The Lore of Ambessa's Cinematic Explained

[@ziprath]

She is 100% pregnant in this, you can see her bump and she is holding her stomach not the arrow at the start.

[@Bakemer94]

Not to mention the shot of a fetus literally one second before cutting to Ambessa holding her stomach.

[@titomasto5982]

Honestly is kind of amazing he missed it. she is crearly pregnant ilaying in the beach

[@chynonm]

I find it painfully obvious at the end, 10 seconds of Ambessa getting up while constantly cradling her belly with one hand and then both hands with quite a visible bump

[@elemental-45]

PREGANANANT?!

[@annhylde2581]

PREGANTANT?

[@hunterhunter4302]

I have another interpretation : Ambessa is obviously very pregnant and shot in her stomach. The one the Wolf came for is her dying unborn child and she went along as the child champion to fight off death. She is crying because to save her child, she is forced to fate it to a violent death. The fetus is marked by the wolf while still in the womb and Ambessa let go of peace for a quest of absolute power to take the throne and protect her family's future.

[@miklosszabo4551]

I like this interpretation

[@midorayo1149]

4 lines that have way better interpretation than a 30 min video , i also thought of it the same way , Kino literally dies in arcane and it was a violent death

[@perfectdoll4112]

that's a very insightful interpretation. i really like it.

[@isaachanson9347]

Love that perspective! Dude the layers for this cinematic are insane...

[@Aizelav]

I think it could be both, maybe the wolf was coming for both of them? Because as I see it, she was definitely going to die from that arrow, but she lives from fighting off the wolf for herself and the child.

[@blindsaint07]

Honestly, Necrit made a amazing analysis of every single moment, yet he hadn't noticed Ambessa's clearly pregnant stomach in the beginning and end of MV. Crazy.

[@0Vageta0]

IKR I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD, SOMETIMES YOUR SO FOCUSED ON THE DETAILS YOU IGNORE THE OBVIOUS XD

[@Bakemer94]

I've watched every reaction to this cinematic, and only one person noticed that. Out of about 10 because people are REALLY slow to react to this one.

[@Foo4Lyfe]

Yes! I think the lamb she is carrying represents her unborn child, not letting go her peaceful life.

[@mamiparlak112]

it may be hard to notice for men.

[@paradonas]

​​​@@Foo4LyfeYes. My interpretation of the trailer was that she was giving up the lamb (her child) to live.

[@Kampsycho]

Ambessa lore voice lines mentions losing another child, how she only felt love clutching them in her arms for the first time and felt horrible as they slipped through her fingers. I think this is showing how she lost her first child, thus losing peace and welcoming war, which is probably why she's very overprotective over Mel, because she doesn't want to lose another one.. She can't protect them as the lamb, thus chose the wolf.

[@shookett]

I totally agree with this interpretation. The MV/Ambessa story showed being how she changed and consider death after losing a first child then refusing to lost another.

[@NoirRaven]

Didn't Kino die recently within the timeline? His death literally precedes her arrival to Piltover. I posted this in its own comment but I'll repost it here: _I kind of wonder if the Lamb was representation of Kino and that we didn't see Crystal Ambessa holding the lamb, but Crystal Mel. This explains why she's crying because, in order to live, her kids would probably have to die in her place; that they were always destined to die because they are lambs. This is why she's so scared around and for Mel, because Kino died trying to be a fox in what's a Wolf Vs Lamb fight. There is no middle ground here. You're either a wolf or a lamb to be slaughtered and Kino tried being a wolf, only to find out he's actually a lamb. This is why she flies to Piltover immediately after Kino's death. The wolf has collected one of her children and it's now after the other, which probably means Mel's also dead come season two, which makes sense due to the lack of showing Mel and Ambessa being pissed in every scene she's in. They also exnayed some voice lines in the game so yeah, Mel's dead. The lambs are slaughtered. (She really should've had more over her lifetime, but I wonder if the arrow prevented that from happening.)_

[@TheJerbol]

But she lost her child during arcane lol

[@Kampsycho]

@@TheJerbol it can easily represent what is going to happen to her, she lost her lamb in the past, now the lamb is her children, so she's super protective over her flock, her family.

[@colossaldonut5190]

I personally think the "Lamb" in the video is meant to be her first child that didn't survive. But y'know can't show really infantcide on a KZbin video so it's a lamb instead.

[@TheWoodengold]

Shes not "probably pregnant" It's clearly shown on the beach scenes. While half of her attention is focused on the arrow notice how she cradles her stomach. SHE WENT TO BATTLE WITH CHILD. That's how metal she is

[@shwix6534]

Metal or mental😂

[@fotismanolopoulos1098]

​@@shwix6534yes

[@mechamochi9627]

Why even go to war when your pregnant dawg 😭

[@Morfe02]

literally you can see a fetus before she open the eyes in the end of the video xD

[@chrishaven1489]

Her cradling her stomach implies that she's pregnant..........that and the actual image of the foetus. That's also telling

[@HughMann989]

I've been waiting for this video since the cinematic dropped. Necrit will have a career as long as Riot keeps releasing music videos

[@Zankyo137]

As long as riot release 15 second of anything

[@xhxneybeex]

omg me too, love his videos!!!

[@stinkymonke3622]

yup

[@spiritknifeVT]

Same I kept checking my phone 😂

[@branboom3342]

Agreed, surprised that he has

[@TheStuffEnjoyer]

Ambessa letting go of the lamb means she is also letting go of a peaceful death. She instead opts for the violent death by wolf and beats death...for now.

[@swyft1872]

The irony if warwick gets her

[@TheStuffEnjoyer]

@@swyft1872 Would be hilarious for sure. Makes wish we had more wolf type characters in the game. Mainly for the lore.

[@collecter343]

@@swyft1872 If he does, probably won't kill her going by how so far only non-champions have died.

[@unjoueurcritique]

This takes a totally different signification if you see that Ambessa is pregnant while being shot. The Lamb is her unborn child, that she has to let go to survive.

