This Character is DEEPER Than You Think | (Mel Medarda: Character Breakdown) ARCANE

#LeagueOfLegends #Netflix #Mel
Who is Mel Medarda’s brother? What’s the meaning behind her paintings? What’s with the glowy golden thing on her back? Why such emphasis on the young male… “friend” of her mother’s? Mel is the most delicately constructed characters in Arcane. Her arc is as subtle and secretive as her personality. But the writers gave us more hints than it would seem on first viewing. By carefully dissecting the scenes between Mel and Ambessa, both in the past and the present, the deeper meaning behind all these mysterious elements become clear.
Videos referenced:
Vi & Caitlyn Relationship DEEP DIVE - • Vi & Caitlyn Relations...
Why Ending Seconds Later Ruins EVERYTHING - • Why Ending SECONDS Lat...
ARCANE CHARACTER ALIGNMENT - • ARCANE CHARACTER ALIGN...
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[@ClockMonsterLA]

I agree 100% that the gold plating on Mel's back and shoulders is significant. No one seems to take note of the fact that in that final moment at the end of episode 9 when Jinx's rocket is about to smash through the glass, Mel's "armor" (for lack of a better term) not only glows for a second, but Fortiche does something very bizarre at the same time: they momentarily erase the back of Mel's dress just so we can see that stuff, in its entirety, glowing. Fortiche is very deliberately saying, "Hey, this is important, so we are going to make sure you see this!" even to the point of inducing a non-diagetic erasure of a model texture to make sure we don't miss it.

[@TheMrblessed]

Exactly! I don't know what it is that people don't get. It's so blatant!

[@mathies3598]

I am SO betting on this being some sort of Solari protection. She's always had gold motifs in her clothing and hair, and her outfit when she was a young girl strongly resembles the ingame item "locket of the iron Solari". Conveniently, this item grants an AOE shield to teammates for a short duration.

[@alaljarensi6990]

It would be great to see all of the intricate gold designs. That would make an interesting skin. And it would be interesting to see what her hero in the game would be like with skills other than diplomacy.

[@jaimepe4765]

It's significant that she is using a magic protection device, since that would add to the fact that she decided to support Jayce against Heimer's advice.

[@foggyforest2625]

I realized that too!

[@mathies3598]

I think it's really interesting that Mel gets swayed from her path by her mother who's just further along that path. It's like her realizing and questioning herself: "Is this what I'm turning into? is this who I wanna be allied with? Is this who I wanna be??"

[@astratan2238]

But also that, in the end, her mother might have been right with a lot of what she said.

[@daniellatiger6220]

Just like Mel's mother is a mirror to her, so is the young princess who was killed in the flashback. Same green eyes, same status (presumably a young princess), same age. Dualities everywhere :)

[@HisameArtwork]

difficult parents will do that to ya'.

[@xylypotatohead3947]

Mel is so interesting. And the way she is portrayed too. We are introduced to her and kinda think that she is evil because she is this privileged council member (and we litarally know nothing about her). But in the end we learn that she is this empathic person, who was shunned for her empathy and who tries to avoid violence and ultimately wants the best for Piltover and Zaun. I really hope she survives the attack, because there's so much untapped potential for her and her character.

[@BratzRockAngels]

Yes. I really thought she was just using Jayce and was going to be using her position to be selfish, but she's really not that. She's so much more.

[@slothful2039]

@@BratzRockAngels I enjoyed the “twist” that she actually genuinely care about Jayce.

[@strawberry_cosmosss]

Yeah, at first i was really scared they were just gonna make her a seductive manipulator but im so glad they didnt do that, shes one of my favorite characters now

[@BratzRockAngels]

@@slothful2039 Me too. I didn't like how they slept with each other and kissed because I really thought she didn't really care for them, but I actually think they're a sweet couple now.

[@drunkolxea8682]

i have a feeling shes a red shirt because jayce might need an extra... shove.

[@Nimblescape]

Also, did no one notice that in ep 9, at 4:11 mins left, She smiles at Jayce, but then she jumps a little. Next shot is the rocket. But then during the shot of her gold plating, You can see she starts to turn around towards the window where the rockets coming. Not only is it possible that it'll protect her, but it also could've given her a warning

[@botanicalitus4194]

yes!! I want more ppl to talk about this, it seems like an important detail

[@squeezyjibbz7407]

Very likely

[@MajestiicCasual]

WHY has no one has talked about how in the very last few frames when the rocket hits the glass we can see an evil reflection of MEL'S FACE (in the graffiti style of jinx).

[@Nimblescape]

@@MajestiicCasual tbh idrk if thats suppose to be Mel or if its just the face Jinx drew on it reflecting on the window

[@iverakansol9218]

@@Nimblescape It's the face on the rocket!

[@Kaipyro67ALT]

Mel is such a good character. Also, whoever came up with her visual design deserved an A+ because she looks like a freaking swan-- like she enters a room and every other person just fails to reach her level of elegance.

