As Arcane nears its end, its creators tease the Black Rose is still 'an integral part of season 2', but they won't confirm if the group is the hit Netflix show's main villain
- Arcane's showrunners haven't ruled out physical appearances from the Black Rose's members in season 2
- Fans have long suspected that one or more of them will show up in the animated show
- Even if they don't, the Netflix series' creators were excited to introduce them to a wider audience
Full spoilers follow for Arcane seasons 1 and 2.
There are only three episodes left of Arcane's second and final season and, as the clock ticks down to its finale, fans are still waiting for an answer to an absolutely huge question.
No, not the "what's going on with Jayce?" one, which I already examined in this article about Jayce walking a very dark path in Arcane season 2's later entries. I'm talking about the hit Netflix show's main villain, who's yet to be revealed as Arcane approaches its endgame.
There have been plenty of candidates for the series' antagonist-in-chief. Silco fulfilled that role last season but, following his demise in the season 1 finale, we're none the wiser about who's succeeding him as Arcane's Big Bad. Is it Ambessa, who's been an increasingly antagonistic figure since her season 1 episode 7 debut? How about Jayce following his unexpected heel turn in Arcane season 2 act 2? What if, in the end, it actually ends up being Jinx?
In many viewers' minds, mine included, it won't be any of them. Indeed, fans have had a magical theory about Arcane's main villain for a long time, with some proposing that the Black Rose, a secret and dark magic-wielding organization, will be the show's actual evildoers. It's a hypothesis that predates Arcane season 2's official trailer being released in mid-September, too, with that two-minute-long teaser hinting at the Black Rose's introduction.
Well, as I covered in my Arcane season 2 act 1 ending explained piece, the Black Rose is officially part of the proceedings. What's still unclear after the arrival of season 2 episodes 4 through 6, though, is whether the Noxus-based sect is one of the best Netflix shows' chief bad guys. Or, rather, bad girls, because three of their four most famous members are females. That includes their infamous leader LeBlanc, the millennia-old sorceress who's essentially Noxus' shadow ruler and pulls the strings of whoever sits on the expansionist empire's physical throne.
With the Black Rose playing an increasingly larger role as Arcane season 2's story progresses, will we see LeBlanc and/or any other Black Rose members appear before Arcane's final credits roll? I had the opportunity to speak to the animated League of Legends (LoL) show's creators Christian Linke and Alex Yee ahead of its initial debut on November 9, so I felt obliged to ask the pair if this would be the case. Interestingly, they didn't actually deny it.
"Hmm... you really want to know, don't you?" Linke replied with a wry smile and a not-so-coy laugh. Before I had a chance to respond, Yee jumped in to cleverly add: "Are you asking 'will they be there' or 'will you see them?'"
The coolest version of the Black Rose is when they're invisible
Christian Linke, Arcane co-creator
You've played this game before, haven't you, gentlemen? Considering the pair didn't outright deny that LeBlanc and/or her fellow ancient magic wielders would appear, I'm led to believe that, at the very least, one of them will. I've got the evidence to back that up, too. The cast list of season 2 episode 5's end credits sequence mentions a character named 'illusionary sorceress' who's not only the individual who speaks to Mel in this chapter but also voiced by Minnie Driver. Don't be shocked if Driver is the voice for Arcane's animated take on LeBlanc, and, providing I'm right, if Driver and LeBlanc are subsequently added to my Arcane season 2 cast and character guide.
But I digress. Even if I'm completely wrong in my assumptions about members of the Black Rose appearing before season 2 ends, it doesn't sound like this is the last we'll see of them. With many more LoL movie and TV adaptations in development, Linke suggested they may crop up, or at least be mentioned, in future projects.
"When we've talked about them internally, the coolest version of the Black Rose is when they're invisible," Linke said. "But what's also really cool is they're one of the first glimpses of this larger world, and the characters that have an association with the arcane and magic that comes from another realm. It's a good thing that fans have opinions on what's happening with Hextech, magic, and all of these things, and we're really excited about those things, too. But, you know, the Black Rose is an integral part of season 2, and that's all you'll get for now."
For more coverage ahead of season 2 act 3's release, check out more articles from my exclusive chat with Linke and Yee below.
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