The following contains spoilers for Arcane season 2 Act 2, now streaming on NetflixArcane’sseason 2 act 2 finale sees Jayce kill another major character in the show, setting up a potentially cataclysmic turn of events going forward. Jayce has been one ofArcane’s more overtly heroic figures, struggling with questions of power and responsibility as opposed to the more complex motivations of characters like Caitlyn or Jinx. Especially in contrast to the machinations of the Black Rose orthe secretive plans of Ambessa, Jayce has been a relatively straightforward character, especially in his friendship with Viktor.
However, things take a much darker turn inArcaneseason 2 Act 2. After being pulled into the Arcane alongside Heimerdinger and Ekko in Act 1, Jayce returns to the material world alone. While this raises plenty of mysteries about what happened to his companions, the focus remains solely on Jayce and why he’s returned. With a clouded mind but driven motivation, Jayce quickly reveals a darker side by killing two establishedArcanecharacters, including one that he’d long fought to protect. It’s a brutal turn that sets upArcane’s final episodes and plays into the show’s tragic themes.
Jayce’s Murder Of Viktor, Explained
Jayce Kills Viktor With A Single Blast At The End OfArcaneSeason 2 Act 2
Jayce’s murder of Viktor in Act 2 ofArcaneis a heartbreaking momentthat builds off their tragic friendship throughout the series, all while setting the stage for both characters to reach their final forms inArcane’s ending. A time-skip occurs between Act 1 and Act 2 ofArcaneseason 2, during which Viktor becomes a quasi-religious figure withinthe city of Zaun. Jayce is missing during this time, dragged into the Arcane alongside Ekko and Heimerdinger in Act 1. Jayce returns to the material world in “Blisters and Bedrock,” disheveled and with a modified version of his Hextech Hammer.
Arcane Season 2 Teases A Powerful Champion Has Been A Part Of Zaun All Along
Arcane season 2 references a powerful figure from League of Legends that may have been quietly a part of the Zaun storyline all along.
Jayce reveals his commitment to destroying Hextech and openly calls the technology a curse when speaking to Viktor through Salo. He proves willing to kill to complete his mission, quickly slaying Salo. Jayce’s internal monologue suggests thatJayce had vowed to kill Viktorif meant destroying Hextech, swearing that he “won’t fail.” This means the attack wasn’t just a random outburst or an impulsive decision. Jayce’s return to the material world was seemingly motivated by a mission to destroy Hextech and the Hexcore in particular, even if that meant murdering Viktor.
What Is Jayce’s Mission?
The Champion Of Hextech Now Seeks To Stop It
Jayce seems determined to destroy Hextech, an ironic mission given his role in developing it into a more universal tool of Piltover. Jayce believes Hextech is far more dangerous than they ever realized, likely due to his exposure to the fully mystical aspects of the Arcane. Notably, Jayce doesn’t rush into Viktor’s commune guns blazing, suggesting the merciful elements of the character remain within him. Despite this, Jayce’s mission to destroy Hextech drives him forward. Jayce’s mission comes at a heavy cost, as killing Viktor and destroying the Hexcore seemingly slays everyone else connected to Viktor through his mystical healing.
There’s a chance that Jayce’s actions aren’t fully his own, either. When speaking to the spiritual avatar of Sky,Viktor reveals his belief that there is “another will” driving Jayce. This could potentially be a metaphorical description of a joint plan hatched by Jayce and figures like Heimerdiner or Ekko, who were also dragged into the Arcane It could also suggest that Jayce has been influenced by something within the Arcane, explaining the glowing stone in his wrist. The full story of Jayce’s time in the Arcane will likely be explored in Act 3 ofArcaneseason 2.
Jayce & Viktor’s Story Is One Of Arcane’s Big Tragedies
Best Friends Turned Bitter Enemies
Jayce and Viktor’s friendship has always been one ofArcane’s big running throughlines, contrasted directly against the fractured sibling connection between Vi and Jinx.This was inherently an interesting angle to explore given the lore ofLeague of Legends, which positioned Jayce and Viktor as bitter enemies. Both men have saved the other in season 1, pulling one another back from the brink of self-destruction through their shared belief in progress through technology. As their views on one another and Hextech have evolved, the emotional connection between them has been brought up repeatedly as a strength and hindrance.
However, their greatest invention is what ultimately drives them apart. The dangerous qualities of the technology have been a source of debate between Viktor and Jayce for a while now, especially after Viktor came to believe the technology was too unstable and dangerous after it killed Sky. Jayce’s decision to fuse Viktor with Hextech may have saved him after Jinx’s attack on the Council, but it also set the stage for Viktor to transform into his current state. Despite using the Hextech to save Viktor, Jayce kills his best friend because of his deep connection to it.
Death Might Not Be The End For The Machine Herald
The ending ofArcaneseason 2 Act 2suggests that Jayce did successfully kill Viktor. However,Arcanenominally happens beforeLeague of Legends, where a transformed Viktor is a playable character. Dubbed the “Machine Herald,“Viktor’s appearance and personality inLeague of Legendswould be consistent with the character seen inArcaneand the physical transformation that the Hexcore has been inducing on him, with the magic steadily turning his flesh metallic. Viktor’s in-game abandonment of emotions could reflect his arc inArcane, especially given his final monologue in Act 2.
The following paragraph discusses the lore surrounding Viktor inLeague of Legends, which could contain potential clues towards his possible role inArcaneseason 2 Act 3.
In theLeague of Legendsgame lore, Viktor eventually lost faith in human emotion and worked to rid himself of it by transforming his body into a more mechanical state. Using Hextech amplification, Viktor remade himself into a nearly fully non-biological state. Eventually dubbed the “Machine Herald,” Viktor comes to believe emotion is a weakness that humanity must overcome through evolution into a similar state, offering to change others throughout Zaun.It’s possible that Hextech could restore Viktor, and that his frustration over Jayce’s actions could lead him to embrace an unfeeling state of mind similar to his game counterpart,
How Arcane Act 3 Will Need To Expand On Jayce’s Murder Of Viktor
Arcane’s Finale Has To Deal With Jayce’s Actions
Jayce’s murder of Viktor is the big cliffhanger ending forArcaneseason 2 Act 2,meaning the final three episodes of the show will be likely focused on the fallout of his actions. The immediate aftermath is the destruction of Viktor’s influence on various citizens of Zaun, killing many of them and seemingly destroying the remnants of Vander within Warwick. There’s also a chance that Viktor’s connection to the Hexcore could have been manipulated by some of the cosmic forces within the Void or the Arcane, explaining how the apparent hive-mind connection between Viktor and his disciples came to be.
Ambessa
Ellen Thomas
If that’s the case, the final three episodes could bring that entity into focus orallow Viktor to realize his true potential final form. It could also set up Jayce and Viktor to have a full confrontation over one another’s actions, setting up the animosity that exists between them inLeague of Legends. The Viktor that audiences have gotten to know for most ofArcanemay be truly dead after Jayce’s attack, but that might leave room open for a more dangerous version of the character to emerge inArcane’s endgame.
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.
