Arcane, the Netflix series that took the world by storm, left audiences with their jaws dropped and their hearts shattered into a million pieces. This wasn't just another animated show - it was a visceral experience that stripped away the veil of innocence, plunging viewers headfirst into the gritty reality of Runeterra's violent underbelly. What's more surprising, however, is that the show's creators had an unprecedented amount of creative freedom to kill off any character they wanted.
Speaking to fans in a behind-the-scenes interview, the writers revealed that they were given an unusual amount of latitude by their Riot Games counterparts. When asked about their working relationship with Riot, the writers revealed that they had the power to make life-or-death decisions for the characters, without needing explicit permission from the game developers.
This carte blanche approach to storytelling paid off in a huge way for Arcane. Without needing to worry about alienating fans of the original League of Legends game or concern themselves with maintaining an arbitrary 'TV-friendly' rating, the writers were free to create a show that was uncompromisingly honest in its portrayal of the world and its inhabitants. In an era where most animated shows are sanitized to appeal to a broader audience, Arcane refused to pull punches.
This hard-hitting approach to animation can be attributed to the creative minds behind the series. Taking cues from the darker corners of the League of Legends universe, the writers at Fortiche Productions sought to breathe new life into beloved characters and breathe new depth into the world-building that fans know and love. Sometimes, that means putting fan-favorite characters through hell - or worse.