Reacting to Arcane as an older sibling | An Arcane video essay

[@noelsmith806]

It’s also sad because Vi and Powder didn’t just have a sibling relationship, but a parental one too. They lost their mom at such a young age and no one filled that role like Vander did as their father figure, so Vi was sort of a mother and a sister to Powder

[@deathknell1970]

As someone that is an only child, videos like this are so interesting.

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

as someone with siblings, they're dramatic

[@bartell20j]

Same

[@cocoXmarshmallows]

I was gonna say, I can’t relate to either perspective because I’m a twin with no older or younger siblings. 😅

[@annexsis5181]

Yeah same

[@ChainsawSeesaw]

Sameee

[@CzarsSalad]

Being the oldest I felt really bad during the final scene when Jinx told Vi that she was hoping she (Vi) could still love her even though she's different. That scene hits hard because I know I failed as the oldest sibling. I was the one who fucked up in life. I was the one who got broke, got separated from my wife and daughter...

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

sorry

[@oilnwater8355]

I felt so bad for Vi throughout the show. My girl never catches a break and is blamed for everything. It’s like people go from blaming jinx for everything in the first episode to blaming Vi for everything. Even Vi blames herself and feels like a bad sister. Everything she did was understandable and she’s traumatised. People seem to empathise with jinx the most coz her trauma is expressed so visibly and she has an anxious attachment style. And while I relate to jinx a lot when it comes to the anxious attachment style, I feel most deeply for Vi. Being an older sister, having all these expectations, having to be strong and be a mediator- it sucks. I don’t like when people excuse the mistakes jinx makes but come down hard on every mistake Vi makes. It’s really sad. I have had people in my life with avoidant attachment style like Vi, people who jump between repressing their feelings and expressing them in bad ways, people who push people away and blame themselves, and if you take time you can see how they are in just as much pain as people who are anxiously attached. I actually think Vi not accepting what jinx does shows how she is a good sister- if my sister blew people up I wouldn’t tolerate it either. Silco is an enabler and doesn’t care what jinx does. Both silco and Vi love jinx but Vi cannot enable and accept jinx’s behaviour despite loving her- it’s against her moral code. I want to see more vi backstory, more of her inner thoughts like on the bed with cait, more softness. I guess that’s why I love cait and vi scenes, vi isn’t just a protector with cait, they both share roles and look after each other. Cait is someone vi can lean into. I want to see reconciliation between jinx and vi but more than that I want to see both characters accept themselves fully. The main question isn’t do they love each other and do they accept each other. It’s do they accept themselves? Currently the answer is no and I don’t think we’ll get to see it happen but yeah I think the characters can have all the love and acceptance in the world and still not be okay coz they don’t accept themselves and haven’t unpacked their traumas. I think it’s interesting seeing how different viewers respond to the characters. We all project ourselves onto characters and see ourselves in them- my younger sibling was saying they relate mostly to jinx and I relate to Vi the most. I just wish people wouldn’t try to demonise Vi and would take the time to understand her struggles which are less visible than jinx’s (who has them literally animated into the show) but are still there.

[@JPWrites]

I agree with this so much - I get so frustrated at how much people demonise Vi. It's like you said - because Jinx's trauma is more overt, many people sympathise with her more, even though Vi is just as traumatised but is better had hiding her pain (which is something you often have to do when you're the leader). I also feel like some people think this is an either/or scenario - you can either sympathise with Vi, or with Jinx, but not both of them. I feel for both of them, even though I personally identify more with Vi, and I wish there was some way for them to reconcile. At this point, I don't see how it could happen, unfortunately.

[@carlosrevolledo291]

I couldn't but feel bad for Vi mostly, its just the character I empathize with the most . Being the older brother of three, thinking how Vi was stuck in prison for 6-7 years without knowing what happened to her sister, made me remember when I was a kid, and whenever we would go out, with our parents or not, I felt this paranoia of my younger brother (6 years younger) getting lost. It was so tense having to keep an eye on him. We're mostly shown how terrible it must've felt for Jinx with her voices and everything, and the results is everyone simpathizing with her the most, but Its terrible to think how awful must've been for Vi not knowing how Powder was while she was on prison. There is this trending among some Vi haters, where they put all the blame and encarnate the worst evil on her based on her mistakes: "Vi left her", "Vi chooses Caitlyn", etc. and its awful. Its just Vi mistakes that ocupy this people's hatred. Truth is, Vi is a girl that had to become a leader, and a parental figure to her sister from very early in her life, and most of her mistakes are either her projecting her feelings of being a failure "whatever happens, its on you" as she does with Powder in ep3, or she wanting to protect everyone which ends up with her doing things the only way she knows how, by punching stuff. She knows Jinx is dangerous, and has no idea how to deal with her. I think she coming for Silco in act 3, was just her deluding herself that taking Silco down might get her sister back and save everyone "...she still needs you, they all do". Silco was right, Vi is usually in way over her head, she is a good leader but doesn't really have the patience or the wits and probably other traits that could make her the best hope for the undercity. That's where Caitlyn comes in, she is perfect for Vi, she is all Vi is not and lacks, and they're both the best duo to try to save the terrible situation the undercity is. In my eyes, Vi's second most important mistake is pushing Caitlyn away to go back to her punching through everything way, and its even more terrible when you think that it was her being stubborn for almost no reason (at least when she leaves Powder to go cool off it was understandable). I don't think Vi abandons Jinx at any point, it was just the circumstances that separate them because they're just so different. To me, this "story of opposites" is more accurate for the Vi - Jinx duo than with Vi - Caitlyn. The whole acts 2 and 3 is just about the sisters being in denial: they're their own persons now, for better or worse, no excuses thrown, and they're like oil and water. They both fail at realizing this fact, they both expect something that the other can't give: Jinx is Jinx, she can't go back in time to be Powder again, Vi is delusional here; but Vi is also this kind hearted person that will never allow Jinx to do Jinx things, Jinx is now the one being delusional. The only thing that never changes is the fact that they're sisters, and they love each other.

[@lizaandregerber526]

Wtf, people hate Vi for ‘choosing Catilyn’. I mean, Jinx is mentaly Ill and had abandonment issues, but Vi is allowed to have relationships outside of family.

[@maer_chen]

@@lizaandregerber526 She doesn't even choose Caitlyn over Jinx (except for that one time on the bridge where Caitlyn is injured and Jinx just aimed at them with her mini gun), she clearly chose Jinx over everyone else, but in the end Jinx sabbotaged Vi's last efforts to get back together by firing her Ult into the council

[@HK-gm8pe]

yeah but Vi did the worst decisions possible, leaving her vulnerable 7 year old( yes Jinx is 7 in there) sister in the middle of fire knowing that Silco is close by...and knowing that Silco wil kill Powder , but I think that was probably in the moment of rage and Vi somehow dforgot where they are and that Silco is there as well , also on the bridge they did HORRIBLE decision by leaving Jinx for Caitlyn, Ekko should have helped Cait and then Vi would have finally had the opportunity to calm her sister down , because they never had the moment ....seriously even in the roof they were separated by fireflies and that was frustrating .... I am big sister to two younger sisters and younger sister to a older brother and I know for sure that I would want a moment alone with my sister....no matter how in love she was with Caitlyn...she knew her only for 2 days....Powder was her sister , but like I said Vi has problems of her own as well and traumas so I cant really blame her either, she just isnt very good people person ....obviously

[@kamilasr216]

As the older sister of a 10 y/o, even if he’s not really that young, I’ve always had that same paranoia you describe of him getting lost in a public space. Even in the streets (which are usually no safe in my country) I don’t care if my brother doesn’t want to hold my hand, but if my parents are not around, I’m going to make him do it so I’m sure he’s here and no one is taking him away. Funny thing is that when we are home we don’t really talk that much, but you could say outside home, i get protective depending on wether my parents are around or not. (Sorry for any misspellings, english isn’t my first language)

[@Lusor_Caterpillar]

@@maer_chen did you watch the series?! First scene where Vi ran back to help Ekko and Cait I don't blame her. But she definitely chose Cait over Jinx after. She didn't try talk to Jinx as she always acted like she would. Then when the explosion happened she did not ran to Jinx as she did for Cait! That was obviously a choice Vi made. Then also where Jinx asked Vi to kill Cait to get Powder back Vi obviously chose Cait. Even tho it's a hard decision and even I think it's a bit unfair she still chose her. She had put Cait over Powder after she acted like she would do anything for Jinx. And lastly Vi manipulated Jinx mentally reminding her of everything that hurts Jinx just to save Cait. So she basically sacrifices Powder to that "monsters" ShE WaNtEd To PrOtEcT HeR FrOm blah blah. So what did she not?! She did. Exactly 3 times in maybe 2 days!

[@Ikuto1313]

These characters are so accurately depicting siblings I forced my big sister to watched it. Her favorite characters are Vander and Vi, and mine are Vi and Jinx. I think it is also very telling about siblings that younger siblings get way more attached to good older siblings more than their parents. Older siblings see their parents as their main protectors, but parents aren't always there. As a younger sibling at school, I didn't have my mom there at all the food breaks, but I did have my sister. If I had to go to the office because I got hurt or in trouble, my sister was the first one in before my mom (even though my mom would get called first) because my sister was already on site in her own class. My sister defended me and my actions instinctively when my mom would try to make them "learning lessons" for me. An older sibling really is the first and most powerful example of unconditional love and respect. I was never the one at fault when my sister was around, even if I knew it was my fault, and there is a HUGE comfort in that.

[@DLibera]

Damn, what you're saying here really hits hard. My little sister and I have a relationship like what you describe. She relayed on me at school, to shield her from our parents when she did something wrong. I had sway over my mom cause I've always been the responsible one so both my sisters turned to me to help them when they got in trouble. I had to sort of raise my 14 year old little sister when my mom left with her new husband ( I was on my early 20's). and I feel like I did so many wrong things. She was even angry at me for a while because I didn't support her properly when she chose to make a family instead of going to college... We are fine now, but the feeling that I should've done better keeps creeping in. I feel so much for Vi in the show because, as her, I did many things while being practically a kid myself, that could not be avoided, because I didn't know any better... Stupid, small decisions - like turning your back at the wrong time, saying the wrong words, stepping in at the wrong time, etc. - that may or may not have had a lasting impact in my little sister. The paranoia is huge. So much that now I'm a bit scared of having children and fucking it up.

