Arcane: Viktor. The Importance of Imperfection.

[@neilhannan5112]

You always wanted to cure what you thought were weakness, your leg, your disease, but you were never broke. Victor, there is beauty in imperfection -Jayce S2E9

[@chrishaven1489]

This quote is kinda undercut by the fact that Viktor's "imperfection" was a terminal illness. Of course he wanted to cure it.....He as going to die. Imagine walking up to a cancer patient and calling their condition a "beautiful imperfection" that you should embrace. That quote is remarkably tone deaf

[@seabinic]

i don’t think their relationship is purely platonic, or purely sexual, rather, a secret third thing soulmates

[@sagehawk12]

Viktor become Odin, not Jesus. Odins pursuit of knowledge destroys him in ragnarok. Same thing happens to viktor

[@SaintAliaTheCat]

I'd say he became Asclepius, God of medicine, related to the Sun, reborn, brings back people from the dead, hurt by lightning... his design also reminds me a lot of Osiris with how he causes the plants to grow in the commune, and his purple body looks necrosed. His astral plane helmet also forms Thanatos' symbol, and the chaos storm tendrils look like depictions of the Sun in Egyptian paintings! Plus, Rio is a salamander, a symbol of rebirth, and rio means "river" in Latin languages, a symbol also associated with Asclepius (plus the sheperds staff). Odin is too close to storm motifs, and his situation with being hanged + losing one eye reminds me of Caitlin and Silco.

[@loustsol]

@@SaintAliaTheCatI enjoyed your comment a lot :)

[@SaintAliaTheCat]

@loustsol I'm happy to hear! Mithology and arcane go hand in hand. It's a fascinating subject!

[@tserln1149]

A little unrelated, but it's so cozy and peaceful in your comments from what I've seen, despite people voicing contradicting opinions on a topic fans online have been arguing about non-stop, calling each other delusional, media illiterate, and so on, with barely any civil discussions since the show concluded. Nice to see the opposite here. I think that says a lot about you as a creator and a person, makes you want to engage with your content more

[@AFlyingWalrus]

Thank you ❤️ From the beginning I’ve tried to foster discussions in the comments rather than emotionally charged discourse. Same for the discord (which admittedly can be quiet at times)

[@abigailaceves9230]

When I heard that Arcane will end at season 2, I was worried about how Vi & Jinx will end up that I did not expect Jayce & Victor to be the one to end the conflict, with help from a certain Boy Savior of course. Then I have to remind myself that while the emotional core is the sisterly love story, Jayce & Victor were the ones that kick started the whole story; it begins with them and ends with them. I do still think it could’ve been better if the writers were given more time or at least have one more season, but how their story went about and ended is GENIUS!

[@Star_Stormz]

THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFULLY DONE. I love this guy sm

[@santinograziano8977]

Great Video, Viktor is by far one the best written characters in the series. And his corruption Arc is so heartbreaking to see. It is very similar to your Vander analysis, sometimes good intentions aren't enough, sometimes good intentions are the sentence of a slow death.

[@malarcher5580]

excellently written video, made me appreciate his character even more

[@melferburque]

deep intimacy without sex can be a far stronger connection. they didn't have to bone to love each other deeply.

[@jstand6846]

Bromance is a thing, I have very close relationships with my bros. We hung, we say I love you man. Doesn't mean we're homosexual. I don't think Victor and Jace were gay for each other.

[@herminlionel1909]

Exactly 👍

[@mane53017]

This was so funny yet so profound to read

[@Hæy_Jack]

​​@@jstand6846 Beautiful, but this thing of "bro" gives me the impression of someone who's desperately trying to prove it's a platonic bond and they are not gay. Which bothers me a little, because I'm gay; but I get the point, it's just that my experience with the whole bro thing wasn't particularly pleasant, but it doesn't mean it's a bad thing, quite the opposite, actually.

[@jstand6846]

@Hæy_Jack that's your impression 🤷. Bro is just slang for brother, and I treat my closest friends as they are one of my brothers. They came to visit me and my wife after we had our first born, just like my actual brothers.

[@julienpoplawski8339]

I love Viktor so, so much. He resonated with me so much in season 1 (physically disabled, clawed my way into academia from a poor background, anxious about imperfection), and the fact that he became the center point for season 2 was so important to me. I think your entire analysis here is really excellent, and articulates a lot of the points I have been mulling over in my head since I saw season 2 a few weeks ago. One theory I did want to pop in and present - while it's certainly possible that the mage in season 1 not looking like Viktor's ultimate form in season 2 could have been a simple human oversight, I think it's really interesting to dig into that discrepancy from a watsonian perspective as well. Arcane has actually shown us other flashbacks where the original is different from the one shown when the character is remembering that scene! I think what we're supposed to assume with those is that the we're seeing that scene how that character *remembers* it being, not necessarily how it *objectively* happened. So if we take into account the fact that 1) Jayce encountered the mage a very long time ago, as a child and 2) he was remembering it as a dream to boot, I don't think it's a huge leap to just see those differences as the fault of Jayce's memory and a way to bury the lede. Another video essay I watched focused on the motifs in the soundtrack, and the motif that plays when the two of them are together also played during that scene of Jayce's encounter with the mage - so the creators of Arcane clearly planned for that to be Viktor from the beginning.

