The Deep Meaning Behind Arcane’s New Smoke Gun

Notice! This article contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2, Act I.

Season 2 of Arcane sees Piltover weaponize a terrifying smoke called The Grey, with this storyline maintaining deep connections to Season 1 and the series as a whole. For the most part, Act I of Arcane season two focuses on the consequences of Arcane season 1 finale; Jinx’s attack on Piltover’s council has left the wealthy city shaken, dealing with the deaths of many council members as the few survivors struggle to maintain control over the conflict with Zaun. In the center of ArcaneThe cast of characters is Vi and Caitlyn, who want revenge on Jinx.

As the two form a task force designed to infiltrate Zaun and eliminate Jinx, dangerous new Hextech weapons allow Arcaneof League of Legends characters come to the fore. Arcane builds toward its climactic finale as Jinx faces justice for her actions, with that justice coming in the form of weaponized smoke thanks to the connections Caitlyn’s family has. As Caitlyn’s need for revenge grows, so does her willingness to further oppress the citizens of Zaun through this smoke. As such, the deep thematic meaning behind the smoke known only as The Gray becomes clear.

Arcane Season 2 Introduces a Terrifying New Bioweapon

The Gray of Zaun is being weaponized by Piltover

Gray is first introduced as a dangerous cloud of smoke that is described as “factory pollution trapped underground.” This pollution causes countless problems for the human body, affecting the ability to breathe and also damaging the eyes. In Arcane In season 2, this natural pollution is transformed into a kind of biological weapon by Caitlyn. Now having access to the ventilation systems built to provide air to the citizens of Zaun thanks to Arcane Kiramman Key from Season 2, Caitlyn channels The Gray through these systems to punish Zaun and capture Jinx.

This is first shown in Arcane Season 2, Episode 2, with one of the gangs looking to fill the power vacuum left by Silco suffering from The Gray. The smoke allows Cait and Vi’s team to more easily arrest the citizens of Zaun, obtaining information from them in their search for Jinx. In Arcane Season 2, Episode 3 Opening Describes How Caitlyn Used the Kiramman Ventilation System to Weaponize The Graya plot point that ties into the deep thematic meaning that smoke holds thanks to the animation used to represent it.

The Gray ties in perfectly with Arcane Season 1 and the show’s themes

Gray’s animation summarizes the war between Piltover and Zaun

Firstly, it’s worth exploring how The Gray is presented. In Arcane Season 2 The Gray is shown as a cloud of thick green smoke, albeit with intriguing multicolored aspects. Through touches of pink, purple, yellow and blue spread throughout the thick green, The Gray appears similar to oil when spilled on wet floors or mixed with water in oceans and rivers. Interestingly, this refers to the title of Arcane season 1, episode 8, “Oil and Water.” In this episode, Vi mentions that Piltover and Zaun are like oil and water.

In Vi’s mind, Piltover sits on top of Zaun and suffocates him, just as oil does to water when the two are mixed. With The Gray being portrayed as a cloud of smoke that also looks like oil mixed with water, Arcane is proving Vi’s point. Piltover’s technology is being used to weaponize The Gray and literally suffocate the citizens of Zaun, reminiscent of Vi’s comment about Piltover, Zuan, oil and water. Through The Gray, his animation style and ArcaneWith its exceptional exploration of class warfare, the franchise’s newest bioweapon has a deeper meaning than previously thought.