[@Ikuto1313]

@@DLibera I understand that completely. But I bet you did really well. And unlike most parents, you already have experience raising kids that weren't yours when you had the battle of rasing yourself, so if anyone can be a good parent it is the older siblings like you that have already experienced being a parent when you were not prepared emotionally or physically.

[@DLibera]

@@Ikuto1313 I hadn't thought about that, and it makes sense ... I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. :)

[@yogurtbanana2124]

i agree completely. Vi was trying to remove herself to calm down not to abandon

[@annabelleehelpme]

Remember when everyone felt bad for Jinx because of her trauma, but got mad at Vi for how she reacted to her own? That conversation with Vander actually made me really sad the first time I watched it. It made me recall all of the weight of my parents’ expectations to be perfect at all times so I could be a good role model to my siblings. Nobody really talks about the fact that after that conversation, Vi immediately led her friends and family to their deaths by accident. Before she knew Powder caused it, she would have felt the burden of guilt for all of them dying. And because she’s the older sibling, she still holds herself responsible for Powder’s trauma even though they were both children. Then she sat in prison for years knowing her younger sister felt abandoned and she had to live with the guilt of not fulfilling Vander’s dying wish. This causes her to desperately try and save Powder once she is out. To make up for failing the group when her whole identity was centered around being the protector and the fighter. Her trauma is directly exhibited in her behavior and the writers wrote her arc perfectly. Sometimes the strong ones nobody ever thinks about emotionally need emotional support as well. Sometimes they don’t know what the fuck to do. I obviously love Jinx, but I’ve never understood this tendency with audiences where they have a bleeding heart for the character who is obviously vulnerable, but no empathy whatsoever for the characters who appear strong. I watched the fucking premier of Sozin’s Comet on Nickelodeon. I remember the message boards lighting up after the last Agni Kai talking about how it was the first time they felt bad for Azula. It legit took years for anyone to even consider the fact that she and Zuko were both traumatized by their upbringing just because she appeared to have it all together. I think they’re a good example of the opposite of Jinx and Vi’s dynamic. The older sibling is crushed under the weight of expectations, so the younger sibling tries to compensate by being the best so they can avoid the same rejection they witnessed happening to their sibling. In the end, Zuko worked through his trauma with love and support from him his uncle and friends. He stands tall and strong next to Katara, while Azula kneels in chains. Vi and Cait are even the same red and blue color scheme as Zuko and Katara. Azula doesn’t cry because she is beaten. I think she cried because she witnesses Katara risking her life to save Zuko, and understands that he has found the belonging and acceptance she always craved from her parents. She feels alone and abandoned like Jinx did on the bridge.

[@JPWrites]

I agree with this so strongly - just because someone is trying to be strong doesn't mean they don't have their own trauma and pain. It's almost like they think Vi's position as a leader/older sibling erases everything else about her - the fact that she lost two families and the fact that she was just a kid as well doesn't matter because she's the older one, and therefore she should know better. I wonder if they'd feel the same way if she and Powder had been the same age?

[@boogycat20]

@Kelsea Rose. Well said. I'm tired of people bashing and trashing Vi. Glad to see someone defending her.

[@annabelleehelpme]

@@boogycat20 thanks ☺️your response actually made me think about what I wrote again lol. I feel like I forgot to tie up the last part and it’s bugging me that I didn’t. I should have added that I just think more people should see Vi the way they see Zuko. Everybody loves and praises him for his growth. And he completely cuts ties and ends up on the opposite side of a war from his younger sibling, just like Vi does. Vi finds a lot of healing in letting Caitlyn care for her, just as Zuko finds healing from his newfound support systems. But somehow Vi seeking growth and acceptance is unfair to Jinx in a lot of people’s eyes? Just because she appears strong and tough? Zuko also never received such harsh criticism for how he handled his traumatized younger sibling. Never understood that double standard either. I’m excited to see how Jinx and VI’s relationship develops in the future. Although I know the lore, I think Arcane will add a lot that I’m excited for.

[@boogycat20]

@@annabelleehelpme Sure thing. You're welcome. 🙂

[@tugfa0]

Tbf ab the Azula thing, one could've inferred that she was traumatized simply cuz of being Ozai's daughter and all, sure (although she's literally his favorite); but other than mentioning her mother in the beach ep we didn't really see Azula being super vulnerable or anything. Kinda hard to feel bad for the character that was smiling while Zuko was getting his face blasted 💀 Unlike w/ Vi we didn't see that much of her upbringing so I think it's understandable for ppl to unconsciously overlook the idea of the girl that's been nothing but cruel having been traumatized as well

[@TheMrblessed]

Vi is very strong. Or she's just very good at hiding her weakness. Or both. Whatever it is, she's an amazing character. I love her. As a middle child with a younger brother and older sister, I relate to both Jinx and Vi. I can't really make up my mind. Jinx is one of my favourite characters ever. Period. She's just way too compelling. However, Vi is too. I don't know... I can't make up my mind on who I relate more to. They're both a part of me I guess...

[@JPWrites]

I love Jinx too, though she scares the heck out of me. I've been trying to get my sister (who's also a middle child) to watch Arcane, and now that I've read this comment I want her perspective even more!

[@tugfa0]

ayo another middle child w younger siblings(twins) that relates to vi up-top ✋

[@riverbanzachamploo9725]

Me too. I'm a middle child too and related so hard to both of them.

[@helenwang8799]

As an older sibling with a similar age gap as Vi and Powder, I agree with pretty much everything you said here. I also fully agree with what you said about Vi just needing a breather after most of her family died for literally the second time. I've seen so many people blame that one incident of Vi hitting and walking away from Powder as the act that made Jinx, but I can't blame Vi. There have been so many instances I've had with my own little sister in which I've needed to leave the argument before I could cause/say anything I couldn't take back. In fact I really do believe Vi made the right choice to cool down for a minute, there is no way either of them could have been in a stable state of mind after what just happened. I also relate to Vi most out of everyone in Arcane, she made mistakes being under so much pressure to be the role model for Powder and like you said it's so so human. That one line back in Caitlyn's room where Vi says that 'when the real monster showed up, I just ran away' I felt that on another level. When the monster showed up in my sister and I's lives as the person who SAed us in our childhood, I ran away as well. Even though we both eventually got out of it, I carry that guilt with me every day. This show really did an amazing job.

[@sakurap95]

The last thing Vander said to Vi was to, “Take care of Powder.” But after facing so many events that night: the fear of all of them escaping that place alive, seeing her friends die, seeing her father figure fight off a monster by becoming one, and fear of her own potential death - the last thing Vi wanted to hear from Vander was a confirmation that she was going to be alone. And alone to raise Powder and keep themselves safe. So sad.

[@darthcygnus7692]

Very well said! Also i want to add another thing: when their parents were killed Powder was too little to fully understand the tragedy, but Vi was at the right age to be fully hit by it. It completely destroyed her, so much that you can see her collapsing to the ground without even having the strength to raise her arms to hug Powder. This scarred her deeply forever, her trauma i's not apparent as was Powder's unwilligly killing their second family. She has to bury it deep down because she is the big sister, and then the leader, so she can't show weakness. And on top of that she has to confront again with another similar, but even worst trauma as her little sister killed their entire second family. And why not, let's add to this years of prison desperation and beatings after losing everything for the second time in her life. Vi is way more traumatized that Powder, in my opinion.

[@Алексей545-т6б]

Nope, not at all. Powder live this whole time with unbareble guilt of killing her family. She hate herself for that, for being weak and useless. She thought that Vi hate and abbandon Powder because of her weakness. Also, Powder thought that Vi is dead so there is nothing left for her to repair

[@darthcygnus7692]

@@Алексей545-т6б I think you're replying to the wrong comment? What you said is... confused and had nothing to do with my comment.

[@silver9wolf6]

I agree, or at least her trauma should be recognized just as much as Powder's. I think audiences tend to give powder a lot of grace cause we see so much of it from her perspective, but a lot of Vi's is hidden

[@JPWrites]

It's a little hard to measure levels of trauma, especially when they manifest so differently in different people. Vi definitely is traumatised though, and I think some viewers probably gloss over that fact because her trauma doesn't get as much airtime as Jinx's in Acts 2 and 3.

[@beyondviolet]

@@JPWrites it would be cool if Vi’s trauma got more focus in season 2, since Jinx’s main arc is complete

[@sirdromos2769]

This is why i love arcane because nobody is full white or black. Everybody is grey and it's what makes those characters so humain. Except the council

[@JPWrites]

I know! It's been living in my head for weeks because there's just so much to process.

[@animeweeb653]

The council are also humans but like a famous quote says I see humans but no humanity there are humans but they lack empathy & the council makes decisions on the best of their behalfs.

[@RockCandy718]

I’m an only child, but my parents always put an emphasis on being the “bigger person”. Because of how much they enforced it, I always felt like I had take care of others, and be there for them before thinking about myself. I relate to Vi a lot on that level, but my parents also taught me that no matter how angry or upset I was, I always had to remain in control. (Of course this resulted in me bottling up emotions, and not having good ways to cope with my feelings.) This made it hard for me to understand when other people lose control of themselves, and lash out. Despite this, Vi is my favorite character. She really opened my eyes to how emotions affect our actions. I still think she shouldn’t have walked away from Powder, but that’s more because of a safety thing, rather than and emotional one.

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

i'm soprry that sucks

[@twilliannaforeveranime708]

Vi didn’t walk away from Powder during that time, she just had to step back and take a breather. The moment when she looked at her fist with Powder’s blood after hitting her made her realize her mistake, and honestly seeing people still being mad over her “leaving” Powder when she obviously had to calm herself down somehow (as a child herself) irks me. There couldn’t have been the right or best reaction for Vi to take, she just didn’t have the perspective (we do) or time to truly process what might’ve been the worst traumatic experience other than her parents’ death in her lifetime.

