Like any show worth its salt,Arcanehas a lot to say about grand topics like existentialism and classism. But at the heart of the show’s success are its characters and the meaningful relationships they have with each other, telling compelling stories through these character interactions.
Because those relationships are portrayed in such a relatable and realistic way, they resonate with us in many meaningful ways. These bonds that our beloved characters forge together serve as the emotional core of the show.
But this is about friends or partners as well as ships. While the fandom is still raving about JayVik or Timebomb, we can still appreciate the friendships or rivalries that formed in this show.
Season 2 shows us new relationships while continuing to build upon ones from the previous season, further enriching the story through the way each of them affects the world at large or the trajectory of the characters' lives.
Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead!
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10Caitlyn & Maddie
Givin' Her The Cold Shoulder
Despite her bubbly attitude and affable demeanor, Maddie has been one of the most reviled characters in the fandom in Season 2, perhaps even rivaling Singed.
Why? Oh, because she was Caitlyn’s rebound after her break-up with Vi in Episode 4. Fans upset by this have even gotten in on the vitriol bandwagon of calling her a “homewrecker.”
Caitlyn never saw anything special with Maddie, and their relationship was pretty one-sided at best. Ambessa even noted that it was a “professional entanglement.” While Maddie was actively trying to get closer to Caitlyn and being her voice of reason, Caitlyn continued to push her away while regretting her decision to abandon Vi.
Some folks in the fandom have jokingly speculated that Caitlyn might have accidentally called Maddie “Vi” a few times in their intimate moments.
Maddie’s betrayal, while shocking at first, doesn’t come as a surprise when you think about it. There are speculations that she betrayed Caitlyn out of jealousy or anger, butit’s more likely she was a plant sent by Ambessa to fill in the void Vi left behind.
The fandom understandably hates Maddie for her betrayal, and she got her comeuppance when she died from her own ricocheting bullet.
9Vi & Loris
A Brother In Arms
His name was only mentioned once in the show, but Loris is the hulking Enforcer who was part of Caitlyn and Vi’s squad. There weren’t many conversations between Vi and Loris, butwe get glimpses of their budding friendship throughout the show.
They met in Episode 1 of Season 2 when Vi was contemplating joining the force, and she and Loris drank away their sorrows together. While their bond was never at the forefront of the show’s scenes,those glimpses of their friendship show the relationships the main characters have outside each other.
Loris is shown to be a dependable guy, supporting Vi after her breakup with Caitlyn (let’s call it what it is) in Episode 4.He also surprisingly has the emotional maturity to slowly remove himself from Vi’s breakdown once he realizes she isn’t going to recover, even with his support.
Some fans speculated that Vi grew close with Loris because he looked like Vander, and that comparison isn’t too far off–they both were older male figures whom Vi undoubtedly respected.
Some fans also weren’t happy with how unceremonious Loris’s death was during the final battle,but Loris, as a background character, deserves a separate analysis.It is a shame, however, that we only get to see a moment of Vi mourning Loris.
8Heimerdinger & Ekko
Spin The Wheel
Ever since his resignation from the council, Heimerdinger befriended Ekko and joined up with the Firelights.Since then, their relationship has been essentially transformed into that of a student and teacher.
As a centuries-old Yordle, Heimerdinger is a wellspring of knowledge. Heimerdinger thrives when he has a young mind to impart his wisdom to. Heimerdinger first mentored Viktor, then Jayce, and now Ekko,whom he believes could be the future of Zaun’s prosperity.
We get to see the best of Ekko and Heimerdinger’s relationship develop further in Episode 7, where they’re both trapped in the “good” timeline.
Both of them respect and value each other as fellow geniuses; Heimerdinger’s mentorship helps guide Ekko through their project while Ekko rekindles his thirst for knowledge and scientific exploration.
Heimerdinger’s sacrifice represents his shift in perspective and faith in the next generation.
7Ambessa & Caitlyn
The Blade Cuts Both Ways
Speaking of mentors and pupil relationships,Ambessa is a Noxian who values strength and cunning in anybody she meets, which is why she picked Caitlyn to be her proxy in Piltover.
From Act 1 of Season 2, we can tell that Ambessa wanted to groom Caitlyn into the leader she wanted Mel to be.She manipulated the events of Act 1 from the shadows to twist Caitlyn’s grief for her mother into hatred for Zaun, carefully molding her into the ruthless commander we see in Act 2.
But Caitlyn isn’t a pushover when it comes to Ambessa. Despite her learning from the Noxian general, she’s still capable of pushing back with her by-the-book attitude, questioning Ambessa’s ruthlessness at every turn.
Neither Caitlyn nor Ambessa likes or trusts each other all that much,but they respect each other even when they are enemies. Their final fight against each other shows that Caitlyn has learned a lot from Ambessa.
6Mel & Ambessa
A Fox Or A Wolf?
The Medarda mother and daughter have a contentious relationship, to say the least,but there is clearly a familial bond that persists between the two despite their constant fights.
While Ambessa deeply loves and cares for her daughter, her actions always end up hurting Mel. She also justifies her absenteeism by telling herself that it is the only way she can protect Mel from the powers that be in Noxus.