[@lorettabes4553]

The grin on my face when you started talking about their love for each other. JUST.... yes! I agree. They love each other, I'm not sure sexually or not, but a certain type of love is there. The broader definition of Love, if you will.

[@herminlionel1909]

I don’t think every intimate connection you have with other people needs to be sexual or romantic.

[@llamaboss2514]

Everything you listed in the second half of the video certainly proves that Viktor and Jayce had an incredibly deep, nuanced, and loving relationship, but I don't understand why that proves that their relationship was romantic. Relationships between parents and their children, between siblings, and between freinds can be unbelievably intimate, so I don't understand how their relationship MUST have been romantic for it to retain its complexity. I think both interpretations have merit, but a platonic relationship with this level of depth is so rare in media, that I just find it far more compelling. Regardless though, the fact that Arcane is so complex that even the creators have different interpretations of characters and their relationships is just so cool, and your video did a FANTASTIC job at pulling back the curtains and revealing some of that complexity. It feels like every video about Arcane that I watch makes me appreciate it even more, so thank you!

[@denisvodovozov1099]

I highly agree with your point about Jayce and Viktor's relationship, and it annoys me slightly that people vehemently ship them.

[@lorettabes4553]

I love my gay ships, but I definitely feel the same way about these two. I can see their love. I see how deep it is. But I see it as platonic or romantic to a degree. I just have trouble seeing the physical side of the ship. I'm demisexual myself and doubt that all relationships need to kiss to be 'official'

[@rudyh721]

Yeah I don’t get why people can’t just be good friends in media anymore. It kind of cheapens it sometimes if every single close relationship between two people has to be romantic

[@samehere310]

just a tip to anyone writing platonic relationship in media pls dont put platonic bonds in parallel or in rivalry with your romantic one. thats just not how platonic bonds work

[@paradoxtatorstudios9681]

yeah I don't get why everything has to be romance, i agree that platonic relationships have been so rare, which is odd, because both romance and friendship has value yet people value the former much more. could just be me being romance averse to be honest though, lol. but i will acknowledge that Viktor and Jayce can be seen as either.

[@StreamKArt]

i'm personally in the camp of them being more friends than lovers, cause you can love someone as deep as this and still be platonic. i'd do the same for my closest friends, male, female, and otherwise, and i don't want to be in a relationship with any of them. love isn't just romantic, it comes in all forms. soulmates just means you have a bond with someone like no other, one that is inherent and you can feel it deep in your soul. I like the idea that it's platonic love between them, because to me, it feels more authentic, pure, and real. not corrupted like with Mel and Jayce

[@Blynx1991]

That comes across as a quite cynical view on romance. I lean more towards what you're saying, just because it was more implied/inferred in comparison to Cait/Vi. I can see either case and both can be equally as deep and meaningful.

[@StreamKArt]

@@Blynx1991 how is it cynical?

[@Blynx1991]

@@StreamKArt That they view romance as less real/authentic and pure.

[@StreamKArt]

@Blynx1991 I see your point. I'm just so used to people only looking at the sexual tension between the two, and with how casual that kind of stuff is now a days I don't really view it as romantic between the two, just people trying to satisfy their fantasies. Maybe it's just cause I'm ace and never been in a romantic relationship that I just have a different view on it

[@Blynx1991]

@@StreamKArt Honestly? I had an inkling that you may have been (asexual). I get it, friendship can be just as deep as romance and the 'mainstream' seems to not even realize that's a possibility, let alone desirable for anyone. Like I said, I agree with your take. I'm more trying to point out that if you 'other' the other types of relationships - you're doing the same thing (in principle) you're likely tired of. Maybe you're aware and that's a part of your point. You won't convince anyone with that argument though - if anything you'll make people too defensive to hear the crux of your point. It's like the reaction I see to the Cait/Vi 'sex scene' - people are mischaracterizing it as pointless at best, gooning at worst. It's like sex makes some people so uncomfortable that they don't realize there's story telling going on thru the sex scene. Like sex scenes only exist to titillate, which I get because it's more frequent than effective sex scenes. That doesn't mean that any sex scenes are pointless and just there to drool over. Anyways, love ya mate~ Here's to more asexual representation!

[@JFlint.02]

Dude, thank you so much for this video. You covered perspectives I don't think I ever would have considered. Some even made me tear up, which was very unexpected. It's beautiful that Viktor inspired you so much, and now you're here inspiring us. Thanks walrus man

[@ufshih]

Okay you showed me so well here that I’m convinced. They love each other. And, not to play with words here, but not in a relationship does not mean not in love with each other. I just LOVE how you talked about relationships in Arcane.

[@-Spartanoblivion1515]

Well the writers did say that every character in season 1 that now appeared in season 2 will be the opposite of who they were in season 1.