[@RockCandy718]

@@twilliannaforeveranime708 I completely understand that Vi needed to take a moment after what she had just experienced, and I am not mad at her for it. Like I said, Vi is my favorite character in the show. However, due to my upbringing, I can acknowledge that there is a disconnect between me and her. My parents drilled into me if someone is in distress and needs support, you give it to them no matter what. It doesn’t matter how angry, or hurt you are. You be there for them. (I know this is not a healthy approach to life, but it’s just how I operate)

[@tryoncemore8570]

I've watched Schnee's video on the subject and I had a similar reaction to the sister-dynamic, even though I'm male. I commented on his video too and I'd like to share my thoughts and experience on the show from this sibling angle. So here goes: There is definitely a lot to unpack for someone who is drawn in either of these sibling roles. I can tell you about my experience - somewhat of a middle child with four older and two younger silbings. At first I was not sold on the idea of show. I was familiar with the game league of legends and played some years ago for maybe 6 Months before i stopped. So even when I heard that the first trailers and shorts dropped, I ignored it and moved on with Life. Until I saw one specific picture that made me stop and captivated me; the one with young Vi and Powder in which Vi hugs her with a bruised up arm and Powder looks outward with one visible wide eye. I almost immediately identified with the older protective sibling because I had many moments in my life where I felt the need to protect my younger siblings, both boys. After that I watched the trailers and shorts and made up my mind to watch the show. And throughout the show I loved every scene with the Sisters, the tenderness, the love and also the anger and hurt - the frustration as the older Sibling, when the young ones get hurt by not heeding your word. It's the same experience I had with my siblings, but not on such a large scale and with so much loss. The last song resonates extremly with my experiences (even though the Silco voice over irks me, since the Song is about Vi and Powder), because I had no idea how deeply I was effecting my younger siblings in their own growth as persons by simply being there for them. The things I sometimes said in passing were ingrained in them and they carried so much with them from our childhood and the time we spent together. And I had no idea until they told me. I was at a loss for words because I didn't experience that with my older Siblings where I was the one to be inspired or strengthened. That's why I also love Vander so much for that qualitiy of inspiration. He had such a positive impact on Vi and did everything right by her after everything that happened to her Parents. The Scene where he appears right before Vi is about to give up in her fight with Sevika had me in shambles. I've never reacted so emotionaly before during a show or a movie and I had to pause for a few minutes to find my composure again, I was just incredibly moved and couldn't stop crying.

[@JPWrites]

That's a lot of siblings! The sibling dynamic was my favourite thing about Arcane as well, and the final song really gets me, because I spent the entire series hoping that there would be some way to make things right, and that's when you realise they'll never be able to go back. I love your point about the effect we have on our younger siblings - this is something I didn't really register until I was in my mid-to-late teens, especially when it came to my sister. She's two years younger than me and there was definitely an element of her existing in my shadow as we went to the same schools and did some of the same extracurricular activities, and in hindsight I can see how so much of the way she acted was a reaction to who I was. Unfortunately it didn't register until I was 16-17, and by then a lot of those dynamics and patterns have been set. It's huge in Arcane as well - the scene that comes to mind is when Jinx uses the punching machine, and the entire leaderboard is filled with Vi's high scores. Jinx fights with all her pain and anger, and still only manages to come second.

[@crikeymikey8731]

As an older sister to two younger sisters (one 6 yrs younger too) I felt exactly the same way. Every time I saw Vi and Powder together I could FEEL that same protectiveness I get with my younger sisters. Whether that's defending them from bullies, or guiding them, or just giving advice. I could feel her frustration too. And the relationship with Vander and Vi? Felt exactly like my Dad. Every chat where Vander was giving advice, telling Vi to take care of Powder... I don't know how to explain it other than it just felt so dang familiar. They just really nailed the family dynamics. Also that scene where Vi stands back up when she's fighting Sevika? You'll notice she seems almost the same height as Vander, compared to when she was shorter as a kid. Her standing up in front of him kinda feels like her living up to his memory, and his legacy. I think tons of older siblings really look up to their Dads as being the 'protectors' of the family - a role we oldest siblings fill for our younger siblings. That scene moved me a hell of a lot too and I think it's to do with that feeling of living up to that role as a leader and protector and making our parents proud.

[@darktemplar8140]

Ekko bears some responsibility on what happened to Vi, Jinx, Vander, Claggor and Mylo. That's why he's so passionate about creating a safe environment and also hell bent on bringing justice against Jinx and Silco's empire.

[@darkking3608]

He really doesn't, all ekko did was give them info, we can keep going down an endless Line of blame if that's all it takes

[@a.morphous66]

@@darkking3608 That’s absolutely true, but I don’t think Ekko thought that way. He almost certainly blamed himself for the deaths of his second family.

[@vietbluecoeur]

I’m an older sister, and there were so many moments throughout the show where scenes with Vi resonated so deeply with me that it felt almost hard to continue watching. I find it simultaneously understandable and baffling when I see people blame Vi for Jinx, especially that scene where she lashes out at Powder. The thing is, however, that scene makes sense. I have felt that way towards my younger sibling, though I hate to admit it. I have wanted to shout at them and even hurt them, because I was young and emotional - and I didn’t even witness my father and brothers die in front of me to want to do so! So Vi’s entire character of wanting to do good by her little sister, and ultimately failing in the end, is both relatable and terrifying to me, personally.

[@nelyzayas4630]

Arcane made me so emotional. I saw so much of myself, too much of myself, in Vi. The older sibling who’s supposed to be the protector, but is hot headed and reactive. The things I’ve said to my little sister, the angry push, the this is all your fault bursts, that I know shaped her to who she is today. I see so much of my sister in jinx and so much of myself in Vi. To know that it was my anger that made her the way she is? I can’t take the guilt. It makes me sick of my stomach.

[@serendipity4346]

I'm the youngest of 3 Sisters, and also, i have bipolar disorder, so i felt Powder deep in my skin, her struggles, her instability, everything. Meanwhile my sister of the Middle felt like Vi, because she always took care of me, even now. Also, i have problems, really serious problems, with my older Sister, she sees me as a monster that i'm not [for my disorder] and we dont even talk anymore, we cant see each other faces. So... at the end of the Series, when Jinx fires the rocket at the council with the song "what could have been" the lyrics starts with "I'm the monster you created", it was... i dont know... Personal? It was like a letter for her, reminding her and myself as well of what could have been, together, but that's just too far from happening. This show reminded me that i'm a timebomb and ->it's scary as hell, truly

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

i hope you're ok

[@serendipity4346]

@@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259 Thank you for your good vibes, i really appreciate it!

[@kikithebunny5182]

I hope you're okay, I wish these mental disorders didn't exist but they do ... May I ask why do you think you will have psychosis ?

[@serendipity4346]

@@kikithebunny5182 Psychosis It's common for adults that have Bipolar Disorder and that didnt took meds when they were younger [And i tried 7 types of meds, none of them worked] so the disorder will be worse at my Adulthood, i'm currently 20 so i have time, but it's scary to think about it Thanks for the good vibes, i will keep reading everyone experience with Arcane

[@IOTewks]

@@serendipity4346 Hey, fellow bipolar sufferer here. I'm not qualified to give actual medical advice, but my 20s are just about over and i've learned quite a few lessons the hard way. First of all, the best way to safeguard against a slide towards psychosis is to practice being compassionate for your selves, past present and future. This disease is really brutal, and the factors that combine to create it are also usually very difficult, so it's okay to be barely getting by. Heck, most healthy people are still barely getting by! A separation from reality/oneself is caused by a lack of acceptance for something within us, and i know this is hard to hear because these internal things are often the hardest to accept. I had a troubled childhood, and learning to love who i had to become in order to survive it has been a major pillar of my journey towards recovery. If all this sounds too hippy-dippy, then Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is definitely up there in terms of effectiveness with reconciling us to ourselves. EMDR therapy is a bit more experimental, but can be astoundingly powerful in softening the harshness of unwanted memories. Medication (as you've experienced) is still sadly a total crapshoot, but generic Lithium is generally (again, not qualified to give medical advice) a safe way to both prevent psychosis and give therapy time to take effect. If it didn't sound hippy-dippy enough? Then: regular bedtimes are a must, short daily walks are depression-killers, take a multivitamin if your diet isn't nutritious enough, only drink water (and lots of it), practice at least one hobby that is difficult enough to distract you when things get tough, and get as much social interaction as possible without introvert brain imploding! It's okay to use short-term coping strategies, as long as you only use them short-term. Most of us struggle(d) with substance addiction, because this disease really is that difficult to deal with, just know that from experience i can tell you there's no hope down that road, and the baggage one picks up there just adds to the amount of therapy required to function again. Sorry for the essay, as an older sibling i am compelled to PROTECC at all costs lol I won't wish you good luck, because you won't need it. You're strong as nails to get even to this point.

[@silver9wolf6]

Fellow older sibling here! Loved hearing your thoughts and I think I agree with most of them! Vi was my absolute favorite character in Arcane(I love Mulan too 😂). I love her strengths, struggles, and good heart. It hurts me when I hear other people hating on her or saying she's a bad sister.

[@JPWrites]

I know! And it's even worse to hear that because you can see her trying so hard, both in Act 1 when they're together, and in Acts 2 and 3 when she's trying to make amends.

