‘Arcane’ successfully champions queer representation in fiction

Netflix and Riot Games have triumphantly crafted a nearly-perfect adaptations of League of Legends for the small screen. Arcane victoriously defied any expectations through a thrilling two-part saga, and while tearing through League of Legends‘ lore, prioritized the importance of its LGBTQIA+ Champions.

Arcane doesn’t make any effort to stifle or bury its queer themes across its two-season stint, and instead, embraces the richness of what these relationships have to offer. If anything, Arcane deserves to be commended and demands utmost respect for how it articulates LGBTQIA+ subplots on a granular level that contribute to their genuinely human feel. From the first hints of characters experiencing same-gender attraction to gayness becoming a mainstay in Arcane‘s plethora of narrative pillars that are explored throughout the entire series, Netflix and Riot make it exceedingly clear that they’re determined to commit to the authenticity of queer storylines.

The articulation of how Arcane chooses to explore homosexuality understands that queerness does not thrive on stereotypes; instead, the show boldly indulges in the most human elements of gay relationships. Arcane‘s normalization of LGBTQIA+ characters and their dynamics emphasize the importance of mainstreamed queerness in video game adaptations. Much like The Last of Us eloquently translated its sapphic and Achillean romances to the small screen, Arcane taps into the importance of queer inclusion without feeling the need to over-exaggerate the show’s effortless means of spotlighting LGBTQIA+ subplots. The unspoken acceptance — and the ongoing declination for the show to elaborate on its queer characters in a way that feels performative — contribute to just how sincerely Arcane feels about elevating LGBTQIA+ characters’ stories. It’s incredibly validating and refreshing to see Arcane welcome non-heterosexual elements as vital ingredients of its show without a second thought.

Arcane is rightfully entitled to overflowing praised for its depictions of queer women. It’s endlessly affirming to see vulnerability in sapphic relationships while approaching the spectrum of queer femmes authentically. Caitlyn and Vi’s dynamics, and representation of some aspects of gender expression embraced by women loving women, tap into how Arcane combats the surface-level presumptions made about LGBTQIA+ women. Thus, Arcane acknowledges that not all women who experience same-gender attraction look, act, or present in a definitive way. Vi’s more androgynous manner nods to queer women who are gender non-conforming, identify as butch, or perhaps even allude to the existence of non-binary lesbians. As for Caitlyn, Arcane implies that she sits more on the femme side of the gender spectrum, though does not rely on her her gender expression to dictate her entire being. Instead, the show notes the existence of diversity in micro-communities of the LGBTQIA+.

The series generously subverts away from viewing Caitlyn and Vi’s relationship falling victim to fetishization, hyper-sexualization, or facing misunderstanding due to a potential “straight” gaze. Entertainment media and the inclusion queer women host an extensive, convoluted past that raises concerns about how gay femmes are treated in the public eye. Anxieties around poor representation or the erasure of an underserved minority in pop culture are alleviated as Arcane bypasses any notion that Vi and Caitlyn are characters “experimenting” with their sexuality. Their physical intimacy does not stand as a key point of their relationship, and Arcane‘s decision to withhold the outright sexuality from their storyline until later in the show is a testament to how the series wants to sidestep any controversy when diving deeper into sapphic partnerships. When Caitlyn and Vi are intimate, however, their physicality is executed with mindfulness and purposefulness. Each kiss, each touch, is rich with intention.

Arcane doesn’t shy away from delving into the tenderness of gay partnerships. Viktor’s connection with Jayce — their emotional intimacy and the Achillean nature of their connection — is given one more brilliant final bow in Arcane Season 2, Act III. Arcane‘s nuanced understanding of the intricacies of queerness wrap themselves around the overtones of morality. Viktor embraces his own beliefs, as well as his ethical convictions, while still retaining an unspoken love for Jayce. Throughout both seasons of Arcane, the prominence of Viktor and Jayce’s affection is held at the forefront of their relationship. Perhaps not as outright or forward as Vi and Caitlyn’s romantic subplot, Arcane‘s intriguing perspective on domestic queerness between Jayce and Viktor introduces a fascinating alternative look at gay men in popular culture.

Through the lens of a video game adaptation, Arcane successfully leans into the ambiguity of Viktor and Jayce’s dynamics, leaving them generously open to individual interpretation. The refusal to compartmentalize how each character’s possible attraction to men is presented, especially when translated from their in-game counterparts, combats presumptions about gay men in entertainment. Interestingly enough, Jayce’s bisexuality is understood by Arcane in a way that requires no further elaboration. The series’ outright refusal to “out” its queer characters attests to the show’s destigmatization of non-heterosexual pairings. Arcane declines to feature any explicit sexuality from Jayce and Viktor’s time together, and instead, focuses on the importance of how their souls connect. Viktor himself admits that he and Jayce’s paths lead them in different directions, though it was affection that held them together.

Arcane has effortlessly earned the rights to endlessly impressive titles: a masterclass in animation, a victor of exceptional storytelling, and a feat of unforgettable television. Above all, Arcane can proudly bolster the right of being a champion of queer representation in fiction, magnificently setting the standard for queerness in pop culture’s future.