My answer to the question: So let’s rip apart the arguments I made in the vid 😅... I think the definition of hero/villain is where a lot of the conflict comes from. There’s two sets of definitions of these terms (at least): irl hero/villain and narrative hero/villain. The irl hero/villain has to do with morality, narrative hero/villain has to do with story objectives. The confusion comes because these two standards often overlap, and jumping back and forth between the two standards was what allowed me to make arguments that sounded consistent (but weren't) for each side of the question. But if you’re ACTUALLY consistent, the picture is a lot clearer. To go back to the three story pillars I mentioned -- plot, character, and theme -- those each have a hero definition associated with it. --> Hero in the plot framework is the one who brings about the external event the story has framed as the “good outcome”: eg saves the day, wins the championship, true love, evil fails, etc. --> Hero in the character framework makes the inner personal change the story has framed as “the good change”: eg overcomes weakness, feels love again, feels forgiveness, faces fears, proves X to themselves, etc. --> Hero in the theme framework represents the ideal or the ethical/philosophical change the story has framed as “true/good”: eg violence is not the answer, love conquers all, freedom triumphs over tyranny, etc. Narratively, Jinx is a villain in the frameworks of plot and character, but a hero in the framework of theme. She brings about war, which is the outcome the story has told us is the “bad outcome”. She embraces Jinx, which is the inner change the story has framed as the “bad change”. BUT she accepts change, which is what the story tells us is the “true/good ideal”. That makes us conflicted about how we see the character. The second major thing that makes us conflicted is that as far as irl hero/villain, the rest of Arcane’s story is so grey that we have a hard time accepting the story’s labels of good/bad. Maybe Piltover deserves to be overthrown and Zaun SHOULD fight them. How can Jinx be a hero if she murdered people? Perfectly accurate to use hero or villain in that context, but I think it’s on a different track of hero/villain than talking about narrative hero/villain. I do agree with people saying the hero/villain dichotomy is useless in this show, but what I said above is my understanding of WHY it’s useless here. Usually the two different standards overlap more, and within the narrative definitions, there’s more overlap too (or at least not as much outright contradiction). Anyway, I’ve loved reading all your opinions as always! Very happy to see such variety. PS I’ll be uploading an extra video this week (PROBABLY) since my Wednesday one is going to be shorter than I thought. So Wednesday and Friday will be a short each, then Sunday another long vid like usual.

Point of clarification: Vi was drugged, taken, and locked away without charge or trial. That’s not being arrested, that’s being kidnapped 😭

"She's a Jinx, but now she can make things go wrong for the people who deserve it." That line makes me want season 2 so bad

"Screw the world, screw peace. If you turn me into a monster then you deserve a monster" I think this line best describes who Jinx is now. She's not good or evil, hero or villain, but a embodiment of "Chaotic neutral" literal chaotic.

This story embodies real life more than a '' story '', in my opinion it doesn't have heroes or villains, it has people

The most profound point you made in this video is that we root for Jinx and she made a “hero entrance” despite not actually being a conventional hero.

I love how you pointed out that Vi was made to look like she abandoned Powder, that point has been verrrryy overlooked by the community.

The moment where Ekko sees Powder in there while he's beating up Jinx, makes me cry every time. You can see that on her face, is an expression of realisation and hopelessness. She pulls the bomb, knowing full well that she might die. She accepts her death and it just saddens me

11:11 I honestly find it beautiful that Jinx accepting who she's become literally wipes her tears away.

Jinx didn’t "jinx" the peace in the last episode because Silco was never going to turn her over, so that peace was impossible to begin with

The villain is the hero of their own story. Vander is a villain in Silco’s story. Vander is a hero in Vi’s story.

I was straight up crying when jinx killed silco, it was so emotional and well written

It's interesting how in both the beginning and the end, her inventions intervene at the worst timing. At the beginning when her monkey bomb goes off right as theres hope for vander and the kids escape, and at the end when her mistle targets the counsel right as they agree on peace.

Honestly, I think she's neither. Jinx is a consequence. A consequence of so many different characters actions, inactions, choices and failures.. including her own. A consequence of the systemic failures core to the city itself. As a character she's absolutely not a hero; There's nothing heroic about anything she does after the time skip. As a character she's explicitly a villain given that she's quite literally a deranged serial killer that will emotionlessly kill pretty much anything or anyone. But in terms of her role in the story she's really the embodiment of an on rushing disaster that has been brewing within Piltover since long before she was even born.

I think having ~villainous characters as protagonists is such a good thing, since it forces us to question their supposed villainy. That isn't to say a they need to be in a gray area, but the mere fact that they're presented to us as a protagonist - someone to cheer for - makes us more open to seeing the many colors of their morality. We may even conclude that they are undoubtedly villains, but we also see everything else they are. And we can't help but cheer for that.

Jinx definitely agreed with Silco's dream of a free Zaun. Back when she was still Powder she said something along the lines of "imagine what everyone in the Lanes could do if we fought back". Vi too, actually. If it weren't for Vander's influence and the fact that Silco killed him, both sisters would have went right along with Silco and his goals.

Jinx is the only villain that i really felt sorry for Normally, when villain does a destructive thing you feel hatred towards them but this isn't the case with jinx. you just feel sorry for her and for that she seems to have to keep playing with her blocks because of other's mistakes or manipulation you really feel she doesn't deserve it

Something I also like is that Jinx is haunted by the voices of her loved ones who she killed. When she fires the missile she hears Silco’s voice and instead of making her feel insecure or weak it’s the empowerment she needs to take that shot and start the war. Whenever Craggor, Milo or Vanders voices spoke to her they whispered about how weak she was but Silco’s voice even in death is empowering her and telling her how strong she is which is what he did in life.

