The best of Arcane’s League of Legends (and Riot Games) Easter eggs in Season 2

There are many reasons to like it Arcanethe Netflix animated series set in the world of League of Legends: the dazzling animation, the creative use of original music, the compelling relationships. But one of the most impressive things about the show for me is how reluctant it is to throw references and Easter eggs into the source material.

Unlike many other IP-driven shows, Arcane isn’t just a non-stop barrage of “Hey, I recognize that!” moments. That keeps the show’s emotional moments from feeling cheap, and it also keeps the moments where the show is do licorice in a reference to the world of Runeterra is more noticeable. (Especially now that Arcane is too Competition canon and there are plenty of in-game tie-ins.)

Here are the best moments we’ve seen in season 2 so far. Did we miss something? Drop the ones you saw in the comments.

(Ed. remark: This post understandably contains spoilers for Act 1 of Arcane season 2 (or through the first three episodes). Proceed accordingly.)

Act 1 (season 2 episodes 1-3):

Heimerdinger’s code phrase

In episode 2, when Heimderinger breaks into his old laboratory (now Jayce’s) with Ekko, he uses a code phrase that Ekko doesn’t understand: “The brambleback has left the jungle.” In League of Legendsthe brambleback, colloquially known as “red buff” because of the effect you get from killing it, is a neutral monster in the jungle that is generally a high priority for junglers to kill. A bramble leaving the jungle? That’s a rare sight.

Also in Episode 2, just before Vi, Caitlyn, and the rest of Piltover’s enforcers attack Jinx’s lair, Jinx is cleaning up the place. The camera lingers for a moment on a work of art on the wall, showing Teemo surrounded by a bunch of mushrooms with flashing lights.

Teemo is one of them Competition‘s most famous champions – he is one of the game’s main mascots, but also one of the most hated champions by players due to how annoying he is.

While pursuing Jinx underground, Caitlyn and Vi come across a statue of Janna, an elemental wind spirit who is also a champion in League of Legends. Jinx taunts Vi with childhood stories that their father figure Vander used to tell them about Janna, who saved miners trapped underground as the air became thin: “Wild, the kind of crap people get up to when you strangle them.”

Near the beginning of episode 3, Ambessa is visited by Amara, an influential member of Piltover’s merchant guild. Amara uses mysterious magical powers to keep Ambessa and her muscle Rictus still during an attempted murder. Rictus manages to break free and Ambessa kills Amara, while a black rose disintegrates in the merchant’s hand and Ambessa warns Rictus that this means trouble. That seems appropriate, since Mel is swallowed up by Black Rose magic at the end of episode 3.

In League of Legends According to lore, the Black Rose is a secret, Illuminati-like organization operating out of Noxus, where Ambessa comes from. There are a few champions associated with the Black Rose: the sorceress LeBlanc (who has a voiceover that says “The Black Rose will bloom again” when you lock her up to play Competition), the vampire Vladimir, the spider woman Elise and the snake woman Cassiopeia.