Warning! This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 2.
Arcaneseason 2’s finale hinted that one of the show’s impending spin-offs will center on Mel Medarda, teasing twoLeague of Legendscharacters as villains in the process.Arcaneseason 2’s endingwas world-altering for Mel. After being taken by the Black Rose and revealed to be a sister of the magical coven, she fully unlocked her latent magical powers. This positioned Mel as one ofArcane’s manyLeague of Legendschampions, while also providing the basis of a new story in Netflix’s animated world.
ManyLeague of Legends-based spin-offs ofArcaneare in the works, as was confirmed by the show’s creators before season 2 even started airing. Since Ambessa Medarda’s introduction toArcaneand the brief backstory she provided about Noxus, many have suspected that the warmongering kingdom would be the setting for another story in this universe. Through Mel, an important member ofArcane’s cast of characters, this was all but confirmed, as were two villains that could oppose the former councilwoman of Piltover.
Mel’s Ending Teases Upcoming Noxus-Based Arcane Spin-Offs
Mel’s Story Took A Major Turn
Firstly, it is worth exploring the ways that Mel’s ending inArcaneconfirmed Noxus as the setting of an upcoming spin-off. After uncovering her powers and forming a defense of Piltover against Ambessa, Mel fought directly against her mother with the aid of Caitlyn. After a hard fight due to Ambessa’s brutal skills as a warrior, Mel and Caitlyn manage to overpower the Noxian warlord.With the aid ofArcane’s Black Rose,Mel subdued Ambessa and killed her, setting her on a new path.
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As Ambessa was defeated, however, Mel turned her back on the Black Rose. She somewhat exorcised the leader of the magical coven, defeating Ambessa herself while making an enemy of the witches. InArcane’s epilogue,Mel is shown wearing clothes similar to her mother’s, holding her golden mask, and sailing away from Piltover with her fleet, implying that she is taking Ambessa’s placeas the leader of her Noxian regiment. This, combined with her opposition to the Black Rose, sets up her return to Noxus as a spin-off ofArcane.
League Of Legends Champions Swain & LeBlanc Were Teased In Arcane Season 2’s Ending
Two New Champions Are On The Horizon
The newLeague of Legendsvillains that Mel will have to come up against in her spin-off are Swain and LeBlanc. Starting with the latter, LeBlanc was theorized to be part ofArcaneseason 2 since the emergence of the Black Rose. InLeague of Legendslore, LeBlanc is the leader of the Black Rose, with a line fromArcaneseason 2’s final episode essentially confirming her as the person Mel defied in the fight against Ambessa.Mel states"I see your face, deceiver,“before defeating the Black Rosewitch. InLeague of Legends, LeBlanc’s subtitle is “The Deceiver.”
LeBlanc’sLeague of Legendscharacter description reads:“Using her magic to mirror herself, the sorceress can appear to anyone, anywhere, and even be in many places at once,“which the Black Rose sorceress showcases to Mel at the beginning of Arcane season 2, episode 8.
Where Swain is concerned,Arcane’s set-up of his character is slightly more subtle. InLeague of Legends,Swain is known as the ruthless grand general of the Noxian empire.In order to secure the Noxian conquest, Swain uses multi-eyed ravens as scouts and spies, which are extensions of his demonic powers. InArcaneseason 2’s finale, a multi-eyed raven is seen picking over the remains of Piltover, later flying alongside Mel’s fleet. This teases that Noxus' leader has his eye, or eyes, on Mel as she returns home.
Swain & LeBlanc Fit Mel’s Arcane Storyline Perfectly
These Champions Are Excellent Choices For Arcane Spin-Offs
Overall, Swain and LeBlanc are the bestLeague of Legendschampions to include as enemies of Mel due to how well they fit what has been established of her character. As alluded to, Mel’s opposition to the Black Rose is overt, meaning LeBlanc fits as a natural extension of herArcaneending. The Black Rose will likely want revenge against Mel or even want to continue trying to recruit her given how powerful her magical abilities are. Regardless, LeBlanc has solidified herself as a key player in Mel’s future.
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Regarding Swain, he could be a replacement for Ambessa. Mel has always been opposed to her mother’s warlike ways, and although Mel embraced them to a point inArcaneseason 2’s finale, it is hard to imagine her accepting Noxus' tyranny completely. When she returns home, she will likely look to be a better leader for Noxus than the one her mother was and, by extension, the one Swain is. When imagining Swain as a replacement, only on a much bigger scale, forArcane’s Ambessa, the choice of him as one of twoLeague of Legendschampions to oppose Mel makes a lot of sense.
Arcane
Cast
Arcane is an animated series set in the League of Legends universe, debuting in 2021. It explores the conflict between the affluent city of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun. Central to the story are two sisters whose allegiance to opposing sides of a technological and ideological war strains their bond.
