Season 2, Episode 9 of Arcane, titled “The Dirt Under Your Nails,” is directed by Arnaud Delord and Bart Maunoury, with writing by Alex Yee and Christian Linke. The season finale delivers a bittersweet conclusion, offering neither a happy ending nor a clear victory. Both protagonists and antagonists perish in the final battle, leaving behind a haunting reminder that in war, there are no winners—only victims scarred by pain and loss, forever changed from who they once were.
The central theme of the episode is change, a concept that evokes fear because it challenges the systems and lives people are accustomed to. Leaving behind the familiar for something new is a daunting prospect, and it is this fear that has fueled countless wars and conflicts throughout history. The world of Arcane reflects this reality as the people of Piltover and Zaun grapple with the need to set aside their feud for the sake of a brighter future.
However, change comes at a cost. The scars left by conflict linger, persisting as a source of pain and torment for those who endure it. The episode illustrates that while change can be terrifying, it also holds a unique beauty. From the ashes of the old, something new can emerge, driven by the minds of future generations who possess the ambition to surpass the successes of the past.
Yet, ambition is a double-edged sword. Left unchecked, it can lead even those with noble intentions to play God, risking everything they sought to protect. The finale of Arcane reminds us that change, though necessary and inevitable, must be approached with humility, wisdom, and care, or it may unleash devastation in its wake.
The Final Battle
During the climactic final battle, the forces of Piltover and Zaun unite against Ambessa (Ellen Thomas) and her formidable Noxian legions. To bolster her army, Ambessa orders Singed to enhance some of her soldiers with Shimmer, turning them into monstrous abominations. The Noxian forces, composed of battle-hardened veterans, are a terrifying and relentless enemy, far more experienced than the untrained Piltoverans and Zaunites. As a result, the Piltover-Zaun alliance suffers heavy losses, with many, including Lorus (Stewart Scudamore), falling in battle.
The situation worsens when it is revealed that Maddie Nolan (Katy Townsend), an enforcer trusted by Piltover, is a Noxian double agent. Maddie was sent by Ambessa to infiltrate Piltover’s ranks, providing the Noxians with detailed intelligence about the alliance’s defenses. This betrayal explains how Ambessa’s forces are able to breach the defenses with such ease. In a tense confrontation, Maddie holds Caitlyn (Katie Leung) at gunpoint but is ultimately killed by Mel (Toks Olagundoye), who steps in to protect her ally.
As the battle rages on, reinforcements arrive for the Piltover-Zaun alliance. Jinx (Ella Purnell) joins the fight, using her explosives to disrupt the Noxian forces, while Ekko (Reed Shannon) leads the Firelights in daring aerial assaults. Sevika rallies the remaining Zaunites to bolster the defense. Together, their combined efforts push back the Noxian advance, delivering a hard-fought victory for the alliance.
However, the triumph is short-lived. The invasion is revealed to be a diversion orchestrated by Viktor (Harry Lloyd). While the Piltover-Zaun forces are occupied with Ambessa’s army, Viktor infiltrates the Hex Vault. There, he unleashes his army of androids, led by Warwick, to reinforce the Noxian forces. The androids and Warwick turn the tide of the battle, threatening to annihilate the Piltover-Zaun alliance and their reinforcements, setting the stage for an even darker conflict.
Ambessa’s Death
Ambessa (Ellen Thomas) engages in a final, desperate duel against Caitlyn (Katie Leung) and Mel (Toks Olagundoye) for the fate of Piltover and Zaun. Despite her formidable strength and skill, the tide turns against her when Caitlyn manages to remove Ambessa’s rune stones, stripping the Noxian warlord of her magical protection and leaving her vulnerable to the Black Rose’s influence.
Seizing the opportunity, Mel activates a portal, summoning LeBlanc (Minnie Driver) to take Ambessa captive. LeBlanc traps Ambessa in her dark dimension, where she begins to slowly siphon Ambessa’s memories, tormenting her to the brink of death. However, Mel, unable to watch her mother suffer, intervenes to rescue her. She succeeds in freeing Ambessa from LeBlanc’s grasp, but the damage has already been done—Ambessa is mortally wounded, weakened beyond recovery by the Black Rose’s torment.
As Ambessa lies dying, she looks at her daughter with pride and acknowledgment, remarking that Mel has truly become “the wolf,” a reflection of her own strength and leadership. With her final breath, Ambessa passes the mantle to Mel, symbolically and literally, as the Noxian legions under Ambessa’s command salute Mel as their new warlord.
This moment marks a turning point for Mel, as she steps into a position of power, but at the cost of her mother’s life and the enduring scars left by their complicated relationship.
Viktor vs. Jayce
As Viktor arrives at the Hex Vault, Jayce (Kevin Alejandro) makes a desperate attempt to shut it down. However, the Machine Herald intervenes, determined to stop his old friend. Viktor, now fully consumed by his vision of uniting the world under one mind and achieving peace at the cost of free will, engages Jayce in a climactic duel. Simultaneously, Jinx (Ella Purnell) and Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) face off against Warwick in a brutal and emotional battle.
During the chaos, Viktor taps into the immense power of the Hex Vault, merging it with his Arcane abilities. This catastrophic fusion results in every sentient being across Piltover and Zaun becoming infected and connected to the Hex Core, forming a hivemind controlled by Viktor. In an attempt to sway Jayce to his side, Viktor connects him to the Hex Core, sharing his vision of a united, perfected humanity. {Don’t forget Ekko’s actions that result in Viktor being able to see Jayce’s POV}
However, Jayce uses this connection to show Viktor a haunting memory: his experience in the dark alternate reality where Hextech wiped out all sentient life, leaving only an elderly, sorcerer-like Viktor alive. Through this memory, Jayce echoes the elder Viktor’s realization: “There is no prize in perfection, only an end to pursuit.” These words strike a chord in Viktor, forcing him to confront the devastating consequences of his actions.
