If Vi has a million fans, then I am one of them. If Vi has ten fans, then I am one of them. If Vi has only one fan, then that is me. If Vi has no fans, then that means I am no longer on Earth. If the world is against Vi, then I am against the world.
Both Vander and Caitlyn (two of the three people that mean most to her) said it best; "You've got a good heart". 'Good' being an understatement because Vi has a heart of gold so full of love and compassion. She is a misunderstood and underappreciated character that holds a special place in those of us that are the older sibling, in those of us that had to look out for people. Nothing could ever convince me that she wasn't beautifully and subtly written.
Im honestly baffled at how so many people don't get Vi's character arc when it's really one of the more simple ones, it seems that their mad that her arc literally goes "Yes Vi should love Jinx, No Vi's entire fucking life shouldn't revolve around her little sister that is unhealthy". It's like a fucking curse older sibling characters have, the moment they show interest in anything BUT the younger sibling people start hating on them. Really it's kinda shocking to me Vi isn't the fan favorite character, she's badass, she's got angst but a good heart, she's ridiculously loyal. Almost all her traits are ones I tend to see in most shows fan favorites.
I've seen in real time how this kind of relationship plays out with my mom and her siblings. It's bad for everyone. But it's also a very real, adult problem. Season 1 showed how unhealthy it was very clearly. It's weird because even Vi and Jinx come to treat each other like equal adults when they're at the commune. Family is important but sometimes you need to disconnect. The best development is Jinx going from selfishly wanting to possess her sister to then coming to realize how badly Vi needed to be her own person and couldn't if she and Vander were in the picture, faking their deaths. Jinx even says Vi's issue to the audience. "You're never going to give up on me are you?" And with Caitlyn she went from "make her go away" to "you deserve to be with her." Anyway Vi is best girl and I want to buy merch in her image and make her my real wife
Vi has been my favourite from the start, it seems like many arcane watchers need to be spoonfed. Yeah, her trauma was not really fully explored or expressed, and which definitely makes me sad, but it seems like to me that just because of this fact, loads of people hate her for her actions because they think she has no right to act or feel that way. She is arguably one with the most trauma, gone through loss more times than I can count, always having to put on a strong front, never getting the chance to mourn or grieve, and yet still kept her heart of gold through it all and had so much love to give :((
Also she feels so responsible it should remind guys of the times they were told to man up whether they agreed to the situations or not. Some females are called one of the guys by their personality (logic wise even some character named mao mao who does not fit that in full) but Vi may be the actual one of the guys type of girls. I am more of a jinx and ekko fan but vi to me is above all others than those two, even above viktor.
@@Yapping_dude Eh she's given a more passive role in the plot but I don't feel like they ever had her go OOC or anything, everything she did still made sense given the character. A lot of the hate she gets feels like it comes from Jinx fans who are mad that in the end she decided to NOT have her life revolve around her 24/7 (or people mad at her for becoming an Enforcer regardless of the context). Caitlyn IMO is way more interesting in S2 vs S1 but also gets way more hate than before for shit that a lot of those same people would give characters like Jinx or Silco passes for. It kinda just feels if your put in a place of opposition to Jinx in the narrative half the fandom is gonna hate you no matter what.
I wish they paid more attention to vi’s prison trauma but it kind of makes sense that it hasn’t really hit her yet. She’s been going through so much shit since she left stillwater i feel like she just straight up hasn’t had the time/space to think about it i feel like as she settles down and had more time to chill with Cait its all gonna catch up to her so she can work through it
It breaks my heart how mischaracterized Vi is and all the unnecessary hate on her. THANK YOU for these in-depth character analysis videos. LOVE YOUR CONTENT
Vi has been my favourite from the start, it seems like many arcane watchers need to be spoonfed. Yeah, her trauma was not really fully explored or expressed, and which definitely makes me sad, but it seems like to me that just because of this fact, loads of people hate her for her actions because they think she has no right to act or feel that way. She is arguably one with the most trauma, gone through loss more times than I can count, always having to put on a strong front, never getting the chance to mourn or grieve, and yet still kept her heart of gold through it all and had so much love to give :((
I wanna mention that in the tea party scene at the end of s1. I dont like how people don’t realize how toxic jinx’s love is for vi. jinx just straight out begged vi to kill Caitlyn so she can have powder and if she doesn’t, she won’t get her sister. If you think about it, that’s very messed up, because Caitlyn is the one that got vi out of jail, comfort her, helped her find her sister, supportive of her. Vi has been in jail getting beat up, eating gross food, lost her father and was completely lonely for at least 7 years. Caitlyn got her out of that hell and as much as Caitlyn not my favorite as jinx and vi, her character is very good(s2 not so much). So why would vi even want to kill Caitlyn? That messed up. I know that jinx has severe ptsd and hallucinations that keep haunting her and she keeps seeing Caitlyn as the bad one, I just want people to see vi’s perspective too. Caitvi in s2 did not do well which is a letdown.
I love the idea about Vi not wanting to kill Isha because it was a chance for Powder to come out again. I think it was ultimately her own regret and realizing she couldn't end her sister when it comes down to it, but that observation definitely adds a nice extra layer of possibility.
I know everyone thinks Vi is not smart since she's uneducated and in prison for 7 years but she's street smart. She senses danger when no one notices. That's one trait of street smart
thank you for defending Vi, there's not enough of us out there in the sea of haters. As someone who's also working on a Vi video, this was a great watch!
thank you for this video out of all the characters vi is the one I feel the most strongly and personally connected to. I feel like vi to me is what jinx is to a lot of others. I see so much of myself in her that it’s honestly a little scary at times, but I also admire her for a whole lot more The thing I always felt from the beginning was just how easily and completely I understood her. The way she gets mischaracterised so often is a hard pill for me to swallow because I’ve never felt like I’ve not known her, her intentions, her motivations and complexities. They’ve all always been fairly obvious to me I don’t think I’ll ever be fully able to understand the bizarre amount of unfair hate and criticism she receives from this fandom, it really truly confuses me. It’s either that, or she’s being ignored entirely. It’s hard to even find a vi centric video these days, like searching for a needle in a haystack Anyway I could go on and on but I’ll leave it at that for now, just had to show my favourite girl some love
Everyone else-Caitlyn, Jinx, Silco, Singed, etc.-was blinded by either hatred or love, except for Vi. No matter what she's been through or how much the people around her have changed (except for Ekko), she has kept a good heart and a reasonable mind. She has never intended to harm innocent people. I don't understand why anyone would hate her for being such a lovable person. This reflects reality: being reasonable often makes someone seem weak or uncool. I love Vi. The more times I rewatched Arcane, the more I love and feel heartache for her.
Vi is my favorite character of all time, and for me, there is no plausible reason to hate her. I don't like her just because omg she's so hot or just because i feel represented by her (I'm lesbian), but because she's who she's. She's strong, confident, charming, honest and empathetic. It really piss me off that people get mad at her BECAUSE SHE PUTTED HERSELF AS A PRIORITY FOR FHE FIRST TIME IN THIS SHIT! She was carrying a huge burden, and Jinx freed her from it. I don't blame her. For anything that went wrong. She was a victim, above all, and I really love this character. And if you're reading this and don't like Vi, go to hell.
Vi is the heart of the show and its very obvious and my personal favorite as well. The only thing that was needed is the pit fighter chapter in her life was skimmed through. If we have saw that part and how much she struggled perhaps some of general audience coykd understand her. I think some viewers need to be spoon fed to. But true Arcane fans know she's a GOAT!
