It's interesting that when Vi and Jinx meet again in episode 6, we see Silco's words to Vander play out in real time. We expect Jinx to be angry after "the betrayal" but she isn't immediately. "I hated you for what you'd done, but as time passed, so did my hate... You kept my respect, until you made peace with them." Them being enforcers, which is the exact thing that pushes Jinx back into anger, an enforcer showing up and Vi calling her a friend Also, based on her comments in the finale, it sounds like to a degree Jinx is the sister Powder believed Vi would love and not abandon. Strong, competent, violently anti-enforcer, just like Vi was at that age. The fact that all her work to change into this person still doesn't get her Vi's approval and pride but actually pushes her further away?? It flips her whole world on its head
I can’t believe it’s been two years since I saw this show and I didn’t realize ep 6 was a replay of Silco’s words to Vander until now. Also. This is literally the saying “what would [dead loved one] think if could see you now” played out in real time. Jinx thought Vi was dead and must have sometimes wondered what Vi would think of her now, only for her to come back from the grave for real.
Powder had vi’s acceptance and approval the entire series. Vi is the only person that does. The tragedy isn’t thst Powder can’t have Vi’s love and acceptance, the tragedy is that seven years of abuse by Silco has made Powder incapable of letting herself be vulnerable enough to see past her own self loathing enough to recognize that her sister loves her for whoever she is.
I like how both Silco and Jinx have a kind of baptism scene, but they’re completely opposite. Silco is drowned by Vander and emerges by choice full of rage, and by contrast Jinx sets her own bomb on herself, clearly intending to die by fire on the bridge, but is revived by Silco.
Regarding Powder's lack of reaction to the death of the first scene, research among the psychology of child soldiers shows that exposure to war and violence at an early age normalizes it. A child establishes what is "normal" at a young age. Those privileged enough to have the shelter of what a Western (relatively) affulent upbtinging see relative peace - familial abuse nonwithstanding - as normal a child growing up in say Gaza or Ukraine is going see violence and death as normal and not show shock or remorse in its presence or committing it. At the time of the bridge incident, V likely has enough relatively peaceful memories that the violence around her causes her cognitive dissonance. Powder on the other hand is so young this is her normal now. In the canon "Enemies" music video you can see young Powder miming shooting Enforcers in the back, and Jinx flashes into view for the second Powder mimes pulling the trigger. Jinx is not an aberration from the innocent Powder. Jinx is that natural result of Powder over time. As I stated for another analysis the absolute healthiest thing for Powder would be to enter a career that would channel her innate violence in a more socially acceptable way such as a soldier because it's not going away no matter how much V wishes it otherwise and ignoring those tendacies...well we saw what happened.
Exactly. Piltover created Jinx by enforcing the appalling material conditions of the apartheid state. All of Piltover's progress is built on the suffering and murder of Zaun and its citizens. Piltover is a brutal, merciless society that papers over its savagery by keeping the violence it commits contained outside the view of its citizens. Vi and Powder's parents were murdered by enforcers just for advocating for a better life. They approached the bridge. They threatened to expose the brutal reality of Zaun to the citizens of Piltover and the rulers can't have that. The real tragedy is Powder and Vi's parents were probably motivated by wanting a better future for their kids. They were ruthlessly denied. Jinx isn't a villain. She's the consequences of Piltover's brutality. She is the personification of the Zaun they oppress. Broken, torn, hopeless. That's why Silco loves her. He loves Jinx because he loves Zaun. It's so funny to me how people clutch their pearls because Jinx kills "innocent" people (does she?). Piltover is built on the bodies of thousands, maybe millions of innocent people. People it poisons and maims and murders through its oppression. It's a fundamentally evil society. If it weren't, Jinx wouldn't exist, and those innocents in Piltover would be safe. And let's not forget that Silco also tried to do things the right way. He worked with Vander. And when that way failed, Vander decided to help Piltover keep the results of their own oppression contained, and tried to kill Silco because he threatened that. Granted Vander's motivation was to protect Powder and Vi. Which is why Silco goes to him once he finally understands and says "Is there anything so undoing as a daughter?" Because Silco realizes why Vander betrayed him. As Silco is literally on the verge of betraying himself, giving up everything he has been striving for in order to protect Jinx.
Regarding who Powder models herself after, it's not V. It's very subtle but you can see it in the show's visual symbolism. In the very first scene of the series on the Piltover-Zahn bridge, we see an explosion and then an Enforcer looms menacingly out of the smoke and then casually executes a downed Zahnite via a headshot. Now skip ahead to Episode Seven and the confrontation between Marcus and the Enforcers, Caitlyn, Echo, and V on that very same bridge. There is an explosion. Jinx looks menacingly out of the smoke and casually executes a downed Enforcer with a headshot. Jinx didn't model herself after V. She modelled herself after the Enforcers. When in crisis the vulnerable will self-identity with the behavior of those they see carrying themselves most confidently in the crisis. V modelled herself after Vander but Powder subconsciously saw the victorious Enforcers as a better choice. Again in the "Enemies" video, Powder sees Enforcers committing exjudical violence and play acts and fantasizes about committing even harsher violence. This is why Jinx can kill Piltover citizens without a thought because she has seen Piltover Enforcers kill Zahnite without a thought. This is what people do as far as Jinx sees it. This is the cycle of revenge and retribution in action.
😮Man I love reading other people's insights into this show. There's so many layers and a lot of you guys are incredibly articulate. Thanks for that take. 😊
An interesting detail for the Ekko vs Jynx. When Jynx was a kid always beaten Ekko in the game with the 4th shot. But in the present Jynx only shoot 3 times, despite she have time for the 4th shot. I belive she wasn't able to kill Ekko and thats what Ekko realise when stops beating Jynx.
Yeah, they both weren’t ready to kill each other. Jinx held back on her last shot despite having the opportunity and Ekko stopped punching Jinx because he saw Powder in her.
On the topic of Silco's relationship with Jinx, I think it's pretty much identical to his relationship with Zaun. He loves both and wants them to become their "best" selves, but his understanding of what that means is limited by his experience. He is not only incapable of making ether of them healthier, he is incapable of even conceiving the idea. The only way he can imagine to "help" this girl or this city is to make them STRONGER at any cost, even if it requires scarring them, filling them with poison, killing off the weak parts of them and changing them into monsters Then no one can betray or harm them ever again
I think Silco's main ability is to raise monsters - creatures that emerge from somewhere dark and deep, glued together by willpower and raw survival instinct. His monster came from within him, while being drowned in those very waters he later saw those deep sea creatures in. Of course he'd feel a kinship towards them. He did what he needed to do, in order to survive. So did the monsters. They are powerful, uncompromising, ruthless - and they are beautiful for it, for it's what keeps them alive and thriving. Because it's what saved Silco's life, and it's what he considers the ultimate answer to his struggle. Once he emerged from his own depths as one, he realized it's a potential within everyone else as well. And he always finds just the right way to make them emerge. "There's a monster inside all of us." he tells Deckard. "It's time to let the monster out." he tells him as he pushes the Shimmer onto him. "Ready to rise to the surface?" he asks him again, as he once more summons the monster he created out of him, who now comes out willingly at his command. Deckard, Markus, Vander, all the addicts in the Underground, and his masterpiece - Jinx. He woke up the monsters inside their depths. Jinx, Silco's perfect, most beautiful monster, picked up on that, and thus modeled her Hextech weapon after them, and used it to deal the ultimate blow in his name.Thinking back on that final scene, of Jinx aiming Fishbones at the Council building, I can't help but think of Silco's words in one of the first episodes - "Beautiful, aren't they? And yet, up there, no one even realizes they exist."
Everything is going to be turned upside down in Season 2. Creators said Season 2 will be a season of opposites. Those who had hope for Jinx in season one will have none in season two, those who had none for her in season one, will have Hope for her in season two. So I’m expecting a redemption arc, or a Han Solo arc. Jinx go from watch it all burn 🔥 to 😮 can I be a hero?, Do I deserve to be?Do I deserve forgiveness. That was the other thing one of the creators said that sum up season two in one word “ forgiveness”
@@itsgonnabeokay9341I think RIOT will make it a bit more nuanced,than Vi & Caitlyn becoming villains,but yes I can see Caitlyn yeah, consumed by revenge that she gives it to the darkside. Having Ambessa whispering her ill advice won’t help. Caitlyn will go after Jinx regardless of the cost,I think for at least a time they’re going to give her the Anakin Skywalker treatment. Something will snap her back to reality. For sure after Act I I can see Jinx slowly be persuaded to help Zaun. Having them go from fearing her to respecting her. I also think Time Bomb theory is true, Jinx & Ekko will bury the hatchet,but it will happen right before tragedy because no one’s allowed to have nice things in this world. I can hope the two them ❤ get to be together atleast a few episodes before they rip our hearts out.
Something I noticed about jinx/powder is that when powder kindof breaks through, the shape of her face becomes slightly softer, and then whenshe turns back to jinx it gets sharper again. Other than this i that you noticed more than i would ever have xd
They actually would adjust the model based on how Jinx was feeling! They rounded her features such as her cheeks and eyes when she is feeling like powder!!!!
Being autistic, things like metaphor, subtext, and allegory tend to go right over my head. So i really appreciate analysis videos like yours, because it's like there's an entirely separate narrative happening between the lines, and I never would have noticed without your help. You have my utmost gratitude for that.
One of my favourite series. The themes are compelling and its presentation - visually especially, but the music is also top notch - are probably un-matched in its genre
The worst part about it, Pitover would have gone easy on powder. It shows how little faith both Zaun and Pitover have in each other. They were already separate city's by this point.
Mel's mother calls pilties "soft-hearted". Powder was literally born in the wrong place, and Jinx is what a violent place like Zaun does to the soft-hearted and innocent.
@@may_ryann that's what's truly tragic to me. All Power's best traits would've been well watered in Piltover, but instead she grew up in the part of the city where kids are encouraged to make bombs and get told to stay and take punches. But really, all that can be said about anyone raised in an environment like Zaun. The potential goes to waste and it's mostly the parts of you needed to survive that are left.
@@no.6377 Totally! Jayce's idealism saved the Hextech project; Mel's mother sent her away to Piltover because of her tenderness, where she thrived; Viktor was a genius but also a soft idealist, and he had to go to Piltover so his talent didn't go to waste... ...And there's Cait. She's independent, smart, stubborn, willing to work with the enemy to get what she wants, and there's a scene where she fidgets with a gun like it's a toy. It's like Cait and Jinx should have born in each other's places. Jinx somehow thrived even though the environment she was in was less than favorable, she would have shined so bright in Piltover. And Cait's no-nonsene attitude would have made her very respected in a place like Zaun. Jinx's jealousy of Cait is not just because she thinks Vi replaced her, but also because she saw in Cait what she wanted to be but couldn't, and also how similar they are. Now they're each other's arch nemesis even though they're more alike than either of them would like to admit, all because of the shitty circumstances and tragedy surrounding Zaun.
@@may_ryann A lot of people say Powder would’ve done well in Piltover for her talents, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone say the inverse: that Cait would’ve done well in Zaun, but I think you’ve got a point.
@@may_ryann I think your comment was the one the creator of the video was looking for when making the other video about Caitlin, haha! you gave a good take, I very much agree with what you said.
