aecifo

Thanks to a big character change in Season 2 of Arcane, I have a wild theory that could answer one of the Netflix series’ early mysteries.

Umito November 10, 2024

The best theories are often big swings. This one may not have landed, but a major character development in the first three episodes of Arcane season 2 led me to believe that the Netflix series may have secretly answered one of the first mysteries of the series – without anyone realizing it.

Spoilers for Arcane season 2 follow. You have been warned.

In the second episode of the series, a flashbackfeaturing Jayce and his mother battling a snowstorm, is shown

“Someone help us,” Jayce says after his mother collapses. Luckily, his calls are answered by a mysterious cloaked figure holding a staff.

We never see the person’s face, but they save Jayce and his mother, teleporting them to a new location. The stranger then gives Jayce a rune, which restarts his research in what would later become Hextech.

For years, fans have speculated that Ryze – a League of Legends champion and a prominent esoteric mage in the wider franchise universe – was the one behind the last-minute save.

But what if it wasn’t him? My theory (stay with me here) is that Viktor is the one who saves Jayce.

Jayce in Arcana

(Image credit: Netflix)

How? This is not clear at the moment. But I have some ideas. After all, the first act of Arcane Season 2 sees Viktor saved from Jinx’s attack thanks to a special blend of Hextech and magic. This then leads to the emergence of an augmented Viktor with strange new powers, which allow him to “cure” Zaun’s.

The rest of his powers are secret, but Viktor emerged as an intriguing force in Arcane – and it’s not a stretch to suggest that his abilities and untapped potential could extend beyond matter shifting and into teleportation and even some form of time travel.

Need more convincing? When Jayce is trapped in the thrilling wild rune in the third episode of Arcane Season 2, he sees a quick flash of the person who saved him as a child. They are Also holding a stick-shaped object that bears an uncanny resemblance to Viktor’s. On top of that, their coats are the same color.

At the risk of putting two and two together and only getting a number that Heimerdinger could calculate, there appears to be a few concern in the series to unmask the character who saved Jayce. Right now, no one has the ability to do what the mage did decades ago. So, my theory: Viktor travels back in time and triggers events that will not only save Jayce, but lead to the creation of Hextech and his own survival.

Mystery solved? Maybe. Maybe not. Still, Arcane presents a few breadcrumbs worth following.

For our verdict on the show, check out the Arcane Season 2 Review. Then dive into interviews with co-showrunner Christian Linke as he opens up about the careful process behind the show’s final line and why he doesn’t want to turn the Netflix series into a new MCU-style universe.