Summary
ArcaneSeason 2 has almost arrived, which means fans will soon have the answers to the many cliffhangers left from the Season 1 finale in 2021. One of the most common questions is what will happen to the Piltover council members, particularly Jayce Talis.
Arcaneis Riot’s first foray into the television space, and it’s proven to be a success. The Netflix animated series is an adaptation of Riot’sLeague of Legendsvideo game franchise, with many of the game’s prominent champions appearing as main characters in the series. The first season ofArcanewas a hit, earning a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score and millions of new fans. Season 2 is set to continue the story of Jinx, Vi, Viktor, Jayce, Ekko,and the otherLeaguechampions, but it will also bring that story to an end. Co-creator Christian Linke confirmed earlier in the year that Season 2 will be the end of this story, but that Riot has plans to tell more stories in its world of Runeterra, some of which might becontinuations of existingArcanecharacters’ journeys.
What Happened to Jayce In Arcane Season 1
One of the leading characters in Season 1 ofArcanewas Jayce Talis. First seen in Episode 2 ofArcane, Jayce was introduced as a budding young scholar, who hailed from a lower house known for making tools. While attending Piltover’s Academy, Jayce captured the attention of the Kirammans, who took him on as a patron and gained favor with the Head of the Council, Heimerdinger. After Jayce and his mother were saved by a mage when he was a young boy, he becamedevoted to researching the arcaneand wanted to find a way to control it through science, despite his mentor’s warning not to tamper with it.
After teaming up with another ambitious scientist from the undercity, Viktor, the duo managed to crack the formula needed to harness the power of the arcane crystals, and created Hextech. Hextech’s inventions changed Piltover into a city of progress, and made Jayce a celebrity who was soon granted a place on the ruling council. He also began a relationship with fellow councilor, Mel Medarda, and formed a close friendship with the Kiramman’s daughter, Caitlyn. As tensions escalated betweenPiltover and the undercity, Jayce struggled with the decision of whether to use Hextech to create weapons. After seeing the devastation that Hextech’s weapons could cause, Jayce brokered a peace with the undercity’s chem baron, Silco, and promised to provide the undercity with its independence in exchange for Jinx.
Jayce’s Fate is Left Uncertain
In the Season 1 finale, Jayce takes Silco’s proposal to the council and is close to gaining their support. However, Jinx chooses this moment to use her own Hextech weapon to senda missile straight at the council’s chambers, where everyone, including Viktor and Jayce, are currently gathered. The season ended there so it’s unclear, heading into Season 2, whether any of the Piltover council members survived.
One Arcane Season 2 Trailer Scene Hints That Jayce Survived
Marketing material forArcaneSeason 2 has been careful to avoid confirming or denyingwho makes it out of Jinx’s attack. In one trailer, Ambessa Medarda says “Your council is dead,” which indicates some, if not all, of the council members perished in the explosion. But this would remove a massive chunk of players from the board in one go, including quite a few characters who could have important arcs in the upcoming final season.
While it’s impossible to tell who makes it out untilArcaneSeason 2 debuts on November 9, there is a quick scene in one of the trailers that strongly suggests Jayce will appear in the new season. By pausing during a montage of quick shots at the end of theArcaneSeason 2 official trailer, one scene shows a character’s hand clutching a staff-like weapon.
While the character’s face isn’t revealed, they are shown to have a blue gemstone embedded in their wrist. This looks suspiciously like the piece of Hextech crystal that Jayce received from the mage when he was rescued as a young boy, which he then turned into a bracelet and wore around his wrist in the same spot. The main difference here is that the crystal appears forcibly embedded in Jayce’s wrist, causing a spiderweb of veins to stand out on his skin. This may be a result of the impact of Jinx’s blast, or it could be that Jayce will be injured in some way throughout the season causing his totem to become a physical part of him. Jayce’s weapon of choice is also anoversize Hextech hammer, which could easily match the design of the one the character is clutching in this scene.
WhileArcane’smarketing has avoided confirmingwhether Jayce lives or diesin Season 2, this one shot might be the best source of hope yet that theLeague of Legendschampion will return in the upcoming episodes.
ArcaneSeason 2 will release Episodes 1-3 on November 9.
Arcane
Arcane is an animated series developed by Alex Yee and Christian Linke that follows a the story of Piltover and Zaun, two pivotal locations in the League of Legends universe. The first season follows the stories of Jynx and Vi, as well as Jayce and Viktor.
