Loyalty and leadership in Netflix's Arcane | An Arcane video essay
Vložit
- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- In Act 3 of Arcane, there's an arc where Silco might lose his position of leadership in the undercity. The Chem Barons are dissatisfied with the way he is running things, and Finn wants to oust him.
He approaches Sevika about joining him as an ally, and this leads to a scene where Sevika, Finn and Silco are all around Silco's desk, and it's not clear whose side Sevika is on as she draws her knife.
Then Silco starts talking about loyalty, and this struck be as odd, because we've seen that Sevika isn't the most loyal person - she sided with Silco against Vander in Act 1. It got me thinking - what were the differences between Vander and Silco, that led to Sevika being loyal to one and not the other?
Other Arcane video essays:
- Loyalty and Leadership in Netflix's Arcane: • Loyalty and leadership...
- Watching Netflix's Arcane as a Big Sister: • Reacting to Arcane as ...
- How Arcane Masters Tragedy: • How Arcane masters tra...
FIND ME ONLINE:
Instagram: / jp.writes
Website: jpwrites.co/
Nanowrimo: nanowrimo.org/...
#arcane #videoessays #sevika
Who did you think was the better leader - Vander or Silco?
Objectively Vander (can't progress if you're dead) but personally I perfer Silco
Silco.
For all of the reasons you brought up. If I were to compare Silco with a historical figure(s), I'd go with a Grant, Sherman, Rommel or a Patton. A war is coming between the two cities, and Silco knows it. Vander is 'the guy' you look to in the "resistance", but Silco is the leader who will be ruthless in the fight and will stop at nothing to win the war for his people/nation.
Contextualizing within that concept (war is coming), it puts the shimmer addicts in a new light. Completely loyal soldiers. As seen as the story progresses, the shimmer drug itself has been advanced to do wondrous things, as well as maintain a percentage in addiction. Yet another grey area and layer upon layer of depth. What an amazing series.
(Which, btw, is ruining my viewing experience of the Book of Boba Fett. After seeing a masterpiece of storytelling, watching other stuff feels odd, knowing how much better these shows could do.)
Nice essay. I'm enjoying your presentation. 🙂
I think it's less about leadership than goals. Sevika wants a Nation of Zaun. While there is a good deal of commonality between Vander and Silco their goals had split from each other. Vander had wanted to revolt and create Zaun, but by the time Sevika abandoned Vander his goal had changed to keeping the status quo. Silco main goal wasn't power for power sake, it was power in order to achieve the Nation of Zaun. Sevika's loyalty is to Zaun not to a leader. Had the other Chem Barons had a plan for more than gaining power that Sevika would have been more on board with she would have abandoned Silco too.
Sevika is meant as a counter in duality theme running trough the show with Vi, as Silco is to Vander.
@@caseyjp1 this! Sevika is not a traitor to Vander or loyal to a person. She is and has always been loyal to the idea of the nation of Zaun.
The greatest thing about arcane is that no one is absolutely correct...Vander cared about his people but his inaction hurt them..silco cared about zaun but his actions seemed to make things worse
Something i was hoping you'd bring up.
Sevika could have easily dealt with Finn privately, but she made a big show of it infront of Silco, making him question her loyalty in the process.
And when he asks her about it she replies "Not for a worm like him, but there will be others."
That scene was a warning to Silco, she is loyal to his vision not to him.
This is imo the central info this scene wants to deliver, a warning to Silco: you are a bit off the target now. Thx for bringing this up so that I don't have to type it.😁
Very nice take! And from that incident, Silco understood just how close he was to being overthrown. It also makes me believe that right after Silco's negotiation with Jayce, he knew his days are numbered because he didn't want to give out Jinx. That's why he was so lost that he went to speak with Vender's statue. His ideal option at that point, very ironically, would be "Silco the coward fled town with his child; they were never seen again". 😂God I love the ironies in this show.
@@eatandrun8020 lmaooooooo
Finn says that Sevika is basically the de facto ruler currently with Silco being unfocused. Why then she want to ruin the status quo? She also becomes older, and maybe, like Silco, she isn't so motivated anymore in bringing more violence to the undercity. I mean, look at her, Sevika is a regular visitor of a brothel, and seems very fond of cards game, not the most determined revolutionaries anymore, eh? Seems like she's just chilling with her underlings most of the time. She becomes more like a businessman too in the end.
@@coolfer2 We all need downtime and luxuries to relax. We can’t all be gung-ho, shouting, “FOR THE CAUSE!” 24/7. Hell, I could live off of McDonalds dollar menu and do nothing but stare off into space in my free time, and it’d be damn easy to pay my bills, notes, and dues without worrying about having enough money. Most people could. But we’d probably lose our damn minds eventually, and that’d go south fast, and that’s not mentioning the physical health issues.
It's like Ekko said to Heimerdinger. "It's not enough to give people what they need to survive. You have to give them what they need to live."
I agree with you, Ekko is a great example of a much more suited character to be a leader: He still attempts to keep his people safe, yet still give them what they want.
At the end of Act 3, he essentially shows Heimerdinger, who is a former leader, that a leader can offer so much more than time and protection, and that is the leader's own innovation.
Like Jayce and Viktor, who are also innovators, do understand the importance in improving peoples lives by making an unlimited power source, they fail to see that balance both the good and the evil their power brings. Whereas Heimerdinger is stuck in the past, afraid to look forward and due to his supposedly "immortal" life, fails to put himself in Viktor's shoes, a person who is near death.
Being a leader also has it's costs, as Ekko has faced, is a loss of one (and more) of his crew members, but instead of enacting revenge, he learns from his mistakes and moves on, but still memoralise those who have fallen as well from the murals he and his community has made.
I just hope in the following seasons they will show more of Ekko's leadership as an example to our modern world :3
Even though it is fundamentaly wrong. You dont need to GIVE people what they need to live. They need to give them a chance to make lives and a living for themselves
Sevika is not loyal to a person, and she didn’t betray Vander. She is loyal to the vision of the nation of Zaun. When Vander ended the fight she wanted to continue, as well as many others in the undercity, so it makes sense from her perspective to leave Vander for a more capable leader, who happened to be Silco.
Exactly, couldn't have said it better myself
Agreed. Vander didn't have that vision - or At least he wasn't willing to make the sacrifices necessary for it - Silco, similarly, near the end of his life At least, was the same. He wouldn't give up Jinx in exchange for the vision. Which is why he said he finally understands to Vanders statue. Its not that they didn't share the same vision of Zuan... Anyways. I'm curious how Sevika would've reacted learning this. But I have A good idea how she would...
Well said
Very well said. Vi wanted to call Sevika a "filthy traitor" but Sevika didn't even "betray" Vender. She left him, after a public disagreement in their visions.
And with Silco dead, she may take it upon herself to step up and carry on the dream. If Finn was right about anything, it’s that Sevika is a scary lady.
Sevika needs simmer not just for her arm, but also for her growing backpain from carrying Silko's nation of Zaun.
Lol - love this!
