10 Most Powerful ‘Arcane’ Characters, Ranked

Power is amorphous in Arcane. It takes countless forms, from Jinx’s madcap energy and explosive weaponry to Vi’s street-fighting prowess and unwavering determination, wielding her gauntlets with unparalleled ferocity. Strength in the show isn’t solely physical or magical either; characters like Silco command immense power through cunning and manipulation. Jayce, on the other hand, embodies the power of invention and political influence.

With this in mind, each of the Arcane characters on this list boasts their own kind of power—emotional, intellectual, and physical—making them memorable figures in one of the best recent animated shows. They inhabit a dangerous world governed by crooked authorities, meaning that they must rely on themselves in order to survive. They’ve all found striking ways of doing so.

10 Loris

Voiced by Earl Baylon

“The brambleback has left the jungle.” Season 2 newcomer Loris (voiced by Earl Bayon) is an example of power through brawn. He’s burly and battle-hardened, a veteran enforcer with countless hours of combat experience under his belt. His fighting skills are a cut above most of the show’s law enforcement officers and he’s more than willing to risk his life to help his comrades.

However, Loris’s strength also stems from his moral fiber. While flawed, he also has a sense of honor and justice and is unafraid to speak out in defense of it. For example, he notably stands up to Caitlin Kiramman (Katie Leung) in episode 3, seeing through her power play and taking steps against her. Loris is thus a breath of fresh air for the show in that he’s not amoral and self-interested. Despite the dog-eat-dog nature of Piltover and Zaun, Loris still believes in larger ideals.

9 Silco

Voiced by Jason Spisak

“There’s a monster inside all of us.” Silco (Jason Spisak) is the polar opposite of Loris. He’s a masterclass in villainy, blending ruthless ambition with a surprisingly tender humanity. As Zaun’s de facto ruler, he embodies the desperation and resentment of a people long oppressed by Piltover’s hegemony. His vision for the undercity as a free and independent nation drives his every action, no matter the cost.

SIlco’s charisma and ability to command loyalty from others, even through fear, underline his position as a dangerous yet captivating figure. He’s complex, driven by some noble goals (alongside more than a few unsavory ones), and willing to make moral compromises in pursuit of them. His greatest source of power perhaps is his influence over his foster daughter Jinx (Ella Purnell), whom he molds into a vicious fighting force. One of the best modern TV villains, Silco traffics in half-truths and manipulation, making him a formidable adversary to resist.

8 Cecil B. Heimerdinger

Voiced by Mick Wingert

“If dangerous ideas didn’t excite the imagination, we would never wander astray.” Fan favorite Heimerdinger (Mick Wingert) is the wise, cautious elder of Piltover, a Yordle with centuries of experience and an unwavering belief in the need for measured progress. He’s not without his blind spots, but can generally be counted on to be the voice of reason. He’s also a master inventor, his fabrications fueling Piltover’s rise and expansion.

On top of his ingenuity, Heimerdinger possesses the Yordle traits of immortality and basic magic, which have contributed to his success and accumulation of knowledge. His technical skills are reflected in his League of Legends character, where he deploys turrets, rockets, and grenades to take down foes. Heimerdinger’s talents as an artificer have earned him significant wealth and fame, giving him further sway over the city. His one weakness is his relative lack of political acumen, eventually causing him to be expelled from the council.

7 Caitlyn Kiramman

Voiced by Katie Leung

“Since when did you concern yourself with the Council’s opinion?” Caitlyn Kiramman starts out as a paragon of justice and determination, breaking free from the expectations of her privileged upbringing to become a sharpshooting enforcer. Driven by a strong sense of morality, Caitlyn seeks to uncover the corruption within Piltover and bridge the divide between its gilded towers and Zaun’s shadowy depths.

Her partnership with Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) reveals her resourcefulness and unwavering commitment to the truth, as well as her speed, agility, and combat skills. She also has the upside of her family’s wealth and esteem. However, Season 2 sees Caitlyn’s character changing, her arc paralleling Jayce’s (Kevin Alejandro) in the first season. She becomes tougher and more cynical, pursuing military power even when it compromises her. She eventually declares martial war, essentially establishing herself as a military dictator. This is largely driven by her losses and emotional wounds in Season 1.

6 Singed

Voiced by Brett Tucker

“Nature has made us intolerant to change, but fortunately, we have the capacity to change our nature.” Singed (Brett Tucker) operates in the shadows of Arcane, his scientific brilliance warped by a disregard for ethics. As Zaun’s resident alchemist, he experiments with volatile substances and forbidden technologies, often blurring the line between genius and madness. Singed’s creations, such as the terrifying Shimmer, reflect his willingness to push boundaries without regard for the consequences.

