Vi, a character in Arcane League of Legends, has a unique tattoo design that blends ancient Norse runes from 200 CE with modern designs. Her mechanical tattoos represent Powder’s love of tinkering and the smoke around the joints in the machinery, which matches Jinx’s blue smoke tattoos. Vi’s prison tattoo is simpler, black and white, while Jinx’s is vibrant blue, symbolizing freedom she experiences not locked away. In the game, Vi has a device on her back that acts like a mechanical/steam Exoskeleton to aid with the big Gauntlets.
The tattoos have a symbolic meaning beyond the numeral, as they symbolize Vi’s way of resisting being “just a number” in prison. Vi’s longing for her sister has grown into an obsession that is permanently marked on her face. She tries to fill the void left from her time as an inmate, known as Inmate 516, which was a reference to her name in Roman numerals VIVI.
Vi’s temporary face and neck tattoo is a tribute to a character who has never had a day of comfort in their lives. Each letter etched into the skin echoes resilience, wisdom, and inner strength. The steampunk style tats represent the place Vi grew up and her sisters’ talents for tinkering and machines. The steampunk style tats also have steam/puffs of air, representing the characters’ unique abilities and the importance of perseverance and resilience.
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| Vi Arcane Tattoo Meaning | The Vi Arcane tattoo is a tribute to a character who has never had a day of comfort in their lives. We love “fictional characters who have never … | tiktok.com |
| Arcane: The Tragic Meaning Behind The Protagonists … | While Vi’s tattoos represent her desire to get back to Jinx, Jinx’s tattoos do the same. Through the show there is one (possibly two) other … | gamerant.com |
| VI’s League of Legends Arcane Temporary Tattoos | Did you know Arcane means “mysterious” or “secret”?! If you are interested in magic, fantasy, and/or history, then we most definitely … | tattooicon.com |
📹 ARCANE’s Vi and Jinx: Grief, Guilt, and Psychosis
How do you handle the people love you changing? How do you deal with loss of loved ones? Licensed therapist Jonathan …
What Mental Illness Does Jinx Have?
Fans speculate that Jinx, initially known as Powder, suffers from multiple mental health disorders, including Dissociative Identity Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), PTSD, Survivor's Guilt, Psychosis, and Dependent Personality Disorder. Observations throughout the nine episodes of "Arcane" highlight her emotional volatility, reckless decision-making, and frequent paranoid fantasies, underscoring her ongoing struggle with mental health.
Specifically, Jinx exhibits clear traits of BPD, such as black-and-white thinking, abandonment issues, and intense emotional outbursts. Her actions are profoundly influenced by past trauma, skewing her perception of reality.
In discussions about her mental state, viewers often point out that she experiences dissociative breaks, particularly in moments that involve her sister Vi, suggesting a complex trauma response. The narrative presents Jinx in a sympathetic light, even when her actions veer towards villainy, illustrating how her mental struggles shape her identity. Though there is considerable speculation about her mental health, including theories of schizophrenia due to her psychotic symptoms, the show does not explicitly diagnose her, leaving room for varied interpretations.
Jinx’s character is marked by an unspecified mental illness and trauma disorder, as she often feels trapped in a distorted reality fueled by anxiety. This environment pushes her towards irrational behavior and hallucinations, further complicating her relationships and decision-making. Despite the community's popular assumption of BPD, her portrayal incorporates themes of trauma and psychosis, leading to rich discussions about mental health representation in media.
Overall, Jinx's character embodies the difficulties of mental illness, emphasizing the nuances of her experiences without definitive answers regarding her diagnoses. This ambiguity allows audiences to engage with her struggles deeply while fostering empathy for her character's journey.
What Does VI'S Face Tattoo Mean Arcane?
The Vi Arcane tattoo is a significant element representing a character, Vi, who has faced continual hardship throughout her life. The tattoo, which is the Roman numeral "VI" (5+1=6), is positioned on her face and symbolizes her identity. Vi's tattoos, including her simplistic black and white face tattoo, contrast with Jinx's colorful ones, reflecting the freedom Jinx attained compared to Vi's imprisonment. Vi's tattoo is a prison mark and showcases her rebellious spirit against being reduced to "just a number."
The show "Arcane" integrates ancient cultural symbols, including Norse runes, with modern aesthetics, achieving critical acclaim, as evidenced by its high scores on platforms like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb. The tattoos represent more than just visual design; they embody deeper emotional connections, particularly between Vi and her sister, Jinx. Jinx's tattoos of gears and mechanisms, although seemingly uncharacteristic for Vi, express her desire to reconnect with her sister.
Stringent experiences shape Vi's identity, making her tattoos a form of resilience. The notion that the tattoos symbolize machinery signifies her struggles with societal constraints, further deepening the narrative. Throughout "Arcane," the tattoos of both characters serve as tangible representations of their journeys and shared experiences. Ultimately, Vi's tattoo encapsulates both her name and her refusal to be defined solely by her past, reinforcing themes of identity, familial bonds, and the complexity of their characters amidst a backdrop of pain and cynicism in the series.
What Does The Cloud Tattoo Mean In Jinx?
Jinx tattoos, inspired by her character from Arcane, hold deep significance related to her relationship with her sister, Vi. While Jinx's tattoos resemble blue clouds, they mainly function as a symbolic call for help, reflecting her emotional turmoil and connection to her sister. Unlike Vi, whose tattoos signify a longing for Jinx, Jinx's tattoos echo her own desire for familial connection. Observations of her character design reveal that the cloud motifs might represent the trauma from the hextech explosion that resulted in the loss of her family, culminating in her chaotic personality; the clouds could symbolize her fragmented state, feeling unanchored and disconnected from reality.
In the narrative of Arcane, the tattoos serve dual roles; they depict both a painful past and a representation of her need for identity amidst chaos. In contrast to their whimsical appearance, these tattoos encapsulate deeper layers of meaning, emphasizing how Jinx's experiences and trauma have embossed her psyche, shaping her character's journey.
Furthermore, fans speculate that the tattoos might evolve in future seasons of Arcane, with hints of adding the bullets that are part of Jinx's identity in the game. This would enhance the symbolism entwined with her character, representing her chaotic energy and turbulent emotions. The blue clouds, which hold illusionary properties, connect to the magical realm of hextech that intrigues her.
Ultimately, Jinx's tattoos are more than just aesthetic markings; they are a manifestation of her psychological scars and signify her chaotic yearning to reconnect with her past and family. As viewers explore Jinx's character in Arcane, they gain insights into her struggles through these ostensibly simple, yet profoundly meaningful, tattoos. Fans continue to engage with these themes, pondering the layers of Jinx's character and the prospects of future developments in her story.
What Is Vi'S Real Name Arcane?
In the animated series "Arcane," it is revealed that Vi's full name is Violet Kiramman. Vi, a prominent character, is depicted as a vigilante in the undercity of Zaun, alongside her younger sister, Jinx, whose original name was Powder. Both sisters were orphaned after their parents were killed by enforcers from the upper city of Piltover during a failed rebellion. This tragic backstory sets the stage for their complex relationship and the challenges they face in a divided society.
Initially, Vi was referred to as Inmate 516, a designation that links to her name through Roman numeral representation. However, this aspect of her lore has undergone revisions over time, with Riot Games seemingly moving away from her original gang-related background, where she was part of a crew with Jinx and another character, Ekko, each assigned numbers. Notably, until "Arcane," fans speculated about the meaning of Vi's name, with some believing it stood for "violence," as implied in the game "League of Legends."
In "Arcane," we learn about Vi's turbulent past and her fierce personality traits, which contribute to her role as a protector of the downtrodden. The show highlights her loyalty to Jinx despite their conflicting paths, capturing their emotional struggles and the impact of their upbringing in an unforgiving environment. Voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, Violet adds depth to the narrative, balancing vulnerability and aggression as she navigates her quest for justice.