[@crazypomp927]

I was so surprised that Mel wound up my favorite character. If everyone were described to me beforehand, I would never guess in 100 years that the manipulative councilwoman would be my favorite. But she turned out to be so much more than that. Wonderfully lawful neutral. Manipulative but not in a malicious way or with any ill intent towards others. Genuinely peaceful and compassionate in how she tries to govern. Extremely intelligent and forward thinking. And basically correct about everything throughout the whole season, which Jayce so conveniently points out in the final council scene. Not to mention being the single most gorgeous animated character of all time 😍😍😍. Go Mel Medarda.

[@LeahB31]

Preach

[@mangamango5569]

I've always wondered why Mel was the one to notice the rocket. She's the one person whos back is to the window. Out of all the people in that room she was the one person who shouldn't have seen that rocket coming. But she did, and she did it in slow motion too, meaning her real time reaction would've been super fast. Maybe the gold on her back gave her a sort of spidey-sense ability, making her alert to unseen or incoming danger.

[@DarkEclipce]

The line “nothing feels impossible when I’m with you” hit so much upon rewatching, because that’s the exact opposite of why she was cast out. Her mother says “you weakened me”. I think it truly shows where she has grown when her love for Jayce and his love for her has shown her where true power and goodness lies. It’s in how she inspires people to be better, and while the culture she’s grown up in has their ways, it was limiting to her, I teared up when she took her ring off because she finally reached the catharsis she needed. Stellar writing, and honestly the best character design I’ve ever seen. Gorgeous.

[@321gametime5]

I'm so excited to see more of Mel in Season 2.

[@michabuksalewicz8907]

If she survives, but who knows. Arcane director suprised us many times in just 1 season.

[@boxpin8967]

I had largely accepted the fact that she’d died, but after this video I’m also really excited to see her again. I really hope she was protected somehow.

[@SWSW560]

That is if we are still alive to see a season 2. Season 1 took what?....6 to 7 years?!!!!! "Dude!!!I can't wait that long!!!"

[@LegendoftheGalacticHero]

@@SWSW560 they are not starting from scratch now. A lot of the characters are already done, the style is defined. It doesn’t mean it will be fast. But I doubt it will be that long.

[@SWSW560]

@@LegendoftheGalacticHero Well true. Here's to hoping it will be very short

[@dontsubcribedontlike673]

The scene where she is painting with a pallet knife is a clue to the audience of how emotional she got when Jayce left her. I've been trained in oil painting and you almost NEVER use that tool to actually paint; It's too thin and sharp. You use it to mix other oil paints together until you achieve the color you want. The fact that she is _painting_ with the pallet knife and not a brush means she is PISSED. Thanks for this essay. "We'll paint the world in gold" mixed with that final painting of Noxius is a great contrast. edit: I realized I invited every single person who has ever seen an artist use the pallet knife to comment here saying I'm wrong. I am well aware some artists use it!

[@schnee1]

cool, thanks for that info! i know nothing about painting, so i never would have caught that!

[@gelmanbegum9934]

She lost her brush /j

[@averysmith2978]

while I agree with you that it is difficult to use a pallette knife for painting it isn't that uncommon. my mom is an oil painter and she only uses pallette knives to paint as that is her art style. I think the aggressive strokes were indicative of mel's mood but not the choice of tool.

[@StevenMKelly]

People do sometimes paint with pallet knives - Bob Ross, and his teacher Bill Alexander would at least paint mountains and rocks with it, if not whole landscapes. It gets a very textural look. But yes I think you're correct in the choice for her to be painting with a pallet knife symbolising that anger.

[@Anergyne]

Whether or not pallet knives get used to actually paint in the real world is almost irrelevant, I feel. When you ask the average person what tool you use to paint, nine times out of ten, they'll say 'a brush'. Which means that if the tool she used didn't matter to the story, it would make more sense for the creators to have her use a brush. They didn't. They chose to have her use a pallet knife. In a show as stuffed with symbolism and visual cues as Arcane, that choice almost has to mean something. It could mean she's pissed at Jayce, it could be a reference to the more warlike family she came from, or it could be both! Either way I do believe that the pallet knife was a narrative choice, rather than 'well she could just be the kind of painter who uses a pallet knife.'

[@Syncratci]

Hey thanks a lot for this. Mel is one of the few characters that I had a hard time really understanding. Your video helps a lot

[@schnee1]

i was in the same boat until last week, so happy I decided to make an effort to learn more about her

[@Cernicalogirl]

If you look carefully the golden plates on Mel's back are UNDER her dress. In this scene, they show the gold plates shining briefly without her dress on before showing her dress on top of them again. There is no way that the light of the rocket would momentarily take off her dress and then put it back on. The artists defiantly wanted to draw attention to them for some reason.

[@melbell7714]

Her earrings are gone too.

[@keik248]

I've always liked Mel's character but this made me see her in a whole different perspective. Really great analysis! :)

[@Rampala]

Mel was arguably my favorite character, even though we had to wait until the third act to get any of her back story. This was a great analysis! Definitely bright up a few points I'd missed.

