How Ekko Resisted Viktor and His Glorious Evolution | Arcane Season 2

[@MercenaryX84]

In other words, Ekko is built different

[@ravendelacour1917]

More accurately, Ekko rebuilt himself differently.

[@ThatPellGuy]

YES, EXACTLY

[@RaidenKunii]

ive seen someone say on another video that ekko escaped because viktor said everyone wanted a better life, but ekko saw a better life and still declined it just to save his real life

[@ronalddepesa6221]

Bingo! Great take

[@RBTech19]

Thats so true. Like the part when he went to a different timeline a better one, but choses to return

[@Euys7]

You forgot the line Viktor said Pre-Glorious Evolution: "I will help all those willing"

[@Bleep5980]

*evolve

[@yilikaloufoua5374]

I thought it was a bit of a plot hole that even though this was Viktor's mentality starting off, he eventually wanted to force the Glorious Evolution upon everyone. But if I remember correctly, it was after Viktor told Ambessa that he would help all those willing, that he went to Jayce to share about his evolution and was very disappointed that even Jayce, the one person Viktor thought would be exhilarated to witness it, refused to evolve, and it was then Viktor starting believing that he would need to forcibly open their eyes so that they will then understand.

[@Bleep5980]

@@yilikaloufoua5374 He said “Evolve all those willing” referring to the people he already turned to become a mini army for Amanda, along with evolving her soldiers. Victor had the realization to force the glorious evolution onto everyone the moment he “died” from Jayce’s attack. This is why he had that encounter with Jayce in the council room to let him know that he will have to do what is done, ie force the glorious evolution onto everyone.

[@SavageSam42]

Literally any of the others 💀

[@Brainrotteruwu]

Perhaps the line ‘I know their minds, they all want better lives’ has something to do with that, after all that’s what viktor is trying to give them

[@rainbowdash4898]

Victor: Let me take you to Paradise.☺️ Ekko: YA AIN’T GOT SHIT ON MY PARADISE!😠

[@blalmon]

It's a great video. I do want to point out that Ekko specifically sees something in the sky that inspires him to fight on. To me, it looks like a blue and pink grin. Whether you think that reminds him of Powder and the heaven he's already experienced or of Jinx and her habit of blowing up her opponent if she can't defeat them, something gave him that last bit of strength.

[@sleepydeku3399]

I also felt like it was a grim reminder that he HAS to succeed or the entire world is fucked. So he was able to resist just a little longer

[@R_Lins]

As he said on the roof top, instead of focusing on what it isn't he has to focus what it is and can be, it is his home and, as was proven to him, it can be better

[@kiara4345]

There was blue , red, green, .... so powder, vi, the firelights, all his reasons to fight for

[@tofu_golem]

Someone else did a great analysis video about how all the characters are either fixated on something in their past, or so focused on the future that they can't see what is right in front of them. All except for Ekko, who is the only character truly focused on the now. I think that meshes well with the ideas you presented.

[@wetnoodlex]

It's a great interpretation but I personally think it's just wrong. He does start to succumb, but I think he's resistant due to how the Arcane affected him. Jayce was able to do the same until, like Ekko, there was direct contact with the dolls, or in his case, Viktor's hand.

[@jonathanludd]

I saw this analysis on KZbin. It was really insightful - highly recommended. That video once again illustrates how Arcane is actually a piece of literature but using the visual form.

[@valentineezegwu9668]

Please can you share the video link. Thanks

[@aarona7962]

That also plays well into one of Ekko's lines in his original video that introduced him to the game, something along the line of "If you can't make the most of any given moment, you don't deserve a single, extra second."

[@jjstarrprod]