I soo related to Powder cause I had such abandonment issues as a child its insane, it almost ruined my life later on cause I just latched on to older men , all I wanted was a parent to guide and love me , ofc there are evil people in this world who take advantage of that when they see teen vulnerable like this , I also developed bipolar with psychotic features later on in life and I have to say that her psychotic breaks are so well done in the show, to demostrate how loud and confusing it is in Jinxs head, I feel like true villain is the circumstances Jinx grew up...she doesnt have any access to doctors in Zaun , everything would have been soo different for her with just a little bit of help
I love this analysis so much! You take both the good and the bad of the characters into consideration. Especially for Silco. You acknowledge both the bad and the good in his father-daughter relationship with Jinx and how he treats her. You also acknowledge that he loved her, truly loved her. Not as his weapon but as his daughter. I get very disappointed when people think he’s only using her and only sees her as a weapon. The whole reason he’s such an amazing and expertly written character is because of his love for Jinx. She’s the biggest part of what makes his character so human. People missing that miss out on the depth of him as a character and it’s honestly so sad to see. I also love your look on Vi. I hate how many people completely villainize her and I’m so grateful that you didn’t do that. You understood that her actions were never malicious and that she never ever wanted to hurt her sister intentionally. Especially with the hallucination scene at the end of ep.9 . Vi didn’t understand that what she was doing was causing her sister so much distress Thank you so much for this wonderful and detailed video. I will be eager to see what you make in the future 🌷🌷🌷 (Don’t think RUclips is as bad as TikTok on this- but please don’t pick,point and criticize every single thing I’ve said here. The amount of over explaining and tone policing of my self I have to do on that platform is insane 💀 I just want to state my thoughts here, not have an argument TvT)
I agree with most of what you’re saying but with vi I think while yes she is stuck in the past and didn’t change that way, in the past she would have never work with or hang out with any type of enforcer but now she has and will be doing. Great video btw❤.
Well yes, it's why Jinx says Vi has changed. Although it's more than just "you're good with an enforcer" but rather, that Vi was unwilling to kill Caitlyn in order to get Powder back (which would have been a facade anyway) but Jinx killed Silco to save Vi. Sure, she too has changed but to Jinx, Vi putting anyone else above her (which is how she interprets it) is out of the question. Powder can't return if Vi doesn't sacrifice everything for her. Because if Powder is enough and Vi is sincere in wanting her back, why can't she sacrifice Caitlyn? An enforcer? As for Vi being stuck in the past, it's really the sentiment of having nothing left anymore. Which is the opposite of Jinx. Vi was in prison for years, trapped with only her memories and while she blames herself for leaving Powder and possibly Vander's, Claggor's and Mylo's deaths, the memories of them and especially Powder were something she held onto. While for Jinx, those memories of her adoptive family and Vi were demons in her head, not pleasant memories she could treasure. When Vi gets out of prison, she is out to a world that has moved on without her and admist it all she tries to find that one person she's familiar with and the only living memory left of her past: Powder. Except Powder has changed too.
Thats the thing however. Cupcake isn’t an enforcer. She is a parallel to Powder itself. She is basically what Vi would want for Powder. So working with Cupcake isn’t working with an enforcer, but to work with someone like Powder to save Powder even though she isn’t like Powder.
@@nellie4621btw to further your point: Jinxes weapon on the table wasn’t loaded. Not only did Jinx mentioned it („shesh Im not that crazy“) but Silco aimed at Vi and shot it. Even with Jinxes heightened reaction time and speed he would have killed Vi. The Tea party was a test and Vi failed at each step of it. Silco didn’t. So Jinx choose to be Silcos successor. In a sense she still hid behind both of them as in this case Powder and Jinx were identical strong.
@@nellie4621Vi would NEVER have killed some random innocent women because Powder asked her to. That was just Jinx being delusional and uncompromising. Ultimately, she screwed over herself by even bringing Caitlyn in the first place.
@@aetherwolf9288 Pretty sure there's a hole in the chair next to Vi; Silco did shoot at her, he just missed, and Jinx's instinctive reaction killed him before he could fire again.
Regarding the ending, don't think of Jinx of destroying a peace. Think of Jinx as Nemesis delivering divine judgement on the unworthy. The true authors of this tragedy are the Piltover Council who ordered the Enforcers to put down Vander's rebellion "by any means necessary" before Episode One even started. The only ones that we know will be spared are this innocent of it; Jayce and Victor due to plot reasons, or who are cast out of Piltover and exiled already; Heimerdinger. Everyone else, Caitlyn's mother included was likely complicit in that order, in the willingness to engage Vander's riot with lethal force. From that point onward they set the seeds for their own judgement by the hand on one they unknowingly created as the embodiment of their karmic due. Arcane really is a Greek tragedy.
I mean, we still don't actually know if Jayce or Viktor will survive. No sign of them in the trailers that I saw, although I naturally *expect* they'll survive. But I do know the writers have straight up said that Riot gave them permission to kill champions.
@@DarthRayj We know Victor survives because of the cyborging in the trailer. If Victor survives, then Jayce must survive due to their rivalry being a core narrative issue.
Also, I have like, a half-written essay about how Arcane is not just one tragedy, but multiple woven together. It's some of the most complex character writing I've ever seen; basically every main character individually follows the classic arc of a tragedy, with the way they attempt to reach their personal goals causing them to lose either themselves or something/someone they valued more than their goal (Act 1 actually is a hero's journey for Jayce though, which then also turns into a tragedy in Acts 2 and 3). If you follow the threads: Silco wanted respect/power, and would have achieved it except that he had found a daughter he couldn't stand to lose, costing him his ideals. Vi wanted Powder, and lost her sister because she couldn't accept her when they reunited. Jayce wanted to change the world for the better, and his technology was used to destroy the seat of government. Viktor wanted to help people from the Undercity, like himself, and then his own Hexcore killed one. Caitlyn wanted to experience the real world, and it seems very likely that a lot of things she directly set into motion when she let Vi out of jail have ultimately killed her mother. Some of the more side characters also follow the directions of tragedy, but there are a couple that could arguably be said to have a hero's journey: Mel stands out as one of the only characters who we legitimately see think about her beliefs, change them, and then act on that belief. She started out believing she wasn't good enough for her family, reconsidered that when her mother visited, and ultimately decided that her mother wasn't good enough for her instead, leading her to call for peace rather than playing into Ambessa's plans.
@@DarthRayj When you have these many parallel lines within a narrative you have step and look at what they all have in common. In case it's the setting itself. The class disparity and the resulting trauma leads all these factions and individuals to conflict. No matter how good the intentions, if the roots are rotten the flowers will be poisonous. The only unaffected is Mel because she is literally the person on the very top of the social heirarchy. She can never suffer an consequences unless she chooses to and she will only choose to if she grows emotionally. Thus the collective trauma created by the setting drive the drama. The world seeks balance and the conflict will only stop when the imbalance between Zahn and Piltover is balanced again. The sides will continue to drive against each other until one or both are destroyed or enough damage is done people don't want to fight anymore. It's why Jayce's attempt at a quick fix would have failed even without Jinx. It still wasn't addressing the primary issue of economic imbalance. An independent Zahn still requires Piltover capital and that still allow exploitation.
I just watched this full video with no breaks. A really good analysis, i found there were things i hadn’t thought about yet and it was very satisfying. Thanks!
I think one of the best things about Arcane's depiction of Jinx is taking this fairly common archetype, the "Violent Pixie Dream Girl", and making it so clear she is not having a "good time(tm)". There are those brief moments where there is some kind of joy in her actions, but for the majority of it, she is in pain. It's kinda funny, also just watched your Sevika video the other day, and there's a strange similarity between them that I'm only picking up after those analyses. In the Sevika video, I made the comment about how she never sees HERSELF as deserving the big chair. As much as she believes in the cause, she can't seem to see herself leading it. Even as these others who claim to be leaders keep failing her over and over again. With Jinx their are obvious NAKED dependency issues. She NEEDS validation and love, and not getting it can cause massive volatility. But there's also a special dichotomy in that, at the end, while Sevika stays "in her place" on the couch, staring at Silco's vacant chair, Jinx DECIDES to sit in her new throne. And it's honestly the most comfortable I think we see her. This contradiction in her heart is done. She's collapsed the wave function. The cat is dead. And this can link to some of those trailer moments that seems to indicate Sevika holding up Jinx as a potential rallying hero for the Zaun cause.
Ahhh thank you so much for watching! OHHH so I already made my Vi one! Its much shorter but I think Vi’s gonna have a bigger one next season lol 😄 But silco will be out next week!
I think the "parents aren't involved" argument is a stretch. Kids has no idea of what death is. They only reacts to the emotions of their sorrounding. Powder reacting to Vi is the most realistic reaction of a child. It doesn't mean she's automatically "psychopathic" because if it is then most kids in the world is. It doesn't mean she doesn't have emotional connection with her parents. It just means she's a kid.
Great analysis! I love how Arcane lends itself to so many great and nuanced discussions. Overall, I love your insight and think you bring some really good perspective on her character. One thing I will challenge though is the notion that Silco only loved Jinx. If we are to humor the notion that Powder and Jinx are actually two separate people, Powder would be when she is most like her child self (insecure, needy, vulnerable) and Jinx would be when she is least like her child self (violent, smug, desensitized to the horrors she is committing). In terms of screen time, we see her behaving most like the former when she is with Silco. She leans on him, physically and metaphorically, expresses her highs and lows to him, apparently has a "cat bed" type setup in his office so she can always be near him, her protector, all of the same things she done with Vi as a kid. Silco never calls her weak or needy for it. He comforts her and embraces her when she is like that, the same way Vi always did. And, keep in mind, he did not take her in because she built the bomb that killed her family. Even if he somehow deduced the explosion was caused by a bomb she created, he approached her with the intent to kill. He would have effectively been killing Jinx (the asset), but he stopped when Powder - the insecure, needy, vulnerable side of her - hugged him. Even in his dying moments, he is presented with Powder, and he speaks in a way that would make more sense to talk to a girl like Powder, not a girl like Jinx. He comforts her, re-assures her of her worth and his love and loyalty to her. All evidence seems to point to Silco saying actual Jinx (the duality of "Powder" and "Jinx") is perfect. I think the misconception about Silco's view of Jinx stems from the baptism scene, but let's look at what he actually says. "Betrayal, that pain will eat you from the inside out. It will either break you, or forge you into something greater." Then, "You need to let Powder die, so the fear of pain will no longer control you." To him, "Powder" is not the good in her, but the fear of re-living her trauma. Basically, 'Powder is the girl who let trauma destroy her. Jinx is the girl who turned it into her greatest strength.' Silco does not want Jinx to be a monster. He wants her to be strong. Why would Silco want Jinx to kill the good in her, anyway? He believes *he* is good, and it is the good in him (in his eyes) that drives him to make the Nation of Zaun a reality for his people. Loyalty, respect and justice are all virtues he cares deeply about, and I think we can all agree they are good things to have. An unfeeling killing machine (what people seem to think Silco wants) would have none of those things. I think it is pretty clear Silco loves whatever people are attributing to "Powder" just as much as he loves what they are attributing to "Jinx." He just sees Powder as a metaphor for her fear/pain, and Jinx as her rebirth/true self/potential.
