It’s practically impossible to talk about Arcane without talking about all the Arcane Easter Eggs and callbacks to League of Legends, the game it’s based on. League of Legends first launched in 2009.
The series is always coming out with some new content that ultimately draws me back in. Arcane is no different. For those who haven’t yet lost part of their soul to League of Legends and who might not even know what Arcane is, it is a brand new animated Netflix original set within the League of Legends universe.
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According to Riot, the company behind League of Legends and Arcane, Arcane came to be as a means to expand and build more of the universe around the characters that players already know. Arcane is also a show for people who don’t know anything about League of Legends and those who already know some of the history and lore but want to see that mythos take life.
Video games being adapted for the screen is nothing new. Over the years, we’ve seen many huge franchises try their shot at it and fail. However, what is new is good adaptions. That’s something we’ve seldom seen before. When creating Arcane, Riot opted to keep complete creative control over their baby, and the results truly speak for themselves.
Arcane is one of the most beautiful shows you will ever lay your eyes upon. If you’ve already finished binge-watching Arcane and find yourself wanting and needing to know even more about the story behind the story, see some Easter Eggs and have the ending explained, then look no further. In short, this article acts as a great place to learn more, discover hidden secrets and even get introduced to “what is Arcane”.
Arcane Easter Eggs You Probably Missed in The Show
Some of our favourite Easter Eggs A.K.A. Things you might have missed – WARNING spoilers may follow.
Cupcakes!
Within the first few minutes of episode one of Arcane, we see Vi and her friends attempting to rob a house in Piltover. Later on, in the show, we discover that the house they break into is, in fact, Jayce’s laboratory. When Vi jumps down onto the balcony of Jayce’s lab, we get a quick shot of some cupcakes left there… You know, like the cupcakes that Caitlyn uses in her W ability in League? We also soon discover that Caitlyn often visits with Jayce as the two are close friends, so this is a nice callback to the game and foreshadowing for the show.
Friends and Fashion Accessories
In context, this is one of the saddest and most humanizing Easter Eggs. During Arcane, we are briefly introduced to one of Vi’s childhood friends, Claggor. Every time we see Claggor, he wears a particular pair of goggles. In episode three, we witness the tragic and preventable death of all of Vi’s friends, Claggor included, by her own sister’s hands. These goggles stand out because they used to form part of Vi’s original splash art in League of Legends. It’s a small detail but one that shows Vi has never forgotten about her friends or where she came from, no matter what anyone might think.
What a distinguished gentleman!
This is truly a “blink, and you’ll miss it” Easter Egg. During episode one, there is a moment where all the kids walk through an abandoned house. If viewers have their glasses on and take a close look at the wall of paintings just as the kids enter the house, they might spot one that looks familiar. On the right of the doorway is a picture of a distinguished gentleman, not just any gentleman but gentleman Cho’gath himself. It’s very easy to miss but again, such a subtle nod to the game that started it all.
Here be treasures
During our first trip through the streets of Zaun, it’s easy to get visually overwhelmed by all the things thrown your way. It’s truly an experience to behold, and it gives a beautiful view of some of the characters that make up this part of the world. If you can manage to pay attention and not get swept up in all the excitement, you might notice that when the kids walk past a curiosity merchant, there are two well known in-game assets on display. We get to see a crate of Teemo mushrooms right next to a Krug in a cage.
Who’s your favourite fictional band?
Back in the day when Riot had only just started dipping their toes into expanding their games universe across various forms of media, one of the most exciting things happened, they formed Pentakill. Pentakill is a fictional heavy metal band with characters from the game as band members. The music they brought out was really good, and at the time, you could hear it playing in League of Legends fans cars everywhere. During the second act of Arcane, we get to see a few different glimpses of Zaun, one of those being a tattoo shop. Here we can see someone getting the Pentakill band logo tattooed on their back.
Make sure you have your glasses on
Right at the start of act 2 of Arcane, we see a bunch of Silco’s henchmen busy loading barrels of Shimmer onto an airship. The word barrel should have already given this Easter Egg away, but if you look closely, each and every barrel being loaded onto the ship has a logo on it. A logo of everyones favourite barrel wielding champion, Gragas. This is a moment you’ll only ever notice if you know to look for it, but it’s so satisfying if you do.
Easter Eggs here, there and everywhere
When Vander goes on a trip to Benzos shop, we are given an absolute treasure trove of small little Easter Eggs for League of Legends players to spot. I highly doubt I was even able to spot all of them. But the first one we see is Tryndamere’s helmet displayed above the door as Vander walks into the shop.
Just what every magician needs
When the shot of Benzos shop changes over to show Ekko working in the back of the room, we get to see a little Easter Egg sitting on a shelf in the wall. An item that any mage will know all too well, Rabadon’s Deathcap, along with a little price tag.
I get a mask, you get a mask, everyone is getting a mask!
When Ekko tries to eavesdrop on Vander and Benzo’s conversation, we get an up-close shot of a shelf with masks on it. These three masks are Jhin, Liandry’s Anguish, and a Blood Moon mask. However, if fans look even closer, they will see something else on the shelf as well, an Eye of the Ascension. An item long since removed from the game but forever remembered and immortalized in Arcane.
This one is for the old school League players
I recently heard someone say that nothing shows your age quite like the slang you refuse to stop using. While that is definitely true, spotting this Easter Egg won’t do your age any favours either.
When we first see Benzo, he has something in his hands that he is examining. This is the Heart of Gold, a BELOVED item that used to generate five gold every 10 seconds for you. It was also removed from the game back in 2012.
Le Wild Teemo
The least discreet Easter Egg in the entirety of Arcane would have to be this one. During the sixth episode, there is a scene with Silco and his henchmen sitting in Marcus’s daughter’s room. One of the men is sitting reading a book, a book all about Teemo and his many tales. Arcane is at times overflowing with Teemo Easter Eggs, but this one is definitely the most obvious and also the best.
Kindred Spirits
During episode five of Arcane, we follow Vi and Caitlyn into a brothel (who said Arcane was for kids?). While they walk through the place, we see several different rooms and the people inside of them. In one of the rooms, we get to see a couple wearing masks that anyone who’s played League of Legends should instantly be able to recognize. The couple is wearing Kindreds masks.
Can the real Warwick please stand up
Okay, so this isn’t so much an Easter Eggs as it is a glimpse into the future. During Arcane, we get to meet Vander, a man who acts like a father to Jinx and Vi after they had been orphaned.
During Arcane, we learn that Vander stood against Piltover and even launched a rebellion in the past, believing that only violence would bring about change. However, when this rebellion ends in tragedy and multiple Zaun residents losing their lives, Vander gets a new perspective on life, even if it wouldn’t last long.
However, most fans of League of Legends who watched Arcane don’t believe we’ve seen the last of Vander, rather that he will be brought back in season 2 as Warwick (you can see Warwick’s claws in the screengrab from the final episode below).
Some of the hints throughout Arcane about Vander being Warwick are:
Vander ingests a serum that looks like Warwicks.
Warwick lore paints a picture that sounds a lot like Vander. The myth says, “Although many think of Warwick as a beast, buried beneath is the mind of a man. A man who used to be a gangster but put down the blade to live a better life. But no matter how hard he tried, he could never escape the sins of his past”. The lore sounds suspiciously like the Vander we have come to know.