Lmfao accurate
@@JPWrites I always find it funny that Jayce and Viktor want hextech to heal people and improve peoples lives but on the other hand shimmer can actually be used to heal people and power weapons and equipment
@@deathking1019 problem is shimmer isn't a permanent solution. Like most drugs, its addictive and causes degration much easier than hextech. Try to go cold turkey and you're done
@@randomthoughts0829 the thing that viktor has proven is hextech is unpredictable and cannot truly be controlled as it can have a mind of its own
meanwhile shimmer is a chemical that can be controlled and with proper research like any drug could find balance and proper uses like medicine or weapons but has limits while hextech doesn’t because it’s thinking magic
I think one of the grim ironies here is how in the end Silco betrays Sevika. He would never have handed over Jinx for Zaun's independence, so Silco betrays her the same way she FELT that Vander had done to her before.
This is why I REALLY hope she has a larger role in season 2, and that she'll end up in a position more like Vander.
Silco probably would've gone to war against Piltover, if he wasn't killed.
he just wasn't gonna give his daughter over to those heartless Pilties, involving her in the war is something he'd still do
@@prufan what do you think will happened if they realized they had to go to war because silco would rather get his people killed instead of just handing jinx for Independence.
Remember jinx is not loved in zaun the barons hates her and too unstable to control
@@canthurtcr8t503could honestly go either way.
On one hand, Jinx is seen as a liability and exchanging her for Zaun's independence could be seen as a Win-Win.
On the other hand, the Nation of Zaun being born from yielding to the demands of Piltover, from giving up their own people to their oppressors, is TERRIBLE in terms of optics.
Jayce didn't haggle on silco's demand. The treaty is heavy on Zauns favor
@@canthurtcr8t503 yeah but jayce was bluffing about wanting jinx anyway because he went ahead and did the vote anyway without having jinx captured
Sevika is a real one....she only cares about the undercity. I hope she takes over leadership in season 2.
Sevika is:
-Strong
-Loyal
-Smart
-Cunning
-Beautiful
All qualities that would make me follow her Rule in the undercity
Exactly, Sevika is loyal to "the cause", to Zaun itself.
I feel like Sevika might end up being one of those leaders who never imagined themselves as leaders. She doesn't give me the vibe of someone who wants to lead, but rather, who is comfortable assisting and following a leader she trusts (to execute her vision). But equally, i feel like if leadership falls to her next season, she's the kind of person who could pull through and do it, and do it well. I really like her character, and I'm excited to see where she goes next season, whether or not she'll be leading or following a new leader. I just hope they don't give her nothing to do.
@@izzyGO52
Sevika: "First Vander failed, now Silco. It seems like if you want things to be done properly, you got to do them yourself"
@@izzyGO52 I couldn't agreed more !
I adore Sevika, and I really hope she ends up taking up the mantle to begin the founding of Zaun.
I honestly think that's where things are heading. I also could see her becoming an actual in Game character.
@@Velkan1396 bet it'll happen by next year
@@matthewa6027 Lmao imagine her ingame dialogue with vi
"Fuck you"
"No, fuck you"
Sevika basically told Silco, You're the best option, but if i find someone better you're gone.
By the end it's implied that Sevika is going to take over Silco. If that's is to happen, I wonder how she's going to be handling her position.
Fine if she can avoid the blue haired maniacs antics and being associated with her.
@@757reaper Pretty difficult of a task, considering the bomb being dropped. Whoever deals with the aftermath will really give Sevika a whole lot of work to do to defend Zaun. Not sure if the upper city folks will be happy about their favourite group of people getting kaboomed by that blue haired, under city scum.
At this point none can escape being jinxed, and Sevika will have to start using simmer for migraines too.
Well it all depends on how Piltover reacts to Jinx's rocket attack. If they continue to sue for peace, then Sevika finds herself the de facto leader of a newly birthed nation and the keeper of a fragile peace, with all the challenges that entails. If they react to the attack with force, then Sevika becomes the general of an army fighting a struggle for independence that is no longer a cold war. Of course both outcomes assume that Sevika will actually be Zaun's leader in either eventuality, but I'd like to think the show set that up either way.
Ironically those two options would align Sevika either with Vander's outlook or Silco's. It would be a fascinating duality.
@Andrei Salvaleon I don't know if it's care, but I don't think she hates her. She's just well aware that Jinx's behavior is problematic (Even if that first scene WAS Zevika's fault XD). Powder is *ahem* a powder keg, which was what she was complaining about, she can't be reeled in. The question is, does Zevika have a reasonable way to rein her in, especially when Jinx absolutely Hates her.
She had two figures to learn from and she seems to have the brains and street smarts to actually do something with it, but I don't know how much she could inspire or if her abilities in statesmanship are enough... First she needs to clean up her own backyard (drug barons). She definitely can't tie up that loose cannon. That's too late. The shots have been fired, literally. The peace treaty is off the table as well. The best she could do is to follow in Silco's footsteps and get the city to the point that they have to accept a peace treaty, be it as Zaun having won, or Pilltower lost its will to fight... Then she would need to find a new vision and fight the addiction and corruption, or things will just repeat in an endless cycle. I don't think though that she will get that far...
Sevika is a warrior. She put it down in public with Vander when she crossed him. Everyone knew where they stood. She may have beat Vander to death in the street but she would not stab him in the back. It's just not what she is about.
Furthermore Sevika's mindset was subtly confirmed after she killed Fin and Silko asked whether she was tempted, and she stated "not for a worm like him", which implicitly confirmed that he was a visionless delinquent.
It was beautiful how an goon can display so much power in just 1 line. Just moments before Silko could have been litterly back stabed. Never seen such an mighty goon.
What I like about Sevika is that she is very honest and does not bite her tongue to tell uncomfortable truths to her superiors.
She had no qualms about criticizing Vander for being soft on the enforcers because of his favoritism towards the sisters, and then Silco for his permissiveness towards Jinx, or pointing out that she was a problem.
When he asks if she was tempted to betray him she does not deny it, subtly reminds him that she is upset with his favoritism towards Jinx and that he should remember his vision and the reason why she is loyal to him.
She's the only one I see in this show that has been unwaving in serving the vision for the nation of Zaun, even Silco in the end faultered.
I second this. I can't think of another leader-subordinate relationship like this in the show. The only other relationships with similar power dynamics are either the parent-child ones, or Grayson with Marcus and Heimerdinger with Jayce and Victor, but even those have more parental overtones (the mentor trying to keep the mentee out of trouble). Silco and Sevika seems to be the only relationship where there is a clear power dynamic, but they still respect each other as equals.
I predict Savika is gonna be a hero in season 2. She's going to step in to take Silco's place, but now they're going to feel the full force of Piltover coming down on them. Ironically enough, she's going to be the one to fight hardest for people in the undercity, and people like Vi, Ekko, and Jinx are going to be forced to realize that.
There simply was no real alternative to Silco for Sevika after Vander was gone. I think she states herself to Silco that Finn was just not right for the job and that was the only reason she stayed her hand. Her loyalty is directly measured by her leaders performance and her defintion of the "cause", which is the supposed independence of Zaun through any and all means necessary. That alone put an edge to her and Vanders leadership position, because he had a complete opposite approach to that goal ( yes I believe he had the same goal as Silco, but not through the same means ).
