20 Things Only League of Legends Fans Noticed In Arcane

Top 20 Things Only League of Legends Fans Noticed in Arcane


Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at “League” references and Easter Eggs in “Arcane”. We’ll be covering both seasons 1 and 2, so this is your spoiler alert!

#20: Brambleback Code Phrase

Darting through the shafts beneath Jayce’s lab in season 2 episode 2, Heimdinger references a jungle monster very familiar to players thanks to the Red Brambleback on Summoner’s Rift. This one gave us a good chuckle. Want more jungle monsters? Singed traps a Greater Murk Wolf to create Warwick. Jinx and Isha’s bugs ‘Stink Maw’ and ‘Scuttle Butt’ are tongue-in-cheek references to Vilemaw and Scuttle Crabs. Oh, and did you notice that the Kirammans hunt raptors? You can see this in a family portrait in season 1, and a mounted raptor head in season 2.

#19: Janna

While most of “Arcane’s” protagonists are “League” Champions, that still means that only about a dozen of the game’s 169 playable characters appear on screen - at least, in the flesh. However, there are plenty of references to others. The wind spirit Janna, aka Zaun’s Guardian, can be spotted in a mural in season 2 episode 2, as destitute Zaunites pray for aid. We see another depiction of Janna in the next episode when Jinx lures Vi and Caitlyn into a subterranean chamber. Jinx even references Janna’s elemental powers.

#18: Fishbones Foreshadowed

Season 1 culminated in Jinx firing on Piltover with her signature rocket launcher Fishbones. This weapon was foreshadowed back in Act I. Powder has a similarly-shaped pillow, and we see designs for the weapon in her drawings. At the time, only “League” fans would have recognized these. Seems like she’s been dreaming about Fishbones for a while! On Powder’s wooden box is another Easter Egg - wings that might reference Jinx’s Star Guardian skin.

#17: Claggor's Goggles

Obviously, no one ‘missed’ Claggor’s goggles. They’re right there on his head. But what only “League” fans would have noticed is that these are part of Vi’s “League” character design. We see them again in Jinx’s hideout, where dolls of Claggor and Mylo keep her company. In season 2, Vi retrieves these goggles while hunting for her estranged sister, and adds them to her gear in the next episode.

#16: Pentakill Tattoo

The logo for Riot Games’ virtual heavy metal band first pops up in season 1 episode 1, graffitied on a wall. It makes a more notable appearance in episode 4, where we see the state of Zaun now that Silco has taken over. A hulking figure is getting the Pentakill logo tattooed on his back. Now that’s a fan! Also in this sequence by the way, there’s a sign to the right of a Chem Baron sucking in pure air that reads “Herald’s Palace”, which could be a reference to the Rift Herald.

#15: Raven Familiar

According to “Arcane” showrunner Christian Linke, a future spin-off will explore Noxus, Ionia, and Demacia. Mel’s arc also seems to be heading towards Noxus. In lore, Noxus is ruled by Swain, arguably the Big Bad of the “League” universe. Thanks to his pact with the Demon of Secrets, Raum, Swain can summon demonic ravens. A mysterious six-eyed raven appears in “Arcane”, seemingly rummaging for Hextech. Was it sent by the Grand General? Or Raum himself? We’ll have to wait and see.

#14: Jarvan IV

Speaking of regions to be explored in a spin-off, “Arcane’s” second season also had a few Easter Eggs alluding to The Exemplar of Demacia, Jarvan IV. A play in Piltover apparently dramatizes Jarvan’s coronation. We see banners featuring his face, and a replica of his crown on stage. We wish we could watch that play, but we’ll have to just keep our fingers crossed that the royal himself does indeed show up for the spin-off.

#13: Kindred Masks

Here’s a cunning nod to yet another Champion. In season 1, a quick shot shows a man and woman wearing the Wolf and Lamb masks of Kindred, the Spirit of Death. Fans have suggested that the man is the same person who later bestows his services on Ambessa. There’s surely some symbolism there given Ambessa’s obsession with being merciless like a wolf -, which has given rise to ample theories on Reddit, for those who wish to dig deeper!

#12: Gentleman Cho’Gath

This was truly a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment. After Powder accidentally dumps the gang’s loot in the series’ first episode, the dejected crew enter a dilapidated building. Inside is an elevator that descends into the Undercity. Eagle-eyed viewers will have noted something curious about the paintings on the wall in the entryway. One of them is a portrait of Champion Cho’Gath - specifically the Voidborn beast’s skin ‘Gentleman Cho’Gath’, released in 2010.

#11: Caitlyn's 90 Caliber Net

When Caitlyn turns Vi over to Ambessa in season 2 episode 6, it turns out to be a clever ruse. Beforehand, Caitlyn has handed Vi a device to use on the Matriarch of War - her 90 Caliber Net from “League”. Once freed of her handcuffs, Vi punches the net into Ambessa. Arguably, the season also gives us Caitlyn’s Ult, Ace in the Hole, which other Champions can intercept to save a teammate - as Vi does, in a way, to prevent Isha from becoming an accidental kill.