[@Sherberythrill]

Christian Link never actually said that Jayce and Viktor are dead. He said they were disintegrated and that it was "their end". Very, very specific language used there and in League lore, it can be a very important distinction. The man is also known for being very unreliable when it comes to his comments and their accuracy too; after making the comments he did in the Afterglow interview, he did appear to walk them back on X. He's also done an interview with Necrit specifially saying they wanted to explore Viktor more, which Amanda Overton has echoed. The animators took their time to animate them being pulled into the rune, I have a suspicion that that will pay off one day. I've found a lot of people liked Arcane for being grounded in very HUMAN characters, for all that it's a fantasy setting. General audiences seem to prefer their fantasy and magic to come in smaller doses. I've never been one for that, though. What Viktor did and what he represents in League lore is very, VERY interesting to me. In Runeterra, you are born with Arcane abilities or you are not. There are also a few specific ways to come into power: ascension through the Sun Disc, ascension via the Aspects on Mount Targon, wielding a World Rune, falling foul of Wild Magic like Ivern did... But none of these fit how Viktor achieved his power. I am dying to know more! Also, frankly, it surprises me that a character like LeBlanc seemed almost entirely unbothered by what Viktor was doing. His shenanigans certainly LOOKED rather world ending, yet she was focussing all her energies on recruiting Mel. Knowing what she and the Black Rose stand for and what they are trying to prevent and knowing that she and the resources she commands were more than powerful enough to knock Viktor on his ass is... so, so odd to me. It feels like we've only started unravelling things, rather than reach a true conclusion.

[@firebat9664]

Dang this got me to tears. What an incredible video! Your videos always slap! Such an amazing channel

[@wingedhybrid16]

14:15 Yet another detail that I didn't catch the first couple times watching S2E1, BUT why was Viktor missing his shirt? Makes me think someone tried to resuscitate him. And I can only think of one person who was present, would probably know how, and even give a damn to try.

[@lorettabes4553]

18:00 SAME, these amazing stories definitely warped my own expectations for love (lmao)

[@madpostman]

Amazing analysis of Viktor! Next to Ekko and Jinx, he's on my top 3 favorite characters. ^_^ Viktor always had good intentions when it came to helping the people, but those ideals became extreme and corrupted when he started working on the Hexcore. This delves deep into Runeterra lore, but I believe Viktor was influenced by the Hexcore-or what I theorize to be "The Watchers within the Void" (through Sky)-when he looked too long into the Hex Gate in S1, Episode 5 (aka staring into the Arcane). The Watchers stared back at him. Their goal was to push him into turning the world into "fields of dreamless solitude". As for whether Viktor and Jayce have romantic feelings for each other, I don't believe so. Perhaps there’s a hint of it from Viktor, but not from Jayce. I see their bond as incredibly profound, but more akin to a friendship and brotherhood, similar to Frodo and Sam from "The Lord of the Rings".

[@Sherberythrill]

Yeah, I agree. A lot of Arcane's storytelling is between-the-lines, especially for Jayce and Viktor's story. It is very heavily implied that the Hexcore was in the driver's seat by the end; though whether it took him over or if Viktor just surrendered the reins is a bit more up for interpretation. Way back in Season 1, when he goes to destroy the Hexcore after it kills Sky, the Hexcore physically flinches back when he goes to strike it. When he then cannot do it, it punishes him for considering it and from then on, he uses his crutch as much as he ever did, despite just running along the docks. The Hexcore was dangerous... and Jayce put it IN HIM. Poor guy had no chance to resist any Other force that may or may not have been there after that. All of the aesthetics that Viktor has scream celestial magic. I have a lot of faith that, while he and Jayce reached the end of their story in Arcane, these obvious hints may mean that the writer's are not done with them.

[@samehere310]

out of everything you said the jayce and viktor being in love getting the most pushback is kind of. i dont wanna be that person but you know

[@whatif3271]

It's bc it's the thing that's the most rooted in uncertainty. Everything else is just a recap of the show. Like that part is the most interpretive part of the video and he literally started that whole section off with essentially calling the audience media illiterate if they didn't agree but also that it was "fine". Also that section is the largest section of this video, so it's not weird that that's the part being argued about the most.

[@samehere310]

@@whatif3271 personally i dont need a kiss or sex scene to solidify a romantic connection so there was nothing uncertain about this framing to me. "i thought i wanted xxx but all i want is you" is the foundational aspect of all love stories so i genuinely struggle to see any other interpretation that would work. plus i find it insulting to their future romantic partners

[@rainbowcloudss_]

14:28 AND he went back for the cane because he didnt have it with him when he was saving viktor. also I love how this video was just a jayvik rant

[@whatsakanra5908]

I caught everything but the vow and hexcore destruction bit. Thank you so much for making me feel like I wasn't going insane when it came to Viktor.

[@viral4983]

Can we get a video on Silco or possible the alternate timeline SilcoxVander? I feel his character is soo much more in depth than it already was in season 1 with the scenes we got of him

[@hardbasskvass597]

100% agree his character means more when rewatching after S2

[@aro480_]

I, personally, still wouldn't call them being in a relationship, more like very close friends/family. Now, relationship isn't necessarily defined by sex, but you neither have to be in one to be intimate with someone.