The brilliance of it is that the question "Hero or Villain?" doesnt even make sense for her. The more you argue one way, the stronger the argument becomes in the opposite direction. For every character in this show, there's a disconnect between the intent behind their actions and the effect of the actions -- nothing ever goes according to plan. Even something as straightforward as Vi taking a minute to cool off in a stressful situation gets twisted into maximum trauma for her sister. Victor tries to heal himself and kills Sky in the process. Vander makes a tenuous peace with the enforcers, but this creates a situation where the only path forward is for him to take the fall, which, in the best of times, would have imploded that peace. And at the extremes are characters like Singed and Jinx. Singed, arguably, is the only character for whom the intent and outcome of his actions are aligned, but he also operates in a very ambiguous moral and ethical space, and his intended outcomes are almost cerebral in nature -- hes the pure embodiment of a type of detatched scientific rationale. Intent and outcome can align if consequences don't matter. Jinx on the other hand is the embodiment of the idea that intent and outcome are and will always be fundamentally different. What's brilliant about the final scene is that, no matter what intent you might interpret for her launching the rocket, it will inevitably lead to an unintended outcome. By accepting this about herself, she's the only character in this show who has actually divorced intent and outcome from each other. In that last scene, I don't see her acting with any *outcome* in mind at all. She is acting with intent, but I don't see her as having any kind of end in mind -- even something as simple as "just watching the world burn", which, as villain motivations go, is the easiest way to justify any action. I don't see that in her eyes at all -- there's sorrow, pain, and acceptance, but no malice. It's a heroic act of destruction and war, and a villainous act of protection and love.

This show depicted the quote, ”Monster's don't make war, war makes monster's."

Part 2: Vi. I feel the arguments you made for the hero arc fit Vi more. She started being built up as a villain as soon as everyone in her family died and she was kidnapped and sent to prison. However, she still chose to fight for her people including working with people who work for a corrupted system. She learns to let her guard down which sometimes bites her in the butt. I like that she is a flawed character. Knowing that her sister won’t fight on the side of good or morally grey, she stills tries to save her and get her back which also bites everyone else in the butt. Unlike Jinx, she is the one who works with government officials while being against them at the same time. She knows what needs to be done whereas Jinx doesn’t. Jinx just makes whatever decision fits her needs at the time which is what makes them great parallels and foils.

“She makes things wrong for those who deserve it.” I think you almost nailed it here. To me, Jinx will always be exactly what she’s always been billed as, a loose cannon. It’s not about being a hero or villain, Jinx is a jinx; period. She’s a “Powder”-keg that’s viable to blow wherever she is. Whether you’re her friend or enemy, whether you’re the hero or villain, Jinx and her actions could either hurt or harm you; maybe even both at the same time! If she arrives in a story, you can be sure you’re in for a good time! Just, you know, when the dust clears be prepared for casualties on either side. In a setting like Piltover/Zaun, where both sides are corrupt and vile in their own ways, a character like Jinx is almost needed. She’s a symptom of the conflict that is constantly simmering between the two, and a source of karma for both. Sometimes Zaunites love her, but messing with her is dangerous and she brings the law down upon them with her mayhem. Piltover hates her, but since they are the most powerful they have the most to lose by her actions. Blowing up a building in Zaun isn’t the same as blowing one up in Piltover after all. I think Jinx is amazing because she’s a Wildcard character who really embodies that role of uncertainty. She is a very real threat and her destruction, even when accidental, can change the course of a story. She could do the heroic thing and cause tragedy, or deal out villainous violence against those who justly deserve it. If she’s in a scene you’re both excited to see what she’ll do, but afraid of the repercussions all the same. She is a source of both anxiety and joy. Drama incarnate.

This is one of the many beautiful things about Arcane. There is no true "good" or "bad" side as shown in a lot of media. There is only a world, and characters who act according to what they want from that world. "Heroes" can do things that hurt others and "villains" can do things that help. People aren't inherently good or bad. They're just people. Jinx is a fine example of that. She's in essence just a girl who wanted to be loved. Yet she was dealt a terrible hand in life, and continued to inadvertently do things that killed or drove away those she cared for. That ultimately drove her to madness, and led her to kill her father figure, estrange herself from her sister, and blast the council. Good villains are supposed to be the heroes of their own stories. And I think Jinx is the hero of hers. She overcame her trauma, accepted herself for who she really is, and dealt a devastating blow to the people who oppressed those like her. She's also a murderous psychopath who kills in cold blood. A terrorist hell bent on bringing down the city of progress. She can be seen as a murderer, or a revolutionary. A hero or a villain. A catalyst for change, or a harbinger of destruction. She's all, some, or none of those things. It depends on how her tale is told, and which side tells it. The fact that both sides can even be considered just shows how much depth this character has, and how much work was put into this series. Amazing analysis Schnee. Subbed.

