The Biggest Unanswered Questions In Netflix's Arcane
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Season 1 of "Arcane."
When the bomb launched by Jinx (Ella Purnell) hits its target in the final shot of "Arcane," everybody watching simultaneously went, "They did not just do that!" It came as such a shock. Sure, we knew characters would die in the gritty world of the undercity, but most folks probably thought the characters in Piltover would be far away from all the violence. Heck, we think that (spoiler alert) Mel was pretty much the last one viewers expected to die — except maybe Mylo and Claggor, who are (double spoiler alert) already dead. Clearly, anybody is fair game now.
The season finale left us feeling like nothing was certain. There are so many loose ends and unanswered questions that we have plenty to think about while we're waiting for Season 2. We probably won't get any answers until 2023, when the next season is expected to come out, so the wait will be agony. Sure, fans familiar with the lore of the "League of Legends" games might be able to make educated guesses about what's coming in Season 2 (including a character who might be coming back from the dead). But ultimately, we have no way of knowing for certain what's coming because the makers of "Arcane" have already shown they are willing to take risks and even make some significant changes from the original game.
Let's recap all the loose ends and burning questions from Season 1.
Who will be killed by Jinx's bomb?
Time to acknowledge the elephant in the room: After Jinx's bomb lands, what will the body count be?
Despite some theories suggesting otherwise, we're betting that Mel (Toks Olagundoye) will definitely die; she's in the direct line of fire, after all. And while fans would love to see more of her character, it's arguable that Mel's arc is completed — at least more so than Jayce's (Kevin Alejandro) or Viktor's (Harry Lloyd). If she has to go down convincing the entire Council to vote for peace, that's not a bad way to go. In fact, it's a fitting end for Mel. It's also worth noting that all of the other major characters who weren't from the original "League of Legends" game have also died (Silco, Vander, Marcus, Grayson), so it makes sense that Mel would also be on this list. That would conveniently explain why she appears in this series (an origin story for the world of the game), but not the game itself.
Most of the other Councilors will probably die, too, but we predict there will be some survivors. Our money is on Jayce and Viktor. Riot Games seems too fond of Jayce to get rid of him that easily, and both characters still have unfinished business (as we'll explain below). Plus, if none of the other Councilors survive, nobody will believe Jayce and Viktor when they say that the Council voted unanimously for peace. That would perfectly set the stage for the civil war that is inevitably coming in Season 2.
What will happen after the peace proposal fails?
When the dust settles on what remains of the Council chamber, it's going to make the undercity look really, really bad. The bitter survivors in Piltover will probably trace the bomb back to Silco's old warehouse and decide that Jinx and the undercity must be to blame. All that hard-won diplomacy will be for nothing.
If most of the Council is killed and Jayce is discredited after trying to make a deal with Silco (Jason Spisak), then Piltover will be left without a leader. We're betting Mel's mother Ambessa (voiced by Ellen Thomas) will take this opportunity to seize control of the city. And we're pretty sure she will have no qualms about turning the Hex Gemstone into a weapon. Jayce thought the death of the boy in the Shimmer facility was horrifying, but we suspect that a full-blown civil war will make the Shimmer facility raid look like a schoolyard squabble.
To make matters worse, Ambessa hints that outside forces will try to take over Piltover and Zaun while they're at each other's throats. We don't know much about this possible new antagonist other than the fact that he killed Mel's brother, but we know it must be bad if Ambessa is scared. Sure, it's possible that a common enemy will be perfect for healing the rift between Piltover and Zaun, but that's assuming they don't tear each other apart before the invaders even arrive.
Will Mel's mother have a change of heart?
Ambessa Medarda (the cunning leader of Noxus) might well outlive her daughter Mel, which could send the next season of "Arcane" in a fascinating direction.
In Season 1, Ambessa's only goal was to get her hands on Hextech so she could use it against an unnamed enemy who killed her son and threatened her empire. But if Mel is killed in the bombing, Ambessa's priorities might change a little. Certainly, it's possible that Mel's mother might only use her daughter's death as an excuse to seize power and get her hands on Hextech, as this reviewer for Market Research Telecast predicted. However, there's also a chance Ambessa might emerge from the ordeal a little less ruthless and a little more sympathetic.