With Season 2 on the horizon, fans are eager to explore further developments in her character arc and relationships, particularly between Vi and Caitlyn Kiramman, who has emerged as a significant figure in her story. As viewers delve into the lore of "Arcane," they uncover more about Vi's motivations and the consequences of her choices, solidifying her as a central figure within the expansive universe of "League of Legends." Ultimately, Vi's journey encapsulates themes of family, identity, and resilience against a backdrop of personal and societal conflict.
What Does Vis Ma Vie Mean?
The phrase "Vis ma vie," translating to "Live my life," reflects a personal expression in French conveying the imperative to embrace one's experience. The term "vis-à-vis" means "face-to-face" or "in relation to," often employed in both literal and figurative contexts. It derives from the French word "visage" (face) and can indicate a comparison or relationship between two entities, highlighting how one is viewed against another.
In practical usage, one might say, "I need to speak to James Lewis vis-à-vis the arrangements for Thursday," indicating a direct relationship or discussion about a specific topic. For example, when discussing competition, one might note the concerns regarding the competitive edge that foreign firms have vis-à-vis British ones, pointing to a relationship of influence or comparison.
"Vis ma vie" expresses the idea of living authentically, as seen in examples like, "Je vis ma vie, tu fais quoi?" which asks, "I'm living my life; what about you?" This emphasizes personal autonomy and choice. Another phrase, "je vis ma vie sans toi," translates to "I live my life without you," further demonstrating the use of the expression in various contexts.
In contemporary discussions, this concept evokes a sense of empowerment, often encouraging people to seize their own experiences. The phrase encourages embracing life's journey and perceptions, prompting a reflective stance towards one's existence and choices. Ultimately, both phrases serve as important cultural expressions that emphasize personal choice and the dynamics of interpersonal relationships.
Why Are Jinx'S Eyes Purple In Arcane?
Jinx, originally known as Powder, has a complex evolution in her eye color throughout the series Arcane. At first, her eyes are a calm silvery powder blue with darker flecks. However, the traumatic accident she experiences leads her to Singed, who administers a serum that intensifies her eye color to a bright pink/red violet hue. This transformation is not merely aesthetic; it is indicative of the pain and stress she endures during the procedure.
Unlike other characters who experience significant physical changes, Jinx does not undergo a radical transformation or display an addiction to the Shimmer, despite her eyes and veins glowing purple when she injects it.
The series reveals a rich lore behind the characters' eye colors, which vary based on situations and emotional states. For instance, Jinx's eyes are predominantly blue in the earlier episodes but shift to pink in moments of emotional intensity, particularly during times of conflict or trauma. Fans observe this shift during critical scenes, such as when she inadvertently attacks allies, causing her eyes to flash bright pink.
Jinx's overall appearance reflects her backstory as well; she has become paler, with sharp, sickly features and noticeable dark circles under her eyes, diverging from her rosier complexion as Powder. The change to pink/red violet isn't consistent; her eyes shift color at pivotal moments—illustrating her fluctuating mental state. The Pantone color of her eyes is described as "Red Violet," echoing themes tied to her character, while Vi, another character, has "Powder Blue" eyes, which play into their shared history.
Throughout Arcane, particularly by the end of episode 8, Jinx's eye color shift signifies her decline in mental stability and suggests a deeper narrative regarding personal loss and identity. As the show progresses, the iconography surrounding Jinx's eyes becomes increasingly significant, symbolizing her struggles and the lasting effects of her transformation. This nuanced approach to character design and emotional storytelling allows audiences to connect with Jinx on a profound level, showcasing the complexity of her character arc while emphasizing the importance of her striking eye color shifts.
What Does The Tattoo Vis Ta Vie Mean?
The phrase "vis ta vie" translates to "live your life" in English, a sentiment that resonates as a motivational reminder. A French individual expressed interest in tattooing "vis ta vie" or "vie pour toi" on their wrist to serve as a personal reminder. A product featuring the handwritten "vis ta vie" in a non-toxic temporary tattoo form is available, symbolizing this philosophy and encouraging individuals to embrace life daily.
This tattoo not only serves as a gentle suggestion to continue moving forward but also embodies the spirit of living authentically. With translations affirming its meaning, "vis ta vie" stands as a meaningful expression of personal commitment to one’s own life choices.
What Does The Gav Tattoo Mean?
The GV tattoo, often interpreted by many Christians as "God is great," symbolizes faith and resilience, suggesting God's supremacy over life's challenges. In contemporary culture, tattoos are increasingly intertwined with LGBTI identity, marking a trend in self-expression. This article will explore the origins and significance of the 'g >^v' tattoo, its links to the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club, and the meaning behind its design amid ongoing controversies.
Anchor tattoos have surged in popularity, capturing a retro aesthetic, while this article also examines prevalent prison and gang tattoos, revealing their unique meanings. For many, these tattoos signify life experiences unique to incarceration. Swallow tattoos, historically associated with sailors, represent travel and freedom.
The semicolon tattoo, which has gained traction, serves as a poignant symbol advocating mental health awareness, signifying solidarity with those struggling with suicide and addiction. Similarly, the letters "AFFA," found on the bodies of Hell's Angels, convey "Angel Forever, Forever Angel," while a noose tattoo, tracing back to the Klu Klux Klan, carries a dark historical significance.
Exploring Roman numeral tattoos reveals varied meanings and inspiring design ideas, appealing to individuals seeking meaningful ink. The personal significance of the 'G >^v' tattoo resonates deeply, as individuals find hope in the message "God is greater than the highs and lows." This tattoo serves as a continual reminder of faith and gratitude.
Moreover, the Gav tattoo denotes affection and strength, honoring a cherished person, encapsulating personal connections through design choices. Tattoos often reflect personal narratives—be it honor, love, or struggle—illustrating profound stories through symbolic imagery. Overall, both the GV and Gav tattoos showcase a blend of personal significance and cultural context, representing the powerful role of tattoos in expressing identity and resilience.
What Are Jinx'S Tattoos?
In the animated series Netflix's Arcane, the character Jinx, formerly known as Powder, reflects on her time in prison and the driving force behind her actions—the longing to reunite with her sister, Vi. The show has garnered acclaim for its stunning animation and rich storytelling, intertwining the symbolism of the characters' tattoos with their backstories and traumas. Vi and Jinx's tattoos are visually impactful, blending ancient Norse runes with modern designs.
Key points regarding Jinx’s tattoos reveal that they are deeply connected to her tragic past, particularly the moment her parents died during a violent uprising against Piltover. The blue smoke associated with her tattoos signifies the emergency flare she activated, encapsulating her tumultuous journey. Conversely, Vi's cog tattoos symbolize her relationship with Powder and her pioneering spirit despite not being a scientist or engineer.
The tattoos evolve as the characters develop, representing how their past traumas have shaped them. For instance, Jinx's blue clouds can be interpreted as a visual representation of her calling out for Vi, integrating nostalgia with the flair of her rebellious personality. The series has received a commendable rating of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes and 9. 2 on IMDb, marking its successful execution of complex themes.
Furthermore, fans of the series share a passion for Jinx's tattoo designs, creating various inspirations for tattoos that can be used in cosplay or personal expressions. Each tattoo reflects elements from her character model in both Arcane and League of Legends, encapsulating the essence of her colorful and chaotic life. Overall, the tattoos serve as a narrative device encapsulating the characters' histories, emotions, and unbreakable bonds.
📹 Why Does Silco Choose JINX Over ZAUN? ARCANE Theory
LeagueOfLegends #Netflix #Vi “You’re PERFECT…” Silco’s decision to choose Jinx over an independent Zaun is a real …
Alan here clarifying something: This episode does not mean we are suddenly TELEVISION THERAPY or *VIDEO GAME THERAPY*. We can’t take that amount of time regularly to review entire multi-season shows to prep for this. Sorry. We will occasionally be able to do limited series like this (Ted Lasso, we’re looking at you, buddy!) We’re glad that you’re all so passionate about Steven Universe, but there’s no way we can spend the time to watch 160 episodes of a show. But the website is still Cinema Therapy. Movies are our passion. Love you all!