[@jufer2348]

​@@unjoueurcritiqueso... ifs true... mel have lamb's kindreds power, the part of life... and save the council... and explain the gold tattoos in her back

[@Obosii]

I think that that shot of sudden realisation, just before you see the unborn baby, is Ambessa realising that she has passed her fate onto her child. I also think that Mel’s dad is Targonian and an important one at that. The iconography on Mel’s clothing is too obviously Targonian and she says “you have your father’s memory.”

[@androski5247]

I am absolutely loving Kindred’s involvement in this year’s league content.

[@EzekielDeVries]

amen

[@zev_nx]

"When I was ten, your grandfather brought me to the aftermath of the battle of Hildenard, he offered me a gold coin for every blade I retrieved from the fallen, said we needed the steel. But I knew it was a lie, he wanted me to know death" -Ambessa, ep8 s1 of Arcane Peaceful life in shurima?? What are you talking about Necrit??

[@ShenobiYT]

Really proud of how far Necrit's career has come. Whenever RIOT lore is highlighted in any content, people always think of Necrit first. Keep up the great work Necrit, excited for Arcane S2 Episode breakdowns!

[@kielpogi8062]

After all he's canonically a historian in universe

[@CaramelThe3rd]

I feel like every big game is bound to have a loremaster or sorts, destiny has byf, soulsborne has vaati, and league has necrit

[@cancerconnoisseur]

I think that the Pantheon skin technically IS Pantheon... But more like an echo of him. Considering we see Katarina and Swain, they could be representations of people who challenged The Wolf and refused to die. Echoes of them like an imprint forever left within Wolf to use to challenge new souls that may be tested. That skin may be "Canon", but doesn't exist in the real world. It's mostly symbolic.

[@sarvashaktimaan7106]

That's also how I interpret it.

[@happy_chaos.]

By pantheon you mean atreus right? Because when would the literal god of war [by targon] fight the wolf if not in the battle with aatrox. BUT THEN, he dies, so that means he loses the battle with the wolf and with aatrox. I think the avatar that is being represented in the video is atreus...

[@cancerconnoisseur]

@@happy_chaos. His... Real name is Atreus, but he is still called "Pantheon" in the game. When I say "pantheon", I am obviously referring to Atreus.

[@happy_chaos.]

@@cancerconnoisseur ok thanks, I just got confused because that was a comment with 23 likes that said the same thing as you but saying Atreus, not panth.

[@gabrielwag]

Yeah, Panth definetely had an encounter with death considering the massive scar on his chest.

[@nikilauda3368]

The wolf didnt come for Ambessa bro, he came for Mel, as she was pregant with Mel and took an arrow to the stomach.. Ambessa fought him off and once he stepped back, you can see both Ambessa and Mel being marked as "safe" from Kindred, just as Pantheon, Swain and Katarina had been. Ambessa chose to battle for a greater power in order to protect her family. Her character cannot be more badass than this.

[@Maotrix-RandomGameStuff]

You r kinda wrong, the wolf did come for Ambessa, that’s why she got the armor of the echos of pantheon, katarina and swain.

[@nikilauda3368]

@@Maotrix-RandomGameStuff yeah, exactly. She fought the aspect of the wolf precisely for that. The lamb she's carrying in her arms is Mel. And when the lamb is getting shattered, Kindred takes its "spirit" and gives it to Ambessa in exchange for getting chosen by the wolf. Ambessa literally trades her will for her daughter's life.

[@Maotrix-RandomGameStuff]

@@nikilauda3368 well that may be or may not be true anymore, cause her lore was recently revealed I think yesterday.

[@VIIStardust]

Necrit makes a 30 minute video explaining the immense depth of lore in a video picking up on minor visual cues and ties it in to scenes in Arcane... and doesn't pick up on Ambessa being very visibly pregnant and holding her belly at the end of the cinematic for the record, that's not a dig, I love this video. I just love how Necrit apparently got so deep into using the conjunctive and being transparent about theories being unclear that he treated her being pregnant as a theory Also as for my theory, I personally think that the Wolf's Chosen aren't embodiments of Wolf, but rather the Noxian interpretations of their tales. Similar to how Kindred are the Noxian interpretation of Kindred. After all, Swain and Katarina are Noxian Champions and Pantheon is the Aspect of war. Also, the background shows the Silhouettes of many more warriors, so I don't hink it makes sense to say that the *are* Wolf. They are his chosen and therefore subject of myth themselves, it makes sense for Noxians to have a specific interpretation of them that affects how Ambessa sees them.

[@Delir1umTremens]

I mean if i just ripped off an arrow from my stomach i'll also hold my stomach

[@taxilatte1490]

​​@@Delir1umTremens Well I have not been stabbed in the stomach, but i suppose u would hover over to your wound (which for Ambessa is somewhere around the liver, not the stomach i think). But she was holding her belly (which is weird cuz in the cinematic she is clearly really buff and wouldn't have a belly). So I'd say she most probably pregnant.

[@sumguy7716]

@@Delir1umTremens Nah Necrit definitely missed the point of this cinematic.

[@francescodel4565]

And actually None thinking about kata and swain as killers of noxus menaces so they could be who ambessa will fight in a future second fight vs the wolf? Now she is fighting pantheon because she is dieing in war. But i see it as what Ambessa see in her mind not as a new dimention with people who win vs the wolf... None read kata comics? Ambessa is a noxian is reasonable that she sees the death and the fight vs the wolf as a fight vs glorious soldiers. And Tryndamere as a frejordian see the death as a wolf that can attack from any angle of the woods as in the cinematic

[@jehriasean6379]

The wolf on pantheon's shield can not be denied.

[@xXMrsBarbossaXx]

What immediately came to my mind was the flashback of Mel in which Ambessa lectured her daughter about learning to be "both the wolf and the fox" and "a wolf has no mercy".

[@Foo4Lyfe]

24:30 I disagree with him here. I think there are 2 versions of Ambessa dealing with death. The warrior and the mother. The lamb she carries is representation of her unborn child. The mother is crying because she is witnessing the lamb be sacrificed so the warrior survives.

