There are a lot of reasons to like Arcane, Netflix’s animated series set in the world of League of Legends: the dazzling animation, the creative use of original music, the compelling relationships. But one of the more impressive things about the show to me is how restrained it is about throwing in references and Easter eggs to the source material.
Unlike a lot of other IP-driven shows, Arcane isn’t just a nonstop barrage of “Hey, I recognize that!” moments. That helps keep the show’s emotional moments from feeling cheap, and it also makes the moments where the show does drop in a reference to the world of Runeterra stand out more. (Especially now that Arcane is also League canon and there’s plenty of in-game tie-ins.)
Here are the best moments we’ve spotted in season 2 so far. Any we missed? Drop the ones you saw in the comments.
[Ed. note: This post understandably contains spoilers for Act 1 of Arcane season 2 (or through the first three episodes). Proceed accordingly.]
Act 1 (season 2 episodes 1-3):
Heimerdinger’s code phrase
Image: Fortiche, Riot Games/Netflix
In episode 2, when Heimderinger is breaking into his old lab (now Jayce’s) with Ekko, he uses a code phrase Ekko doesn’t understand: “The brambleback has left the jungle.” In League of Legends, the brambleback, colloquially known as “red buff” due to the effect you get by killing it, is a neutral monster in the jungle that is generally a high priority for junglers to kill. A brambleback leaving the jungle? Now that’s a rare sight.
Image: Riot Games
Also in episode 2, just before Vi, Caitlyn, and the rest of Piltover’s enforcers attack Jinx’s lair, Jinx is cleaning up the place. The camera briefly lingers on a piece of art on the wall, which shows Teemo surrounded by a bunch of mushrooms with flashing lights.
Teemo is one of League’s most well-known champions — he’s one of the game’s foremost mascots, but also one of the most hated champions by players because of how dang annoying he is.
Image: Riot Games via Surrender@20
While underground chasing Jinx, Caitlyn and Vi encounter a statue of Janna, an elemental wind spirit who is another champion in League of Legends. Jinx taunts Vi with childhood stories their father figure Vander used to tell them about Janna, saving miners trapped underground with the air running thin: “Wild, the kind of crap people get up to when you choke ’em out.”
Toward the start of episode 3, Ambessa receives a visit from Amara, an influential member of Piltover’s merchant guild. Amara uses mysterious magical powers to keep Ambessa and her muscle Rictus held still in an attempted assassination attempt. Rictus manages to break free, and Ambessa kills Amara, as a black rose disintegrates in the merchant’s hand and Ambessa warns Rictus that this means trouble. Which seems apt, given that Mel gets swallowed by Black Rose magic at the end of episode 3.
In League of Legends lore, the Black Rose is a secret, Illuminati-type organization that operates out of Noxus, where Ambessa is from. There are a few champions associated with the Black Rose: the sorceress LeBlanc (who has voice-over that says “The Black Rose shall bloom once more” when you lock her in to play in League), the vampire Vladimir, the spider woman Elise, and the snake woman Cassiopeia.