On another note, it's also interesting to note the polar opposite "What if" situations of Jayce and Ekko : Both brilliant scientific genius, both having been pupils of Heimerdinger, but with complete different upbringings. Jayce : a white man with dark hair (Yang), who grew up in a noble family, privileged (with a loving mother who pleaded in court for him so that he would not be jailed), and having achieved great things in his time and being the darling of Piltover, the face of the man of progress, adored by both high and low society of the town. Ekko : A black man with white hair (Ying) who grew up in the slums, impoverished, with no help, no parents, no formal education, and all his parental figures dead and most of his friends disappeared overnight. Out of all the characters in the main roster, Ekko is probably the one who lost the most precious things in one night. He lost his father figure, lost his crew of misfits, his big sis Vi and his crush Powder. And the worst about it : he had nothing to do with it ! (except maybe the tip for the first mission, if we count that one, then yes, he's the actual first falling domino of the whole series, which would make his role of the boy savior at the end that much more fitting). Through sheer grit and willpower, he managed to build a community, with an armed militia with enough flying tech to be able to keep Silco's troops on their toes. In this episode, he gained back everything ! His crush, his friends, his father figures (Benzo and Vander), an actual liveable Zaun, with great air (even Silco's on his side), and he seems if not noble, at least he's dressed pretty slick, looking like a scholar, something he was clearly destined for if life hadn't thrown a monkey wrench (quite literally) in his fate. Everything he lost as a child, he got it back (with the exception of Vi). It's literally the perfect world to him. He's experiencing the ultimate ascent. He's living his ultimate dream (and even get to touch the dream of what could have been with his childhood crush Powder). There, he learns the power of creativity, teamwork (whereas he was always doing things by himself before), love, and to hope again. Hope for a better tomorrow. And yet, he still chooses, out of duty and responsibility, to leave this world behind him. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jayce, up from his high and mighty tower, is now thrown in the worse timeline, getting humbled from all over the place not only by his proudest accomplishment, Hextech, which shows him the final result of his creation : The utter obliteration of all life on Piltover ! But also by his trusted hammer, his family's very symbol, first by being super heavy (since Hextech apparently doesn't work here anymore), so that he's barely able to lift it, like Thor unworthy to wield Mjolnir, dragging him down (and symbolically rejecting him instead of supporting him as it has always done before). Then later, while he stubbornly clings to it despites its weight, when he falls, his hammer actually turns against him by playing the role of the hammer of justice, judging him for his crimes, and breaks his leg, getting him to experience what Viktor has been living all along : a broken leg and constantly on the verge of dying. He then falls all the way down to the deepest & darkest pits of the underworld, Zaun, experiencing the ultimate fall from grace. He has to go through his own version of the Christic 40 days in the desert (replaced here by a deep cave), and it's only through sheer grit and effort, and the disassembling of the symbol of what made him himself & his identity, the hammer, to make his new leg brace... it's only when he sheds his former self, that he's finally able to "ascend" to the highest peak of Piltover, where he sees his own self in this universe, long dead, but beautiful in a creepy way, with new rainbow vegetation growing all over its corpse. He's living his ultimate nightmare. There he learns about the power of responsability, accountability, humility, and a renewed mission to fix his mistakes and save everyone. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Talk about a ying-yang juxtaposition. Both are sent back in the middle ground that is their own world, one that is immensely messed up for Ekko, one that is still alive and thriving for Jayce, each with very different emotions, but with the common goal of saving it. And it's together, as the 2 junior students of Heimerdinger, that they made the ultimate tag team to win against the 3rd (actually first) student of Heimerdinger : Viktor. In the finale, Ekko throwing the time bomb to Viktor's face, having Viktor saying "this device can't be", well, it has been built by the combination of 3 geniuses, 2 of which he never met before & who never had any academic training, just pure raw instinctual geniuses, therefore their brains combined AND the fact it was done in another universe provided the perfect wild card to hit Viktor (the Perfect Order being) from his dead angle : Perfect Chaos. The more I think about it, the more I'm starting to believe that instead of Vi and Jinx, Ekko and Jayce were the actual protagonists of the show. This was perfect storytelling writing and as a fellow animation film director myself, I recon that this must have taken a few years to write and tune it up so perfectly. To all the people saying Arcane season 2 feels unfocused, rushed, and going all over the place, sure, I hear you. It does take us places on a wild ride like Game of Thrones did when it was still good. But I also I feel like the authors had this ending in mind for years, and stayed on course the whole time, right from the get go. And I respect them for that !

[@supastylin06]

Yes. The combination of ying and yang, both living opposite lives in the alternative universe, and the combination of the vision and actions of both solved the conflict. It' s like the chaos balanced itself. It's the vision that when you look too close it seems chaos, but there is a pattern when you see tht big picture, and that tends to balance itself.

[@KewaLIVE]

the fact that we can even consider saying that ekko and jayce were the actual protagonists of the show just shows how good Arcane is.