We hear often from Silco how bad the Undercity had it before he and Vander created the Lanes and were able to get their illegal trading operation going. From what we see of the Lanes with Vander in charge are streets and markets buzzling with trades and visitors from the outside, which means there was growth to their operation. It was steady and slow as to not force the Enforcers hands and keep conflicts to a minimun and there is a reason for that. I believe Vanders plan for the future was for his children to keep up and expand his work and for him to lay the groundworks on which they could stand on and make a free Undercity possible. That's why Silco calls Vi Vanders prodigy, she was supposed to lead one day.
That's why I believe Vander was the better leader. He had the patience and the understanding that in time their dream could be accomplished without the need of bloodshed or the suffering of his people. He tried to nurture the next generation of people to be able to realise that, even if it meant he wouldn't be able to see it through to the end because of how much time it would take.
The crux of it all is impatience, which is a fundamental theme of the show I think. Silco couldn't wait for things to change for the better naturally, he had to see to it himself and was willing to hurt his own people to accomplish it.
Nah vander wasn't doing it alone tho he said both of them made it like that...
After silco becomes in charge people are still doing it, but and thier is a but they are also shipping out shimmer and maybe other products meaning they are making more money.
But also keeping the enforcers away.
Vander wasn't doing anything but sitting in his bar and trying to keep the peace while keeping everything the same down thier.
If you don't handle topside nothing changes.
They still useing you for thier gain without actually paying much and ya still can't make your own laws or anything without keeping topside happy.
And as we see his own people were not liking him much, welcome to the lanes.
Silco oh the other hand a Chinese man and a woman who kid got killed got mad at him.
But he rules with an iron fist so most people do fuck with him and we do see people in his bar smoking shimmer
And even in the whore house smoking shimmer.
He is actually gaining money at a steady slow pace as well but more than vander ever would with his plan.
As they call it an enterprise.
He is expanding.
Absolutely well said. Vander was a hundred times better than Silco.
Silco was just driven by vengeance and power gain, killing innocents, flooding the lanes with a devastating drug, using child labor, creating even more poverty and crime. Sevika is basically driven by vengeance too, and even dumb to place her loyalty on Silco while she was the one who make everything work: she could have killed him and taken his place and nobody would had complained.
@@lolicongang.4974 Wow you're justifing drug, crime and violence, good job...
@@darthcygnus7692 vander was a shit leader.
Silco almost got that peace.
Vander got nothing.
Just sitting back and doing nothing.
.keeping your people safe.. cool... not what we need right now.
They needed someone who willing to do what ever it took they got it..
And from what I see I offer you a drug are you going to take it?
I mean damn people are buying that shit from other places.
As we see alot of people use shimmer as just a smoking drug.
And others well they wanted to be monsters and look at then now, at the bottom.
Dog eat dog world they live in.
Vander trying to cover that up and act like things should remain the same, they shouldn't.
@@darthcygnus7692 that was prevalent during Vanders time as well. Vi says as much while being looked after by Caitlin, 'This is the largest I've seen this place.' In reference to the amount of people living in the deepest parts of the fissures, so people lived there during Vanders leadership. Though not as much. Marcus' statement that: 'we all know there's a crime that passes by every coin in this place.' And Vander himself 'negotiating' deals with those mercenaries and an under-the-table one with Grayson. Its just wasn't as pronounced/loud, or told from a negative perspective. The entrance/reentrance songs to the Undercity underscore and exemplify this perfectly. Where 'Welcome to the Playground' solemn yet upbeat song of a faint/feign whisper of hope. 'Dirty Little Animals' is brash if detrimental, however active. So it all depends on who's viewpoint we look from. Vander was about instilling *hope* and passing on his teachings; hopeful they'd be carried on and followed through for a better tomorrow. While Silco is driven by *will* and formed the composure to push past doubts. As he wanted to make sure his goal, a better today. Happened, established and maintained to his liking.
Sevika values Strength. In that moment she was behind Silco, he didn’t show any weakness by being afraid but was still seemingly in control. He wasn’t weak in her eyes; like how she saw Vander was weak. And she’s smart enough to realize Finn is all posture no vision.
Therefore she stayed loyal to Silco. At least for that moment.
I disagree with the sentiment that Silco never gave proper punishment to Jinx for her actions. As he gave her the equivalent of 'go to your room'/'you're grounded.' With the conversation: 'You need to take time.....Take it anyhow.' Openly scolding her for killing enforcers to her face. I mean she clearly ignored and was joyous while Silco was trying to lay down some course direction over why her actions were wrong. Could there have been firm and far less leeway, since he allowed it if they proved a positive result, of course. But we see and know Jinx won't respond well no matter what. Thats why he tried a new avenue. Do for her exactly what was done for him. Try to remove their former selves pain and anguish that held/holds them back or disrupts who they are. So he tried all the methods he knew of and to the extent he was willing to go in types of punishment. He went with compassion, sympathy over tough love. As to him, she was his mirror image and he couldn't bring himself to do what was done to him.
If you just look at the outcome: An dangerous, murderous, unstable teen, then he did an bad job.
@@lompeluiten Implying she could be controlled lmao, remember how she became Jinx in the first place? Vi told her no but she went anyways and Silco's parenting wasn't any different.
Additionally, punishing jinx will only re-enforce the idea on her head that she isn’t good for anything, she is already so broken that giving her “tough love” would only break her even more and send her into more emotional turmoil. Silco did the best he could as a father.
Wow this was so eye-opening! I couldn't exactly figure out what made Sevika stick with Silco, and you explained it so well. I also really love the way you laid out the dangers of him not giving Jinx consequences for her actions. Your mention of restraint made me think of how maybe Jinx and Vi may have a similar fatal flaw, of "not knowing your limits" as Silco says to Vi. So many more things to think about. Thank you for this!
Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I love LOVE the discussion silco initiates with sevika in the aftermath of her assassination. silco is openly frazzled and shaken up by the whole ordeal, while she calmly picks up after the mess she’s made and offers him a smoke from the dead man’s lighter (very hot btw). then she implies that she’s willing to commit betrayal against silco too, and that this event won’t be the last. it reveals her not just as a background character who takes care of others’ messes, but as an intelligent, active, motivated and prédominent threat to the main plot as well, to the point that even silco, someone we’ve been shown so far to be the biggest enemy yet to piltover, is left afraid of her and her next move. I really fell in love with her character in this here, and considering the last scene we see of her while jinx sends her bomb off, I’m excited to watch where the writers take her in the future.
Neither. Really both ended up taking exactly the same path. Before, the two of them were on the same page on how to go about dealing with Piltover, and then Vander changed because of Vi and Powder. Later on, Silco changed the same way because of Jinx.
.
Originally, they both sought to use blind brute force against a superior foe, and later on, both stagnated in a mutual "deal" with Piltover for the sake of family. Neither had any comprehension of what Zaun actually needs to be able to improve, and no knowledge or plan of how to accomplish meeting those needs in a sustainable way.
.
Vi points out that there are hundreds of dead kids beyond the one Jayce killed, because of Silco and Piltover's misdeeds and ignorance. What she ignored, though, is just how many still died under Vander's watch because he deliberately limited everyone's activities so that they wouldn't provoke Piltover, and in avoiding that conflict, left everyone in a worse position overall because there was no path to resolution of their problems. Vander essentially just let people die from the daily bullshit of life in Zaun, so that he could keep 4 kids safe instead. Silco was willing to throw everyone's lives away without batting an eye, if it got him his goals.