I like both Jinx and Vi. I'd say I downright love Vi, cause she is one of the champions I like to play in League :'D Then again, there is no character in Arcane I truly hate, not even Marcus
I don't think Silco wants Jinx to abandon Powder to become a vilain. He's aware of how much her past hurts her and thinks she can overcome her pain that way. Silco clearly didn't overcome his own trauma, he's lying to himself. His past is still haunting him. Vander's statue is a clear example : he let people build it, revere it and it clearly means he still respects Vander's memory. His visit in episode 9 is him accepting he never turned the page. Because the statue won't offer him anything, it's a purely internal process. He finally accepts what Vander did.
How do you all miss that Silco ins't a villain but an antihero. He clearly respected Vander even while he didn't understand his actions and felt betrayed by them. He literally tried to get them working together though. Silco is a freedom fighter. And his "trauma" never left as he is still discriminated against and opressed. "Vanders betrayal" DID toughen up Silco. Probably made him a lot willing to harm others. Having a daughter just showed him Vanders perspective.
Thought provoking and insightful character study -- of Powder/Jinx as a symbol, a metaphor, a representation. Also, an empathetic (or at least more empathetic) reflection of who P/J was as a person. Or whom they could have been/become as a person, as seen through the microcosm/fishbowl playground Arcane welcomed us into. We as the audience can't change or alter the past of the story (however just or unjust, however fair or unfair it may be), any more than the characters themselves -- I'm sure that's part of the point. Permanence is broken, taken, destroyed by striving for change; prosperity is a house of cards, built on a lie; peace is an illusion, maintained by a juggling act of 'what's best for everyone'. Insert Jedi/Sith code here. Thank you for sharing your insightful (and persuasive) observations with us! I really enjoyed it; really enjoyed peering into a well thought out, observant stream of consciousness, to turn over all the chipped, shiny, well washed stones and marvel at the treasures offered. Differing perspectives are wonderful! All of that being said, I'm often confused why (except on the most surface symbolic level -- and maybe that's all the series was trying to say?) others interpret that final voting sessions of Piltover's Council as anything other than a half-measure. Too little, too late. Other than framing (all of that light from the darkness, tremulous agreement in shifting the status quo from arrogant ownership to burgeoning accountability -- that hopeful illumination and the expressions on Mel's and Jayce's face, do a LOT of heavy lifting to set the tone), how did that vote represent anything more than begrudgingly holding out a treat to a kicking toddler that would have been snatched back the instant Silco didn't hand over Jinx -- he'd already sacrificed his lifelong ambition of a free and independent Zaun (at least through treaty). That was his choice: his daughter over his easily attainable political goals. The brokered peace would've failed regardless of Jinx's actions, because the core condition/sacrifice wasn't going to be met/honored. I've watched Arcane so many times looking for that one line, or scene, or hint Jayce was going to hand over independence to Zaun, just because. There were a lot of reasons to let Zaun become it's own entity (the right thing to do being foremost), but just as many (selfish, political, stickler) reasons not to. Sure, the Council had adapted, perhaps showing growth, or empathy, or at least some measure of responsibility for what chickens had come home to roost, what wolf (or Warwick) had come knocking at their door. But honestly, unless I've just been too dense to notice it (not discounting this possibility), it just wasn't present in the show. It seems like an awful omission from the story if that was the intent of those last few joyous moments before Jinx's rocket kicked that door closed with explosive finality. So I'm curious -- am I missing something? Sure, the leaders of Piltover should be lauded for changing their mindset, for allowing the possibility of reconciliation to take root (much like the Firelight's tree), but there was no indication it would be honored when Jacye's ultimatum wasn't met. Peace/independence was never possible without the base violence necessary for change (which Jinx provided, fulfilling Silco-- her father's, prophecy), right? So what did Jinx... jinx? I mean I know we, as omniscient observers to the tragedy, were nudged in that direction. "Peace was gonna happen, but Jinx jinxed it! Again! What the hell, Milo was right about her; she ruins everything!" But what did she ruin? She wasn't going to turn herself in. Even if her survival instinct, and her sense of subverted justice, of the unfairness of it all, motivated her to end the conflict without further bloodshed (P/J never struck me as altruistic), even with that hypothetical, Silco's final admonition was, "The topsiders offered me everything. Independance, a seat at the table. All in return for you. They can all burn!", "I never would have given you to them. Not for anything." He wanted the city of Zaun. He wanted Jinx's freedom (also her happiness, but that's a whole 'nother Greek tragedy). Jinx offered her solution. Just my take on the situation. 🤣 Arcane in a nutshell? William Shakespere's Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56964/speech-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow Favorite characters: Jinx/Powder, Ekko, Rio (I love me some abused underdog). Second favorite? Mel, Vander, Greyson (I love me some doomed idealists). In the immortal words of Logan from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (some people will admit watching it!), "Wow. 'Koo-koo-ka-choo' got screwed." Cheers!
I find it quite difficult to label Jinx as a villain. And while Rabid Vi fans will disagree, in history, the winner is the hero, not the Villain. The difference between a freedom fighter, and a terrorist, is simply which side wins. Since Zaun is a legitimate place in previous League lore, it's safe to assume, that the Undercity wins. Zaun becomes independent. Thus, Jinx was a freedom fighter, not a terrorist. This is not to say Jinx does no harm, or evil. She does many things that could be considered so, but she is only a Villain as a matter of perspective. By the same token, Vi is not a Villain, by her own perspective. We are often never the evil ones in our own innate stories. Perspective makes all the difference. I will also note here, Powder made many successful inventions. The Arcade is hinted at her having built it (Vi's boxing game, the shooting gallery etc) as she is the one who is making repairs, and starting the systems up. She just never made successful weapons. Diving deeper, it's also easier to assume Vi is the villain, or at least, a betrayer, not Jinx. Their whole lives the undercity was beat down, abused, crime was everywhere, and so was corruption. Piltover did not care about the undercity, except to extract wealth, and oppress them. Even Viktor is treated differently, as a former undercity resident. He does not remotely achieve the same prestige Jayce does, despite them being partners. Corruption was still rampant while Vander was in charge, he just kept it away from himself and his kids (thus being corrupt himself, note he says *only* top side is offlimits. Robbing anyone else is fair game still). Vi even espouses violent rhetoric against topside. Calling Vander out for not wanting to go to war with them, but then she very quickly becomes the very thing she hated. An Enforcer, and for what? Her newfound love interest? Lets not forget, the entire story hinges on Vi's actions. She robs topside against Vanders will. She causes his capture, by trying to fix her mistake, and going to trade herself in (thus forcing Vander to make a hard decision). She then goes to rescue Vander, and is the entire reason Powder (or Vander) are there in the first place. She is the catalyst for the entire story. Which we see in Episode three, culminates in her assaulting Powder. "I told her I would protect her from the monsters. Then a real one showed up, and I ran." Vi is speaking about herself. She, in that moment, was the real monster. She abused, both physically and emotionally, Powder, in a moment of weakness and rage. Fast forward. Vi simply wants revenge, against Silco, for the death of Vander (which is very demonstrably her fault). A Selfish desire. Where as Jinx, is still fighting for the undercity. For something bigger than herself. While Silco and Jinx's actions are hardly "Good". They are for a greater good, and prosperity of their perceived peoples. Something Piltover deigns not to consider, except when tax time comes up. This is shown, when Ekko shows Heimerdinger around, and he sees firsthand, just how terrible things are, and how for decades, perhaps millennia, the undercity has been oppressed and it never so much as crossed the minds of Piltover citizens. Even with some among them, like Viktor. Where as Piltover, and in connection, Vi's. Are actions of indifference. In keeping the status quo by oppressing others. Nothing in war is ever good, and good (and bad) people commit terrible acts, but they do so in the hopes of progress. Of a better tomorrow. So while I'm sure that there will no doubts be argument about perception, and whos the villain (Vi vs Jinx) it is very plain to see, Piltover is the over all bad guys in terms of the oppressive power structure, and mistreatment of their own people from the undercity, people they see as dirty, and inferior. Caitlyn is a perfect image of what Piltover should be, and the corruption in the police force, the shady politics, the seedy dealings, thats the actual representation of what Piltover is, and how horrible it is for Caitlyn to realize this as she becomes more involved as the story progresses.
Great Jinx analysis! What are your opinions of the symbolic representation of Crows in reference to Jinx? In a lot of Arcane's messaging I think the crow quite literally represents Jinx. Any moment Jinx tries to bring out the emotional, Powder side of her a crow appears, like the manifestation of Jinx outcasted from her body. In the old hideout, she killed the crow to test how much strength Powder had on her own just to come second to Vi. When she meets Vi and Powder takes over we see another crow watching that caws out in warning as Caityn approaches. And during the tea party Jinx tries to reconnect with Vi as crows surround the factory that only fly away and reform into Jinx right when she shoots at Silco... Keep up the Arcane content the community needs every bit 😭😭
You basically spoiled yourself everything But the animation alone could make up for it. And if not this then the characters you haven’t met. And if not that the music. And if not that then season two.
The fact that I still find new original content that doesn’t double down on anything beforehand is truly astonishing. So let me add a bit more of what I personally saw to the themes I saw in the video: 1. Neither Silco nor Jinx are villains. 2. To understand the dynamic between the characters you need to not only know how they came to be but also how they choose to hide themselves. So what do I mean by that. No character in Arcane is truly themselves even in the end of Arcane season 1. And all of it can be tied back to the flashback of Heimerdinger in episode 5 I believe („You must destroy it“ referring to the Hexcore). Because in this flashback we learn that Piltover is one big coping mechanism for Heimerdinger to keep his sanity save as he cannot understand war (in contrast to Ambessa which will come up later). So the entirety of Piltover is build on lies. As in episode 4 we learn that Heimerdinger has shut down similar minds to Jaces (breaking any scientific advance in the field of magic). Back then he had the trust from his citizens as they came to Piltover to be safe from war. But with more and more people coming Heimerdingers control over the situation shrunk. So the Undercity was born. In an attempt to control them (as being on the different side of the river more police present is necessary) the regulations mainly applied to the under city, which created a positiv feedback loop. This ends up creating a resistance and so on and so on (idk the exact lore from Runthera and Piltover but from what I can piece together this resistance was mainly be part of a religious cult and in such partially based in magic). The fact is that in this environment of lies all of the sides are forced to live in a lie. Behind the walls of Piltover is nothing. They are the best, they are the greatest forever. This created a class system even in Piltover (as stated by Jace in the final episode to Ambessa the academy has less than a 3% chance of success). So the council mainly composed of scientists and liars like Mel or Heimerdinger himself just cannot even represent its own people. So in Piltovers undercity as in the furthest away from this ideal obviously thrives for this but they can’t ever achieve it. You know what I am going to say. Viktors bound with Jace is fake and about to shatter just like Vi saw it happen with Cupcake. Then we go over to Powder who cannot be herself anymore (because she killed the only parts of her true world). So she created her own through Jinx. Similarly Vi lives in a mad world where the events of episode 2-3 never happened and she can go back if she punches the reason to death. Even Ekko who might be the closest from the main cast to living in the real world just can’t as he is punished again and again by his past in the form of Jinx in the form of the enforcer that took Vander and „killed“ Benzo for trying. Finally Ambessa is the only one who actually sees the world as it is. „Weapons cannot be undone and are always used“. But even she can’t tell her daughter this and banishes her instead coping to save her. Now we know what all of them hid and we start to see a common theme: Love of any kind destroys reality. Heimerdinger copes with it by creating similarly to all Piltovian characters. Powder and Zaunite characters by proving themselves. However what separates them is what they love the most. And the only one who loves himself the most is Heimerdinger. His destruction created the war between the cities and the conditions to create Jinx. So Jinx is no villain. Just a desperate girl coping with the loss of her sister. Silco is not a villain but just the manifestation of the under cities inferiority. This is the perspective I have to analyze the rest of each character. I know this comment is messy but well Im just excited lol. So lets finish it: 1. You can’t talk about any of these characters separately. 2. There are no villains in Arcane as a villain needs malicious intent. None of these characters show malicious intent. 3. Arcane is also not about miscommunication as this needs to imply a communication in the first place. And the few characters that communicate don’t have any of that. Arcane is about humans thinking they are right and believing it. 4. Arcane is about love and the tearing down of reality to make unconditional love work. 5. Especially Powder is in the center of this theme paralleling with Vi, Ekko, Jinx, Vander, Silco and Ambessa and Mel. 6. The starting point (Heimerdingers Trauma) isn’t solvable, which leaves him with Jinx as the main protagonist. 7. This problem leaves the rest of the characters stuck not fitting in either world (the mad one from Jinx or Heimerdinger). But they have to choose to survive leaving all of them as fakes. 8. Now with Heimerdinger gone and Jinx being more confident than ever everyone can start wearing their true self which sets up season 2. 9. The fact that all of this was there since the beginning but hidden by love for details is for me solid proof that this can be right. 10. I think we will be shocked to see what happened to all of the characters. Sry for the wall of text but thank you for reading anyways. Have a nice day AEther
@@lydiscott oh that would be interesting. As far as other noticed stuff, this is less of a character thing as far as I can tell and more just thematic, but: I have recently noticed that the eye symbolism isn’t just in Zaun. It’s definitely most prevalent there, with the sisters’ childhood home and Silco’s left eye plus the glowing eyes he puts up everywhere, there’s also that one turtle statue that everyone is offering eyeballs to. But a short while ago I noticed that the hexgate in Piltover that Jayce built is very reminiscent of an eyeball, especially once all the rotating circles on it have lined up properly to beam airships away…which I believe calls back to what Jayce saw when he met the mage who inspired him to fabricate magic. Indeed, the hexgate is a physical rendering of the images that Jayce beheld during that teleportation spell: a rotating world and the celestial bodies that revolve around it, which, when lined up, become an eye.