He’s thus a symbol for the moral cost of progress in a fractured society, a kind of anti-Heimerdinger. Like many of the show’s other characters, his dark side is the result of personal tragedy, hinted at through flashbacks. Singed’s intellect is a power of its own, but it also affords him considerable privileges and influence through his relationship with Silco. He, too, is a League of Legends playable champion, using poison gas and invigorating chemicals to stay ahead of his opponents.

5 Ekko

Voiced by Reed Shannon

“It’s not enough to give people what they need to survive; you have to give them what they need to live.” As a resourceful and inventive leader, Ekko (Reed Shannon) embodies the resilience of the Undercity’s youth, refusing to be crushed by the weight of oppression. His ability to outthink and outmaneuver his enemies speaks to his cleverness, while his compassion and loyalty to his community reveal a deep sense of responsibility. His capacity for hope makes him a relentless foe.

Ekko’s creation of the Firelights—a group committed to resisting Silco’s tyranny—demonstrates his vision for a brighter future, free from the exploitation of Shimmer and Piltover’s control. Consequently, his encounter with Jinx is particularly poignant, reflecting their shared past and the divergent paths they have taken. In terms of his combat abilities, Ekko has the power to manipulate time, something which is reflected in his LOL character with abilities like Timewinder and Chronobreak.

4 Vander

Voiced by JB Blanc

“A bit of advice. Don’t threaten the guy who pours the drinks.” Although he only appears in a few episodes, Vander (JB Blanc) looms large over Arcane, both with his earlier relationship to Silco and in his formative influence on Vi and Powder. He was the heart of Zaun, a reluctant leader who sought peace amidst the turmoil of his divided city. Once a revolutionary, he traded his weapons for a bartender’s apron, choosing to protect his people through diplomacy rather than violence.

He’s tough as nails, but his role as a father figure also reveals his nurturing side. His influence echoes throughout the series, shaping the values and decisions of those who knew him. In terms of more literal powers, Vander’s criminal background taught him fierce fighting and thieving skills, as well as immense powers of negotiation, intimidation, and diplomacy. He was able to defuse even the tensest of situations with just a few well-chosen words.

3 Jayce Talis

Voiced by Kevin Alejandro

“Nothing feels impossible when I’m with you.” Jayce, dubbed the “Man of Progress”, is a character driven by a desire to change the world through science. His creation of Hextech technology catapults him into the spotlight, making him both a hero and a divisive figure. His journey from there is marked by the tension between his idealism and the political realities of Piltover, as his partnership with Mel Medarda pulls him deeper into the city’s web of scheming and skulduggery.

As with Heimerdinger, most of Jayce’s power stems from his inventions. He helped decipher the mysteries of Hextech gemstones, using them to fuel remarkable technology and weapons. He also possesses an iron will and a certain talent for political machinations. Despite some flaws and a weakness to temptations of power and glory, Jayce is a fundamentally decent person with a strong moral core. In the world of Arcane, this is both an asset and a liability.

2 Jinx (formerly Powder)

Voiced by Ella Purnell

“It’s Jinx now. Powder fell down a well.” Jinx is the tragic heart of Arcane, a character defined by her descent into chaos and her desperate search for identity. Once an innocent and eager child named Powder, her transformation is catalyzed by trauma and loss, pushing her into the arms of Silco, who nurtures her fractured psyche while exploiting her destructive potential. Jinx’s wild creativity manifests in her deadly inventions, making her a force of unparalleled destruction. She’s able to take down squads of enforcers with ease.

Jinx’s vibrant yet unhinged personality reflects the inner turmoil of a young woman torn between her past and the person she has become. Her relationship with Vi is central to her character, as she oscillates between longing for her sister’s love and succumbing to the paranoia instilled by Silco. She’s thus both a villain and a victim; her complexity and emotional depth make her one of the series’s most unforgettable figures.

1 Violet “Vi”

Voiced by Hailee Steinfeld

“We’ve all had bad days. But we learn, and we stick together.” Vi is a fighter forged by the harsh realities of Zaun. As Vander’s surrogate daughter, she inherits his protective instincts and sense of justice, channeling them into her own brand of fierce determination. On the interpersonal side, her relationship with Powder is both her greatest strength and her deepest wound, as the rift between them drives much of Arcane‘s emotional conflict. Vi’s partnership with Caitlyn reveals her softer side, particularly her capacity for trust and vulnerability.

Vi’s gauntlets, a gift from her past, symbolize her relentless drive to confront any challenge head-on. Throughout Arcane, she fights for what she believes in, even when faced with impossible odds. She also packs a serious punch, able to splinter even the strongest materials with a single blow. In short, Vi combines Jinx’s combat mastery with Vander’s clear head and pure heart, making her Arcane‘s most powerful character.

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