.
The both of them failed the people of Zaun, miserably. They're phenomenal characters, and arguably, good men in their own ways, but they're both very deeply flawed people. Silco is a little more Old Testament, while Vander is more New Testament. Both are equally bad in the big picture, but one sounds sweeter than the other...and so people misconstrue that as "good".
This is brilliant: They're phenomenal characters, and arguably, good men in their own ways, but they're both very deeply flawed people.
It sums up pretty much every character in Arcane.
"Later on, Silco changed the same way because of Jinx." yes and no, he finally understood why Vander did what he did and won't sacrifice Jinx for the deal, however that doesn't mean Silco wouldn't have gone to straight up war with Piltover , which Vander would never do
and he'd involve his daughter in the war, Vander would never consider that an option.
@@prufan But he would do this sure that she wouldnt be hurt. Or wouldnt die. That she would help the cause. Trusting her even there. I love this series
@@prufan I honestly doubt that. While Silco didn't have any personal compunctions about going to war with Piltover, or about sacrificing lives to do so, if he actually believed Jinx would get involved, after the incident at the bridge and her near death, I really don't think he'd risk it anymore.
.
He can't lose her. Before, he was willing to let her fight because she was a powerful weapon in addition to being the subject of whatever positive feelings he was capable of. But after that, he truly understood how he felt about her, that she was his daughter, and that losing her was a devastation beyond any other.
"It's one of the reasons why we are more likely to find happiness in the pursuit of a goal, than in the achievement of the goal itself. Because we naturally enjoy working towards something or building something"
Now I love the way you said this. It's eloquent and decisive, and very very true for us as human beings. Very insightful honestly, and thanks for this, it'll give me something to ponder on.
(I know this isn't exactly the quote)
"People don't just need something to survive, they need something to live for"
well said ekko, well said
Vander. He wasn't perfect and he definitely wasn't the leader Zaun needed to gain independence. But there was stability ( well as much as they could get). We don't know if Vander was the leader to the undercity before the massacre at the bridge, so I'll frame this as him being the unofficial leader of Zaun from them on. That he took over after a tragedy that left the city fractured and wounded. He knows they can't fight like this or take more brutality from piltover so he plays nice. Makes a deal with the enforcers. Keeps the peace and makes sure there's a sense of community amongst them. Vander has to take care of a people after a huge disaster so they can live to fight another day. He did this for, I'm guessing 7-10 years, a long time but understandable.
Silco by comparison was always focused of independence but not well being. He created a product that he could control in shimmer to gain wealth and power. But he also made people horribly addicted to it. More citizens rose to power but there is no sense of community anymore without Vander. What little we do see is left over from what Vander built. He does make a deal with an enforcer but it is very clear that he is the one with the power in the relationship. He probably could have made a play for independence before the series. But what then? Silco doesn't lead the city he manipulates and divides it. His collaborators aren't loyal to him and he can only control through fear and force. Silco can run a business but he can't run a nation.
How they are as leaders is directly linked to how they are as parents to their adoptive children. Vander brings people together and makes a home for them in the rubble. In Vanders family there is in-fighting sure, people don't always get along and keeping a family together is hard. But they are always there for each other when it matters. You can't tell me that if Powder was in trouble Milo wouldn't risk his life for her even if they don't get along a lot of the time. When the monsters come they stick together and protect each other. It's not a common enemy that unites them it's their loyalty to one another. You can also see Vander teaching and preparing his kids for when he's gone and they have to take up the fight.
Silco does to Zaun exactly what he does to Powder. Enables it's worst qualities. Does not keep them accountable for their actions. Encouraging unhealthy behavior. It's also telling that he only adopts Powder. Silco doesn't bring people together and make a family out of them, he takes people and isolates them making them entirely dependent on him. Ultimately making an unstable timebomb that will not only hurt Piltover but everyone else the moment he is gone. He might love both in his own earnest and messed up way. But you can't say he left them better than he found them.
As both parents and leaders, Vander is obviously the better choice.
I love the parallel you draw between Vander and Silco's leadership and parenting styles - so true!
Man this needs more likes, great analysis!
I like how Sevika is the perfect parallel to Vi because they are both fiercely loyal players, but Vi is loyal to family while sevika is loyal to her cause and willing to sacrifice family. I love all their scenes together.
3:16 silco does not want power! he said it himself. he just needed to SCARE topside and his goal is to gain their RESPECT as he clearly says that when talking with vander
Well Vander is the Better leader as Silco damages his people the chem barons are simply a local oppressor in comparison to Piltovers aristocratic merchants. But people seem to misuderstand runterra's setting, Piltover/zaun and what it is implied Silco did to jinx. weapons tech level is Circa 1880. Lever action rifles, revolvers, Some ships are steam powered, and Outside Piltover and Zaun electricity is rare, and nonexistant outside of capital cities. Jinx smiths her pistol, Minigun and grenades herself. Jinx is a Gunsmith. Piltover's closest neighbor is Bilgwater and while they have free access to firearms, it is a Pirate port with a 1700's theme, their designs are mostly roughly 80's behind (With the exception of Graves shotgun).
In Episode 3 we see the results of someone untrained improvising an explosive device.
Silco had Jinx trained well enough to construct Guns, and explosives without injuring herself. Silco and her trained in hand to hand (As seen in episode 4). And Silco put her in combat. Jinx isn't making guns for Silco's revolution or to arm the chem barons, she isn't tending his bar, or balancing book sheets. all of which could keep her distracted and away from violence. Silco isn't protecting Jinx form her actions, her Actions are the result of Silco grooming her into a weapon. Jin'x instability is a result of his intervention's not a result of his tolerances.
I agree
@Blustar_5 I would say that is a bit reductive, Jinz's trauma and actions are a result of piltover's abuses of the Under-city. It is specifically the result of piltover's polices, similar in Demacia how Sylas of Dragsburg(sp?) mage rebellion and all the violence that result of its civil war is a result of Damacia's policy of genocide on magic as a culture and a physical trait of the demacian people. You don't get one without the other.
you've explained everything in a beautiful way, Sevika is not loyal to an individual, she is loyal to the vision, to the nation of Zaun. I really want her to lead the Undercity in the next season.
At this point, Piltover is abusing and exploitng Zaun, while also creating the roots of most of its issues.
Silco took advantage of that and chose to confront this violence with equally violent methods.
Are those methods questionable? Sure.
Did he have a huge problem with how he handled Jinx? Absolutely.
Sevika believed that only dying for the cause (Vander), will just create piles of dead martyrs, but not a significant progress. Fighting for it and progressing is sure ugly, but so is the enemy (Piltover).
@La Ciruela Mal Dibujada Zaun isn’t in a terrible situation like you think it is. Zaun is in an industrial book with silco in power. It’s an enterprise. Shimmer is a valuable commodity and has many applications besides monster serum. I suggest you rewatch the show and get off your moral high horse
I'd say Silco is the better leader, because like you said, he actually has a vision, and is willing to stop at nothing to achieve it. That said, roughly a decade on from his taking over the undercity, and all he's doing is maintaining a criminal empire with no clear moves toward his dream of an independent Zaun. Yes, he eventually got the council (Jayce) to come to the table to discuss terms, but that was mainly Jinx's doing through her attack on Piltover and her theft of the gemstone, and it's made clear that Silco didn't sanction those actions. We unfortunately don't get to see what his plan would have looked like without Jinx's actions, but if Silco was actively moving toward sovereignty and not just reacting to an emergent situation, then it isn't made clear at all.