I feel like I vibe with and understand Vi so much because I have someone in my life who's like her. Thankfully with less trauma and less aggressive tendencies, but just the same way of always putting himself second and always offering everything he has to everyone he loves without ever keeping something for himself. On the outside and from afar it's inspiring. We tend to put these traits on a pedestal and praise them, often to the point where we come to expect them. We don't look behind the curtain to see the damage these sacrifices do. Even if they seem small in scale, it's the consistency that makes them pile up and take their toll. Until the person you praise for being so selfless and caring stops eating regularly because they're busy doing things for someone else. But no, they're fine. They wanted to lose weight anyway. Until they thrash around in their bed at night because even in their dreams they can't stop worrying about those around them. But no, they're okay. Just a bit of stress piling up since exams are around the corner. When they start having panic attacks if someone they love fails at something, because of course that means they haven't done enough to prevent that failure and it's absolutely their fault. Everything is their fault, always. Vi is a beautiful and brutally realistic depiction of what happens to givers and providers when the expectations overpower them, and the fact that she gets moments where she's finally allowed and able to choose _herself_ first for a change is utterly inspiring. But of course, that's one of the main things she gets criticized for. Viewers pushed their expectations onto her, and then criticized her when she ignored them. It's almost hilarious how real this is cause this happens all the time. This is _exactly_ what happens, all the damn time. People are predators, even if they don't realize it. Vi embodies a lesson. One half the fandom failed to learn.
Literally could not have said it better. I’ve been in a place Vi was in, though not that extent and yeah it’s so draining when no one cares about ur feelings or ur mental state. I personally think this is what makes Vi the most human in Arcanr
Thank you for making this. I would add on that Vi chose to finally accept Cait’s offer to be an enforcer in hopes to 1) get rid of the criminal network of chembarons causing destruction to the zaunites who are suffering from their gang wars and 2) to finally put a stop to Jinx’s shenanigans from potentially causing another terrorist attack to the people in Piltover; after the finale of s1 Vi witnessed firsthand that Jinx was beyond the point of no return. That is until Vi came into close quarters with Jinx (like Ekko did in s1e7), that 1) she didn’t want to kill Jinx, and 2) when Isha came into the fight, Vi had to act quickly to prevent Cait from killing Jinx and potentially hurting Isha by shooting a clean shot through Isha to kill Jinx. As much as I love Cait and understand the pain of blaming herself for her mom’s death ‘cause she couldn’t shoot Jinx back in s1e9, and her thirst for vengeance against her mom’s killer, I believe she was wrong in her methods to take out the chembarons by using the Grey, potentially spreading to other zaunites who’re not part of the gangs. Also, when it came to Jinx, it was wrong for Cait to let her anger consume her to the point of willing to shoot a kid. And becoming Ambessa’s puppet fascist leader just made things worse, turning Jinx’s image from a terrorist to a revolutionary symbol; the insulting slap of irony to Cait’s ego. Which caused her to lose composure and resort to having a ‘professional entanglement’ with a subordinate. But in the end, I’m glad she acknowledged her wrongdoings and faced the consequences of her actions.
I relate to Vi so much but I'm biologically the younger sibling, my big bro have mental illness (schizophrenia) coz of heavy expections put on him, so I had to be the older sibling. My mama is same, she's a 3rd child out of 4. She became the oldest of all, coz situations and circumstances while they were all alive. So people saying this only applicable to older sibling is kinda true, but also when you're the chosen/self-chosen/forced to be the older sibling
I love your videos and this one was (almost) perfect! I actually said "Thank you!" out loud at 4:43 , because so many people do not acknowledge this. It is easy to see that Jinx is at heart still a 10-11 year old, but it gets so often ignored that Vi is still a teenager at heart because of her trauma. (Not to mention 22/23 is still very young and most people do not feel like "adults" at this age, since the brain is still developing as well...) I just would have added that Vi calls Caitlyn "cupcake" when she trys to hide or push down her real emotions. (I think you kind of mentioned this at one point, but making it a bit clearer would have been nice.) Also in the prison cell scene in season 2 the lyrics of the song playing in the background suggest that Vi wants to distract herself and be happy for just a little while. (The songs are there to convey the emotions of the chracters after all.) It is also a nice symbolism for Piltover and Zaun working/coming together after the symbol of revolution gave them their blessing. Her physical appearance and clothing are also important to mention (in my opinion). For example in season 2 act 2 you can see that Vi kept the enforcer badge (it's on her belt), telling us how much she misses Cait and that she is most likely still thinking of the things she did as an enforcer. Not to mention all the times her "VI" tattoo is covered or (almost) harmed. At the end there is a scar over it, symbolising that she isn't the same person anymore.
Vi is my all-time favorite character i watched arcane because of her i love her so so much she means a lot to me and i relate to her the most. She has lots of pain and traumas but still has the most beautiful heart she is beautiful in and out she is everything i want to be. I never thought that there could be Vi haters out there that just once again proved me that most people don't use their brain properly she is the most lovable character in the show and the fact that they can't understand this is really concerning. You deserve the world my beautiful Violet let the people love crazy jinxy characters you will always be my favorite one❤
This is a lovely video but on the childhood stuff, Vi isn’t suicidal. She never wants her life to end due to her poor circumstances because she has so much love for the people in her life. Also emotional surpression and trauma doesn’t always lead to suicidal thinking. I think one of the only reasons she might have been dissatisfied with her life is because she realized that the lives of people in Zaun very easily could have-and should have-been better. She’s angry at the system and doesn’t have a wide net of emotional support, but she’s not depressed or suicidal.
Thank you for making this video. I love Vi so, so much. Vi did not get nearly enough focus in season two and it really disheartened me as I came out of season 1 caring and loving Vis character the most, a close 2nd being Jinx and Vis relationship as a duo. And I initially was so heartbroken with how Caitlyn and Vis relationship progressed, but as youve spoken I think youve opened my eyes a little on how imperfectly perfect they are for eachother. I still have my deep criticisms and worries about Vis writing in S2 but this has helped.
I love that you made this video. I’ve showed it to several of my friends who sadly hate on vi and this has changed their perspective to a whole different level. Thank u for this, keep making content!!
Awesome video, thank you! I love Vi so much, she's my favorite too. I was really surprised to see so many people criticize her and blame for everything. I mean, criticizing is okay but.. idk it seems some people don't want to take into consideration Vi's gentle heart. She is all about emotions and love and that's why she can be impulsive sometimes but i love this about her. And you're absolutely right - it is beautiful
I was literally going to make a Vi video due to the hate... And then this crossed my feed 🥰 (tho I still might because mine is more specific to people's misinterpretation of her relationship with jinx)
@@Yapping_dude ooooh that's interesting I like that. I relate a little to Vi in the self destruction and putting my loved ones before me, but I don't entirely encompass her for obvious reasons and also not having a biological sibling (tho I do have a non biological one I deeply care for). My video was ironically going to address people projecting themselves into jinx or Vi and thus causing them to misread them and their relationship 🤣 but my laptop is malfunctioning which is why I've been debating if it's worth making rn, thanks for responding ❤️
This video made me think.. you said Vi fuelled Caitlyn’s anger so would Cait still go through with her plan if Vi didn’t join? I think she would, yes Vi giving the okay gave her a push, but the intent was already there and I think Vi joined to try and preserve what she had, to avoid more damage and change and also because I think she wanted to do it on her own, as she has been doing since season 1, she even ask Cait to let the other go. For her I think is okay to sacrifice herself, but is not okay to put other people in the line. So I’m not sure if she really helped Cait anger that much
When Vi stops Caitlyn from killing Jinx, she felt betrayed, this betrayal created a deep void into which Ambessa then slips, as she herself will say. Caitlyn was already in crisis after her mother's death, she had clung to Vi who up until that moment had kept her from collapsing by trying to reason with her and stabilize her. Caitlyn had already realized that she was wrong to ask Vi to join the enforcers, that it would have been too much for her, that she would not have been clear-headed since she was too involved. However, as Yapper explained in the video, due to feelings of guilt and fear of losing the people he loves, she decides to fight with her anyway. When she doesn't keep the promise he made to Caitlyn, after having reassured her shortly before when they kissed, when she compares Caitlyn's behavior to that of Jinx, even though Vi had his right reasons, she really messes up. Probably if all this hadn't happened Caitlyn wouldn't have had the dark turn we all know. These two characters have always supported and balanced each other, when they divide they lose each other.
