As one hexgate closes, another opens. Though Arcane has officially wrapped its second and final season, showrunner Christian Linke has confirmed that there’s far more to come. So far we know that while one show has been in the works for a year, there are already plans to explore three League of Legends regions – Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia – in total.
As a League sicko and Arcane devotee, this is music to my ears. More Arcane (in any way, shape or form) is fantastic, but these three areas in particular have so much potential for the character-driven stories and political drama that defined our stint in Zaun and Piltover. Given its heavy involvement in Arcane, Noxus seems to be our next destination – and of the locations listed, it’s certainly the most exciting. If I can’t sell you on more of the same goodness we fell in love with Arcane for, how does Game of Thrones-style politicking and, er, a secret-eating demon sound?
Warning: This feature contains spoilers for both seasons of Arcane.
Vision of empire
When it comes to Noxus, Arcane’s finale asked more questions than it answered. We still don’t know what The Black Rose – the shadowy cabal targeting Ambessa and Mel – wanted with the pair, or what their broader schemes entailed. Noxian forces retreated from Piltover following Ambessa’s death at the hands of The Rose, but if there’s anything we’ve learned from two seasons of Arcane, it’s that the warmongering nation doesn’t shy away from a fight easily.
Most importantly, though, the finale’s last minutes revealed a curiously six-eyed raven. In the League of Legends universe, those bizarre birds are the spies of Jericho Swain, the current ruler of Ambessa’s home country of Noxus who uses demonic powers to watch Runeterra. His involvement’s been teased through the entire show – something I explored in the run-up to Arcane’s finale – but given the show has played very fast and loose with League’s lore, there’s another story that seems much more likely to appear in the show’s Noxian spin-off. Rather than an adaptation of current-day Noxus, I think we’ll stay in the past – just as Arcane shows Jinx and Vi’s origins – to see Swain’s rise to power first-hand.
For that to make sense, there’s one League-specific tidbit you need to know: Swain draws his powers from Raum, a demon that manifests as a flock of ravens to gather secrets from all over the world. If Arcane is set before Swain gets those powers, we’ll see him – then just a regular noble – uncover a plot from The Black Rose to overthrow Noxus’ then-Emperor, Boram Darkwill. Both Darkwill and The Black Rose want to harness Raum for different reasons, with the former seeking immortality while the latter wants power to cast out Darkwill. It continues on nicely from Arcane, which left The Black Rose’s meddling up in the air – it’s possible they saw Ambessa’s military prowess and loyalty to Noxus as a barrier to chucking Darkwill out – and set up Raum’s presence with its final raven scene.
Something borrowed, something new
Likewise, Swain’s rise to power and eventual coup feels like a natural extension of Arcane’s themes. Noxus’ constant politicking lends itself incredibly well to the messy human drama and big-picture scheming that defined Arcane, while Raum covers the unknowable supernatural element left in Hextech’s wake. And hey – if you don’t already have your fill of sibling squabbles, orphaned Noxian brothers Darius and Draven are just Vi and Jinx with more axes and facial hair.
From a more practical perspective, the region also serves as a central hub to branch off and explore the regions previously outlined by Linke. The enchanting archipelago of Ionia is victim to a brutal invasion by Noxus – which leads not only to Swain gaining Raum’s power, but Shimmer inventor (and doting-dad) Singed committing a war crime so egregious that it forms the basis of numerous characters’ origin stories. Likewise – and maybe you’re starting to see a theme here – but Noxus is constantly at war with Demacia, which stands as its only rival military power when it’s not fending off mage-led civil wars. Demacia’s connections with Arcane are a little thinner, but it’s likely the best place to dive into Runeterra’s magic – a subject that Mel’s awakening powers broached, but didn’t really dig into in the same depth that, say, Demacian spellcasting revolutionary Sylas could offer.
If you couldn’t already tell, I’m incredibly excited to see which narrative threads Arcane’s successors choose to pull at. The show’s second season certainly seemed eager to broaden the lens on Runeterra, showing that the stakes can be much higher than a city divided. I can’t wait for Swain to give Silco a run for his money in the monologue department; or get more into the Black Rose mysticism that Mel barely scratched the surface of. Rather than feeling like our time in Runeterra has come to an end, it seems like we’re just getting started – and no matter where we land, I can’t wait to see what comes next.