[@ВалерийШадрин-л5г]

A wonderful tribute. I can totally tell how much this character means to you, and I can stand behind that. And you've picked up on some beautiful perspectives that I haven't, so thanks for that too. Every clue that you've presented as indicative of Jayce and Victor being in a 'relationship' (whatever you mean by it) can be double guessed, can be interpreted in both ways, and that's the beauty of Arcane's writing. All we can say for certain is that they mean a lot to each other, that much is clear. Every such moment I personally didn't see in that way and was still blown away by their dynamic, and I was genuinely surprised to find out that many people see this as a completely obvious gay relationship. I think this says more about us and how we perceive male relationships than about Jayce and Victor. We're too keen to put labels on them, while their relationship defies all labels and makes us reconsider and maybe even rethink them.

[@hrudaymohite6756]

The legend is back

[@wolf1nsoul]

Easily the best Arcane essays on YT, i was waiting for that S2 content eagerly haha!

[@HelloMrTosh]

I watched your Silco video and was so glad to see you touched on this topic because oh my god you put into words my thoughts on the entire relationship between Viktor and Jayce.

[@mepollack]

I also find it baffling how many people try to view what Jayce and Victor had as platonic. It’s like they’re so concerned with any thought of acknowledging it that they would prefer to reduce its dimension and depth in an effort to fit it into a smaller box.

[@tserln1149]

What do you mean "try to view", like people can't just interpret it that way naturally, because of their life experiences, for example. There is no single interpretarion of art generally, you can't claim that any view on it other than romantic is forced when even creators couldn't make up their minds about it. Also, non-romantic = smaller box, really? Familial relationships /profound friendship/platonic soulmates (though i personally don't believe in the concept of soulmates of any type, many people do)are in no way less complex and deep than romantic relationship. One type isn't better than the other, just a matter of preference. Putting down platonic relationships won't give unambiguous mlm romance better representation that it needs.

[@mepollack]

I find that most of the people I’ve spoken to on the matter are very carefully carving out certain scenes from the discussion of their relationship to make their point, which suggests a skew to their perspectives. That’s anecdotal, so I acknowledge that some people may come to believe this is a platonic relationship while considering the whole breadth of their experiences together. Presumably the disagreement among creators stems from distinct interpretations rather than carve outs. And yes, I think treating this as a non-romantic relationship limits it in some meaningful ways. I’m not saying that these other types of relationships aren’t complex or deep, but they’re distinctly different boxes, and I think shutting out the romantic elements of this particular relationship restricts its depth. Also, acknowledging that I think the story and this relationship’s place in it is stronger if this relationship is perceived as romantic is not me putting down platonic relationships. I love platonic relationships done well, I just don’t think this relationship retains some of its strongest elements when it’s viewed as platonic.

[@unicorn1655]

Crazy how the writers didn't expect anyone to ship them

[@unicorn1655]

Viktor was my favorite character in S1 and Jayce was my favorite in S2. Unfortunately their story line was the only fully fleshed out one and treated with care but I'm glad we got it.

[@SunDryll]

I dont have anything to add because youve said it better than i could have, so thank you again for all of you insight and effort in making vids!

[@TheOnlySiggi]

I allways love your Videos

[@RedEveTillDawn]

They were totally in love, you can't tell me otherwise with the facts we've been given 😂

[@WickedHumor]

Yeah they definitely loved each other, but that doesn't necessitate a sexual desire. I think that's the main issue people have. Some people have trouble distinguishing the difference, or that there is one at all.

[@herminlionel1909]

@@WickedHumor Yes. There is a weird idea in modern culture that the deepest, most intimate love between people is always sexual/romantic. I disagree. I think lots of people have fleeting attraction to each other, but the truest bonds are the ones you keep your whole life. Friends and family.

[@alexelion7084]

I personally interpret Victor and Jaces love as an aromantic and asexual love (partly because I am on the aroace spectrum), but not any less meaningful that if it was romantic and/or sexual. I am supportive of other readings though, and however you interpret their relationship, there is no doubt they are soulmates

[@giovannirodriguez3407]

I don’t get whats people obsession with making Jayce and Viktor a couple. Like doesn’t people realize that men can have deep bonds with other men without it being sexual. You have Men in the military who have carried comrades through the worst terrain imaginable for miles, men who are willing to do anything for another because they view comrades as brothers. Hell Viktor saved Jayce from committing suicide. Do you imagine how amazing it must feel to have a complete stranger save you without knowing and then risking it all to help you prove a life long theory? The show also has shown Jayce loving Mael, and Viktor didn’t display affective emotions to others because he was busy doing hextech breakthrough. I loved Cait and Vis relationship but that was built upon. It showed the struggles and the desire but with Jayce and Viktor it was only work, and friendship. Every character in Arcane is written beautifully but Viktors story impacted me the most Id say. His story of Ambition mixed with the desire to help others made him different. Negative and positive traits. His views and character values lies in the lines of in searching for greatness we forgot to do good and their is always a choice. To be this sleeped on charcater only to ascend to godhood, win in every possible line and to then learn that life without pursuit and suffering made people shells. To then trust his only friend to help him see the error of his ways. At the end he was forgotten but died knowing that it was better to have problems in the world than have nothing to pursuit. The song the line worked perfectly when he decided to ditch his humanity to “save” the world. We all knew their was no coming back and that he had crossed a line that betrayed his values.

