Over the past decade, League of Legends has become one of the biggest video games in the world. The title has spawned multiple different titles on different platforms and has even spawned a critically-acclaimed Netflix series as a result of the game’s success.
Arcane has been one of the most viewed shows for the streaming service. From die-hard fans to casual newcomers, the storyline and characters were relatable and memorable to whoever decided to dive into the rich world of Runeterra. There are multiple champions featured in the show, ranging from main characters to cameos.
Here are all of the League champions in Arcane, ranked.
9) Ryze
Although he did play a pretty important part in saving Jayce and his mother during a flashback, Ryze didn’t play a massive part in the overall arc of the show’s storyline. The biggest impact he had was giving Jayce the rune that helped him develop Hextech technology. It also isn’t known if he’ll play a bigger role in the second season.
8) Singed
Singed is featured a lot more than Ryze, as one of the key players who developed the notorious Shimmer drug that creates monsters out of men. He worked closely with Silco during the show, saved Jinx from certain death, and was also a major factor in Viktor’s character development. He isn’t the exact Singed League fans are used to seeing on the Rift, though. He is a lot quieter than normal, and a lot more sinister as a result.
7) Heimerdinger
Piltover’s favorite scientist can be easily identified by any League enthusiast with his classic mustache and spectacles. The plucky, old yordle sounds exactly like what people expect, but he isn’t nearly as unhinged as his in-game self. The Arcane version of Heimerdinger is a lot more mature, controlled, and wise due to his position as the head of the council in Piltover.
He also shows a bit more growth in his viewpoints over the world, near the end of the first season where he finally meets Ekko and the rest of the Firelights.
We could see Heimerdinger continue to become a major player in the war between the council, the chem-barons, and the revolutionaries soon.
6) Jayce
Jayce is the perfect embodiment of Piltover’s penchant for discovery, and in Arcane, he pushes forward to help develop a life-changing technology with the Hextech Gates. He propelled his society to great heights but showed vulnerability when he lost his temper during his fight alongside Vi in a Shimmer Factory. He was heralded as the city’s golden boy, but in fact, he isn’t as squeaky clean as people believe.
He gains a ton of character development League fans have not gotten from any quotes or short stories and should be an interesting character to follow along as his ethics battle against his hunger for justice.
5) Ekko
He hasn’t learned how to rewind time, but Ekko was still an important character and a fan favorite in Arcane. League lore enthusiasts were delighted to watch as the crafty Zaunite grew up in front of their eyes, going from a cheeky little boy building fun inventions to a hardened, jaded leader of the Firelights.
He isn’t just a genius child building things in the Sump. He’s now a hoverboard-wielding warrior who was forced to grow up a bit too fast, while trying to do the right thing for his friends, family, and his people. It’s a refreshing take from the witty teen players have gotten used to seeing while playing on the Rift.
4) Caitlyn
Unlike her role as the Sheriff of Piltover in today’s League lore, fans get a look into Caitlyn’s early days as a junior officer, as she aims to prove herself as a top investigator in the force. Even though she is a hesitant, inexperienced rookie, she is also forced to learn rather quickly as she is thrown into the middle of a war between the dark powers of Zaun and the corrupt, holier-than-thou members of Piltover.
Players are so used to the haughty confidence of Caitlyn’s current self, but seeing how she becomes the best in the city is a great story to follow among the chaos.
3) Vi
The Piltover Enforcer has always been headstrong and a bit bullish, but viewers are given a glimpse into VI’s tragic backstory, and how it shaped her path to the force and her tumultuous relationship with her sister. She is so desperate to save Powder from the darkness clouding her heart, and her anger towards the people who have wronged her is palpable every time she picks up her gauntlets to fight. The pain of loss should change how many people see her tendencies, and how she builds toward the next season.
2) Viktor
Viktor went from a soft-spoken scientist to a partial cyborg in the span of a season. Fans quickly learned that the ambitious inventor had to scratch and claw for everything he had, since he came from the undercity instead of being born into money like many other people of science.
Things got worse for Viktor as he discovered he was terminally ill, and as a result, he was forced to find a cure for himself by any means necessary. Although he doesn’t become the Machine Herald (yet) we see on the Summoner’s Rift, his character development shows he still had morals and a noble cause to fight for.
1) Jinx
At the beginning of the series, fans are introduced to a quiet young girl named Powder, who hungers for affection and acceptance from her sister Vi and the rest of their friends.
Unfortunately, her consistent mistakes drive them away rather than bring them closers, and ultimately, her final mistake costs her friends, her father figure, and even her sister.
Fast forward several years, and fans get a glimpse of the Jinx we know and love. And yet, among the madness and mayhem, the scared little girl can still be seen. She still brings the maniacal laughter and bullet rain that players are used to hearing, but in the show, viewers can see Powder reaching out and looking for help through the tears.
Her development throughout Arcane is a brilliant portrayal of how one’s environment can shape a person drastically, for better or worse—all via the League lens.