[@rayzhang3425]

Very well said

[@ricardobejeraste3569]

Holy cow, that analysis, man!!! Now I want some friends to watch the entire show just so I can show your analysis to them, and then have a very long debate on that!! Thank you SO MUCH for your collaboration to reflection and a better understanding!

[@jjstarrprod]

@ricardobejeraste3569 you're welcome. I love flexing my overthinking obsession, and Arcane is just the perfect playground for that.

[@DmentidJester]

Ekko had his own "Chamber" to prevent hearing Viktor's propaganda!!!

[@michaelcarlson1208]

Truly, The Boy Who Shattered Time. The MVP! Great video

[@fredastaire6156]

They way they built up Ekko is nothing short of incredible; his story, his own transcendence… My man is indeed the “Boy Savior” 🤙🏽

[@mahino420]

i am glad u noticed this too, i remember watching that ekko scene and wondering if he purely willed himself out of conversion because what viktor does is show them peace but ekko would rather save his world than give up that easily. that is why he also leaves the much better universe to return to his home one, he is motivated by saving his world than accept an easy life.

[@BlueDiasDB]

Thats a really good catch with him already having been in his own heaven so the glorious evolution didnt work on him!

[@richardaustin4137]

I absolutely agree about what you said about why Ekko was able to resist. I think when Viktor said that he will convert whoever was willing is true to an extent. I think the despair in this show with the present circumstances in the show is so deep and pervasive that in the deepest part of themselves everyone, apart from Ekko, is "lost" in a way that Ekko isn't and submit to Viktor's version of what can be more readily. I mean Heimerdinger was willing to fight for it but didn't want to go back to that reality himself. He chose to die first.

[@Valorsphere]

this is the best explanation ive seen of this so far, and i really like the whole breaking his armor so jayce can actually reach him thing

[@DoctorAppleJUICE]

WHOA! this is such a great take!!! it makes so much sense why jayces and ekkos "Evolution" is different, maybe because they were able to touch the arcane along with whatever experience they had in the alt universe. GREAT VIDEO!!!!!

[@TheCykodude]

I think this better explains why the strings didn't come down for ekko like they did for everyone else, Viktor's intent was to help those willing and quite literally everyone had regrets on how they should of done things differently where as Ekko actively saw how things could have been different and threw it away for what his reality was. In his episode I think it gave him the perspective to focus on the present and fight for what he could still keep or save. He was no longer willing to be "saved" so even when the robots grabbed him the strings didn't go for him. This is beautifully mirrored by Jayce who had nothing but regrets because he knew his existence is what led to the outcome they were facing and thus was the person that wished to be saved the most which is why Viktor himself placed his hand on Jayce.

[@VivaLaPluto1518]

I haven’t seen anyone mention this one yet, definitely the best theory I’ve heard on this, thank you for the video!

[@BradSnyder493]

This is the best breakdown of that scene I’ve come across! You got a follow from me

[@enzoneillette9344]

Ekko his the Goat he got paradise and he taste it, he like it but thanks to the word of the Powder of this Timeline he find the courage, the bravery to let go of it and save the day, the World, everyone in is Timeline if it's wasn't thanks to what he experience in the other Timeline with Powder and everything he went through with her and Everyone, Victor would have win that would be GG , Game over for everyone and Everything exept Victor, Thanks To Ekko and his action Jayce was able to Show what he saw in the futur Timeline he was sent in . So Ekko is truly the Hero of Arcane, the selflness is incredible for the better of the worth😢💔

[@wingedhybrid16]

I wondered how Ekko was able to resist it long enough to struggle and fight back. The points you made make so much sense and make his resistance all the more powerful/meaningful. Thanks for sharing. :D

[@dimitarkolev7594]

Ekko tasted the sweetness of paradise and rejected it so he could return back to the hell where he came from and fight the mind-controlling telekinetic god that is about to eradicate humanity. That's straight up the most stoic shit that anybody has ever done. No wonder he could resist the evolution, his will is simply too strong.

[@BlastOffer]

Only acceptable reason is that he already saw the best that could've been. No Viktor can make it better.

[@CICM_920]

After season one, I thought that Ekko was one of the greatest characters to ever exist. After season two, I KNOW that Ekko is one of the greatest characters to ever exist.