[@jlhn]

It always "men can be friends" as if there weren't 1 millon portrayals of male friendship already in media But if Viktor was a woman, nobody would think twice before calling it romantic Like with Felicia (Vi and Jinx's mom) people jump to conclude that either Silco and Vander must be in love with her, but if it's two guys it's always "nah, you are seeing things" Make it make sense

[@herminlionel1909]

@@jlhnJayce also calls Viktor his “best friend” and says to Mel that the two of them are “like brothers”.

[@jlhn]

@@herminlionel1909 a lot of people call their partners daddy/mommy

[@mane53017]

@@jlhn This is so important to point

[@whatif3271]

​@@jlhnthat's literally not the same at all

[@Macaulyn_97]

There is a reason why people say Jayce and Viktor's final scene is even gayer than Caitlyn and Vi's literal sex scene. Christian Linke can say whatever he wants, he is just one person in that team, a co-writer does NOT have full control over the story.

[@Hohum37]

The showrunner does.

[@Macaulyn_97]

@Hohum37 He does not, in fact. There is a reason why there is a creative team and not just one person in control.

[@Hohum37]

@ The showrunners, Alex and Christian, have final say. They clearly take a lot of notice of their colleagues, and it's very apparent that this was a very collaborative endeavour, but they are not just co-writers.

[@Macaulyn_97]

@Hohum37 Not collaborative enough, we know Christian clearly didn't watch his own show (or he's just straight up homophobic).

[@mdafneirais]

Amazing video, I agree so much with everything you said.

[@fleaguss]

Bromance, thats what this is. These are loyalties made that are deep and primal between men.

[@Sergioshi_]

I will ship them until the end of times but I honestly don't think they were ever close to being "in love". Yet I believe leaving it unanswered truly stimulated people more than just making jayvik an official thing, specially in the fanart domain haha

[@Frosty_46]

Hints.. HINTS WHAT DO YOU MEAN DID YIU EVEN SEE SEASON ONE EVERYTIME THEY MADE EYE CONTACT THERE WAS SO MUCH TENSION THAT IS NOT CONSIDERED A HINT BRUV that was in all our faces Edit : 11:47 *BUZZER LIE

[@ligh7ningx7]

i don't agree with Jayce and Viktor shipping. I saw it as 2 people who came from nothing, determined to make their dreams come true. in meeting each other, they finally found someone who felt the same way. just as arcane was the story of 2 sisters torn apart by the world they grew up in. that same world was where two lone dreamers found brotherhood and found they are not alone. it is dumb to make them being gay as a subtext, it serves no purpose. It took way too much time to finally consummate Vi and Caitlyn, than move on to F'n Maddie whom i loathe. i would do any of the same things for my own brother as Jayce and Viktor did for each other. accepting that love is love no matter what, means love for someone you don't want to have sex with is just as valid

[@lakedentist4819]

"yes jayce and viktor were in love" HOLY BASED??????

[@George_5050]

Wouldn't that be anti-based?

[@CrimsonCharan]

11:15 Arcane is full of great media literacy tests, as well as great litmus tests on how a person views humanity. 3 in particular stand out to me: Is Vi wrong to stay with Cait? Both in general, and especially in 2x08. Is Silco a flawed revolutionary or an exploitative opportunist? And perhaps most interestingly, Are we giving Jinx too much empathy and leeway?

[@shadowgamer4306]

Flying Walrus can you do a video about Andor, Studio Ghibli films, Batman from MatReeves or the new show Penguin?

[@AFlyingWalrus]

I’m slowly getting through my backlog 😅

[@mrglassscience]

I loved Viktor's arc. It was so meaningful and philosophically profound. Great analysis. I only wonder why two people can't have complete and unconditional love for each other without a physical relationship.

[@herminlionel1909]

Amen to that 👍

[@santinograziano8977]

Flyng Walrus I'm writting a Fan Fiction about how Ekko saved Jinx and not only that as an improvement to the Ending. Could I sent it to You somewhere and share it if You like it? It would help a lot a writter aspirant. Thanks!!!!

[@AFlyingWalrus]

By all means drop it in the discord. If you do I can almost guarantee Furple will spread it like wildfire

[@santinograziano8977]

@@AFlyingWalrus oka

[@santinograziano8977]

@@AFlyingWalrus which chat I send it???

[@mudshrooze]

They arent in a relationship with each other. They were friends best friends brothers in arms. Yall are stupid

[@lakedentist4819]

u mad

[@mudshrooze]

​@@lakedentist4819im correct. They were written as genuine brothers. Like friendships should be. But you baboons turn everything sexual

[@eientakara]

Love needs not be sexual.