My initial thoughts are that I don't think Jinx can really be defined as either one. But not for the same reasons. Every action she takes is, ultimately, a plea for love. As Powder, all she wants is to be whatever will make Vi proud of her, whatever will make Vi love her. As she grows into "Jinx", all she wants is to make Silco proud of her, is to make Silco love her. Her motivations are never about being good, or about being evil. She doesn't seem to attack Piltover because she was fighting back against the unjust Council, or because she wanted to cause a war. She seems to attack Piltover as a twisted sort of vengeance over Silco's death, despite the fact that she was the one that pulled the trigger (which could be explained as 'because Vi wanted Silco gone'). The next thing I thought to look at is to think where Jinx's arc goes after the events of the story. If she were a hero, she would lead the force of Zaun in a war against Piltover, or disappear, never to be seen again. But that's not Jinx, she's not a leader and she's very flashy, she doesn't want to disappear. If she were a villain, she'd probably be some loose cannon randomly attacking people (both Zaun and Piltover) just because she wanted to. But that doesn't seem very Jinx either. She is a loose cannon, but none of her actions are born from her own desire to cause pain or to cause disorder. So there's still not a good reasoning for hero or villain here. The only thing that I can't see any "hero" argument for is her coldness in regards to death. Specifically, the firelight girl. If Jinx/Powder was just a product of her desire for love like my initial thoughts, then in the moment of her killing that girl, she should be torn between Powder wanting to love Vi and Jinx wanting to love Silco. If so, this scene could've been expanded into another internal conflict of "Kill obstructions to Silco's plans/Vi would never want me to kill." But she doesn't feel any remorse in the action, she doesn't feel the "I shouldn't have killed her" that Vi-idolizing Powder would. It's possible that this is conditioning from Silco, that during the timeskip he convinced Jinx into his mentality of "Death and suffering don't matter, just achieve your goals at all costs," but the memories of Vi that the firelight girl kicked up probably would've been enough to kick her brain partially back into "I want to love Vi" and disrupt Silco's conditioning. Again, this doesn't happen, it seems like she just doesn't even notice. And not noticing the death of a seemingly innocent person, at your own hands, is undeniably the sign of a villain. No matter the answer, a very fun question to analyze. I enjoyed the change in perspective.

My answer to "Is Jinx a HERO or a VILLAIN?" *No, she's Jinx* And that's what makes Arcane so amazing.

Jinx is my favorite character in the show too by a good bit (and one of my favorite characters period) and personally I read her as an anti-villain. Probably the most complex, sympathetic anti-villain I have ever encountered in fiction. I joked in a tumblr post that never have I encountered a character so obviously a villain on paper, but one that I am so emotionally unable to regard as a "villain" as such. She consistently does things that morally I don't agree with, but her characterization, backstory, scenery-chewing charisma, etc. is such that I can't help but root for her. It's wild.

As for whether Jinx is a hero but not in the modern definition but classic. She is more like a Greek hero her flaws and her strengths are great, but she will be all over the moral spectrum.

Even though the story explains how they fell apart, season 1 is more Jinx’s story than Vi‘s Season 1 shows how the adorable Powder becomes the crazy insane Jinx, but Vi hasn’t changed at all For fans who know her, Vi is actually an enforcer, so how did she go from robbing people in Piltover to becoming one of their enforcers? Hopefully season 2 will focus a bit more on Vi’s story

Jinx and silco was so surprising to me because I really expected him to be an abusive father figure but it was jinx who showed more abusive behavoir. It was honestly so surprising

Fun perspective swaps! I definitely lean towards the "Jinx is a victim turned villain" perspective, but I cannot deny that they frame her in a semi heroic light at times. Part of the genius writing for Arcane. Nothing is certain and everyone is to blame. Cannot wait for more!!

If I had to choose, I'd say villain but...even that doesn't feel right. There's a reason why in the game she's called 'the loose cannon'. Every time she kills, it feels like a knee-jerk reaction more than anything else. A crow startles her, so she shoots it. A girl with pink hair brings back bad memories, so she shoots her (like you pointed out in another video). Her father dies and she has a rocket launcher at hand, so she fires it. It really feels like ever since she accidentally killed Mylo and Claggor, she's become indifferent/desensitized to the act of killing At no time during the show did I get a feeling that Jinx cares about Zaun. Honestly...thinking about it now, she doesn't seem to (really) care about anything or anyone. When she thinks Vi is playing her, she prepares to shoot her. When she thinks Silco betrayed her, she kidnaps him and (I'm pretty sure) prepares to kill him. She craves acceptance and recognition, and I have no doubt that she genuinely loves the person that gives it to her but...it's temporary. She gives a very literal definition to 'I love you to death' And yes, of course this is a result of her trauma. But that's an explanation, not an excuse. I get the whole 'hero introduction' thing but I also want to point out the scene minutes before that. She's so chaotic that people are literally terrified of being in the same room with her. You don't get that sort of reputation overnight Oh also, given that Jayce and Viktor are in the room, I'm pretty sure the rocket will just cause a normal explosion. I know people suspect Mel might be able to shield the people around her or whatever, but I doubt it. My estimate is a few buildings max

I'm rooting for Jinx, she deserves happiness.

I.... rooted for VI, all the way through. Jinx's psychosis and dependence issues make people feel apathy towards her, thinking that she had it harder than everyone else. While in truth VI had it just as hard, but her really tough and adaptive personality gives a different impression. Imagine doing everything you can to save and be with the person you love, only to lose them to.... bad circumstances and manipulation, it's heartbreaking.

I see Jinx as both and neither. In the final scene, I saw Jinx blowing up the council as revenge for making Silco choose, since Piltover had caused the oppression that let to Silco wanting to make Zaun independent. Also, Silco says that “They can all burn” which made me think the action as more Jinx avenging Silco.

I absolutely love Arcane. No matter how many times I watch it or how many videos I watch about it, I always come back to it. Such a fantastic show, can't wait for season 2.

What's interesting about Jinx's introduction is that it's a villain's introduction (the explosion and the fear of the Firelights) followed immediately by her actual appearance which is, as you said, more heroic.

I find the charm of Arcane is in my inability to label the characters. All of the characters simply exist in this world with their experiences and motivations.