Before her tranformation in the late part of the story Powder has grey eyes and Jinx has blue. You can see what part of her is dominant by the eye color. The last time we see powder is on the bridge where she smiles as Powder and then tries to kill herself.
The thing is during Jinx's Tea Party, if you count Jinx and Powder as 2 separate identities, its not Jinx during the Tea Party its Powder and her asking Vi to kill Caitlyn is her, in the guise of Jinx asking her sister to keep the "Monster" (Caitlyn) away and when Vi, unknowingly mind you, dredges up all of her bad memories and insecurities Silco sees whats going on and tries to shoot Vi not only to end Vi's influence on Jinx but also mainly to protect his daughter and when Powder, Yes Powder not Jinx, shoots him and he lay dying he doesn't repremand her or blame her in any way he instead calls her perfect thereby reaffirming her which is the exact opposite of what Vi did and ultimately causes Powder who once upon a time had her innocent life shattered by Vi's repremand to finally let that innocence die by giving in whole heartedly to being Jinx it is truly great writing tragic yes but great
Jinx is my favorite character in all of Arcane. Even if I do not condone what she did, in all honesty Jinx was kind of inevitable for Powder given her environment. Dealing with parental figures that were confusing and of course the topic of finding her own purpose. Sure Vander and Vi cared for her. But Milo was cosntantly judging her, Vi was getting too overprotective for her own good, and Vander does treat Powder as defenseless even though he genuinely cares for her. Perhaps this constant coddling unfortunately made Powder be weak and constantly rely on protecrion she was basically defenseless. Now I do not blame Vi completly but yes the scene where she confronts Powder sadly made Powder think she was a Jinx. A Jinx that only spreads misery. Now she is named Jinx and is taken care of by Vander's former brother and enemy Silco. Now I feel in my eyes Silco and Jinx's relationship is my favorite parts of Arcane. They're nor good people and yet unlike most villains who would treat them poorly Silco respects Jinx. At least Jinx was able to have a home unlike for example Ryan dealing with Homelander's insanity or Raven being treated badly by Trigon. But Silco is not Dr. Doofensmirtz. He is too busy plotting schemes to focus on Jinx, and his philosophy is overall unhealthy to Jinx's care. He also is unable to cope with his trauma so he's essentially making Jinx worse. Though without Silco, Powder would be defenseless without her family so I cannot blame Powder for siding with someone who could be her family. Though Silco is not able to provide comfort for he is still dealing with the loss of Vander's legacy and reuniting Zaun. He may cared for Jinx but he did not do well with parental responsibility and combined with Vi returning made Jinx confused. Conflicted on what she should do by following or listening to herself. At the end of the day though I feel Jinx is ultimately the byproduct of Zaun and Piltover. And its inevitable given the class divide combined with survival making Powder lose it. She wants to be useful and yet everytime she jinxes it. Claggor, Milo, and Vander perish and now Silco. And while she is not completly excusable, the real enemy in my opinion is Piltover and Zaun. Both environments destined to fight as they are unable to accept peace. This causes all characters to spite and fight unable to see the bigger picture. I've seen many fanfics try to give Powder a happy ending. Have Piltover raise her. Or I don't know have Mel, Jayce or Viktor, and Herimerdinger give a happy life. The issue is that Powder is from Zaun and the only reason why Viktor is allowed is thanks to his intelligence. There is no way they could handle Powder's unstable feelings and the Council would've jailed her or worse. No way could Powder deal with being alone without a familiar person and I do not think she would be happy in Piltover. So overall I feel Jinx is sadly inevitable and doomed to suffer. Imagine if Jinx caused the demises of both Vi and Silco. That would be so horrifying because Caitlyn would try to arrest her, Jinx would be so lost she losses it, and as a result things would've been more worse. It's tragic Zaun found a new leader but that leader was a normal scared girl unable to cope and deal with trauma. That is why Jinx is my favorite character.
I love this comment! Thank you for taking the time to write it, super awesome read. I think you’re right. Ultimately “unavoidable” tragedy, so to speak.
Hey hy I watched both your Vi and Jinx videos and I noticed how much Vi is similar to jinx/powder in her manners, it's interesting how also Vi gives some signs of crazyness, do you think it's because they are related? I don't know just a thought
She is evil and alwais was. Even as a kid she was making bombs and didnt even react to everyone death, only seeking Vi approuval. Ekko lived the same shit as her and turned good, I dislike people trying to defend her stupid actions. She was alwais psychotic and troubled and when like all other character she was pushed, she simply turned evi.
I don't think it's completely accurate to refer to jinx and ekko as adults in their second fight. Jinx would be about 16 or so and ekko would be about the same. So while they are teenage children, they're children nonetheless.
Imma be honest i am the real life presentation of powder but i didn't kill that past self of mine yes i tried to push it away but then i realised it wasn't the right way just wanted to say hopefully she realises too and i am just hoping to god she doesn't die in the end cause if she dies and her goals are incomplete i will have a breakdown
Not to be too mean, but you spend a LOT of this video just recapping the tv show. I am 12 minutes in and I can't finish the video essay because you are just recapping a show I already watched. Some exposition is good. 12 minutes of exposition with very little added is *roughhhhh*
Viewers when Jinx kills like 20 cops and a bunch of Ekko's friends: Oh, oh dear, oh gorgeous. Viewers when Jayce says something classist to Viktor: You fucking donkey.
I'd heard that this was a good show but never watched it. Wow, now I really want to watch it. As an aside, it seemed like your main light was a bit overpowering. Could barely see the structure/features of your face, the brightness was washing it all out.
it's sooo good! The second and final season starts coming out on the 7th November, lots of us had to wait 3 years but you can go right in without waiting a lot.
Sadly you spoiled yourself a lot of stuff. But for real the series is so good I could spoil you the rest and you would still be impressed. Like the music alone scarred me and probably done the most damage (like in a good sense). And then season 2 blind watch through will be just as intense lol
@@aetherwolf9288 - There's definitely major spoilers as far as major plot pieces, but I don't feel particularly spoiled about for the whole. The only piece of verbatim script that was revealed was when they reunite, but beyond that I have no idea what the characters sound like, how they talk to each other (other than generic terms), etc etc. I feel far more spoiled by a 3 minute marvel trailer than I do by this hour long presentation purely because the only thing I have a concrete foreknowledge of is the overarching plot - everything else will be brand new when I get a chance to sit down and watch it :)
@@kriegtiger Thinking about it your right. You lack context. So yeah maybe this will make certain points of the story probably even more impactful as you wait for certain events to happen.
i’ve been binging your arcane analyses before season 2 drops next week and I LOVE UR VIDEOS SO MUCH! you explain and break down characters + their traits so well! thank you sm 🙂↕️🩵
It's interesting that when Vi and Jinx meet again in episode 6, we see Silco's words to Vander play out in real time. We expect Jinx to be angry after "the betrayal" but she isn't immediately. "I hated you for what you'd done, but as time passed, so did my hate... You kept my respect, until you made peace with them." Them being enforcers, which is the exact thing that pushes Jinx back into anger, an enforcer showing up and Vi calling her a friend
Also, based on her comments in the finale, it sounds like to a degree Jinx is the sister Powder believed Vi would love and not abandon. Strong, competent, violently anti-enforcer, just like Vi was at that age. The fact that all her work to change into this person still doesn't get her Vi's approval and pride but actually pushes her further away?? It flips her whole world on its head
Ahhh this is really awesome. And such a tragic point with jinx being the sister Powder believed Vi wanted.
I can’t believe it’s been two years since I saw this show and I didn’t realize ep 6 was a replay of Silco’s words to Vander until now.
Also. This is literally the saying “what would [dead loved one] think if could see you now” played out in real time. Jinx thought Vi was dead and must have sometimes wondered what Vi would think of her now, only for her to come back from the grave for real.
Powder had vi’s acceptance and approval the entire series. Vi is the only person that does. The tragedy isn’t thst Powder can’t have Vi’s love and acceptance, the tragedy is that seven years of abuse by Silco has made Powder incapable of letting herself be vulnerable enough to see past her own self loathing enough to recognize that her sister loves her for whoever she is.
I like how both Silco and Jinx have a kind of baptism scene, but they’re completely opposite. Silco is drowned by Vander and emerges by choice full of rage, and by contrast Jinx sets her own bomb on herself, clearly intending to die by fire on the bridge, but is revived by Silco.
Regarding Powder's lack of reaction to the death of the first scene, research among the psychology of child soldiers shows that exposure to war and violence at an early age normalizes it. A child establishes what is "normal" at a young age. Those privileged enough to have the shelter of what a Western (relatively) affulent upbtinging see relative peace - familial abuse nonwithstanding - as normal a child growing up in say Gaza or Ukraine is going see violence and death as normal and not show shock or remorse in its presence or committing it. At the time of the bridge incident, V likely has enough relatively peaceful memories that the violence around her causes her cognitive dissonance. Powder on the other hand is so young this is her normal now. In the canon "Enemies" music video you can see young Powder miming shooting Enforcers in the back, and Jinx flashes into view for the second Powder mimes pulling the trigger. Jinx is not an aberration from the innocent Powder. Jinx is that natural result of Powder over time. As I stated for another analysis the absolute healthiest thing for Powder would be to enter a career that would channel her innate violence in a more socially acceptable way such as a soldier because it's not going away no matter how much V wishes it otherwise and ignoring those tendacies...well we saw what happened.