[@simke3125]

As much as i "liked" S1 with Cait and Vi being Gay, i did not really care, but it kinda felt a little bit "forced". So much i hate this Season. It gave me literally nothing. Oh it did: indoctrination. Before the Season started i asked myself: who will be the next Gay Character and here we go.... it feels again, very forced. All your arguments you make about Jayce caring for Viktor, is the same as a friend would do for his best friend or his beloved friend who is sick. The development was soooo obvious it literally made me quit watching this show. Too obvious, not enough story for my taste, and too much forced Character development into this indoctrination, which felt very unnaturally put in there. I watched your Video out of respect for your previous Video about Silco, but this one didn't do it for me.

[@isaw9969]

I am really curious why so many of yall love how they handled Viktor in s2, when it seems that yall like your own interpretation of his character, emotions and plot more than what we actually had. Viktor in season 2 just kind of exists. Shit just happens to him. He's MIA for at least a third of the runtime, and when he is shown, he acts less as his own fully realised person and more like a tool other characters use to progress their own plotlines. He has agency but lacks true autonomy, and as a result he doesn't really do anything unless somebody else's story necessitates it. Further, he spends the last quarter of his screentime dressed in the reinterpreted trappings of an eponymous character he does not actually resemble, co-opting aspects of an aesthetic that make no sense for the person he's become and paying lip service to a contrived worldview he should not actually believe. Season 2 never gives us space to feel with Viktor, to think or breathe with him (though this is a wider problem with Season 2 in general). He has, what? one? scene alone, and it lacks any kind of insightful information about his state of being. Even in the arcane dimension, he's kept constant company by Sky, a character whose presence adds nothing of value to an already overcrowded cast. At no point do we see him meaningfully struggle, even though he can attribute his current existence to Jayce violating his humanity in the name of love-using the very object Viktor begged him to destroy to do it. This is prime material for internal and interpersonal conflict, yet the writers did nothing with it. Let Viktor get frustrated! Let him get mad! If I were him, I'd be furious and betrayed. We know he has the capacity for anger, we've seen his outbursts: let him have at it! Jayce and Viktor’s divorce arc could have (and should have) contained so much more divorce. Then there's the whole cult leader angle: in his previous life, Viktor was shown to be a relatively reclusive scientist who didn't spend a lot of time with others outside the lab. He is not shown to be a leader, instead mostly content to work in the background while others handle external optics. He appears friendless throughout child and adulthood, demonstrating no substantive personal bonds beyond Jayce and Singed. Does Viktor not struggle at all with the fact that he is now the messianic leader of a quasi-religious movement? How does he feel about being a figurehead? Does he ever question his competence or worthiness, especially given how he became the way he is? Deep down, does he feel his position is something he deserves? And how does he feel about being able to affect direct change upon those in need? Was he ever uncomfortable with the idea of being able to control his followers' bodies and minds? Does he even like practising magic, or does he really yearn to return to the lab? Let's also not forget the way his physical state would affect how he interacts with the world around him. How might a sudden ressurection as an able-bodied immortal shape his emotions, his worldview? Does this arcane-powered form cause him to feel new physical sensations, or stop him from feeling old ones? Does he struggle to accept his strange new body, abled as it is? Where could that show through in his actions? I've seen people say that being fused with the Hexcore has dulled his emotions, but if that's true, then the writing does a pretty poor job of delivering that information impactfully. I can buy into an end point where his becomes emotionally distant, but we don't get to see him grow into that state of being. The idea that he simply 'woke up like that' is not only boring and lazy, but it makes the final scene where his mask breaks away completely nonsensical. LoL Viktor is obsessed with mitigating and eliminating human error. He dedicated his life's work to saving lives, automating processes and building intelligent machines to improve safety in a highly polluted city that regularly experiences industrial disasters. It took a long term mental health decline-and eventual crisis-for his obsession to mutate into the belief that becoming more machine-like (incl. eliminating error caused by emotional interference) is humanity's next evolutionary frontier. Arcane Viktor hits none of these beats in a meaningful way. While he could absolutely come to a similar conclusion via different means, we don't see the journey it took to arrive at these beliefs. Plus, most of his screentime with/as the arcane is spent attempting to cure physical ailments, not emotional ones. So where is this talk about curing people of their emotions coming from? And why is he suddenly piloting 500 mannequins? Speaking of: where did all these mannequins even come from? Were they created specifically for an assault on Piltover? Who built them? Where did they get the materials; what was the lead time on that? Finally, as much as I casually enjoy Jayvik, their ending doesn't sit well with me. It sees Jayce acting the saviour to a version of Viktor that he played several direct roles in creating, yet he never acknowledges his own culpability in bringing Viktor’s corruption about. He has not, in my opinion, demonstrated sufficient understanding of just how deeply fucked what he did to Viktor was for their ending to be in any way earned. I get that they love each other, but a lot has happened between the explosion that ended season 1 and the grand yaoi finale of season 2. They spent 98% of that time No Contact and a further 1% actively attempting to murder one another. Jayce and his universe's Viktor haven't had enough meaningful interaction for me to believe a single celestial conversation would peacefully resolve their issues. And why is Viktor suddenly a wet rag? Where's his conviction? He's not the only one at fault here! Just. How are you all able to eat up the plate of nothingness Riot has given us??? Do yall not hear yourself???