[@artsycandy9183]

I need Mel to survive!!! Her character arch was just getting good! We need a proper resolution. I assumed that the light was a reflection on her back as well, but there was so much attention drawn to it that It must use magic to protect her somehow. It would also explain her immediate faith in Jayce’s exploration of magic since she would have been a magic user or at least someone who benefits from magic the entire time.

[@melthebookdragon8863]

I love Mel she's honestly one of my favorite character.

[@williampearson6299]

Mel is my favourite just as Blackfire is my favourite in Titans. Seems like mysterious, seductive, subtle, royal warriors with terrible parents are the trick. No displays of power, excessive aggression, or insolence. CW's Batwoman, Netflix's Masters of the Universe, Amazon's Invincible should take notes. Young Justice still hasn't established Rocket. I like Star Trek's Lower Decks and Discovery but they get unfairly criticized. And can't wait to see where the show takes Naomi in CW.

[@AWPaslan3587]

Mel and Jayce are such underrated characters

[@PredatorH2O]

As is their relationship.

[@Snowy-u1c]

Fr

[@NorthMountainFairy]

How about Ekko and Jynx’s relationship? His crush on her appears to have been canon long before they made Arcane, and their wordless battle shifts in context a bit when it’s not just a dear friend he’s locked in battle with.

[@alaljarensi6990]

Probably had a crush on her as a young boy Ekko did. Jynx might not be capable of actual love other than the desire of being desired and self affirmation.

[@boxpin8967]

Although they have a deep connection, it’s hard to tell whether or not their relationship will be romantic in the show like it was in the game. I think the battle shows that Powder was still apart of Jinx. Ekko never let go of her, even to the point of remembering her specific shooting pattern in a game they’d play. And Jinx never let go of her past, she knew what the watch meant almost as soon as she saw it, and when she lost she looked at him with a warm smile. To me at least it wasn’t love in the romantic sense at least, but it was Jinx facing the fact that she wanted to be Powder again. That deep down, that’s what she wanted, and she was capable of achieving it. Sorry for rambling, I just thought I’d share my perspective. It’s definitely an interesting conversation to be had!

[@shadic1988]

Ekko had a quote in League referencing that. "I had a crush. Until you started talking to the gun". Plus Ekko in the canon League Lore is 15. Jinx in canon League Lore is in her 20s. Although in Arcane, Jinx is only a year older than Ekko.

[@boxpin8967]

@@shyguywearingtie5491 yeah when I said relationship I didn’t mean that they were dating or even together, I meant friendship or whatever they had going on in the games.

[@boxpin8967]

@@shyguywearingtie5491 Romance was involved in their relationship. Ekko had a crush on Jinx, even if she didn’t like him back there were still romantic feelings involved. And they still barely showed off their relationship in the show, we saw them interact more as kids in the music video than in the show, and they don’t even talk in the music video. And as adults they barely talked, even during the fight scene.

[@aneteadiene9918]

I think for a character like Mel, instead of 'manipulative' you could sincerely say 'persuasive' or 'charming'. The difference between the two is just tone- we see manipulative people as persuading people for personal and often selfish goals. Mel would personally benefit much more from a brutal, violent crackdown of the Undercity that would let her trade go on without much pause, but she doesn't advocate for it: she advocates for violence as a means of defense at most. She isn't selfish, she is simply charismatic and persuasive, someone who understands other people.

[@zuckergolf4442]

She is incredibly selfish, her opposition to violence isn’t a proper refutation of that.

[@snoovian7951]

the awkward moment where both me and my dad spent half of arcane crushing on mel

[@VeWatchesVideos]

Mel is so fascinating because in any other story, she'd be the corrupting femme fatale. But she isn't. Mel is simply a person, with good and bad traits, who does care about power but who is also very aware of how unfair the world is and has therefore learned to play the game. It's why all characters in Arcane are so compelling. They're not traditional heroes or villains. They are people thrust into a brutal and unforgiving system and they all have different ways of trying to exert control over that system and, by extension, their own lives.

[@IDoNotFeelCreative]

I love the little notes you add... they're just perfect, brief clarifications of just a few words, which help better get your point across - brief and succinct so as to not warrant pausing of the video, but adding information so as to not just mirror what is being stated at the moment. I think I often see the latter, superfluous text accompanying an analysis in video essays, which arises when people don't know which visuals to use to accompany what is being said. I think I just found one of the reasons why I found your videos so engaging :D (also sometimes the notes are just funny)

[@schnee1]

thanks! i try to just use text to emphasize or to denote a structure of a particular point, im also bothered by too much text in videos and presentations etc

[@jeremyblack1929]

I think Mel's character moment with Jayce actually is meant to depict that she had expected their relationship to be one of user and usee (her being the latter). She was not annoyed by his lack of follow through because of romantic reasons, but because she thought it meant she'd failed. Him showing up and being open and truly tender her with her surprises her and she isn't sure how to react.

