What to Expect From the League of Legends Show’s Ionia

This article contains spoilers from the finale of
Arcane
Season 2.

Arcane‘s finale has closed the narrative on Piltover and Zaun, but Riot Games and Fortiche Productions have confirmed that fresh content is in development. With Arcane‘s executive producer Christian Linke indicating that three regions will be explored in future series, there’s a lot of excitement about which champions will make it to the small screen. Specifically, the forthcoming explorable nations of Runeterra are Ionia, Noxus, and Demacia.

Over the years, League of Legends fans have been eager to see several new regions receive a show after Arcane, including lesser-known locations such as Marrowmark, Bandle City, and Ixtal. Interestingly, with Ionia set to appear in an Arcane spin-off, it’s very likely that Riot will highlight other nations and regions as well. Considering the bold moves Ambessa’s Noxian army made in Piltover, and references made to Ionia, there are a few things that fans can expect from a future show.

A League of Legends Show Focused on Ionia Offers Multiple Possibilities

Arcane Has Already Laid The Groundwork For The Rest of Runeterra’s Introduction

Ionia, commonly called “The First Lands,” is a primarily peaceful region known for its abundant natural magic. As the birthplace of the chimeric Vastaya race, fans may learn more about the origins of characters like Lest and Scar from Arcane while introducing champions such as Ahri, Neeko, Rengar, and Wukong. Their mystical connection to the Arcane has been glimpsed via Lest’s healing abilities with Salo in Arcane Season 2.

As a massive archipelago in the northeastern seas, Ionia has been targeted by Noxus for many years due to its prominence as one of the main thirteen territories in Runeterra. Although the nation of Noxus itself is never shown in Arcane, its thirst for conquest and power is hinted at through the Merdarda’s. Their influence will heighten in a show focused on Ionia’s struggles with Noxus.

In
Arcane
Season 2, Episode 1, Maddie Nolen references the strength of the Noxian Empire by stating that if every Enforcer had a heart like Vi’s, they might be able to take on Noxus itself.

Following Ambessa’s death, Mel appears to be returning to Noxus in the final scenes of Arcane Season 2, Episode 9. Though Ambessa could be resurrected, fans can only expect Mel’s story to continue in upcoming shows. Her connections to Noxus and the Black Rose may even eventually lead to her involvement with Ionia, possibly in an attempt to prevent war as a peacekeeper.

Beyond the Medarda clan, Ionia houses 22 playable champions. Therefore, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly whose storylines Riot and Fortiche could prioritize. Based on past lore, the characters likely to appear or be referenced to include, but are not limited to:

• Ahri
• Akali
• Irelia
• Jhin
• Karma
• Master Yi
• Riven
• Shen
• Wukong
• Yasuo
• Zed
• Yone

Although the aforementioned champions may not all have been born in Ionia, they all have strong ties or connections to it.

Determining the Time Period of a Show Released After Arcane

Following Arcane‘s ending, and assuming the next League of Legends show takes place after Jinx and Vi’s storyline, it appears that Noxus has already invaded Ionia, as evidenced by the appearance of the raven demon, Raum. In previously established lore, the Noxians Boram Darkwill and Swain invaded Ionia after the nation was subjected to Chemtech bombs created by Singed. After losing a battle to Irelia, Swain formed a pact with Raum, which granted him supernatural powers. Due to Raum appearing in the final episode of Arcane, some have taken this to mean that Swain was observing the events between Piltover and Zaun through Raum’s eyes.

If the showrunners simply wanted to tease new characters and Noxus, this could be explained away as Raum simply surveying Piltover on his own without having met Swain. Conversely, Arcane has made changes to the lore in the past, and now that the series is confirmed to be canon, the writers are free to reshape these stories in any order they like. Therefore, the first Ionian War could still be the focus of a future show, even if Swain has already bonded with Raum.

“The first Ionian War could be the focus of a future show.”

League of Legends Next Show Will Introduce New Rivalries Between Nations

Much like Piltover and Zaun’s struggles, Ionia, Noxus, and Demacia will explore themes of war, oppression, and principles in the face of adversity. Due to Swain being hinted at in Arcane, it seems Irelia will be featured in the forthcoming series as a fourteen-year-old girl determined to defend Ionia from invasion. In League of Legends lore, Irelia bests Swain in battle and severs his arm before hoisting it above her head for other fighters to see. Her role as a figurehead of the resistance might even parallel Jinx’s in Arcane, as both were initially reluctant before stepping into the position.

The direct effects of the Noxian-Ionian War on characters like Kennen, Shen, and Yasuo could be explored.

Moreover, as a mad scientist obsessed with Shimmer, Singed is also likely to be a pivotal character in the next show. He has already demonstrated that he’s willing to work with anyone so long as it benefits him, and though Ambessa is no longer present, Noxus may ally themselves with him. Though he’s seemingly obtained his happy ending with Orianna, The Lady of Clockwork, there may be a pivotal moment that leads to him enabling Noxus’ invasion of Ionia, as he’s done in past lore.

However, if Riot chooses to skip twelve years past the war, viewers can anticipate the enchanted land to be in a state of division. Some characters will be attempting to return to their peaceful way of life, while others will be seeking vengeance. Further motifs of guilt, duty, and revenge are to be expected, particularly if champions like Akali, Riven, Yasuo, and Yone turn out to be part of the main cast.

With various narratives at their disposal, there are multitudes of possibilities. Significantly, in an interview with Polygon, Christian Linke stated that each series would debut with a distinct style and tone. Ultimately, with new Arcane spin-offs and games on the horizon, it will be exciting to see how Riot Games and Fortiche Productions bring the nation of Ionia to life.