[@2_Elaias_4]

Fr

[@The1KidneyWonder]

@Necrit One thing Ill added is that Ambessa IS pregnant at this time. It's mot prominent in the opening shot for the video, but she is. Look at her belly and the way she places her hand over it in t a protective manner when the first wolf approaches her. Its still visible when she stands up at the end but not as prominent cause the way she moves around and keeps her stomach + wound covered.

[@sigglace8087]

Im obsessed with Riot using Kindred more... Ever since Still Here, Riot seems to have really realized what an amazing character Kindred is for their lore and they can be used to tell so many different stories in so many ways. I love Kindred so much, ive mained them since i joined the game right after their release, and I just cannot get enough of Riot FINALLY using the latent potential in this character for storytelling. More more more more

[@xanithdegroot5407]

I immediately saw the gold flash and went "wait Mel's gold adornments did that too." Also here's something to lend credence to the "the fetus is Mel" theory. If Ambessa was dying on the battlefield but managed to survive, it is HIGHLY likely that if she WAS pregnant, the child would be lost from the stress, if not the arrow killing it outright. But if the gold flash is taken to represent choosing the path of the wolf, then the fetus flashing gold could represent Mel choosing the path of the wolf even before she was born.

[@tristancarter4324]

I mean it's that or kino was part of the agreement she gave up unknowingly along with the peaceful life one where Kino thrive in Yes she accepted the wolf but it doom her future soon but I siding with Mel idea as it lines up to well that Mel with become more like her mom with the arc they set up

[@나익명]

The gold eyes definitely made me think of Mel, but I think there's a couple things that make it less likely to be Mel. She has an older brother, and apparently there was another child ambessa lost too. Imo rather than Mel choosing the wolf, since the big thing of Mel and ambessa in s1 was that Mel is the diplomat, ambessa is the general/fighter, it might just be the baby being marked for revival by Kindred or even given powers (we'll see if mels armour actually did anything at the end of s1)

[@aidilfikri4144]

now i know why lamb ask "I wonder how they see me"

[@Darkmoon0111]

In Noxus, the lamb has Wolf mask and the wolf is just in its purest form.

[@katako3x3]

MORE KINDRED LETS GO NECRIT

[@lvnatixs1297]

LETS GOOOOO WE ARE HERE FOR THE TEA

[@annalive2022]

LEEETSSS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@mantraki]

@@lvnatixs1297 WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING ABOUT TEA?

[@zsombox4389]

holy sh*t all 5 of us kindred mains are here

[@jonavanenk7427]

Not a main, but still excited!!

[@quentintheret5106]

During the fight, she is definitly pregnant, maybe Mel or her brother but she wouldn't have a belly like that. and the way she is holding her belly feels more like she is suporting it than pressing on the wound (the arrow hit higher than where her hand is)

[@nr_zalathiel]

I have a feeling that since the skinline is called "Chosen of the Wolf" that these suits of armor at the end are simply given to those who now inflict death, literally becoming the Kindred they must fight. Very cool concept

[@retarveiv8174]

And somewhere Mordekaiser laughs that his armor style and architecture are used by someone who hates him XD

[@ispear6337]

5:17 "Wounded and near death, Ambessa sees a vision of what awaits her as a follower of the Wolf." - The description of the video on the League of Legends channel. She is seeing her future, not her past. 19:50 That is Kino, the son she loses, and the golden lamb represents him. The lamb gets destroyed, because Kino dies, and the shards of the lamb strengthen the crystal of the Wolf. The death of one she tried so hard to protect, the naive one who was too idealistic to survive in Noxus(screams someone who aligns more with Lamb), hardened her. There is no reason to believe she ever lived a peaceful life; she is a teenager, very early 20s at most, fighting for Noxus and nearly dying on the shores of Ionia. 24:25 Interpretive dance of her mourning the loss of her son. The makeup represents tears.

[@FigipeGames]

30 MINUTES IS TOO LITTLE, WE NEED MORE

[@deathragh1]

I think Necrit is possibly the best at making minutes of content into hours seamlessly xD

[@FigipeGames]

@@deathragh1 easily, I seriously belive necrit would be a great staller in important ocasions

[@sapk3532]

with this kind of video he wouldve predict an entire episode of Arcane before they air

[@taurusbg4658]

from now on im expecting every new lore related video from riot to have a top comment with necrit in it

[@gma8051]

I love how cohesive leagues lore is forming to be little by little, the new champs having these massive backstories is so impressive and it deffinetly makes obvious how talented are the writers in riot :O

[@WitchySofia]

for real, I want the MMO so bad already, gonna be so cool to immerse inside the lore in a beautifully crafted world, but oh well probably only in 2030

[@eliardobenoit826]

Hear me out, what if the reason of why the wolf took the form of pantheon (besides the skinline) is because pantheon died while fighting against Aatrox but Atreus (Pantheon's host body) survived probably by fighting the wolf too, so the wolf actually takes the form of people who had defeated him. This also implies that the wolf has increased difficulty every time someone defeats him.

[@eliardobenoit826]

Damn, typed this theory 10 mins in and Necrit proceeds to explain the same thing at the 20 min mark.

[@Jeff_Reyx]

right

[@gabrielwag]

I wonder if the other silhouettes we see behind Katarina and Swain are supposed to be generic warriors or champions that we know.

[@lolsurtr4744]

See im also thinking that so would this make Tryndamere also a chosen of the wolf? Or would the still here cinematic be viewed as a stalemate?

[@eliardobenoit826]

@@gabrielwag I could really see that being true based on the theory, now that creates a question and it is what is the reason of the wolf transforming into someone that defeated him? I ask this because, why did the wolf transform into pantheon to fight ambessa but went basic form agaisnt trynda. PD: Sorry for my broken english

[@Morfe02]

14:11 no, is Pantheon representing WAR as she makes scars for every battle until she starts to command/control the battles also notice how the shield is the symbol of the MEDARDA the 3 sides SUN, he is the future of her (notice the golden skin and mask of Ambessa in the end)

[@throwaway3286]

The lamb is Mel’s brother who’s marked by death from birth, when she’s on the battlefield she’s basically getting a vision of what’s to come in her life. She lets go of the lamb, it gets destroyed (how she gave up her son and he dies). This series is amazing and incredibly deep so glad they made it into a show cuz I was not about to play LOL.