When my mom was a psychiatric nurse, she had a patient in the middle of a psychotic episode, and she was trying to get him to focus on her to bring him back into touch with reality. In the middle of this, (with security guards right behind him) the patient lunged, not AT my mom, but PAST her, because she was a nice lady and he wanted to protect her from “Them.” She always remembered this as evidence of this person’s essential decency, that, even in the middle of a delusion and a severe psychological crisis, he was still trying to look out for others.
Lying is such a trigger for Powder/Jinx because Vi had, previously, attempted to comfort her by pushing back against when Mylo would call her dead weight, inexperienced, or bad luck. However, in her darkest hour, the moment she needed help the most, Vi punched her in the face and spat out “because you’re a jinx!” When Vi said that, Powder heard “everything I’ve ever told you was a lie, and this is the underlying truth I’ve been hiding all this time.” That was the moment that Jinx was born.
Vi’s greatest problem towards Jinx is that she doesn’t understand her issues. The thought of Vander, Milo, Powder and Claggor is what gives Vi the strength to keep going. For Jinx the thought of them has been endless torment for years. Vi can’t imagine that their family is exactly the thing that is Jinx’ worst thought.
I think Jinx’s trigger around lying is due to her psychosis. When you know you can’t trust your own perceptions, there’s a degree of trust you have to place in the people around you to navigate reality. It’s a trust that goes beyond normal relationships. I have a somewhat milder version with being on the spectrum. If there’s someone I trust to help me socially, being lied to or manipulated by that person is especially devastating. I imagine there’s something similar with deaf folks and their interpreters or blind people with their guides. Jinx can’t tell the difference between truth and delusion, and being lied to by her father figure would be terrifying.
I think the biggest thing with Vi, for me at least, is she never actually did abandon Powder. Powder was still in her line of sight the whole time, hence why she was able to get right back up and (try to) run and protect her. The key with her is Vander raised her. Vander who used to just talk with his fists, and arguably had a lot of anger issues. He probably taught Vi, given how similar they are to each other, to step away and cool off before coming back to recoperate. When Vi ran off, I don’t think she it was ever to abandon, it was just to clear her head and give her the space, especially with how horrified of herself she was about laying a hand on her sister. And as I said, she really didn’t go that far. Still within Powder’s line of sight, Silco just literally came between them. So Powder didn’t see that Vi was, in fact, still there.
Jinx’s baptism was killing Silco. She didn’t mean to, didn’t want to, it was just another split-second reaction that got someone she loved killed. She messed up, again, and not only did Silco not blame her, he continued to say she was perfect. She let Powder die with Silco, but hoped that Vi would still love her as Jinx.
I have to disagree with Alan here, I loved that even the side characters got at least one little moment for them. I love that the corrupt cop was humanized. For me, that is a big part of why this show is so great. It puts everything into complicated perspective and reminds you that nothing is as simple as it “often seems”/ many shows make it seem.
As somebody who’s been best friends with somebody who genuinely struggles with psychosis & schitzophrenia… Lying is a gigantic trigger. Why? Because they already struggle with knowing what is and is not real. The idea of a person lying only adds to that. Jinx is one of my biggest kins and the main reason is because my sister left me, quite recently actually. She hasn’t talked to me in two years. The lines “are we… still sisters?” and “I thought, maybe you could love me like you used to… Even though I’m… different.” cut me fucking DEEP.
The line “but you changed too” is interesting because of all the characters Vi hasn’t changed. It’s like she’s just stuck in time. What Jinx is referring to, isn’t Violet’s personality, or mannerisms that changed. It’s the idealized version of Vi in her head that’s changed. That’s gone. That’s never coming back, because now there are other people in Violet’s life she cares about. But here’s the thing….She Always had other people in her life she cared about. Not just Powder. But we can idealize people in our minds, and get fixated on that version of them. In Jinx’s mind, Vi was HERS. No one else’s. Now she’s seen that she was ABANONDED again for Caitlyn at the bridge, she saw Violet team with Ekko, so that’s where the line comes from. And it’s all the more tragic for it.
Something you didn’t point out, but that I really love, is the final scene where Vi is trying to call back Powder, she’s unintentionally recreating the game they played as kids; Vi is building up the big scary monsters, and she’s getting carried away and not realizing that Powder/Jinx is getting scared. Only this time, it’s not Vi who scares the monsters away…
I feel like part of Jinx’s fixation on honesty and others being truthful is because she knows she can’t rely on herself to know the truth through her delusions and hallucinations, so she has to know if she can trust the ones around her instead. Like she can’t trust her own perception, so she’s forced to trust theirs, so when they prove themselves as unreliable it cuts especially deep for her. With trauma and ND, I can understand that as well, having to work hard to have people around me I trust because I know I don’t always see things the right way.
One part of that last scene that always hurts is when Jinx says “Even though I’m…different” because I can tell that that moment before she says “different”, that she is also saying “broken”, “crazy”, “wrong”. All these other words are just pressing on the back of tongue and she finally settled on “different”. Because you can feel you’re a lot of things but to say them out loud, especially to a loved one, makes them real and more painful. “Different” she can say, “different” is what she can face right now.
“If you’re in love with the original, you’re in love with someone who doesn’t exist anymore”. After 25 years of marriage, I find this so true and profound. My wife at 49 is not the person I met, and fell in love with, when she was 23. I’m not the same person as almost 50 as I was when I was 24 (as much as I’d prefer my 24 year old body without the medical issues and ravages of time). We have grown together, had a quarter century of ups and downs together, and we still love each other very much. Yes that love looks different today to what it did in 1996 when we met, or 1997 when we married, but it’s still love and we are still in love with each other.
About lying: Episode 1 Vi told Powder “What did I tell you?” to which Powder said “…I’m ready.” And she took a leap. Episode 3 when Powder wanted to help rescue Vander, Vi yelled at her “You’re not ready!” I can’t imagine that being anything but incredibly damaging to her considering what follows, even though Vi had the best intentions. Vi is such a brilliant example of someone who seems to do the right thing at so many turns (far from perfect I know) and yet everything falls apart anyway. I hecking love this show.
The bit where you guys were talking about Jinx’s “chaotic apathy” being an act that’s born from pain over how much she cares…YES. There’s a scene you didn’t cover here where she’s talking to Sevika and has her tied to a chair, and Sevika really gets under her skin by telling her Vi has replaced her with Caitlyn. Jinx seems like she’s on the edge of a breakdown but then suddenly she does this overexaggerated sneeze and starts laughing. I fully believe the first part is real and what she shifts to is an act to cover up and avoid how much she’s hurting.
Unfortunately at the end, Jinx didn’t actually choose to save Vi. You’d notice that throughout the show, sometimes when the voices get to be too much, she simply lashes out and unloads her gun at them to make them go away. What’s heartbreaking is that in Vi’s efforts to bring back Powder, she only made the voices louder for Jinx to where she unloaded her gun blindly again to make them go away. Silco was just who happened to be caught in the crossfire this time, cementing in Powder’s mind that she is, in fact, a Jinx. That no matter what she does, all she’ll end up doing is getting the people that she cares about killed. And with that, all that’s left of Powder finally dies and she fully steps into Jinx. This show is an absolute masterpiece.
What bothers me as a woman is this: when women are written JUST to be badass that type of writing is solely happening BECAUSE OF THE GENDER. And it’s tropish and annoying and so blatantly “we’re just doing this so you ladies out there can FEEL GOOD.” But Arcane over here looks at women and removes GENDER and focuses on CHARACTER. Both men and women mess up, women aren’t made to be badass at the expense of men which is annoying, men are seen in traditional female roles like Cait’s dad is good with patching her up, her mom is in politics, a traditionally male role. And a lot of the empathetic nature of Caitlyn, a lot of the tropes we see in women in media, being the heart of the story, and all that is THROUGH Cait’s DAD, that’s how we get that neutralization. That’s the key thing with writing women. Don’t make it about THE GENDER. Just let the world itself forge what kind of person she is and will become. EVERY type of woman is here and they’re here and well represented because of the WORLD they’re in, NOT because of their GENDER. When it comes to writing women, it’s important to focus on the following core aspects: 1. People like us, or relatable. 2. People we aspire to be, or look up to. 3. People we aspire to not be. We see people like Vi, and Caitlyn, people we can relate to, we see people like Jinx and Sevika, maybe people we look up to but don’t want to become (in Sevika’s case we might admire her, but maybe not want to become like her, and in Jinx’s case we just don’t wanna become like her), we see people like Ekko people we aspire to be.