Ultimately though, I'd still place Silco above Vander, as Vander's peace was a fragile one that could be shattered by a group of kids causing an accidental explosion. This highlight's that Vander was ultimately dooming the undercity by allowing Piltover to keep slowly choking the life from his people with what merely looked like peace.
"That said, roughly a decade on from his taking over the undercity, and all he's doing is maintaining a criminal empire with no clear moves toward his dream of an independent Zaun."
Because all the shimmer was blown to hell and before they managed to restock, Jayce and Viktor invented hextech.
To be fair, Silco could not see the invention of Hextech coming.
But still, if you want independence, you need to first make an income (which he did) and unite the different parts of undercity (which he also did) and gain influence and power (which he did). He also kept the enforcers outside of the undercity, so I would not say he didn't do anything with his time. It just became harder for him to make his plans work due to invention of Hextech
5:41 What’s fascinating though, is that it doesn’t seem like Silco would’ve had it any other way. Even though his lack of consequences for Jinx ends up killing him, he stands by his parenting decisions until the very end when he tells her not to cry. He wouldn’t even give her consequences for killing him. Silco completely removed himself from the equation when it came to Jinx’s happiness. Talk about unconditional love sheesh.
wtf is "unconditional love and acceptance of Jinx" when he's trying to kill her sister? Clearly his love comes with the terms that she's a fucked up psychopath. He doesn't want her making any sort of mental recovery or confronting any past issues. He's a great villain but like lets not excuse the atrocious behavior because he's "Cool"
10:25 we kinda do. He was unhappy with events caused by Jinx in act 4, and was trying to bring back peace and stability to the lanes. Basically same thing as Vander, but it was motivated not by concerns for the safety of the people, but rather by his profits being threatened by upcoming war.
I can't get enough of Arcane, thanks for the content!
More people in the modern world need to hear the "unconditional love is good as parents but you have to show your children their actions have consequences "
Too many people just let their kids do anything and everything they want
I love the last moment with Sevika in the first season. Sitting in Silco's room on the couch (not yet in Silco's "throne") missing her machine arm, struggling to light one of Silco's cigar with Finn's lighter.
I also took the scene as Sevika being like "I betrayed a leader once, and this is what came of it. I won't do it again so lightly."
Personally I don’t think Sevika will takes over as a leader. I think she wouldn’t want to lead zaun as she imo is more of a right hand man character (like Daryl from TWD). I think she’s more likely to help whoever she sees fit to lead.
Yes, but... the chem barons clearly don't fit the bill, they are even weaker than Finn, who was the most ambitious among them.
Jinx is a nutcase, and Sevika knows that, and already told it to her face. Actually, without some major amount of plot armour, Jinx is dead meat walking: No friends left alive, barely a fleeting grasp on reality, and Piltover's enemy #1 bounty on her head, now more than ever. My bet is that VI will be forced to kill her to protect Caitlyn, and probably a ton of innocent bystanders.
Singe probably has the brains for the job, but he hasn't shown much interest in anything beyond experimenting with his drugs,
Ekko HAS a vision, already built a vigilante organization, and he now has Heimerdinger as advisor, so Ekko/Heimerdinger seem to be the natural power to come for Zaun. But they will most likely want to peace out with Piltover, which was the problem Sevika had with Vanders already. Also Ekko led a guerilla warfare against Silco, so he isn't likely to adapt Silco's #2 to a leading position, unless in desperation.
I could see that, if there was anyone fit to take over from Silco that Sevika could follow. In the absence of such a person, I think Sevika will take up the mantle herself.
Plus it's foreshadowed that Sevika will take over from Silco in the last moments of epsiode 9, where she's recovering from her fight with Vi in Silco's office and smoking one of his cigars. In storytelling terms, it's almost certain that Sevika will take over as kingpin.
@@stefanb6539 Good insights! I think Victor may become a leader figure in Zaun. He's from Zaun and I don't think he's going to stand idly by while Piltover goes on the warpath. He wants to continue evolving hex-tech, but in order to do that he has to survive. That's why he went to Singed. This will probably lead to them working together and advancing hex-tech and chem-tech in new ways.
Their opposite will be Ekko and Heimerdinger. With Silco gone there's likely to be a bit over a power struggle until a new leader arises. Same with Piltover. It's gonna be interesting to see the fallout of Jinx's attack. Such a great show!
I agree. I think Jinx is gonna be on an island. I don't think Vi will be forced to kill her, but I think that will be a conflict she struggles with throughout the next season. Especially if Caitlyn's mother died in the explosion. Caitlyn and Vi will be at odds with each other.
@@adriansolorio4730 Well, Victor's ark is predestined by lore to go towards becoming a mad mastermind, that wants to turn humans into robots, eventually.
But in the near term, like Singe, he hasn't shown much interest into actual politics beyond some vague human empathie with the sick and poor. His only known Zaun connection so far IS Singed, while he has a stellar reputation as exceptionally skilled and useful expert within Piltover's creme de la creme, and even has personal bonds to Jayce and Mel, the power couple in charge of affairs, and de facto rulers.
I would rate Victor's street cred in Piltover at the end of season 1 as 7 or 8 out of 10, about as high as someone, who isn't in the immediate public spotlight can get. I doubt a lot of enforcers would dare to write him a ticket for anything.
I assume he will even be in discussion for a councelor seat himself, now, that a lot of openings have appeared, with the only argument against him being, that other houses don't want to see Jayce/Mel's faction strengthened even more. Unless Piltover turns from a republic right into a dictatorship, anyway.
In Zaun on the other hand Victor's street cred would be 2 or 3 at most, some barely known dude, who has mostly the fact, that he did not embarass himself so far in a major way going for him. Barely familiar enough to not get mugged in public, despite his comparative wealth. In an escalating war, his Zaunite origins might even be turned against him, branding him as a traitor.
And Victor was at least danger close to the ground zero of Jinx's terror attack, which might also influence his point of view about the upcoming war. He is unlikely to join Panpiltoverian revenge phantasies, but he will at least understand, where they come from.
I think he will still maintain a very pacifist position, but the logical place to support that for him would be arguing for peace from within Piltover. Plot twists may change a lot about that, like a major conflict with a griefing Jayce, if Mel is indeed dead, or while she is at death's door, but my straight and narrow projection for Vic's near future so far would be defending Zaunites by moderating Piltover's wrath.
She's a riot! Always loved her! Loyal and pride! Love her character!
6:45 Yoo you made that a really nice transition, like something out the show
Thank you!
I would love to see a video analyzing Caitlyn and her duality of both wanting to do good for the people while simultaneously starting off completely ignorant to the truth.
Love your insights. This review has been a pleasure to watch!
The thing with savika a lot of people were going she betrayed before she would do it again.
No she didn’t vander did. He betrayed everyone for peace a betrayal that would only act as a justified sacrifice till the peace it created was broken. The peace failed and in doing so he was now unloyal to zaun.