[@Unendarkened]

The song is also now streaming, and is placed 19th out of 22 on the season soundtrack. Season 1 soundtrack played in the order they songs appeared in season 1 so if this song appears 19th I think it is a strong case that Ambessa’s story doesn’t wrap up in the first or second arcs but runs through the entirety.

[@CamilleSmith-on1uv]

This shows how shes always fighting death.. the part showing all the scars are from her past battles and near death experiences. So it shows that she conquered death and became death itself.. arcane shows u how brutal she is.. so her taking death position says that for me. It also shows that this is who she'll become in the future (death itself)

[@brisankatarafder6395]

Ambessa is 100% pregnant during the war. You can even see the belly bump in the opening and ending scene

[@RWxAshley]

I feel like the Wolf is simply taking different forms of different warriors that have bested them at some point. Learning, and honoring them by using their strengths to test other warriors. Or perhaps these are all people that have dedicated themselves to the Wolf, and as such will bring more death to those around them. Theres a lot of ways to read it, and open to different readings on this.

[@Fyre19]

my god we really do need all the canon ways kindred is seen in lol universe it would be so sick

[@SenhorBawa]

I still believe that Ambessa's two 'visions' are actually her soul navigating the two beliefs about death she's developed throughout her life as a Shuriman colonized by Noxus. I love this interpretation because it presents a sensitive way to portray death as a culturally-shaped experience, going beyond a simple 'was here in the past, now it's this.' I understand this as an interplay between her beliefs. Noxus doesn't exactly colonize cultures; it imposes its values-or rather, its value: strength. The black-and-white figures in the desert vision, which in African cultures (on which Shurima is based) represent the realm of the dead, symbolize Kindred. Death in Africa and Afrocentric religions is a collective experience, invoked through communal celebration. This is why Candomblé and Umbanda, for instance, rely on feasts to bring the dead closer. Death is communal not only for the living but also for the deceased. I've always wondered how the universe would handle religions that don't see death as an individual process where only the deceased experiences dying and the living must care for their remains. This is a great way to address that. Ambessa is led by the dancing Kindred in black; they push her towards the ritual's center, symbolizing the wild aspect. The white Kindred, who sing, guide the ritual. In Shurima, I believe death is the opposite of Noxus, inspired by African cultures. Dying is a good process, but Ambessa's perspective is altered by Noxus, causing her to reluctantly carry the lamb while her spirit fights in the Noxian vision of death. However, this isn't a simple overlay. Since dying is no longer a choice, the musicians/ritualists might represent a blend of both, with their long black legs and white mantles (mixing the black wolf's mantle with the white lamb's skirt). Their blend is 'death' as a concept, not an experience (which are the wolf and the lamb, along with the other Kindred). They destroy the lamb, symbolizing surrender to death, to build what empowers her to fight in the Noxian death. The idea of ancestry, where the dead share death with us, is also common in African-based religions. It's Ambessa's ancestors who transform her weakness into power to stay alive and fight in the Noxian form of death. It's a parallel interaction of the spirit. That's why her spirit transforms; the scars didn't magically appear; they're the influence of the other form of death. While she can't accept death (Noxus > Shurima), the dying experience itself has made her spirit stronger by connecting her with her ancestors, empowering her in the fight against the Wolf (Shurima > Noxus). That's why her scars are golden on the red and black of her body (Shurima + Noxus). I also think that Mell may be affect by the experience of her mother win against death while she is pregnant of her. Ambessa scars turn golden in death real, but not in reality, what if Mel incorporate them an thats why her skin is golden. Not a eastetic choice, but a magic backfire? (I also think, of course, that Ambessa is already pregnant. Thats why her hands rests on her belly instead of the Arrow) Finally, I understand that the skin line is also a product of the concept between Noxus's 'respect for strength' and Shurima's ancestry. I imagine that the wolf, in fact, takes its forms from the heroes that were built by the person within these cultures. The characters dedicated to the line are from two regions: Targon/Shurima and Noxus, who are the same as Ambessa. The Solari still live in Shurima, and I imagine that the story of the man who killed a god after dying is a good representation of overcoming death, the same goes for the stories of Swain and Katarina, who are from noble Noxian families/emperor. It's the ancestors who give us strength, and that's why the figures she sees death transform into are so powerful. But it's strength that keeps us alive. If Ambessa defeats the man who killed gods and conquered death, she's certainly very strong. The wolf taking the form of Ambessa is just a way of saying that she has become one of Noxus's stories of overcoming adversity, which is why she's a general in Arcane.

[@ΑντωνιαΒερδου]

Thats an amazing comment!

[@immagical7036]

Honestly I think the gold lamb Ambessa sacrifices miiiiight just be her son, Kino (Keno?? Keeno?? Whatever, you know who I’m talking about) in Arcane she says that she had to “forsake one child for another” and later on in the cinematic, the shards of the lamb statue fly up and swirl around the wolf thingy (probably representing her heart) and she also drags her hands down her face and screams into the sky. The liquid on her face and hands in that shot are sparkly but it might very well be blood. *Her son’s blood* We don’t know how Kino died but we do know Ambessa had to sacrifice him to save Mel. The mark of Death on the lamb statue’s head might not be to represent The Lamb herself but to represent Kino’s *role* in all of this

[@lanewalker5392]

Oh necrit my poor necrit you had so much hope that the writers would use Ambessa as more than a plot device in the second season

[@ohsehun6470]

that was so disappointing considering how badass this video and her lore bio seemed

[@metaemperor]

10:36 she quite literally is referencing every champion I like this is amazing

[@cupidanimates3774]

Another point to the Xerath theory. Another interpretation of the golden lamb she’s holding could be a bible reference with the golden calf which was a false idol, so giving it up could be a double meaning, becoming a non believer in xerath and giving up her past/home because of her differing beliefs.