By pushing her daughter away, Ambessa believes she is keeping her baby safe from the consequences of her sins.
In a dialogue with Rictus in Episode 4, Ambessa even explicitly states thatMel is safer as an enemy than an ally in her fight against the Black Rose.
We can see that Mel wants to repair her relationship with her mother, as she tries to make peace and bargain with Ambessa many times.
Ambessa always underestimated Mel, mirroring how some overbearing mothers can end up hurting their children when they’re trying to protect them.
The tragedy of their relationship is that both of them want to reconnect with each other, but can’t due to their clashing ideologies.
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5Ekko & Powder/Jinx
Best Frenemies To Lovers
It’s been hinted many times throughout the show and in the game that Ekko has had feelings for Powder. Both are brilliant minds and have a close bond, but they are driven apart due to tragic circumstances that led them to where they are now.
Even during their fight in Season 1, we can see that Ekko and Jinx have had a close bond since they were kids. Ekko doesn’t hate Jinx. He believes that Powder is still in there somewhere, and understands that Jinx is just a deeply traumatized Powder.
When Ekko was trapped in the “happy” timeline, he was shocked to find out that he and Powder were already romantically involved. He had to pretend to be this timeline’s version of himself to not let it slip that he was from another timeline.
Even though it was greatly anticipated by the fandom,there’s something sad about their kiss in Episode 7. Ekko had to stop Powder when she tried to kiss him and said “Can we just pretend like it’s the first time?” Knowing that he will never experience this with Jinx, Ekko tries to at least experience their romance with Powder.
4Jinx & Isha
We never learned much else about Isha before she met Jinx, but it’s safe to say that Isha was the light that brought back warmth to Jinx’s life.
Jinx was quick to adopt Isha, and we know for sure that she sees her as a little sister.Throughout their time together, Jinx is gentle and loving to Isha, doing things she wishes Vi had done during their childhood.Their secret handshake is also adorable.
Isha returns the favor with her unwavering loyalty, doing everything in her power to protect her. It’s unclear, however, if she sees Jinx as a bigger sister or motherly figure (she can be heard saying something that sounds like “mama” when Sevika carries her away in Episode 4).
It’s interesting how Isha is mute.Some astute fans think that it’s so that Jinx wouldn’t hear Isha blaming her in her head if she had died.Eagle-eyed fans have also pointed out that for a split second before Isha pulled the trigger, Jinx’s eyes returned to normal.
Isha’s sacrifice had us all bawling our eyes out, but Jinx suffered even more. The color she once brought to her life is all gone, though with some convincing from Vi, Ekko, and a hallucination of Silco, she manages to survive in Isha’s memory.
3Cait & Vi
Cupcakes Were Eaten, Alright
Caitlyn and Vi’s relationship has had such a slow build-up that you can cut the sexual and romantic tension between them with a butterknife.
Even their breakup says so much about who they are as people when they’re dealing with heartbreak.Vi descends into an angry mental breakdown, while Caitlyn rebounds and becomes cold to everybody around her.
Their reunion is hilarious, though, because Caitlyn hearing “cupcake” again after months apart and then immediately betraying Ambessa shows how much of a grip Vi has on her heart.
Writers at Studio Fortiche knew exactly what they were doing when writing intimate scenes of the two.The kiss in Episode 3 had so much raw emotion that it can be one of the best moments in Act 1, only to be superseded by the… spicier scene that happens in Episode 8.
2Vi & Jinx
Even If They’re Worlds Apart
Even beforeArcane,League’sVi and Jinx have had a pretty rocky relationship as sisters turned enemies, and the show enhances that even more.Season 1 did an excellent job in showing just how strong their familial bonds are despite their circumstances.
Both Vi and Jinx are capable fighters, so it’s funny to see how every fight between the two feels like a scrap between siblings, complete with scratching and hairpulling. Even the way they bicker can resonate with anybody who has a sister.
Vander coming back to life is the beginning of their healing together as sisters, giving them a chance to rekindle their familial bond.Even as the mindless Warwick, he brings them back together, reminding them that they are all they have left of each other.
Episode 6 gave us a glimmer of hope when Jinx and Vi talk about being together again, and even though things didn’t go well, neither of them would give up on the other. Their sisterly bond remains unbreakable.
1Jay & Vik
Undeniable Soulmates
If I had a dollar every time a disillusioned visionary became a cult leader and was killed by his closest male “friend,” then I’d have two dollars, which isn’t a lot, but it’s interesting how it happened twice. (Looking at you two, Gojo and Geto)
Viktor and Jayce have such a beautiful love story that it’s heartbreaking to see how far Jayce would go for his partner. Most of his actions were done under the influence of someone more manipulative, butthe one thing he did out of his own accord was to save Viktor’s life.
And even in his obsession for his glorious evolution, Viktor invites Jayce to join him instead of fighting or forcing him. In the alternate future timeline where every evolved human looks the same,Jayce’s statue is the only one who maintains his facial features and bulky body.
They have a special place in each other’s hearts, and there is no platonic explanation for how much they love each other. In the last shot, before they shuffle off the mortal coil, we can see Jayce and Viktor holding each other, supporting each other in their final moments in an intimate embrace.
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