Silco did not do that even in the end. The only problem he had besides his penchant to create fear to scare piltover was jinx. Jinx jinxed herself not the respect of silco. After all she was in their eyes just her rabid dog of a family member not silco
Not to undermine the particular arguments made from this, but I assumed that Sevika was always working for Silco even when she was at the Last Drop in act 1. While her points against Vander are reasonable, Silco sent her there to be an opposing voice in the Underground, to make Vander look weak and turn the crowd against him in preparation for his takeover. They had an existing relationship even pre-time skip, Silco holds back Sevika when Vi is pounding faces on the catwalk in ep3 because she is too valuable to throw away for this. Sevika has presumably worked with or for Silco since the initial rebellion.
Love the videos!
Wait but imagine if we get a backstory for why she thirst for this vision of hope that she would cling to every straw, it may or may not be tragic but just impactful. We got a little justification with how she backed off from Vander, but imagine her being disappointed because she was given coal for Christmas and now she expects more, not just for herself but others and thats why she's so strongly sided with achieving a better future.
I would love this! I hope they explore her backstory more in Season 2
One of my favorite scene in the show was near the ending, when Sevika went back to Silco's office after the fight with Vi, seriously wounded, lost one mechanical arm, still sitting there trying to light her cigar but keeps failing ;-;
I know - I loved that image, too!
I *really* like that Finn's head didn't fall off.
Both are great leaders on their own rights, the only difference is Vander is more passive while Silco is more aggressive. He doesnt kill because he get off to it, he kills cause he thinks some lives are necessary to sacrifice and if you're not willing to make that sacrifice then you have no rights to follow Silco.
What is a little disconcerting to me is that Vi's arc in the next chapter might end up being letting go of her own vision of freeing the undercity from the oppression of Piltover.
Because as (one of) the primary protagonists, the direction her character grows has a big impact on the message of the series as a whole. I don't want them to condemn her anger because Vi, and to an extant, Silco, is right to be angry at the treatment of the undercity by Piltover, and I would hate it if the message of Arcane becomes "anger at the status quo is justified but taking action to disrupt it isn't."
This. It's why people had knee-jerk rage with how Sylas's rebellion and escape from Demacia was portrayed as an act of an impatient child.
The best option and still remain canon to lore is honestly Vi going full traitor to Zaun, and the narrative making it clear that THIS ISNT THE ANSWER EITHER. She's an Enforcer. She's of the same rank as the very people that killed her family. I'm sorry, but with Arcane showing us how the Undercity was treated and exploited, there is no other justification to it than personal achievement. Which makes all of Vi's arguments of fighting for Zaun as a child ...lose weight. Which I'm fine with! There is a chilling realism in Arcane with its characters, so the blatant hypocrisy is....well, it tracks.
All of this to say that playing advocate for the oppressor is a BAD idea, in story telling.
I'm very interested to see how they handle Vi's transition to Enforcer in the coming season/s
Silco should have known Sevika hadn't changed loyalty to Finn; no way she would wipe anyone's chair unless it was to lure them into a false sense of security.
Lol - so true!
It's funny how Vi and Sevika have so much in common and fight more than anyone else in the show
So true!
Sevika is the only real continuity error I noticed and it’s super minor. Yes she’s in the bar early but I don’t think she’s specifically one of vanders allies. I don’t think her leaving is betraying or Turning on him. But then Vi called her a traitor like that’s exactly what happened. But Sevika is there at the end of act 1, hanging back letting the goons fight. She’s clearly already trusted by Silco. He even prevents her specifically from fighting, sending in Deckard with the shimmer. And he dives in front of the explosion for Silco as well, protecting him. Not something I would expect someone to do for their boss of like 3 whole days. She must’ve already been in leagues with him. Maybe she betrayed vander offscreen well before the gangs heist but after the first scene on the bridge.
Also side thought: Sevika dislikes jinx so much not just because of who she is or because she thinks she’s a liability, or makes Silco weak. She’s fully aware that it was powders bomb that lost her her arm in the first place. But she still stayed loyal to Silco through all that. Vander to me was a role model, but Silco was a better direct leader. A real leader is both, and I appreciate that both the good guy and the bad guy, playing the same role, are flawed on different ways
On my first watch through, I was a little confused about the Vi-Sevika conflict for this reason, as her presence in the bar hadn't really registered with me. I only really picked up on it in subsequent watch throughs, and thought maybe she and Vander had formerly had a deeper alliance than what we saw in the show, which would justify Vi's attitude.
You're right that she does seem to be a trusted member of Silco's gang in episode 3, which implies that if there was any betrayal, it wouldn't have been a recent thing.
@@JPWrites Silco and Vander shared a common past, fighting for the independence of Zaun. So it is very well plausible, they have also common friends and allies from that time, one of whom might be Sevika. Vander and Silco parted ways after the Day of Ash (the event in the prologue; this is the only inconsistency I encountered, as Vander looks much young when fighting Silco in the water, then when carrying the girls in the beginning), when Vander did not want to continue to fight. And while Silco did never appear at Vander's bar (and Benzo literally freaked out when seeing him), Sevika was still around and she was even important enough for Vander to confront her one-on-one with a big audience, when she was questioning his leadership. That's all giving the impression, she was still an ally.
To me, she just then turned her back on Vander and joined Silco. And as Silco knew her and her abilities from the past, he put her in an important position right away.
A lot of this is speculation and off-screen, yet this is in line with the story’s narrative.
I think the biggest flaw in Silco's parenting skills is that, in an attempt to make Jinx strong, he fed her guilt and anger, which only made her insecurities worse and transformed her into a completely unpredictable psycho, which is what eventually led to his own death
If Sevika takes Silco's place we'll get to see how she goes after that vision. Hopefully she sticks around and doesn't get killed, she's a pretty cool character
Sevika is the right hand man not the leader, that's why she is most power in one of her arms .
She won't lead zaun that's not her purpose , but she will act like the Excalibur to who ever she deems as worthy
I never considered the symbolism in her arm and her being the right-hand man - great insight!
The better leader is Ekko :-) Of the two old guys, the better leader is neither. They both lose face in front of their peers when they're unable or unwilling to atone for the misdeeds of their daughters. Powder technically blew up both buildings in Piltover, so maybe it should be daughter singlular. Anyway, if we judge leaders on their ability to keep control of their people and on achieving their objectives then they're both bad at their job, just like every other awesomely written character in the show.
I'd vote for Ekko, too!
I feel like she only spared Silco because if she killed him then there would be a high likleyhood of someone worse than him stepping into power. Plus, he gave her a position of power that would probubly be stripped away from her by any other leader due to her bad track record for killing her bosses.
every character in this show is absolutely well written
An outstanding analysis! Something I never really thought of while watching Arcane and something I continue to love. Every character is interesting and every character's actions make sense.
Sevika was always ready to fight for Zaun and when she found that Vander was putting the people of the undercity's lives first, she started to help Silco.
Also I see some people saying that Sevika will be in charge now that Silco is gone, but I disagree. Sevika doesn't really seem fit to be a lead the underground as she can be impulsive sometimes. Also, I read something that said Arcane uses smoking as a way to show power. For example, in Act I, Vander shows he has power by lighting a smoke. Same for Silco in Acts II and III. But the last thing we see Sevika doing in the finale is attempting to light her cigar, but is unsuccessful.
