Notice! This article contains SPOILERS for Arcane Season 2, Act IIIAfter two groundbreaking seasons, Arcane concluded with the final act of season 2, which unfortunately included the deaths of several prominent characters. Arcane never shied away from tragic character deathswith the first scene of the premiere episode highlighting the incredibly dark tone and tragic nature of the show. Characters who would have survived much longer on most shows were killed off early, proving that none of the champions of Arcane they were truly safe, and even survivors would never emerge unscathed when events took a turn for the worse.
Even with these facts firmly established in the first 15 episodes of the series Arcane Season 2 Act III saved the most devastating deaths for last, bringing several character arcs to sad but fitting conclusions. Although many of the deaths were impossible to deny, Arcane proved that even a supposedly clear death isn’t always final, and there’s some evidence to suggest that certain characters could return in the next few years. Arcane and League of Legends spin-offs. However, until this is confirmed, this list will assume that 11 prominent Arcane characters died in the final act of season 2.
11
Heimerdinger
Sacrificed himself for Ekko
The first significant victim of ArcaneEkko’s final act was Professor Heimerdinger, who was destroyed by arcane energy while preparing the machine that would send Ekko back to his own timeline. Heimerdinger was less motivated than Ekko to find a way back to his reality due to the peaceful and prosperous nature of his new reality, and he knew how risky it would be to try. However, Heimerdinger couldn’t refuse Ekko in his time of needtelling his student how alive he made the older man feel before sacrificing himself to make the device work.
Heimerdinger’s final comment to Ekko makes his death incredibly poetic when considering the beginning of his journey back to the past. Arcane season 1. Heimerdinger never had a reason to fear death or take great risks due to his long life, but Ekko opened his eyes to people who need to thrive instead of just survive. Now Heimerdinger had experienced what it meant to be alive, but he had to face his own mortality for the first time.sending Ekko home and never knowing if he could make their reality as beautiful as the one they were trapped in.
10
Huck
Transformed into one of Viktor’s mindless automatons
Huck was among Viktor’s many followers, whose minds and bodies were radically altered when Viktor left his humanity behind. Huck first appeared in ArcaneThe pilot episode of a shy man with glasses about to be robbed in a dealuntil Vander intervened to ensure he was paid fairly. Later, his body was ravaged after he took the street drug Shimmer, wanting to know what it was like to be strong. Despite his history with Vi and the kindness Caitlyn Kiramman showed him, he sold them both to Silco in exchange for another dose of Shimmer.
His luck seemed to change when he was healed by Viktor, helping to establish a peaceful community of others who had been saved. Unfortunately, Huck and the others became nothing more than mindless drones, forced to carry out attacks on the people of Piltover while Viktor tried to control the power of the Hex Gate. As all of Viktor’s followers looked the same, it is unclear at what point in Act III Huck diedbut their spirits leaving their bodies made it clear that no one survived.
9
Gert
One of the first victims of the Noxian attack
Gert debuted at the beginning of Season 2 as one of the Jinx-inspired Zaunites, dying her hair blue like her hero. When Jinx freed them from prison, Gert was the first to approach, placing an affectionate hand on Jinx’s shoulder. An alternate version of Gert with blonde hair also appeared at the beginning of Act III in the alternate timeline.working as a server and DJ. Although Gert and her allies initially planned to evacuate, she felt compelled to stay and fight to defend the city, dying in Vi’s arms as the violence continued around her.
8
Lorikeet
Killed during the defense of Piltover
An Enforcer introduced in the Season 2 premiere, Vi found Loris drinking heavily at work, allowing the two to become fast friends. He joined Caitlyn’s special squad sent to clean up the remnants of Silco’s criminal network in the underground city, but when he saw the direction Piltover was heading under Noxian influence, he turned away from the Enforcers. He looked after Vi as best he could during her downward spiral and later returned to service in the defense of Piltover. Sadly, Loris was hit by multiple Noxian arrows while manning the tower on the city walls.
7
Maddie Nolen
Hit by her own redirected bullet
Until the final episode of ArcaneMaddie Nolen’s death would have been painful, but her actions during the defense of Piltover completely recontextualized her character. Presented in a positive light (the sun was literally behind her), Maddie was portrayed as a sweet characterwith the initial enthusiasm for Ambessa Medarda seeming to be the result of youth and naivety. The only other compelling reason for viewers to dislike her was her relationship with Caitlyn, complicating things with Vi, but even those scenes were handled beautifully.
This made Maddie’s shocking betrayal completely unexpected in the end, although it made sense that Ambessa would go to this level in her attempts to control Caitlyn. It’s still unclear how long Maddie had been working for Ambessa or why she would betray Piltover, but the episode shows enough for it to make sense. Maddie’s horrific attempt to execute Caitlyn was quickly followed by a brutal death at her own hands.with Mel Medarda protecting Vi with magic and causing the bullet to ricochet off Maddie’s head.
