Never one, without the other

A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference in Arcane season 2 seems like a brutal piece of foreshadowing, and it’s got me terrified for the fate of the main characters.

This article contains spoilers for Arcane season 2.

After her mother’s death in the first episode of Arcane season 2, Caitlyn is given a key by her father, which she uses to access a database of information set up by her mother. That database informs her about a series of ventilation ducts built throughout the undercity that Caitlyn resolves to weaponize in her pursuit of Jinx. Much of that information is accompanied by hand-drawn renderings of the effects of the pollution within Zaun, and the mythology that’s built up around it.

Much of that mythology is hinged on Janna, the wind goddess who Jinx references at the climax of episode three, but it also features a black-and-white figure with glowing eyes. Eagle-eyed fans of the show noted a moment in which that figure is placed right up against Caitlyn, their faces superimposed over one another by the glow of the screen. Eagle-eyed League of Legends fans should recognize that face as that of Kindred, the God of death in the game’s universe.

Kindred is a dual entity, made up of Lamb – a gentle guide who appears to put those suffering out of their misery and guide them towards the next life – and Wolf, who chases down those who flee death and grants them a much more painful end. The shape of the face and glowing eyes that appear over Caitlyn match up very closely with Lamb’s mask, and that light and dark color scheme leaves little to the imagination either.

This isn’t the first time that Kindred has been mentioned in Arcane. In her first appearance, Mel’s mother Ambessa says that Mel’s brother “fancies himself a fox among the wolves,” but tells Mel that “if you want to last in this world, you must learn to be both the fox and the wolf.” Ambessa – who was recently added to League of Legends alongside a series of cosmetic items that denote her attachment to the cult of the Wolf (one of which was also given to Kindred) – doesn’t mention Lamb in that speech, but it’s undeniable that beyond Kindred’s cloven legs, there’s a vulpine appearance to her top half that ties nicely to that Fox/Wolf line.

Whether Ambessa has been speaking directly about Kindred this whole time is up for debate, but Arcane’s invocation of Kindred is about the most dangerous piece of foreshadowing it could offer. There are some fans who believe this is another reference to the mysterious Black Rose, but Caitlyn, so far, has had basically nothing to do with that narrative. She is, however, a character wrestling with grief that’s driving her on an increasingly murderous journey after Jinx, who has already said that she risks “coming back in a box” without Vi’s help. Having turned away from her partner at the end of episode three and taken up a hubristic and controversial new position under Ambessa, and given that the Arcane showrunners have hinted that they’re not afraid to kill characters off, there’s every chance that this could simply be a reflection of Caitlyn’s increasingly maddened grief – but I’m worried it’s likely to spell doom for someone close to her.