[@riverbanzachamploo9725]

I honestly love Mel. She is one of the most fascinating characters to me. At first I side eyed her because of how manipulative she was. At first I didn't even know if she really liked Jayce or was just trying to use him. But after Jayce came back to her and told her about Viktor's condition and how much he meant to him. We see a softer side of her. Her gentleness. That's when I realized she was genuine with how she felt about him. But she's still a manipulative person. Why? Then we see part of her childhood. She was always a genuine empathetic person but was shamed and disowned for that. Which made her the person she is today. That's why I'm glad when she see's her mom and her behavior and see's the parallels between her and mother she changes. She doesn't want to be like her mom she wants to take her own path. Also I love how we can see her head space threw her art. And I also love that when she was with Jayce she was the big spoon. Cute.

[@t.h.mcelroy6597]

Mel is one of my very favorite characters, and that's a very competitive bar. So glad you covered this! Georgia Dow recently made a similar analysis of Mel that I highly recommend too! Keep doing what you're doing guys, I can't get enough 💛

[@williampearson6299]

I'm glad a character like Mel came around after the Amber backlash from Invincible. Arcane is the right kind of "Woke" that they ushered in while Amber was a misguided attempt.

[@jalcome4201]

8:13 that, with the painting secs later, blew my mind, goosebumps

[@trifarianboi3043]

This is really interesting. Ambessa's claim that to last long in the world you must be both a fox and wolf came true when Mel's brother died, which according to ambessa, would be because he couldn't be a wolf. But Ambessa herself is old and grey haired, so we know for a fact that she is both a fox and a wolf simply from the fact that she's old enough to have grey hair.

[@deadlykitten1158]

I desperately hope Mel survives and we get to see much more for her in season 2 she’s my favourite character in the show.

[@mariacillan9668]

Oh, I never noticed this before, but y'know when Arcane is full of symbols of duality? Vi to Jinx, Piltover to Zaun, Vi to Caitlyn, Warwick (I can't believe I forgot his human name) to Silco, Viktor to Jayce... I believe another duality to be derived here is Silco and Mel. Both manipulative rulers of their cities' councils, both relying on loyalty in their own ways, both questionably "loving" their targets for their own uses. Nobody talks about this duality enough..

[@skyeburnie4006]

I loved Mel from the beginning, she intrigued me. I wanted to see what her plans were and how she developed through the show, I just love the mysterious depth they put into her. I also love the end with the gold back plate shining, as if signalling to her that something is coming. You can even see it in the scene that she acknowledges the threat by turning. Like her "spider senses" are tingling.

[@hayleyhistorynerd2211]

OOOooh my goodness Schnee, I didn't realize the second painting by her bed was a painting I wasn't sure what I was seeing, but now it makes so much sense! That painting shows how much seeing her mother in that light and seeing that violence traumatized her. I could see her trying to exorcise that pain by painting, it's a reminder, but she likely gets flashes of it all the time so why not paint it to remind her but also to try and dominant it. The fact that it's the spot in the blood that the necklace marked out means that she must have seen the aftermath/clean up of the violence too which just further cements that hurt. Wow! big Wow! Thank-you for pointing this out! I feel a bit better that your Dad (whose is a psychiatrist) thought Mel might be by sociopathic, I did not trust her at all when she first was romancing Jace, I got the sense that she was manipulating him and and I was waiting for her to so something awful. As she grew on me I wondered why I had distrusted her, but I'm glad my instincts picked up on what the writers were putting out until we got to understand her better. I'm really happy we got a complex and ultimately good hearted Mel. I hope we'll have more of her next season. I think we will, but I can't say with certainty. Hayley ^_^

[@kymelatejasi]

Mel has to be my second favourite character and I don't usually like politicians. There's something different about her as a politician and I want to learn so much about her.

[@MoonsCamelot]

Fantastic analysis here. I love the reading that Mel seeing the worst possible version of what she could become in her Mother, and that's what tips her back into trying to embody the ideals she's always believed in. I do think she was wavering and struggling internally before her mother came back, largely because Jayce was chipping away at her barriers in the moment of vulnerability you mentioned, and actually earlier on the balcony, when she expresses not wanting to take, take, take the way Medardas usually do. She was wrestling with these sides of herself, the fox and the wolf but Ambessa really awakens the terror of who she may become if she continues to skew towards the wolf.

[@MrLoppiet]

I must say: You are a very bright individual. Brains for days!

[@foggyforest2625]

can you PLEASE make a video about vander?! he's criminally underrated he's literally the Ned Stark of the show

[@williampearson6299]

And Mel is Maergery Tyrell if she didn't have to get married to be in proximity to rule.

[@SemiSubconsciousSaboteur]

Nah, Vander isn’t stupid.

[@Kirrie_Sushicat]

Yes, Mel is super manipulative but I can't help myself to not fall in love with her. Most visually stunning animated character ever created!!

[@ohno8398]

There's a point to make that sociopaths are not all evil as media often portrays, just people with traits others often don't understand. It would be interesting if Mel is a positive portrayal of sociopath, though I'm not an expert so I wouldn't want to diagnose. But otherwise, I really loved this video great Mel analysis! She's such a complex individual.

[@actuallynotsteve]

Man this, and your video about the ending, brilliant stuff that never occurred to me and I've seen this show 3 times. You're absolutely making content and throwing out coherent ideas I haven't seen anywhere else.