[@LucasWIZONE]

Am I the only one that thinks she's pregnant? Her belly looks round, she keeps holding it and not even on the side that was hit by the arrow so you can't say she's putting pressure on the wound. Yet Necrit glazes over it and only says in the end that she 'could be pregnant during this time'.

[@Babugue]

Right?? She is absolutely pregnant! I have no idea how people keep missing that, not just Necrit-like, come on! It’s clear as day. From the very beginning, she’s looking at her belly, the wolf focuses on it, and even when she pulls the arrow out of her side, you can still see it! Then at the end, she’s holding it again… how is this not obvious to everyone? 😆

[@shookett]

@@Babugue Maybe she's just bloated AHAHAH

[@sumguy7716]

She is 100% pregnant and Necrit completely missed the narrative in this cinematic. The lamb is her unborn child her womb (likely Mel).

[@edoardododoguzzi]

100% pregnant and it seems the baby have death inside

[@HenrysHavoc]

"Am I the only one" as if that's not 90% of the comments is crazy 💀

[@Haruchon2]

4min cinematic into 30min video. This is just outrageous. Peak necrit activities

[@Jholanda1700]

0:55 It is confirmed from Ambessa's biography that it occurred on the cliffs of the Rokrund, Noxus.

[@chez-bubulle]

I have to disagree with Necrit about something: The opening scene is from 25-35 years before Arcane, since Ambessa is pregnant, making it extremely unlikely, or even impossible, for the scene to be from the invasion of Ionia, which started in 984. I also have a very different interpretation of the whole "chosen of the wolf" part, but I'll explain that later

[@Sara_Frost]

im surprised he kinda ignored her baby bump (which she is holding since the beginning)

[@nosleep268]

@@Sara_Frost Bro looked at all the comments "I can't wait for Necrit video" and he fumbled.. 😅 Not the first time to be honest tho.. he will correct his mistake I am sure.

[@kielpogi8062]

Maybe it's the invasion of northern shurima

[@itsgonnabeokay9341]

​@@nosleep268Necrit likes to read too much into things and because of that he overlooks some more obvious stuff.

[@firelynx1266]

She is pregnant in that scene, but I think, based on anything she had a miscarriage, where she lives but the unborn child is sacrificed, so I think the lamb that she is holding carries a double meaning. It would explain why she is so protective of her family in Noxus.

[@Jeff_Reyx]

When Aatrox pierced the body of Atreus/Pantheon, he may have fought the wolf for his life and won, which is why he survived, after all, we know that his mortal willpower can do wonders

[@brothaonanadventure3573]

I think the lamb represents Kino. That isn't child her holding the lamb but her son Kino, who would be a sacrificial lamb.

[@denizesen1995]

It is now almost confirmed that Mel got her powers from the kindred, as Ambessa dying, she sacrifices Mel (as seen in the desert scenes) and accepted among the noxus principles,(the new skin trio) as the sacrifice. What happened to mel is really important to black rose and we will see how it goes.

[@Silvaaar]

I think the child with the lamb is Kino, Ambessa's son.

[@sumguy7716]

I thought so at first, but I think it is actually Mel.

[@The-Qwertyuiop123]

​@sumguy7716 pretty sure the child died, so neither of them

[@joshuafortun]

Kino died in a battle or war.

[@Silvaaar]

@@The-Qwertyuiop123 I think ambessa saw kino being marked for death. She still sees him as a young boy. Because in the future "the man" comes for him. I'm like 70% sure of it.

[@silverseven4921]

I feel like the cinematic also reffers to Ambessa's 'innocance' in a way, and by that I mean the reality of growing up in her circumstances. It feels like she lived in war but had hope for the 'peaceful death' and in the cinematic she accepted that when you partake in a war- there is no peaceful death. The lamb here represents that innocance. She gives it away and lets it be consumed by the wolf- by the war and death, and accept that that's the only death she can have if she continues. But she choses to continue the path. She accepts that there will be no peaceful death, but she won't give up because of it- she fights for her family probably with hope that maybe they won't have to accept that death, which by the shine of the child's eyes I think may just be a way of showing that it's a repeat of the cycle, that Mel is also going to have to give up a peaceful death due to war and that in some way it's her destiny. If her mother was raised by wolves, meaning war, Mel is destined to contribute to the war as well. Also, to the last comment of the video, you are what you eat after all.

[@isaachanson9347]

I love the details showcased on the "chosen of the wolf" skin line! I think their red scars, and specifically the color red is associated with death or the character's brush with death (Ex. Swain's red arm/hand, Pantheon's glowing red scars, and finally Ambessa's red scars shown at the end of the trailer). I think this is also supported by the red colors of the "fight cave" as well as the depiction of the Noxian lamb (aka wolf?) that has red permitting throughout it's body, not just highlights, showing thematically that red = wolf = death! Also Necrit you killed the analysis, I really hope the Shurima connection actually pans out! My one critic is that Ambessa was definitely pregnant AND I think that the lamb can represent her innocence AS WELL AS her unborn child (Mel or brother?)!! This might also be supported by the incompleteness and organic nature of the lamb and it's gold!

[@beautifulbadassery]

Thanks for the explanation! I was one of many who were waiting on this! I think the 'dance' portion, if you base it off of interpretive dance, is just her showing some level of anguish.

[@slothman3727]

Kindred being a spirt that gets power from worship, makes me think that the other characters in the skin line have worshipped the wolf through near death experiences. Through their worship, the wolf can take their form. By being a chosen of the wolf you can fight back death, and death (kindred) gets worship manifested as another form.

[@NicoBlackXIV]

The fetus scene imho is hinting at how Mel inherited the being "chosen by the wolf" when still in the womb without having to fight death. Which, if this is all coherent with Arcane, grants her powers that are usually reserved for those who serve the wolf in death, such as the Pantheon-Kata-Swain figures we saw. Mel is the one actually "raised by wolves".

