As anticipation builds for the eagerly awaited second season of Arcane, Netflix's animated series based on the lore of League of Legends, the streaming platform dropped a very brief new look — but not so brief that fans couldn't spin up some theories around it.
The short teaser came courtesy of today's Next on Netflix Animation event, featured in a quick 15-second bit at the end of a video previewing the whole of its animation slate. Netflix also broke out the clip into a quick teaser on Arcane's X/Twitter account, which you can watch below.
Piltover’s finest, on the case. #Arcane pic.twitter.com/p4sm9N7VTd
— Arcane (@arcaneshow) June 6, 2024
Warning: Some plot details and spoilers of Arcane Season 1 below.
The brief look may not seem like much at first glance, but there's actually quite a bit we can take away from it. For one thing, it's the first look at Vi in enforcer armor, seen side-by-side with Caitlyn, who's similarly suited-up. As Netflix's caption reads, it's a look at "Piltover's finest, on the case."
It's being taken as confirmation that we will indeed see Vi become an enforcer in Season 2 — which shouldn't be a huge shock, given that the character's an enforcer in League of Legends, but fans are still pretty hyped (if a little worried for Vi herself, especially considering what enforcers did to her and Jinx's parents).
VI IS AN ENFORCER NOW?!?!?!?!! ...... BRO THERE'S NO ACTUAL WAY ?
— Platinum Equinox ?? (@PlatinumEquinox) June 6, 2024
GUYS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
HELLOOOOOOO?!?!?!?!?!?!?!#ARCANE Season 2 pic.twitter.com/YuP2NVmWxz
But the other, less recognizable characters in the teaser could be of even more interest, and potentially reveal just as much about what we might see in Season 2. Specifically, fans have latched onto the red-headed woman on the left of the final shot of the teaser, and think she resembles a minor character from Season 1 — but there's a twist.
As fans quickly pointed out, she bears a resemblance to Ren, the daughter of the Marcus character in Season 1. The thing is, Ren was a young girl when she was briefly seen in Season 1, meaning another time jump could be in the cards for Season 2.
listen to me just for a second #arcane pic.twitter.com/kjRg6c1NFX
— día ★ ?? (@sevikittty) June 6, 2024
Of course, Arcane is no stranger to time jumps, as the first season saw the plot jump ahead several years after the first three episodes.
And if it indeed is Ren (which, again, we're just theorizing here), that could tease even more about what Season 2 has in store. As those who watched Season 1 will remember, Marcus, a corrupt Piltover sheriff who was working with Silco, was killed by an explosion set off by Jinx, along with his enforcers. Could Ren be looking for revenge?
End spoilers.
Regardless, it's only the latest crumb Netflix has dropped as we eagerly await Season 2. Previously, the streaming platform released a poster that was a clever nod to the promo art for Season 1, showing a role reversal for Vi and Jinx. Its first teaser, too, seemed to confirm a prevailing fan theory.
Arcane Season 2 will debut sometime this November. In the meantime, catch up with our 10/10 review of Season 1, where we called it "the first video game adaptation that’s truly a masterpiece, breaking new ground for what’s possible in TV animation."
Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she's not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.