The silence before Jinx chooses her chair is very telling. It’s not the voices telling her what to choose- it’s her. It’s heartbreaking that if Vi had understood that she needed to accept Jinx rather than reminding Powder of her greatest trauma, she might have been able to reach her. Georgia Dow has great breakdowns of their psychology on here!
“i should have known, nothing ever stays dead” its just a line that i think perfectly shows Jinx’s mind. when something dies of course it stays dead, everything dies eventually but to jinx it just sticks around haunting her. how Jinx see’s the world is so crazy that she has everything backwards to a point were it is normal to her. gosh i love this show
What I loved about Vi is that she recognized that she was pushed over her limit and instead of staying and potentially saying or doing something she’d regret, she chose to walk away. She had no more tools left in her arsenal to handle the situation, so she pulled herself from the situation. That choice was what convinced me she is a good and responsible person. No, she shouldn’t have hit her sister. And it’s tragic that Powder misunderstands Vi’s intentions. But part of being human is not about how we snap but what we do after we snap. Because we always will have a limit. And break that limit. But how we handle ourselves at our worst is a mark of a strong person.
I have to say, Jonathan is amazing. I can see why he makes an amazing therapist. The scene in front of the broken mirror, when Jynx is having a psychotic break, and he just looks heart broken and says, “Omgosh that would be exhausting” I don’t have psychosis but I have PTSD and it feels so cathartic to hear someone understand. I really want to get into the break down and how well you both analyize the masterpiece that is Arcane but that moment touched me and I had to type this out while it was still raw. Thank you both for being so amazing. And thank you Jonathan for being such an empathic human being. The world needs more people like you both.
Another great series you should talk about is Violet Evergarden. It’s about a girl who knows nothing but war, who is now forced to come back to society and learn what her superior’s last words, “I love you”, really meant. A great story about being a war veteran, highly recommend it, 13 episodes of 20 min each, so 260 min in total.
It’s so nice to see someone point out that Vi was a child reacting to the trauma in Ep 3. Watched another article where it kept placing Vi into a position of an adult parent and it was so frustrating. Cause yes, Jinx needed all these things from a responsible adult in a parental position but it was pointing it out by placing blame on Vi for “failing” at being a big sister which she simply didn’t. She did her damned best, which is far more than you should expect from a 13(ish) year old child who was promptly placed in prison before she could try to fix the one mistake we really see on screen. Always love your guys’ take on stuff, and it’s really interesting to get an actual breakdown of what Jinx is dealing with in terms of conditions. Awesome stuff Edit: Vi (and Powder) was older than I thought she was, but even as a 16-17 year old my statement stands.
Honestly I very much appreciated that they refused to have any one-dimensional characters. Because at the end of the day, that’s much more true to life. Nobody is one-dimensional. I don’t think there is anything intrinsically wrong with “letting the corrupt cop be the corrupt cop”, or allowing characters to function as symbols of some particular group, but I sure do appreciate it when the fact that individuals are not just symbols of a group to which they belong is recognized and acknowledged. It may not be particularly important in many dimensions of film-making and story-telling, but it is a message that I think is immensely important to communicate. And for a character-driven story like this, anything else would have felt out of place.
I grew up with a psychotic mental illness, schizophrenia. I have never seen this show, but saw the title and wanted to see what the psychosis in this article is talking about. When it showed Jinx stapling her leg together and the hallucinations and delusions she was experiencing, though animated, is all too real. I grew up like that. It took so many years of therapy, medicine trial and errors, realizing and accepting I have a loving family and friends wanting to help. I am diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder depressive type. I know that this show is spot on with what psychosis is like just after perusal that scene. It is scary and sometimes downright terrifying, to lose control and freak out, wondering if everything around me is real or not. If I could handle the rest of this article, I would watch it and finish perusal it. Seeing that scene brought out memories I have suppressed. And I have been dealing with this my whole life. It never went away, just easier to handle. I can’t work, I can’t be out long around people, I can’t always comprehend what is going on around me, and sometimes I will sit in weird positions looking out at nothing. I really hope, that throughout the rest of this article, that your explanations of what Jinx is going through is correct, because going through psychosis nearly cost me my life. I love perusal your other articles and learning about different psychologies. And growing up with psychosis is the reason for my name on here. It was hard learning how to love myself through all the anger and pain I felt.
Honestly I feel like Arcane did the right amount of “give attention to -side character-” because it gave more weight and consequences to every character’s actions. It’s never bad to show character motive and we get to see everyone’s motive and that helps us understand how the events we are perusal came to be. For example, the assistant that liked Viktor, we only got two scenes of her really, but those scenes established that she liked Viktor so when she tries to save him her action makes sense to the audience and its easier for us to empathize/sympathize with Viktor when she dies. And she also furthers the plot. It’s the same with the corrupt cop, he played a part in setting off the events that ultimately put Powder into Silco’s hands, and he’s used as a set piece for Silco more than once, so seeing HIS motivations helps us to understand why he works with Silco/helps him, there’s a reason and he can be used multiple times instead of just creating a new minion every time etc. Nothing is isolated and they honestly still manage to keep it minimal enough that I never felt like we were getting bogged down when we were shown other characters. Were some of them less interesting to me? Absolutely, but its good to see the tie-ins, it makes a cohesive story and all of them made sense to me in why they were shown/given attention.
One thing I wanna mention that most people don’t notice about Silco and Jinx’ relationship is how it fits the exact description of “emotional inc3st.” (Which isnt actual inc3st but rather is when a parental figure treats their child as if the child were a peer, giving them responsibilities which a child should not have. A good example would be how Silco projects his own issues onto Powder in an unhealthy and codependent ways, he trusts her with his medical treatment, he describs his traumas to her and vents to her.) It would be amazing to see you guys mention that in the article about Silco since it’s such a huge part of what makes his villainy so realistic in a way I’ve never really seen before; his thought process is one that I’ve personally seen in real life and its absolutely terrifying(yet also alluring due to the “I trust/love you this much” factor)to be subjected to that abuse.
I will say, as someone who experienced psychosis for 18 years before I got on medication, having delusions, hallucinations, what have you, leads to a big trigger geared towards lying. At least, that’s how it was for me. Because you’re constantly questioning what’s real or not, finding out someone lied to you is like adding to that pile. “Did that really happen”, “Are they truly my friend”, “Can I really trust them”, etc.
A couple of things that I loved in Ep9. -When we see the split-second frame of Cait’s face, before Jinx uncovers the platter, it isn’t Cait smiling or fighting or flirting. It’s the moment when Vi makes herself completely vulnerable, admits failure and defeat, and Cait doesn’t take advantage of that or lecture her or shame her. Cait’s just tender toward her. Usually, the moment that hits a character like a ton of bricks is a standout moment of trauma in a normal life. For Vi, whose whole life is trauma, what overwhelms her is a moment of compassion from the last person she expected. -I love the delivery of ‘maybe you could love me like you used to, even though I’m different.’ So often, ‘different’ is used to mean edgy, glamorous, offbeat, fun, etc. But the way Ella Purnell delivers the line, ‘different’ isn’t jubilant. She says ‘different’ like she”s ashamed of the state she’s in.
I personally really loved that they spent time developing all the characters. The world felt so big and immersive like an animated Game of Thrones. And it made that face off between Marcus and Caitlyn way more intense because I was like crap… maybe he will shoot her? Also, his character was another exploration of a father daughter relationship like Vander/Vi and Silco/Jinx and I liked that they showed all these parents who truly loved their kids, but how yeah that’s not enough to justify being a bad person or a bad parent.