[@gravitywolf5129]

I relate to Powder because I was ofcourse "bullied" by my older siblings. How I am a baby and all that, Its just how it goes.. 😩 Then comes Jinx, I can't relate but I can understand that because of her trauma she needs someone to keep her going. She loses herself if she does not have anyone.. At the end of the video u said, when they grow up you see how they don't need you anymore, or never needed you at all. Its not true we need our older siblings! We can talk about things and grieve together, you are amazing! And atleast in Jinx case she still needs her older sibling thats what I think, she needs emotional support before she breaks😭

[@empty_bag_of_life]

as an older sibling i felt that too especially when i was 10 and my parents split up. they were fighting a lot and i could see that coming since i would stay up all night listening to them even if they didn't realize i was watching. my brother was 8 and he thought they didn't love each other anymore so sooner or later they would stop loving us too, so he would cry every night for a month and I had to be there for him, never cry and reassure him that they still loved eachother and they weren't gonna leave us no matter what. i'd say things like mayde it's better that they are not toghether anymore, they won't fight, they will spend more time with us, we will have double vacation, double gifts and i would never take my true time to proccess how sad that should made me feel. the thing is that some older siblings take full responsibility from a very young age, they grow up to early and lose parts of their childhood they latter miss. not to mention something that happen wirh vi as well, they all tend to forget that yes they are older but they are children too. i can also relate to her because my brother was bullied at primary school and i somehow always found out and would go beat the children who did that to him and though i would get punished (my brother didn't want anyone to know what was happening to him, so i wouldn't tell my friends, family, teachers,the rest of his classmates etc) never did i stop beating them and then threatening them making them afraid to tell my bro anythng to make him feel vulnerable, untill they stopped since they realized that the punishment wasn't going to stop me, so my brother regained his cinfidence and i can say that no doubt i'd do it again.

[@livvworm]

As not only a big sister to a little sister but pretty much the oldest kid in the whole family I really felt for Vi. You’re always told to be a good example and that it’s your job to look out for the younger ones 24/7

[@78deathface]

I’m the little brother of an older sister (4 years), we grew up in the 80s/90s and spent a lot of that time living in the middle of nowhere. For years we were each other’s only playmates most of the time, no internet, only 2 TV channels. Seriously. I was definitely influenced by her in my musical tastes and general outlook, but she was always more of a “good kid” than me. To this day we still have a bunch of random inside jokes and references that only we understand. Our family life was solid and loving, but we moved a lot early on and there was always a baseline of chaos. I think Arcane really nailed the feeling of “Family”, even if it’s a bit f*cked up,

[@gargigolhar2886]

I'm an older sibling and I definitely relate... especially to the part where I am the one who is responsible... my sister looks up to me, in the absence of any adult, I'm the responsible one. I saw a lot of myself in Vi, and that is the power of writing: you relate, even if it is non existent, you understand because you feel the same way.

[@Thulgore]

I'm the oldest child and the middle child depending on two of the three families I lived with. This show fucked me up in ways I can't explain. I love this show in ways I also can't fully explain. This is the truest emotion I have ever seen in video format. Interestingly I have never cared about romance in film at all, until Vi and Cait. That is the greatest pseudo romance I have ever seen anywhere. (I'm a straight dude, I almost feel like I'm not supposed to understand but I do) I'm also an older brother that once got so upset I placed my elbow into my younger brothers neck and explained how he was going to die. (then imagination took over and I imagined his eyes going dull..........I let up, cracked some jokes, calmed both he and my younger sister.............. and have felt the horror of what I almost did for over 30 years)

[@awolfalone2006]

You are not alone having a situation like that in the past. Mine was slightly different, but not something I ever want to allow myself to repeat.

[@neonlights836]

I'm the middle sibling of a big family. I relate most strongly to Vi. I was never really close with my older siblings, but my younger siblings and I were our own little unit, and I always felt responsible for taking care of them. I love seeing loving sibling relationships portrayed, because that's what I have with them. I'd do anything for them.

[@merlin4406]

I already commented on Schnee's video but I'll write about my experience here too. I am a younger sister and the line that hit me the hardest was "are we still sisters?" in ep 9 at the dinner scene . I used to be really close to my older sister as a kid (6 year age gap) and it felt like it was us again the world (our parents) and I would always be there to help her with her emotional breakdowns as she was fighting with out parents. However she moved out as soon as she could (when she was 17 ish) and we grew apart and didn't keep in touch. We still see each other maybe twice a year but it's so different and she feels like a stranger since it's been so many years (I'm 17 now). And it's so sad that we can't communicate together in the same way anymore and I really miss being close to her but we can never have that relationship and sisterhood back. When Vi answers "nothing is ever going to change that" it hurts so much because it's a lie. They can't communicate anymore. They're not the same and have both changed in so many ways. Even though they both desperately want to have their relationship back but it doesn't work. The thing you said about very small no though comments said by older siblings having a giant effect on younger siblings is so true though! Although I am technically a middle child, cause I have 2 little siblings and 2 older siblings who have a different mom. But my little siblings were too young to properly be a part of the sibling dynamic between me and my older siblings so I've kind of experienced both. However I don't have that kind of sibling dynamic with my little siblings, they mostly have it with themselves because I was a very distant older sibling (just existed in my room cause of mental health shit) and our hobbies and lives were so different that it felt like they had their own world. I definitely feel some of the responsibility of a older sibling but I've been so distant from my little siblings it seems so weird for them to look up to extremely flawed me. I know I'm probably impacting them in so many ways but I can't really recognize it now. The experience of being a younger sibling has impacted me a lot more with the feeling of not being good enough and having to prove yourself to everyone. Really good video though!

[@lilywhetsell8106]

I relate to a lot of this comment. I already made an essay in this comment section, so im not gonna repeat my life story haha but I also basically lost touch with my siblings. only differences are that we never had much of a relationship anyway because of the large age gap (I j turned 19, they're all 29-34 ish). I definitely related to powder hard when watching the show, minus the fact that I was never that close w my brothers. I mean I played video games w them and stuff as a kid but we were never actually close. now they moved out we barely talk. I think the big age gap, bad parental relationship, and me being the only girl also has to do with it though, not j the fact that im younger.

[@Mari17897]

I am a middle child and relate to both Vi and Powder but I definitely relate to Vi more. When I was in 5th grade, I remember having to babysit a lot because my older sister was in middle school and on the volleyball team. My mom would go to every single one of her games and tell me to stay and babysit. Sometimes she took us to her games but when she didn’t, It SUCKED. My younger siblings would fight and scream, my little brother had tantrums, the house was messy, my little brother wouldn’t listen to anything I told him to do, and We were still trying to potty train my little brother so I had to clean up his accidents. Sometimes I would get so overwhelmed and have to call my mother. The disappointment on her face whenever she picked up my little brother made me feel so stupid. Luckily, my grandmother got less busy and babysitted us. To make myself feel less like a disappointment to my mother, I never told her about how I felt in school. I had toxic friends and a suicidal friend who would always text me about her problems. I felt like the black sheep in my class but never told my mom any of this. When Vander talked to Vi about how everything was on her, i related to that. My mom had a talk with me about my behavior. (I was in 8th grade at the time) I wasn’t social due to fear of having toxic friends again. My mom told me I have to be more social because my younger sister really looks up to me and follows the things I do. My younger sis only had one friend she talked to on the bus. I know that convo wasn’t 100% like the one Vi and Vander had but it did feel like it. When Vi felt guilt about how Powder changed to Jinx I felt that too. I felt something off from my little sister a few months ago. She didn’t really want to play, was always on devices, and she slept in more often. Sometimes she would say “I cry myself to sleep!” or something really concerning. She is a person who says silly things and jokes a lot but this time l think she is serious. I do the same things she says she does. I’m always on the internet to distract myself from my thoughts, I cry myself to sleep at night, and I sleep in more than I used too. Even though I know depression doesn’t come from other people, I still can’t help but feel like it’s my fault that she’s this way now. So yeah that’s how I relate to Vi.

[@Grimfaxe]

Yes this! I'm the oldest sister and have always been very protective of my brothers. We had a few years growing up where things wasn't good at home and I tried to protect them the best I could. But I was a kid myself and there was times I failed, because I couldn't deal myself, and that still weights heavy on me. I know I said stupid shit in the heat of the moment that they had to live with. The pain Vi must feel when she couldn't get to her sister in time must be devastating, to live with that guilt. Also the moment when Jinx says she wish Vi could love her like before. Because Vi still loves her so much, but they have grown up, gone through some though shit, ofc they are both changed, but the love is still there! The writers on this show know what they are doing, giving us this sibling relationship where everyone can relate to something different depending on their role, and how maybe that role changes as we grow ourselves.

[@JPWrites]

The moment when Jinx says she wishes Vi could love her like before is such a gut punch for me - it's the ultimate failure of Vi's mission. Throughout Acts 2 and 3 she's been fighting to reunite with Powder and sees bringing Powder back as part of her role, and in that moment she realises that the focus should have been accepting Jinx, not bringing back Powder.

[@Grimfaxe]

@@JPWrites yes exactly this! Aah it was so hard to watch! Also I think Vi was at a disadvantage, she's been locked up for years, not being there to see her sister evolving. Of course she will fight to get her sister back but might have tunnel vision because of it. They didn't have much time to talk, always got interrupted. Man I just wanna hug them both.

[@jigsawwolf3414]

i really do not understand people blaming vi for hitting powder like…bruh siblings just fight and it’s actually normal

[@danutghidia5820]

what i find funny is how they pretend to understand what`s like to see your father and 2 brothers die in front of you

[@JPWrites]

I know, right?

[@broadwaybroad]

If she didn’t lash out, people would claim it wasn’t realistic enough. Jinx apologists.

[@angelapavlovich-u5v]

Isn't it different when there's a stronger and older sister and a weaker (physically) and younger sister when fighting... I mean what the fuck could powder ever do to vi??? And she's stuck with her and just has to take all the abuse.. that's toxic as fuck cuz she has never had a way to defend herself from vi..

[@loneoakgrls]

I'm an older sister and I felt for both Vi and Powder in the 1x03 scene. I related to Powder because I felt abandonment from my parents and know how devastating it is to feel forgotten and left out all the time. I related to Vi because I had to raise my younger sibling myself (hence the parental abandonment) while I was still just a kid/teenager myself. I've been Vi in the scene because I've snapped on my little brother in times of stress due to being the guardian unable to process my own emotions. The guilt afterwards is real. This show hit home for me because it was crazy relatable. The writers captured the feelings of abandonment, helplessness, childhood trauma, and sibling relationships PERFECTLY.

