RELATED: Legends Of Runeterra: Everything Beginners Should Know Before They Start Playing
So, it seemed like a good idea to go over all of them and rank them from best to worst in terms of how likable or interesting they were, what their impact was on the story of Arcane, and how they grew (or devolved) over the course of the first season. Remember, this show is insanely popular and already has some hilarious partnerships in the works, so the more of an impact a character makes, the more they’re likely to get some extra attention in League of Legends.
Disclaimer: Arcane spoilers below.
10 Warwick
Let’s start things off with a bit of a fan theory that’s all but been confirmed at this point, that’s to that last little hint at the end of the last episode. It’s almost assured that Vander will come back at some point as Warwick, as there have been many parallels drawn between him and the Uncaged Beast of Zaun. That said, because Warwick hasn’t shown up yet, in the furry flesh, it’s not possible for him to appear anywhere other than last on this list.
That said, Vander was an incredibly interesting character in his own right, and it’d be great to see more of him, even as the amnesiac monster that is Warwick, in the upcoming season two.
9 Teemo
Next up is a Champion that doesn’t directly appear in Arcane, but is one of the only ones to ever get referenced directly outside of just actually showing up. Of course, this is Teemo, the loveable little mischief-maker Yordle. There are two primary examples of references to Teemo in Arcane.
One is the Poison Puffcaps of his that show up next to those caged Kurgs in the first episode, and the other is the image of Teemo himself in that children’s book Silco’s goon is reading when they’re invading Chief Police Marcus’ home. Obviously, because he doesn’t actually show up in the show at all (as of yet), Teemo just barely passes Warwick, but still, the little references to him are all pretty great.
8 Singed
This doctor working with Silco doesn’t really directly call himself “Singed”, but the closed captions sure do. He’s bald after the explosion at Silco’s warehouse, like Singed, he’s obsessed with Shimmer (AKA Chemtech), like Singed, and he’s likely the one who will turn Vander into Warwick, as Singed did.
RELATED: League Of Legends: The Most Hated Champions, Ranked
That said, for one of the trolliest characters in LoL, Arcane has done a fantastic job of making Singed more understandable and giving him an actual character arc, so much so that he’s becoming a fan-favorite character overall.
7 Heimerdinger
Here’s the thing, Heimerdinger is basically part of the main cast in Arcane, and he does a fantastic job. He’s intelligent, has a great voice actor, adds a lot to specific scenes, and is just straight-up adorable. But, in regards to his actual impact on the events of Arcane, or his character growth, they’re both pretty lacking.
Heimerdinger serves as the voice of caution to everyone in Piltover, be it Jayce, Viktor, or even Ekko. He doesn’t exactly change his approach at any point, contribute to anything himself, or make any big decisions. He’s adorable and well-meaning, but his reputation makes more of an impact on the events of the show than he does.
6 Ekko
Ekko, AKA Little Man, is a character that showed up early in Arcane but wasn’t seen again for quite some time. But, now that he’s shown up as the leader of the Fireflies, he’s become such an integral part of the story. Without him, Benzo is a much less important character, and Vi would have less info to go on for just about every major development. Ekko eventually gains Chronomancy-type abilities that allow him to manipulate time, as is seen during his in-game moveset, but as of right now he’s just one of the more relatable characters in the show.
5 Jayce Talis
Obviously, Jayce Talis was going to be in the higher-ranked half of this list, being basically the tertiary main character at this point, behind Vi and Jinx. Before Arcane, Jayce was just one of the pretty-boy Champions without much depth on his own. After Arcane, Jayce will assuredly be one of the most played Champions in general, and will likely get some more skins in the upcoming future.
RELATED: Every Five-Cost Champion in TFT’s Gizmos and Gadgets
In regards to his actual impact on Arcane, it’s obviously very huge. The guy has a big character arc with his rags to riches storyline, goes through multiple highs and lows throughout the story, and is now the actual inventor of Hextech! Without Jayce in Arcane, the show basically can’t exist, and his brotherly partnership with Viktor is such a welcome change to the otherwise petty lore that existed before Arcane came out.
4 Viktor
Speaking of Viktor, can everyone just give it up for Riot making one of the (literally) most robotic characters in League so incredibly likable in Arcane? Not to spoil what happens to Viktor to anyone unfamiliar with the MOBA, but he does go through a rather drastic change.
But, in this animated series, Viktor is also rags to riches scientist, just like Jayce, but with even more hardships to deal with, considering his origins in Zaun. And even more than that, Viktor doesn’t have god-given luck or naturally good looks, he’s just an incredibly smart yet reserved inventor. So, to see him flourish so much next to Jayce, and to get a look at his backstory with Singed, this character has become much more of a focal point for the show than most people likely expected.
3 Caitlyn
Ah Caitlyn, the Cupcake Cop herself. Caitlyn Kieramman was always going to be in Arcane, that much was known. If Vi is a central character in this story, than Caitlyn had to show up at some point. And, when she first showed up, she was alright. She was one of the only ones who still believed in Jayce before his Hextech idea took off, but she was still basically a spoiled rich kid.
But, after the time jump, Caitlyn is by far one of the more complex and interesting characters in the series. Sure, she doesn’t seem to be the best with diplomacy, given especially with a certain blue-haired misfit, but she obviously cares a great deal for Piltover, Zaun, and especially Vi.
2 Vi
It’s pretty obvious that these two sisters were going to be the top two, it just doesn’t make sense otherwise. The story of Arcane is literally about them, and the team at Riot have done a fantastic job turning what was originally just a “punch-girl” and a “Harley Quinn” reference character into two of the most complex characters in League.
Vi, in particular, is just so much more of a deeper (and popular) character now. In League, she’s just a hard-boiled cop who likes to punch stuff, but Arcane adds so much more to this. Plus, all of her actions scenes are incredible, as Riot has really put a lot of focus on making sure her fights aren’t just all “one punch and done” but rather play out as actual bare-knuckle street brawls.
1 Jinx
Where else could this end but Powder? Jinx has always been a fan-favorite character in League, ever since she was released as a Champion in 2013. But, even back then, fans always compared her to Harley Quinn or the Joker, and never gave any thought as to why she was so crazy.
Well, Arcane does just that, and it does it so well. While most people don’t exactly agree with how immediately off the deep end Powder goes, everyone can at least understand it. The transition from Powder to Jinx, her way of approaching problems, and every part where she’s almost coming apart at the seams, are all just so inherently interesting! And, as a character, she’s off-the-wall popular now, so much so that she’s earned herself a skin in Fortnite!
League of Legends is available now for PC and Arcane is available exclusively on Netflix.
MORE: Mobile Legends: Beginner Tips For The MOBA You Need To Know
