I just finished watching Netflix’s Arcane season 2, and wow—what a ride! This intense conclusion of the story we fell in love with three years ago was packed with epic and unexpected twists.
Overall, I enjoyed the series and made peace with the ending, but I share some critiques from other fans. The story’s scale exploded, the pacing felt faster than in season 1, and the tone was darker than I anticipated. While Arcane delivered a stunning narrative and visual spectacle, it wasn’t a perfect ride—and it certainly wasn’t easy to watch emotionally.
Pacing and Scaling Conflict
The pacing in Season 2 felt hectic. While it didn’t ruin the overall experience, I think the show could have benefited from more breathing room. A couple of extra minutes per episode might have made a noticeable difference with the ambitious shift in scale.
Season 1 centered on grounded conflicts like classism, inequality, and the struggles of those caught in the crossfire. Its emotional core focused on relationships: the turmoil between sisters, love across enemy lines, grief, greed and sacrifice. Season 2, however, shifted to a cosmic, apocalyptic scale, where existential stakes overshadowed character development. I think we viewers ended up losing out on some great moments as a result.
The rise of an existential threat uniting two historically antagonistic sides isn’t new. Arcane uses this well-worn narrative thread, and we see this a lot in Warcraft. For Arcane, I do believe the stakes needed to be this high to bring Zaun and Piltover together. However, by the time we reached this point, the story had so many moving parts.
There’s Ambessa’s ambitions and the story of a chosen child. Caitlyn navigates grief and extremism in her quest for justice. Jinx falls into heartbreaking self-loathing, clashing with her role as a revolutionary symbol. Viktor is completely altered as the mystery of the hexcore unravels. Add political intrigue, interpersonal drama, and even dimension travel, and you get a packed narrative. While I wished for more character-driven plots, Arcane at least took a few moments here and there shred our feelings to pieces.
Oof… Emotional Damage
Season 2 did not hold back when it came to emotional gut-punches. It almost became exhausting to watch the characters endure so much pain, especially Vi. Her journey was particularly brutal as someone who consistently stayed true to her convictions yet faced loss at every turn. Watching her lose Jinx over and over, relive Vander’s death again and again, and struggle for stability was heart-wrenching.
Jinx’s story was equally tragic. Time and again, she came close to peace, only to be dragged back into chaos. Her fate seemed beyond her control, adding to the pain of her story.
If that wasn’t enough, the writers used flashbacks, bittersweet memories, and even an entire what could have been episode to ensure we were emotionally wrecked. This solidified Arcane as an absolute tragedy, bordering on overwhelming. It’s not hopeless, but that hope is won at a very steep cost. Perhaps I’m just getting too old for this kind of heartache.
Immortal No More
As a long-time League of Legends player, I’ve come to know and love many of these characters from Riot’s universe for over a decade. The comforting permanence of League’s champions contrasts starkly with Arcane’s harsh realities.
I’ve played other games where major characters die, like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars, but those games are RPGs. Characters come and go, change, and evolve because a moving narrative is at the heart of the genre. The format of League leaves characters feeling suspended in time, their backstories more like flavor. Arcane gives them consequences and mortality, which felt unsettling. Seeing the characters grabble with real stakes created a unique emotional dissonance for me.
I know a journey without risk makes for dull entertainment, but this shift still left me with a lingering sense of loss. Judging by some other fan reactions, I’m not alone in this sentiment.
Still Worth the Ride
Despite its flaws, Arcane Season 2 remains an incredible piece of storytelling. It gets so much right, from its stunning visuals to its bold artistic expression. The show hits representation without feeling forced and delivers a story worth experiencing, whether or not you’re a fan of the games.
Just don’t forget the tissues.
The complete Arcane season 2 is now out Netflix!
If you enjoyed this, check out my analysis of Jinx in the context of creating characters. And keep an eye out on our socials from future posts on Arcane, League of Legends, and more!