[@edarksummie]

I watched the show with my younger sister. She played LoL for years so she knew the lore, but I only knew that the blue girl was gonna turn into Jynx. And DAMN. Everytime Vi and Powder got in conflict we were like "What would we do in that situation?". I'm male but I really identified with their relationship. We were slightly poor when we were children, so both our parents worked 12 hour shifts, and many times I ended up being in charge of her. Things got a little bit more difficult when my father went out for milk. I made a lot of stupid mistakes but always tried to take care of her. Years ago she said I was her father figure for a while and I didn't know how to say that I wasn't even close to what I think she deserved. Powder and Vi really hit home and it was amazing!

[@Ant0nymphss]

I was the youngest sibling, but the oldest in my friend group, which makes me feel a lot for both sisters. Jinx I lean towards more because my older brother is so similar to Vi in the sense of him being larger, stronger and more physically adept while I'm an artist, I create and build. We are so different and yet we get along incredibly well. And even further, I deal with psychosis as well, so I understand when Jinx starts to fall apart and just wants things how they used to be. But I was also the Vi of my friend group, I was the oldest, smartest, and I decided what we did if there was a disagreement. I stepped in during fights, I helped when they were struggling. I felt like my problems came second to them because I was the leader and I had to be no matter what. So I feel for both sisters, and that makes watching this show so special yet so hard for me.

[@Robin_TheArtist]

I'm the youngest sister (having a big sis 8 years older than me) and honestly, despite feeling for both sides, can /empathise/ with Vi more. In my case, my sister had displayed annoyance and hostility towards me from time to time, to the point I had to come to terms that I love my sister more than she loves me. Our relationship is not bad per se, but I do feel more like... Like she tolerates me because of what can i do for her, mostly taking care of her children and save her having to spend money on babysitters. And I hate children. But despite the... similarities with Powder, the feeling of having to prove myself as a well-functioning adult even in my mid 20s, the need for the people to /see me/, I couldnt just ignore Vi or put the blame on her. I always managed my emotions on my own, and in my friend group I was considered the mother, always taking care of them, or being responsible of them. Just like Vi. Not a leader per se, but a caretaker. And I felt like, Vi being just a child, she carried too many responsabilities. She put everyone else's needs before hers and i felt that, and I wondered "What's her breaking point?". Vi swallows her feelings and puts her sister's first. And I hate people blaming Vi for "abandoning" Powder. It's not about who did this, and who did that, it's just... Tragedy. Sometimes you cant control yourself, you do things that you regret, you say things that you regret, and thats not Vi's fault. Implying that she /should've/ controlled herself is the same as /invalidating/ her feelings in such a hard moment of her life. Why is Jinx allowed to feel, but Vi isnt? And of course I'm not putting the blame on Jinx, she was just a kid, too. And I've seen people blaming Vi for the blood in Jinx's hands, but It makes no sense. Yes, she felt like Vi abandoned her, but Silco coddled and nurtured the worst part of her, and ultimately her decitions are her own. You can't take the blame off of her and put it in someone else's hands. Everyone has their own demons, because they are human. They make mistakes. You can only do so much as to learn and do better, if you want to be better, of course. There are also people who are content in staying as they are, for what ever reason. Shit, this got too long and too rambly, but what I'm saying is... Please, don't toss the blame around like a ball. It's the circumstances that made everything so tragic. Vi LOVES her sister. Jinx LOVES her sister. You can't deny that. Sorry for the long text ;;

[@JPWrites]

'Why is Jinx allowed to feel, but Vi isn't?' - This perfectly sums up how I feel when people start attacking Vi.

[@hoshi0616]

I really hate half of the community as they kept blaming Vi even though she never even had a fcking break from violence being inflicted on her. Still, she grew up with a good heart shaped by Vander. Riot released a script-to-screen version of the final moments of ep 3 and it says there that she actually did moved away only to take a break thinking that the more she stays with Powder at that moment, the more she might hurt her. She never abandoned Powder.

[@me_probably1887]

in general, i find it so so scary the immense impact i have as a big sister to all my siblings. i have so many younger siblings, and even though i haven’t known all of them for their whole lives, they’re my family and the most important thing to me. but stuff gets in the way, life, parents, situations, mental health, and i know i’m not good enough for them all the time. i try my best, but it’s not enough to keep from hurting them. and i think arcane really tapped into some of my greatest fears as a big sister, so much that it started to make it really difficult for me to keep watching. i had to disconnect myself from Vi to a degree in order to keep enjoying the show because the guilt, and fear, and desperation, and larger than life love and responsibility was too real to me. one of my little sisters, who i’ve known the longest, we’ve through so much together. and we even had a time when we were forced apart without our consent for a time and when we came back together it was such whiplash because she’s older now, and i don’t understand her like i used to, and i’m terrified of losing her again. we’ve since had conversations that opened my eyes to what she’s seen, and how i’ve affected her good and bad and it really freaks me out. so Jinx and Vi were a bit much for me sometimes, but in a good way. arcane is really just … that good.

[@ashlazdanovich8396]

Being the youngest in my family I definitely related to Powder more, (especially since I understand what it’s like to be orphaned to some degree-I was an orphan for the first three years of my life before I was adopted-and I understand her feelings more deeply), but since my older brother was a lot older than me-at least 6 1/2 years older than me-he went to college when I was still pretty young. Then my older sister had a kid and it was like I was an older sibling to my niece. So I understand what it’s like and I can ultimately relate to Vi too from both perspectives having somewhat of both experience’s and all.

[@sophloulou8499]

I am an only child but I did grow up with my younger cousin by my side for many years. She's 4 years younger than me. She looked up to me, copied everything I did and wanted everything I had. Cause it was me. I had a urge to watch over her, make sure she didn't get hurt. I always wanted to make her happy. I saw her as my younger sister and the idea of being apart from her at one point actually made me cry when asked. I think the part of the story I relate to the most to is how circumstances drifted us apart, then when we saw each other again we changed. It wasn't as extreme as Vi and Powder's case, but we did cut each other off for a few years. It was only recently I truly spoke to her again and we fixed things. While she's still herself to a degree, she's an adult now. Physically a few inches taller then me when she was so small for such a long time. Make up coating her face to the point she looks older then me. So mature that Id even say she surpasses me in many aspects of life. It weirdly gives me a sense of pride yet melancholy. Cause she IS that girl I grew up with, yet that girl I grew up with is gone. Its most likely why the ending of arcane got to me so much, besides the obvious tragic elements.

[@heywhat6676]

As a fellow older sibling, thank you for making this video. I relate so much to everything you said, especially the part of being strong for everyone and having trouble asking for help. Great video, hit me right in the feels

[@kappa_studios]

I'm the oldest of 6 (and 6 that don't live with us) and I've specifically had to take care of my younger brother since before I can remember- I understood Vi completely, even when she smacked Powder. I could feel the anger, the pain of looking out for them only for them to screw shit up even if you know it's not entirely their fault, what the hell are you supposed to do?

[@onebraincellarmy6972]

As an older sibling, I felt really bad for both of them. But at the same time, I always feel more for Powder when Vi slaps her _because_ I’m an older sibling. It’s the same feeling Vi comes to. Vi feels horrible that she ‘allowed’ her little sister to fall into this murderous state, and it’ll haunt her for the rest of these series. She’s going to think back to that bridge, and wonder what could have been of Powder now if Vi had just been a more level-headed person. Because even if she reasonably lashed out in grief, she’s still the older sibling. She’s supposed to watch over her and nurture her the best she could. Half of having the responsibility of watching over your younger ones is being vigilant on what events/actions would negatively affect them in the future. Vi did a fantastic job on that so far. She works extra to make sure that her little sister knows Vi believes the best of Powder, because Vi could tell that growing up with Mylo’s derisive remarks would wreck Powder’s self esteem. She encourages her sister on that rooftop to jump instead of just letting the group move forward and leave the runt behind. Because Powder needs that support. Vi tells Powder of the mistakes and mess ups that the group had done before, because she knows that her little sister has to understand that they all had to start somewhere. That there will come a time when Powder will get better at it, even if it doesn’t seem like she will right now. So when I saw what happened with the monkey bomb, as the oldest sister, I’m already vigilant on how events like this would affect the younger siblings. The first thing I thought of was that “that’s gonna fuck up her little sister” and how we could prevent this from mentally wrecking her? Cause as an older sister, especially when you’ve cared for the younger ones for years of your life, it’s instinct at this point to try to find a way to save your younger sibling. (It’s also the same reason I resonated with Vi whenever she continually tries to get to Jinx, no matter how bad Jinx got.) And when I saw Powder so proud at the realization her bombs finally worked-man, that broke me. She’s at this vulnerable stage of her life, and already she has to deal with so many traumatizing moments. What do you do when you know that your little sister always felt like a failure and the one moment she thought she finally helped, she kills close family members? I don’t blame Vi for getting angry, but I know that her reaction then and what came of it will haunt her for the rest of her life. It would have haunted me at least. Even if next season, Vi decides to give up on Jinx-in her darkest moments, Vi will think back to the past and wonder if Powder could have been next to her right now. Could have somehow gotten a scholarship at the Academy and worked with Jayce and Viktor on hextech. If Powder could have been improving life in Zaun, if Vi could have met Caitlyn and the six of them (Powder, Caitlyn, Jayce, Viktor, Ekko, and Vi) could fixed the divide between the two cities.

[@TheRoomforImprovement]

One thing I’ve empathized with Vi is her vindictive attitude. It can be hard for me to look past being hurt and it can affect my relationships, much like VI’s resentment towards piltover (understandable given the huge class divide) makes her leave Caitlin. At the same time, if i hurt my younger siblings, we I trouble forgiving myself. Just like Vi feels responsible for creating Jinx.

[@georgia5026]

I felt for Vi cos I have been in her shoes a little bit. My little brother and I had it a bit difficult at home when we were younger. Since I was little, I have been very protective of him, and we were very close since we were young. I had to look out for him a lot of the time, and I was always paranoid that something would happen to him. And obviously, I loved him a lot. But there were times when I lashed out at him. I did a lot to try and keep peace in the family - I knew how to calm my mum down and how to dissolve arguments. But sometimes when I had managed to achieve a peaceful house, my brother would do something that would disrupt it. Not purposely of course, but maybe he would say or do something that would set our mum off and I would have to witness everything crashing down again. After some of these times, I would hold a lot of resentment for my brother. But he didn't deserve the things I said to him. That was a long time ago now, I know how to be a better older sister. But I have always wished there had been more years between us. If I had been more mature at that time, I would have been better towards him. I know that things said to you when you are young will hurt, and they will stay with you. I hope that the sister I am now will heal it for him eventually. I know what it's like to be the one who has to look after everyone. And I know what it's like to fail at that miserably. So I really felt for Vi. I really hope things can be resolved between her and Powder one day.