This might be an unpopular opinion but: I’d never blame Vi for creating the dictator Caitlyn became. To me, Caitlyn manipulated her through and through since the death of her mother, and she was indeed wrong for her actions. Cait manipulated her with the badge, never understood that the death of her mother was not the same as VI’s trauma, then saying she needed Vi to come with her or she’d be dead, kissing her in part because she had to make her stay and make her help her, which I’ve seen other creator share the same opinion, and then Cait asked Vi to kill her own sister when she knew from all season one, that Jinx was Vi’s life and motivation, which to me is insane to ask a person you love that kind of selfish act. That’s why I think Vi deserved a better love, a person who sacrifices for her as much as she would, just like the love of Jinx, which actually sacrifices for her. And then Cait punches her and abuses of her emotional and physically, leaving her all alone knowing Vi didn’t have a place to go to, like are you really going to leave the person you say you love on the streets after you know they just been out of prison and they lost everyone? To me that’s insane, Cait left Vi to her luck for months, she didn’t even look for her. And then she doesn’t apologize, I know she feels guilty but she literally became a tyrant and betrayed the woman she said she loved, to then, act like nothing happen. So, bold argument maybe but I really think Cait and Vi’s relationship should end so each one can go their ways to find who they really are without each other, and I wish Vi could discover who she is and who she loves for herself, with her autonomy, because as you said, in my opinion, Vi would have fallen in love with any woman that helped her or made her feel cared for, and to me I’d be important to see Vi having her own self for once without giving herself to the other for guilt, or a wrecked loyalty. To me, she deserves the world. ❤ Thank you for giving her the video she deserves. Vi is to me , the most beautiful character that’s ever existed, to me she means the world. She’s helped me so much to accept myself, my own trauma, my own violent childhood. So thank you ❤
I disagree with your takes a little. For starters they should not break apart. That would go against their development. Both learned that chasing revenge and being guided by trauma is not the way to go. At the end of the day, both have only each other. Secondly Caitlyn did use Vi for revenge, but she was blinded and Vi allowed her too, something I felt you can blame Vi for
16:30 All of this is fan-speculation. You cannot tell what's going through Vi's mind when dealing with Isha, just that she's hesitating and the only stated reason was that she was a kid. She's against killing kids. It doesn't need to go any deeper than that, especially when it sours her relationship with Caitlyn, who's become so blood thirsty, she's willing to off children.
Season 2 was mostly enjoyable on a technical level but the writing and narrative is a big mess of a misfire. Vi in season 1 was the heart of 'Arcane'. She was the major drive of one side of the story. In season 2, Vi is just a passenger if you look back and if you were to remove her form the story completely, it would've changed nothing on any significant level. Her character doesn't really change or grow. It doesn't necessarily need to but having no agency in the story begs the question of why she's there in the first place. The only contribution to season 2 was saving Jayce's life during the memorial attack in episode 1. First off, the suggestion that Vi was 'into' books because she's fumbling through books in the apartment is a reach. She's looking for anything that might be valuable but she doesn't really know what she's even looking for. There just happen to be a lot of books in the apartment. Powder does the same thing in the other room. Vi is a scrapper who fights to protect her family and takes the lead because she's always had that responsibility with her little sister when they were younger. There's actually a brief shot of Vi's bed in the basement of the Last Drop and there's a pair of boxing gloves hanging over the bed, a Saxophone(or the steampunk equivalent), a dirty sock, a magazine or poster with a boxer on it and a picture frame with a woman in a black evening dress. No Books. Second, Vi didn't take Caitlyn to the brothel for a temperature check. She went there to one, get information on her sister, as she said, "the one place where all the secrets are spilled" and two, to ditch Caitlyn. She didn't trust Caitlyn to bring her along any further because disappearing for 6 years after abandoning her little sister and then showing up with an enforcer is the last thing she wants Powder to see when/if they finally meet again. Vi did, however, appreciate Caitlyn enough to leave her somewhere she knew she'd be safe, as she did spring Vi out of prison and managed to keep up with Vi thus far. Although Vi does open her eyes to see that not all people from Piltover, even some enforcers, are bad and truly learns to care about Caitlyn, Vi is not interested in peace with Piltover and Zaun, at least not in the way Caitlyn believes. Vi uses Caitlyn and the council to try and get support in taking down Silco. Vi's mission is still primarily to find her sister and get vengeance on Silco for what, she believes, is responsible for Jinx. It's possible after the explosion on the bridge, Vi may believe Jinx to be dead in which case, she's ONLY interested in erasing Silco. She does not believe there can ever be peace between Piltover and Zaun. "Oil and Water". When the council refuses, she goes to Jayce and uses his anger and guilt for the attacks at the fair and the bridge to get him to help her take down Silco and his shimmer facilities. Third, Vi is not 'suicidal'. If she were, Vi would've have had ample opportunity to do so in the 6+ years she was locked away in Stillwater. She survived the harsh conditions with the hope of finding her sister some day. Vi is thick-headed and her problem-solving instincts generally lean toward hitting things but she fights for her sister and later, for Caitlyn. In act 1, Vi may have cared about making Zaun a better place for her and her family but after losing Vander, Mylo and Claggor and being incarcerated, she essentially became a nihilist. She saw no point in fighting Piltover. Vi, like Vander, realized things won't change and all she can do is try to "protect" what's left of her family. I think you're mistaking 'self-destructive' with 'suicidal'. Vi is wracked with immense guilt over what happened to Powder. She punishes herself and doesn't believe she deserves love. She's desperately trying to get back to her and do whatever she can to reconnect and make up for the wrongs of her past mistakes. Her biggest problem was that time stood still for her in prison while everyone else had changed but she never gave up hope, never lost 'heart'. The closest Vi comes to anything even remotely 'suicidal' is in season 2, when Caitlyn rib-jabs her and realizes Powder is truly gone. Then we're treated to a slick 40-second music video montage of Vi's dark spiral, fighting, drinking, fighting, drinking, throwing up, getting knocked down again and again while tortured by visions of Adolf Caitlyn before Jinx showing up to tell her 🎶"Guess who's back? Back again. Vander's Back. Let's all be friends."🎶 Vi had lost her sister, her love, her purpose, i.e. her heart and once again goes into self-destruct mode. Suicide to Vi is simply existing until she doesn't. I mean, I guess it could be a form of slow suicide but when you put her next to Jinx, Vi is furthest from 'suicidal'.
see this is what gets me about vi as a character to much, people get so close to getting her then come up with stuff like this. for as much as she is brash and in your face in the action scenes she is subtle and select in slower scenes. she is able to both be a character that effects the story directly and indirectly, it is fine to have your gripes with season two but to say vi didnt have agency is wild
Yes, I love her character but she got sidelined and rushed. Important conversations just never happened and reconciliations felt unearned. Many characters suffered because of the emphasis on the Noxus plot, but Vi's arc suffered most of all.
