Arcane Season 2: Ending Fully Explained
League of Legends' Arcane Season 2 has finally concluded with plenty of drama and plot twists. Vi, Jinx, Ekko, Mel, Jayce, Viktor and Ambessa returned in Act 3 Episode 3, "The Dirt Under Your Nails," for the series' ultimate showdown. Let's recap everything that happened in Arcane's last episode, walk through the final battle and find out the main characters' fates. Spoilers are ahead!
Ekko's Return
During the episode's opening, Jinx attempted to blow herself up with a grenade. Ekko arrived just in time and used his rewind powers in five attempts until he saved her. Jinx and Ekko teamed up and shared a sweet moment, during which he gave her advice from the alternate dimension.
The Final Battle
Piltover and Zaun battled against Ambessa and Noxus in Arcane's last episode to prevent Viktor and his army from reaching the Hex Gate. Caitlyn led a group of specialized Enforcers and fought with her sniper rifle, hitting Ambessa with a killing blow. However, because Caitlyn's rifle was a Hextech instrument, Ambessa's runes absorbed the shot and saved her. Caitlyn and her crew launched a gas attack and an unknown person ripped off Caitlyn's mask, leaving her unconscious in the gas.
When Caitlyn awoke, she realized Maddie was the one who betrayed her — and Ambessa had sentenced her to execution. Luckily, Mel saved Caitlyn with her magic just in time. Ekko and Jinx also arrived on a giant aircraft to wipe Ambessa's Noxus forces out. The team fled from Ambessa and destroyed the Hex Core, only to find it was a decoy and Viktor was already at the Hex Gate. Vander, fully transformed into his beast form as Warwick, fought against the protagonists alongside Viktor's soldiers.
Mel Defeats Ambessa
After realizing Ambessa had tricked them with the decoy Hex Core, Caitlyn, Mel and Ambessa dueled. Caitlyn was severely wounded, and though Mel protected her with magic, she continued to weaken throughout the fight. Eventually, Ambessa seemed to have won and let down her guard. At the perfect moment, Caitlyn shouted "Now!". Mel then immobilized Ambessa using the powers the Black Rose taught her. In the alternate Black Rose dimension, LeBlanc complimented Ambessa and attempted to turn her to the Black Rose's benefit. In a plot twist, Mel appeared and broke free of the Black Rose's chains, defeating LeBlanc and Ambessa. Returning to the real world, Ambessa dies in Mel's arms and the Noxus soldiers salute Mel as their new leader.
Related Article: How Old are Jinx and Vi in Arcane Season 2?
Jayce and Viktor
Viktor and Jayce met again at the Hex Gate, where Viktor reached his final Glorious Evolution form. After an altercation, he brought Viktor into the void, where the two spoke. Meanwhile, Ekko raced through Viktor's army, using his Z-Drive to stop time. Ekko threw the Z-Drive at Viktor. It fractured part of his evolved form, revealing a fragment of his human face.
Jayce begged Viktor to reconsider his actions, saying "I thought I wanted us to give magic to the world... now all I want is my partner back." He reminded Viktor that his 'weaknesses', like illness and limitations, made him human and connected him to the world.
Jayce then revealed that he met Viktor in the alternate Hex Core future. Viktor said, "I thought I could bring an end to the world's suffering, but when every equation was solved, all that remained were fields of dreamless solitude. There is no prize to perfection." Viktor then gave Jayce a hex rune crystal and made him promise to change the past, saying "Only you can show me this."
Viktor began to sob, and Jayce handed him the crystal. The two held onto it and contained its energy while Viktor released the soldier army's souls.
Jinx's Death?
As Vi and Jinx lay injured at the destroyed Hex Gate tower, Vi saw Warwick lying injured on a crumbling beam. Believing a trace of Vander remained, Vi refused to leave him to jump towards Jinx and woke him up. Warwick lunged at her, and Jinx jumped in his path, pushing him off the edge. Jinx dangled off the tower with Warwick clinging onto her as Vi held them up. As Warwick began to climb, Jinx said "Always with you, sis" and grabbed the hex crystal out of Vi's gauntlet, falling through the debris. While she fell, Jinx detonated a grenade. The Hex Tower exploded into color, and Jinx was never seen again.
Vi and Caitlyn: Happily Ever After?
Arcane's will-they-won't-they couple has been through a lot (an emo phase, a rebound relationship with a spy, intense martial arts fights and saving the world to name a few) but fans will be happy to know that Caitlyn and Vi do end up together. After the final battle ends and the dust settles, the two are shown together in an ornate house. Caitlyn has recovered and wears her signature eye patch. Vi hums her mother Felicia's lullaby by the fireplace, and Caitlyn sits with her, asking, "Are you still in this fight, Violet?" Vi responds, "I am the dirt under your nails, Cupcake. Nothing's gonna clean me out."
Related Article: Who is Felicia in Arcane Season 2?
Epilogue
Piltover and Zaun rebuilt after the battle and grieved the dead. The surviving characters burned slips of paper in memory of the dead at the Bridge of Progress. Ekko sat at the rooftop where he kissed Jinx/Powder in the alternate dimension, and watched her burnt paper float into the sky. Sevika became a Council member, and Singed's daughter Orianna awakened.
Mel held Ambessa's mask and considered how to move forward with the weight of her mother's legacy. In Vi and Caitlyn's scene, Vi held the metal monkey gadget from Jinx's grenade. Caitlyn examines a map of the tower Jinx died in, indicating she could have escaped and may be alive. An airship floated serenely into the sky, and the series concluded with a final 'The End' screen.
NEXT: Review Roundup: Arcane Season 2 Act 1 is a Stunning Start