[@georgia5026]

It also made me so angry that she was captured. Like, so so angry. She needed to get back to her sister. I cried because of that dammit.

[@sockjim9016]

Vi is probably the most relatable character in the show for me. As an older sister, I saw a lot of my own fears reflected in her story: losing loved ones, failing to care for my sister, slipping up and accidentally hurting the people who look up to me. Time and time again Vi puts her own needs aside for others, even when she herself is hurting, because she’s the leader, the older sister, and she can’t afford to spend time on herself when someone else needs her help; I got the distinct sense while watching that perhaps her greatest overarching fear is helplessness, especially when it comes to protecting others.

[@superbrellis1829]

As an older sister with three younger siblings I empathize and feel for Vi. I haven’t been a good older sister looking back, I know my younger brother has looked up to me a lot growing up (he still does) and I really don’t deserve it. It breaks my heart seeing hate towards Vi because I wish I could be as good as her. As much as I can relate to her trying keep up a strong persona towards her younger siblings to hide weakness, her responsibilities and to the mistakes she’s made as an older sister, I can’t relate to her good heart.

[@disasterdom]

This is really tough on me. It's not something I had really considered in my numerous watches of Arcane, but something I definitely click with here as an older sibling. My younger sister and I couldn't be any more different from each other if we tried. We have nothing in common and run in very different circles. But we're kids of divorced parents and that really impacted me as a kid. I was an angry kid and an even angrier teenager and I see a lot of myself in Vi (minus her obvious physical strengths). But looking back I think I was just too dense to realize how poorly I treated my sister even into adulthood. I was too focused on my own traumas to consider how my sister was feeling, and in that regard I think I utterly failed to uphold that "protector" role for my sister, or make myself feel like I'm someone she can come to when she needs help or advice. And now that we're both adults, and our relationship is better but still rocky, I feel like I've lost that window of time where she may have felt like she needed an older brother to help her out, but no longer does.

[@grey29825]

I’m the oldest of four kids, and I have two younger brothers and a youngest sister with the same age gap as vi and powder. I related soooooo hard to Vi because of this. You put things into words so well, especially on the needing to do something more and protecting others.

[@walkingtalkingcandytragedy5599]

im a twin and my brother claims to be the eldest child but when we were little i was always managing him and up until recent he had been violent and awful to me [hes not anymore and has atoned.] so i always felt like a parent with no recognition for it. our parents were borderline neglectful so i was under a lot of stress. i almost had to pause the episode when vander told vi she wasnt allowed to be selfish [at least thats what i got from the scene] because i felt for her , how tired and frustrated she must have been. how whenever we try to put ourselves first and recuperate something goes wrong. it seems so neverending until it ends and you get this empty spot in your soul.

[@walkingtalkingcandytragedy5599]

having my two younger brothers only be known as my brothers in recent years too makes it difficult. [i met the middle child last and i dont talk to him much for many reasons including that he doesnt live with us] it's like im expected to be their parent while i cant even name their favorite color because we were never taught to communicate w/ eachother. i know i should want to take care of them , but i dont know them. i wasnt built to be an eldest child but im stuck with it.

[@SteppefordWife]

Even as the younger sibling I related to and empathised with both Vi and Jinx in roughly equal measure. Our parents made a point of trying to treat us equally and teach us to take responsibility for ourselves and our own actions. Got bad grades? If you studied, what matters is you tried you best even if it didn't turn out like you would've liked. If you didn't study, well that's your own fault. It was fair and action based parenting, not age based. My sister saw the tropes of the eldest being put under the most pressure and having the most responsibility, so thought the same was true of her even if it wasn't. She would constantly say things to reinforce a hierarchy and call me or imply that I am just a stupid little blond girl. When I would try things like drawing, maths, etc. for fun she would accuse me of copying her even as I did better than her at a faster rate. She constantly felt the need to prove herself. I did too, but that was more to my overachieving peers than my insecure and jealous older sister. My anger at her and my peers got compounded when I discovered that the traits she claimed showed I was stupid and got me bullied a lot were actually just signs that I'm on the autistic spectrum. We get along much better now that we both understand each other better and are focussed on our own lives and not each others. Heck, growing up, my sister never really took a caretaker role. We both just played separately and did our own thing and would only clash at the dinner table when we'd unintentionally trigger squabbles with each other. I think my sister is more like Milo, and I'm like powder - only my contraptions (Powder's) actually work when intended and the criticism is born out of jealousy.

[@JPWrites]

I think there's a strong argument to be made about Mylo's criticisms coming from a place of jealousy as well (at least some of them), even on a subconscious level. The scene in the arcade always made me think this, when Mylo complained about Powder fixing the machine meaning that he wouldn't score (so even when she does something right - even when she isn't a jinx - he still belittles her). One of the saddest things to me about Jinx once she grows up is how large a role Mylo's critical voice still seems to play

[@Euavt]

I instantly related to vi being an older sibling as well, she felt SO REAL. Her wanting to protect and take care of powder mentally and physically, and especially in the end of ep3 after she hits powder and realizes what she’s done and she couldn’t lose it in front of her to not lash out on her and also to not be seen in a weak and broken state ( at least that what I took out of that scene ) that moment was so relatable and so real and I felt every single emotion she went through and I couldn’t control the tears dripping down my face ( A first in a looong while ) The writing is so superb and real to the point I saw myself in her and understood her without even trying, And that’s my TedTalk. Thanks✨✨

[@Kusanagikaiser999]

As a big brother myself I kinda relate, and also Vi is my favorite character in the show, I have a little brother but he is just 1 year younger so we never had that relationship of big bro and lil bro, we where a team and he most times was the responsible one and take charge, many assume I was the younger Brother, I relate to Vi not for siblings....but on my circle of friends, I'm the older of my group of friends and many times I have to be the one taking decisions so I have been on Vi shoes (not that extreme of course XD) and that make me relate to her hard.

[@justapen684]

As an older sister, I remember that my first time watching Arcane I learned two things instantly from the first scene. 1. They're two kids in the middle of a war/battle, 2. They're sisters, more spefictly, older and younger. So with this view of their environment and ther relationship. My first reaction to the show was "Oh, i definetly would've done the same that older sister is doing with the youngest" That is protect them from the ugly parts of the world while trying to guide them to a safer place. All of the sudden I remember those moments of my childhood while being an adult. Incredible how Arcane makes you conect with it from moment one

[@titan_main]

I was the younger sibling, but I was the "responsible" one in my friend group when I was young so I can relate to both. Also my older brother is in a wheelchair with cerebral palsy, so part of me sometimes feels like the older brother helping him do stuff that's hard for him to do himself, even though I still look up to him. We've both struggled with mental illness over the years (panic attacks and anxiety), and our father passed away about 2 months ago. Needless to say I can relate to several characters in this show, and I know a lot of people feel that way, but I'd honestly say it's the best show I've ever seen, considering where I'm at right now. It makes me want to be a better person, but also makes me want to forgive others, and for some reason this show just did a lot for me for spiritually healing (I know it's a tragedy, but I can't explain it). Seeing how much Vi loves Jinx, even after everything that happens is just so touching, that one part at the end of episode 6 where Vi put her hand on Jinx's shoulder when she was having a breakdown genuinely made me tear up, and again, just inspires me to be as loving of a sibling as Vi (I know what she did to powder in ep 3 was harsh, and that made me tear up too, but you say dumb shit when you're mourning and I blame marcus for taking her before she could catch up with powder way more than Vi for saying it). I've already watched it, but I'm re-watching it with my brother and we just finished episode 2 a few days ago. I'm trying my best not to spoil/over-hype episode 3, but I really want to get him to watch it before he loses interest or forgets about the characters/plot. Hopefully he'll understand why I'm pressuring him so much to watch this episode after he actually does.

[@yongen7147]

Saw a lot of people blaming Vi for 'abandoning' Powder and creating Jinx, as the eldest sister I really feel bad for Vi. In people's eyes, the elder sibling is always responsible for whatever their younger siblings do. The final scene really hits me when Jinx said 'are we still sisters?', its like, what? is Vi that bad to make Jinx feel that they are not sisters anymore? And Jinx even said that Vi created Jinx, I don't know how to feel anymore during that scene.

[@maddit9375]

I identified so much with Vi even though I’m definitely not a “punch first” sort of person because I’m also a big sister. I identified with everything you said, but also with the feeling like you’ve failed as an older sibling. I’m a lot older than my brother and because of this, I moved out when he was pretty young. And I’ve always felt like I abandoned him or that I should’ve been there for him more. He’s older now and even though I love him and always will, some of the things he does is upsetting to me and I keep thinking if I had just been there... So yeah, I have a lot of shared feelings with Vi.

[@kennethcollins2241]

First, this was an absolutely phenomenal video essay. Subscribe from me. As a middle child, it's so weird truly being in the middle in this situation. I can relate so much to both. My siblings and I are all 5 years apart with me in the middle. I always felt like I had to live up to the standards that my older sister set even though we are so different. Wanting to fit in and prove yourself. Its so real and raw and it makes me relate to Powder. But I also had a younger sister. And I was her best friend and was always expected to watch, support, and take care of her. That feeling of responsibility is immense. When they mess up, YOU messed up and you feel it. Ultimately, I think I feel more for Vi because I cannot even imagine what it must have felt like knowing you left your sister in the moment she needed you most. Locked in prison with no way to know if shes ok. Powder at least had some peace in feeling like her sister was dead.

[@schnee1]

omg how did i not see your video until now?? loved this!! (I'll add a link to it in my vid as well!)