Hero or villain, she's undoubtedly a tragic figure. I know someone who... even right now is facing a situation where they've managed to adopt their niece away from an incredibly toxic living environment (Not quite Zaun, but the analogy remains) to an environment where she's reunited with family that cares for her, both her aunt and her cousin, after a period of about five years (the time skip). But the trauma of that toxic environment has taken its toll on her, and she is haunted by the ghosts of the past. It has been unbelievably painful for her cousin to come to terms with the fact that she's not the goofy girl she was when they had lived together. To come to terms with the fact that they've both changed in a lot of major ways. I can't tell you how that story ends, because it is still being written, but it is devastating to see it play out. It certainly puts a far heavier impact to the events of Arcane for me.

The the achievement of Arcane's storytelling is that it makes you sympathize with each and every character. It shows you that in a normal world there is nothing like pure evil and everyone is trying to maintain an equilibrium while having certain dreams of their own, but life still gets messed up.

2:45 You've jumped off the deep-end there. You can say that Jayce is partially responsible for the explosion that kills Mylo and Klaggor only in so far as he failed to take necessary precautions to safeguard the dangerous substances he was holding in his apartment. But you can't blame him fully for it - Powder chose to make a weapon out of it, knowing what happened previously. Powder then chose to employ it in the factory. Jayce didn't tell her how to create a weapon out of it, and he didn't create a weapon of his own using the substance at that point in the story. You can't blame Jayce for what Powder chose to do. Jinx is, at best, an anti-hero. You can rightly say she is responding to injustice, but you can't say that she is acting just herself. She kills far too wantonly without making any effort to ensure that only the truly guilty get hurt.

I think it is the story of a villain. A good villain and I definitely see the hero parts. That's the point of the series. All the characters have these hero and villain moments and it's hard to classify because everyone is trying to do what they think it's right and the own story doesn't make it easier either for you to decide if things would have been better or worse if they had taken another path. For me, like with most characters, it's just the story of a gray person that tries to get the better from the worst situation, what has visible consequences that change them little by little. Maybe into someone you could see as a villain or not, depending on perspective.

Great breakdown. My favorite way to look at Jinx’s place in the story is as the victim of “The needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few”. The series starts out with the dilemma of Piltover demanding a sacrifice in exchange for peace, and this same situation happens once more as we reach the final episode. An imperfect world filled with corruption where there ends up being one solution to stop the slaughter of innocents RIGHT NOW, and Jinx is the price. One life to safe thousands. “A simple calculus “ So when I see that last shot, I see the counsel coming to that decision of peace, and then the “lamb” they were going to sacrifice, in that very moment of decision, says: “No. F&@& you!” Jinx, an orphan who had her life dragged through the muck said, the counsel will not take anything more from me. And then she launches a nuke at them. (Which I do believe is surgical enough to only kill the government officials.) That’s the lens I view it through. Hero, Villian, I don’t know… but definitely a person. Happy holidays 🎊

I’m so happy when I see your content in my feed and recommended! Arcane is my favorite show and I love being able to see so many lore explanations, character breakdowns and so much about this amazing show! I don’t have many people in my personal life who have seen this show so it’s awesome to be able to watch a video of someone discussing it so that I don’t feel like I’m thinking about this show in a void. Love this video (Jinx is my second favorite character with Viktor being the first)!! Keep up the amazing work!!

Amazing video I love this hypothetical it’s really interesting. My first watch through I saw Jace’s character arc as a villain arc. Going from hopeful scientist to corrupt politician.

Victor: People are hungry Council: Passive aggressive *RAAAAAGEEEEEE*

It's not just Jinx, the reason it's so amazingly written is because each of the characters have heroic and villainous tendencies. Most are trying to do good for their faction but all in the wrong way

I think that Jinx transcends the whole traditional hero villian dichotomy because like what was mentioned in the video we don't know the final outcome of the missile and also because at least in my mind to be truly villanous or heroic you have to be fully aware of your intentions and how what you're doing is serving those intentions for either "good." or "evil." I think it's a strength to the character that she's so gray that you could make an argument for them being heroic and villanous and have the explanation make perfect sense in the context of the story. I love the absolute mess of insanity and moral grayness that Jinx is as a character and I've grown to appreciate her and the story as a whole by watching your videos so thank you 😊

Here i am i another video of you, and again, i'm loving it. I really like your theories, explanations, and thought about arcane. You are providing me too much info i can use to create wonderfull things and i wanted to say thanks You, you're AMAZING and keep going💕🔥

I strongly feel jinx/powder is an anti hero, yes her actions are that of a villain, however the intention behind them is that of a hero to destroy the corruption that caused her so much pain and suffering that split her family apart killed her parents leaving her orphaned, she's not really a "good guy" but she's also not a "bad guy" we don't always agree with her actions but we can understand and acknowledge where she's coming from and the intent to write the wrongs done to her behind those actions. her entire character and situation is such a strong gray area there really is no right or wrong view as for her hero and villain collide to being one in the same.

These kinds of characters are called antiheroes, and Jinx is one of the few that are done right. Usually writers either fail to make them relatable, give them logical motivation or as u have mentioned give them proper arc i.e. character development. When it is done right though these kinds of characters can be incredibly magnetic. Walter White and Tony Soprano are some of the best examples

i appreciate this analysis of the plot so much, thanks

this was already my perspective on the show but you sound so excited it's fun to listen to you talk about it

I'm glad arcane blew up this way and gave channels like yours a chance to really take off. Like, I loved arcane, and obviously I went looking for insightful videos on the subject, but your commentary has been really great on a pretty wide variety of topics and I'm honestly just impressed. EDIT: I think to answer the question, the real defining villain moment got stolen by Silco (ie. attempting to shoot vi, as such, stopping jinx from killing cait), hence, why the hero reading is even still possible. That said, do I think she's a villain? It truly is a difficult one, but I'd say, all said and done, I think she's done enough fairly indiscriminate destruction and murder, that, if we didn't get her backstory or her inner dialogue, I'd say she'd read like a villain. I'm just kinda guessing that, but it feels that way.