@@TelepathicWeasel At what point in Season 2 was Vi integral to the story or anyone in it? What effect did she have on anyone or anything? Caitlyn blames herself for not putting Jinx down because she cared for Vi(In Season 1). After the funeral, Cait was already obsessing over putting a bullet between Jinx's eyes and spends the next 3 or 4 episodes on a vicious campaign against Zaun, with Ambessa's help and influence, not because she was distraught over her breakup with Vi but because her thirst for revenge had taken over. If Vi disappeared after episode 9 in season 1, Caitlyn still would assembled a strike force with at least Maddie and Steb and maybe some other competent enforcer. She even told Vi before springing the badge on her that she was leading an invasion into Zaun to find Jinx and break up the chembarons. By episode 4 and an apparent time skip, Caitlyn begins to question what she is doing and if Jinx is worth it. She had no contact with Vi for at least 6 months. She makes no mention of her, comforts herself with Maddie. Meanwhile, Vi has been disconnected from everything and everyone. In Act 2, Jinx drags Vi along on a road trip to find Vander but Vi herself even says, "Why'd you come get me? You don't need my help. You haven't for a long time." Jinx, having found some kind of piece of her back through Isha, wanted to try to make amends with Vi but not for anything Vi did or said. In episode 8, Vi goes to break Jinx out of prison in hopes of getting her to do some good with her abilities only to get juked as Jinx goes to burn down The Last Drop and kill herself. It's Ekko who talks her out of suicide(lazily off-camera) and join the fight. Vi tries to save Gert in the opening of the finale but she dies anyway. It is, in fact, Jinx who saves Vi's life at the end of the finale. Vi has been a complete nothing character throughout all of season 2's narrative and I say this because Vi was my favorite character in season 1 and I still love her as a character, which is why I can't, in good conscience defend what the writers did with her in season 2. She was completely sidelined to put more focus on Jinx, Caitlyn, Viktor and Mel/Ambessa. Yet Vi still got a significant amount of screen time but very little of it mattered.
@@Fionalah Exactly. The reason why I went on such a long rant is because I loved Vi in season 1. She's my favorite and Viktor second favorite and it kills me because Vi was at the core of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun. She was the heart of the story of a tale of two cities but it just got tossed aside for all these other little plot threads that don't really go anywhere or flipflop back and forth to wring the 'feels' from it audience.
@@charlestonjew7587 her working with the enforcers as she feels responsible for jinx and wants to protect caitlyn her rage/revenge consuming her, her absence from caitlyn allowed ambessa further her agenda, vi losing herself and later through trusting jinx that vander is still alive, her and jinx reconnecting. how in the 6th episode her whole plan to get vander to safety has the fail safe of jinx killing caitlyn. her agency is understated sure and im not disagreeing that she plays a more reactive role at parts but to call her just a passenger just aint it. n bruh stop recounting paragraph explaining plot points we all seen the show
I freaking love vi's character! But even then I feel, justifying some s2 actions is looking too much into it. In writing this is a very common mistake, yes real humans are complex yes there's more to a character than an arc, but when you define certain traits for the character, in fiction you stick to it. The writers tried to be deep unnecessarily, and forgot to seperate reality from a character who has limited amount of episodes to justify their actions in the best way. S1 stands tall against these critiques, only showing that it is possible to be deep and also not do the character any wrong. There is no way vi could agree to put on an enforcer uniform. Given her trauma for the same. I'm sure she could have supported the squad without a uniform and cait would've been fine with it. My best guess is, it was done ONLY to support the league lore of vi being an enforcer. Vi's emo arc was very out of character. For once, she picked a side, she knew jinx might be back. Why didn't she reach out and make up, when for seven years that's all she had been thinking of. I think of the isha interrupting scene as quite hopeful! Vi finally has a chance to get her sister back. But instead she sulks about losing cait? nahh it's just bad writing. We can't justify some points. Vi is the most well intentioned character but the writers did her wrong with season 2.
losing the only person she dared to trust again, making her spiral into pit fighting and alcoholism wasn’t "sulking"-it was her breaking point. her so-called "emo arc" is the unraveling of years of suppressed pain, a raw confrontation with everything she’s endured: from losing vander and jinx then being imprisoned as a child with her sister as her only ray of hope, to getting abandoned by caitlyn. for the first time, she has the space to process it all, even if it leads her down a path of self-destruction. it’s far too easy to gloss over her trauma by focusing solely on her actions, without considering the events that shaped her choices. unfortunately, this shallow lens is all too common when analyzing her as a character. that’s why, when I see people claiming it’s "out of character" for her to act a certain way, it’s clear they haven’t considered how deeply her trauma drives her actions. her choices aren’t random-they’re a reflection of everything she’s endured, and dismissing that is a disservice to understanding her character. you can blame the writers for not properly portraying her trauma, but it’s important to recognize that the gaps in storytelling don’t erase the weight of her experiences or the emotional scars driving her decisions.
Caitlyn made her choices from trauma as well. She chose to use the butt of a gun. Could have just called it off as that would have hurt plenty. She was unraveling from her own grief like Vi did when she was just a kid and struck Powder. Difference is, Vi was a kid. Caitlyn’s choices are not on Vi.
@@nice2meetUWenDoWeEat vi was aware of her own issues and nonetheless she made an adult decision to support Caitlyn’s anger, agreed to “kill” jinx. Therefore of course Caitlyn will be angry and will be easy to manipulate when she understands vi lied to her. Her lover lied
@@Yapping_dude Vi agreeing to help Caitlyn doesn’t make her responsible for Caitlyn’s decision to go after Jinx and it doesn’t make her a liar. If anything Vi was the one in danger of being manipulated because she was afraid she might lose Caitlyn, however, just because someone might be a reason WHY someone makes a decision, that’s still not the same as that person being held culpable. It’s your choice whether you allow yourself to be manipulated by another person. Vi stopped Caitlyn because there was a kid involved. That doesn’t make her a liar. It wouldn’t matter anyway because Caitlyn had a choice all on her own to pursue and kill Jinx and had already decided to do that without Vi.
@@Yapping_dude if someone hired you to kill their spouse and says they are abusive and scared for their life, and you believe them and kill their spouse, are you held fully responsible for your actions in a court of law or do you have less responsibility for choosing to murder someone just because you were lied to? The person who lied should also be held fully responsible for their actions in their own right, just like the person who actually killed.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
If Vi has a million fans, then I am one of them.
If Vi has ten fans, then I am one of them.
If Vi has only one fan, then that is me.
If Vi has no fans, then that means I am no longer on Earth.
If the world is against Vi, then I am against the world.
Me fr
Both Vander and Caitlyn (two of the three people that mean most to her) said it best; "You've got a good heart". 'Good' being an understatement because Vi has a heart of gold so full of love and compassion. She is a misunderstood and underappreciated character that holds a special place in those of us that are the older sibling, in those of us that had to look out for people. Nothing could ever convince me that she wasn't beautifully and subtly written.
Im honestly baffled at how so many people don't get Vi's character arc when it's really one of the more simple ones, it seems that their mad that her arc literally goes "Yes Vi should love Jinx, No Vi's entire fucking life shouldn't revolve around her little sister that is unhealthy". It's like a fucking curse older sibling characters have, the moment they show interest in anything BUT the younger sibling people start hating on them.
Really it's kinda shocking to me Vi isn't the fan favorite character, she's badass, she's got angst but a good heart, she's ridiculously loyal. Almost all her traits are ones I tend to see in most shows fan favorites.