[@JPWrites]

Thank you! :D

[@anafguima]

I'm a older sibling too, and I can relate to what you said in the ending, about the day coming when my little sister would no longer need my protection and i struggle a lot to realise that, for a long time i felt like that was my only part in the world, today i realize how much she grow for her self, she is the most talent and special woman i know in the world. Just don't say that for her, she will get very convensed of herself.

[@missy2105]

as an eldest sister with the same age difference as vi and powder/jinx but with two sisters, arcane wrecked me. that final scene with vi saying "nothing" will ever change them being sisters plus the documentary out now where the creator said arcane asks the question: how far will you go for your sibling? is BRUTAL. i can't wait for s2 to explore this further

[@shwiggityshwack]

Man that last like 15 seconds hurt. You spend so many of your own formative years being, exactly as you described, the caretaker and the protector and the role model. Then your little siblings grow up to be adults too and you don't really have anybody else to be that person to, so you almost feel just internally lost until you can start your own family or find that feeling elsewhere.

[@JPWrites]

It's so weird! I also spent a few years in my early twenties overseas, and it was very strange to come back and see that they'd grown up while I was gone.

[@LizardWizard-tw9tg]

I related a lot with Vi but I never knew why. As the older brother of my younger brother this video makes sense because in my friend group, I asked who was like the leader and they all responded with “You”. Thanks for this!

[@Herminiii]

As an older sister with roughly the same age gab as Vi and Powder, I felt their relationship deeply. I always try to be there for my younger sister and even though we're both adults now, she's still leaning on me, asking for advice or help. I love to be there for her but I remember a time when it was all too much for me because she wasn't the only family member leaning on me. My partner told me that I also need take care of myself and let others help me instead of just being there for others and to that point I never thought much about that. As you mentioned, Vi is experiencing something similar with her family and having someone like Caitlyn later. Arcane is doing an amazing job of portraying characters that feel real and relatable and I love the show for that.

[@ivanhagstrom5601]

As an older brother I relate to Vi so much. I also have older siblings though, making me relate a lot to Powder's struggles as well.

[@TombNGloom]

As a older sibling, I relate to Vi from the fact that siblings do get annoying but you work it out with them...most of the time and that they idolize you or it's your job to protect them

[@lee-annwright3486]

as an older sister in my early teens taking care and being responsible for my younger sister I find this video very relatable in terms of being a sibling and at home/school or anywhere else I take care of my sister and protect her, when I watched arcane for the first time I saw how Vi reacted after she realized what happend after she lashed out at powder was like when I get angry at my sister for doing something or just mabey pushing me a little to far when shes around me

[@goblinguy3103]

Older sibling here who also had to take care of my parents. I’ve never been able to let go of stress and responsibility and I think that’s Vi perfectly. Watching your parents be in mortal danger and needing to take care of your siblings while that anxiety is rooted in your heart hurts you so badly. I don’t think that Vi is in denial of Jinx being Jinx, she’s trying to protect her again. She’s trying to let Jinx know she can still rely on Vi the way she did when she was Powder. Vi did everything she could. Maybe I’m just an older sibling, but Jinx pushing Vi to get over their family’s death immediately when they were younger, and then when she’s older making her choose between Caitlyn and herself, Jinx is the one who’s wrong here. Vi was in prison, she watched her family pass, she’s trying to bridge the gap between her and Jinx, and it’s Jinx that won’t let it happen.

[@morganjones2744]

I'm an older sister too. But I have younger brothers. Vi is my favorite character in the show. ❤️

[@ozymandias8449]

I could relate to Powder and Jinx immensely as a younger sibling. The way that it looked when Vi left to calm down was very to understand as a forever abandonment. For always being scrutinised when making mistakes and feeling like at any moment you’ll be too much of a burden to take care of. You believe what Vi says to soothe Powder and rely on her strength to keep raising her correctly. With the final grave mistake Powder made it would seem understandable to become too much to take care of. You feel like a ticking time bomb until everyone else gives up on you.

[@calebritchie1069]

Omg, as the oldest of 4 siblings, I related to vi so hard

[@shadowclaw8607]

I felt for Powder because I had moments of mental crisis where I was hitting my head. Vi is someone I wish I was

[@kin3s]

as the youngest sibling, i really relate to Powder. it was a few years ago, but my older brother was really immature and bullied me with my cousin all the time. it got to the point i had suicidal thoughts... things are better now, he grew up and we have stronger bond than ever. but watching arcane reminded me of that time

[@Myke_thehuman]

I am an older brother. But I had no idea so many other siblings feel like this about family. Because I never really did. But like you said, everyone has different family dynamics.

[@dianaoc4768]

I'm the oldest sibling, but bc my parents were actually very pampering and bc my sis has always had a very... interesting temper, let's just say the dynamics between us were not as marked, but what I'll say is: even though I wasn't told I needed to be a role model (she was better academically than me) I've always felt I was the one who had to test the waters and see how far I could push certain boundaries like dyeing my hair, getting a tattoo, rent a room away from my house, and all that jazz (and also be the mediator betwwen her and my parents when they fought)

[@bobandumplings1251]

I'm the middle child but I've taken the responsibility of being the eldest due to my older brother being autistic. After watching Arcane I can definitely see myself in Vi due to how much she was willing to go through for her family. Growing up, It's been difficult being the one given the least attention to but also having to take the responsibility of the eldest child. I'd be the one who would show up to their teacher meetings, defend them from our own family members and make sure that the two would get along. It's a burden I've gone through growing up and it's now something I'm trying to work through.

[@202cardline]

I'm also the "oldest" because my older brother has FAS, autism, schizophrenia, ect. and it's an interesting moment when your big brother stops being your big brother and you become their keeper.

[@theflowerhead]

It's hard to watch as a big sister, I feel the responsibility part. It was important in our bad situation. Great vid.

[@JPWrites]

Are you an oldest, middle or youngest sibling? How did that impact your perception of Arcane?

[@kervala]

I have a brother and I'm the oldest (we are inseparable), I was very moved by the relationship between Vi and Powder, but I mostly felt emotions for Powder / Jinx and I understood her choices

[@Алексей545-т6б]

Desagree with last part. After timeskip Vi is chaotic in her goals. She want to return her sister back? Then why she abbandon her on the bridge? After that, Vi is want to wage war against Silco(get her revenge). Fuck - at this point Vi even did not knew is her sister alive or already dead! Vi LITERALY BETRAY Powder, solding her name to the Counsill(Piltover kill her parents, Piltover put you in prison for 7-10 years...but you sold your only family to the old corrupt fuckers who view you as a street trash). In the midle of all this, Vi want to have sex with Cait( enforcer you just meet couple days ago)... . Result is obvios - Silco beat Vi on "Family Dinner" and even in death he manage to took last member of Vi family from her. All because Silco was not a lier

[@kervala]

@@Алексей545-т6б I agree :) At least, Jinx did try to revenge her parents at the end :D Also I think Silco saved Jinx at the dinner and that's why he was happy when he died :)

[@darthcygnus7692]

@@kervala Even her choice to be a mass murderer? because no one sane would do that, please.

[@darthcygnus7692]

@@Алексей545-т6б Why only on youtube there's people like you that did misunderstood the entire series? Make me laugh everytime, maybe watch dragon ball is better fot you, it's less complex.

[@OryxViper_]

I'm an older sister and I also related to Vi in the very first scene of the show. I couldn't help but think of my little sister when watching her interact with Powder. When Vi punches Powder while she's grieving, I pitied Vi so much: I knew in that second that she would never forgive helself, she would carry that guilt forever, and the events that followed only made that feeling sink deeper. I think, because of the same reason, I couldn't connect with Jinx. I think I felt unavoidably repelled by her because I was Vi in that moment, and the guilt that came with the though of "My sister has lost her mind because of me" was too much to handle. Connecting with Jinx would have destroyed me, so along with Vi, I kept calling her Powder until the very end.

[@gudspellar3605]

It's a fascinating topic to look at, especially at a time we as a society are rejecting any qualities that put the group above the individual. Leadership and mentorship have value, but also have potential for damage especially when forced. It's nice to see and read explorations of the ideas that don't get bogged down in theories or agendas. Just a story that feels honest and real to everyone watching.

[@barboradovhunova2964]

i can feel your every word and agree. I'm middle child, i had to grow up fast mentally.. it was always put the most responsibility on me and my needs behind me.. Being parent, protector, leader, friend, role model, sibling and not blame younger siblings for certain things.. It's care .. You have to just to be mature, Rely on yourself and hold things together... It's not easy, especially when you have almost no guidence/role model in your life. I feel sorry for Powder, but Vi was also a child..

[@kristlaney1793]

im the younger sibling but my sister always took care of me, so i could really relate to powder and vi's dynamic.

[@Rescryption]

I'm the younger sibling by 2 and a half years. But since, my Mother heavily nurtured my brother and my Dad heavily mentored me. Naturally, I have taken up the responsibility. I am the one mentoring my brother with girls and getting fit. Everyone is just a product of their surroundings, it is always nurture over nature.

[@mumhustler]

Best thing to do when you have just blown up a kingpin's drug factory is leave your younger sister there for his goons, while you find your spiritual center for half an hour

[@danutghidia5820]

selective memory much?

[@JPWrites]

So staying a beating your little sister to a pulp out of anger is better?