Exactly. Piltover created Jinx by enforcing the appalling material conditions of the apartheid state. All of Piltover's progress is built on the suffering and murder of Zaun and its citizens. Piltover is a brutal, merciless society that papers over its savagery by keeping the violence it commits contained outside the view of its citizens.
Vi and Powder's parents were murdered by enforcers just for advocating for a better life. They approached the bridge. They threatened to expose the brutal reality of Zaun to the citizens of Piltover and the rulers can't have that. The real tragedy is Powder and Vi's parents were probably motivated by wanting a better future for their kids. They were ruthlessly denied.
Jinx isn't a villain. She's the consequences of Piltover's brutality. She is the personification of the Zaun they oppress. Broken, torn, hopeless. That's why Silco loves her. He loves Jinx because he loves Zaun. It's so funny to me how people clutch their pearls because Jinx kills "innocent" people (does she?). Piltover is built on the bodies of thousands, maybe millions of innocent people. People it poisons and maims and murders through its oppression. It's a fundamentally evil society. If it weren't, Jinx wouldn't exist, and those innocents in Piltover would be safe.
And let's not forget that Silco also tried to do things the right way. He worked with Vander. And when that way failed, Vander decided to help Piltover keep the results of their own oppression contained, and tried to kill Silco because he threatened that. Granted Vander's motivation was to protect Powder and Vi. Which is why Silco goes to him once he finally understands and says "Is there anything so undoing as a daughter?" Because Silco realizes why Vander betrayed him. As Silco is literally on the verge of betraying himself, giving up everything he has been striving for in order to protect Jinx.
@@adambirch6466 Well said.
Regarding who Powder models herself after, it's not V. It's very subtle but you can see it in the show's visual symbolism. In the very first scene of the series on the Piltover-Zahn bridge, we see an explosion and then an Enforcer looms menacingly out of the smoke and then casually executes a downed Zahnite via a headshot. Now skip ahead to Episode Seven and the confrontation between Marcus and the Enforcers, Caitlyn, Echo, and V on that very same bridge. There is an explosion. Jinx looks menacingly out of the smoke and casually executes a downed Enforcer with a headshot.
Jinx didn't model herself after V. She modelled herself after the Enforcers. When in crisis the vulnerable will self-identity with the behavior of those they see carrying themselves most confidently in the crisis. V modelled herself after Vander but Powder subconsciously saw the victorious Enforcers as a better choice. Again in the "Enemies" video, Powder sees Enforcers committing exjudical violence and play acts and fantasizes about committing even harsher violence. This is why Jinx can kill Piltover citizens without a thought because she has seen Piltover Enforcers kill Zahnite without a thought. This is what people do as far as Jinx sees it. This is the cycle of revenge and retribution in action.
OHHH I LOVE THIS
woahhhh
😮Man I love reading other people's insights into this show. There's so many layers and a lot of you guys are incredibly articulate. Thanks for that take. 😊
W take. That makes SO much sense.
An interesting detail for the Ekko vs Jynx. When Jynx was a kid always beaten Ekko in the game with the 4th shot. But in the present Jynx only shoot 3 times, despite she have time for the 4th shot. I belive she wasn't able to kill Ekko and thats what Ekko realise when stops beating Jynx.
Yeah, they both weren’t ready to kill each other. Jinx held back on her last shot despite having the opportunity and Ekko stopped punching Jinx because he saw Powder in her.
@@KeitieKalopsia A very nice detail waht i dosn't seen at first time.
On the topic of Silco's relationship with Jinx, I think it's pretty much identical to his relationship with Zaun. He loves both and wants them to become their "best" selves, but his understanding of what that means is limited by his experience. He is not only incapable of making ether of them healthier, he is incapable of even conceiving the idea. The only way he can imagine to "help" this girl or this city is to make them STRONGER at any cost, even if it requires scarring them, filling them with poison, killing off the weak parts of them and changing them into monsters
Then no one can betray or harm them ever again
I think Silco's main ability is to raise monsters - creatures that emerge from somewhere dark and deep, glued together by willpower and raw survival instinct. His monster came from within him, while being drowned in those very waters he later saw those deep sea creatures in. Of course he'd feel a kinship towards them. He did what he needed to do, in order to survive. So did the monsters. They are powerful, uncompromising, ruthless - and they are beautiful for it, for it's what keeps them alive and thriving. Because it's what saved Silco's life, and it's what he considers the ultimate answer to his struggle.
Once he emerged from his own depths as one, he realized it's a potential within everyone else as well. And he always finds just the right way to make them emerge. "There's a monster inside all of us." he tells Deckard. "It's time to let the monster out." he tells him as he pushes the Shimmer onto him. "Ready to rise to the surface?" he asks him again, as he once more summons the monster he created out of him, who now comes out willingly at his command.
Deckard, Markus, Vander, all the addicts in the Underground, and his masterpiece - Jinx. He woke up the monsters inside their depths. Jinx, Silco's perfect, most beautiful monster, picked up on that, and thus modeled her Hextech weapon after them, and used it to deal the ultimate blow in his name.Thinking back on that final scene, of Jinx aiming Fishbones at the Council building, I can't help but think of Silco's words in one of the first episodes - "Beautiful, aren't they? And yet, up there, no one even realizes they exist."
Ooooh I love this!
This is a certified W take. Just gonna leave this comment here so I can find this again. :3.
@@hannahmetzger4880 same
Everything is going to be turned upside down in Season 2. Creators said Season 2 will be a season of opposites. Those who had hope for Jinx in season one will have none in season two, those who had none for her in season one, will have Hope for her in season two. So I’m expecting a redemption arc, or a Han Solo arc. Jinx go from watch it all burn 🔥 to 😮 can I be a hero?, Do I deserve to be?Do I deserve forgiveness. That was the other thing one of the creators said that sum up season two in one word “ forgiveness”
That sounds like the best route they could've gone with it to be honest.
Jinx is a terrorist. Stop trying to make everything a redemption story. It's cringe
Jinx is gonna be the hero, Vi and Cait, the villans.
@@itsgonnabeokay9341I think RIOT will make it a bit more nuanced,than Vi & Caitlyn becoming villains,but yes I can see Caitlyn yeah, consumed by revenge that she gives it to the darkside. Having Ambessa whispering her ill advice won’t help. Caitlyn will go after Jinx regardless of the cost,I think for at least a time they’re going to give her the Anakin Skywalker treatment. Something will snap her back to reality. For sure after Act I I can see Jinx slowly be persuaded to help Zaun. Having them go from fearing her to respecting her. I also think Time Bomb theory is true, Jinx & Ekko will bury the hatchet,but it will happen right before tragedy because no one’s allowed to have nice things in this world. I can hope the two them ❤ get to be together atleast a few episodes before they rip our hearts out.
@@ArcaneMelodies82 Those are big assumptions I don't want to make. I think the time bomb is a huge bs though.
If things were different, she would have made a pretty good Firelight.
Would’ve loved to see that!
Something I noticed about jinx/powder is that when powder kindof breaks through, the shape of her face becomes slightly softer, and then whenshe turns back to jinx it gets sharper again. Other than this i that you noticed more than i would ever have xd
Not you typing this out just as I am rambling about this.😂😂
@@Xayira hey i also noticed it, you just decided to say it xp
They actually would adjust the model based on how Jinx was feeling! They rounded her features such as her cheeks and eyes when she is feeling like powder!!!!
Yeah, they actually set up special rigging for her 3d face model so they could slide it between the two
@@DarthRayj that's really cool
Being autistic, things like metaphor, subtext, and allegory tend to go right over my head. So i really appreciate analysis videos like yours, because it's like there's an entirely separate narrative happening between the lines, and I never would have noticed without your help. You have my utmost gratitude for that.
same here im so thankful for analysis videos
One of my favourite series. The themes are compelling and its presentation - visually especially, but the music is also top notch - are probably un-matched in its genre
The worst part about it, Pitover would have gone easy on powder. It shows how little faith both Zaun and Pitover have in each other. They were already separate city's by this point.
Mel's mother calls pilties "soft-hearted". Powder was literally born in the wrong place, and Jinx is what a violent place like Zaun does to the soft-hearted and innocent.
@@may_ryann that's what's truly tragic to me. All Power's best traits would've been well watered in Piltover, but instead she grew up in the part of the city where kids are encouraged to make bombs and get told to stay and take punches.
But really, all that can be said about anyone raised in an environment like Zaun. The potential goes to waste and it's mostly the parts of you needed to survive that are left.
@@no.6377 Totally! Jayce's idealism saved the Hextech project; Mel's mother sent her away to Piltover because of her tenderness, where she thrived; Viktor was a genius but also a soft idealist, and he had to go to Piltover so his talent didn't go to waste...
...And there's Cait. She's independent, smart, stubborn, willing to work with the enemy to get what she wants, and there's a scene where she fidgets with a gun like it's a toy.
It's like Cait and Jinx should have born in each other's places. Jinx somehow thrived even though the environment she was in was less than favorable, she would have shined so bright in Piltover. And Cait's no-nonsene attitude would have made her very respected in a place like Zaun. Jinx's jealousy of Cait is not just because she thinks Vi replaced her, but also because she saw in Cait what she wanted to be but couldn't, and also how similar they are. Now they're each other's arch nemesis even though they're more alike than either of them would like to admit, all because of the shitty circumstances and tragedy surrounding Zaun.
@@may_ryann A lot of people say Powder would’ve done well in Piltover for her talents, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone say the inverse: that Cait would’ve done well in Zaun, but I think you’ve got a point.
@@may_ryann I think your comment was the one the creator of the video was looking for when making the other video about Caitlin, haha!
you gave a good take, I very much agree with what you said.
Jinx sounds like a compelling character.
I soo related to Powder cause I had such abandonment issues as a child its insane, it almost ruined my life later on cause I just latched on to older men , all I wanted was a parent to guide and love me , ofc there are evil people in this world who take advantage of that when they see teen vulnerable like this , I also developed bipolar with psychotic features later on in life and I have to say that her psychotic breaks are so well done in the show, to demostrate how loud and confusing it is in Jinxs head, I feel like true villain is the circumstances Jinx grew up...she doesnt have any access to doctors in Zaun , everything would have been soo different for her with just a little bit of help
I love this analysis so much! You take both the good and the bad of the characters into consideration.
Especially for Silco. You acknowledge both the bad and the good in his father-daughter relationship with Jinx and how he treats her. You also acknowledge that he loved her, truly loved her. Not as his weapon but as his daughter.
I get very disappointed when people think he’s only using her and only sees her as a weapon. The whole reason he’s such an amazing and expertly written character is because of his love for Jinx. She’s the biggest part of what makes his character so human.
People missing that miss out on the depth of him as a character and it’s honestly so sad to see.
I also love your look on Vi. I hate how many people completely villainize her and I’m so grateful that you didn’t do that. You understood that her actions were never malicious and that she never ever wanted to hurt her sister intentionally. Especially with the hallucination scene at the end of ep.9 . Vi didn’t understand that what she was doing was causing her sister so much distress
Thank you so much for this wonderful and detailed video. I will be eager to see what you make in the future 🌷🌷🌷
(Don’t think RUclips is as bad as TikTok on this- but please don’t pick,point and criticize every single thing I’ve said here. The amount of over explaining and tone policing of my self I have to do on that platform is insane 💀 I just want to state my thoughts here, not have an argument TvT)
I agree with most of what you’re saying but with vi I think while yes she is stuck in the past and didn’t change that way, in the past she would have never work with or hang out with any type of enforcer but now she has and will be doing. Great video btw❤.