#10: Ekko’s Weapon

Season 2 saw Ekko invent the Zero Drive that gives him the temporal powers we know from “League”. In the series finale, he uses these abilities against Viktor and his machine army. This power was foreshadowed in his season 1 fight with Jinx, where his mind flashes back to their play fights as kids, allowing him to anticipate her reactions. The series finale also had him finally getting his signature melee weapon - the hand of a clock tower. Pretty fitting!

#9: The Machine Herald

Players know Viktor as “The Machine Herald”, so it was a treat when Jinx coined the alias in season 2’s 6th episode. Another neat nod came when Viktor dropped in the words “Glorious Evolution”, recalling the phrase (“join the glorious evolution”) that he utters when players pick him in “League”. He uses these words again in a later episode, sealing the concept to his character in “Arcane”.

#8: Heimerdinger's Turret

Among the Revered Inventor’s niftiest inventions are of course his turrets. We glimpse one of these at work in the second episode of season 2. But instead of firing deadly projectiles, this one is blowing bubbles to amuse refugees in the Firelight hideout. Bubbles aside, the basic design resembles Heimerdinger's H-28G Evolution Turret - which turns out to be a lot more versatile than we thought!

#7: Tryndamere’s Helmet

Benzo’s shop in season 1 is a treasure trove of Easter Eggs. One of the most exciting hangs right over the door: the helmet of Tryndamere, The Barbarian King. Meanwhile, Benzo is examining the Heart of Gold, a gold-generating item retired from the game in 2012. On a shelf sits Rabaddon's Deathcap - showing that Benzo is running quite the shop! When Ekko spies on his conversation, you can spot an Eye of the Oasis, alongside three masks. The one on the left looks a bit like Jhin’s, the middle like the item Liandry’s Anguish, and the one on the right like a Blood Moon Mask.

#6: “Get Jinxed”

Jinx’s “League” debut in 2013 was commemorated with the song "Get Jinxed", by Agnete Kjølsrud from the Norwegian band Djerv. The awesome animation for the music video was done by none other than Fortiche - the same studio that produced “Arcane”! In season one, Jinx is bopping along to just that song in her hideout. In season 2, we hear another quick snippet coming from Sevika’s arm. Sevika may not be impressed, but Jinx is definitely a fan! Djerv has a song on the second season soundtrack, by the way - “Rebel Heart”.

#5: The Deceiver

Who’s the mysterious sorceress representing the Black Rose? While it isn’t explicitly revealed in the show, we can make a pretty good guess! In lore, the Matron of the Black Rose is the Champion LeBlanc, whose distinctive eye makeup we seem to glimpse in “Arcane’s” season 2 episode 5. The thorny chains this shadowy figure throws out resemble red versions of LeBlanc’s Ethereal Chains. A further connection is LeBlanc’s nickname, The Deceiver!

#4: Warwick’s Blood Hunt

There were already signs in season 1 connecting Vander and Warwick. In “League”, the Uncaged Wrath of Zaun was once a human, who “put down his blade ” to “live a better life”. After Singed’s experiments, he only remembers blood and a little girl screaming. Season two confirmed the connection. This makes sense of Warwick’s in-game dialogue to Jinx: “You were there” and “Let me forget”. The show dramatized some of the jungler’s abilities, including his W, Blood Hunt. We might also be seeing his Ult, Infinite Duress, when he tears into Rictus.

#3: Singed’s Backstory

“Arcane” did an incredible job of humanizing its characters - including its villains. In original “League” lore, Singed and Orianna are unrelated characters. After Orianna fell ill, her father, an artificer named Colin Reveck, replaced her body parts with clockwork to keep her alive. Eventually, Orianna abandoned her father, leaving him with a golden dancer that needs no key. “Arcane” retcons this so that Singed is Colin Reveck - rounding out his character. You had to know the lore to recognize what the writers had done here.

#2: Team Logos

The level of detail in “Arcane” is mind-blowing. The passion and dedication of studio Fortiche shows in every frame. And that goes beyond the animation and narrative to numerous little nods for “League” players. In a parallel world, as Ekko wanders across the Bridge of Progress between Zaun and Piltover, we see a wheel marked with mysterious symbols. These are actually the logos of “League of Legends” esports teams, including some of the top Worlds teams!

#1: Hints of Teemo

While the Swift Scout doesn’t bounce onto the screen in “Arcane”, we do see an illustration of his furry face as Silco’s henchman browses through a book in season 1. Season 2 gave us a few more Easter Eggs. The yordle is depicted on the wall of the arcade where Vander’s fosterlings used to hang out. Isha’s hat closely resembles Teemo’s, complete with goggles. And Sevika’s slot-machine arm features mushrooms that recall Teemo’s Puffcaps.


Which of these did you catch? Did you notice any we missed? Tell us in the comments!