Why Arcane Is Ending With Season 2 Thoughtfully Explained By Co-Creator

With audiences set to say farewell to Piltover in Arcane season 2, series co-creator Christian Linke explains why the animated series is ending now. The Netflix animated series is based on the League of Legends video game franchise, telling the tragic tale of two sisters separated, only to find themselves on opposite sides of a war between two cities. Arcane ‘s cast features Ella Purnell as the chaotic master of firearms and explosives Jinx, while Hailee Steinfeld provides the voice of her elder sister and brawler Vi.

With the first volume of Arcane season 2 set to premiere on November 9, Linke sat down with Screen Rant to explain why the series is coming to a close with the upcoming batch of episodes. The co-creator explained that concluding the story with season 2 wasn’t a difficult decision, as they had a set direction in mind from the beginning, rather than leaving things open-ended for multiple seasons:

Well, honestly, it was pretty natural. We always thought of it as a particular story. It wasn’t just like, “Hey, let’s set up a bunch of characters, and they kind of go where they go.” It was always just like, “No, there’s a story we want to tell.”

Affirming that they had explored every detail that they hoped to cover, Linke stated that he felt like it had always been vital to know when to end a tale, particularly in the realm of TV, and as such is proud to be ending the show on their own terms. See the rest of what Linke shared below:

So I think it was just that, you know, this is the story that we wanted to tell. I think we also just believe in knowing when to end is very important, especially with TV shows. I think, to us, it just made sense creatively.

What Linke’s Response Reveals About The Future Of Arcane’s World

The Universe May Grow Without Piltover & Zaun’s Champions

While Linke’s statement doesn’t offer any specific spoilers for what lies in store for Jinx, Vi, and the rest of the cast, it does hint towards the future of post-Arcane League of Legends animated series. While season 2 of the acclaimed animated Netflix show will conclude the storylines of Piltover and Zaun, it has already been confirmed that more animated series set within the world.

However, Linke’s comments do suggest that the arcs involving Jinx and Vi will come to a definitive conclusion rather than leave any dangling story threads. As such, it would be safe to assume most of the cast won’t return in future series, particularly with Linke having told Screen Rant directly that Arcane would be “just the first” of their TV adaptations of the hit MMORPG franchise:

Absolutely. Arcane is just the first one. We’re working on a bunch of new projects, a bunch of new stories from across the different regions and characters of our IP, and some of them are actually continuations of character stories from Arcane. So, definitely, there are some character stories that we want to continue. So, really, Arcane is the true first. This is the first rite that we had to survive and figure out, “Can we do this?” And now, we can kind of dream bigger, which is really awesome.

Our Thoughts On Arcane‘s Upcoming Conclusion

Season 2 Will Complete The Cast’s Transition Into Legends

From Arcane‘s beginning, it has always had a definitive endpoint where it will take its character. While the series has offered a lengthy and surprising origin to its cast’s tales, many of their destinations have already been set in stone through their video-game appearances. As such, characters including Jinx, Vi, Caitlyn, and Viktor will become the characters that audiences select as their legends.

Nevertheless, Arcane has still managed to keep both newcomers and existing players invested in the unfolding story, not compromising on either lore or worldbuilding to create a captivating tale. As such, while one story may be ending, viewers will be eager to see what other corners of the League of Legends universe will receive a similar treatment.

Set in the League of Legends universe, Arcane focuses on sisters Violet and Powder (later Jinx) as they end up on opposite sides of a growing conflict between the wealthy utopia of Piltover and its dark undercity whose citizens wish to break away from their oppressors. Hailee Steinfeld, Ella Purnell, and Kevin Alejandro star in this animated adventure. 

Release Date

November 6, 2021

Seasons

1

Writers

Christian Linke , Alex Yee

Directors

Pascal Charrue , Arnaud Delord

Showrunner

Christian Linke , Alex Yee

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