Summary
Riot’sLeague of LegendsadaptationArcanehas officially come to an end, but the series is still generating buzz as viewers unpack how the series ended things with its main characters. Two champions who have become a source of much conversation are Jayce and Viktor andArcane’sco-creator Christian Linke has addressed the nature of the character’s relationship in the Netflix series.
Arcanebrings the stories of many major champions from Riot’s game to life in a stunning animated format. At the heart of the series are two major relationships, that of siblings Vi and Jinx, and the partnership between Jayce and Viktor. Jayce and Viktor come from different social classes but eventually unite over their shared ambition for scientific progress, which results in them creating Hextech - a fusion of science and magic. Hextech revolutionizes Piltover into a city of progress, but the pair’s attempts tocontrol the arcanehave dire repercussions for them in Season 2. After Viktor attempts to induct everyone into his perfect hive mind, Jayce puts an end to his friend’s plan by showing him that curing imperfections isn’t the answer. The duo then agree to end what they started and sacrifice themselves to eliminate Hextech forever.
Was There More To Jayce and Viktor’s Relationship?
While Jayce and Viktor are acknowledged as best friends and business partners throughoutArcane, some viewers also theorized that there might be romantic undertones to the pair’s relationship. Linke revealed in aninterview with Colliderthat while there is love between Jayce and Viktor, he never envisioned it as romantic. In fact, Linke revealed that Viktor was written to be asexual.“Viktor was always asexual, and that was always something we talked about from the very beginning. So, a romantic relationship between Jayce and Viktor was just never part of it,”Linke said.
“I know there are some people who ask this. There is a love. I don’t think it’s romantic. What was interesting, I remember many, many years ago also thinking about this when we started developing these characters. To me, I can say something here now that would be good for you and bad for me because it will be a wildfire. To me, Viktor was always asexual, and that was always something we talked about from the very beginning. So, a romantic relationship between Jayce and Viktor was just never part of it. There is a love, absolutely, but we also found it a bit… Love and relationships are so complex and take so many different forms. Viktor loves in a different way.”
The creator added that Viktor’s sexuality was something debated within LGBTQ+ circles at Riot, with many members saying asexuality was something that they had often not seen depicted properly.“They say it’s often depicted as, like, emotionless when it’s not true at all. It’s just that your feelings don’t mix with physical. So, to me, that was always part of Viktor,”Linke explained.Arcanehas been praised for its depiction of queer relationships, particularly theone between Vi and Caitlyn, which was pushed for by writer Amanda Overton to help provide more nuanced LGBTQ+ representation on-screen.
Will Jayce and Viktor Ever Be Seen On-Screen Post-Arcane?
Unfortunately, further explorations of Viktor’s sexuality in futureArcanesequels are unlikely. The series finale led to the demise of many of its major characters, including Jayce and Viktor, and while the series hinted at the survival of some characters, that’s not the case for the two Hextech founders. Linke saidduringArcane’sofficial after-showthat the final episode was Jayce and Viktor’s end, seemingly putting a definitive cap on the duo’s story.
ArcaneSeasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Netflix.
Arcane
Arcane is an animated series developed by Alex Yee and Christian Linke that follows a the story of Piltover and Zaun, two pivotal locations in the League of Legends universe. The first season follows the stories of Jynx and Vi, as well as Jayce and Viktor.