Well yes, it's why Jinx says Vi has changed. Although it's more than just "you're good with an enforcer" but rather, that Vi was unwilling to kill Caitlyn in order to get Powder back (which would have been a facade anyway) but Jinx killed Silco to save Vi. Sure, she too has changed but to Jinx, Vi putting anyone else above her (which is how she interprets it) is out of the question. Powder can't return if Vi doesn't sacrifice everything for her. Because if Powder is enough and Vi is sincere in wanting her back, why can't she sacrifice Caitlyn? An enforcer?
As for Vi being stuck in the past, it's really the sentiment of having nothing left anymore. Which is the opposite of Jinx. Vi was in prison for years, trapped with only her memories and while she blames herself for leaving Powder and possibly Vander's, Claggor's and Mylo's deaths, the memories of them and especially Powder were something she held onto. While for Jinx, those memories of her adoptive family and Vi were demons in her head, not pleasant memories she could treasure.
When Vi gets out of prison, she is out to a world that has moved on without her and admist it all she tries to find that one person she's familiar with and the only living memory left of her past: Powder. Except Powder has changed too.
Thats the thing however.
Cupcake isn’t an enforcer.
She is a parallel to Powder itself.
She is basically what Vi would want for Powder.
So working with Cupcake isn’t working with an enforcer, but to work with someone like Powder to save Powder even though she isn’t like Powder.
@@nellie4621btw to further your point:
Jinxes weapon on the table wasn’t loaded.
Not only did Jinx mentioned it („shesh Im not that crazy“) but Silco aimed at Vi and shot it. Even with Jinxes heightened reaction time and speed he would have killed Vi.
The Tea party was a test and Vi failed at each step of it. Silco didn’t.
So Jinx choose to be Silcos successor.
In a sense she still hid behind both of them as in this case Powder and Jinx were identical strong.
@@nellie4621Vi would NEVER have killed some random innocent women because Powder asked her to. That was just Jinx being delusional and uncompromising. Ultimately, she screwed over herself by even bringing Caitlyn in the first place.
@@aetherwolf9288 Pretty sure there's a hole in the chair next to Vi; Silco did shoot at her, he just missed, and Jinx's instinctive reaction killed him before he could fire again.
Regarding the ending, don't think of Jinx of destroying a peace. Think of Jinx as Nemesis delivering divine judgement on the unworthy. The true authors of this tragedy are the Piltover Council who ordered the Enforcers to put down Vander's rebellion "by any means necessary" before Episode One even started. The only ones that we know will be spared are this innocent of it; Jayce and Victor due to plot reasons, or who are cast out of Piltover and exiled already; Heimerdinger. Everyone else, Caitlyn's mother included was likely complicit in that order, in the willingness to engage Vander's riot with lethal force. From that point onward they set the seeds for their own judgement by the hand on one they unknowingly created as the embodiment of their karmic due.
Arcane really is a Greek tragedy.
I mean, we still don't actually know if Jayce or Viktor will survive. No sign of them in the trailers that I saw, although I naturally *expect* they'll survive. But I do know the writers have straight up said that Riot gave them permission to kill champions.
@@DarthRayj We know Victor survives because of the cyborging in the trailer. If Victor survives, then Jayce must survive due to their rivalry being a core narrative issue.
Also, I have like, a half-written essay about how Arcane is not just one tragedy, but multiple woven together. It's some of the most complex character writing I've ever seen; basically every main character individually follows the classic arc of a tragedy, with the way they attempt to reach their personal goals causing them to lose either themselves or something/someone they valued more than their goal (Act 1 actually is a hero's journey for Jayce though, which then also turns into a tragedy in Acts 2 and 3).
If you follow the threads:
Silco wanted respect/power, and would have achieved it except that he had found a daughter he couldn't stand to lose, costing him his ideals. Vi wanted Powder, and lost her sister because she couldn't accept her when they reunited. Jayce wanted to change the world for the better, and his technology was used to destroy the seat of government. Viktor wanted to help people from the Undercity, like himself, and then his own Hexcore killed one. Caitlyn wanted to experience the real world, and it seems very likely that a lot of things she directly set into motion when she let Vi out of jail have ultimately killed her mother.
Some of the more side characters also follow the directions of tragedy, but there are a couple that could arguably be said to have a hero's journey: Mel stands out as one of the only characters who we legitimately see think about her beliefs, change them, and then act on that belief. She started out believing she wasn't good enough for her family, reconsidered that when her mother visited, and ultimately decided that her mother wasn't good enough for her instead, leading her to call for peace rather than playing into Ambessa's plans.
@@DarthRayj When you have these many parallel lines within a narrative you have step and look at what they all have in common. In case it's the setting itself. The class disparity and the resulting trauma leads all these factions and individuals to conflict. No matter how good the intentions, if the roots are rotten the flowers will be poisonous. The only unaffected is Mel because she is literally the person on the very top of the social heirarchy. She can never suffer an consequences unless she chooses to and she will only choose to if she grows emotionally.
Thus the collective trauma created by the setting drive the drama. The world seeks balance and the conflict will only stop when the imbalance between Zahn and Piltover is balanced again. The sides will continue to drive against each other until one or both are destroyed or enough damage is done people don't want to fight anymore. It's why Jayce's attempt at a quick fix would have failed even without Jinx. It still wasn't addressing the primary issue of economic imbalance. An independent Zahn still requires Piltover capital and that still allow exploitation.
@@ravendelacour1917 Excellent, excellent analysis
Been anticipating this analysis for a while now. Super excited that it’s finally here. Your character breakdowns are fantastic.
Aw thanks so so much!
Jinx went from a victim to a villain and probably as a hero too in season 2
Powder is the victim Jinx is the Villain and both will be the hero in the next season.
The poor girl just wanted to help
I just watched this full video with no breaks. A really good analysis, i found there were things i hadn’t thought about yet and it was very satisfying. Thanks!
Aw thank you! 😊
You mean HERO!
I’m waiting for that arc next season (fingers crossed lmao)
I think one of the best things about Arcane's depiction of Jinx is taking this fairly common archetype, the "Violent Pixie Dream Girl", and making it so clear she is not having a "good time(tm)". There are those brief moments where there is some kind of joy in her actions, but for the majority of it, she is in pain.
It's kinda funny, also just watched your Sevika video the other day, and there's a strange similarity between them that I'm only picking up after those analyses. In the Sevika video, I made the comment about how she never sees HERSELF as deserving the big chair. As much as she believes in the cause, she can't seem to see herself leading it. Even as these others who claim to be leaders keep failing her over and over again. With Jinx their are obvious NAKED dependency issues. She NEEDS validation and love, and not getting it can cause massive volatility.
But there's also a special dichotomy in that, at the end, while Sevika stays "in her place" on the couch, staring at Silco's vacant chair, Jinx DECIDES to sit in her new throne. And it's honestly the most comfortable I think we see her. This contradiction in her heart is done. She's collapsed the wave function. The cat is dead.
And this can link to some of those trailer moments that seems to indicate Sevika holding up Jinx as a potential rallying hero for the Zaun cause.
I last watched Arcane 2 years ago when i was in hospital to really appreciate it again. Such a good show can't wait for season 2.
This is the best analysis and breakdown of the character I've ever seen, and I've seen some great ones.
Oh wow, thank you for watching! 🤗
Absolutely wonderful essay!! So happy to see you make more Arcane videos. Cannot wait for your analysis of Silco and Vi!
Ahhh thank you so much for watching! OHHH so I already made my Vi one! Its much shorter but I think Vi’s gonna have a bigger one next season lol 😄 But silco will be out next week!
I think the "parents aren't involved" argument is a stretch. Kids has no idea of what death is. They only reacts to the emotions of their sorrounding. Powder reacting to Vi is the most realistic reaction of a child. It doesn't mean she's automatically "psychopathic" because if it is then most kids in the world is. It doesn't mean she doesn't have emotional connection with her parents. It just means she's a kid.
Great analysis! I love how Arcane lends itself to so many great and nuanced discussions. Overall, I love your insight and think you bring some really good perspective on her character.
One thing I will challenge though is the notion that Silco only loved Jinx. If we are to humor the notion that Powder and Jinx are actually two separate people, Powder would be when she is most like her child self (insecure, needy, vulnerable) and Jinx would be when she is least like her child self (violent, smug, desensitized to the horrors she is committing). In terms of screen time, we see her behaving most like the former when she is with Silco. She leans on him, physically and metaphorically, expresses her highs and lows to him, apparently has a "cat bed" type setup in his office so she can always be near him, her protector, all of the same things she done with Vi as a kid. Silco never calls her weak or needy for it. He comforts her and embraces her when she is like that, the same way Vi always did. And, keep in mind, he did not take her in because she built the bomb that killed her family. Even if he somehow deduced the explosion was caused by a bomb she created, he approached her with the intent to kill. He would have effectively been killing Jinx (the asset), but he stopped when Powder - the insecure, needy, vulnerable side of her - hugged him. Even in his dying moments, he is presented with Powder, and he speaks in a way that would make more sense to talk to a girl like Powder, not a girl like Jinx. He comforts her, re-assures her of her worth and his love and loyalty to her. All evidence seems to point to Silco saying actual Jinx (the duality of "Powder" and "Jinx") is perfect.
I think the misconception about Silco's view of Jinx stems from the baptism scene, but let's look at what he actually says. "Betrayal, that pain will eat you from the inside out. It will either break you, or forge you into something greater." Then, "You need to let Powder die, so the fear of pain will no longer control you." To him, "Powder" is not the good in her, but the fear of re-living her trauma. Basically, 'Powder is the girl who let trauma destroy her. Jinx is the girl who turned it into her greatest strength.' Silco does not want Jinx to be a monster. He wants her to be strong.
Why would Silco want Jinx to kill the good in her, anyway? He believes *he* is good, and it is the good in him (in his eyes) that drives him to make the Nation of Zaun a reality for his people. Loyalty, respect and justice are all virtues he cares deeply about, and I think we can all agree they are good things to have. An unfeeling killing machine (what people seem to think Silco wants) would have none of those things. I think it is pretty clear Silco loves whatever people are attributing to "Powder" just as much as he loves what they are attributing to "Jinx." He just sees Powder as a metaphor for her fear/pain, and Jinx as her rebirth/true self/potential.
Omg a whole hour on Jinx!!!
I like both Jinx and Vi. I'd say I downright love Vi, cause she is one of the champions I like to play in League :'D Then again, there is no character in Arcane I truly hate, not even Marcus
Marcus is interesting, especially for a side character. Can’t hate the guy.
Jinx and Vi are both some of the characters I played the absolute most, and also have the most skins for
This show hurt my soul. I loved it.
Yuuuuup few shows cut as deep as this one lol
I don't think Silco wants Jinx to abandon Powder to become a vilain. He's aware of how much her past hurts her and thinks she can overcome her pain that way.
Silco clearly didn't overcome his own trauma, he's lying to himself. His past is still haunting him. Vander's statue is a clear example : he let people build it, revere it and it clearly means he still respects Vander's memory. His visit in episode 9 is him accepting he never turned the page. Because the statue won't offer him anything, it's a purely internal process. He finally accepts what Vander did.