What’s fascinating to me about Vi’s relationship to Jinx is that it subverts the classic trope of “there’s still good in them” in an unusual way. The usual subversion of a hero’s mercy is to have the villain reject it outright, showing that they are “too far gone”. Thus the hero comes out with the moral high ground. But here, Vi isn’t necessarily right, and Jinx isn’t necessarily wrong. The reasons as to why Vi’s plea to Jinx falls on deaf ears or even straight up hurts her are clearly articulated. And it has nothing to do with Vi being a knight in shining armor, or Jinx being a monster. We’re driven to see Vi’s beliefs about her sister as correct because they line up with what we usually see, that love is going to save the day, that she can change her. But the problem is that Vi doesn’t see the extent to which Jinx’s trauma has changed her, and doesn’t realize that she can never be the same as she was before. And because of that, the acceptance she shows to Jinx ends up being incomplete. Jinx feels this all too well, and cannot possibly accept it, even feels hurt by it, even though she craves nothing more. Vi isn’t capable of helping her sister because she refuses to see her for who she is. And ultimately, especially for Jinx, this doesn’t have to do with Jinx’s murderous tendencies, or her alignment with Silco. The problem ends up just being that Vi couldn’t accept that Powder was this unstable and suffering.
Something I really love about Arcane is that all of the conflicts between friends, family, colleagues, etc are not due to dumb misunderstandings which could have been cleared up easily by talking it out. It would have been so easy for Jinx to have set off the smoke signal and Vi wasn’t able to get to her, or if their conversation had gotten interrupted before Vi could explain why she couldn’t be with her sister all this time and that she still loves her. They all get the chance to talk it out to the best of their abilities, but it doesn’t fix anything because the problem is deeper than just not understanding one another, and I love that because I don’t know where this can go or how it can be fixed and I’m excited to find out.
You’re right, almost every character – even the ones with “just” supporting roles – do have a backstory and they aren’t one-dimensional, but that’s exactly the beauty of this show. Because it’s just like this in real life. Every human being, ourselves AND the others around us, have both good and bad traits inside of us, and “we’re all the villain in someone else’s story”. I love that EVERY character in Arcane has layers and beliefs and their own reasons to act the way they do, to make certain decisions no matter good or bad.
I know everyone is already saying it but- I genuinely loved how every character was fleshed out. In my opinion, that is the best way of story telling. Arcane is different in a way that it makes you feel for everyone. And not just in a passive pitying way, you want the characters to survive and get what they want regardless of what side they are on. And while Marcus was definitely the least fleshed out (in my opinion at least) it’s still fascinating to see why he does what he does. On the subject of not humanizing bad or corrupt people, I think it should be done. Just to look in and see why they are like this, why the way they think is so skewed, is just so fascinating. You can still recognize someone as bad, and maybe even incapable of change while also recognizing they are human. And have human responses to things.
Vi never abandoned Powder though, she knew she was out of control and was hurting Powder so she walked away to calm down. However, Powder didn’t know that so she believed she was being abandoned. Vi stopped at the nearest corner where she could still see Powder but was far enough she could be alone to calm down. I also love how Jinx has so many people telling her Vi will betray her and that she can’t be trusted but still gave her the benefit of doubt until the end, it really shows how Powder and Jinx are actively fighting each other throughout the entire season
I started perusal this with my 19 & 22 year old daughter and son and made it to the scene where Vi screams at Powder that she’s a jinx, etc. That scene literally broke me. It touched something deeply hidden inside me (haven’t revisited it) and I began to sob hysterically and had to leave the room. It took me quite some time to regain my composure; I have NEVER, in my 66 years on this planet (and after decades of psychotherapy) had such a primal, debilitating reaction to something on screen. All I can say is “What a powerfully done show.” (P.S. The kids finished the series – I did not).
What I love about the final scene of the season is the absolute clarity that that final confrontation and Silcos death brings Jinx. Through the season she’s gotten more and more chaotic as her psycosis gets worse and worse. But, in the final moments of the season, her head is clear, there are no demons scratched into the film. She has accepted where she’s got to, where her sister has got to and is accepting that she’s pretty much lost everything. And that realisation and grief is what leads up to her firing the rocket. Its not because she wants approval, or is seeking thrills and chaos to mask her inner guilt, its simply because she is done. Done with Silco, her sister, everything, and just doesn’t care anymore. And to me that looks a lot more dangerous.
Another thought on Jinx’s need for honestly and triggers surrounding lying: Remember that she is aware of her psychosis. She has these voices telling her how things are and she actually argues with them that what they’re saying isn’t true. She is in a constant battle for her sanity against these inner voices that lie to her, and is probably especially reliant on the real people in her life to remain honest to keep herself from slipping further into psychosis. When someone lies to her, they put themselves on the same level of these voices that torment and sabotage her. Since her voices are obviously reflective of some sort of doubt/inner truth, she needs the truth of the people around her to hold her steady and escape this doubt.
I also side with Vi way more than I don’t. She sees Powder/Jinx in a horrible place, and place that is hurting her sister. She just wants to take care of her sister, no matter how she’s changed. Silco sees the monster inside and feels it should be freed so she’s not burdened by trying to be something else. I feel like there is a lot of projecting going on from Silco, encouraging the worst in Jinx, thinking it’s what she needs.
11:51 in my opinion the eye lining up with the hole is something that’s done more to show Silco’s influence on her. The way Silco’s injured eye is all black with lines going outwards across his face is mirrored (heh) in the way Jinx’s face looks with the hole over her eye. Most of the second half of the season could be described as the war between Powder that wants her sister and the love and safety that she represents, and Jinx who is built from a still ongoing, complex trauma, and nurtured by Silco.
I think when Jinx kills her father figure, Silco, it’s when Jinx also kills powder for good, it’s what she had to do to become Silco’s image of perfection, we get that when he says, after being shot by her, “you are perfect”. And Vi, accidentally, just gets her there faster by not accepting that powder is gone, that her sister changed. So this is why I believe this is honestly such an amazing villain arc, one of the bests on television. Thank you for covering it even though it’s not cinema, this TV show it’s cinematic in all its extension.
First off, fantastic analysis on both the artistic and psychological fronts. You guys never disappoint. Second, I went into Arcane knowing next to nothing about League of Legends or the supposed lore that ties the game together. All I knew was that the in-game backstory had been re-worked a couple times already and that Jinx was a fan favorite. Her design, mannerisms, and voice lines made her feel like Harley Quinn but more mentally unstable and with a greater fixation on guns and explosives. Then Arcane comes along and says, “Hey, what if we took this wacky, violent, chaotic action girl that’s a fan favorite and present her condition in the most profound, heart-wrenching way possible?” And that’s how you create a series worthy of the critical acclaim that both old fans and fresh newcomers can fully appreciate. While so many big-budget studios continue to struggle with adapting game franchises into shows and movies, Riot Games and studio Fortiche just set out to make a series that respects the source material and characters enough to let the amazing story unfold.
Some of the “side characters” are actually characters from the game, so they may seem less significant to the plot of the series, but are not less significant to players who want representation of their mains, so that’s why they fleshed out some of the “side characters” a little more than seemingly necessary. I love Vi in this series, but have maybe played Vi once or twice in the past ten years, whereas I got full-on giddy at the hint of an upcoming storyline featuring Warwick, and loved their inclusion of Singed, who isn’t even called by name in the series but players know exactly who it is. Everyone has their favorites when playing the game, not just the 8 to 10 characters featured in the series 💚💙💜
Powder/Jinx is the first example I can think of that does this type of character where I can’t decide if she needs a hug or a “kill on sight” order. On one hand, she is a ball of pain and trauma and she doesn’t have the tools to deal with all that. On the other hand, she well trained, well equipped, very creative, highly intelligent, unpredictable, amoral woman. There is virtually no way to know which way she’s going to go next, only that there will be a body count. I find most other examples of this type of character tend to favor one side a lot more than the other, but Arcane balances both wonderfully.