[@blumae1170]

imo I think what people need to remember, this is Arcane Viktor, very different from League Viktor. Every character is different to their league counterpart, but Viktor is the one that's basically almost an entirely new character. Now why I love Viktor's character in Arcane is, FOR ME it's quite obvious that the moment he woke up after being revived by the hexcore. How he acts, looks and feels are altered by the hexcore seen especially in the physical realm. There's an obvious disconnect on what he sees on his own space, and how acts in the real world. Look at the times where he talks, there's an obvious difference in how the emotions he expresses are showing. His eyes in the real world has the anomaly color, but in his own headspace it's golden-brown, his eyes before he "died". Hexcore basically sublty manipulates and encourages him to do things via using Sky's image and he's guilt of accidentally killing her. Viktor has always wanted to help people, the Hexcore this time have given him this ability to do this directly, however he obviously doesn't know what's really happening. It's the very reason he doesn't get mad becuase the he technically able to do what he wanted to do at the first place: help people (help the people of Zaun). Imo, him leaving Jayce at S2 ep 2, is him having had enough with Jayce now respecting something he values. He seems really confused and still processing what happened. It does seem that he isn't angry at Jayce for not going through his promise of destroying the hexcore, but remember there's a time skip and Arcane Viktor seems to be more forgiving than his league counterpart. When he saw Jayce again, he asked him to come visit him since he wants to show what "good" his done rather than focusing on the bad. Arcane Viktor seems to be more sympathetic and empathetic towards other people compared to the League Viktor, especially given now that he gained the ability to see the memories of someone. This new ability have given him the ability and drive in trying to save Vander multiple times no matter how long it take. Like he said he thinks saving him is worth it. He's able to understand Singed's motivation behind his "mutation must survive" thing when he suddenly held his hand, or with how he challenged something that Jinx has been believing in herself to be true, which is her talent is to destroy things.

[@blumae1170]