In the final scene of Episode 9, we glimpse Ambessa gazing up at one of Mel's paintings, which Mel has ruined by swiping a slash of gold paint across it. The expression on Ambessa's face is one of reflection, and her eyes appear to be wet. If her daughter dies, then that will definitely shake her. But will it shake her enough for her to remember the family she is willing to "set the world ablaze" to protect? Even if Season 2 merely picks up with Ambessa continuing her scheme to weaponize Hextech, Ambessa won't be quite the same. In the wake of her daughter's (presumed) death at the hands of a Hextech weapon, her objective will take on a completely new meaning.
What will become of Ren?
Most of the cast members appear in the final sequence of Season 1, but there's one character who's been off the radar for three episodes now, and we're dying to know what happens to her. What about Marcus' daughter, Ren (Sophia Jeffords)? We've seen her a few times before; she accompanied her father (Remy Hill) to an Enforcer's funeral, and later she played a card-stacking game with Silco in her bedroom. (Let it never be said that Silco isn't good with kids.)
What's going to happen to Ren now that her father's dead? If you recall from the bedroom scene, Silco told Marcus, "You were so busy, little Ren here saw me in," which suggests that nobody else was home while Ren's father was at work. Clearly, Ren's mother won't be around to look after her. Sure, Piltover probably makes sure the orphaned children of Enforcers are well cared for, but if the city plunges into civil war, then it's likely they will forget all about little Ren.
In his dying breath, Marcus begs Caitlyn (Katie Leung), "Tell my daughter," but never gets to finish his sentence. Caitlyn never did pass along this message, and considering the chaos Caitlyn will need to deal with in Season 2, she probably never will. We don't know which is worse: Ren being completely in the dark about her missing father, or Ren learning the truth, including her father's shady dealings with Silco.
How are the heroes going to destroy the Hexcore?
Episode 9 showed Jayce and Viktor both deciding to destroy the Hexcore, no matter the cost. But with all the craziness happening with Silco and Jinx, they never actually got around to destroying it. So the Hexcore is another problem these two will need to worry about in Season 2 (assuming they survive). If Ambessa knew what was in Viktor's lab, she would take the Hexcore in a heartbeat, and Jinx is probably itching to upgrade her sharky missile launcher to something even more powerful. Even if Jayce managed to keep it out of both of their hands, the Hexcore itself could become a threat if left unattended. If horror movies have taught us anything, it's that it's never a good sign when a mysterious experiment swallows a droplet of the hero's blood.
There's a chance that Sky (Kimberly Brooks) might hold the key to the Hexcore, according to Collider. In Episode 8, she was about to tell Viktor something important before she walked in on his dangerous experiment with the Hexcore. It almost sounded like she made a breakthrough with Hextech. Of course, maybe she hadn't discovered anything, and she just wanted an excuse to talk to Viktor. (Sky couldn't seem to decide if she had been working on this project for "a few months” or a "year," which sure sounds like she's faking it.) But after her death, we see a sketch of a plant sprouting from the Hexcore in her journal, so maybe she did find something after all.
Will Vi decide that Jinx is a lost cause?
Perhaps the most crucial question of the 1st season is left hanging: Is Jinx too far gone? And more importantly, will Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) decide that Jinx is too far gone? The season finale certainly hints that Jinx is a lost cause, but the reality is probably a bit messier than that. Ekko (Reed Shannon) and Caitlyn gave up on Jinx long ago. But we think Jinx only reached the point of no return at the very end of Episode 9 after Caitlyn held Jinx at gunpoint and then considered –- just for an instant –- killing Jinx while she had the upper hand. In that moment, Caitlyn killed any chance of winning Jinx's trust.
