi to hesitate, leaving room for Isha to run in, grab her gun and aim it at Vi’s face. Just as Isha is about to pull the trigger, Caitlyn shoots the gun out of the child’s hand.
NetflixJinx tries to pull Isha away, but she’s stuck on her, and even though Caitlyn wants to shoot anyway, Vi stops her. This causes a rift in their relationship, leading Caitlyn to support Ambessa in the war effort against Zaun.
Amid the chaos, Sevika flips a switch. Jinx tries to stop her, but it’s too late: he activates a bomb that mimics the shock waves of a nuclear attack. It flows into the undercity, makes its way upwards and sends colorful but destructive plumes of smoke across the skyline.
Arcane season 2 is full of horror with The Black Rose
NetflixIn the scene before, Mel is kidnapped by The Black Rosethe Noxian cabal that seemingly killed her brother and Ambessa’s son, Kino – but there’s more to this story than meets the eye.
League of Legends players will recognize the name. The Black Rose is a shadowy organization with deep roots in Noxian society, known for manipulating powerful figures and practicing dark sorcery to pursue its own agenda.
One of the well-known figures within this organization is LeBlanc, a mysterious champion who possesses the ability to change shape and can appear in countless places at once.
A fan theory emerged that LeBlanc would appear in Arcane season 2 after a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in the trailer, in which we see a figure change shape, with gold markings under the eyes that resemble mimes that of the character.
NetflixWe still don’t know who this is
Before we go any further, let it be known that this is nothing more than speculation at this stage. However, Arcane Season 2 Part 1 at least reveals The Black Rose’s involvement.
Early in episode 3, Ambessa meets Amara, a Piltover guild merchant, although it quickly becomes clear that Amara is a member of or possessed by the Black Rose.
Ambessa owes a mysterious debt to the cabal, and their confrontation escalates when Amara warns her to give up her search for Hextech, suggesting this will reignite a long-standing feud.
Their conversation also turns to Ambessa’s son, which raises questions about what really happened to him. “My son is dead. Isn’t that enough to satisfy your bloodlust? Ambessa shouts.
Amara replies, “I have not insulted your intelligence Ambessa. Don’t insult mine. We know what you’re hunting in Piltover. We will not allow it.”
Ambessa, unwilling to give in, kills Amara. She tells her bodyguard to keep the Black Rose attack a secret, hinting that it will continue to play a menacing role in her story.
NetflixFurthermore, in her speech she lies to the people of Piltover, claiming that it was “Zaunite murderers” who killed Amara.
Her deception not only fuels public outrage but also convinces them to support an invasion, securing her desired authority to wield Hextech weapons in the name of ‘defense’.
The scene where Caitlyn is sworn in as a general is placed between clips of Ambessa and her bodyguard secretly killing a number of Chem barons, including Renni.
Ambessa may feel like she has the upper hand, but she doesn’t realize that her real enemy is not far away. Before Mel can even get close to what her mother is planning, she is kidnapped by the Black Rose.
Hextech takes on a life of its own
NetflixFollowing Viktor’s transformation following Jayce’s difficult decision to use the Hexcore to save him, the complexities of Hextech deepen in the final episode of Part 1, resulting in Jayce, Ekko and Heimerdinger are plunged into another dimension.
As the Undercity faces a chaotic power struggle and an influx of residents in need of sanctuary, Ekko struggles with limited resources – and the disturbing discovery that Firelight’s sacred tree is slowly dying, likely from Shimmer contamination.
Concerned for both his people and the future of his city, Ekko turns to Heimerdinger for answers, and together they begin to investigate the source of the toxins.
Things take a dark turn when Jayce takes them to an underground base and explains that it is a failsafe for their gem mesh. If the above-ground system ever became overloaded, the energy would be diverted here.
Ekko is furious and says, “So instead of it exploding in your neighborhood, it would explode in ours.”
Jayce tries to assure him that the base is miles away from the rifts, but Ekko sharply reminds him that the ventilation system, water supply, and the entire infrastructure are connected.
Their tense argument is suddenly interrupted when the room fills with a blinding white light. They are shrouded in a strange, ethereal glow – a power that seems beyond Hextech.
NetflixSuddenly, a pulsating, changing sphere manifests itself in front of them. “Is that a wild rune?” Ekko asks, to which Jayce says, “I have no idea what that is.”
The rune’s raw power radiates outward, separating the trio and warping the space around them into dizzying patterns, as if pulled through a black hole.
It remains to be seen whether they will survive unscathed. We’ll have to wait and find out in Arcane Season 2 Part 2, which hits Netflix on November 16.
For more Arcane content, check out the Season 2 soundtrack and our ranking of the most powerful Arcane characters.