I’m surprised by the fact that a TV show named Arcane has yet to explain what is the actual meaning behind the magical word. The explanation of Arcane has been purposefully kept under wraps by the creators, revealing only little information to the audience. With the release of Arcane Season 2 Act 1 this weekend, I was hoping to learn more about Arcane and its hidden secrets. However, the Netflix series continues to drop hints and muddle the water further. Still, I’ve tried to explain everything we know so far about the Arcane.
Spoiler Warning: This post includes heavy spoilers for Netflix’s Arcane animated TV series and League of Legends.
What is Arcane in The League of Legends Lore?
As you might be aware, Arcane takes place in the League of Legends universe. In this universe, magic is a dominating power and goes by the name of Arcane. In literature, Arcane translates to secret, hidden, or mysterious. If you have watched the animated TV series, the magical elements remain a mystery; so it is rightfully named Arcane.
To be honest, magic isn’t inherently a bad power. But like in all universes, when it ends up in the wrong hands, it is always the ultimate tool for destruction. Due to their volatile and uncontrollable nature, Arcane was considered a taboo in both Piltover and Zaun.
But as Jayce and his mother were saved by a mage who utilized Arcane, he saw the good side of it. As a result, Jayce hoped to improve the world with the help of magic.
The History of the Arcane
Although we don’t know much about the actual meaning, it is clear that Arcane has existed since the dawn of this universe. It is a force of this world’s nature but has a disgraceful history in the annals. According to Professor Heimerdinger, Piltover was built so people could avoid the belligerence of the corrupted mages wielding the Arcane. For example, Councilor Bolbok remarked how Arcane was the reason that nearly made his race go extinct.
As per League of Legends lore, Arcane is indeed magic and comes in different forms. To give you an example, the members of the Black Rose organization used witchcraft thorn-like magical powers.
What are the Uses of Arcane
Although, the Arcane sounds like a very bad thing to be utilized, thankfully, Jayce and his partner Viktor were able to utilize it with the power of science. While the Arcane magic came in gemstones (aka runes), he found a method to harness them and named it the Hextech. With Hextech, Jayce and Viktor revolutionized the utilization of magic for the good.
They aim to improve all the departments in Piltover from mining to transportation. But as the war between the topside and Zaun people gets heated, they eventually create Hextech-powered ultimate weapons such as the Hammer, Gauntlet, and more for Caitlyn’s Strike Team.
At the time of writing, the creators of the animated series are still explaining the Arcane. In the first act of Season 2, Heimerdinger theorized that corruption is a property of the Arcane itself. It is now revealed that there are normal runes and wild runes in the world of Arcane, which is another subject we are waiting to be addressed.
So, stay tuned for more updates about the Arcane by bookmarking this post. In the meantime, if you have any theories, let us know in the comments below.
Aparna Ukil