We get the feeling Vi will never let go of the hope that Powder is in there somewhere (nor should she –- this hope, however futile, shows us Vi's humanity). But after Jinx bombs the Council, Vi will clearly be too disillusioned to deny the truth anymore. "I can do this myself," says Vi in the Season 2 teaser released on Twitter, which suggests that Vi has decided to take responsibility for Jinx, no matter the cost. Season 2 will definitely involve a showdown between Vi and Jinx, but beyond that, we have no idea. Perhaps Vi will kill Jinx, or maybe she'll somehow change Jinx's mind. Maybe Jinx will form a grudging alliance with her sister if they have a common enemy, or maybe Jinx will turn Vi and Caitlyn against each other. (Vi would never forgive Caitlyn if she killed Jinx when there was still a chance of saving her.)
What will become of the Firelights now?
While most of the glimpses we get of the cast during "What Could Have Been" are tainted with a twinge of regret or uncertainty, there is one shot that is filled with pure hope: the one with Ekko and Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) huddled together in the Firelight's safe haven. We don't know about everyone else, but that moment gave us the shivers!
Heimerdinger's inside knowledge of Piltover and Hextech will be a big asset to the Firelights, so maybe they stand a chance, But the professor and ex-Councilor clearly won't have any sway over Piltover if he wants to negotiate peace. Even with Heimerdinger's help, things are going to be rough for the Firelights in Season 2. Most concerningly, there's a good chance that Piltover will blame the Firelights for bombing the Council chamber, or at least for aiding and abetting Jinx. Indeed, it wouldn't be the first time they've lumped together with the victims with the oppressors.
If it came down to an arms race with Hextech, the Firelights probably wouldn't stand a chance against Piltover. We wonder how Heimerdinger would feel if he knew Ekko almost decided to keep the Hextech Gemstone and develop it into a weapon. And if the Firelights ever got that same opportunity again, would Heimerdinger still say it's too dangerous? After all, Jinx's weapon ruined everything. Or will his visit to the undercity make him more willing to use Hextech weapons, at least as a last resort?
What will happen to all the remaining Shimmer?
Silco dies by the end of Season 1, but all the Shimmer he's been selling is still out there. Silco seemed genuinely willing to stop distributing drugs in exchange for Zaun's independence (after all, he only created Shimmer so it could be used to fight for independence). But all that went down the drain after Silco died, and his peace agreement died with it. Even if Silco was still alive, he couldn't just snap his fingers and make all the Shimmer disappear. Half the undercity is still addicted, and addiction can't be treated overnight. Honestly, we suspect Shimmer production will just go on as usual now. Finn (Miyavi) is no longer around to try and upstage Silco, but there are plenty more folks from the Shimmer trade who might be after his position, including Renni (Abigail Marlowe) and Sevika (Amirah Vann).
There's a good chance Sevika might step up to take Silco's place. At the end of the last episode, we see her sitting in Silco's office, trying to light a cigarette with one arm; she seems to somehow sense that Silco is gone for good. Funnily enough, she is still sitting in her usual spot, rather than taking her boss' chair, but we bet she would claim Silco's desk if she saw that others were jostling for the position. We predict Sevika will keep chugging out Shimmer and preserving the status quo in the undercity, never knowing how close Zaun came to finally winning sovereignty.
What exactly happened to Singed's daughter?
Singed (Brett Tucker) doesn't exactly seem like the fatherly type, but he tells Silco, "I, too, once had a daughter." Most likely, Singed's daughter met the same fate as his reptilian mutation Rio. In fact, maybe his daughter was his first test subject. It makes perfect sense that Singed only began experimenting with Shimmer because his daughter was close to death — perhaps with the same illness as Viktor — and he wanted to save her. Presumably, he failed, but we're betting his daughter's death motivated his desperate search for immortality.
Only true "League of Legends" fans will notice this, but Singed can be seen examining a locket with a photo of his daughter, and fans speculate that she might be Orianna, The Lady of Clockwork (a Champion from the game). As Dinka Kay pointed out on Twitter, the hairstyle of the girl in the locket looks an awful lot like Orianna's hairstyle. What's more, Orianna's official backstory from the game fits nicely with what we know of Singed, even if "Arcane" will obviously need to change some of the details. (Orianna's father was named Corin, but "Arcane" could easily combine his role with Singed.) In the game, Orianna was dying after being exposed to the pollution of Zaun, so her father gradually replaced all of her poisoned organs and body parts with clockwork until nothing was left of his original daughter (a la Ship of Theseus). If this is indeed what happened to Singed's daughter — and what drove him over the edge — we can't wait to see it explored in Season 2.