[@mikahailthomas1832]

Riot who didnt aticipate any of this waiting for necrit to drop his video and say "yeah that's what we were thinking".

[@Amberchuuu]

After that scene with Mel and the black rose appearing as kino, whilst we can’t 100 percent trust the black rose… this could be the child Ambessa was pregnant out of wedlock but idk?

[@LuLu-yh6je]

Necrit, wouldn't it be possible that given the movements of the cloaked and blue-skinned figures that she is seeing the battle she's in? As in the figures are in reality Noxian soldiers storming the beach. The lamb being her peace and innocence she still holds onto, finally breaking her past, the lamb, and embracing the wolf to survive it. My main belief for the figures being soldiers in a weird hallucination is by how the figures move, they are are moving in one direction, some dying and screaming like the blue figures, and the other figures filling in the rest. I'd also like to add that when the Wolf, Pantheon, slams her onto her back, it is the same pose as when she is seen struck with an arrow, which is immediately followed with the lamb's destruction, possibly reflecting that in that moment she was struck, she realized to give up all peace and innocence and embrace the wolf, death.

[@ethanneal2057]

We’ll need a follow up confirmation video, this was insane! You’re a brilliant genius!

[@LostShard]

jeeze necrit went hard when he said that mel's brother wasnt good at fighting the wolf

[@gt-hq1vf]

Great video but you missed one thing. When the lamb gives ambesa the wolf totem if you go frame by frame you can see a symbol(I don't know what that symbol means and I was hoping you would explain it)

[@a.a677]

also missed that ambessa is 100% pregnant, it's not a theory

[@rbiii786]

I said it before I will say it again, I can't wait for the follow up 50 min video to this one once we get the context from Arcane 2

[@reycarter6284]

Knowing about Mel’s powers gives a lot more insight into this…

[@hundredsg]

Everyone can see pregnant Ambessa other than Necrit.

[@bny.0]

Ambessa has to be one of the most captivating champions I've seen in a long time. Her gameplay already looks incredibly fun, but it’s the entire package-her lore, design, and even the music video-that has me completely invested. Everything about her character feels like it's right up my alley.

[@mamiparlak112]

1:22 wow! maybe thats why she is so angry. somebody betrayed

[@ameliayoung1133]

necrit you are the hero that none of us deserve but all desperately need lmao thank you for somehow containing this massive world within your brain and breaking it down for those of us without the storage space i mean for real i wouldn't be able to keep up without your vids

[@isitkav]

4:14 ... "in ancient Valoran-*T custom ..."

[@NeoG3nesis]

Honestly, I think the skins represent close death experiences and that they've overcome them. Swain losing his arm and almost dying in Ionia, Katarina almost being killed by her brother and having to fight off assassins all the time, Pantheon stabbed by AAtrox, etc. Each of these could almost be a godlike form in an alternate timeline as they were "chosen" by the wolf, survivors of it's battle that continue on the fight as a warrior. Or a metaphor of the "wolf" they have now become by surviving the wolf's embrace at the brink of death, becoming these warriors cladded in gold and red, they have now grown stronger by almost dying. also the whole baby thing, it's gotta be Mel. I don't remember where I heard, but others said that Ambessa went to battle whilst pregnant with Mel. And it was never confirmed when Kino is born, just that Mel has a brother named Kino that died not long before Ambessa's entrance to Piltover, so he was probably at least of age given that by the time he potentially died (if it was recent), Mel was in her 30s (it's confirmed Mel was 33 by the time of act 3). Plus we know it had to be somewhat more recent because of the context of his death as well, that a powerful man was crossed and killed him, and he wasn't done yet.

[@Saeshi.]

I knew Necrit would've had a field day with the music video lol

[@akagamishanks-q3o]

There is a Turkish proverb that fits this video perfectly: "One fool throws a huge stone into a well, and fifty wise men can’t figure out how to get it out."

[@The_4got10_One]

It just makes me uneasy that Necrit didn't notice that in the first shot Ambessa is pregnant.

[@shsnwksybdeb]

Touch some grass

[@a.a677]

@@shsnwksybdeb I mean it is weird lmao it's so obvious so it's insane to miss

[@nymo3597]

I would argue that the golden eyes on the fetus after Ambessa's flash symbolizes that the child will be raised by wolves from the start. A representation of generational struggles with power and fighting

[@graysonthiessen8194]

I love hearing all of this and reading the comments on here. I'll post my interpretation of this since I ended up watching this after finishing with Arcane as well. Please if you have no watched the show yet, I urge not to read this comment, I will do my absolute best to type this in a way that hides everything so that I don't spoil the show for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU READ MORE. . . . The way that I interpreted this video, specifically since I only ended up watching it after Arcane and feeling like there were a lot of missing pieces around the end of it all, the way that I saw this video was that it was showing us all of the things Ambessa sacrificed to get to where she is today. With the Wolf being a symbol of Death for Noxus, being that as it approached her, I viewed the Golden Glow in it's gaze as this being a part of the magic that Mel has, while Ambessa was deeply entangled with the Black Rose, I believe that they had some form of Manipulation over Mel even before birth (Mind you I wouldn't know how, tis just theory that I type) She stated something to her daughter Mel, along the lines of. "I pray you never suffer the agony of being forced to forsake one child, to save another." after hearing this along with her saying "He was all the sweetness in my heart." I interpreted the blue in her hair as well as on the lamb as her clinging to hope for her boy as well as the sweetness in her heart and that she sacrificed this in some sort fashion and was able to overcome any mountainous obstacle in her way, even death itself, to persevere and protect her legacy and bloodline, and as she comes to while having flashes of Mel and her golden eyes while Ambessa is pregnant with her, that magic that Mel has being able to help save her mother from death. Once Ambessa dies in Arcane, she is being held by Mel and at first I thought the expression on her face was solely shock from the encounter with Black Rose taking her life essense in some way. However after seeing this music video, I believe Ambessa was realizing from her past encounter with Death, that very same Golden Glow in Mel, which brought her a sense of closure in death as she says to Mel, and I swear her tone sounds as if she's realizing or recognizing, rather than stating or questioning. "You, are the Wolf." which I think is related to the golden glow in the eyes of the wolf. Sorry it's a mess, I promise you I tried to make it make sense, I am very tired and it is 3:30 AM. Goodnight.