[@dakotamccoy9373]

These analysis’ make me realize just how much of a masterpiece this show is. Can’t wait for the next season!

[@knauhaurk]

On your Character Alignment Video I thought Mel closer to Jayce than Ambessa. Now I can better see why. It was the other side of her coin. The aspect of duality is ever present. Impressive really. Nice Video.

[@darinaprstmmprhdl6975]

GOSH THANKS FOR THE VIDEO. I crave for more Mel content, she's such an interesting character and your analysis is top-notch.

[@rafzombie9896]

I have some irl personal comparison to this video analysis. My dad and I had a distant and rough relationship from when I was very young. While not awful and physically abusive, his narcissistic and constant condescending behavior was becoming too much to bear. So I decided I would run/move away on my own from my family. While already in my early 20s I started raising myself in a way that I believed was my own. Only to realize 2 years of being on my own I whether I was doing it on purpose or not, I was still behaving like him and of “correcting” myself that way he would’ve too, but the more I tried distancing, the more I tried “raising myself” the more I was repeating generational mistakes in parenting, in either direct or reflective ways. He didn’t have his dad around fully, and growing up I pulled away from him as much as possible to deprive him of the experience of raising a son. But being on my own and having roommates, 2 of which are father and son, seeing what a healthy dynamic between those two roles could be. I just kept having realization one right after the other that I just kept repeating the little bit of parenting skills I did get from my father. Not even to a kid of my own (I don’t have kids) but to myself since I was still in the final chapters of my early youth. It’s amazing yet dumbfounding what patterns, lapses, or full on disastrous mistakes will be repeated by the apple, no matter how far it’s believed itself to have fallen from the tree. I’ve been seeing it within myself and learning and moving on while starting to no longer deny my past and who was involved in it. And now I see it in an 11 minute analysis video of one of my most favorite shows of my life and my early adulthood.

[@amandamichelle7.77]

i just can't thank you enough for making these videos and all of the work, observation, and deep intellectual thinking you've done. i believe when such a masterpiece like arcane is created it is our job as fans to engage with it and appreciate it at the level that you yourself are so all the detailed work the arcane creators have done doesn't go in vain

[@mkraulis]

I haven't bothered to double check, but I had heard the Solari had links to angelic beings or angelic powers. When Jinx's missile breaks the glass and Mel's gold (armour) appears to shine, we also see, what could be interpreted as, angelic wings starting to spread on both sides of her. Good video.👍

[@luo3076]

As a french I must say that, damn, you speak very very fast 😅 I don't understand all the things that you say, but that's always interesting

[@qeychain-workshopplay.8663]

Your analysis was so compelling. And made relook at some scenes... I had to Subscribe! Excellent. Not to mention, Mel's my favorite character.

[@BlizzardofKnives]

Assuming the gold stuff is some kind of protection, it shows what kind of person Mel is that it's either never taken off or permenatly attached to her, or maybe it was her Mum's decision.

[@charlieflickinger7372]

Mel was one of my favorite characters from when she was introduced. She's the character I'm most excited to see what happens with in S2. Does she remain just a political figure? Or does she have Jayce make her a hexweapon and she's one of the many Legends who just go by a codename? I'm 100% down for either of those to happen, but I assume she'll stay in a non-combat role. I'm super intrigued to see what that gold shimmering armor does.

[@Lowenaaa]

Jinx will always be my favourite character, but Mel il definitely the best one of Arcane. Her character design is the prettiest I have ever seen, her arc is soooo interesting I have rarelly seen thematics like those one being looked over this way, also I love that she got a romantic story but this story does not diminished her on the slightest but empowers her without diminishing Jayce too ! Shes the best. And shes totally not allowed to die lol

[@benjeffries2610]

Thank you for this video. I have been intrigued my Mel since my first watch, but was never able to wrap my brain around what her motivations were exactly. This explanation furthers my faith in how carefully and artfully crafted all characters are in this show. Thank you

[@no.6377]

Mel's is so _interesting_ . From the moment that dream/flashback happened I was way more invested. Before that I was so convinced she was gonna be a villain. I really hope we get more background information about her homeland. And there's no way her back plate shining like armor is insignificant. I can't wait for them to flesh her out more.

[@krystelledeborahpela7850]

Broooo I actually like am obsessed with all your videos about Arcane. Your insight is consistently impeccable and eye opening and as a writer, you give me so many ideas on how to create deep meaningful characters

[@rottensaging3930]

Phenomenal! Mel's late iteration of her painting had always been on my mind since. What does the gold mean?? It must mean something. Smite towards her family and war? No, that would be counter intuitive. Just like you said the way of the wolf and the fox has failed, what now? I had vague predictions that it might've some literal ties with the Solari but never would've realized the deep philosophical ties to her childhood ideologies. Mercy doused in gold. Mr. Schnee if you dont mind me asking, Im quite curious abt your background in education. Im 19 and marching my way towards college but dont generally know what to choose for a career. Ive noticed myself get highly immersed in video essayists/analysts here in yt i.e. Jacob Geller, Philosophy tube, Daryl talks games, TB skyen, breadsword, the up and coming you ofc and among others. (Overall I am infatuated with the notion of art having multiple layers and more than what it poses itself to be, and the active acquisition of that knowledge.) And Ive been doing little background checks and found that most of em have either a political science, philosophy or psychology background. Not actively saying that you NEED to have these types of educational bg to be an analyst but I think it helps and Im just generally curious to know yours. If you prefer to keep it private, I completely understand! I just wanted you to know that you are amazing in what you do and I can't be any more excited to see more of what you can do! Salutations Mr. Schnee. Thanks for indulging me in my rants🌻

