Arcane season 2 needs to honour two key character arcs to succeed

With season 2 of Arcane hitting screens very soon, it’s worth looking back at what has made this Netflix show a huge success, earning the animated series four Primetime Emmys, nine Annie Awards and a Hollywood Critics Award.

So, Arcane is back – and we’re all excited for its second (and final) season, but there are some big stakes at play. Inspired by the League of Legends franchise, the series follows the complex relationship between Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and her younger sister Jinx (Ella Purnell), two sisters raised in the aftermath of a tragic civil war, one that killed their parents.

In this souped-up tragic cyberpunk epic, Arcane delves deep into the existential questions we tend to do our best to avoid: how far would you go for the people you love?

It’s often easy to pick out your heroes, villains and martyrs, but Arcane doesn’t let you get away with it that easily. As tensions simmer between the wealthy city of Piltover and the slums of Zaun, season 1 of Arcane leaves us on a cliffhanger, wondering if we truly knew any of its core characters at all.

Now, it has been three years since Arcane’s debut on Netflix, and we’re all eagerly awaiting for some answers about that relationship.

Yes, we’re talking about Caitlyn and Vi. Throughout season 1, there were plenty of tense moments: Vi calling Caitlyn "Cupcake", the duo saving each other’s lives and, of course, the straight-up flirting between the two.

The connection between the pair has raised plenty of interest, even earning its own ship name 'CatVi' from fans and, apparently, also Netflix.

Yet, Arcane is far from an easygoing queer romcom-type show. If anything, it could best be summarised as a sapphic power combo of The Last of Us, Killing Eve and Code Geass (for the anime fans). It’s intense, incredibly scripted and honours queer characters with the nuance that, occasionally, feels neglected in previous TV shows.

In fact, the final season of the BBC’s Killing Eve or The CW’s 100 were arguably prime examples of LGBTQIA+ roles being centred for entertainment value, but then being stripped of their agency and plot lines for the sake of shock value aka the "bury your gays" trope.

It seems unlikely that Arcane would suddenly downgrade the carefully curated storylines behind two of its fan-favourite characters. However, a new season can mean a shift in writers and, ultimately, a change in how your character delivers on-screen.

With season 2 soon under way, it feels important for Vi’s character to maintain the tenacity and gritty character traits that were sewn in the first season while allowing viewers to watch her grow and evolve as she faces new challenges. After all, the immense ending of season 1 left plenty of us speculating what will happen next.

However, with the arrival of Arcane’s season 2 trailer, it seems the show’s creators have stuck to their Vi guns, giving her an emo aesthetic upgrade but staying true to her fierce, masc character mannerisms.

As for Caitlyn, well, her character fate is only partially confirmed. She appears, briefly, kitted out in an enforcer uniform, choosing the side of order and regulation over the underworld season 1 means of catching a villain.

The consequence of where this leaves Caitlyn and Vi is unexplored, but there’s seemingly hope for them yet. A flash frame of the trailer sees the duo side-by-side as part of the Piltover Police Department leading us to think, in fact, the pair are still working together to catch Jinx.

No matter how their character arcs play out, Vi and Cait’s choice to confront their old (and new enemies) and the escalating corruption of both Piltover and Zaun, thankfully, seem central to their roles. But, with this new territory comes a new subplot – an exploration of how they continue to evolve together.

Both characters have reliably been well crafted, their interactions paced and emotional intimacy delicately explored. As the new challenges of season 2 begin to unfold, we’re hopeful that their subtle romance no longer remains chalked up to zingy intimate moments, but openly explored, despite the chaos of their broader lives.

After all, the presence of queerness, ultimately, exists regardless of where you find yourself – much like how Vi and Caitlyn found each other.

So, as Ekko aka The Boy Saviour (Reed Shannon) voices in the season 2 trailer: "Taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind." Change can be good and, as season 2 lands, let’s hope the writers of Arcane, finally, give us a queer character ending we can root for.

Whether Vi and Caitlyn end up together is one thing, but seeing their characters dutifully upheld until the series’s end is another. Now, with Acane coming out in three acts, they’ve got three strikes to get it right.

Arcane season 2 is coming to Netflix on 9th November 2024.

If you’re looking for something else to watch in the meantime, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide, or visit our dedicated Fantasy hub. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.