While I consider Jinx to be my favorite character in Arcane (absolutely love her writing and how they wrote her psychosis beyond the “chaos-loving criminal” character she seems to be in League of Legends Lore, but rather a tragic character that comes as a direct consequence of not only the mistakes of the people in her life, but also Piltover AND Zaun’s problems), it isn’t really until after I finished the series how much I love the subtle, yet brilliant, depiction of trauma when it comes to Vi. This is a girl who grew up with the responsibility to protect her family and loved ones being *solely on her*. She is the big sister of the group, the tough one, the big one, and her siblings all look to her not only because of genuine love and respect, but also for protection and leadership. Vander’s conversation with her in the bridge is well-meaning, but it ultimately reinforces that SHE is responsible for whatever happens to Powder – obviously, Vander doesn’t mean this, but it’s very possibly how Vi interprets it. “Take care of Powder”. Now we flash-forward to the present, to adult Vi, and we see the effects of this “I am responsible for the bad things that happened to my family” take hold on her. She blames herself for turning Powder into Jinx, for snapping at her and never being able to come back and apologize until it’s too late. It’s so easy to blame mistakes on yourself, even if objectively it’s not your fault, and it’s genuinely amazing to see Caitlyn reassure her: “no. it’s not your fault.
For context about the scene where Ekko tells Vi that Powder is gone and to let her go, there’s actually a deleted scene of him when he was younger raiding Silko’s warehouse to rescue Powder from Silko and Powder slaps him and tells him that she won’t go with him because she’s Jinx now. He’s already tried to help her and she rejected it, that’s why he’s convinced that she can’t be reached. It’s implied (and confirmed in-game) that he loved her once.
Violet Evergarden is a wonderful anime that absolutely deserves attention for how it portrays grief and healing. the animation is top tier and the acting in both English and Japanese is stellar. I cannot recommend the series enough, I truly think yall will appreciate the series if you give it a watch.
I don’t believe Vi ever was trying to abandon Powder. After she punches her in anger she looks down at her fist and sees her sister’s blood and then her sister’s bloody nose. She realized she was in a state that could hurt her sister so she gave herself distance, enough that she could still she her sister from where she was. So interesting that the show never holds anyone’s hands and tells them what’s going on, it leaves it up to us to put the pieces together
The line you said towards the end “when you choose to love somebody, you’re choosing to love a different version every day” really reminded me of this quote from Bloom Into You: “You know, love doesn’t mean ‘I never want you to change.’ But I don’t think it means ‘I don’t care how you change,’ either. So I suppose it might mean ‘I believe you’ll always be the person I adore’.”
Honestly even if its just a smaller part of the Silco episode Id love to see some stuff on Vander because here we have a violent revolutionary, someone who was previously known for his ability to literally crack skulls, who has transitioned into a peacekeeper and father. He is one of the few examples of positive change in the setting. Pretty much every body else is in the process of falling.
I always thought that Jinx/Powder has the schizoaffective disorder with CPTSD, since trauma literally shaped her personality to the point that you can’t actually understand where the trauma ends and Jinx’s personality begins. Also I love the show because there are so many tridimensional characters that make the world amazing.
Vi is hands down, without a doubt, the character I most relate with in any film, show, or literature and I’m a late 20s guy. Her guilt and pain with Powder is precisely how I feel with my younger brother, whom I no longer speak to. As an older sibling, there is a bone deep instinct to protect them, especially with a hard upbringing, and to fail that self-imposed task and lose them is the deepest pain I’ve ever felt. So many plot points in Arcane are parallel to my life (just turned up to 11 in the show) that I can’t watch a single episode without feeling something I hadn’t realized was personal. A masterpiece of animation for sure.
I think an interesting movie for you guys to react to would be “Everything Everywhere All at Once”. I recently watched it and found it confusing af, but there are quite a few things you two can touch on. The relationship between the older and younger generation, parent and child, husband and wife. I would definitely recommend it to you.
Please also make an episode on Ekko. I know he’s not a central character and doesn’t show up as much, but… he’s so important. When the two sides are fighting for what they think is saving their own, topside and underside waging war, Ekko grew up to be there… actually making a change. Apart from those, regrowing and nurturing life, all while being an engineering genius. Love the guy. And so happy to see you guys tackling this series!
7:34 THIS! Jinx has a specific rig for her face that makes her look more childlike versus how she normally looks! Go watch the bridging the rift series on arcane, they talk about the production and making of the series and as a student in illustration intending entertainment design it made me fall more in love with this show
One thing I’ve since noticed about the final moments before Jinx snaps and shoots Silco, at first viewers will think that Jinx chose Vi over Silco in that moment, and that’s why she shot him instead of her sister. I myself believed this upon first watch as well. However, if you pay closer attention, Jinx is in a state of pure fight-flight as her hallucinations are overpowering her, and she looks up the moment after you hear the click of the gun being drawn that Silco grabbed in an attempt to shoot Vi. Some people have taken note of the fact that Jinx could’ve heard that and shot in Silco’s general direction in pure fight-flight self-defense and didn’t actually see the consequences of her actions until seconds later. It’s, once again as is typical in Arcane, a nuance of a character choice that makes it all the more subjectively interpretive and entirely human. I don’t think we’ll really know if Jinx truly meant to shoot Silco or not, but that detail is something you can’t easily ignore.
Speaking as someone who’s often been on the brink of psychosis, I wouldn’t call it “hearty” so much as, when you’re dealing with the level of mental pain and anguish as Jinx, stapling your leg together (which you have to get done anyway, and do you really want to show your adopted father weakness? Having been wounded by the enemy?) is just…a little more pain. But truth be told, it’s easier to deal with than the mental stuff, because physical pain is finite – so if you have to, say, pour alcohol on a gaping wound in your leg, or staple together a knife wound, you just grit your teeth and do it🤷♀️
I think the most frustrating part of Jinx’s identity crisis for me is how so many people in the audience seem to believe there’s a Powder that Jinx could go back to being that Vi would ever recognize. Even from the time they were children, Vi was pretty oblivious to who Powder really was and what she needed from her sister. Vi was so desperate to mold Powder into the perfect sidekick for capers, fights, and revolution that she really didn’t even pay attention to how badly Powder was suffering. Both in the context of their ‘family’ and in the context of the life Vi wanted for them both. This is why Vi responds so badly to Powder’s desperate need to be included and its inevitable results in the finale of episode 3. Once Vi gets out of prison she’s still obsessed with getting back the version of Powder that only ever existed in her head. She continues this obliviousness, ignoring every sign screaming out to her that the girl she’s talking to is deeply traumatized and that the life Vi remembers so fondly is the stuff of Jinx’s nightmares. Even at the ‘last supper’ in episode 9, Vi’s still desperately trying to appeal to a sense of family and nostalgia that Jinx just doesn’t have, and anyone who sees the layout of that table should be able to see on the spot that the arrayed elements aren’t things that make Jinx happy, they’re the basis of Jinx’s psychosis and PTSD. But all Vi can take away by the end is that the sister she knew is gone and that, to me, is one of the real tragedies of the show.
I avoided perusal this because I didn’t have much of an interest in League of Legends, but holy cow did Riot knock it out of the park with this one. The animation style going against the normal grain of animation, the EXTREMELY well written characters, and especially female characters, the strength you can feel from Vi, the empathy you have for Jinx who could have very easily just been a manic pixie dream girl… Just in love with this series ❤
The last scene with jinx shooting Silco I’ve always viewed that click as he cocks the gun as a trigger for her fight or flight response. Not because she wanted to save her sister, but if you think about the time jump Jinx has probably been around a lot of under fire situations to the point that a simple click of a gun may make her body react before she can register what’s happening. She was in the middle of her mind surrounded by her demons when she heard that click, I don’t think she realized where she still was and just had her body react thinking “that’s the sound of possible death. Act now towards that sound.” So the result was her shooting in that direction, ultimately killing Silco on accident. That was always my take away
Whenever Jinx says “I thought you could love me like you used to… even tho I’m… different” I start bawling. Like legitimately, without question, I don’t even need to see the previous scenes. Just that moment alone, with how perfect the animation and voice acting is, it instantly gives me a lump in my throat and my eyes start watering. As for recommendations, please look into Squid Game. It’s such a good commentary on people’s behaviors when they reach rock-bottom, and I’m curious what you’d think of it. If you do watch it, PLEASE do yourself a favor and watch it in Korean with regular English subs, not the SDH English subs. They’re the most accurate.