Arcane is smart enough to always show both sides of the central conflict. The showrunners don't let any character be a hero or villain. Even Marcus, the corrupt enforcer lieutenant and easily the most disliked character in the series, isn't entirely a bad guy. He made a deal with the de facto leader of the undercity (just like his predecessor mind you) in an attempt to avoid and manage conflict. But Silco doesn't honor his end of the agreement by letting Jinx run free in Piltover, causing carefree destruction and getting people killed. The only thing keeping Marcus from going back and killing/arresting Silco himself is that he has a family to protect. And in the end, he doesn't even get a chance to fix his mistakes. Jinx's firelight bombs take away his last chance at redemption.

I love your videos man, this one was 100% right I loved hearing your thoughts on it ! Very interesting ! Thankx for sharing !

I just think everyone in this show is the hero of their own story and that just shows the complexity of the characters. All of them have deep rooted motives, personalities, and morals (even Mel even though I don't like her gaslight manipulator ways).

Jinx is a villain. I love her character, I love her arc. Her madness is understandable. I rooted for her to redeem herself but nahhh. I still love her tho. It's testament to how they really made this series so well for us to be having this predicament.

In my opinion Jinx is definitely a villain. Dont forget that she shot a girl in the back just becouse she looked like her sister. In her introduction she mercilessly murdered a few people, and after that her killcount skyrocketed. How many children will have their childhood ruined becouse she murdered one or both of their parents during a routine bridge guard duty? The true hero of the opressed is Ekko. He was trying to fight the opressors, but only using non-lethal ways. In the same time he was trying to help his fellow Zaunians. On the side of Piltover only true hero is, again in my opinion, Caitlyn. Her whole life she was unaware of how bad is the situation, but when she found out, thanks to Vi, she genuinely tried to make a change in the best way she knew how.

Haha how lucky we are to have a show so densely packed w/ so many interesting themes. I love the structure of your video essays: from the timestamps, to the explicit terms/definitions/frameworks. It really helps in navigating the complex depths of these themes / characters. Though, as you said, sometimes the questions posed are more easier/more interesting than arriving at an ultimate answer!

Dude this video is on fire. You made your point so clearly and admirably. I completely love this video and you just earned a sub from me. Not that it matters much in the grand scheme, but still. I look forward to seeing more of your videos.

In my reading of the series, it's almost useless to try to assign lables like "hero" and "villain" to most of the characters in this series, but not in the "there are no heroes and villains" pseudo-mature grimdark way that we see a lot in fiction these days. It's that most characters in this show commit acts and hold attitudes that are both clearly heroic and clearly villainous to some degree or another. The people who want to keep the peace tend to want to do so under an oppressive system that is obviously harmful and evil. The people who want to change that system are willing to actively do harm to the innocent in the process of change. The few people who end up wanting to end the oppression without going to the extreme of mass violence against those they want to save end up completely frustrated by those who are willing to do evil things to advance their own agendas (whether those agendas are well intentioned or not). Arcane is a story about the realistic difficulty of "doing the right thing" when "the right thing" isn't even all that clear, and powerful people are willing to hurt, maim, and kill to get what they want. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but that doesn't mean that you don't try; you try, fail, learn, and try again. The most tragic heroes and villains in this series are the ones that botch that "learn" part (like Vi in particular).

A thought provoking question, posed in an engaging way. In my interpretation of the story, Vi and Jinx are both incarnations of what circumstance has made of them. Tragic heroes. And Silco and Jacye are what circumstance has made of them. Tragic villians. Lots of parallels all around though; sympathetic, mirroring, repeating. Thanks for being a pontificator, for taking the time to pose the dynamic question, and then presenting the material for others to noodle along with you. Introspection is a lost art.

A thought : She didn't necessarily avoid hurting civilians with the bomb. She just specifically targeted the council. That's where it all concludes, for now. Edit: She's also not a hero nor a villain. She's a victim, of her own mind and an absolutely horrifying chain of unfortunate events, that just keep falling on to her.

I can't say if she's a hero or villain, but I can say her entire arc was inevitable and that's what makes it perfect. I hope that in season 2 we will have a lot more of the main characters develop to a similar point, where you can make a valid argument that they're a hero AND a villain. Right now, we can arguably say that Jayce and Viktor are heroes (despite their dangerous inventions). They're presented sympathetically 99% of the time as they only want to help people. Even when they each kill an innocent person with their inventions, it's completely by accident and they immediately stop what they're doing because the moral cost is too great. HOWEVER we know it's not going to stay that way. So yeah I'm pumped to see those two (and potentially Vi, Cait, Ekko, etc) walk further on the knifes edge between hero and villain

Is Jinx a hero or a villain? The answer is - both.

I think, the point of Arcane is, that these measures don't make sense. Singed does villainy stuff, but has a point, Viktor sympathyses with him for surviving (and we know, he becomes evil) but it's Jayce who builds weapons. Silco is the main villain, but achieved a better living for most of the under city. Still a great video and I really like your point.

Also, to me she's undeniably a villain. She's also my favorite and I _do_ root for her to come to some sort of healthy self-peace, but ultimately she _is_ a killer who is actively working against peace. To me even when you talked about her as a "hero" I couldn't really buy seeing her council bombing as a good thing, even if the council were solely made of the most corrupt politicians in the world it wouldn't be justified to me. I do find her very sympathetic and well-developed, and she's, again, my favorite character, but to me there's still absolutely no question that she's _not_ a hero at this point. You make a good point about her introduction admittedly, but to me I see it more like the Vader scene in Rogue One, a powerful villain making quick work of the heroic soldiers. I do have to admit to kind of rooting for her then, though, if only because we hadn't gotten a good look at how her older self is yet and not yet knowing for a fact that the Firelights were good guys themselves.