I've seen in real time how this kind of relationship plays out with my mom and her siblings. It's bad for everyone. But it's also a very real, adult problem. Season 1 showed how unhealthy it was very clearly.
It's weird because even Vi and Jinx come to treat each other like equal adults when they're at the commune.
Family is important but sometimes you need to disconnect. The best development is Jinx going from selfishly wanting to possess her sister to then coming to realize how badly Vi needed to be her own person and couldn't if she and Vander were in the picture, faking their deaths.
Jinx even says Vi's issue to the audience. "You're never going to give up on me are you?"
And with Caitlyn she went from "make her go away" to "you deserve to be with her."
Anyway Vi is best girl and I want to buy merch in her image and make her my real wife
Vi has been my favourite from the start, it seems like many arcane watchers need to be spoonfed. Yeah, her trauma was not really fully explored or expressed, and which definitely makes me sad, but it seems like to me that just because of this fact, loads of people hate her for her actions because they think she has no right to act or feel that way. She is arguably one with the most trauma, gone through loss more times than I can count, always having to put on a strong front, never getting the chance to mourn or grieve, and yet still kept her heart of gold through it all and had so much love to give :((
Also she feels so responsible it should remind guys of the times they were told to man up whether they agreed to the situations or not. Some females are called one of the guys by their personality (logic wise even some character named mao mao who does not fit that in full) but Vi may be the actual one of the guys type of girls. I am more of a jinx and ekko fan but vi to me is above all others than those two, even above viktor.
@@thewalrus45 the reason she isn’t a fan favourite anymore is because the writers threw her in the garbage this season
@@Yapping_dude Eh she's given a more passive role in the plot but I don't feel like they ever had her go OOC or anything, everything she did still made sense given the character. A lot of the hate she gets feels like it comes from Jinx fans who are mad that in the end she decided to NOT have her life revolve around her 24/7 (or people mad at her for becoming an Enforcer regardless of the context).
Caitlyn IMO is way more interesting in S2 vs S1 but also gets way more hate than before for shit that a lot of those same people would give characters like Jinx or Silco passes for. It kinda just feels if your put in a place of opposition to Jinx in the narrative half the fandom is gonna hate you no matter what.
Exactly and people still find a way to confront me when I say that Vi is my fav character
I wish they paid more attention to vi’s prison trauma but it kind of makes sense that it hasn’t really hit her yet. She’s been going through so much shit since she left stillwater i feel like she just straight up hasn’t had the time/space to think about it i feel like as she settles down and had more time to chill with Cait its all gonna catch up to her so she can work through it
It breaks my heart how mischaracterized Vi is and all the unnecessary hate on her. THANK YOU for these in-depth character analysis videos. LOVE YOUR CONTENT
I think Vi is my all-time favorite fictional character. I relate to her in so many ways.
Excellent video, as always!
I think I've gotta agree. I relate more to Vi than any other character I've ever seen. She is also lots of things that I wish I was and aspire to be.
I agree with you guys. As someone who is an older sibling, I relate to her so much.
i love her bro Vi baby get behind me i will defend you till the end pookie
Vi has been my favourite from the start, it seems like many arcane watchers need to be spoonfed. Yeah, her trauma was not really fully explored or expressed, and which definitely makes me sad, but it seems like to me that just because of this fact, loads of people hate her for her actions because they think she has no right to act or feel that way. She is arguably one with the most trauma, gone through loss more times than I can count, always having to put on a strong front, never getting the chance to mourn or grieve, and yet still kept her heart of gold through it all and had so much love to give :((
I wanna mention that in the tea party scene at the end of s1. I dont like how people don’t realize how toxic jinx’s love is for vi. jinx just straight out begged vi to kill Caitlyn so she can have powder and if she doesn’t, she won’t get her sister. If you think about it, that’s very messed up, because Caitlyn is the one that got vi out of jail, comfort her, helped her find her sister, supportive of her. Vi has been in jail getting beat up, eating gross food, lost her father and was completely lonely for at least 7 years. Caitlyn got her out of that hell and as much as Caitlyn not my favorite as jinx and vi, her character is very good(s2 not so much). So why would vi even want to kill Caitlyn? That messed up. I know that jinx has severe ptsd and hallucinations that keep haunting her and she keeps seeing Caitlyn as the bad one, I just want people to see vi’s perspective too. Caitvi in s2 did not do well which is a letdown.
I’d say they did do well. It’s just like everything else, it was rushed
I love the idea about Vi not wanting to kill Isha because it was a chance for Powder to come out again. I think it was ultimately her own regret and realizing she couldn't end her sister when it comes down to it, but that observation definitely adds a nice extra layer of possibility.
I know everyone thinks Vi is not smart since she's uneducated and in prison for 7 years but she's street smart. She senses danger when no one notices. That's one trait of street smart
thank you for defending Vi, there's not enough of us out there in the sea of haters. As someone who's also working on a Vi video, this was a great watch!
Would love to watch it
thank you for this video
out of all the characters vi is the one I feel the most strongly and personally connected to. I feel like vi to me is what jinx is to a lot of others. I see so much of myself in her that it’s honestly a little scary at times, but I also admire her for a whole lot more
The thing I always felt from the beginning was just how easily and completely I understood her. The way she gets mischaracterised so often is a hard pill for me to swallow because I’ve never felt like I’ve not known her, her intentions, her motivations and complexities. They’ve all always been fairly obvious to me
I don’t think I’ll ever be fully able to understand the bizarre amount of unfair hate and criticism she receives from this fandom, it really truly confuses me. It’s either that, or she’s being ignored entirely. It’s hard to even find a vi centric video these days, like searching for a needle in a haystack
Anyway I could go on and on but I’ll leave it at that for now, just had to show my favourite girl some love
Everyone else-Caitlyn, Jinx, Silco, Singed, etc.-was blinded by either hatred or love, except for Vi. No matter what she's been through or how much the people around her have changed (except for Ekko), she has kept a good heart and a reasonable mind. She has never intended to harm innocent people. I don't understand why anyone would hate her for being such a lovable person. This reflects reality: being reasonable often makes someone seem weak or uncool. I love Vi. The more times I rewatched Arcane, the more I love and feel heartache for her.
Vi is my favorite character of all time, and for me, there is no plausible reason to hate her. I don't like her just because omg she's so hot or just because i feel represented by her (I'm lesbian), but because she's who she's. She's strong, confident, charming, honest and empathetic. It really piss me off that people get mad at her BECAUSE SHE PUTTED HERSELF AS A PRIORITY FOR FHE FIRST TIME IN THIS SHIT! She was carrying a huge burden, and Jinx freed her from it. I don't blame her. For anything that went wrong. She was a victim, above all, and I really love this character. And if you're reading this and don't like Vi, go to hell.
U tell em
Vi is the heart of the show and its very obvious and my personal favorite as well. The only thing that was needed is the pit fighter chapter in her life was skimmed through. If we have saw that part and how much she struggled perhaps some of general audience coykd understand her. I think some viewers need to be spoon fed to. But true Arcane fans know she's a GOAT!
"my personal favorite" instant follow
I feel like I vibe with and understand Vi so much because I have someone in my life who's like her. Thankfully with less trauma and less aggressive tendencies, but just the same way of always putting himself second and always offering everything he has to everyone he loves without ever keeping something for himself. On the outside and from afar it's inspiring. We tend to put these traits on a pedestal and praise them, often to the point where we come to expect them. We don't look behind the curtain to see the damage these sacrifices do. Even if they seem small in scale, it's the consistency that makes them pile up and take their toll.