[@lil_ol_cupid1082]

I'm the eldest in both my mom and dads side, and no matter what I've always felt responsible for what they do and how they feel. On my mom's side i have a younger sister 6 years younger than me and I've tried taking care of her her whole life, even when she was just a baby,almost like a mother because my mother always goes out so I feel like where ever my sister goes, I go, and if she gets hurt, I have to help her, if anyone is pushing on her, I make sure it stops. And this isn't any cocomelon family or neighborhood, we live in the city and we'd have shootings and it's tough to trust people so if my sister wants to go outside, I would wait until my mom would get home, but since she came so late, she wouldn't be able to go outside at all. I would have to make sure she's fed, happy or entertained, and that she wouldn't be so worried about when mom would be back, and if school was going well bc well, kids can be mean and school is tough(¯―¯٥). And leaving to my dad's house is even worse because I'm always worried abt her and she wouldn't want me to leave. (;_:)yes me and her would be at eachothers throats for the last popsicle in the fridge but we'd get along after. I'm a teenager now and things for me have gotten worse but also better when it comes to mental health and family/life,but over all i still feel like this, even with my siblings on my dad's side, even though they have things easier, I still can't help but think about them and how they're doing. When i saw this show I am not kidding when I say I am obsessed with it and the characters, especially Vi ٩(๑>◡

[@StreamKArt]

I feel strongly for Jinx, not just as the youngest of three sisters with my parents divorced and neither taking care of us for a while, but one so young that my sisters were old enough to move out and weren't really involved in my life much afterwards while I was still really young. Of course it wasn't because of anything I did, they just had their own lives they wanted to live, but I still felt almost abandoned by it, didn't help much that it was almost immediately afterwards that my dad took custody of me and my mother moved all the way across the country. Didn't help that I felt more like a trophy to wave in the others face in that custody battle either... Throughout all of my late childhood and teenage years I felt like a screw up and that just my existence caused absolute hell. That I was nothing but a jinx... I still very much feel that way at times...

[@accounttoteststuffin3337]

I'm a middle sibling, i have both been clinging to older siblings and protecting my younger siblings when my older siblings aren't there to help. I always had a sense of responsibility for my little siblings but would always ask for help to my older siblings or parents. Kind of a mix of the too. Most of us have big age differences, 8 or 9 years at most. But I have a big brother who's only a year and a few months older than me. That's my perspective as a middle siblinv

[@kayleighdriessen]

I don't have any biological siblings, but somehow I can relate to Vi's character in terms of being the dependable one others look up to (I have this role in my small group of friends) which tend to carry some heavy burdens along.

[@kujazero5678]

Ah yes a video for Vi and there's a video for Powder.

[@persephone1925]

I loved this video, I think the same thing happened to me, at first I didn’t get how people would like Powder/Jinks cause in my perspective it was so difficult to put me in her shoes, but then I put me young brother in that position and everything made sense. My little brother is 14 now and I’m 18, being from latinoamerican this hole thing makes so much sense that it’s crazy.

[@oldRevanfan]

As an oldest sibling, I've lashed out at my siblings similarly to how Vi did and I just hate it... I agree she wasn't abandoning Powder, she just needed some time to calm down.

[@vikkidonn]

We don’t get to control how our actions impact our friends and family. Not all toxic relationships or actions are intentional. She abandoned her sister objectively. Did she mean to is a different question and I agree she may not have meant it but she did it. That action had consequences and they weren’t good. At all. So while I understand her situation as another big sister I also know objectively she made a mistake in hitting her and then walking away. Hitting her wasn’t just an in the moment thing because Vi has anger issues and always used violence to express herself. Even when those around her told her to stop it. So that wasn’t just a understandable natural occurrence. Bad behavior is bad behavior. Calling it out and fixing it going forward is how you do it. Not pretend it didn’t happen or dismiss what your actions have caused.

[@crystalclare1727]

I'm younger sibling, and Arcane helped me understand the view of the older sibling a bit better than i did before. I'm honestly kind of the mixture of middle and younger, maybe a bit of older too idk The younger come cuz I have an older sister, she is 8 and a half years older. The middle chile probably come cuz I went ti school in a van where i was literally in the middle, i had to take care of the younger kids cuz i was the oldest among them but i was younger from the oldest. I got bashed from both sides lol. The oldest sibling dynamic comes cuz of my neices. I'm in 12th and they are in 9th and 5th (I don't remember which class the younger one is in). I had to babysit them and take care of them in school sometimes. Also i think my independent and mature nature is cuz i had to take care of myself from 4th cuz my sister went to college and my parents couldn't spare me much emotional support as they were tired and my grandparents got sick a lot. Like vi i wasn't able to let my guard down much, always had to be responsible. Like vi i was entrusted with the kids, fir their safety in the van so they don't break a neck or something. I also relate with powder. Yes, i do have a need to prove myself i don't show it much but i love it when I get praised. Although I do feel guilty a bit afterwards cuz if some emotional issues i have. I also want to be seen that I'm old enough to take care of myself. Like Powder, i want to help, i want to useful. But as I am a kid or treated as such i unable to do anything and i feel like Powder after she overhears the conversation about her not being better for her age, utterly useless. When i couldn't help i felt like a waste of space. Yes depression stemmed from that. I still struggle with it but I am getting help. I understand both vi and Powder. But i understand powder more than vi cuz i never was the oldest. Just pretended. I wrote a lot lmao

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

you were pretty much spot on with your age predictions. Vi is 17 in Act 1, and a writer said on reddit that the timeskip was about 7 years long, so she's 24 in Act 2.

[@danutghidia5820]

she between 14-16, idk where you saw 17

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

@@danutghidia5820 Riot games released several interactive content for the main characters of Arcane (Jayce, Jinx, Caitlyn and Vi). Vi's content was basically the enforcer's cases about her in Stillwater prison. One of them is about the day she was sent to stillwater and it is written "age : 17, looks like the teen that was seen at the appartment explosion in the Kirraman building last week" That leaves pretty much no room to interpretation tbh

[@matthieuzglurg6015]

I might add that this is where you see her behavior in prison in the first years, being very violent with other prisoners, and interrogating all that come in about a "Powder", enforcers think it is a kind of drug and that she's addicted (lol)

[@danutghidia5820]

@@matthieuzglurg6015 it says aprox 17, not 17 exactly. we had confirmation from a WRITER on the story that both Vi and Caitlyn were 14-16

[@battletimewitch9987]

This hits so close to home

[@Alliecatastrophe]

It really sucks that people only seem to talk about Jinx's trauma, but never about Vi's, she watched her family die, twice, right before her eyes, when both times, Jinx was shielded from that. She saw the aftermath, but not the actual brutality of it. Vi was not abandoning Jinx, she recognized that she was lashing out, being destructive, and like you said, removed herself so she wouldn't cause any more damage. And like, the fact she even RECOGNIZED this, after watching her family die, is fucking insane and so powerful. But people call Vi rotten and selfish and awful for it? And like, you know Vi was going to come back, she just needed a MINUTE to grieve the loss of her second family before going back and then she gets punished for it, blames herself for it, tries to make up for it meanwhile Jinx re-enforces this with all her own mental baggage and makes Vi feel even worse and the fandom sides with her. It's so heartbreaking, not even in fandom does Vi catch a break. People like to say Vi should have known and she's the older sister. She was still just a kid? It doesn't make it right but how can you blame Vi given the circumstances? It does not help that Jinx wears her trauma on the outside and Vi, like many oldest siblings, internalizes it and doesn't talk about it because she was never allowed to without getting shut down as it being Responsibility by Vander. She is told over and over by family and the world she is not allowed to breath or feel or be vulnerable because she is the oldest and has to bear it. Very sad.

[@ma-jn4ds]

I watched this show with my lil brother and I totally got where Vi was coming from

[@thelittletaosena5176]

As an older sister to two younger sisters, I agree with everything you said. There is so much responsibility and it gets heightened if you make a mistake and end up really hurting them. I related so much to Vi and Powder/Jinx because I always felt like I was the reason for them either having a life full of happiness or suffering. Vi's tragedy of not being able to show Powder that she did not intend to abandon her (which then created Jinx) has been my greatest fear.

[@ElJorro]

I am only two years apart from my brother and he is the well adjusted one.

[@ALUMINOS]

im the youngest child in my family, when i watched this show, i never thought about who's at fault for what happened in episode 3 or anything like that, i simply looked at it as an unfortunate accident, a situation that a child (or human in general) should never be in, because children arent expected to make the best choices and never should be (that's what they have to learn over time) simply an unfortunate series of events in that episode i dont see it as "who's side are you on? Powder or Vi?" i simply saw it as 2 kids in the wrong place at the wrong time, (of course later on in the show they do develop their beliefs and are on opposite sides) you dont like how Vi hit Powder, but you dont like how Powder disobeyed Vi, there is no right or wrong in that situation because at that point there was no way to make things better, even if Vi never abandoned Powder and Silco never raised her, their lives still would have been miserable, 2 homeless traumatized kids with a crimelord who wants their heads the show is not about good vs evil, it's about a tragedy, and how that tragedy changed people and resulted in conflict between them

[@JPWrites]

I agree with this 100% - it's one of the reasons why I don't like when people get into hero/villain discussions about Arcane, because it's not that black and white. Everyone's human and trying their best, but because they're human they mess up. Unfortunately the stakes are so high that when they mess up, it has tragic consequences.

[@ALUMINOS]

@@JPWrites exactly

[@gravityfails4628]

Being an oldest sibling and autistic I feel like I’ve always had trouble articulating when I need help. They’ve have been times when I’ve run head first into a problem and my mom would ask me why I didn’t reach out, and I couldn’t explain it to her…

[@orderlysummit]

I grew up thinking I was a boy until around when I turned 18 and really started questioning my gender identity, so as a trans-fem older sibling semi-recently diagnosed as neurodiverse with a younger sister I like to think I'm able to offer a somewhat unique perspective (yes I hc Vi as a trans woman no I'm not projecting what do you mean) Unsurprisingly I relate to Vi the most through the entire show and it's no shock my sister heavily relates to Jinx. We even have a similar age difference lmao. I remember a bunch of times where I'd encourage her to do something new or not give up on something after not immediately getting it like Vi encouraged Powder to jump in the first episode, but it took too long for me to realise how much she looked up to me and unfortunately during my mid teens/her tweens/early teens especially we had too many arguments to count. I felt fucking awful at the end of all of them and generally tried to make things up between us afterwards (though sometimes this was hindered by my avoidant tendencies and by how petty I was back then). Right now I'm really glad we have a fairly clean friendship and we do a lot of things together, but I'm pretty disappointed in myself for her looking up to me taking so long to sink in and for not taking the time to hang out with her more when I was younger. I do admittedly feel a tad frustrated if she's being annoying in public or she's intentionally antagonising me, but she respects me enough to not do too much most of the time and I really appreciate it.