I really like how fast you talk/ how you set up you videos. it keeps me interested haha I hate when ppl talk super slow. and even if u start rambling (I think u p much are straight to the point tho) I like the structure and how you connect things.

Arcane is a very strong show, I am a long term Jinx main and fan and before Arcane came out I was wondering what made her this way. But seeing Arcane broke my heart and made me feel conflicted as the way I see it, by the end of season 1 they made her virtually irredeemable. As before yes, she grew up in a world where you fight to survive and as a daughter of a crime lord you also fight as family biz and you grow up with certain ideas but you don't become those ideas by default. And here I believe there could be a Mel parallel, she rejected ways of her warlord family even though it caused her to be banished (also curious to see why you dub her a villain). Jinx's final assault on Piltover wasn't Silco, it was her, even if initially the ideas were Silco's (or Vander's before he saw the destruction). She knows what she is doing and she is now committed to the act, for Zaun or herself. How can you revert or compensate what she had done? Even though yes Piltover leaders (some at least) are not humanitarian at all and only seek personal gain, and Piltover clearly abuses and leeches on Zaun, still not an excuse. I am really curious how do they turn it out in future seasons but I am just afraid that they are setting her up for self sacrifice arc which is definitely not what a mentally ill person who was deprived of love and safety deserves. But here again, excusing terrorists and murderers cause they didn't have the best time and / or mental illness is also a dead end. Ekko is fighting for Zaun and he is much more of a hero than Jinx. So I am very curious but also afraid what will they do for her, i rly doubt there will be "jinx/zaun gets a therapist" plot line and more likely "wrong people pay for the sins of their environment" line [she should, but not her alone] so let's see. Sorry for word vomit, pretty sure no other comment section would willingly house this ahahaha

Good writers can play with the idea of who is really the hero or villain. Or even say it's not that simple or binary. I love all of your videos about Arcane. I love the show but you help me appreciate more.

Great vid and honestly really important thought experiment. The villian of one side of the story is the hero of another - but this is rarely written out in the same show. Really masterfully done. Even though accepting change is an important message of the show, I still think it's important to reflect on the dynamics of trust in and between the characters, and the path to finding non-violent solutions even after trauma would look like in this story (and other stories). It's dawning on both Jayce and Caitlyn before it explodes that the way things are, Zaun has no reason whatsoever to trust the governance in Piltover. When Jinx explodes in the end, it's not even a villanous act IMO, but a tragedy.

Dude, your analytical insights into storytelling are insane. I've learned more from 25 minutes of your content than from "Lessons from the Screenplay" and "Just Write" combined.

She is a central character to the show. Which is a something to note. One of the closest characters to be a protagonist. So this alone influence cause this create a marge between different perspectives. Of her, other characters, people who watch. I personally still argue pretty surely that she is a villain. If its the morality of her actions, their probably bad results (change is not always good, sometimes revolutions lead to reactionary results) or even rather her motives that seem to be very selfish and egoistic (comes from her mental instability). I do agree though in one statement that was done in the hero segment. And that that people should be able to let go of the past. Powder is gone and never had a chance against Jinx. *But* it doesn't mean she need to embrace Jinx, the part that represent her ego and pain (effectively be inslaved to it, doesn't really different from forcing on herself Powder again just little more honest with the kind of mask her ego uses now). I think she needed to burn the fuck out of both chairs. She neither her ego, pain and insult (Jinx), nor the innocent kid (and the memory of what she did). When she above it she can actually heal herself. But her current state is tragic yet not heroic.

This is probably some of the most thoughtful and introspective content about Arcane that’s out there right now. Rock on! And the comment section is also (surprisingly?) thought provoking as well.

I agree, jinx’s character story is absolutely incredible. It’s just so relatable and like you said, when she lights up the blue torch for Vi we all wanted what was best for her and for her to go back to powder. And when she ultimately falls lower and lower we all feel very sad for her

I know this is old, but seeing how you talk about jinx, about how much you enjoy and love her character is so refreshing for me. I adore jinx, she truly is an amazing character and I love how you laid out this video! Brilliant. Though I have to admit, I’m incredibly stressed for season two in November, I still am excited to see more of her and (hopefully) the epic battle between sisters. What we’ve been waiting for. The writers did an incredible job at making jinx relatable, nuanced and intriguing, all causing the viewer to really be sympathetic and empathetic to jinx’s circumstances and character. Hoping for her to achieve what she wants, to be at peace, essentially: to be victorious. Which is not how the viewer is made to feel for a villain. I’d have to say, while I’ve never looked at her as villain nor hero, she doesn’t fit the typical villain archetype MORE than she doesn’t fit the hero one. Love you, man.

What Jinx is really depends on your perspective. We even see that in the show, and will probably see more of it. To some she will be a villain, an unhinged killer. This will likely be how Piltover sees her. Zaun, on the other hand, will probably view her as a hero who boldy fights against opression and makes topside pay for their crimes. Her final act is the embodiment of that. Yes, the council was willing to make peace, but only if Jinx was turned over to them. Silco was not willing to do that, and he was willing to fight for Jinx even at the cost of his dream. And with Silco dead, the only person left to continue his mission was his daughter, Jinx. That is why she fired the rocket, to continue the fight for Zaun. Topside will view it as an unsolicited attack as they were willing to make peace, while the undercity will see it as the first blow in the fight for freedom. On that note it will be interesting to see how Caitlyn and Vi deal with this. With Silco dead, Vi, and by extension Caitlyn, know her better than anyone. Vi understood that Powder became Jinx in order to survive without her, and Caitlyn learned just how much Jinx had lost due to Piltover's oppression. Yet they are going to be forced to opposite sides, with Caitlyn on her way to becoming the sheriff of Piltover and Vi making herself an enemy of Silco's faction after helping in the Shimmer raid. I can't wait to see where it goes.