[@MagatsuCloud]

This 100% Exactly what I thought. Necrit should consider taking a second shot at this with Arcane being finished + him missing the pregnancy as well.

[@Surr3alD3sign]

Edit: i made this comment before watching the video and realising that i basically got my own theory entirely correct lol. I would like to add tho one thing i think you missed, Ambessa literally has the title of "The Wolf" My theory is that even death respects the noxian concepts of strength. So instead of lamb and wolf being immutable facts signaling the end of your life, or the idea that lamb and wolf offer different kinds of death. Noxians, having abandoned the idea of a peaceful death, are instead offered a different choice, the chance to fight wolf in single combat and prove their strength to escape death. This would also fit the common theme of Noxians somehow escaping certain death time and time again, the strongest of them being powerful enough to overcome death itself through sheer force of will and strength in combat. This theory also fits with the fact that the skin line is literally named "chosen of the wolf." And in reference to Ambessa specifically i believe that would be how she earned the title of "The Wolf" AND why (ARCANE ENDING SPOILERS DONT CONTINUE IF YOU HAVENT WATCHED IT) When she finally dies at the end of arcane her last words are "You are the wolf" both passing the title to her daughter AND accepting her death has finally come.

[@M4cTr1cK]

One of the best music videos I've seen.

[@starfyter1994]

I think that the idea that "beating" death causing the wolf to take your form would make a lot of sense (outside of katarina) because everyone else in that shot has effectively fought off death, in just about that order if we assume pantheon's was more recent (which we can because of The Call, and him fighting Leona. We can guess that he made a beeline for targon to fight ASol, which means Pantheon's death had to take place AFTER Leona and Diana climbed the mountain) just ma two cents

[@HiranoMagu]

20:16 Necrit: "..But hey, that's just.." Me: "just a theory?" 😃 Necrit: "..something we're gonna learn in Arcane 2" Me: "..close enough.." 🙃

[@jtestes]

Most excited and anticipated video from necrit for me

[@TheCurseofChicken]

Thank you necrit been waiting for that ❤

[@Kikkipriest]

Hear me out, I think the lamb symbolizes her son who was shown in her nightmare as a statue of a small boy holding a lamb. Her son, "All the sweetness in my heart." It also explains the obvious dispair in her bodylanguage throughout most of the video and referrences to leaving her with her demons. Ambessa was raised as a warlord, destined to compete with other warlords for power. In particular, Swain the Noxian General. She goes against him over and over without success - so she seeks out the power to make her stronger - the arcane. This turns out to be a massive mistake. The mages will not allow themselves to be conscripted so she seduces one to literally create a weapon - Mel. When mages realize what she has done she allows them to trap and kill her son hoping they will be thrown off Mel's scent. "I hope you never have to experience the agony of sacrificing one child to save another" and "I discovered a fourth principle....sacrifice."

[@Sara_Frost]

HI NECRIT FINALLY I WAS WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO

[@r.s.acosta2245]

I love how Noxians view the Lamb aspect of death. The Lamb (oneself) is sacrificial to the Wolf (honorable death). It’s reflected in one of her voice lines. “Noxus prizes strength above all else but sacrifice is the mark of a true warrior.”

[@jaeshook]

and here i thought they were solari because mel had solari symbols on her attire when she was younger and on her clothing 😭😭

[@GalaxiaKnight666]

Stellar analysis as always, that connection to Renekton's weapon and Ambessa's drakehounds was a great find. Though, I think it may be likely you interpreted the allegorical symbolism of the scenes in the desert slightly too straightforward and missed some key elements to do with Ambessa's pregnancy. After watching the MV again I'm convinced that the child she carries is Mel's brother Kino, timing wise I believe it synchs perfectly with the news of his death and her age in Arcane. The "dream sequence" with the blue man group in Shurima may have actually happened, regardless the golden lamb in the vision likely symbolizes the child she is actively carrying, and her sacrifice of it is the price exacted by Death for her legacy to unfold as depicted in the blue stone carvings: the promise of power. This is reinforced by Kino's golden eyes near the end of the MV and Mel's consistent adornment in golden finery. Ambessa fed her children to the Wolf so that she could one day rule, and the Wolf eventually collects on that debt when her brother "crosses the wrong man" in Arcane. Perhaps Ambessa is hoping to cheat Death again by coming to Piltover, trying to keep Mel from being its next meal. This interpretation portrays the Noxian Lamb not as a harbinger, but a broker much like Tahm Kench and other Demons in the lore. It deals out dreams at a price to desperate, gullible mortals. This ties in nicely with Ambessa's VO in game as well, constantly harping on the strength required of "sacrifice", her refusal to acknowledge the past, as well as her bid for power being an attempt to keep Mel safe. A Noxian's greatest weakness is their hubris; their belief is power is so absolute they will pay any price for it. Ambessa epitomizes this folly to a T. Her lore and design are a very fresh take on the Noxian motif, can't wait to see all your content on Arcane season 2!

[@Londonesify]

I don’t agree with the Pantheon looking guy IS Wolf. I think it’s mostly that Pantheon/Atrius, Swain, Katarina and Ambessa fought death (Wolf) and won. Hence the “Chosen of the Wolf” name.

[@Jeff_Reyx]

i agree but i wonder when was katarina fighting with wolf

[@Sharlidar]

It's like, we may take fighting Wolf to literally. Kindred are a Spirit no? But they can also interact on a physical level. If somebody accepts that they will die and do not struggle, then Lambs arrow gets them. But they won't be shot physically, it's just that whatever happens to kill them gets attributed to lamb. Same for wolf and people that struggle. Death comes in many forms and Kindred is all of them. "Chosen Of the Wolf" is probably many people who overcame the odds and is here only a select few people who live a warriors way. As in, visions/specters/copies of them. So they are all Wolf in this instance "fighting" Ambessa mentally. Swain probably comes from his deal with the demon where he basically cheated death. Kata from when Talon was sent to kill her by her father and she got her scar over the eye. And Atrius from when Aatrox "killed" Pantheon and left the mortal Atrius behind to die after he was impaled. If it's even Atrius. Might truly be the Aspect of War here testing her Noxian values lmao. . Kindred was there and waiting to claim them but they struggled against death(wolf), beat the odds and lived. They are like anomalies that exceeded expectations.