Until the person you praise for being so selfless and caring stops eating regularly because they're busy doing things for someone else. But no, they're fine. They wanted to lose weight anyway. Until they thrash around in their bed at night because even in their dreams they can't stop worrying about those around them. But no, they're okay. Just a bit of stress piling up since exams are around the corner. When they start having panic attacks if someone they love fails at something, because of course that means they haven't done enough to prevent that failure and it's absolutely their fault. Everything is their fault, always.
Vi is a beautiful and brutally realistic depiction of what happens to givers and providers when the expectations overpower them, and the fact that she gets moments where she's finally allowed and able to choose _herself_ first for a change is utterly inspiring. But of course, that's one of the main things she gets criticized for. Viewers pushed their expectations onto her, and then criticized her when she ignored them. It's almost hilarious how real this is cause this happens all the time. This is _exactly_ what happens, all the damn time. People are predators, even if they don't realize it.
Vi embodies a lesson. One half the fandom failed to learn.
Literally could not have said it better. I’ve been in a place Vi was in, though not that extent and yeah it’s so draining when no one cares about ur feelings or ur mental state. I personally think this is what makes Vi the most human in Arcanr
Thank you for making this. I would add on that Vi chose to finally accept Cait’s offer to be an enforcer in hopes to 1) get rid of the criminal network of chembarons causing destruction to the zaunites who are suffering from their gang wars and 2) to finally put a stop to Jinx’s shenanigans from potentially causing another terrorist attack to the people in Piltover; after the finale of s1 Vi witnessed firsthand that Jinx was beyond the point of no return. That is until Vi came into close quarters with Jinx (like Ekko did in s1e7), that 1) she didn’t want to kill Jinx, and 2) when Isha came into the fight, Vi had to act quickly to prevent Cait from killing Jinx and potentially hurting Isha by shooting a clean shot through Isha to kill Jinx.
As much as I love Cait and understand the pain of blaming herself for her mom’s death ‘cause she couldn’t shoot Jinx back in s1e9, and her thirst for vengeance against her mom’s killer, I believe she was wrong in her methods to take out the chembarons by using the Grey, potentially spreading to other zaunites who’re not part of the gangs. Also, when it came to Jinx, it was wrong for Cait to let her anger consume her to the point of willing to shoot a kid. And becoming Ambessa’s puppet fascist leader just made things worse, turning Jinx’s image from a terrorist to a revolutionary symbol; the insulting slap of irony to Cait’s ego. Which caused her to lose composure and resort to having a ‘professional entanglement’ with a subordinate. But in the end, I’m glad she acknowledged her wrongdoings and faced the consequences of her actions.
I relate to Vi so much but I'm biologically the younger sibling, my big bro have mental illness (schizophrenia) coz of heavy expections put on him, so I had to be the older sibling. My mama is same, she's a 3rd child out of 4. She became the oldest of all, coz situations and circumstances while they were all alive. So people saying this only applicable to older sibling is kinda true, but also when you're the chosen/self-chosen/forced to be the older sibling
I love Vi so much 😭
I love your videos and this one was (almost) perfect!
I actually said "Thank you!" out loud at 4:43 , because so many people do not acknowledge this.
It is easy to see that Jinx is at heart still a 10-11 year old, but it gets so often ignored that Vi is still a teenager at heart because of her trauma.
(Not to mention 22/23 is still very young and most people do not feel like "adults" at this age, since the brain is still developing as well...)
I just would have added that Vi calls Caitlyn "cupcake" when she trys to hide or push down her real emotions. (I think you kind of mentioned this at one point, but making it a bit clearer would have been nice.)
Also in the prison cell scene in season 2 the lyrics of the song playing in the background suggest that Vi wants to distract herself and be happy for just a little while. (The songs are there to convey the emotions of the chracters after all.) It is also a nice symbolism for Piltover and Zaun working/coming together after the symbol of revolution gave them their blessing.
Her physical appearance and clothing are also important to mention (in my opinion).
For example in season 2 act 2 you can see that Vi kept the enforcer badge (it's on her belt), telling us how much she misses Cait and that she is most likely still thinking of the things she did as an enforcer.
Not to mention all the times her "VI" tattoo is covered or (almost) harmed. At the end there is a scar over it, symbolising that she isn't the same person anymore.
Oh that’s a great point that I missed. But I am going to make a separate video on the identity crisis in arcane
She's my favorite character, this is an amazing analysis it made me love her even more.
Vi is my all-time favorite character i watched arcane because of her i love her so so much she means a lot to me and i relate to her the most. She has lots of pain and traumas but still has the most beautiful heart she is beautiful in and out she is everything i want to be. I never thought that there could be Vi haters out there that just once again proved me that most people don't use their brain properly she is the most lovable character in the show and the fact that they can't understand this is really concerning. You deserve the world my beautiful Violet let the people love crazy jinxy characters you will always be my favorite one❤
Vi is a woman with a good heart who was hardened by the environment around her.
This is a lovely video but on the childhood stuff, Vi isn’t suicidal. She never wants her life to end due to her poor circumstances because she has so much love for the people in her life. Also emotional surpression and trauma doesn’t always lead to suicidal thinking. I think one of the only reasons she might have been dissatisfied with her life is because she realized that the lives of people in Zaun very easily could have-and should have-been better. She’s angry at the system and doesn’t have a wide net of emotional support, but she’s not depressed or suicidal.
Thank you for making this video. I love Vi so, so much. Vi did not get nearly enough focus in season two and it really disheartened me as I came out of season 1 caring and loving Vis character the most, a close 2nd being Jinx and Vis relationship as a duo. And I initially was so heartbroken with how Caitlyn and Vis relationship progressed, but as youve spoken I think youve opened my eyes a little on how imperfectly perfect they are for eachother. I still have my deep criticisms and worries about Vis writing in S2 but this has helped.
I love that you made this video. I’ve showed it to several of my friends who sadly hate on vi and this has changed their perspective to a whole different level. Thank u for this, keep making content!!
ILYSM FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO OMGOSH cuz vi is so awsomee and lovely
Perfect analysis of VI...BRAVO !!!
This was really good. You did our girl right.
And thats why i want vi as friend XD it would be a great friend probably
This is your best work yet! Well done and thanks :)
Awesome video, thank you! I love Vi so much, she's my favorite too. I was really surprised to see so many people criticize her and blame for everything. I mean, criticizing is okay but.. idk it seems some people don't want to take into consideration Vi's gentle heart. She is all about emotions and love and that's why she can be impulsive sometimes but i love this about her. And you're absolutely right - it is beautiful
I was literally going to make a Vi video due to the hate... And then this crossed my feed 🥰 (tho I still might because mine is more specific to people's misinterpretation of her relationship with jinx)
Make ur video. Everyone’s perspective can be different. For example, I look at Vi a lot through Caitlyn’s eyes because I don’t relate much to Vi
@@Yapping_dude ooooh that's interesting I like that. I relate a little to Vi in the self destruction and putting my loved ones before me, but I don't entirely encompass her for obvious reasons and also not having a biological sibling (tho I do have a non biological one I deeply care for).
My video was ironically going to address people projecting themselves into jinx or Vi and thus causing them to misread them and their relationship 🤣 but my laptop is malfunctioning which is why I've been debating if it's worth making rn, thanks for responding ❤️
literally I love you, thank you for explaining her and her trauma perfectly, love this
I wouldn’t say perfectly. But thanks anyways
Thanks for this video!