I totally agree. Considering how Powder/Jinx's live unfolded how many of us wouldn't become crazed villains too. Considering her upbringing was by a crime Lord doing bad things would be ingrained in her as normal behavior. Plus how often do we see people get bullied/insulted/abandoned and then we wonder why they become bad guys. Now their choices are still bad but how much of their journey is them and how much of it is society pushing them that direction through abuse. Words have the power of life and death so choose to be kind even when something really bad happens like when Powder kills her friends/family when she was actually trying to save them.

I LOVE your analysis and hearing these deep thoughts are eye opening. "Okay, did I confuse you because I confused myself making this video." Lol

So glad you're sharing this! It really changed my perspective on her, but I still wanna share what I thought about her before: I see Jinx having the universal curse. She is the villain not because she want's to be but because of a tragedy. In 3rd episode, all that Vi and the others needed was a distration. Had her bomb not worked, then they would all have survied. But Jinx is cursed(not as in some witch cursed her. She's just extremly unlucky Contra to Vi. The universe loves her, has gifted her with the right sense of justice and natural leader skills. The show puts it as: She has a good heart. Plus she's a redhead. (There is something typical about the mc having red hair when it's about and up coming revolution and sci-fi). Her good heart will lead her to make the right decision, and her natural leader ability will lead everyone in the right direction. But I'm glad it's not as simple as that. Really enjoyed your take!

My day be so bad then boom - new Arcane video drops.

The rocket is composed of the same yellow and green fluid that is in her grenades. So I suppose the rocket launcher is powered by hextech to give it range/ but the explosive rocket is not itself hextech.

Jinx is a somewhat of an anti hero. A hero who had no problem with killing their enemies.

I started watching this series because of a Henry Cavil interview and it came up this was a great show to watch. I went into watching knowing nothing I dont even play video games- a couple times I did get a little bored honestly. I think there was just alot to process also, because I was watching inattentively. I finished the series in 2 days and I am now on my 3rd round of watching the series again. So 3 times now have I watched every episode. What I really love and admire about this series is they took 10 month to complete a episode total 6 years of working on the series. Every detail is so important and so thought out. It's almost too much to get it all on one watch. I think this is a series a person needs to watch multiple times because there is new things to discover each time. Truly brilliant I am a fan.

Love this show and all the characters in it, but Jinx easily takes the cake. Hope to see much more of her in future Arcane seasons.

I really like Jinx as the focused and determined character she is at the end of season 1 and I hope they keep moving her forward like this. It'd be a shame if they made her revert to how she was at the beginning of the 2nd act.

Fantastic analysis

Oh man, there is so much to say to your video; I don't even know where to start. First of all: Very well done! In several aspects. On a high intellectuel level, if you ask me. I was wondering a long time whether only I see that this story REALLY has two sides. As you said, not only that the bad guys act a bit understandable, but that it is REALLY not clear who the bad and who the good guys are. I love to see that you had the same thoughts! With which of the many aspects shall I go on now... ^^ I'll just write it as it comes to my mind. ;) My favourite characters are Jinx and Silco. And for me not only Jinx is a hero, but Silco too. The main hero even. Of course we like Vander more in the beginning. The warm loving father-figure of our two girls. How couldn't we find ourselves on the side of him, Vi and the crew. (And I have to say I still like that part of him.) BUT - what I think a lot of people didn't realize - the chain of all the misery started with Vander's betrayal of Silco! He even tried to murder him. And in the question/the topic, that all was and is about, Vander was WRONG. And SILCO WAS RIGHT. He and Jinx proofed that the forceful fight for the liberty of Zhaun CAN be successful. So Silco is the leader of a force fighting for Zhaun's independence. In all the only ways that are left for him to do that. I expected you to talk about that too, because of your differenciated view at "Who's good, who's bad?", but it seems as if you still look at Silco almost purely as the bad guy? ;) Silco believes in loyalty. It is the most important thing of all for him. And I can absolutely relate to that. Without the loyalty of your loved ones nothing has any worth. Imo that is one important reason why he still tells Jinx she's perfect in the end. Because she acted out of loyalty to her sister. AND there is no doubt for me, that he totally and honestly loves Jinx - and (as he says) would never forsake her. Making him a good man after all, if you ask me.

I see her as a Hero, but not ur typical kind. More in regards to what needs to be, and perhaps she is a bit of Karma herself. A form of Anti Hero, tho not trying to be a hero or for anything truly selfish, she acts less on greed and more on Heart. She is PURE EMOTION and that's what dictates her actions & literally nothing else. She is pure "Right Brain" but w the knowledge & intellect for making tech from the "Left" (I know that the brain isn't literally like that, but im using this to best explain her as best I can). This is why she's seen as "chaotic", someone has to be I suppose, when literally every single other person in the entire series is PURELY LEFT BRAINED & very little else. She sorta _has_ to be the way she is, she has to carry it all. But it as tho she wasn't already uh... well, whatever she was, taking away the ONLY PERSON in her life that truly loved/accepted/understood her - SIlco, away, even if it was by her own hand... well.. now there's no one to keep her feet grounded. He was the only one that could do that, her only voice of reason. Now there's no reason. Just pure emotional trauma personified and everyone responsible is going to pay (for what they did to that innocent little girl/Powder). But yeah. A twisted form of Anti Hero imo. Capitalism (& Patriarchy) is the root of all evil, so her killing off the 1% imo is never a bad idea. I hope she becomes the new Queen of Zaun or whatever & makes the Pigs Pay. Maybe... in a weird way maybe she might actually help her people and do right by them? Making sure no one goes hungry or cold at night. (-also apologies to animal pigs, you don't deserve to be associated w such scum)

