League of Legends Arcane series: Episodes, trailer, cast, LoL champs

Isaac McIntyre
League of Legends anime Arcane coming to Netflix in 2021.

League of Legends is finally premiering on the small screen ⁠— Riot Games has released their new animated series “Arcane” on Netflix. Here’s everything you need to know about the limited series, including episode release dates, casting, story leaks, and more.

Contents

The fallout between sisters Jinx and Vi will be the main story in Arcane.
The fallout between sisters Jinx and Vi will be the main story in Arcane.

Riot premiere LoL TV series

League of Legends has finally landed on the small screen.

Back in October 2019, it was announced Riot Games were working on a League of Legends anime. Six months later, “Arcane” was officially unveiled amid the game’s 10th Anniversary celebrations, where it was also confirmed that Jinx and Vi would star as main characters.

Riot and Netflix have since confirmed the show will follow “the origins of two iconic League champions, and the power that will tear them apart.”

LoL fans will finally get to explore Zaun and Piltover in a TV series this year.
LoL fans are finally getting to explore Zaun and Piltover in the new series.

Arcane episodes

Episode 1

  • Welcome to the Playground: Orphaned sisters Vi and Powder bring trouble to Zaun’s underground streets in the wake of a heist in posh Piltover.

Episode 2

  • Some Mysteries Are Better Left Unsolved: Idealistic inventor Jayce attempts to harness magic through science — despite his mentor’s warnings. Criminal kingpin Silco tests a powerful substance.

Episode 3

  • The Base Violence Necessary for Change: An epic showdown between old rivals results in a fateful moment for Zaun. Jayce and Viktor risk it all for their research.
Arcane Jayce crossover League of Legends skin.
Jayce quickly became one of the central figures in Arcane, leading the Piltover arc.

Episode 4

  • Happy Progress Day!: With Piltover prospering from their tech, Jayce and Viktor weigh their next move. A familiar face re-emerges from Zaun to wreak havoc.

Episode 5

  • Everybody Wants to Be My Enemy: Rogue enforcer Caitlyn tours the undercity to track down Silco. Jayce puts a target on his back trying to root out Piltover Corruption.

Episode 6

  • When These Walls Come Tumbling Down: An eager protégé undermines his mentor on the council as a magical tech rapidly evolves. With authorities in pursuit, Jinx must face her past.
Viktor tinkering with Hextech in Arcane
Viktor’s arc in Arcane sees him dive deep into the science behind Hextech.

Episode 7

  • The Boy Savior: Caitlyn and Vi meet an ally in Zaun’s streets and head into a frenzied battle with a common foe. Viktor makes a dire decision.

Episode 8

  • Oil and Water: Disowned heir Mel and her visiting mother trade combat tactics. Caitlyn and Vi forge an unlikely alliance. Jinx undergoes a startling change.

Episode 9

  • The Monster You Created: Perilously close to war, the leaders of Piltover and Zaun reach an ultimatum. But a fateful standoff changes both cities forever.

LoL Arcane cast

Netflix has released eight character posters for the upcoming Riot Games-led animated series, confirming several big names for the project.

The biggest name among them is Hailee Steinfield (Bumblebee, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), who will be playing Jinx’s sister Vi. The lead character herself, Jinx, will be played by Ella Purnell, who recently starred in fantasy/adventure flick Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.

Vi (Steinfield), Jinx (Purnell), and Jayce (Alejandro) appear to be the show’s lead characters.

Game of Thrones alum Harry Lloyd will appear as a young Viktor, while Harry Potter star Katie Leung will play sheriff Caitlyn.

Here are all Arcane’s main actors:

  • Vi ⁠— Hailee Steinfeld
  • Jinx ⁠— Ella Purnell
  • Jayce — Kevin Alejandro
  • Caitlyn — Katie Leung
  • Silco — Jason Spisak
  • Mel — Toks Olagundoye
  • Vander — JB Blanc
  • Viktor — Harry Lloyd

The show’s IMDB listing also has a trove of writers and directors who are working on the already-popular League of Legends show.

"The new "cinematic
Leading Arcane heroine Jinx will be played by Ella Purnell, while Hailee Steinfield will bring Vi to life.

What is Arcane about?

Arcane is tell the origin story of Jinx and her sister Vi.

The League of Legends series will explore the sisters’ childhood in Piltover and Zaun, and explore the twin cities. Piltover is the upper-side utopia, while Zaun is the mean streets, and is Runeterra’s dystopian underbelly.

In current day LoL lore, Jinx and Vi are less than friends. The sisters throw snide remarks at each other and Jinx taunts her sibling whenever they meet. Jinx has become an infamous Zaun terrorist and Vi is a Piltover sheriff. The show will explore how the two sisters got to their modern-day relationship (or lack thereof).

Dexerto also expects loads of other popular Zaun and Piltover champions to appear in the upcoming animated series.

Confirmed LoL champ appearances

  • Jinx (episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Vi (episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Caitlyn (episodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Jayce (episodes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Heimerdinger (episodes 2, 3, 8, 9)
  • Ekko (episodes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9)
  • Viktor (episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Singed (episodes 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Warwick (episode 9 — teaser)

Riot wrote: “We’ll dive deeply into the stories and struggles of these characters and find out what their lives look like, what made them who they are today.”

Young Ekko has already appeared as a central character in the Arcane series.

League of Legends Arcane trailers

Arcane Anniversary Announcement

The original Arcane trailer debuted back on October 16, 2019. Steeped in lore, it showed us Piltover, the “city of progress,” and its fume-infested underground twin, Zaun.

Arcane Netflix Teaser

On May 4 this year, Netflix dropped its own 18-second teaser.

‘A Score To Settle’ Story Trailer

Riot Games unveiled a new Arcane story trailer, “A Score to Settle”. The new trailer showed us a short clip from the animated series.

Final Trailer

Riot released a second trailer for the show during the Worlds 2021 semifinal between EDward Gaming and Gen.G.

Arcane has already been highly rated and has a 9.4 rating on IMDB.

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About The Author

Isaac was formerly the Australian Managing Editor at Dexerto. Isaac began his writing career as a sports journalist at Fairfax Media, before falling in love with all things esports and gaming. Since then he's covered Oceanic and global League of Legends for Upcomer, Hotspawn, and Snowball Esports.