If you binged all three acts of Arcane and immediately found yourself scrolling LoL champion pages wondering if your new favorite characters are playable, you’re not alone. Thousands of new players come to Riot’s MOBA every month after falling for the chaotic, heartfelt cast of the animated series, so it makes sense that one of the most common questions we get from new fans is are the characters in Arcane in League of Legends. We’ve put together this full breakdown to answer every question you might have, from which characters are playable right now to how the show’s story fits into official LoL lore, plus tips for new players who want to jump into the game after watching.
Are the Characters in Arcane in League of Legends? Full Playable Character Breakdown
Nearly all of the core, recurring cast of Arcane’s first two seasons are playable in standard League of Legends matches, and many have been part of the game’s roster for over a decade. Riot intentionally built the show around existing popular champions to tie the animated universe directly to the game, and they’ve updated all of these characters’ lore to match their arcs in the show. Below is a full list of playable Arcane characters and how they align with their in-game counterparts:
- Vi: The Piltover Enforcer has been a playable LoL top lane bruiser since 2012, with abilities that directly reference her giant hextech gauntlets and brute-force fighting style seen in Arcane.
- Jinx: The loose cannon ADC launched in 2013, and Arcane dives deep into her origin story as Vi’s younger sister Powder, explaining her chaotic personality and explosive arsenal perfectly.
- Caitlyn: The Sheriff of Piltover is a long-range ADC first released in 2011, and her in-game abilities match her sharpshooting skills and commitment to cleaning up Piltover’s corruption shown in the show.
- Ekko: The Boy Who Shattered Time is a mid lane/jungle assassin released in 2015, and Arcane explores his childhood in Zaun, his connection to Powder and Vi, and the origin of his time-traveling device.
- Jayce: The Defender of Tomorrow is a top lane/mid lane champion released in 2012, and the show walks through his invention of hextech, his rise to Piltover leadership, and his complicated relationship with Viktor.
- Viktor: The Machine Herald is a mid lane mage released in 2011, and Arcane shows his early days as a Zaunite scientist working alongside Jayce, before he embraced the Glorious Evolution to escape his chronic illness.
- Heimerdinger: The Revered Inventor is a mid lane/support mage released way back in 2009, and his role as a Piltover council member and eccentric genius in the show aligns perfectly with his in-game lore.
- Singed: The Mad Chemist is a top lane tank released in 2009, and Arcane reveals his early experiments on Zaun’s underclass, including his work that transformed Vander into the monster Warwick.
That means if you fell for any of these characters during the show, you can pick them up and play them right now in standard LoL matches, ARAM, or even Teamfight Tactics. Some of their in-game voice lines even reference events shown in Arcane, which is a nice touch for fans who want to feel more connected to the story. Riot also released official Arcane skins for all of these characters a few years back, so you can play with their exact character designs from the show if you want.
What Arcane Characters Are Not Playable in League of Legends (Yet)?
Not every character from the show is available to play, and some never will be, for a variety of lore and gameplay reasons. The most popular fan-favorite non-playable character is Silco, Jinx’s adoptive father and the ruthless leader of Zaun’s undercity in season 1. Riot has said multiple times they have no plans to add Silco as a playable champion, because his story is so tied to Arcane’s specific timeline that it would be hard to fit him into the wider LoL champion roster without ruining his arc from the show.
The only exception here is Vander, who long-time LoL fans will recognize as the origin story for Warwick, the Uncaged Wrath of Zaun. Warwick is a playable champion, but the gentle, protective version of Vander we see for most of Arcane season 1 doesn’t exist as a separate champion in the game. If you want to play the character Vander becomes, you can pick Warwick, but his playstyle is very different from the calm leader you see in the show.
Other non-playable characters include Mel Medarda, Jayce’s partner and a powerful Piltover council member, plus minor characters like Mylo, Claggor, and Sky. Riot has teased that they are considering adding Mel as a playable champion in the future, but they won’t announce anything until after her full arc plays out in the show. Riot has confirmed that any future Arcane-based champions added to LoL will only be released after their corresponding season of the show airs, to avoid spoiling plot points for viewers who haven’t caught up yet.
How Does Arcane’s Story Align With Official League of Legends Lore?
Before Arcane launched in 2021, LoL’s lore was pretty scattered, with lots of retcons and conflicting storylines across different champions and regions. Riot used Arcane as an opportunity to solidify the official lore for Piltover and Zaun, and every event shown in the show is now considered 100% canon for the game’s universe. That means none of the show is a non-canon spinoff or alternate timeline, it’s all the official backstory for the playable characters.
For example, before Arcane, many fans thought Jayce was a one-dimensional arrogant hero, but the show adds layers to his motivation that are now reflected in his updated in-game biography. You’ll even find small references to his friendship with Viktor in his in-game voice lines now, which is a fun Easter egg for show fans. All character motivations and relationships shown in Arcane are considered 100% official for the game’s current lore, so you don’t have to worry about wasting time learning story details that don’t apply to the game.
Some long-time LoL fans complain that Arcane retconned old lore, but that’s not really true. Riot has been slowly updating all champion lore to be more cohesive for years, and Arcane was just the first big public rollout of that new unified lore. It’s easier to think of the show as the official, final version of Piltover and Zaun’s backstory, replacing any older conflicting stories that existed before.
Tips for New LoL Players Who Started Watching Arcane First
If you’re coming to LoL specifically because you loved Arcane, you don’t have to overwhelm yourself trying to learn all 160+ champions right away. Start with the playable Arcane characters first, and stick to casual game modes until you get comfortable with the game’s basic mechanics. I’ve helped dozens of Arcane fans get into LoL over the last few years, and these are the tips that have helped the most:
First, pick 1-2 Arcane characters that fit your preferred playstyle to main first. If you like running in and fighting up close, Vi is a perfect beginner-friendly pick. If you prefer hanging back and dealing damage from far away, Jinx or Caitlyn are great options. Avoid picking Ekko or Viktor as your first champion if you’re totally new to MOBAs, they have high skill ceilings and take a lot of practice to play well, which can be frustrating for first-time players.
Start with ARAM mode first if you’re nervous about standard PvP matches, it’s a casual mode where you get random champions every game, so you can test out different Arcane characters without pressure to perform. You don’t have to worry about meta picks or perfect strategy in ARAM, it’s designed to be fun and low-stakes for new players.
Finally, don’t be afraid to play against bots for your first 10-20 matches. Co-op vs AI mode lets you learn the basics of movement, abilities, and objectives without going up against experienced human players who might make fun of you for making mistakes. Once you’re comfortable playing your favorite Arcane character against bots, you can move to ARAM, then to normal unranked matches when you’re ready.
At the end of the day, if you’re wondering are the characters in Arcane in League of Legends, the short answer is most of the core cast are fully playable, with a few notable story-only exceptions. Arcane is one of the best entry points into the wider world of Runeterra, and Riot has done a great job of making the show feel connected to the game without alienating either new viewers or long-time players. Whether you’re here to main Jinx in bot lane, or just want to learn more about the lore behind the show, there’s something for every Arcane fan in League of Legends.