In League of Legends lore, Caitlyn was definitely motivated by the misfortune of her parents, but never would the game character have dreamed of taking up the mantle of leadership her mother left behind. However, there’s no denying that Arcane has built brilliantly upon the unlikely team-up of Caitlyn and Vi in the game lore, and their tragic parting of ways at the end of this chapter sets the character on a new path that League of Legends never explored.
Who is Janna?
“Don’t you remember the Janna bedtime stories Vander used to tell us?” Jinx asks before confronting her sister and Caitlyn in the climactic battle scene. She speaks of trapped miners being rescued by “some wispy wind woman,” and a goddess-like figure is depicted on the chamber walls. This is Janna, a spirit that acts as a protector of Zaun in League of Legends.
Arcane is definitely evolving from its more steampunk origins to more of a fantasy environment with the “wild runes” entering the picture, so Janna would be quite at home in the new order of things, but this is likely more of a one-time nod to a cultural aspect of the game that provided a nuanced backdrop to the fight that ensued at the conclusion of chapter 1. Just a nice Easter egg!
What Is the Black Rose?
Looking up the lore of the Black Rose on LoL wikis could put Arcane viewers deep into spoiler territory, but it may already be apparent that this secret organization is a cabal within Noxian aristocracy that is now making its appearance in Piltover to exercise influence over Ambessa’s plans. The supernatural nature of the shadowy group differs in the game, having more of a vampire vibe, but the blood red manifestations in the Netflix series are definitely in the spirit of the group’s history in League of Legends.
What’s Up with Viktor?
Viktor’s been on his own path in Arcane from the very start, building on the schoolmate relationship that he and Jayce have in League of Legends lore, but interestingly, the divergent path he has taken also seems to be leading him back to one of his primary motivations in the game: using technology to remove unnecessary suffering.
In the game’s backstory, Viktor is a technology wizard, but he has much more agency in his destiny than his Arcane counterpart. Game Viktor augments his own body with steel and science and seeks to do the same for others, whereas in the series, he is augmented by the modified hexcore, and his power to help others is more magical than cybernetic. However, his estrangement from Jayce and ensuing crusade are very much in line with his game character’s storyline.
