Based on the world and characters of League of Legends, Netflix's acclaimed animated series Arcane is a show with a lot of big ideas and things to say about politics, technology, war, civilization, and so much more. But the heart of what makes this series work as well as it does has nothing to do with the technology being developed and battles being waged between Piltover and Zaun.
Arcane has become such a sensation among viewers because of the strength of its core cast of characters, and the deeply moving and fascinating relationships between its many different characters. While some relationships are much more worth investing in than others, Arcane knows exactly how to get people to care about how these characters and their partners (romantic, friendly, familial, business, or otherwise) will end up.
Mel And Jayce
Romance is not exactly one of Arcane's strongest selling points, but the series doesn't shy away from including a few romantic relationships, including the surprising one between Councillor Mel Medarda and Jayce Talis.
Mel is one of the first characters to believe in Jayce's experiments with Hextech, and also one of the sharpest political minds within the Council as she understands the potential this magic could have. But their transition from clandestine partners to actual romantic partners feels rushed, and as such, their romance doesn't resonate perhaps as well as the series intended.
Jayce And Caitlyn
Jayce has a few other relationships in the series that are handled in a much better way than his romance with Mel, and one of these is the sibling-like relationship he shares with Caitlyn Kiramman. Jayce and Caitlyn are depicted as being close since their adolescent years in Piltover, and there are multiple endearing moments of childlike affection and annoyance shared between the two.
As they grow older, and in particular as Caitlyn grows more independent and rebellious, their relationship begins to become strained. But even though they may not see eye to eye ideologically, Jayce still wants what is best for Caitlyn, and it is clear that she cares for him, too.
Caitlyn And Vi
There is another romance in the world of Arcane that is developing in a much slower manner than the one between Mel and Jayce, and so far, that gently nurtured development between Caitlyn and Vi is one of the most well-received parts of the series.
The introduction of an LGBTQ+ storyline in the acclaimed fantasy series does so much for both of these characters, who couldn't come from more different backgrounds given Caitlyn's life of sheltered privilege and Vi's years of struggle and poverty. Even though they frequently clash and banter with one another, Cait and Vi also clearly care deeply for one another, which makes their relationship one to watch as the series continues.
Ekko And Powder/Jinx
The relationship between Ekko and Powder/Jinx is one that has only briefly been explored in Arcane so far, but it has resonated with viewers in a very strong way due to the incredibly heartbreaking nature of their friendship and what becomes of it.
As children, Ekko and Powder were close friends, playing in the streets of Zaun whenever it was safe enough to do so. But now, as young adults, and with Powder having become the loose cannon known as Jinx, the duo is on opposing sides, which the series painfully conveys in a heartbreaking fight sequence that flashes back and forth between their present-day fight and their childhood play.
Heimerdinger And Ekko
Another relationship that was only briefly introduced in the final act of Arcane's first season is yet another that has fans incredibly excited about where the series will go in the future: the budding scientific friendship between the wise old Heimerdinger and the young upstart Ekko.
As with so many of the series' best relationships, these two characters have lived lives that could not be more different from one another's. But from the moment they meet, they completely click and understand one another and their pursuit of science, truth, and peace in a way that no one ever has before.
Viktor And Jayce
For fans of League of Legends, the development of the relationship between Viktor and Jayce may have come as a surprise, considering the two will become bitter rivals in time. But Arcane develops one of its most well-received dynamics with the introduction of these two would-be inventors and their shared Hextech dream.
They both have different motivations for constructing Hextech, with Jayce inspired by the arcane magic that saved him as a child and Viktor desperate to find a way to save himself from his illnesses through any technological means. But as two of the smartest characters in Arcane, these two make quite the gifted and formidable pair, which will only make their later falling out all the more difficult.
Heimerdinger And Viktor
Many of the central relationships in Arcane are those of mentors and their prodigies, whether familial or otherwise. One of the most fascinating examples of this trend is the fractious relationship between Viktor and his mentor, the wise old Professor Heimerdinger.
Having lived for hundreds of years, Heimerdinger knows what arcane magic can do and is afraid of how it would change the world. But motivated by otherwise certain death, Viktor is one of the biggest proponents of the magic's life-changing capabilities, which puts the master and apprentice at odds as the world changes around them.
Jinx And Silco
One of the biggest surprises to come out of Arcane is by and large the incredibly beautiful relationship between Jinx, the loose cannon champion who is one of League's most famous characters, and Silco, the fearsome crime lord of Zaun who has never been playable in League but who quickly became one of Arcane's strongest characters.
While Silco is a ferocious villain, and Jinx struggles with her many demons, these two have an incredibly loving adoptive father-daughter relationship in the series. Unlike all others in her life, Silco accepts Jinx as perfect just the way she is, even when she is the cause of his tragic death. He may support her in her pursuit of wrongdoing, but at least he supports her, which is more than most can say.
Vander, Vi, And Powder
Arcane might be a series about a world at war over power, technology, magic, and independence, but many of the series' best relationships are ones that are incredibly intimate and feature smaller-scale stories.
The family unit of Vander and his adoptive daughters Vi and Powder is the emotional axis around which act one of Arcane revolves. Had these characters not been written as well as they are, this storyline - and the series itself - would have fallen completely flat. But the lengths to which each character goes to protect each other, whether successfully or not, captivates and breaks hearts in equal measure. This family may have not had the happy ending they deserved, but that doesn't make their time together any less meaningful.
Powder/Jinx And Vi
The contentious relationship between Vi and Jinx is something that has captivated League players for years, and Arcane finally delivers on all the tragic backstory that players have long wondered about. As children, Vi and Powder are all each other has following their parents' murders. Vi is Powder's fiercest defender, even as their other adoptive siblings mock her and call her a jinx.
But when Powder mistakenly kills the rest of their family in an effort to save them, Vi lashes out and calls her a jinx, too, sealing Powder's fate and her eventual transformation into Jinx. The sisters spend much of their lives separated after this point, and their emotional reunion provides a catalyst for the season's final, painful act. Jinx has always wondered whether Vi could still love her after she changed, but as she points out, Vi has changed too. They might always be sisters, but their relationship will never be what it once was - and viewers will eagerly watch to see what becomes of it, no matter what.