[@schnee1]

i may or may not have dropped out of college lol... ive been lucky enough to have some genius mentors in the area i specialized in for 6 years though, i credit my (unaccredited..) education to them

[@deadlypandaghost]

Also don't forget that her love interest is Pilover's GOLDEN boy who she likes for his heart of GOLD.

[@neko_nyan3150]

Me and my siblings watched arcane together and both of them kept saying they didnt like mel and that she was a snake while i argued that she was a visionary and a QUEEN

[@steadyrow]

she is Machiavellian, but I don't think the goal is for her to be an outright sociopath. I do think they turned up the manipulations a little higher than they meant to though. I think mel meant to use jayce but ended up opening herself up to him.

[@justsomeanimator]

I fully agree with you. However, the missile is ,in fact, emitting light in the form of the hex tech lightning things.

[@Xyviel69]

Excellent video of one of my favorite characters!

[@SmallWildFlower]

"Her own unique approach, her nindo, her ninjaway" 😂 .... with that editing... I'm crying on the floor rn 😂🤣😂 Great analysis!

[@rai4119]

I too thought she was manipulative to the point of being sociopathic and had fake feelings for Jayce. That changed after she woke up alone, and then after that conversation she had with Jayce afterward. I like how in the end they wind up supporting each other instead of her pulling the strings. Sometimes Jayce wanted something and she was a pillar of support for her just has Jayce's influence had been one for Mel when she wanted it. And I'm sorry but I really do think that the golden plating on her back wasn't lit up. It was emphasized Because it's the cliffhanger and all of a sudden you see something that is very much like the attire Mel wears, and then it zooms out for you to confirm that really is Mel and question why we're looking at her back, just as she turns and you see that the missile is heading straight at her back It's a beautifully terrifying shot. I don't necessarily think it means she's going to have some Deus ex Machina in her armor.

[@brendanclark1058]

Slight disagreement- I do think the armor shone with significance because it shines through her dress. Slow down the scene, and you’ll see that after it begins to cut away towards the window, a good portion of that armor that was shining was under her dark colored dress. Not to mention it had its own distinct audio cue as it shined. I don’t think they would have done that just to confirm she was in front of the window we already knew she was on front of. Also take note that her smile changes a scene just before that when looking at Jayce. She definitely sensed something was up and it’s got to do with that armor, guaranteed. We’ll just have to wait and see what

[@TenaciousDealer]

God this video is so thoroughly fantastic. Mel was one of my favourite characters in the show, and I'm one of those people who definitely think she'll survive the blast because of the untapped well of hints towards her story, but damn if I hadn't put all of the stuff together like this. I'm now binging your other Arcane videos!

[@julyol119]

My thought about the gold shimmering on her back in the last moment was like "Girl got a Zhonya's". But Iron Solari stuff makes so much more sense and I abolutley missed the symbols of that faction built into her costumes. Really cool!

[@XolBurn]

Can you make a video about Ekko? I saw a video review that mentioned him (I forgot who's video was it) but what they said could me of guard. They said that they didn't like Ekko being the leader of the Firelights, they should have made the leader someone else and they didn't need to bring Ekko back.

[@schnee1]

my first arcane vid is actually about the jinx ekko bridge fight, but i recorded that literally the day after that episode came out, lots more about the character to think about since then!

[@XolBurn]

@@schnee1 yeah when I saw that review your video immediately came into mind, and yeah I agree there's a lot more to talk about Ekko. Like how Ekko used the pain and trauma he experience as a kid to do good, unlike Powder who used that trauma (with the help of Silco) and became a "monster"

[@arkdirfe]

I think another reason why Mel will most likely survive is something Ambessa said. Kino is dead but the one who did it isn't done and wants to get Mel next. If Mel died, that whole huge plot hook would just be gone, you don't throw away a plot hook like that.

[@laxi5597]

I think Mel started off her relationship with Jace as another way to manipulate him, get him to be vulnerable to her so she could get him to do whatever he wants. But it starts off that way and then she quickly loses herself to him and actually falls for him herself.

[@Tosin226]

I hope somehow she survives Jinx's attack. I love watching people with good intentions navigate politics and she was a master.

[@梨-i5l]

I strongly think Mel would have grown up expecting to be stabbed in the back, which is why this armour is on her back. You could argue her exile is already being stabbed in the back too.

[@aizere3176]

Thank you, I mean while watching I always understood that there has to be something in this scene, or in this dialogue, but rarely got what exactly there is. And know it all feels so right, it brings relief kind of

[@SamriBliss]

The word “ambesa” means ‘lion’ in Amharic- the formal language of Ethiopia.

