A review of Arcane season 2; focused on the strength of female characters (Vi, Caitlyn, and Jinx). Contains spoilers.
Arcane is an animated show that was released in 2021 and concluded just a few weeks ago in 2024. It is aimed at adult audiences and is based on the game League of Legends. The show is available on Netflix in its entirety. The show has been praised for the quality of animation, which was done by the French studio Fortiche.
The story follows the tragic stories of Vi and her younger sister. It is set in a steampunk-type universe, filled with magic and non-human characters. The overarching conflicts of the show are between the posh city of Piltover, and the underdeveloped bottom of the city, Zaun; and the usage of ‘Hextech’ (the utilization of in-universe magic for personal gain).
In season one, it is revealed that after Vi had been sent to prison as a teen, Powder was taken under the wing of Silco, the kingpin of Zaun. Silco raised Powder to be more ruthless than he was and changed her name to Jinz. Caitlyn Kirramann, daughter of a wealthy Piltover family, became a police officer and made it her mission to find Jinx. Jinx and Silco had been terrorizing Piltover and by this point, they had caused casualties. Caitlyn tracks down someone related to a Jinx incident and finds Vi in prison. Caitlyn uses her position and power to free Vi, and they agree to work together to hunt down Silco and Jinx.
Season one ends with Jinx killing Silco, and Jinx blowing up a building with the most important people in Piltover. One of those people was Caitlyn’s mother. Season two begins right after this scene, showing the funeral for Caitlyn’s mother. There is also a memorial for the other lives lost, and ‘Silco’s’ people attack it. Caitlyn convinces Vi to become an officer, despite her unpleasant past with them, in order to bring justice to everything that had gone wrong and to put an end to her sister’s antics.
Vi’s character goes through so much this season, she has previously lost everyone important to her, and she fears that the same fate will be met with Caitlyn, someone she has grown to trust. While on the search for Jinx, Vi and Caitlyn share a kiss. Soon after the two face Jinx, they get into a disagreement and Caitlyn abandons Vi. This sends Vi spiraling and she is driven back to fighting and alcohol. She is entirely alone and blames herself for what happened between her and Caitlyn, and what happened to her sister.
When she eventually has to face Caitlyn again, Caitlyn is on a rampage, the commander of the Piltover army, fighting against those who put them in danger to try to further Hextech. She has been blinded by her own loss and throws herself into her work. When the two meet again, Vi convinces Caitlyn she has been wrong, and the two decide to work against the general.
Seeing these two strong female characters work together without a male character being involved in any way was invigorating. The two were also in a romantic relationship, which was so refreshing to see. It was great that their relationship was just something that happened, it did not have to be a major plot point. While the relationship was major in both of their character arcs, it was not the driving force, there was no tense coming-out or secretive scene, they were just two strong women who fell for each other in the toughest of times.
I recommend Arcane to anyone who can appreciate a strong female character, and to anyone interested in a deep plot with many parts to focus on.
Even though Jinx was intended to be morally ambiguous, one cannot help but feel for her. Viewers see her struggle from a young age, and how it devolves into delusions and mental instability. She mentors a young girl throughout the second season, making her all the more likable. Eventually, she is captured, and the child she mentored passes away in the war. Jinx comes to terms with everything she has done and all the pain she has caused to the people of both Zaun and Piltover.
Jinx decides that she has to end the cycle of violence. Vi discovers where Jinx was being held, and frees her, but does not follow. Jinx wants to die, she feels that the only way she can end the cycle of violence and let her sister be happy is if she is no longer alive. Jinx is wonderfully complicated, which is proven when she is convinced to help her sister and her girlfriend win the war she has been fighting on the wrong side of for so long.
After Jinx leaves, Vi is trapped in her cell and starts wallowing. She sits there and blames herself for everything, she feels she does not deserve to be happy, and that she has made every decision in her life wrong. Caitlyn comes down to the cell and says that she knew Vi would be there. Caitlyn allowed Vi to decide to free her sister, she did not make Vi choose sides. Caitlyn decides to let her own guard down, and the two women share a steamy scene.
Vi was finally able to make a decision she felt good about, she was able to choose to be happy with Caitlyn, even just for a moment.
Caitlyn decides to take a break, she knows what is coming but still decides to take a moment just for the two of them. While this is happening, Jinx is crafting tools for good, she is using her talents in a way that will not destroy, but help. She knows this will not redeem her, but she is making the effort anyway.
I recommend Arcane to anyone who can appreciate a strong female character, and to anyone interested in a deep plot with many parts to focus on. There are so many things that were not touched on here, for the sake of simplicity, but there are so many more complicated characters and plot points, I wanted to specifically call out the three main female characters, as they all have inspiring and very different/unconventional stories.
Overall, Arcane season two was a delight to watch and was amazingly intricate.