I really enjoy your videos. I still need to watch your series on Edgerunners.
Maybe she'll expand on this further in her Silco analysis
Yeah no i think silco just is on copium and thinks jinx will somehow not be like him but yeah all you said i can comfirm is true
How do you all miss that Silco ins't a villain but an antihero. He clearly respected Vander even while he didn't understand his actions and felt betrayed by them. He literally tried to get them working together though. Silco is a freedom fighter. And his "trauma" never left as he is still discriminated against and opressed. "Vanders betrayal" DID toughen up Silco. Probably made him a lot willing to harm others. Having a daughter just showed him Vanders perspective.
@@nostalji93 we're watching two different shows and thats ok. your entitled to come away with your own interpretations
"Coddled" is a weird way to describe the upbringing of someone who literaly saw the dead bodies of her parents at like four years old
Thought provoking and insightful character study -- of Powder/Jinx as a symbol, a metaphor, a representation. Also, an empathetic (or at least more empathetic) reflection of who P/J was as a person. Or whom they could have been/become as a person, as seen through the microcosm/fishbowl playground Arcane welcomed us into. We as the audience can't change or alter the past of the story (however just or unjust, however fair or unfair it may be), any more than the characters themselves -- I'm sure that's part of the point. Permanence is broken, taken, destroyed by striving for change; prosperity is a house of cards, built on a lie; peace is an illusion, maintained by a juggling act of 'what's best for everyone'. Insert Jedi/Sith code here.
Thank you for sharing your insightful (and persuasive) observations with us! I really enjoyed it; really enjoyed peering into a well thought out, observant stream of consciousness, to turn over all the chipped, shiny, well washed stones and marvel at the treasures offered. Differing perspectives are wonderful!
All of that being said, I'm often confused why (except on the most surface symbolic level -- and maybe that's all the series was trying to say?) others interpret that final voting sessions of Piltover's Council as anything other than a half-measure. Too little, too late. Other than framing (all of that light from the darkness, tremulous agreement in shifting the status quo from arrogant ownership to burgeoning accountability -- that hopeful illumination and the expressions on Mel's and Jayce's face, do a LOT of heavy lifting to set the tone), how did that vote represent anything more than begrudgingly holding out a treat to a kicking toddler that would have been snatched back the instant Silco didn't hand over Jinx -- he'd already sacrificed his lifelong ambition of a free and independent Zaun (at least through treaty). That was his choice: his daughter over his easily attainable political goals. The brokered peace would've failed regardless of Jinx's actions, because the core condition/sacrifice wasn't going to be met/honored.
I've watched Arcane so many times looking for that one line, or scene, or hint Jayce was going to hand over independence to Zaun, just because. There were a lot of reasons to let Zaun become it's own entity (the right thing to do being foremost), but just as many (selfish, political, stickler) reasons not to. Sure, the Council had adapted, perhaps showing growth, or empathy, or at least some measure of responsibility for what chickens had come home to roost, what wolf (or Warwick) had come knocking at their door. But honestly, unless I've just been too dense to notice it (not discounting this possibility), it just wasn't present in the show. It seems like an awful omission from the story if that was the intent of those last few joyous moments before Jinx's rocket kicked that door closed with explosive finality.
So I'm curious -- am I missing something? Sure, the leaders of Piltover should be lauded for changing their mindset, for allowing the possibility of reconciliation to take root (much like the Firelight's tree), but there was no indication it would be honored when Jacye's ultimatum wasn't met. Peace/independence was never possible without the base violence necessary for change (which Jinx provided, fulfilling Silco-- her father's, prophecy), right?
So what did Jinx... jinx? I mean I know we, as omniscient observers to the tragedy, were nudged in that direction. "Peace was gonna happen, but Jinx jinxed it! Again! What the hell, Milo was right about her; she ruins everything!" But what did she ruin? She wasn't going to turn herself in. Even if her survival instinct, and her sense of subverted justice, of the unfairness of it all, motivated her to end the conflict without further bloodshed (P/J never struck me as altruistic), even with that hypothetical, Silco's final admonition was, "The topsiders offered me everything. Independance, a seat at the table. All in return for you. They can all burn!", "I never would have given you to them. Not for anything." He wanted the city of Zaun. He wanted Jinx's freedom (also her happiness, but that's a whole 'nother Greek tragedy). Jinx offered her solution. Just my take on the situation. 🤣
Arcane in a nutshell? William Shakespere's Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/56964/speech-tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow
Favorite characters: Jinx/Powder, Ekko, Rio (I love me some abused underdog). Second favorite? Mel, Vander, Greyson (I love me some doomed idealists). In the immortal words of Logan from X-Men Origins: Wolverine (some people will admit watching it!), "Wow. 'Koo-koo-ka-choo' got screwed."
Cheers!
I find it quite difficult to label Jinx as a villain. And while Rabid Vi fans will disagree, in history, the winner is the hero, not the Villain.
The difference between a freedom fighter, and a terrorist, is simply which side wins. Since Zaun is a legitimate place in previous League lore, it's safe to assume, that the Undercity wins. Zaun becomes independent. Thus, Jinx was a freedom fighter, not a terrorist.
This is not to say Jinx does no harm, or evil. She does many things that could be considered so, but she is only a Villain as a matter of perspective. By the same token, Vi is not a Villain, by her own perspective. We are often never the evil ones in our own innate stories. Perspective makes all the difference. I will also note here, Powder made many successful inventions. The Arcade is hinted at her having built it (Vi's boxing game, the shooting gallery etc) as she is the one who is making repairs, and starting the systems up. She just never made successful weapons.
Diving deeper, it's also easier to assume Vi is the villain, or at least, a betrayer, not Jinx. Their whole lives the undercity was beat down, abused, crime was everywhere, and so was corruption. Piltover did not care about the undercity, except to extract wealth, and oppress them. Even Viktor is treated differently, as a former undercity resident. He does not remotely achieve the same prestige Jayce does, despite them being partners. Corruption was still rampant while Vander was in charge, he just kept it away from himself and his kids (thus being corrupt himself, note he says *only* top side is offlimits. Robbing anyone else is fair game still).
Vi even espouses violent rhetoric against topside. Calling Vander out for not wanting to go to war with them, but then she very quickly becomes the very thing she hated. An Enforcer, and for what? Her newfound love interest? Lets not forget, the entire story hinges on Vi's actions. She robs topside against Vanders will. She causes his capture, by trying to fix her mistake, and going to trade herself in (thus forcing Vander to make a hard decision). She then goes to rescue Vander, and is the entire reason Powder (or Vander) are there in the first place. She is the catalyst for the entire story. Which we see in Episode three, culminates in her assaulting Powder. "I told her I would protect her from the monsters. Then a real one showed up, and I ran." Vi is speaking about herself. She, in that moment, was the real monster. She abused, both physically and emotionally, Powder, in a moment of weakness and rage.
Fast forward. Vi simply wants revenge, against Silco, for the death of Vander (which is very demonstrably her fault). A Selfish desire.
Where as Jinx, is still fighting for the undercity. For something bigger than herself.
While Silco and Jinx's actions are hardly "Good". They are for a greater good, and prosperity of their perceived peoples. Something Piltover deigns not to consider, except when tax time comes up. This is shown, when Ekko shows Heimerdinger around, and he sees firsthand, just how terrible things are, and how for decades, perhaps millennia, the undercity has been oppressed and it never so much as crossed the minds of Piltover citizens. Even with some among them, like Viktor.
Where as Piltover, and in connection, Vi's. Are actions of indifference. In keeping the status quo by oppressing others.
Nothing in war is ever good, and good (and bad) people commit terrible acts, but they do so in the hopes of progress. Of a better tomorrow.
So while I'm sure that there will no doubts be argument about perception, and whos the villain (Vi vs Jinx) it is very plain to see, Piltover is the over all bad guys in terms of the oppressive power structure, and mistreatment of their own people from the undercity, people they see as dirty, and inferior.
Caitlyn is a perfect image of what Piltover should be, and the corruption in the police force, the shady politics, the seedy dealings, thats the actual representation of what Piltover is, and how horrible it is for Caitlyn to realize this as she becomes more involved as the story progresses.
This is so well written, I can’t wait for more!
Great Jinx analysis! What are your opinions of the symbolic representation of Crows in reference to Jinx? In a lot of Arcane's messaging I think the crow quite literally represents Jinx. Any moment Jinx tries to bring out the emotional, Powder side of her a crow appears, like the manifestation of Jinx outcasted from her body. In the old hideout, she killed the crow to test how much strength Powder had on her own just to come second to Vi. When she meets Vi and Powder takes over we see another crow watching that caws out in warning as Caityn approaches. And during the tea party Jinx tries to reconnect with Vi as crows surround the factory that only fly away and reform into Jinx right when she shoots at Silco...
Keep up the Arcane content the community needs every bit 😭😭
very well done essay. I literally couldnt stop watching
Omg thank you so much ahhhh! 🤗
Ok, I get it, I’ll put it on my watchlist
But if it’s not as good as you’ve made it seem, I’m blaming Antonio
You basically spoiled yourself everything
But the animation alone could make up for it.
And if not this then the characters you haven’t met.
And if not that the music.
And if not that then season two.
It is one of the very few shows I've never worried I'll overhype people on before they see it
The fact that I still find new original content that doesn’t double down on anything beforehand is truly astonishing.
So let me add a bit more of what I personally saw to the themes I saw in the video:
1. Neither Silco nor Jinx are villains.
2. To understand the dynamic between the characters you need to not only know how they came to be but also how they choose to hide themselves.
So what do I mean by that.
No character in Arcane is truly themselves even in the end of Arcane season 1.
And all of it can be tied back to the flashback of Heimerdinger in episode 5 I believe („You must destroy it“ referring to the Hexcore).
Because in this flashback we learn that Piltover is one big coping mechanism for Heimerdinger to keep his sanity save as he cannot understand war (in contrast to Ambessa which will come up later).
So the entirety of Piltover is build on lies.
As in episode 4 we learn that Heimerdinger has shut down similar minds to Jaces (breaking any scientific advance in the field of magic). Back then he had the trust from his citizens as they came to Piltover to be safe from war.
But with more and more people coming Heimerdingers control over the situation shrunk.
So the Undercity was born.
In an attempt to control them (as being on the different side of the river more police present is necessary) the regulations mainly applied to the under city, which created a positiv feedback loop.
This ends up creating a resistance and so on and so on (idk the exact lore from Runthera and Piltover but from what I can piece together this resistance was mainly be part of a religious cult and in such partially based in magic).
The fact is that in this environment of lies all of the sides are forced to live in a lie. Behind the walls of Piltover is nothing. They are the best, they are the greatest forever.
This created a class system even in Piltover (as stated by Jace in the final episode to Ambessa the academy has less than a 3% chance of success).
So the council mainly composed of scientists and liars like Mel or Heimerdinger himself just cannot even represent its own people.
So in Piltovers undercity as in the furthest away from this ideal obviously thrives for this but they can’t ever achieve it.
You know what I am going to say.
Viktors bound with Jace is fake and about to shatter just like Vi saw it happen with Cupcake.
Then we go over to Powder who cannot be herself anymore (because she killed the only parts of her true world).
So she created her own through Jinx.
Similarly Vi lives in a mad world where the events of episode 2-3 never happened and she can go back if she punches the reason to death.
