The following contains minor spoilers for Arcane, now streaming on NetflixArcanehas officially become the canon forLeague of Legends, and that’s an exciting development for fans of the animated series. As with most adaptations,Arcaneinitially seemed to just be an animated take on the original series that could take inspiration and deviate from the canon lore as much as needed. However, similar to the way that fellow videogame adaptationFallouthas been revealed to be set within the same universe as the original games,Arcaneis now the formal lore of theLeague of Legendsuniverse.
This is a promising development forpossibleArcanespin-offs, as it suggestsArcane’s tweaks to canon will now be taken as part of the unifying history of Runeterra. Beyond that, it establishes that certain characters from the games will survive the show to appear in future stories. The show has even beenlaying the groundwork for a larger world ofArcaneanimated spin-offs set in the same canon, with other locations teased and threats seeded.Arcanebeing a canon prequel toLeague of Legendsis a very exciting turn, and one that could set the stage for future crossovers.
Arcane Is Now Official League Of Legends Canon
ArcaneHas Formally BecomeLeague Of LegendsHistory
Arcanebeing a part of the officialLeague of Legendscanon is an exciting development, as it opens up future directions for the franchise to go with spin-offs. The actual day-to-day gameplay ofLeague of Legendsis largely self-contained conflicts between two teams instead of being narrative-driven. This hasn’t stopped the franchise from expanding its lore,building out the world of Runeterra and populating it with the game’s many playable characters. For years, most of this lore was explored in prose writing posted online, while games released by Riot Forge experimented with genre across Runeterra’s many settings.
As confirmed by outlets likePolygon, Riot has subsequently announced thatArcaneis considered the formal canon that leads to the world ofLeague of Legends. Considering the various realities teased by skins in the game, it wasn’t impossible that the show would be treated as an individual adaption removed from the primary version of Runeterra. Instead,Arcanenow serves as the building blocks to the world seen in the games. This is an exciting development for several reasons, including in Riot’s clear confidence in the animated world’s ability to showcase Runeterra at large.
League Of Legends Lore Could Tease Plenty Of New Directions For Arcane Spin-Offs
Easter Eggs InArcaneCould Now Be Seen As Teases Of FutureLeague Of LegendsShows
The world of Runeterra is a massive one, full of different settings and cultures. WhileArcanehas been largely focused on the twin cities of Piltover and Zaun, other regions like Noxus have played important roles in the show’s narrative. However, there are plenty of other settings in the world, each with its own fascinating collection of characters. Places like the northern Freljord and the cutthroat Bilgewater have been subtly referenced in the series,hinting at the true scope ofArcane’s world beyond the show’s primary focuson Zaun and Piltover.
What Arcane Season 2’s Intro Tells Us About The Rest Of The Show
Arcane season 2 reveals a new intro sequence that foreshadows the remaining character arcs of Vi, Jinx, Caitlyn, Mel, Kayce, Viktor, and Ekko.
As a result, the confirmation that the show exists in the full world of the game is a big development. This doesn’t just confirm those references were teasing the larger world, but other places like Demencia, Ionia, and Shurima offically exist in this setting. WithArcaneending at the conclusion of season 2,any of those settings could be an ideal place to shift focus to in future shows. TheLeague of Legendslore has lots of places and history, which have been confirmed to co-exist alongside the political machinations and conflicts ofArcane.
League Of Legends Lore Could Set Up Arcane’s Own Avengers-Style Crossover
The Black Rose Isn’t The Only Overarching Danger That Exists InArcane’s World
Those connective elements between theLeague of Legendslore andArcane’s main characters could brigeArcaneto other stories and settings.This could already be in motion thanks toArcane’s Black Rose storyline, which could easily be the kind of overarching threat that could justify appearances in other spin-offs. The machinations of that ancient cabal could extend beyond Ambessa and Mel’s storyline, and their efforts to expand their influence could become a recurring element in spin-offs that move to other locations. Beyond the Black Rose, there are other overarching threats that could become the focus of a shared conflict.
Any and all of these threats could be a big enough danger that champions from across Runeterra would need to unite against them.
There are the entities that exist within the Void, which seek to break into the realm of Runeterra and reshape it to their whims. There’s the haunting elements that exist within the Shadow Isles, such as Thresh or the Harrowing. There’s the possible return of forces from the lost empire of Shurima, resurfacing in the present-day. Any and all of these threatscould be a big enough danger that champions from across Runeterra would need to unite against them. This could allowArcaneto fully crossover with otherLeague of Legendsshows in the canon.
Arcane
Cast
Arcane is an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, debuting in 2021. It explores the conflict between the affluent city of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Central to the story are two sisters whose allegiance to opposing sides of a technological and ideological war strains their bond.