One of the most fascinating themes of this first season was embodied by Silco’s quote ‘Has anything ever been so undoing as a daughter?’ Think about it – yes, Vander died trying to save Vi and yes, Silco died as a result of Jinx, but it doesn’t end there. Marcus wanted to go straight but couldn’t because of Silco’s ever-present threat towards his daughter. If Caitlyn hadn’t ever gotten involved, Jinx wouldn’t have (apparently) killed her mother. The elder Medarta flat out said that she exiled Mel because she couldn’t bear to look at her when she made the decisions she had to make, that she made her weak. Singed is clearly driven by thoughts of his daughter and there are other examples besides… it’ll be interesting to see if season 2 adds another verse to that refrain, bringing things full circle.
Personally, I like how they handled Marcus. It shows how easily hypocritical self-righteousness can be twisted and used as leverage against a person the moment they comprise. Marcus believed the Undercity was corrupt, with ‘a crime behind every coin’, and with a single shady deal with Silco, one that wasn’t even ‘that bad’ on paper, he became everything he hated, and everything he thought he was above, and became trapped. I think we’re all susceptible to become a Marcus, if we hold others to a higher standard than we hold ourselves. It’s a good reminder to live honorably and seek to understand where everyone else is coming from, lest we fall, further and harder, down those same traps.
I’ve always wondered why Jinx choose Jinx and not powder at the end, even with a carring sister like Vi. I think now that it’s because Silco told her something that even Vi didn’t say. He unconditionnally said « You’re perfect. » even if she shoot him. I think this is the moment she trully embrace the Jinx she is. She stops trying do be something else. Maybe that’s why the voices stop at that moment.
The key to Jinx’s trust and lying issues comes from early on. When Powder was eavesdropping, she heard Milo and Violet talking after the failed heist. She overheard Milo talking about how useless Powder was and heard Violet agree with what he was saying. She fled, and didn’t overhear the rest of the conversation; where Violet was shown to have been speaking facetiously. This was never discussed between Violet and Powder, was then cemented as “truth” by Violet’s subsequent abandonment and in turn warped their entire history and relationship as Powder perceived it
I just want to say I’ve been marathoning this website for the last 6 months and its easily become one of my favs, I just love when professionals in a field break down characters like this especially when their personalities are so fun to watch. These have been a joy to watch and I’m excited for each new upload & I gotta say covering Arcane was a Welcome Surprise, Lookin forward to this article
In your Silco villain therapy I hope you dissect Jinx and Silco’s relationship. As if did you believe they loved each other and are there seeds of good parenting in his methods. Also wanted put my few cents with Silco’s death. When I first watched it I thought Silco was aiming the gun at Jinx not at Vi. And that was why she shot him believing he betrayed her. But came to the realization that Silco was only trying to end her suffering by shooting Vi. And Silco’s final words “you’re perfect” instead of “jinx is perfect” is him in his own way saying “that no matter who you choose to be, you are perfect” and that is why Jinx chose to be jinx since Silco loved both sides of her while Vi only loved Powder.
Jinx disowning Vi yet being desperate to see her years later, craving honesty from those around her, not being able to tell when someone’s lying, wanting approval and love even though she has it stuck a chord with me. Things like that really had me realizing that it’s not too far off from how I am. I get anxious that everyone around me hates me or is annoyed by me, and I can’t stop it or do anything about it. I have a hard time telling when people are lying or playing around. I hated my own sister but wanted to be near her out of some strange desire for attention or something else, I don’t know. As much as I love the show, Jinx was painfully relatable, and that’s not including her with Silco at all.
I found the most painful element of the show also the most insightful – ironically, the thing done shockingly poorly by most shows that try it. Wanting to save someone isn’t enough if they don’t want you to help them. What has happened to them can be profoundly unfair, what they have done to you can be profoundly unfair, they can even recognise that they need help and that you can and want to help them – but you can’t make them take it.
It always hurts to think that Silco saw Jinx being tortured by Vi and wanted to stop it. Yes by killing her (not a good choice) but it was all he could do. He wanted to save her at all costs. The fact he says, “Don’t cry” and “I would have never given you to them” shows how much he cared. I absolutely LOVED how much he cared for her. 💔
You were saying how this feels satisfying even when it’s upsetting and I think that’s because it feels inevitable. It doesn’t feel like people made stupid decisions. They made very human decisions that often seemed like the right direction. It felt inevitable, it didn’t feel like they really could not have foreseen the consequences, as we did not foresee the consequences. The conflict did not feel forced, it felt natural. It was satisfying and cathartic because in hindsight it makes sense and fits perfectly but no one could really have seen that coming. I hope that makes sense.
Based on my own anecdotal experience of cPTSD and Developmental Trauma… I think to understand Jinx’s character you have to view it through a “Wonderland” lens. Alice is rational and follows inductive reasoning, so when she goes to wonderland, nothing makes sense because the worldbuilding rules work around deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning takes you from the specific to the general, while in deductive reasoning, you make inferences by going from general premises to specific conclusions. Wonderland thought processes are following lateral movements. (PTSD and psychosis a lot closer than we are often comfortable looking at. I.E. what is a triggering flashback if not a vivid hallucination of reliving one’s own trauama,lol. It’s like potent nostalgia for horrible experiences!). But an effect of complex trauma is that it shifts your cognitive throught processing into the deductive territory. Survival depends on you being able to make lateral deductive jumps. To infer information through constant hypervigilance. This is especially true for CPTSD. Developmental trauma that happens at a time when the brain is still forming itself and a social sense of identity and self. Things learned at that age tend to hardwire into core pillars of identity. Trauma responses only seem “irrational’ from the surface, and if you attempt to understand it like Alice tries to understand Wonderland it can be beyond frustrating. Because the lived experience and the inner reality of one experiencing that trauama response often doesn’t follow traditional linear logic.
This show was one i was skeptical of at first because it was league of legends, but ended up being one of the few animated shows to break me so many times in one season and still make me want more knowing I’m just going to cry more. Its also one of the few shows I’ve seen where a character being gay is subtly hinted at and isn’t used as a punchline for a joke or just blatantly screamed into your face constantly.
I feel that humanising Marcus wasn’t just for the sake of no-one dimensional characters. He served as a great foil to his immediate predecessor Greyson who knew how to balance the topside and the undercity in terms of crime and punishment and making alliances with criminals whereas he was a captive in circumstances he himself created and also thematically dealing with fathers undone by their love for their daughters.
Focusing on Jinx and Vi makes sense here as they are the core of the story. At the same time the “flaw” you referred to of three dimensional back characters needs to be unpacked. What made this series great was the depth displayed throughout. Even the bad guy had depth and character development one would never have expected. Look at Silco and his motivations. He comes upon Powder abandoned in the street and connected with her in a way nobody expected. Silco had been abandoned, at least in his mind, by Vander in their pursuit of a goal together with Vander betraying him and now he saw that same trauma wracking Powder but intensified as only a shattered child could display. The relationship they develop was equal parts creepy and deep. The scene of Silco rationalizing what to do after being offered everything he had ever worked towards but only if he betrays Jinx, his “daughter”, was amazing. He sat on the base of Vander’s statue rationalizing with his old friend whom he was betrayed by and then killed, over finally understanding Vander’s motivations. Wow.
YES SILCO VILLAIN THERAPY!! Arcane was extremely worth it, and I will always always recommend it to everyone who watches literally anything. Silco is a top tier villain no matter what series, movie, or book you’re looking at. I can’t think of another villain who made me hate and love them as much as he did. And the last words to Jinx were just so powerful, I cry every time and I’m looking forward to your take on that. I feel like it was his final attempt (note the use of the word attempt) to be a good dad, to leave Jinx with love rather than a feeling that she’d done something wrong or was inadequate. No disappointment, no anger, just reassuring her that he really wouldn’t have ever given her up, and that he loved every part of her. He’s about to die, he gains nothing from lying to her, so I do believe he’s being honest and isn’t manipulating her in that moment. That doesn’t make him a good person by any stretch, nor does it make their relationship a healthy one, but my goodness does it tug my heartstrings and make me feel for… well, what could have been.