Gosh I love this show.
eeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh............. I feel that Silco's scene showed that Savika specifically said its purpose "... There will be more." saying she's waiting for a stronger leader, plain and simple, showing him she could have killed them both for the spot, but knows Silco's needed.
I love the series for its depth and wisdom.
Vander was reactive, whereas Silco was proactive. Both still shared something that many politicians lack today: feeling the burden of responsibility.
Many companies also suffer from being just managed, but with no direction in mind beyond keeping it running. That's why we often see the curse of the third generation.
This is the typical pattern: one guy starts with nothing but a dream and through hard work and luck starts a popular company. His son takes over and makes it big/international, but his pampered son doesn't know what to do with it and soon it collapses or gets swallowed...
With societies, this is often significantly slower, but people fear radical changes and are content with stagnation, which in fact is a slow decline, often followed by corruption. Before people know it, the point of no return has been crossed and everything goes south...
My favorite quotes on the topic:
_Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times_
and
_Any man who has the brains to think and the nerve to act for the benefit of the people of the country is considered a radical by those who are content with stagnation and willing to endure disaster_
I really like Sevika's character, but contrary to the belief of many I don't think she'll pick up the mantle of leadership. I feel like it goes against who she is, and she probably knows this. She above all values the idea of the nation of Zaun, that's where her true loyalty lies, not any specific individual as the show makes abundantly clear. But I think she realizes she doesn't have the charisma and cunning that are crucial to a good leader, traits that both Vander and Silco had. Sevika doesn't seek to lead, she seeks to do the best she can to achieve her goals. She wasn't build to be a leader, but she has the strength, loyalty and passion to choose who leads and assist them, and by doing so she is assisting herself.
Bottom line is Sevika doesn't have any personal ambitions of power and ascension, all she cares about is doing the best with the hand she was dealt in order to reach her goals.
Its some what ironic since 'Sevika' technically means 'worker' in hindi.I dont know if the writers meant for that to happen but its funny to think about considering how shes technically just working for silco but isnt fully loyal to him (silco himself, not the vision of zaun)
I didn't know this - how interesting!
@@JPWrites Thank you! :] (also i should mention that the word 'worker' in hindi is pronounced like SAY-vee-ka while the show pronounces it like SUH-vee-ka so its possible that her name is just from arcane's universe [like powder etc.] instead of a real life name! )
I don't think anyone has brought this up, but the word 'Sevika' in Hindi means 'a female servant'.
Its just a cool detail about how even her name represents how she serves Silco (and ultimately Zaun)
That's such an interesting detail!
Vander didn't even provide safety! His children were never safe and had barely anything to go by, so I don't even see him as a leader at the time we see him. He was just going by on his old reputation and his big body.
Silco on the other hand is the type of leader you need when you are oppressed or under attack and we have many examples like him in history.
They end up usually really broken people themselves (like Silco was), but they are the type that can really change the bad situation.
Excellent video! I really liked Sevika when I first watched the show so this hits alot the points on how her character thinks
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think people are overlooking the fact that the Council's unanimous decision to acknowledge the undercity as an independent nation automatically supersedes any private agreement made between Silco and Jayce. Even if Silco refused to give up Jinx, there is literally nothing Jayce could do about it, because the council made their decision without knowing those terms, and he can't just personally overturn it.
No, as far as I know, they agreed only to negotiations on independence.
2:31 you’re getting it wrong. She didn’t turn her back on him, *he* turned *his* back on her.
Sevika is doing the heavy lifting on the streets, but it's Silco's planning, intelligence and way with words that is most important, Sevika doesn't have that same skill set.
This was a really great analysis !
I genuinely did not look into it this much even though I was curious about it.
A really well put video !
Great analysis! I've watched a lot of these video essays on Arcane but this is my favorite -- I always appreciate when someone has something new to say. Discussion about rarer themes and characters are always great to find
Wow, thank you!
Really hoping Sevika tries stepping up to lead in s2, she's too good of a character to let go
This was a very interesting and well written insight JP. Thank you for your time and effort on doing this, really nice job!
You got it a bit wrong. Savika is not loyal to Silco. She is loyal to Zaun. Big difference.
When Silco said that he was scared she would have killed him instead of Fin, she said - Not for someone like Fin. Meaning if there was a better option, she would have killed Silco.
I love Watching Arcane. And I love watching videos about Arcane!
Arcane S1pt1: Vander adopts kids and raises them
Arcane S1 pt 2 & 3: Silco adopts a kid, and raises her
Arcane Season 2: Sevika adopts a kid and raises them
😂
That makes so much sense. Good eye
One of the deadliest flaws to have as a leader is not understanding loyalty. It's why every Stark leader in Game of Thrones ultimately dies. Ned doesn't teach his sons Robb and Jon how to control the loyalty of those around them, and just as he dies ultimately due to the betrayal of his allies, so does his sons. Ned just expected the best out of people instead of appealing to what they wanted. Robb and Jon fell to the same mistakes.
It's a real deadly sin of leadership in the real world too, not just in fiction. Appeal to what others want. Give them results, and earn their loyalty. Never, just expect it out of good will. Even if they are the closest people you have in your life emotionally.
True, what Vander lacked and Savika wanted was ambition and growth.
Really nice essay. Impressed.
Glad you liked it!
As I’ve study personality types, I’ve bought into the idea that certain people don’t want to be on top, they just want to be on the right hand of someone with the competence and purpose that the right hand aligns with.
Sevika seems to be one of those types.
I think Silcos approach to Jinx mirrors his vision of Zaun. That place is screwed up, even before Shimmer, and he just wants it to have a voice in the world. The same things he wants for Jinx. To prosper as what they are. That's the thing about Silco. He experienced betrayal and a near death. That changes you and makes you ... different. Who is Silco to change his people with his leadership? The only thing he wants is for them to have a voice.
This was an excellent video essay; lovely insight.
I personally think Silco is the better leader. Not the best or a whole leader, but Vander was happy with the status quo, the one that is a Zaun still polluted so badly it kills people slowly like it's doing with Viktor.
honestly, looking at all the undercity's major figures, the best leader might be Ekko.
Vander fought Piltover and got scared of the consequences of war, switching his focus on protecting his people rather than gettting them a better life. And while that isn't a bad thing per say, it was pretty convinient for Piltover to control the undercity thanks to Vander. Vander, though good and protecting over his people let the dreams of freedom of the undercity go away for a bit of safety (and worse than that, not a real one since enforcers still get around the streets unbothered).
Silco on the other hand takes the opposite approach. Literally. He's sick of the status quo that Vander creates. He wants the undercity to strive, but the methods he uses are the complete opposite of Vander's. Vander's kept the undercity "united" by creating a vertuous circle where everyone care about one another. Silco doesn't care about it. Despite what he says in ep 3, he doesn't want the undercity to be united, he want the undercity to follow *him*. And the easiest way to achieve it is with shimmer in the streets. Control over the well being of the undercity basically.