Is that really Vander's body in Singed's lab?
Fans have proposed a Vander theory that would change everything: Vander is also Warwick, a werewolf character from the original game. The brief glimpse of a hulking body suspended in Singed's lab points toward this theory becoming a reality in Season 2. It seems likely that Singed will resurrect Vander as some kind of monster (though maybe not as a literal werewolf, which doesn't seem to belong in the world of "Arcane"). Here are all the clues planted in Season 1.
Exhibit A: When he was still alive, Vander was known as the "Hound of the Underground," a title that would conveniently take on a whole new meaning if he came back as a werewolf. Meanwhile, Polygon pointed out that Warwick's leitmotif (musical cue) from the game plays repeatedly in "Arcane," suggesting that the show's composer might be foreshadowing his appearance. Also, according to Warwick's official "League of Legends" bio, he was "a gangster who put down his blade and took up a new name to live a better life" before Singed experimented on him. If you replaced "blade" with "gauntlets," this could easily describe Vander. And check out Warwick's design in the games: The glowing green tubes sprouting from his body resemble Singed's handiwork, and some versions show him with armor that looks an awful lot like Sevika's armor that injects her with Shimmer.
Singed would've had access to Vander's body the night he died, and we already know he is obsessed with trying to prolong the lives of his test subjects, so that's motive and opportunity right there. We rest our case.
How will Viktor deal with his terminal illness (and addiction)?
The scene where Jayce talks to Viktor at the top of the waterfall and convinces him not to jump is a satisfying way to bring things full circle. In fact, many fans agree this scene had them in tears. But there are still plenty of loose ends for Viktor at the end of Season 1. That's why we like to think of the waterfall scene as not just an ending but also a beginning. Now that Viktor has decided not to cheat death with the Hexcore, his days are probably numbered. Of course, deciding is only half the battle — we have yet to see how Viktor will spend his final days.
Not only did Viktor attempt a dangerous experiment with the Hexcore, but he also injected himself with a variant of Shimmer. "If you take this path, they will despise you," Singed tells Viktor, but so far, none of Viktor's friends have actually discovered his secret addiction. Hopefully, the show's writers have plans to properly explore this intriguing plot thread in Season 2.
If Viktor were to die in the Council chamber explosion — after his illness or addiction weren't mentioned for almost 30 minutes — that would hardly be a satisfying conclusion to his story. Not that Viktor needs to die because of his illness or addiction, but fans probably want to see Viktor reach some sort of closure with those plot threads before he goes. That's another indicator that "Arcane" won't kill off Viktor yet (we hope).
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Why did Vander try to kill Silco?
Silco and Vander clearly have a history. But all we know for certain about their backstory is that the pair used to be the leaders of an attempted rebellion back when Vi and Powder were still kids. And somewhere down the line, Vander tried to kill Silco, and Silco never forgave him for it.
The rest is all very mysterious. We have no idea what would have driven Vander to kill his longtime partner. Given what we know about the characters, however, we can take our best guess. Most likely, this all began when Vander realized that some things were more important than his rebellion and agreed to surrender. Maybe this was when he negotiated a deal with Grayson (Shohreh Aghdashloo), the sheriff of the Enforcers. No doubt Silco wasn't happy with that. We bet he refused to lay down his weapons, and Silco's pride must have threatened the fragile peace between Piltover and Zaun. One thing led to another, and Vander had no choice but to kill Silco.
Still, that leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Like, what exactly was Silco doing that proved so dangerous that Vander had to kill him? Was he trying to storm the bridge again, or was he already starting to develop Shimmer? Did Vi and Powder ever learn what Vander had done, and would they see him differently if they knew? How did Silco even manage to survive after Vander held him under the water? All of these questions might never be answered, now that Vander and Silco are both dead.