[@Blaed13]

love this video! I also think mel isn't talked about enough.

[@JonSwansonE]

I love these vids. It's like you're reaching into my brain and flipping switches, every video is a lightbulb moment. So much to appreciate and so much to think about.

[@a.n.9800]

Mel was an enjoyable character to watch but I didn’t really appreciate her arc the first time. Thanks for this analysis!

[@maxwellrounsaville1183]

I don't know if anyone else is talking about this but, it's also interesting that we explore these themes of abusive parenting and violence vs peace through black characters. In your gender videos you write about how the characters are not written as blank canvases and then randomly assigned gender. They're written as that gender and I think a similar thing is going on here with the Medarda clan. The black community has always struggled to make sense of the way that black parents treat their kids (I could get into it but its not really worth it for this comment. You can watch lots of youtubers talk about this exact thing.) Emotional neglect (specifically when it comes to mental health) and corporal punishment are still problems for everyone but especially for the black community and so I can't help but hear the stories of my friends and family when I hear about the way that Mel and her mother were treated as children. As for Aggression and violence, they have often been used against black people in many different forms and there is much debate in (and about) the black community about how much violence is allowed when it's being used as a form of political expression. I think it will be interesting, if any of these characters survive but specifically with Mel, to see how each of them will have to react to this, essentially, "terrorist attack" (I don't know if that is the best word for it but I digress) because we can draw parallels to the violence that black people experience in day to day life and to the kinds of violence that has been use by all marginalized groups as of form of political expression. At first I was scared to see that the only familial relationships we get in a black family is centered around abuse and trauma (though I know that's how a lot of these familial relationships are, at least Jinx and Vi have Vander, Caitlin has her dad, even Marcus is a good dad) and I was especially scared because most of the team is white, but honestly I really trust them to do a lot of good with this story the way they have with the women and gay characters. I don't know how they'll pull it off but I trust them to somehow write a story that doesn't come across as "this is the only way to write black families" while also staying true to the core of the relationships we've seen so far. I also think I will be hard to write about the aftermath, with the recent events. Oh and I just remembered that Ekko basically commits a terrorist attack too, though I haven't really thought as far into that one. One last thing: I know this is a sensitive topic and I am NOT trying to say anything about the validity of terrorist attacks in real life I am just trying to draw a parallel so please do not conflate anything I've said with that idea.

[@spookypancake573]

Another thing I don't see mentioned is that Mel is sitting in a high chair. Something that the camera faded out so it's easy to miss. Even if light from the rocket was somehow reflecting on Mel's armor, the chair would've blocked all of that light. And given how slender she is, its unlikely that anything more than a shoulder or two would be sticking out far enough to reflect anything. With how attentive this series has been to detail I'm positive that this scene was implying magic.

[@jascrandom9855]

This feels like one those analysis videos about Game of Thrones, back when it was good.

[@TheCombatWombat0]

I always assumed that the gold "armor" Mel wore was grafted to her like a sort of tattoo. It's made pretty obvious that it's practically part of her skin, which I'm low key jealous of because golden tattoo!? Yes! Overall, I agree with your assessment and really hope we see more of her next season.

[@leifioleif5946]

I've pointed this out to a few friends before, but while technically being the closest to the window meaning Mel might hear the bomb first, she has her back to it. Yet she is the only member on the council to notice it coming. You can literally watch her turn and smile at Jayce, but then her smile falls. And she starts turning her head, and then her armour glows. No one else has moved. She is the only one aware of it's imminent arrival. Her gold armour also doesn't appear to impede her movement at all. There's something more going on with her gold, and I definitely think it's magical in nature.

[@fionarahl9399]

Once again...the amount of detail in this show is ASTOUNDING.

[@ethanalspencer7294]

It's hard to explain, but even the way the gold is framed on Mel's back in that final shot is identical or at least heavily reminiscent of the sort of visual language of the Solari. When the locket activates or the Solari champion, Leona, activates her shield in game, it has a lot of motifs of an eclipse being broken by the sun returning. The brightness is framed in a circular way with some chromatic aberration and rays of light around the edges to symbolize the Sun's triumph over the moon's covering it. It's the exact same effect Mel's back is framed with, its not just glowing, but it's giving off a halo of light.

[@梨-i5l]

Mel is two years older than Jayce, and they both meet in their early 20s.

[@donatamartin7177]

I like that in the scene where Vi is talking to the council, the last council member we see look at Vi is Mel. We can see that she’s curious and interested in Vi, Mel took notice of her and I really hope to see their characters interact more in the future bc it think Mel/Vis contrast of wealthy/privilege family that wasn’t loving/familial with extremely disadvantaged but loving family (causes it’s something you can create without money). We see this with Caitlyn/Vi a little bit, but I think the dynamic will be especially contrasted between the two. Plus, so many of the topsiders underestimate the undercity/zaun, but we’ve seen Mel to be highly intelligent and I would love to see her being forced to really see the blood on the councils hands for what they’ve done to the undercity/zaun. We’ve seen how Jayce, Caitlyn, and Heimerdinger reacted, but I’m honestly curious to see how Mel responds esp after her arc this season

[@kcbros1515]

Like your dad, at first glance throughout the first few episodes I thought Mel was a sociopath as well. I'm still on the fence. However, I can see how those seeds were planted by her mother. Since Mel's mom doesn't seem the most empathetic person in the world. It's quite clear that her brother and her mother symbolize the parallel between the two sides of Mel that are in conflict...the Fox and the Wolf. In the beginning she was quite the wolf. Over time before jinx fired the missile she was going back to being a fox. However, If Mel survives she may go back to being a wolf.