This video made me think.. you said Vi fuelled Caitlyn’s anger so would Cait still go through with her plan if Vi didn’t join? I think she would, yes Vi giving the okay gave her a push, but the intent was already there and I think Vi joined to try and preserve what she had, to avoid more damage and change and also because I think she wanted to do it on her own, as she has been doing since season 1, she even ask Cait to let the other go. For her I think is okay to sacrifice herself, but is not okay to put other people in the line. So I’m not sure if she really helped Cait anger that much
Caitlyn would have felt her guilt a lot sooner if Vi didn’t support her
When Vi stops Caitlyn from killing Jinx, she felt betrayed, this betrayal created a deep void into which Ambessa then slips, as she herself will say.
Caitlyn was already in crisis after her mother's death, she had clung to Vi who up until that moment had kept her from collapsing by trying to reason with her and stabilize her.
Caitlyn had already realized that she was wrong to ask Vi to join the enforcers, that it would have been too much for her, that she would not have been clear-headed since she was too involved.
However, as Yapper explained in the video, due to feelings of guilt and fear of losing the people he loves, she decides to fight with her anyway.
When she doesn't keep the promise he made to Caitlyn, after having reassured her shortly before when they kissed, when she compares Caitlyn's behavior to that of Jinx, even though Vi had his right reasons, she really messes up.
Probably if all this hadn't happened Caitlyn wouldn't have had the dark turn we all know.
These two characters have always supported and balanced each other, when they divide they lose each other.
Amazing analysis truly brilliant and beautiful. Well done man! Excellent work truly. Appreciate the video more than you know.
i love your videos, i like to listen to them while i paint. you deserve so many more subs!
If you are a man and you're favorit is Vi then you must be very good man, seriously🙂👍💯
Even if I don't pick her as favorite because of timebomb. Vi is still above all the others.
This might be an unpopular opinion but:
I’d never blame Vi for creating the dictator Caitlyn became. To me, Caitlyn manipulated her through and through since the death of her mother, and she was indeed wrong for her actions. Cait manipulated her with the badge, never understood that the death of her mother was not the same as VI’s trauma, then saying she needed Vi to come with her or she’d be dead, kissing her in part because she had to make her stay and make her help her, which I’ve seen other creator share the same opinion, and then Cait asked Vi to kill her own sister when she knew from all season one, that Jinx was Vi’s life and motivation, which to me is insane to ask a person you love that kind of selfish act.
That’s why I think Vi deserved a better love, a person who sacrifices for her as much as she would, just like the love of Jinx, which actually sacrifices for her. And then Cait punches her and abuses of her emotional and physically, leaving her all alone knowing Vi didn’t have a place to go to, like are you really going to leave the person you say you love on the streets after you know they just been out of prison and they lost everyone? To me that’s insane, Cait left Vi to her luck for months, she didn’t even look for her. And then she doesn’t apologize, I know she feels guilty but she literally became a tyrant and betrayed the woman she said she loved, to then, act like nothing happen.
So, bold argument maybe but I really think Cait and Vi’s relationship should end so each one can go their ways to find who they really are without each other, and I wish Vi could discover who she is and who she loves for herself, with her autonomy, because as you said, in my opinion, Vi would have fallen in love with any woman that helped her or made her feel cared for, and to me I’d be important to see Vi having her own self for once without giving herself to the other for guilt, or a wrecked loyalty. To me, she deserves the world. ❤
Thank you for giving her the video she deserves. Vi is to me , the most beautiful character that’s ever existed, to me she means the world. She’s helped me so much to accept myself, my own trauma, my own violent childhood. So thank you ❤
I disagree with your takes a little. For starters they should not break apart. That would go against their development. Both learned that chasing revenge and being guided by trauma is not the way to go. At the end of the day, both have only each other. Secondly Caitlyn did use Vi for revenge, but she was blinded and Vi allowed her too, something I felt you can blame Vi for
Amazing characterization.💙💛
16:30 All of this is fan-speculation. You cannot tell what's going through Vi's mind when dealing with Isha, just that she's hesitating and the only stated reason was that she was a kid. She's against killing kids. It doesn't need to go any deeper than that, especially when it sours her relationship with Caitlyn, who's become so blood thirsty, she's willing to off children.
Why are you against good writing and a deep analysis? Some arcane fans 😂
Season 2 was mostly enjoyable on a technical level but the writing and narrative is a big mess of a misfire.
Vi in season 1 was the heart of 'Arcane'. She was the major drive of one side of the story.
In season 2, Vi is just a passenger if you look back and if you were to remove her form the story completely, it would've changed nothing on any significant level. Her character doesn't really change or grow. It doesn't necessarily need to but having no agency in the story begs the question of why she's there in the first place. The only contribution to season 2 was saving Jayce's life during the memorial attack in episode 1.
First off, the suggestion that Vi was 'into' books because she's fumbling through books in the apartment is a reach. She's looking for anything that might be valuable but she doesn't really know what she's even looking for. There just happen to be a lot of books in the apartment. Powder does the same thing in the other room. Vi is a scrapper who fights to protect her family and takes the lead because she's always had that responsibility with her little sister when they were younger. There's actually a brief shot of Vi's bed in the basement of the Last Drop and there's a pair of boxing gloves hanging over the bed, a Saxophone(or the steampunk equivalent), a dirty sock, a magazine or poster with a boxer on it and a picture frame with a woman in a black evening dress. No Books.
Second, Vi didn't take Caitlyn to the brothel for a temperature check. She went there to one, get information on her sister, as she said, "the one place where all the secrets are spilled" and two, to ditch Caitlyn. She didn't trust Caitlyn to bring her along any further because disappearing for 6 years after abandoning her little sister and then showing up with an enforcer is the last thing she wants Powder to see when/if they finally meet again. Vi did, however, appreciate Caitlyn enough to leave her somewhere she knew she'd be safe, as she did spring Vi out of prison and managed to keep up with Vi thus far.
Although Vi does open her eyes to see that not all people from Piltover, even some enforcers, are bad and truly learns to care about Caitlyn, Vi is not interested in peace with Piltover and Zaun, at least not in the way Caitlyn believes. Vi uses Caitlyn and the council to try and get support in taking down Silco. Vi's mission is still primarily to find her sister and get vengeance on Silco for what, she believes, is responsible for Jinx. It's possible after the explosion on the bridge, Vi may believe Jinx to be dead in which case, she's ONLY interested in erasing Silco. She does not believe there can ever be peace between Piltover and Zaun. "Oil and Water". When the council refuses, she goes to Jayce and uses his anger and guilt for the attacks at the fair and the bridge to get him to help her take down Silco and his shimmer facilities.
Third, Vi is not 'suicidal'. If she were, Vi would've have had ample opportunity to do so in the 6+ years she was locked away in Stillwater. She survived the harsh conditions with the hope of finding her sister some day. Vi is thick-headed and her problem-solving instincts generally lean toward hitting things but she fights for her sister and later, for Caitlyn. In act 1, Vi may have cared about making Zaun a better place for her and her family but after losing Vander, Mylo and Claggor and being incarcerated, she essentially became a nihilist. She saw no point in fighting Piltover. Vi, like Vander, realized things won't change and all she can do is try to "protect" what's left of her family.
I think you're mistaking 'self-destructive' with 'suicidal'. Vi is wracked with immense guilt over what happened to Powder. She punishes herself and doesn't believe she deserves love. She's desperately trying to get back to her and do whatever she can to reconnect and make up for the wrongs of her past mistakes. Her biggest problem was that time stood still for her in prison while everyone else had changed but she never gave up hope, never lost 'heart'.
