[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2]
Easily one of the best series of the past five years, be it animated or live-action, isArcane. Based on the highly popular video gameLeague of Legends, the animated series centers around sisters Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) andJinx (Ella Purnell), who, after a tragic accident, are separated as children. Their paths cross once more as they find themselves on opposing sides of a civil war. After two outstanding seasons, the Emmy-winning series has come to an end. Before you get too sad, series co-creatorChristian Linkepreviously revealed thatwe can expect to see new series set in the same world.
I was fortunate to have the opportunity to talk to Linke once again, this time after having watched the series finale. We discussed the fate of Jinx, why he believes time constraints can be a positive thing, Viktor’s sexuality, our shared love of Heimerdinger, and much more. you’re able to read our full conversation below.
Is Jinx Actually Dead?
COLLIDER: I just got done finishing the show this weekend. I cried quite a bit.
CHRISTIAN LINKE: Oh, I apologize.
Especially in the seventh episode. I was like, wow, what a way to start my Saturday.
LINKE: Yeah, yeah, I know. That one is, it was really born out of passion, you know, like we really wanted to know what Powder would be like.
So I think my first major question is, is Jinx, is she actually dead?
LINKE: [Laughs] Wouldn’t you like to know? Yeah, I can’t really speak to that. What I will tell you is that, you know, people only look at this question of like, are they alive? But really, the importance about that moment is thatit’s the moment where Jinx finally does the thing that the big sister would do.The whole arc that she has in Season 2 through Isha is about growing up and being responsible for someone else, and, I don’t know, just growing past this chip on her shoulder she’s always had being the little bumbling sister. And so it’s, you know, it’s a moment where she does what Vi is not able to do.
So was that always the plan from the get-go? Because I love how the show went from she was this villain, and now it’s not like she’s clearly done some very terrible things, but at the end, I felt like I was fully sympathizing with her and felt like she wasn’t the big bad anymore. Was it always going to be Viktor who would end up being the villain?
LINKE: Yeah, I mean,because of who he is in the game, it kind of was necessary,you know? And so you know, yeah, we always knew that Viktor would be that character and that we would see him kind of turn into this person.
Will Any of the Characters From ‘Arcane’ Return in Future Series?
“There are so many characters in our IP.”
So I know last time we talked, I also had asked about, additional shows or spinoffs and you said there are a couple that you have talked about. And I love how the season ended because it was so open-ended. So are some of these open-ended storylines setting up possible spin-offs? Will the future series be focused on characters we’ve already met in Arcane? Or would they be about somebody completely new?
LINKE: So there will be some stories to come out of Season 2, right? But yeah, we also want to do new stories. Right now, we’re really going wide and exploring like, “Okay, what other stories do you want to tell?”There are so many characters in our IP.So, I guess for now, I think we’re very excited to focus on the future in regards to what’s new. But yeah, some stories will arise.
I know I’m kind of being cryptic here, but yeah.
Really, I was also being cryptic, because I just want to know if I will see Heimerdinger again. He’s my fave.
LINKE: [Laughs] You know,I would be shocked if you didn’t.
Okay, that makes me happy.
LINKE: I mean, look on my desk. I have two characters. [Shows Funko Pops of Heimerdinger and Amumu]
I love it.
LINKE: And so, as you may see, he’s my most played champion. I love him.
When I was visiting my friend in Texas, who plays this game religiously, I would always make him play Heimerdinger. I’m just like, please play him. Please play him.
LINKE: Yes, he’s so fun. So your friend also watchedArcane?
Oh, yeah, he’s the one who actually got me into the show. When it first came out, he told me, “I know you haven’t played the game, but I think you’ll like it.” And then I got instantly hooked on it.
LINKE: Did he likeArcane?
He loves it.
LINKE: Cool.
And he’s usually always picky. He’s always like, “Oh, it wasn’t accurate to this franchise.” But withArcane, he kept saying, “This is the best show I’ve seen in years.”
LINKE: That’s good to hear. That’s good to hear.
What Were Ambessa’s True Motives?
My other question was about Ambessa’s turn. Did she really think that she could control Viktor?
LINKE: I don’t think she ever thought that she could control Viktor,but more that she can benefit from what he wants, you know? Yeah, I mean, I think there is a blindness to her, like a need to arm herself with this and somehow predict the family to a point where she, you know, aligns herself with forces that are way beyond her control. So, there is that flaw, too, right? Like military people in a way who think everything can always just be solved with a weapon.
One of the moments that really made me cheer was Caitlin and Vi’s big moment. I was curious, what was the development on that? Have they always been envisioned as being together in the end?
LINKE: Yeah. We always knew it was going to be… I mean, look, Caitlin’s from Piltover, Vi’s from Zaun.I think there is a theme of old versus new family.You’re born into a certain family, and you don’t get to choose who those people are. Then you fall in love. Sometimes people are confronted with this impossible choice of old versus new family. How do you deal with that? It’s very difficult. And I think that’s something that we found very interesting. And we knew it was going to be difficult. So there was always going to be this mountain to overcome for them, you know, but look, many relationships have those challenges, you know?
There’s a lot of story in Season 2, and it’s done very well, but I’m curious, did you ever consider branching this story into a third season and making this show more like a trilogy?
LINKE:It’s always nice to have more time. But this was a story that we wanted to tell.And honestly, I know that some people think,“Oh, it was too much,”you know, “Did you need more time?” You approach every season as a new thing. And it’s this living, breathing, organic thing. So, it’s hard for me to comment on it. I’m still processing. Would it have been nice to have more time? Yes. But also, there is a famous statement fromLeonard Bernstein, “To achieve amazing feats you need two things: a great idea and not quite enough time.” I think constraints are good. But there’s never an easy answer with these things.
Viktor and Jayce’s Relationship Isn’t What You Think
“There is a love. I don’t think it’s romantic.”
Was there anything ever between Viktor and Jayce that was more than just their friendship?
LINKE: I know there are some people who ask this.There is a love. I don’t think it’s romantic.What was interesting, I remember many, many years ago also thinking about this when we started developing these characters. To me, I can say something here now that would be good for you and bad for me because it will be a wildfire.To me, Viktor was always asexual,and that was always something we talked about from the very beginning. So, a romantic relationship between Jayce and Viktor was just never part of it. There is a love, absolutely, but we also found it a bit… Love and relationships are so complex and take so many different forms. Viktor loves in a different way, and that’s okay, no?
I like that answer.
LINKE: Well, it’s something that when we talk to our LGBTQ group within Riot, I remember asking the group many, many years ago, like, “What is something that you never see depicted very well?” And someone said asexuality. They say it’s often depicted as, like, emotionless when it’s not true at all. It’s just that your feelings don’t mix with physical. So, to me, that was always part of Viktor.
ArcaneSeason 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.
Set in Utopian Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun, the story follows the origins of two iconic League Of Legends champions and the power that will tear them apart.