Viktor at s1 obviously expresses emotions more freely, but still keeps a level head approach while staying true in his own ideals/values. At s2, he might not be expressing himself freely due to the hexcore's influence, but like in s1, he approaches problems with logic with understanding. Now in the topic of Viktor being in a cult. Viktor Arcane is NOT a cult leader, he looks like it, but he definitely doesn't act like it. Like in the league version, a cult has formed around him, but instead of ignoring them or disliking them, he just lets them be. He doesn't seem to mind them or interact with them. There's also the whole hexcore thing, which I think what really created this hivemind community and why this people who willingly came for Viktor's help stays at the commune. Now, with the whole "eliminating people's ....." issue. As I said before, Viktor himself is already someone who does like to approach things logically and with as little to no violence as much as possible. He's very much a pacificist. He's whole life is him trying to help people, but time and time again (directly or indirectly) people have been hindering him to do that due to personal reasons: Let's look at some examples shall we Heimerdinger is afraid of the arcane/magic due to him witnessing the rune wars. He is seen repeated shown either cautious, or downright rejecting the idea of using hextech, which uses magic. This pretty much delays viktor's ability to help people. Councilor BolBok, Hoskel and other councilors are more interested in profitting, instead of using it to help the people. This is shown in s1 ep4, when Jayce proposed to shutdown all hextech operation after Jinx's attack. Viktor is present at this scene. Technically the whole council seems to only sponsor things that will benefit piltover since no matter how good Jayce and Viktor's intentions are, the council decides what will be shown since not a single hextech device is used to help zaun/undercity after the first time skip. Mel's proposal of using hextech as a weapon in s1 directly opposes Viktor's intentions with the use of Hextech. He himself also possesses a very human mistake, his reckless attitude of experimenting with hexcore/shimmer which caused the death of Sky. Another thing that he doesn't want his creation to do Singed and Ambessa's whole proposal which he declines. Singed trying to convince him that letting Vander become warwick is beneficial since this allows them to "cure death" which all stemmed from his inability to accept his daughter dying. Ambessa recruiting him because she's scared of the black rose, especially after Kino, Mel's brother, death. She both used the same idea of helping Singed and Viktor with whatever they need, as long as they help her in return to fight or create weapons against the black rose. She's a cornered animal. Jayce shooting him at the commune is what made him realize that humanity as a whole, after all he encountered after he tried and tried again in his mission to help people, is what actually hinders him. Humanity's innate ability to hate, love fear, or expression of emotions in general is what keeps people from being helped, he views the very humanity of the people as self-destructive. We can also thank the hexcore to further create a disconnect between his own humanity. The mannequin first came from the people in the cult his in. In fact, the mannequin who fought Jayce and Mel at s2 ep8, is Huck. The same guy that's a waiter in s1 ep 1, drug addict at s1 ep 6, and the one who welcome people outside the commune at s2 ep6. It is definitely huck since if you look at his design, it's the same thing with the mannequin. These mannequin is definitely made a metal that's been transformed into that look. We can actually sort of see this happening when Viktor first "healed" Huck. When he touched Huck's head, there's the magic whirling and if you look closely, it also pulls in various metals in the environment. This resulted into Huck's look in s2 ep 6 and it seems like a partial transformation wherein Viktor only changed what's willing them, unlike with S2 ep where he completely replaces Huck and other's entire being into this Robot/Mannequin. Viktor does this with touch (same with how he puts someone in the hexcore hivemind). He's with Singed at this very moment. We can see that Singed already did something with Viktor, but just haven't done it all the way through. He is waiting for Viktor's consent/decision, as seen in s2 ep 8 where after Jayce once again shot him with the mercury hammer, he told Singed "you may begin the process, professor". If your're still wondering where the 500 mannequin came from since the commune definitely doesn't have that population size. In s2 ep 8, ambessa offered her own soldiers because she believed that Viktor will make her soldiers stronger. It's also seems to be an easy thing to do for Viktor since he really just need to touch someone and they're not part of his hivemind. Jayce's whole breakdown at s2 ep7 is him realizing things, especially all the bad things that he played a part with, directly or indirecty. He repeatedly says things along the lines of not wanting what's happening. Jayce is a very flawed person, there's an ongoing trend of him doing things because of his emotions. He is very rash in his decisions, especially if it's about something related or will affect poele he cares about or even believes in. He goes all in all his decisions and doesn't consider what might be the consequences until the last minute, he doesn't haggle, brings up magic in his trial, doesn't question Cait forging his signature, checked all the corruptness in the council, which put him in the bad light with them, until he went full political, retired heimerdinger because he doesn't approve of the Hexcore which Jayce now view as something that could cure Viktor, go into raid with vi, and lastly his rash decision of meeting with silco. It's repeatedly shown how flawed he is, hence why people HATES him especially at s1. He's very human, which IMO why he makes the perfect foil against Viktor. Jayce at s2 act 3 have come to terms he did bad things and it resulted to this. Ep 7 is him having the whole mental breakdown and reflecting. With the images of Viktor and Mel, while he's having a mental breakdown, he's definitely been thinking about the the whole thing. The only thing he can do at that moment is stop this Viktor and do what he promised Mage Viktor. You could say that might be one of the reasons why he felt the need to stay with Viktor at the end. If you rewatched s2 ep9, Jayce repeatedly tries to appeal and stop Viktor, but it doesn't work because Viktor is now in completely interwoven with the Hexcore. He only was able to talk and get to the real Viktor for the first since s1 ep 9, when Ekko throwed the small anomaly, it broke a part of the hexcore's control. Remember Viktor has the ability to see someone's memories when they touched them, at that very moment he saw what will be the end of this whole thing if he continued via seeing Jayce's memories. He saw Jayce's memory of his time with Mage Viktor and their conversation. It doesn't seem like Viktor really cared about someone individually, but as shown by Mage Viktor, Jayce is very important to Viktor that it's the only place that's thriving (clear weather, full of flowers with very interesting meaning) and person that has a unique features compared to other robots in that s2 ep7 universe. Jayce is the only person who allowed him to see the error oh his ways, because he is the only one he cared about individually. Viktor in the main universe has finally seen what's really happening because of this, and have broken out of the hexcore's control. To atone for what he's done he decides to "destroy" the hexcore even if he doesn't really have a full control of what's happening with him. Jayce joins him with this decision because he also believes he needs to atone for all the things that happened. Directly or not they both decided to atone for something together, like what they've always been since the creation of Hextech. I love Viktor, he's my favorite character. I also love JayVik, it's my favorite relationship in Arcane. (Both platonicly and romanticly) I won't delve on why because I've already have written a long essay. I love Arcane, but I can acknowledge the flaws and one of those is definitely how due to the limited aloted time, a lot of things are rushed, which I think we both can agree on. I also wished that the writers executed some things better, especially the whole Hexcore deal. There's also the increase use of "Show, don't tell" approach just to fit everything, which I don't mind, but I've seen a lot of people have become confused about things because of this. Arcane's my fav show, not because it's perfect, but because even with all the flaws I still love it. Loving something is acknowledging both the bad & the good and still continuing to love it. In fact, the only time I can confidently say that I love something is when I can acknowledge criticize something but still love it because of the emotions I felt with it. Imo, it's a very human of thing we do. If you've read all of this, thank you and sorry for the length and incorrect grammar/misspellings here and there. English is not my first language, sorry. I don't want to argue, I just wanted to express my point of view since you sort of implied (at least to me) you're frustration on wanting know on how and why we love this. The fact that you pointed out all your criticisms, which is very fair imo, did solidified to me that arcane, especially s2 lack clarity in showing and explaining the where, what, when, why, and how of something. I hope you have a nice day/night. 💙💙💙

[@abdelkaderkhelifi6897]

Can you provide an example how was he tool to progress other characters plotlines

[@PhaeronServinus]

great video. I gotta say you're reaching massively with the whole gay thing though. Two men can have a good friendship with each other and love each other as brothers without it being some gay romantic thing.