The closest Vi comes to anything even remotely 'suicidal' is in season 2, when Caitlyn rib-jabs her and realizes Powder is truly gone. Then we're treated to a slick 40-second music video montage of Vi's dark spiral, fighting, drinking, fighting, drinking, throwing up, getting knocked down again and again while tortured by visions of Adolf Caitlyn before Jinx showing up to tell her 🎶"Guess who's back? Back again. Vander's Back. Let's all be friends."🎶
Vi had lost her sister, her love, her purpose, i.e. her heart and once again goes into self-destruct mode. Suicide to Vi is simply existing until she doesn't. I mean, I guess it could be a form of slow suicide but when you put her next to Jinx, Vi is furthest from 'suicidal'.
see this is what gets me about vi as a character to much, people get so close to getting her then come up with stuff like this. for as much as she is brash and in your face in the action scenes she is subtle and select in slower scenes. she is able to both be a character that effects the story directly and indirectly, it is fine to have your gripes with season two but to say vi didnt have agency is wild
Yes, I love her character but she got sidelined and rushed. Important conversations just never happened and reconciliations felt unearned.
Many characters suffered because of the emphasis on the Noxus plot, but Vi's arc suffered most of all.
@@TelepathicWeasel At what point in Season 2 was Vi integral to the story or anyone in it? What effect did she have on anyone or anything?
Caitlyn blames herself for not putting Jinx down because she cared for Vi(In Season 1). After the funeral, Cait was already obsessing over putting a bullet between Jinx's eyes and spends the next 3 or 4 episodes on a vicious campaign against Zaun, with Ambessa's help and influence, not because she was distraught over her breakup with Vi but because her thirst for revenge had taken over. If Vi disappeared after episode 9 in season 1, Caitlyn still would assembled a strike force with at least Maddie and Steb and maybe some other competent enforcer. She even told Vi before springing the badge on her that she was leading an invasion into Zaun to find Jinx and break up the chembarons.
By episode 4 and an apparent time skip, Caitlyn begins to question what she is doing and if Jinx is worth it. She had no contact with Vi for at least 6 months. She makes no mention of her, comforts herself with Maddie. Meanwhile, Vi has been disconnected from everything and everyone.
In Act 2, Jinx drags Vi along on a road trip to find Vander but Vi herself even says, "Why'd you come get me? You don't need my help. You haven't for a long time." Jinx, having found some kind of piece of her back through Isha, wanted to try to make amends with Vi but not for anything Vi did or said.
In episode 8, Vi goes to break Jinx out of prison in hopes of getting her to do some good with her abilities only to get juked as Jinx goes to burn down The Last Drop and kill herself. It's Ekko who talks her out of suicide(lazily off-camera) and join the fight.
Vi tries to save Gert in the opening of the finale but she dies anyway. It is, in fact, Jinx who saves Vi's life at the end of the finale.
Vi has been a complete nothing character throughout all of season 2's narrative and I say this because Vi was my favorite character in season 1 and I still love her as a character, which is why I can't, in good conscience defend what the writers did with her in season 2. She was completely sidelined to put more focus on Jinx, Caitlyn, Viktor and Mel/Ambessa. Yet Vi still got a significant amount of screen time but very little of it mattered.
@@Fionalah Exactly. The reason why I went on such a long rant is because I loved Vi in season 1. She's my favorite and Viktor second favorite and it kills me because Vi was at the core of the conflict between Piltover and Zaun. She was the heart of the story of a tale of two cities but it just got tossed aside for all these other little plot threads that don't really go anywhere or flipflop back and forth to wring the 'feels' from it audience.
@@charlestonjew7587 her working with the enforcers as she feels responsible for jinx and wants to protect caitlyn her rage/revenge consuming her, her absence from caitlyn allowed ambessa further her agenda, vi losing herself and later through trusting jinx that vander is still alive, her and jinx reconnecting. how in the 6th episode her whole plan to get vander to safety has the fail safe of jinx killing caitlyn. her agency is understated sure and im not disagreeing that she plays a more reactive role at parts but to call her just a passenger just aint it.
n bruh stop recounting paragraph explaining plot points we all seen the show
Understoof
I freaking love vi's character! But even then I feel, justifying some s2 actions is looking too much into it. In writing this is a very common mistake, yes real humans are complex yes there's more to a character than an arc, but when you define certain traits for the character, in fiction you stick to it. The writers tried to be deep unnecessarily, and forgot to seperate reality from a character who has limited amount of episodes to justify their actions in the best way. S1 stands tall against these critiques, only showing that it is possible to be deep and also not do the character any wrong.
There is no way vi could agree to put on an enforcer uniform. Given her trauma for the same. I'm sure she could have supported the squad without a uniform and cait would've been fine with it. My best guess is, it was done ONLY to support the league lore of vi being an enforcer.
Vi's emo arc was very out of character. For once, she picked a side, she knew jinx might be back. Why didn't she reach out and make up, when for seven years that's all she had been thinking of. I think of the isha interrupting scene as quite hopeful! Vi finally has a chance to get her sister back. But instead she sulks about losing cait? nahh it's just bad writing. We can't justify some points. Vi is the most well intentioned character but the writers did her wrong with season 2.
losing the only person she dared to trust again, making her spiral into pit fighting and alcoholism wasn’t "sulking"-it was her breaking point. her so-called "emo arc" is the unraveling of years of suppressed pain, a raw confrontation with everything she’s endured: from losing vander and jinx then being imprisoned as a child with her sister as her only ray of hope, to getting abandoned by caitlyn. for the first time, she has the space to process it all, even if it leads her down a path of self-destruction. it’s far too easy to gloss over her trauma by focusing solely on her actions, without considering the events that shaped her choices. unfortunately, this shallow lens is all too common when analyzing her as a character. that’s why, when I see people claiming it’s "out of character" for her to act a certain way, it’s clear they haven’t considered how deeply her trauma drives her actions. her choices aren’t random-they’re a reflection of everything she’s endured, and dismissing that is a disservice to understanding her character. you can blame the writers for not properly portraying her trauma, but it’s important to recognize that the gaps in storytelling don’t erase the weight of her experiences or the emotional scars driving her decisions.
Caitlyn made her choices from trauma as well. She chose to use the butt of a gun. Could have just called it off as that would have hurt plenty. She was unraveling from her own grief like Vi did when she was just a kid and struck Powder. Difference is, Vi was a kid. Caitlyn’s choices are not on Vi.
They are to a certain extent. And I go over it in a lot of videos
@ do you just make that claim or can you support that with evidence? As far as I’m aware, that’s called victim blaming.
@@nice2meetUWenDoWeEat vi was aware of her own issues and nonetheless she made an adult decision to support Caitlyn’s anger, agreed to “kill” jinx. Therefore of course Caitlyn will be angry and will be easy to manipulate when she understands vi lied to her. Her lover lied
@@Yapping_dude Vi agreeing to help Caitlyn doesn’t make her responsible for Caitlyn’s decision to go after Jinx and it doesn’t make her a liar. If anything Vi was the one in danger of being manipulated because she was afraid she might lose Caitlyn, however, just because someone might be a reason WHY someone makes a decision, that’s still not the same as that person being held culpable. It’s your choice whether you allow yourself to be manipulated by another person. Vi stopped Caitlyn because there was a kid involved. That doesn’t make her a liar. It wouldn’t matter anyway because Caitlyn had a choice all on her own to pursue and kill Jinx and had already decided to do that without Vi.
@@Yapping_dude if someone hired you to kill their spouse and says they are abusive and scared for their life, and you believe them and kill their spouse, are you held fully responsible for your actions in a court of law or do you have less responsibility for choosing to murder someone just because you were lied to? The person who lied should also be held fully responsible for their actions in their own right, just like the person who actually killed.