Arcane: Why Vander Tried To Kill Silco - Screen Rant

The first season of Arcane left many questions unanswered, with a major one being why did Vander try to kill Silco? Video game adaptations tend not to fare well, but Netflix’s animated series Arcane is a rare example of a game-to-screen adaptation done right thanks to its stunning visuals, talented voice cast and rich worldbuilding. Set within the League Of Legends fictional universe, the series serves as a prequel of sorts that explores the backstories of two iconic characters – sisters Vi and Jinx – and the origins of the conflict between the technologically advanced utopia of Piltover and the oppressed undercity of Zaun.

While Arcane incorporates many characters and settings the League Of Legends fandom will recognize, the series also features a handful of original characters – two of which are Vander and Silco. Vander (JB Blanc) is the de facto leader of the Zaun community and adopted Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Jinx (Ella Purnell) as his own after they were orphaned during a failed rebellion against Piltover. Silco (Jason Spisak), meanwhile, is a crime lord who takes Jinx under his wing after she accidentally causes Vander’s death and is shunned by her sister.

Related: Arcane's Handling Of Jinx Is Something All Anime Can Learn From

Vander’s death occurs in the third episode, during which it’s also revealed he and Silco are old friends with quite a history. Years before the events of Arcane’s first season, Vander and Silco were close as brothers and fought side-by-side against Piltover’s oppressive rule. Their friendship came to an end when Vander almost killed Silco by drowning him in the rivers of Zaun, which caused Silco’s mutated left eye and resulted in the scarring he has on the left side of his face. It's never explicitly addressed why Vander tried to kill Silco but there are a few telling moments in Arcane that offer clues as to his motivation.

In Arcane episode 3, Silco takes Vander hostage and confronts him about making peace with Piltover and playing lapdog to its ruling elite. Judging by this conversation, it seems likely Vander tried to broker some sort of peace deal between Piltover and Zaun all those years ago but deduced the more radical Silco posed a threat to the warring cities’ fragile agreement. That eventually led to a disagreement that resulted in their near-fatal encounter in Zaun’s toxic rivers.

By the end of the first season of Arcane, both the former allies were dead and the question of why Vander tried to kill Silco remained unanswered. However, a second season of Arcane is already in the works and – considering a popular fan theory that predicts Vander might come back from the dead – it’s possible the mystery could be addressed in the sophomore season of the Netflix animation.

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