Is Arcane a prequel to LoL?
As both a long-time League of Legends player and a critic of game-adapted stories, I can definitively say Arcane qualifies as an exceptional prequel expanding the lore of Riot‘s massively popular MOBA. Exploring the origins of iconic champions like Jinx and Vi as well as the brewing conflict between Piltover and Zaun, Arcane offers fans hungering for more Runeterra canon a masterclass in adapting a game for television.
Key Ties Binding Arcane as a Prequel to League Lore
While not every minute detail may perfectly align, these core elements cement Arcane as a LoL origins story:
| Set in established LoL universe | 🗸 |
| Features prominent LoL champs as leads | 🗸 |
| Expands on early years of said champs | 🗸 |
| Prominently involves iconic LoL locations | 🗸 |
| Riot Devs directly involved throughout | 🗸 |
| Skins/elements from Arcane added to LoL | 🗸 |
With Riot developers closely overseeing production, Arcane using the established LoL universe as its foundation, and clear connections through shared characters/places/themes back to League lore, Arcane checks enough boxes to qualify as a canon prequel story.
But Does Arcane‘s Portrayal Perfectly Sync With Years of Established LoL Lore?
Herein lies the debate among League‘s most diehard lore aficionados. While Riot emphasizes Arcane as a whole remains canon, some character backstories and relationship dynamics shown on screen admittedly don‘t quite line up with bios from the long-running MOBA.
For instance, Jinx and Vi‘s sisterly bond depicted in Arcane seems to clash with their later ruthless rivalry within actual Summoner‘s Rift matches. Such discrepancies lead some to theorize Arcane may take place in a subtly altered Branching Timeline relative to the "core" League universe.
However, co-creator Christian Linke has clarified they focused Arcane‘s continuity around "the characters and their essence" over strictly matching every existing detail from the game. This allows for an adaptation that captures the core spirit of champions like Jinx while still exploring new narrative territory.
Examining the Timeline – Character Ages in Arcane vs. League of Legends
To evaluate Arcane‘s position as prequel story, consider how the ages of the show‘s central characters sync up relative to the League of Legends timeline:
| Age in Arcane | Age in Present Day per LoL Lore | |
| Jinx | 10-12 years old (Act 1); 17-19 years old (Acts 2-3) | Early to mid 20s |
| Vi | Approx. 12-15 years old (Act 1); early 20s (Acts 2-3) | Likely 23-25 years old |
| Caitlyn | Approx. 14-18 years old | Mid 20s |
The above age chart shows Arcane rewinds the clock on these fighters‘ lives to explore their youth and earliest experiences in Piltover/Zaun. This sets the stage nicely for the show to serve as direct backstory leading up to their champion introductions in League.
An Ironclad Prequel – Quotes from Riot Staff on Canon Status
While the discrepancy debate continues in League fandom spaces like r/loreofleague, Riot developers have firmly stated Arcane should be considered official canon roots for these characters:
"We see it as canon" – Alex Yee, Riot IP and Entertainment
"It is intended to be canonical to our universe." – Daniel Klein, League Game Designer
Such steadfast confirmation from Riot‘s own lore teams cements Arcane as an authoritative part of League canon despite any superficial continuity hiccups.
A Prequel That Honors League – My Take as a Long-Time Player
As someone who has mained champions like Vi and Jinx since their releases, I was initially skeptical of Arcane tinkering too much with their established backgrounds. But having greatly enjoyed the show myself, I believe it honors what makes these characters special while expanding the scope of their interwoven stories tenfold.
Would every single hardcore League player agree? Of course not – trying to perfectly align a rapidly produced Netflix hit with 12+ years of complex game lore is an impossible task.
Yet at its core, Arcane beautifully encapsulates the spirit and flair of Zaun and Piltover, creating an engaging prequel origin for icons like Jinx and Vi that any LoL fan can appreciate as part of the official Runeterra tapestry.
The Future of the Franchise?
With Arcane proving Riot‘s multimedia storytelling chops and LoL‘s universe remaining vast with potential, this likely marks just the first step in greatly expanding upon game lore moving forward. Between rumored Season 2 plans and a bevy of other LoL adaptations in development, we have only scratched the surface of where Riot can take League IP next. Arcane simply sets the gold standard.