[@awhitney3063]

I looooved Ekko's episode in season 2, the music, the dancing, the moments ~ it was flawless, and I say that as someone who is usually overly critical of anything that tries to use alternate realities or timejumps or anything like that - it feels so overdone everywhere else but entirely new somehow here, even after all of the exhaustion with the MCU and Spiderverse stuff.

[@Adunakhor06]

I don't know if this will be seen, BUT You're absolutely correct, I just always simplified it to "the reason Ekko couldn't be controlled was because of Powder" (makes it sound a bit mushier if that makes sense, but it tends to leave out everything else Ekko had in the other timeline) ALSO More than just breaking Viktor's shell of non-emotions, he also opened his mind to the idea of alternate realities, in the sense that the anomaly inside of Ekko's time device is THE EXACT SAME ONE Viktor had absorbed at the Hexgate, so Viktor's question was how could this exist, since I'm the one who absorbed it? It not only allowed for him and Jayce to have a heart to heart, but it also allowed him to accept that the words coming out of Jayce's mouth were indeed his words from the future/alternate reality. Pretty cool if I do say so myself. ALSO ALSO Another reason Ekko was able to break free was because he didn't WANT a perfect future. He already had that and chose to leave said future for his present, because more than anything he wants to save his timeline, not ignore it and have his own paradise. The one thing that's been shown time and time again in multiple different stories (Like Naruto) is that people don't want a paradise that they know is false, because it's not real. Now the way Viktor goes about things is he doesn't really give them a choice, so most are forced into it, but Ekko is probably the best example of that fact. He experienced 2 paradises, and he rejected both.

[@tezarn]

i saw somone say that ekko already had a glimpse of resl paradise he couldn't be fooled by a fake one

[@GFHCyan]

I think it's when Viktor said that the people he hears are people LOOKING for a better life. Ekko already found it with his AU and wanted nothing else, even chose to leave on purpose. 🎉

[@profdagd007]

your analysis is amazing sir

[@strawberrycatastrofy257]

Beautifully said.

[@Atebitbacon]

Im glad you explained this to me, cus I truly was wracking my brain trying to figure out how the hell Ekko resisted it, and I almost just thought he was built different. I mean he is, but also that was a good explanation.

[@eclecticdementia]

thank you for all these reviews! fucking love ekko!

[@MissingSirius]

Great analysis! It was frustrating to see reactions from people who clearly didn't understand why Ekko was so able to resist.

[@GunnarWahl]

one of my favorite aspects of this is the fact that victor accounted for absolutely everything, except ekko, and I think that has everything to do with the fact he doesn't know him. Zaun has always been over looked, and even a zaunite like Victor didn't see the potential a kid from zaun could have and never factored him in because he was to victor, an unknown. This is why i think they show Victor handing Jayce the different runes, not because he knew which one would change the future, but because he knew he needed to add uncertainty, and it was that variable of ekko, he couldn't foresee coming, that was his downfall but also his future self's goal. I also think the fact that Ekko had Heimerdinger with him was to show that the old yordle knew a lot more about what was going on then he let on, and knew who to put his stock into. In this case, the person Heimer trusted most, was Ekko, over both jayce and victor.

[@hyper_fn_al1459]

HELL YEAAH I'm here for it

[@twopintsofmilk]

Great video

[@scrafy3160]

Ekko himself once said that if you can't make the most out of any given moment, you don't deserve a single extra second. Ekko doesn't fall because he's in the now, no time for any of this "glorious evolution", only right here, right now.

[@dumdum5520]

Damn that is such a cool theory, im all for it

[@bishopewilson4496]

Bro love the content just subscribed

[@CrazedCreative]

I like you're theory. Some modifications I have for you is that Ekko during that battle was rewinding by 1 or 2 seconds. This is indicated by the fact tat when he cranked the dial, he cranked to the red and then past it. The red was the 4 second mark. Also when he rewinds to the point where he's at Viktor, if you rewatch it. It appears he not just comes out of it there, but he cranks the drive before he throws it. Which I believe is what lead to the explosion.

[@tamsindelaharpe1568]

Ekko, our boy savior, ended up being the character in act 3 that my heart was most broken for. I feel like he was the only that got through to Jinx. And arguably he lost the most.

