Is Warwick Vander? Arcane Season 2 fan theory explained

Ever since Arcane first landed on Netflix, there have been theories that Vander may be transformed into the League of Legends beast, Warwick. With Season 2 just around the corner, speculation has reached boiling point. 

Arcane has already proven to be one of the best video game adaptations of all time, one of the reasons being that it draws from League of Legends lore while establishing a story of its own. 

The first chapter went far deeper into the backstory of everyone’s favorite unhinged queen, Jinx. The champion formerly known as Powder doesn’t just cause chaos for no reason – she’s taken under Silco’s wing after the implied death of her and Vi’s adoptive father, Vander. 

It’s an essential reason for her drive, so when speculation about his return heated up, it may have seemed like wishful thinking. But following a series of clues and an Arcane Season 2 teaser trailer, the leading fan theory is that he is now the feared Warwick. 

‘Vander is Warwick’ fan theory explained

Netflix

Singed was seen with his latest experiment in the Arcane Season 1 finale

There are a few reasons behind the theory: Vander’s story echoes Warwick’s; his theme tune sounds similar; and Vander earned the nickname the “Hound of the Underground”. 

But the biggest clue arrived in the final sequence of the Arcane Season 1 finale. As Jinx sets off her rocket towards Piltover’s Council, a clip shows the mad scientist Singed with his pocket watch. 

He looks up to his latest experiment: a clawed creature whose face looks suspiciously like Vander’s. If you remember, earlier on in the Netflix series, Vander took Shimmer in a bid to save his loved ones, turning him into a beast. 

Ultimately, he sacrificed himself to save his family, seemingly dying in the process. But it could be that Singed – the creator of Shimmer – stole his body and continued to experiment on him, transforming Vander into the League of Legends monster. 

Nothing has been confirmed right now, but earlier this year, Riot Games did tease the theory with a first look at Arcane Season 2. The one-minute clip focuses solely on Singed, kicking off from the perspective of his test subject. 

As the camera pans out, we see the huge beast hanging from the ceiling hooked up to a network of tubes and canisters. This has all but convinced the fandom that Vander is Warwick, as their backstories align. 

Who is Warwick?

Riot Games

In the League of Legends game, Warwick – also known as the Uncaged Wrath of Zaun – is a werewolf-like beast who preys upon criminals in the undercity. And his backstory is eerily similar to Vander’s. 

You see, he used to be a human – a Zaunite gangster, to be precise. However, he stepped away from crime to live life as a good, honest man. Vander did the exact same thing: after the failed uprising, he took up a job running the bar to raise Vi and Jinx. 

Warwick was also captured by Singed and pumped full of chemicals to infuse him with monster DNA, turning him into the “beast” that lay inside him. Although the experiments initially killed Warwick, he was later resurrected as a blood-thirsty killing machine. 

In Arcane Season 1, Singed was present when Vander became infected with Shimmer. And he also appeared to die, so perhaps Singed took the body and transformed him into Warwick.

Netflix

Vander resorted to taking Shimmer to save his loved ones

Another key similarity is that Warwick’s final memory as a human is of a girl crying, which is implied to be Jinx. Meanwhile, Vander’s last memory as he lay on the floor would have been Powder screaming for Vi. 

In the games, Warwick ultimately escapes the lab and runs off on his own, leading into his in-universe story, ‘If They Run’. What his fate will be in Arcane Season 2 is yet to be seen. 

Arcane fans are convinced Vander is Warwick

Netflix

His story aligns with Warwick’s

As said, this theory has been around since Arcane first landed on Netflix, with one taking to Reddit back in 2021 to write, “Vander is 100% Warwick.”

“So I know the widely accepted theory is that Vander is Warwick but I haven’t seen anyone provide the reasons for thinking this,” they added. 

“When Silco gets Jinx at the end of Episode 3 Singed is not with him. Vander’s body is also left behind. We know that Singed creates Warwick so it makes sense for Singed to use Vander to do so.

“‘Bursting out of the shadows, he preys upon those criminals who terrorize the city’s depths.’ In Vander’s later years he was the peacekeeper of the lanes.”

They went on to highlight another quote from the games: “Though many think of Warwick as no more than a beast, buried beneath the fury lies the mind of a man – a gangster who put down his blade and took up a new name to live a better life. 

“But no matter how hard he tried to move on, he could never escape the sins of his past.” 

The Redditor highlighted how Vander lived a similar life: “The first time we see Vander he’s beating the sh*t out of an Enforcer. It’s also mentioned multiple times how he used to be a fighter for the undercity.”

Another person wrote, “Someone has also noted how the music when Vander drinks the Shimmer is very similar to Warwick’s theme. Also the hunched posture Vander has is similar to Warwick’s.”

One League of Legends player also pointed out, “Project Warwick has his face in his recall. He’s human in cyborg armor. His mutton chops and hair are identical to Vander.”

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to find out the truth, as Arcane Season 2 Part 1 drops on Netflix on November 9. 

Be sure to keep tabs on our guide to the release schedule so you know when new episodes drop. You can also read about how to avoid Arcane Season 2 spoilers and why ending it on the second chapter is the right choice.