6
Illusory Sorceress
Dominated by Mel’s skills
Identified as the “Illusionary Sorceress” in Arcane season 2’s closing credits, this powerful leader of the Black Rose met her apparent demise in the series finale. Previous episodes revealed that Mel was the product of an affair between Ambessa and a member of the Black Rose, who wanted to use Mel’s powers. However, Mel recognized that this witch was as bad as her motherusing his connection to the arcane to destroy her. Of course, given the Illusory Sorceress’s dark powers, there’s a chance it will be revealed that she survived in a Arcane spin off.
5
Ambessa Medarda
Succumbed to Black Rose’s injuries
After an entire season of manipulating others into pushing Piltover into war, Ambessa’s actions led to her death in Arcanefinal episode. Ironically, Ambessa was the victim of exactly what she accused Zaun of.rejecting all opportunities to see reason and end the conflict. She claimed that everything she did was for the good of her family, but her rivalry with the Black Rose killed her son and she fought her daughter. Despite Mel’s attempts to save her mother from an agonizing death, Ambessa succumbed to her injuries, forcing Mel to take on the mantle she never wanted.
4
Jayce Talis
I stayed behind to keep a promise
One of the most tragic character deaths in ArcaneThe final episode was Jayce Talis, who sacrificed himself to stop what he started years before. Jayce’s downfall in Season 2 works so well because of ArcaneCommitment to character-focused storytellingdeveloping everyone’s story effectively and making viewers care about the relationships. This is especially true for Jayce and Viktor, who set out to make the world a better place but ended up unleashing something that could have destroyed everything.
Even though it meant the end of his life, Jayce refused to leave his brother, containing the arcane’s power and being sucked into the rune Viktor had given him.
Jayce’s final scenes with Viktor were some of the most beautiful in the entire serieswhen he finally realized where they went wrong and committed to making things right. Even though it meant the end of his life, Jayce refused to leave his brother, containing the arcane’s power and being sucked into the rune Viktor had given him. From an idealistic young man who dreams of change to a tenacious defender of life, Jayce Talis never abandoned his ideals or those he loved.
3
Victor
Destroyed after realizing his mistakes
Viktor had one of the most radical character developments in Arcaneand although Jayce helped him see his mistakes, it was too late for him to turn back. His desire to better humanity also left him resentful of people’s inherent flaws, causing him to almost leave his own humanity behind. Fortunately, he eventually realized this himself, leading to the shocking revelation that Viktor gave Jayce his first runestone in multiple timelines. Viktor may have met a tragic end, but he avoided a worse outcome alongside his brother and finally embraced the full beauty of human existence.
2
Warwick/Vander
Killed in a huge explosion
Vander’s death in ArcaneHis final act is unique because he likely died twice: once, when Signed erased the last memories of his previous life, and again as Warwick in the last episode. Bringing characters back to life is a gamble that rarely pays off in stories, as it can undermine the emotional impact of their death. However, Vander’s return as Warwick proved to be a smart decisiongiving the characters hope of restoring his mind that was crushed when he fully became a beast.
Even at the end, Vi still couldn’t let go of her desire to catch up to Vander, forcing Jinx to jump in and stop him. As he roared in her face and grabbed her entire body with a single massive hand, Jinx still looked at Vander with love, sending him to his death so he wouldn’t hurt his family anymore. Vander’s final death parallels the first time he appeared to die in Arcane season 1getting caught in an explosion and turning into a monster.
1
Jinx/Dust
Sacrificed himself to save Vi
The character’s final and perhaps most tragic death in ArcaneJinx’s final act was Jinx letting herself die to save her sister. Since Warwick’s death mirrored the first time Vander died in Season 1, the ending of Jinx’s story reflected the day she left her identity as Powder behind. Instead of using a monkey bomb that killed her family and turned Vi against her, she used one to save what was left of her family and redeem herself. Her final words to Vi combined and her hug to Vander perfectly showed how she had changed, a touching ending for a tragic character.
However, the ending gives some hints that Jinx may be alive in the end. Caitlyn was looking at her family’s schematics of the shafts connected to where Jinx fell into the Hexgate chamber, while holding a fragment of a monkey bomb. Her mischievous smile may suggest she was suspicious of Jinx’s survival, while the final shot of the series is an aircraft flying by as “The End” flashes on the screen in Jinx’s flashy style. Maybe Jinx will return someday, but if she did make it to the end, it was one of the most impactful character deaths in Arcane final act of season 2.
All 3 acts of Arcane season two is now streaming on Netflix.