I was afraid of losing myself once. Before I went to Marine Corps boot camp. I felt changes in their. Mostly good though actually, some bad. I felt the shadow being brought to the surface and then being constrained. I could almost see it’s face one time. When I shut my eyes. But I realized after being in there for a long time, no cell phone, no internet, no phone calls, no news, completely cut off from society. That the core of your being, your soul, your consciousness, your spirit, is yours, it’s eternal, you never truly die or change, your soul from young age to old, in other lives, it’s something real and special. You never loose that.
This show was such an emotional roller coaster. Hearing that reunion conversation again “Are you real?” broke me. Nearly 5 years it took to make this and it is an achievement in both animation and storytelling. The folks at Fortiche are second to none. Taking the handcrafted and traditional principles of animation and bringing them to a CG animated environment is only starting to be mainstream with DreamWorks starting to adopt it but this show is what it can do at its peak.
The thing that I appreciated about them giving the side characters even a little substance is that although they did spend time giving every side character some dimension, it wasn’t needlessly long amounts of time. It was enough to humanize them which is critical to the overall point of the story—that EVERYONE is a multi-dimensional person with their own motivations, and not the more one-dimensional projects of what we as individuals presume them to be. Powder assigns these ideas of who people are without recognizing what she SEES and what doe DOESN’T see are very, very different things. Vi struggles to reconcile the Powder she knew with the Jinx standing in front of her because she assigns only what she knows of Powder to her sister, but begins to realize she’s missed so much that simply reaching for Powder alone is not enough. She has to see Jinx and still choose to love her so that there is room for Powder to come back. The same can all be said for everyone else. People assume they know everything, when the reality is, we are all limited to our own perceptive abilities and cannot possibly DEFINE an entire person. And the side characters, in the small amount of time given to them in order to demonstrate that very thing, have more of an impact, I think, BECAUSE we saw enough of a gilmpse to wonder where they might have gone had they not been taken out so soon. What depths might have been, that are erased. Just as we are left wondering what Powder might have become if Vi wasn’t taken away, and where Jinx might go if her sister can’t reach the part of her that is still the sister she’s always known and loved.
The part with Vi’s “unreasonable” guilt was to me very compelling and realistic. I do agree that, at some point, one has to let go, definitely. But it sometimes is so damn hard. And in Vi’s case I would even go as far as saying it was reasonable. Because she was the big sister. She wanted to protect her little sister all her life but then in that moment she failed to do so. And tbh, I think the scene on the bed is her facing that for the first time for herself (at least if I remember it correctly). Because before that she was distracted: I need to find powder. I need to find this. I need to do that. I need to protect this other woman I met now. Etc. And the bed scene just gave her room and time to notice and face these feelings of guilt like she did and had to. So, I think, even though it doesn’t seem to serve a purpose anymore, it still is very good it is there.
as someone who struggles with depression, abandonment issues and low self esteem…I agree I think the lying thing has to do with trust, exactly how you said it, if they r lying about anything they could be lying about caring or being there for you….its not a healthy way to live but I can see why jinx reacts that way
The thing is Jinx is still emotionally 10 years old emotionally. Emotionally she’s stuck in the moment before she killed her family. This is symbolized by her not cutting her hair since that day and her body language when she interacting with Silco. Some people found it creepy but to me it was a little girl climbing on and curling up on the lap of her dad and not sexual grooming.
in the middle of the episode right now and on jinx and her thing with lying— i think it’s possible that she has a thing against lying because she can’t exactly trust what’s reality or not as well :0 silco was her guiding beacon since he took jinx in, and it would be safe to assume that he’s the one she places the most trust in; it’s also not too far of a reach to assume that he knows about her hallucinations and would be the one to calm her and tell her what happened/what’s real or not afterwards. it’s possible one of the reasons she dislikes being lied to is because, when you can’t tell apart what happened in reality and what didn’t, being lied to by the person you thought you could rely on to ground you would trigger her insurmountable trust issues it’s possible it registers in her brain as another betrayal by the person she trusted most, 0-100 just an idea i wanted to share !! personally-speaking, when i dissociate, i have to sort of sit down and recap what i remember happened with people i trust, who can attest that x or y happened, that this person said this thing or that person suggested otherwise, etc. it can be grounding for me when i snap out of it eventually
The whole “love me for who I am now” thing really hits home for me because I was talking to my mother not too long ago about wanting to get top surgery because I’m non binary and her reply was “You’re already not you, why would you want to change even more?” The me she knew was never me, but that’s the me she knew and so this isn’t me anymore.
When this popped up in my feed I literally screamed. This is my favorite series ever, it’s what made me acknowledge my abandonment issues and actually start being able to work through them. I never recommended it here before because I know you guys don’t do series but I’m so so happy other people bugged you enough about it to do it. It’s literal gold.
The thing she has about lying might be connected to the scene where Mylo talks badly about her when she’s not in the room but spies on the older siblings through a hole in the wall. She hears her sister agree with Mylo and rushes off. We, the audience, stay with the group though and hear how Vi continues, actually turning her supposed “agreeing” into an ironic remark about how Powder- in contrast to Mylo- was incapable of constant whining and so on… From Powder’s POV this issue was never resolved though and I think it might have been very confusing for her, especially when Vi later comes to her, to calm her down and tell her how she’s special and strong. We just take it for granted, that Powder has somehow been consoled by Vi’s words but consider it from Powder’s perspective, especially when later she felt that Vi abandoned her: Had her sister been lying to her after all, when she said she believed in her? What else did she lie about? I love this show so much.
OH MY GOSH, THEY DID IT?? THEY DID ARCANE?? IT’S HAPPENING This episode was fantastic. I appreciated hearing more about psychosis from Jono since it’s not something I know much about so I didn’t feel I had the full context of what was going on with Jinx mentally, and I liked hearing Alan’s breakdown of the leg stapling scene and all the techniques used to make it so intense. Thank you for this episode!! I’ll be fascinated to hear what you have to say about Silco
As someone whos very young and coming out of a very toxic relationship, hearing you talk about guilt and loving people as they change is so real on so many levels. I do have my own therapist but coming hear and listening to you guys break things down is like a second therapy. Thank you guys, keep doing what you’re doing.
Are you going to do an episode reacting to the second season of Arcane? I love this episode of yours, and I love Jinx in Arcane, as a person who has suffered with psychosis and have cptsd it speaks to me, and it’s the first time I’ve seen it portrayed on screen in a realistic and non-prejudice way. <3
Thank you for this article, I disagreed your earlier takes on Silco (and Jinx) The rest of your content was far more convincing, but this brings it all together I would never want to live in a city with silco in it, but if I was unlucky enough to, I would want silco fighting on my side. I still think Silco is a Libertarian/An Cap in that he wants people to be independent, and their unrestrained creativity is going to be the engine of progress (also very similar to Singed’s views and they work together for that reason). He even makes a joke about “progress” in the parley with Jayce. Except I think it was a tongue in cheek joke, that they have their own separate visions for progress. In that way the 2 cities have a different vision and approach to progress. This leads me to a topic / symbolism that I have not seen you or many other people pick up on. The two cities’ respective magical sources of power. <<>> Its funny no one points out the symbolism of the two technologies. They are 2 different philosophic / axiomatic systems – external / technological vs the internal / biological No one seems to ever talk about this analysis angle. In particular w/ Silco and Singed / Zaun being the invested in Chemtech, while Jayce/Council being in Hextech. It even plays into the audience tropes with Hextech being given a good/blue/ethereal visual, while Chemtech/Shimmer is mysterious purple ooze/goo/nasty. I actually found that one of the most blatant, least nuanced and lease immersive imaginings in the entire show.