In my opinion after watching the whole show, Jinx is a villain and she knows this. She loves and misses her sister Vi because Vi is who she admires still after all this time. She could never be like Vi and still is half her person at their current age as shown from the scene where Jinx uses the boxing machine and gets a lower score than Child Vi. Vi has a solid desire to do good for the underground whereas Jinx only wishes to find happiness for herself but can’t due to her impulsive thoughts and actions. She thought she would be happy with Silco but still missed Vi. She met Vi again but Vi can’t accept who she has grown into. So she’s only left with the option to make her own happiness by destroying everything that wronged her, starting with the Capital that killed her parent(s). She is no Hero that the underground would need or want. Jinx is now set on revenge and only revenge. Edit: Forgot to add that Jinx is a Villain to EVERYONE including the underground. IMO She will be the catalyst that starts a war and ends a war that ultimately makes the cities whole.

I usually don't comment, but I have to say that I am loving your Arcane videos!! Obsessed with the show too. The animation, the story, the characters. ugh, everything. I'm going to be rewatching this show for a while and I NEVER rewatch anything. So yeah, I'm loving your theory and analysis videos. This one included! Really good points and really she is both hero/villain at the same time. It is true that the show very much portrays her as the villain, plus the characters themselves are all "against" Jinx in a sense, other than Vi and Silco. Everyone says she is crazy, a criminal, etc. and so I wonder how things will go in Season 2 considering that Sevika will probably be taking over for Silco, so what does that leave Jinx? Does she feel accepted in the undercity at all? This is just randomly coming to mind, but why can't/didn't she have a friend? Someone who supports her other than Silco? The reason is probably a mix of her pushing people away cuz of her past making her feel unloveable and Silco sheltering her? She is the result of Piltover's corruption but what is left for her in the Lanes/Zaun either? I feel bad thinking she'll just be all alone in season 2. :( Btw, can anyone explain to me the difference between the Lanes/Zaun? Are the Lanes just a part of Zaun? Couldn't find a clear answer online. Thanks! :) Definitely the ultimate bad guy in the show/the reason for everyone's problems: Arcane/magic (hence the title of the show I guess). Cuz we can say that it's Jayce's fault for creating Powder/Jinx's issues, but it's Little Man that gave the tip, but it's Vi who pushed them all to go, but it's Powder for dropping the crystal, but then again it's the mage's fault for saving Jayce and putting the magic tech idea in his head... The reasons go on and on. Love the complexity of it all, and it's refreshing as well because it reflects real life in a way, it's messy and complex. Never a simple answer or blame. There are collective issues, snowball effects happening everywhere/constantly.

I love your analysis videos so much!!! 😍😖 Out of all the ones I've watched/read, yours are what I've found to be most thoughtful. Personally, I also very much identify with Jinx. And I view the story thru seeing violence as more metaphorically. More as the choices we make in life that can seemingly be hurting others but the person does them with a greater good in mind. And, in this way, I see Jinx as full-on hero and even saviour much more than Ekko. Coz I think the only way to beat Piltover who I view as the overall villain, you'd have to be Jinx. Eventually, I believe, Ekko can be manipulated.......Anyways, thought you might find this interesting. 😊 Definitely keep up the amazing work! 😉💜🌹

I think what you said about us all wanting thing to work out for Jinx is very true. While I don't agree with the hero/villain labels (especially in this show), I spent the entire show hoping that Jinx and Vi would find a way to reunite and move forward together.

I think I will go with Villain, because villain fighting villains is still a villain. She killed to many innocent people during this season that I can't look at her as a hero. Also she wanted to kill Caitlyn (multiple times ), Ekko and even her sister ( on the bridge ). When a hero tries to kill other heroes for selfish reasons, do we still consider him as a hero?

Nice job on the vid, definitely love the telling of both perspectives which I find myself agreeing on some points for both. The moral ambiguity in this show is insane. Nobody can really outright say who is a hero or villain, including Jinx. Every character has, to some degree or another, good/bad actions, mistakes, and inaction. Every character is a complex mess like how people are in reality and thats why we love it so much. For Jinx specifically, of course I feel remorse. She lost her parents, foster parent, and sister/figure of safety, very young in life, some due to her own actions by accident. She has only had a somewhat manipulative father figure be there later in life, but Silco never helped her mental state. I wish her peace, but afraid she may never find it.

Amazing how you managed to have the two narratives living convincingly in your mind. I saw Jinx as a villain without even thinking about it. Then hearing your description of her as the hero pretty much swayed me I was like "oh wow he's got a point." And then you came back with the villain narrative and it felt equally compelling. Very interesting duality. This show has some of the best character development in any show, let alone anime.

It's amazing that everything in the show has duality. Jinx definitely has the most well developed duality in her character but every character has duality. Even singed who doesn't get much development. They really nailed that theme.

Anyone who watched Arcane &unironically thinks Mel is a villain is brain damaged. Sorry not sorry I don't make the rules.

I really love what you brought to the table here, including the pinned elaboration comment. Have to admit, I was personally very satisfied listening to your analysis of Jinx from a "hero" perspective because I sorta was rooting for her at the end. Even though there were always a few Piltover chars that I thought had good intentions, when she aimed for the council, I thought, "Yeah, you all suck!" Cause I greatly sympathize with the struggle of the Zaun citizens and I think it's a good cause to want to give them independence and even retribution for what Piltover has done to them, but it's obviously not that simple, and I love that it's got so many angles to look at!

this is my favorite of your videos