The vibrant world of Emmy award-winning Arcane is one filled to the point of overflow with a vast array of hidden meaning and metaphorical storytelling. From their nuanced crafting of villains to their use of music to symbolize different themes throughout the narrative, it has captured the attention of League of Legends fans and casual viewers alike.
Most obvious however, or at least most visually dynamic, are the choice of weapon given to each character. Each design has a specific feeling and theme in mind, epitomizing the personality of its wielder. Here are the top examples from the show.
Jayce
Jayce is a character that changes a lot throughout the show, going from scientific outcast to political celebratory, then again to a vigilante of sorts. For the most part, he does not have a weapon, never being the fighting type. But later, he and Vi take things into their own hands and raid one of Silco’s shudder manufacturing plants/laboratories. At this point, he crafts himself a hammer powered by a hex crystal.
While the allegory of the design and choice of weapon seems to be that of his history — the poor son of a working class blacksmith — the hammer actually symbolizes a lot more regarding his personality. When faced with a problem or dilemma, Jayce will never shy away from it. He'll tackle it head on with all of his might until it’s solved, often with bluntness, much like the face of a hammer. He is shown to be brash and headstrong, and often does away with the political niceties that others in his position are accustomed to.
Ekko
Ekko is arguably the show's best side character, one who offers a third, previously unknown side to the Piltover vs Zaun battle for power. He and the firelights have banded together in an effort to protect the people of the undercity, both from the violence of the Pitovian authorities, but also Silco and his band of goons.
Everything about Ekko's character is about defense over attack. He chooses to swoop in with great speed and disable opponents rather than kill them, and then get out as soon as possible. His weapon then makes a lot of sense, and epitomizes everything he stands for: a metal pipe. It would have been easy for him to have attached spikes or other implements of pain to it, but he has chosen the blunt force of an incapacitating weapon, one far more likely to knock its victim out than kill them. It can still deal a lot of damage, like Ekko himself, and is not to be messed with.
Vi
When looking at Vi’s weapon, it’s important to mention Vander, as for a period of time they used the same weapon. Vi is a fighter, one who uses her fists and thus is not afraid to get close and personal with whomever she’s fighting. The Knuckledusters are the perfect weapon for her, and symbolize this perfectly, as well as Vi’s self-destructive streak. She’s not afraid to be close to her opponent, having very little regard for her own safety. She is rough and ready, a born brawler from the streets, and these weapons show it.
Her weapon changes, however, when she and Jayce storm Silco’s laboratory. At this point, Jayce gives her the gauntlets he created using Hex tech for miners to crush rocks. These are a modern upgrade from the old ones, and show her character moving onward and looking to the future. They perfectly symbolize her move away from fixating on the past, instead fighting for a better tomorrow.
Viktor
While this one is not a weapon as such, it is likely to turn into one come Season 2. Viktor and Jayce created a mining laser alongside the gauntlets, one that through humorous effect is shown to be a formidable weapon if put in the right (or wrong) hands. In the League of Legends game, Viktor's character is shown to use this as his primary weapon, a laser that can devastate the field. The one shown in Arcane is likely to be the same one (or its predecessor).
What makes this weapon so perfect for Viktor is that it sums up his struggle with his disability. His limbs (specifically his legs, but he is generally fairly weak and feeble) are never truly strong enough to allow him to wield conventional weaponry. All the other weapons in the show are held by the character, or are attachments or augmentations of their own body. Vikor, however, has crafted himself an entirely new limb that functions independently of himself, returning him only to guide it rather than physically wield it. It’s the first step showing his desire to replace his non-functioning body parts, and upgrade himself until he becomes the character fans of the game know well.
Jinx
Last, but by no means least, comes Jinx, who is characterized by the ridiculously oversized array of weapons she uses. These are perfect for the character, as they symbolize how her entire character has been put through hell. Jinx carries around a serious amount of trauma on a daily basis, struggling to cope with the various voices in her head and being torn between the forces of good and evil (if they can even be called evil).
She builds these gigantic weapons of pain as a perfect parallel with the gigantic amount of pain she carries. They cause serious damage to both herself and anyone in her path. She’s also not fully able to control them, much like she’s not truly in control of herself, accidentally harming her own people on multiple occasions.