Ekko is the best of both worlds, at his scale. He fights for a better future for the undercity, but at the same time he cares about his people. He wants a good quality of life for everyone. If that means working with enforcers like Caitlyn, well so be it. If that means fighting against undercity people that work for Silco, so be it as well. He's not freightened to take decisions like Vander, but he doesn't have the ruthlessness of Silco either. That's the middle ground, and aguably the best of both Vander and Silco
(granted, Ekko is still very young, and is at the head of a few people, not the whole undercity like Vander and Silco are)
Good stuff wordsmith
If Silco was so dedicated to his vision of a united Zaun, what was stopping him all these years to follow through, to re-start the revolution, to attack or pressure Piltover? What was he doing all this time besides poisoning the undercity for his own gains? I'd argue he loves his own power and status more than any pretext higher goal or "Vision", even if he himself might not admit it. And actually attacking the undercity would've put that unequivocal power at risk. He came so close to his "vision" in the end not because of something he did, or planned, or because some scheme was fruitful - but because his unstable lose-canon daughter craved to prove herself and went rogue.
Also, I will state until my dying breath: Silco was a loving father, yes (in a narcissistic way, but ok), but he was NOT a good one. Not just because he failed to set boundaries, but because he fucking manipulated an already mentally unstable girl into not trusting anyone but him, tried fuck-all to sever any tie to her previous loving family (psychologically and physically), and instilled in her that no one will ever love her but him. THAT'S NOT GOOD PARENTING, THAT'S TOXIC, and the fact that people are so eager to overlook or even defend this, makes me fucking mad. I get that everyone's depraved little inner child craves to hear "You're perfect" in that soothing deep daddy-voice, but... come on, people.
This was a great video ♥️
Thank you!
excellent commentary. Arcane is a masterpiece.
I always take issue with the claims that Silco's goal is to gain power. It is such a Disney view of good vs bad, forgetting that power is not the end goal, but simply a tool to be used. We can see Silco's willingness to shut down shimmer production. Something that amases him a great deal of wealth and power. And how quickly he's willing to sacrifice himself, when Jayce asks for Jinx, in exchange for Zaun. The freedom of the undercity is what matters most to him.
I feel like most people misunderstand what the undercity is. Mostly because a very common trope, in media, is the poor slum that deeply values family bonds. While a rich class ignores them. But the undercity is not a slum. It is a collony. Subject to rule and exploitation by a foreign power, that views it's people as resources rather than citizens. The people of the undercity are forced to work in dangerous mines, with almost 0 protection from the toxic air and other hazards. Making being forced (either physically or socioeconomically) to work in the mines almost a death sentence. The resources extracted are then taken and used for the sole benefit of Piltover. Similar to how the British would cause famines in it's colonies, by taking all the produced food for themselves. During Silco and Jayce's exchange on conditions for peace, Silco lists "free trade routes". The European colonial system placed heavy trade restrictions on their colonies, making it almost impossible to trade with anyone other than the empire it belongs to. In the end the undercity isn't some small poor community in a thriving American city. It is India under the thumb of the British Empire. It is French controled Africa. It is apartheid's era South Africa. And while the leaders that are celebrated most are people like Gandhi or Mandela. The freedom they strived for could not have come about without other, more extreme, leaders.
Whether Silco is a bad person, I can not say. But I know he is the man I'd get behind when fighting for an actual life.
Oh he is definitely bad but no "good" people have ever achieved anything.
@@anitaremenarova6662 It's almost like acctions effecting tens of thousands of people are kinda complex and can't be judged by something as simple as "good" or "bad" xD
@@oomreni5820 I'd say child murder and slavery are objectively pretty bad.
@Oom Reni Yeah, that is interesting take on the problem. Many says Vander is good leader, but i cant see how Vander or Ecco can achieve free trade routes with Piltover elite.
It looks like undercity have better chance with Jayce one day finally starts to improving their lives, then Vander or Ecco force Piltover to give the, free trade or access to Hexgate..
I agree, though people do not see it, Vander is a better example and leader. Silco on the other hand thinks there's a "Base violence necessary for change" and takes drastic measures compared to Vander's more controlled actions. Silco's ways leave fear in the minds of people, and hence after a while of proven success, the people begin to fear him as he initially might have guaranteed the change, but he was no less a tyrant. Which brings me back to Vander, he dropped violence after he learned the costs, but he resented it so bad, that when it was presented as a last minute choice, as a last resort, he rejected once more. A safer approach is necessary, and Vander is too reluctant to make the turn. Like it happens to people too, we adopt a new normal and everything is fine for a while, but when that new normal fails to work, we want change, but we hold on to our ways because we fear adopting a newer, riskier one will lead to drastic consequences... there's always so much to say about this show it is BRILLIANT!
Love your videos on Arcane, thank you!
Glad you like them!
The point about Sevika is: She was loyal to Vander, betrayed him, and took the side of Silco; And the undercity didn't got so well as she tought it would be, or even as Silco had promissed it would. The thing is: She betrayed one she tought was weak, and the things got worse; if she was to betray Silco, things could get even worse. So she learned her lesson: Things might not look so good, but if treason takes place, it WILL get worse.
And let's not forget: Both Vander and Silco worked with the Piltover defenders, but in very different ways. Vader chose a peaceful relationship (at it's best), and Silco chose a rackaterry one.
That's an interesting perspective - I never considered it like that.
@@JPWrites That's what i liked most on Arcane. Every character had their share of learning, either from their previous mistakes, either to be their better selves. I realized Sevika had learned from her mistake watching her face, strugling behind Silco, with a blade ready to settle her choice. She may not regret betraying Vander, Silco gives her the "agency" that she needs; but she sure knows that she would not like serving under Finn.
Hands down, Ekko is best leader. He does his best to provide a good life for his people and they're also fighting for peace, to stop Silco, and to fix piltover.
(I could've worded it better but I hope the point gets across)
In conclusion, the best leader is Ekko because he keeps his people safe, as well as happy, and works for a better future
Sevika is loyal to the cause, not the person.
Silcos no villain he’s a hero who’s willing to do ungodly things to protect those who he cares about
Sevika abandoned Vander for feeling betrayed by his pacifism for Silcos more aggressive tactics to achieve their shared vision….Vander never had the chance to betray her, Silco however ultimately did by doing the very thing he judged Vander for doing……which was detrimental leadership choices by way of fatherhood…..
I love Sevika, it's one of the most interesting characters created in Arcane, I really wish her a bigger role in the lore or maybe a champion in game.
I'm really looking forward to seeing the role she plays in Season 2
I didn't think vander was a better leader. I felt the show was trying to say he was a better pillar of the community. In the sense that he was the person people went to for advice and safety. I don't think it's come up in many other discussions I've seen but I think Silco was the better leader, and that the show did give clues and hints to that. After he came into power the undercity seemed to get wealthier, built on the foundations of a drug trade but still. The chem barons were all titans in there own right but they followed him for not just the vision but the actions. He might have fostered some of the worst aspects of Zaun, but he also pushed it's people and it's society further than it was. I think that was what made him a better leader, driving those around him to make more.
As someone who is writing a book with a Stalin inspired villain, this is definitely some ideas of how I can make a coup attempt.
I really do not understand how someone can watch arcane, all 3 acts of Powder losing her shit under Silco's watch, and say with their whole chest that Silco was a better dad than Vander.
Vander wasn't perfect, but he at least knew what he was doing.