[@francescodel4565]

None thinking about kata and swain as killers of noxus menaces so they could be who ambessa will fight in a future second fight vs the wolf? Now she is fighting pantheon because she is dieing in war. But i see it as what Ambessa see in her mind not as a new dimention with people who win vs the wolf... None read kata comics? Ambessa is a noxian is reasonable that she sees the death and the fight vs the wolf as a fight vs glorious soldiers. And Tryndamere as a frejordian see the death as a wolf that can attack from any angle of the woods as in the cinematic

[@ThePlaceanN]

After watching Arcane. It's Mel protecting Ambessa all a long.

[@WilsonHough]

Im sure the Fetus is Mel and she is also the "Demon" figure with golden eyes in the Arcane 2 Trailer

[@randomuniquehandle]

Thats dommy mommy leblanc of the black rose

[@Loliston]

It's very common to attribute every shore Noxus appears as Ionia, and that might as well be the case, but Ionia wasn't the only place Noxus invaded Your interpretation of Pantheon as the wolf is very cool, and it makes sense, I like the approach that the wolf wasn't there for Ambessa, he was there for her child, Kino or Mel doesn't matter, what matters is that Ambessa fought fearlessly not for herself but to protect her baby, once she won, she and her child were blessed by the wolf, chosen even...

[@MrRodRen]

28:06 It's Mel's turn to fight the Wolf...

[@isaachanson9347]

OKAY !

[@lalajones526]

My friend told me a theory that Ambessa traded the life of her child to continue to her life and she vows to never be a position where her kids could taken by death again. Like maybe Kino was promised to the wolf. I'm not huge into the lore, but I thought that was cool.

[@acid_tearz678]

27:55 the way my jaw dropped

[@ptibaf]

Finally we got the analysis ! Great work as usual ! If I could put my interpretation of this cinematIcs , I think the lamb is her innocence getting sacrificed or the will to get a good life (with her kid and stuff) I think at this moment when wolf come, she decide to cling to her ambition to survive, even if that's mean sacrifice the lamb . She relive hard moment and also see what could have been if she decide to follow the wolf instead of the lamb Also I would add the other member of the skinline could also represent the trifarix as the chosen by Wolf with Pantheon as might, Swain as vision and Katarina as guile and her as an another member of this (maybe Ambition again). it would cement the idea of the follower of the wolf chosen by it and for the baby, could indeed be Mel who simply remind her she still alive and would be a problem to her new ambition , a weakness she want to protect like a new lamb perhaps ?

[@konodiodat2965]

Finally half an hour of happiness

[@immagoingbacktobed1742]

The reason why the Warrior looks so much like Pantheon might be because that the human who possessed might have faced the wolf at one point.

[@AppleBaron]

Ionian invasion doesn't really make sense in terms of the timeline, because the scene shown in the MV has to be at least 30 years in the past (probably more, since Mel is in her 30s now).

[@kauanjos3199]

I actually think its a shurima invasion, noxus has some colonies in Shurima

[@yuttapichaimaneekan6213]

Isn't there two rounds of Ionian invasions?

[@terrablaze3387]

@@yuttapichaimaneekan6213 Yes, and usually wars lasted for decades anyway so it’s not much of a stretch. Btw the ionian invasion basically halted due to swain’s coup.

[@TheFallenGamers]

could be her son tho, Mel's brother that started the whole Mel/Ambessa plotline

[@AppleBaron]

​​@@terrablaze3387The problem here is that we know exactly how long Ionian war lasted and when it started. So if this really was an invasion of Ionia, that mean in the present day of Arcane war ended a few decades ago, which means Akali, for example, is in her 30s now. Again, Riot can easily retcon a lot of the lore related to this event, but so far I highly doubt Ambessa was dying on the shores of Ionia. Especially considering the fact that arrows weren't looking Ionian at all.

[@halluw7625]

she is pregnant to mel in war , wolf comes while she about to lose mel ıt chooses her and takes her to trials. we see her son holds lamb means she gonna "sacrifice" him for mel as they told in arcane to mel "ı hope you never suffer the agony of being forced to forsake one child to another" in the music video while her son is carrying lamb she cries.also she protects lamb while she on that shurima trials looks like they will take lamb any coast like black rose .after she sees her future self on throne then cllimbs, sees lamb there . in the end we can see mel opens her eyes in her belly and she wakes up after those trials.

[@morono_hodekmoore]

5:27 NOT YET

[@ArchCupid]

I love that they are giving us more information to why she has become so hard and cold. You can see the love she has for Mel, that was so evident and polarized vs how she seems about others lives. That glimpse of love shows that she was not always so cold, but through time has had to become cold to protect her loved ones.

[@mr.yhulling418]

Riot: *just making cool design* Necrit: *overanalyzes and guesses* Riot: „We got new Lore“

[@madpostman]

Great analysis video, though I disagree with Necrit on some aspects. How I interpret the music video: In a near death state, it seems Ambessa's consciousness went to a type of "Valhalla" (realm of honorably fallen warriors, from the past, present, and possible future), was tested, and was proven worthy of joining the pantheon of "Wolf's Chosen" in the afterlife. But then her unborn child, which appears to have magical powers, was able to subconsciously use its magic to heal / resuscitate Ambessa and brought her back from her near death state / "Valhalla". The scene of Ambessa with the lamb is not her past, but a metaphor for her sacrificing a peaceful life and death. The reason it's Shurima themed is to represent her past ethnic ancestry. She was born within the Noxian empire already.

[@rerekuramataamua5794]

Only a thirty minute video. Must be tired.