Arcane is over, and now my life has no meaning. The second season reached its climax this weekend, concluding Riot’s first animated foray into the world of Runeterra. The final trio of episodes had so much ground to cover and so many character arcs to wrap-up, but it did the impossible and managed it, leaving viewers with the right kind of lingering questions and just enough answers to feel satisfied. It was also incredibly fruity.
Several key plot threads were held together by relationships both familial and romantic, with Caitlyn, Vi, Ekko, Jinx, Jayce, and Viktor reaching the final moments of their arcs with people they cared for deeply standing alongside them. Few were left alone, and if they were, this decision was made of their own volition. So let’s dive into exactly what makes that so queer.
Caitlyn and Vi Were The Endgame Couple We All Hoped They Would Be
All the lesbians who have spent the past several years wishing for a Caitlyn and Vi sex scene had their prayers answered with the final act of season 2. The eighth episode saw Jinx escape her prison cell and leave Vi in her place, only for Caitlyn to show up to unlock the cell door and declare that, for some reason, there were absolutely guards around.
Cue an aggressive smooch from Vi as both women promptly tear one another’s clothes off. It was a beautifully intimate scene set to King Princess’ Fantastic, a final chance to share their bodies with one another before the end of the world. The way it was acted and framed made it abundantly clear to me that queer people were involved in its development, in how Caitlyn and Vi approach one another and swiftly throw reason aside in favour of passion.
During this scene, Vi is as vulnerable as she’s ever been. She isn’t wearing her arm wraps, and allows Caitlyn to step into her personal space and embrace her for who she is, rather than feeling like she constantly needs to act as a protector.
The community saw themselves in this scene. Not only because they were simping for both characters, but it seemed like an unflinching display of sapphic love between two flawed yet beloved women. The movement of their bodies, the smiles on their faces, and the desire to savour every second in spite of what’s happening around them is wonderful, and speaks to how far this ship has come since its inception.
In season one, Vi and Caitlyn found themselves in a situationship which never quite breached the walls of romance. But if you read between the lines, it was obvious there was something more between them.
Sideways glances on Caitlyn’s bed during a rare moment of peace, Caitlyn clutching Vi’s cheeks as she sits on the verge of a panic attack, or the way they clung to each other right before tragedy. They couldn’t have come from more different backgrounds, but it’s this polar opposition that makes them so perfect.
Maddie also returns and in doing so betrays Caitlyn… only to receive a bullet to the head. I’ve never cheered so loudly at a character’s immediate comeuppance before.
Once the ash has cleared and Jinx has broken the cycle in the season’s final moments, we see Caitlyn and Vi sharing an apartment in Piltover and seemingly building a new life. They both bear physical and emotional scars, but have little intention of stopping fighting. Both for themselves, and the world they have pledged to rebuild.
I could talk about CaitVi all day, so let’s pocket that conversation for now and pivot to some tragic, magical space yaoi.
Jayce And Viktor Were Destined To Be Together In Every Timeline
While not a canon relationship in Arcane, the way Jayce and Viktor’s story concludes is so queer-coded it hurts. Both men were united by a common goal of Hextech making the world a better place, either by curing society’s ills or creating inventions that push forward what humankind is capable of. But along the way, through mistakes they both made over the years, they were driven apart.
It turned two people who used to be close friends into bitter enemies, with Viktor’s desire to heal the world eventually bringing about its cosmic ruin. Slowly but surely, the arcane tore his original desires apart and twisted them into something unknowable. The only one able to save him was Jayce – his partner, which I stress is both the scientific and romantic definition.
After Jayce is stuck in the arcane, he suffers a broken leg and has to disassemble his hammer to turn it into a makeshift splint, making him go through the same pain Viktor has for many years. Maybe this helped him see the light.
When Jayce reaches the top of the Hextech gate and confronts Viktor in the final episode, it is referencing their shared history and who they truly are that turns things around. Jayce tells Viktor there is beauty in his imperfections, and viewing his frail limbs and terminal illness as nothing but weaknesses that need to be eradicated is missing the point of what Hextech is all about.
Viktor once told Jayce to destroy Hextech in fear of what terrors it could unleash, but instead decides to save his partner regardless of the consequences. There is a bond of love, trust, and undying loyalty between them that the episode’s final moments solidify.
I can’t stress how homosexual it is to turn into a rainbow space ghost to confess your true feelings to someone, saying no matter what universe or timeline you end up in, that fate will always bring you back together. Only to implode into nothingness with the promise that, no matter what happens, everything will be okay. Jayce and Viktor then hold hands and touch foreheads before fading away, taking the magic of the arcane with them.
You can read this as platonic if you like, but the behaviour of both characters throughout the second season speaks to something more, with the writing and animation leaning heavily into queerness.
As Arcane Comes To An End, Its Queer Legacy Lives On
Like any great show, Arcane coming to an end brings with it a feeling of mourning. I’ve already seen fans who were celebrating Caitlyn and Vi one second realise their story is finally at an end the next. But fandoms like this live on for years, especially ones that attract queer communities to obsess over characters and expand their universes through a constant stream of art, fics, and theories.
Riot has also confirmed it has plans for future animated adaptations, so even if Fortiche isn’t evolved, Arcane isn’t going anywhere. In fact, I’d say it’s just reached its queer potential.