EntertainmentTVAnimation ShowsArcaneArcane writer says Riot let them kill anyone they wanted, even fan-favorite characters: “There were no limits to what we could do to make a good story"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentTVAnimation ShowsArcaneArcane writer says Riot let them kill anyone they wanted, even fan-favorite characters: “There were no limits to what we could do to make a good story"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Netflix)
Arcanemay be over, but it still lives in our hearts, especially because of some of the devastating deaths. Turns out,Riotwas more than on board with Fortiche killing whoever it wanted to.
This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 2.
“Riot embraced whatever story we wanted to tell with any of the characters,” Arcane writer Amanda Overton tells us. “We were like ‘Can we kill Jayce and Viktor?’ ‘Yes’. There were no limits to what we could do to make a good story, which was, in my opinion, absolutely the right choice for them to do, because we are adapting a game into a different medium, into television, and you want to be able to be free to make that version the best it can possibly be.”
League of Legends, the video game that Arcane is based on, has a deep and rich pool of lore for the Arcane writers to pull from, but it’s been refreshing to see the amount of creative freedom Riot has given them. The writers pick and choose what elements of the lore they want to stick to, and whileit can make the canon a bit inconsistent, it makes for a better show. Sometimes sticking to the lore leads tointeresting fan theoriesbeing confirmed, too.
“That support from [Riot’s] side really allowed us to make characters like this - complicated, interesting, dark, vulnerable - that had fates that we needed to decide what would be the most satisfying for the show, and not worry about what may or may not be interesting for a different medium,” Overton explains. She also tells us about how long they’ve hadthe show’s final momentsplanned out. “That Vi-Jinx scene, the very last scene between them, is nearly the same as when we wrote it six years ago.”
In an actual game of League of Legends, all the champions respawn and live to fight another day, but a television show needs stakes. We won’t care about deaths unless they’re permanent. I know we all want Jinx to be alive, and she could be if future League of Legends shows go the multiverse route, but it’s good to move on.
If you want to read more of our thoughts on the show, check out ourArcane season 2 review.
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League of Legends co-creator responds to report that Arcane was a “financial miss,” says “people think we make things like Arcane to sell skins, when in reality we sell skins to make things like Arcane”
Arcane writer shares where she wants to go with a new story in the League of Legends universe
Arcane writer shares where she wants to go with a new story in the League of Legends universe
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”