[@4am.Kenopsia]

Alternatively, Ekko has already come to terms with him leaving paradise. He made that choice already when leaving the alternative timeline

[@gabrielbean3478]

I don't know if this is intentional but considering his bridge fight and the pink light in the sky, he may have also very well been inspired by Jinx's method of "I can't beat you? Guess we're BOTH blowing up"

[@Simon-A.-Tan]

So Ekko and Heimi getting grabbed by the anomaly and thrown into that exact reality was crucial for future Viktor's plan to succeed. Dude makes dr. Strange look like an amateur.

[@ThomasMcray]

I'm sorry for ruining the basis of your video, but this is something i haven't seen anyone notice yet and is the only reason I believe ekko wasn't affected by viktor. when the beams are shooting down the hexgate where vi and jinx are fighting vander, an intial beam comes down and hits jinx's eyes, but she reacts to it with shimmer and the beam reflects off. then warwick picks them both up for the beams to connect to them. i believe jinx reflected either the beam that was meant for ekko, or the beam that was meant for her, and then intercepted ekko's beam when vander picked her up. either way jinx is the reason the beam never got down to ekko and he was able to save everyone. let me know what you guys think and definitely go rewatch the scene again.

[@thedoomslayer5863]

i dont think each person only gets one string or beam. I think it would spawn as many as it needed to "i will evolve all those willing" that was what victor said. So he could spawn as many as he wanted. What seems to be the main answer is ekko didnt get one because he was unconscious and probably didnt "register" to victor at the time as an active mind.

[@itmefalco]

Neither Jayce nor Ekko had a beam come down for them, I think it has to do with them both being touched by the Arcane since they are also the only two who managed to delay the transformation after getting grabbed, everyone else went comatose pretty much immediately but Jayce talked to Viktor while the light slowly consumed him and Ekko was able to mess with the Z-Drive while his face was getting all covered. Both needed physical contact for the evolution to start instead of just getting shifted by the beams. You could argue for Jayce, Viktor wanted to do it that way, but for Ekko, no reason to. Jinx intercepting Ekko's beam, idk, I think the beam that got her was just her own that she dodged earlier, I don't think it was separate beam. I also don't really buy @thedoomslayer5863's explanation, seems far too simple and ordinary a foil for a machine god to not notice the firelight boy just cause he was taking a sleepy.

[@nocturno7660]

Idk if I would try to leave a perfect life like that

[@Wealth_paradise]

It’s so enlightening

[@spicyshallots8943]

I think it isn't about the paradise persay but that he broke the rules of arcane (isha and singed also broke the rules) the thematic rule is that everyone is always caught up in the past (traumas) and future (progress) and most of the times forgetting to live in the present now, even ekko was part of this when he explained to diffrent timeline powder that he gave up and was consumed by the ways it wasn't and the time he couldnt kill jimx at the bridge consolidates it. So him refusing paradise was accepting the present not some different timeline present, his present, his home, his jinx, he made a promise not to give up like what he did in the past and he wasnt gonna give it up from a distamt future where all the problems solved the human minds all interconnected no he truly lived in the present and is rightfully called the boy saviour. So some people think that it was duty or smth that made him go away from "paradise" but no it was love for his present

[@callisto1796]

And if you look at the sky it flashes blue and pink when ekko was looking up at the sky which can relate to jinx/powder

[@JustinAquino]

it justs make what he lost even greater.

[@skellyp7804]

have you watched AoT? would love to see your analysis on that! Btw, Ekko the goat. . .

[@Voitan]

Ekko has a great motivation to keep on fighting, because he already saw paradise, and Viktor's is a pale imm- 2:11. Dang, I should just watch the whole clip before commenting. 😂

[@ollie123-q1b]

silcos mind is in warwick, from that back pump

[@NinoMMO]

What i'm wondering is, why he didn't get touched/controlled by the lines that went down to the jinx/vi vs Vander area. Everyone else got touched by one of the lines, even the noxxian soldiers, Mel and Cait. Thats the only thing that feels like a plothole to me, because if he got touched by one of the lines there, it would be over for everyone

[@woent4327]

i believe he was unconscious

[@NinoMMO]

@@woent4327 yeah i'm assuming it has something to do with that, but they never explained to us, that you have to be conscious to be controlled. Don't get me wrong, I'm just curious about this part. Ekkos badass fight in the end was awesome and he's just a chad haha

[@NitroThePro]

It seems that u can actually dodge the beams. Jinx did it before getting caught by Warwick I’m pretty sure

[@manperson6354]

It could be due to his connection to the z drive. Remember viktor third impacting everyone relies on the hexgate anomaly so maybe since ekko has his own its able to hide his presence. Of course once he flies in everyone is on the attack but thats only since they can still see him visually.