Even Ekko who might be the closest from the main cast to living in the real world just can’t as he is punished again and again by his past in the form of Jinx in the form of the enforcer that took Vander and „killed“ Benzo for trying.
Finally Ambessa is the only one who actually sees the world as it is.
„Weapons cannot be undone and are always used“.
But even she can’t tell her daughter this and banishes her instead coping to save her.
Now we know what all of them hid and we start to see a common theme:
Love of any kind destroys reality.
Heimerdinger copes with it by creating similarly to all Piltovian characters.
Powder and Zaunite characters by proving themselves.
However what separates them is what they love the most.
And the only one who loves himself the most is Heimerdinger. His destruction created the war between the cities and the conditions to create Jinx.
So Jinx is no villain. Just a desperate girl coping with the loss of her sister.
Silco is not a villain but just the manifestation of the under cities inferiority.
This is the perspective I have to analyze the rest of each character.
I know this comment is messy but well Im just excited lol.
So lets finish it:
1. You can’t talk about any of these characters separately.
2. There are no villains in Arcane as a villain needs malicious intent. None of these characters show malicious intent.
3. Arcane is also not about miscommunication as this needs to imply a communication in the first place. And the few characters that communicate don’t have any of that. Arcane is about humans thinking they are right and believing it.
4. Arcane is about love and the tearing down of reality to make unconditional love work.
5. Especially Powder is in the center of this theme paralleling with Vi, Ekko, Jinx, Vander, Silco and Ambessa and Mel.
6. The starting point (Heimerdingers Trauma) isn’t solvable, which leaves him with Jinx as the main protagonist.
7. This problem leaves the rest of the characters stuck not fitting in either world (the mad one from Jinx or Heimerdinger). But they have to choose to survive leaving all of them as fakes.
8. Now with Heimerdinger gone and Jinx being more confident than ever everyone can start wearing their true self which sets up season 2.
9. The fact that all of this was there since the beginning but hidden by love for details is for me solid proof that this can be right.
10. I think we will be shocked to see what happened to all of the characters.
Sry for the wall of text but thank you for reading anyways.
Have a nice day
AEther
You know something is a masterpiece when there's practically an entire RUclips subgenre that's just devoted to analyzing it on every level.
@@DarthRayj Megalovania joined the chat
Was NOT expecting the Silco + Vi parallels 👀
It’s WEIRD, sometimes I see parallels with Jinx and Vanderbilt weirdly enough. Needs a video lmao
@@lydiscott oh that would be interesting.
As far as other noticed stuff, this is less of a character thing as far as I can tell and more just thematic, but: I have recently noticed that the eye symbolism isn’t just in Zaun. It’s definitely most prevalent there, with the sisters’ childhood home and Silco’s left eye plus the glowing eyes he puts up everywhere, there’s also that one turtle statue that everyone is offering eyeballs to. But a short while ago I noticed that the hexgate in Piltover that Jayce built is very reminiscent of an eyeball, especially once all the rotating circles on it have lined up properly to beam airships away…which I believe calls back to what Jayce saw when he met the mage who inspired him to fabricate magic. Indeed, the hexgate is a physical rendering of the images that Jayce beheld during that teleportation spell: a rotating world and the celestial bodies that revolve around it, which, when lined up, become an eye.
@@a.n.9800 I think it goes along with eyes often being used to represent power and knowledge in mythology throughout world history
What a great video!
Before her tranformation in the late part of the story Powder has grey eyes and Jinx has blue. You can see what part of her is dominant by the eye color. The last time we see powder is on the bridge where she smiles as Powder and then tries to kill herself.
The thing is during Jinx's Tea Party, if you count Jinx and Powder as 2 separate identities, its not Jinx during the Tea Party its Powder and her asking Vi to kill Caitlyn is her, in the guise of Jinx asking her sister to keep the "Monster" (Caitlyn) away and when Vi, unknowingly mind you, dredges up all of her bad memories and insecurities Silco sees whats going on and tries to shoot Vi not only to end Vi's influence on Jinx but also mainly to protect his daughter and when Powder, Yes Powder not Jinx, shoots him and he lay dying he doesn't repremand her or blame her in any way he instead calls her perfect thereby reaffirming her which is the exact opposite of what Vi did and ultimately causes Powder who once upon a time had her innocent life shattered by Vi's repremand to finally let that innocence die by giving in whole heartedly to being Jinx it is truly great writing tragic yes but great
I was wondering why i had't seen your video before, turns out is new xddd i love the análisis you've made!!!
Ahhh thank you!
Jinx is my favorite character in all of Arcane. Even if I do not condone what she did, in all honesty Jinx was kind of inevitable for Powder given her environment. Dealing with parental figures that were confusing and of course the topic of finding her own purpose.
Sure Vander and Vi cared for her. But Milo was cosntantly judging her, Vi was getting too overprotective for her own good, and Vander does treat Powder as defenseless even though he genuinely cares for her. Perhaps this constant coddling unfortunately made Powder be weak and constantly rely on protecrion she was basically defenseless. Now I do not blame Vi completly but yes the scene where she confronts Powder sadly made Powder think she was a Jinx. A Jinx that only spreads misery.
Now she is named Jinx and is taken care of by Vander's former brother and enemy Silco. Now I feel in my eyes Silco and Jinx's relationship is my favorite parts of Arcane. They're nor good people and yet unlike most villains who would treat them poorly Silco respects Jinx. At least Jinx was able to have a home unlike for example Ryan dealing with Homelander's insanity or Raven being treated badly by Trigon. But Silco is not Dr. Doofensmirtz. He is too busy plotting schemes to focus on Jinx, and his philosophy is overall unhealthy to Jinx's care. He also is unable to cope with his trauma so he's essentially making Jinx worse. Though without Silco, Powder would be defenseless without her family so I cannot blame Powder for siding with someone who could be her family. Though Silco is not able to provide comfort for he is still dealing with the loss of Vander's legacy and reuniting Zaun. He may cared for Jinx but he did not do well with parental responsibility and combined with Vi returning made Jinx confused. Conflicted on what she should do by following or listening to herself.
At the end of the day though I feel Jinx is ultimately the byproduct of Zaun and Piltover. And its inevitable given the class divide combined with survival making Powder lose it. She wants to be useful and yet everytime she jinxes it. Claggor, Milo, and Vander perish and now Silco. And while she is not completly excusable, the real enemy in my opinion is Piltover and Zaun. Both environments destined to fight as they are unable to accept peace. This causes all characters to spite and fight unable to see the bigger picture.
I've seen many fanfics try to give Powder a happy ending. Have Piltover raise her. Or I don't know have Mel, Jayce or Viktor, and Herimerdinger give a happy life. The issue is that Powder is from Zaun and the only reason why Viktor is allowed is thanks to his intelligence. There is no way they could handle Powder's unstable feelings and the Council would've jailed her or worse. No way could Powder deal with being alone without a familiar person and I do not think she would be happy in Piltover.
So overall I feel Jinx is sadly inevitable and doomed to suffer. Imagine if Jinx caused the demises of both Vi and Silco. That would be so horrifying because Caitlyn would try to arrest her, Jinx would be so lost she losses it, and as a result things would've been more worse. It's tragic Zaun found a new leader but that leader was a normal scared girl unable to cope and deal with trauma. That is why Jinx is my favorite character.
I love this comment! Thank you for taking the time to write it, super awesome read. I think you’re right. Ultimately “unavoidable” tragedy, so to speak.
godddd i loveeeeee thiss
aw thank you so much!
Amazing! 10/10 (im 5 seconds in) 😂 Seriously tho the topics are always great.
Thanks so much for watching!!!
Love jinx/Powder as character development
6:40 except that they didn't even know that is was the blue cristals that caused the explosion
Hey hy I watched both your Vi and Jinx videos and I noticed how much Vi is similar to jinx/powder in her manners, it's interesting how also Vi gives some signs of crazyness, do you think it's because they are related? I don't know just a thought
Love a good villain
Hell yeah! Her and silco were great!
Would love to see a break down on the game vampyr and it’s characters like this
Love the video but one critique is I don’t think the others were Powders siblings. I think they weee just friends. The only sibling I think was Vi
sheltered ≠ sensitive
She is evil and alwais was.
Even as a kid she was making bombs and didnt even react to everyone death, only seeking Vi approuval.
Ekko lived the same shit as her and turned good, I dislike people trying to defend her stupid actions.
She was alwais psychotic and troubled and when like all other character she was pushed, she simply turned evi.
Really vaillan you really have guts of steel to call riot games massgot a vaillan danm that's cold real cold 🥶
What's all the music you used in this video?
Its from Skyrim.
You ever considered doing Warhammer 40k i recommend the primarchs
Would love to someday! Fascinating lore.
10 days guys, 10 i can take it
I don't think it's completely accurate to refer to jinx and ekko as adults in their second fight. Jinx would be about 16 or so and ekko would be about the same. So while they are teenage children, they're children nonetheless.
Imma be honest i am the real life presentation of powder but i didn't kill that past self of mine yes i tried to push it away but then i realised it wasn't the right way just wanted to say hopefully she realises too and i am just hoping to god she doesn't die in the end cause if she dies and her goals are incomplete i will have a breakdown
Not to be too mean, but you spend a LOT of this video just recapping the tv show. I am 12 minutes in and I can't finish the video essay because you are just recapping a show I already watched. Some exposition is good. 12 minutes of exposition with very little added is *roughhhhh*
A villain? Nah, fuck that, everything Jinx has done so far is either fine or excusable and from the looks of it, she gets even better in season 2.
Just take it as villainous and you get the same picture
Viewers when Jinx kills like 20 cops and a bunch of Ekko's friends: Oh, oh dear, oh gorgeous.
Viewers when Jayce says something classist to Viktor: You fucking donkey.
I'd heard that this was a good show but never watched it. Wow, now I really want to watch it.
As an aside, it seemed like your main light was a bit overpowering. Could barely see the structure/features of your face, the brightness was washing it all out.
it's sooo good! The second and final season starts coming out on the 7th November, lots of us had to wait 3 years but you can go right in without waiting a lot.
It's so good! You're on time because season 2 is out in November
Sadly you spoiled yourself a lot of stuff.
But for real the series is so good I could spoil you the rest and you would still be impressed.
Like the music alone scarred me and probably done the most damage (like in a good sense).
And then season 2 blind watch through will be just as intense lol
@@aetherwolf9288 - There's definitely major spoilers as far as major plot pieces, but I don't feel particularly spoiled about for the whole. The only piece of verbatim script that was revealed was when they reunite, but beyond that I have no idea what the characters sound like, how they talk to each other (other than generic terms), etc etc.
I feel far more spoiled by a 3 minute marvel trailer than I do by this hour long presentation purely because the only thing I have a concrete foreknowledge of is the overarching plot - everything else will be brand new when I get a chance to sit down and watch it :)
@@kriegtiger Thinking about it your right.
You lack context.
So yeah maybe this will make certain points of the story probably even more impactful as you wait for certain events to happen.
It's pronounced v not vy right?
Vi from violet
Silko manipulated Powder from a young age and encouraged her darker impulses
Do you even watch/ play what you talk about?
i’ve been binging your arcane analyses before season 2 drops next week and I LOVE UR VIDEOS SO MUCH! you explain and break down characters + their traits so well! thank you sm 🙂↕️🩵
Aw, thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re enjoying them! 🥰
Kid, you've got some decent things to say. But if you want to make bank on RUclips saying them, then you need to fix your audio problems.