[@vincentliang8548]

YES YES YES, thank you for validating my thoughts, since I first saw Mel and that gold design on her back I've always thought of the Iron Solari, I'm just too dumb and my thoughts are too fragmented to actually collect the necessary evidence to give a viable explanation to why she's connected to the Iron Solari past golden colors. People have all sorts of speculations to whats going to happen in the council room, who's gonna die, and who's gonna save them. The leading theories I've seen are that Jayce and Viktor manage to pull out some hextech weaponry at the last minute and protect the key characters, or that heimerdinger helps ekko complete his time machine which lets him go back in time and save the council, but for me I always thought it would be Mel and her connection to the Iron Solari that would protect them, giving a more literal meaning to the symbolism of the shield shaped ring she always wears.

[@carmenramirez1811]

bro can we get your dads opinions on the show that sounds dope

[@jo.k.4210]

what a good title. youre so good with catching on to the subtleties. could you make a short vid on Ambessas boytoy possibly planning to poison her?

[@jacobileoo1941]

directors need to hire this guy

[@KamenArts]

The fox and wolf analogy from Ambessa appears to be a reference to Machiavelli: "You must know that there are two methods of fighting, one by law, the other by force; the first method is that of men, the second of beasts; but as the first method is often insufficient, one must have recourse to the second. It is therefore necessary for a prince to know well how to use both the beast and the man." - Niccolò Machiavelli (The Prince, 1513)

[@clementhuve5520]

The crystals (arcanes) are actually from an ancient specie name the brakern, and those brakerns are located in Shurima Piltovans exploit and destroy this specie to collect those crystals and make hextech work (clan Ferros being the biggest one to exploit them). Also Shurima is the place where you can find the sundisc (a giant golden disc channeling the power from gods above) and is also located next to Targon where the solaries are. We also learn that Medardas likes to collect stuff like the other councelor (ancient shuriman sun treasure?) I don't know. But I really think Mel has a deep connection with shurima and the sun.

[@MrQlzqlzuup]

You can classify what happened to Mel as an alignment shift, from LE to LN at least. Good news for her is that Solari isn't inherently an evil goddess (maybe LN?) and so this shift should not affect her attunement to Solari artifacts (assuming her bodypaint is some kind of one).

[@Thesilentvoice...]

I want to learn more about her childhood and backstory! She has a brother who died I think? And her mother taught her to be ruthless in her childhood when she was kind and innocent. We need a special episode dedicated to Mel and her mother and her childhood. What sort of wars and policies do her country have. And her armour shined at the end before the bomb hit. She must be a champion like what other people are saying I believe. I don’t think she will die, and if she does it’s wasted character development!

[@katastrofygames]

I wasn’t sure if the magic item she had was targonian (the solari) or shuriman (it looked like her mother killed a shuriman princess) or even maybe some sort of palace from the sentinels of light. It’s hard to say there is a lot of gold symbolism in league. I do like the thought of it being shuriman though because piltover has ties to shurima. Ezreal for example is an explorer from piltover that digs up treasures from old shuriman temples. The hextech crystals jayce has are actually harvested soul stones used by an ancient race called the Brakern (Skarner champion) and they hibernate by trapping their souls in these crystals. So when Viktor says the hexcore can learn it’s literally because the hextech crystals themselves are sentient beings and are the magical souls of an ancient race of creatures. The energy that these crystals produce are the life forces of the hibernating brakern. But who knows if that’s all gonna be rewritten. Eitherway, whatever Mel is wearing has some sort of purpose that looks magical which is probably why she did not fear jayce experiments like the rest of the council.

[@deathblade909]

On that last scene there is a light shine from.her golden tattoos

[@bumble9207]

Also this video has made me respect this character so much more now

[@rinkiko]

Love the video, she is such an interesting character 🤩

[@sojo2137]

Stat stuff on her back could also be a p shuriman artifact. This sun and gold is also commen in shurima. It could be some protective magic stuff or so. And it activates cause she is in danger.

[@maximnikolaev6627]

I always thought Mel was both part Shuriman and part Noxian (especially when people can often mistaken shurima and solari considering they both use gold but ironically have similar beliefs as well.) I recommend looking into the lore of Shurima and it's magic there :)

[@joeviart1206]

The sungates aren't conected to the solari, the sungates are Shuriman , great vid btw

[@Psilocyval]

9:37 really caught my attention because one of Mel’s very first lines in the show is “Yet I’m still the poorest Medarda”

[@blacbamboo284]

Another great video schnee! I think you love arcane even more than me!