Why does Jayce kill [SPOILER] In Arcane

The following contains spoilers for Act 2 of Arcane Season 2, now streaming on NetflixArcaneThe end of the second act of the second season sees Jayce kill another major character in the series, setting up a potentially cataclysmic turn of events going forward. Jayce was one of Arcanethey are more overtly heroic figures, wrestling with issues of power and responsibility as opposed to the more complex motivations of characters like Caitlyn or Jinx. Especially in contrast to the Black Rose’s machinations or Ambessa’s secret plans, Jayce has been a relatively straightforward character, especially in his friendship with Viktor.

However, things take a much darker turn Arcane season 2, Act 2. After being pulled into the Arcane alongside Heimerdinger and Ekko in Act 1, Jayce returns to the material world alone. While this raises many mysteries about what happened to his companions, the focus remains solely on Jayce and why he returned. Clouded-minded but motivated, Jayce quickly reveals a darker side when he kills two Arcane characters, including one he has long fought to protect. It’s a brutal twist that sets up Arcanefinal episodes and addresses the show’s tragic themes.

Jayce’s Murder of Viktor, Explained

Jayce kills Viktor with a single explosion at the end of Arcane Season 2, Act 2

Jayce’s murder of Viktor in Act 2 of Arcane It’s a heartbreaking moment which builds on their tragic friendship throughout the series, while also setting the stage for both characters to reach their final forms in Arcaneis ending. A time jump occurs between Act 1 and Act 2 of Arcane Season 2, during which Viktor becomes an almost religious figure in the city of Zaun. Jayce is missing during this time, dragged into the Arcane alongside Ekko and Heimerdinger in Act 1. Jayce returns to the material world in “Blisters and Bedrock”, disheveled and with a modified version of his Hextech Hammer.

Jayce reveals his commitment to destroying Hextech and openly calls the technology a curse when speaking to Viktor through Salo. He is willing to kill to complete his mission, quickly killing Salo. Jayce’s internal monologue suggests that Jayce swore to kill Viktor this meant destroying Hextech, swearing that he “will not fail.” This means that the attack was not just a random explosion or an impulsive decision. Jayce’s return to the material world was apparently motivated by a mission to destroy Hextech and Hexcore in particular, even if it meant assassinating Viktor.

What is Jayce’s mission?

Hextech champion now seeks to stop him

Jayce seems determined to destroy Hextechan ironic mission given his role in turning it into a more universal Piltover tool. Jayce believes that Hextech is much more dangerous than they realized, likely due to their exposure to the entirely mystical aspects of the Arcane. Notably, Jayce does not run to the guns of Viktor’s community, suggesting that the character’s forgiving elements remain within him. Despite this, Jayce’s mission to destroy Hextech drives him forward. Jayce’s mission comes at a high cost, as killing Viktor and destroying the Hexcore seemingly kills everyone else connected to Viktor through his mystical healing.

There’s a chance that Jayce’s actions aren’t entirely his own either. When speaking to Sky’s spirit avatar, Viktor reveals his belief that there is “another will” driving Jayce. This could potentially be a metaphorical description of a joint plan hatched by Jayce and figures like Heimerdiner or Ekko, who were also drawn into the Arcane. It could also suggest that Jayce was influenced by something within the Arcanum, explaining the glowing stone on his wrist. The full story of Jayce’s time in the Arcane will likely be explored in Act 3 of Arcane 2nd season.

Jayce and Viktor’s story is one of Arcane’s greatest tragedies

Best friends who became bitter enemies

Jayce and Viktor’s friendship has always been one of ArcaneThe great storylines were in direct contrast to the fractured sibling connection between Vi and Jinx. This was inherently an interesting angle to explore, given the tradition of League of Legendswhich positioned Jayce and Viktor as bitter enemies. The two men saved each other in the first season, pulling each other from the brink of self-destruction through their shared belief in progress through technology. As their opinions of each other and Hextech evolved, the emotional connection between them was mentioned repeatedly as a strength and a hindrance.

However, their greatest invention is what separates them. The dangerous qualities of the technology have been a source of debate between Viktor and Jayce for some time, especially after Viktor came to believe the technology was very unstable and dangerous after killing Sky. Jayce’s decision to fuse Viktor with Hextech may have saved him after Jinx’s attack on the Council, but Ialso set the stage for Viktor to transform into his current state. Despite using Hextech to save Viktor, Jayce kills his best friend because of his deep connection to it.

Is Viktor really dead in Arcane?

Death may not be the end for the Machine Herald

The end of Arcane season 2 act 2 suggests that Jayce successfully killed Viktor. However, Arcane nominally happens before League of Legendswhere a transformed Viktor is a playable character. Nicknamed the “Herald Machine”, Viktor’s appearance and personality in League of Legends would be consistent with the character seen in Arcane and the physical transformation that Hexcore has been inducing in him, with the magic making his flesh increasingly metallic. Viktor’s abandonment of emotions in the game may reflect his arc in Arcaneespecially given his final monologue in Act 2.

Node League of Legends In the game’s lore, Viktor eventually lost faith in human emotions and worked to rid himself of them, transforming his body into a more mechanical state. Using Hextech amplification, Viktor remade himself into an almost entirely non-biological state. Eventually dubbed the “Harbinger of the Machine”, Viktor comes to believe that emotion is a weakness that humanity must overcome by evolving into a similar state, offering to change other people in Zaun. It is possible that Hextech can restore Viktorand that his frustration with Jayce’s actions could lead him to adopt a callous state of mind similar to that of his in-game counterpart,

How Arcane Act 3 will need to expand on Jayce’s murder of Viktor

ArcaneThe ending of has to deal with Jayce’s actions

Jayce’s murder of Viktor is the big cliffhanger for Arcane season 2 act 2, meaning the show’s final three episodes will likely be focused on the consequences of his actions. The immediate result is the destruction of Viktor’s influence over several citizens of Zaun, killing many of them and apparently destroying Vander’s remains in Warwick. There is also a chance that Viktor’s connection to the Hexcore may have been manipulated by some of the cosmic forces within the Void or Arcane, explaining how the apparent hivemind connection between Viktor and his disciples came about.

If that’s the case, the final three episodes could bring this entity into focus or allow Viktor to realize his potential true final form. It could also cause Jayce and Viktor to have a full-on confrontation over each other’s actions, creating the animosity that exists between them in League of Legends. The Viktor that audiences have known for most of Arcane may actually be dead after Jayce’s attack, but that could leave room open for a more dangerous version of the character to emerge. ArcaneIt’s the end of the game.