With this newfound understanding, Viktor and Jayce make the ultimate sacrifice, working together to destroy the Hex Core and halt its spread, saving Piltover and Zaun from total annihilation. Meanwhile, in a parallel act of selflessness, Jinx sacrifices her own life to save Vi, bringing an end to Warwick’s rampage but at the heartbreaking cost of her own life.
The episode concludes with Piltover and Zaun scarred but free, left to rebuild in the aftermath of unimaginable loss. The sacrifices of Viktor, Jayce, and Jinx leave a profound impact on those who remain, serving as both a warning and a hope for a better future.
The End
In the aftermath of the climactic events, Piltover and Zaun finally make peace, ending the feud that had divided them for far too long. The surviving characters embark on separate paths, each seeking a new destiny: Sevika becomes Zaun’s representative on the Piltover Council, Singed successfully revives his daughter Orianna, Mel assumes the mantle of a Noxian warlord to combat the Black Rose, and Caitlyn appears to leave Piltover aboard an airship, with Vi by her side.
Unbeknownst to them, their actions are observed by the Noxian general Swain, who watches through his shadowy ravens. One raven closely follows Mel, hinting at a possible alliance between Swain and the daughter of Ambessa Medarda. Such an alliance could be key to Swain’s campaign to unite Noxus under his rule and eliminate the Black Rose’s influence.
The presence of Swain, coupled with Mel’s journey to Noxus, strongly suggests that Noxus will be the focus of the next chapter in Arcane. However, the exact direction of the story remains uncertain. Given the show’s history of diverging from League of Legends lore—evident in Viktor’s radical transformation, Warwick’s fate, and the deaths of several champions—it’s difficult to predict which characters or champions might appear in the narrative to come.
Final Criticisms
Arcane Season 2: A Mixed Bag of High Stakes and Rushed Resolutions
Arcane Season 2 delivers an intense war-driven storyline between Piltover and Zaun, culminating in the two nations uniting against a common enemy. While the season offers thrilling battles and emotional stakes, it falls short of surpassing the masterful storytelling of Season 1.
Season 1 earned its acclaim by taking a deliberate, character-driven approach, allowing viewers to fully immerse themselves in the world of Piltover and Zaun. It carefully built tension and explored complex relationships, drawing viewers into the nuances of its characters and their conflicts. In contrast, Season 2 feels rushed, introducing new conflicts and resolutions too quickly. The resolution—Piltover and Zaun uniting to face a common threat—feels overly familiar, echoing the White Walker invasion in Game of Thrones Season 8. This reliance on a “common enemy” trope, while serviceable, lacks originality and undermines the nuanced tension established in Season 1.
Does Every Story Need a Common Enemy?
Not every story needs to end with two opposing sides uniting against a greater foe. A happy ending is satisfying, but some conflicts—such as the deep-seated war between Piltover and Zaun—are better served with a bittersweet or hopeful conclusion. Season 2’s approach simplifies the narrative, stripping away the complexity of the Hextech debate. In Season 1, the countless warnings about Hextech focused on its duality: its potential for both good and evil, depending on how it’s used. Season 2 abandons this nuance by positioning Hextech as an inherently malevolent force, erasing the moral ambiguity that made the first season so compelling.
What Could Have Been
Season 2 could have taken a different direction to deepen the story and remain faithful to its thematic complexity. Here’s one possible structure:
- Act 1: Piltover declares war on Zaun, resulting in Zaun’s total defeat. This would showcase Piltover’s power and the harsh realities of their oppression.
- Act 2: Because of Jayce’s brilliance and Mel’s politics, Ambessa struggles to control Piltover, leading her to manipulate events to grant Zaun independence—at a price. Zaun becomes reliant on Noxus for trade and resources, aligning with League of Legends lore where Zaun, through Singed, supplies Noxus with biological weapons for their war against Ionia. This independence comes at the cost of Zaunites’ humanity and morality, as they remain oppressed under the Chem-Barons. This would expose the flaws in Silco’s vision, highlighting how his revolution created the very system that turned Zaun into a crime-ridden state.
- Act 3: The season concludes with a bittersweet resolution. Mel, using her Solari powers, strikes a deal with Ambessa to leave Piltover and Zaun behind and join her in combating the Black Rose. Viktor stays in Zaun, transforming into the Machine Herald to protect the weak. Jayce remains in Piltover to lead the city, working alongside Heimerdinger to guide its future. Ekko keeps in contact with Heimerdinger in order to receive support for his mission to save Zaun. Meanwhile, Vi and Jinx part ways, choosing separate paths but leaving room for hope. This ending would emphasize that while evil may seem to triumph, there will always be those who fight for a better future, each in their own way.
Conclusion
While Arcane Season 2 succeeds in delivering an action-packed and emotional war story, it sacrifices much of the depth and nuance that defined Season 1. By opting for a simpler narrative centered around a common enemy, the season misses an opportunity to explore the enduring complexities of its world and characters. A more layered approach, with a focus on the consequences of war and the moral compromises of independence, could have elevated the story to new heights while staying true to the themes of the series.
Rating: 9/10