[@ThomasMcray]

3 beams were sent down the hexgate for vi, jinx and ekko. jinx reflected the first one with shimmer before vander grabbed vi and jinx to get hit by the other 2. no one's talking about it but i think its definitely the only reason he wasn't affected and was able to save everyone. rewatch the scene and let me know what you think

[@dingoatemykidneys835]

Honestly I just thought it was because Ekko and jayce experienced the Anomaly which is why they were able to resist viktor

[@ronalddepesa6221]

How F@#$& great is ARCANE!?! I can't get over S2, Ep7. I can't... Ps LOVE this take

[@martingonzalez3629]

Ekko is my favorite character in Arcane. I just HATE playing against him in league.

[@jacobruiter592]

Ekko stole the show in my opinion. Also I really disliked VI continuously self sabotaging herself. That is her whole character arc other than learning forgiveness for others.

[@antoninabednarek1970]

Your comment was great, keep going that way

[@murwur]

maybe its because jayce learns to empathise with victor in the absolute darkest moment and hugs him with his exo armor exposed. which is something no other jayce in any other timeline was able to do. you know . your point is quite a stretch. i mean tasting heaven once logically speaking shouldnt be able to give you more resistance against victor. it simply doesnt overweigh the experience jayce had in his timeline of humanities threat of getting extinct . i dunno man.

[@Dlhlaptop]

I need to know! Heimerdinger. I'm not so sewn into the lore, but I've heard that when Heimerdinger dies he goes to his home and it's possible he can come back to life. Back in season 1 he says he's lived long enough to see the horrors of magic, but in this world no one is even talking about the history of magic and how it's destroyed the world. How do you "forget history" that's only 300 years old? Sooooooo do we think Heimerdinger might have been on one of the timelines/universes that Victor destroyed? This dying and coming back to life in this new timeline? Season 1 episode 2 heimerdinger says 'magic is far too dangerous in the wrong hands" then we see Viktor pick up the book.

[@Blerdcalibur]

Yeah Yordles don't die. They basically respawn in their home city (Bandle City) because they're more akin to immortal spirits than mortal beings. They basically will their physical bodies into existence. The true question is whether he comes back to the original timeline or respawns in the golden timeline since that's where he died. Also it comes down to when Heimer left Bandle City since it sits outside of reality. The world of Arcane has basically went through 3 apocalypses and one version of the Fire Nation (Noxus) conquering everything on the continent. So it doesn't shock me that a lot of their ancient history is lost

[@ericsicard910]

Is it because both have touched the hex core?

[@kaorunguyen7782]

Why did Ekko know that throwing his device on Viktor will end all of this?

[@Rakshasaka]

Because you can't improve on perfection.

[@mikeofheavens]

lets be real and true here arcane season 2 was a mixure of marvel cinematic universe and naturo

[@kevinperry8560]

He’s black which means he immune to Gengetsu

[@darksaint0124]

I'm going to let yohyou in on a little secret. It happened because of the plot. The same thing that happens in every other season 2 storyline. Because the decisions made by characters stopped mattering after Jayce decided not to destroy the Hexcore.

[@IdrisJancar]

meh

[@wetnoodlex]

I keep seeing this theory tossed around, but there's a very obvious flaw. You can literally see Ekko starting to succumb to it as the dolls locked him down. He was only able to resist a bit longer than the rest of the people there, giving himself just enough time to pull the Z-drive. Another few seconds and he would have been toast as well. If you guys are referring to the beam of light that attaches itself to everyone, Jayce also resisted it and it took direct contact with Viktor's hand on his head that it was able to take over his consciousness. What I think actually is the case is that Jayce and Ekko, having been through the Arcane and it affecting them, allowed them to resist Viktor a bit longer than the rest.

[@Dely_Streams]

Nice blue exorcist poster🤌🏼