Missing Arcane (2021 - 2024)? Honorary Financial Secretary Venesya Ko has you covered.

After what felt like forever, the long-awaited final season of Arcane (2021 - 2024) has finally been released. I’ve seen a lot of discourse about the ending online, but I think regardless of one’s opinions about the season, everyone can admit that there was something special about Arcane and it is bittersweet that such an epic series has come to an end. While I will miss the characters, I am excited for any future projects set in the world of Arcane because there are just so many League of Legends champions with gripping stories who deserve to be spotlighted. But until the studio announces a release date for those projects, we will have to live with the gaping hole that Arcane has left in our hearts.

Although the content I’m recommending here might not exactly heal your devastation (you have AO3 for that), similar to Arcane, they are all diverse and skillfully written stories that explore themes of class, sacrifice and forgiveness. In this article, I’ll be taking you through selected books and films which resonate with the beloved television series.

And with the Winter break here, there is no better time to check out these compelling stories.

Tale of Tales (1979)

“On the edge you mustn’t lie, or the grey little wolf will come.”

This short film by Yuri Norstein, is a fairytale-esque animation shrouded by an eerieness that intensifies throughout the film’s 29 minute run. Though they are different stylistically, both Arcane and Tale of Tales are works full of painstaking detail and passion, that deal with loss, fear and hope in dire times. 

Accompanied by a haunting soundtrack, Norstein showcases snippets of human life with an autumnal, strangely tender, artstyle that trembles with sorrow and stirs a reflective mood in the viewer. Despite its short length, Tale of Tales is a film that gnaws at you, even after viewing it. 

She-ra and The Princesses of Power (2018 - 2020)

"You're worth more than what you can give to other people"

One of my favourites, She-ra and The Princesses of Power, is a thought-provoking animated series that, similar to Arcane, encourages one to question oppressive and abusive power structures by showing the horrible long-lasting effects of violence in a grand and personal sense.

Not only does the series explore how trauma, privilege, and power influences the relationship dynamics between the characters and their individual arcs, but if you enjoyed the magic in Arcane, you will also appreciate the process of worldbuilding in She-ra. And for everyone who painfully ate up the yearning, tension and angst between Caitlyn and Vi, this serieshas got you covered. Catra and Adora’s relationship was truly a rollercoaster of emotions, so feel free to torture yourself again.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners (2022)

“I will take you to the moon myself, I promise.”

Similar to Arcane, the animated series Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a shocking explosion of colour with a spirited cast of characters and an electrifying soundtrack to accompany its fast-paced storyline, complete with not just dynamic fight scenes that viewers are bound to ogle, but also heart-wrenching snapshots of how to live in a world that only wants its people to survive. Before “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” dominated our lives, “I Just Really Want To Stay At Your House Tonight” was the anthem for doomed relationships.

Honestly, “doomed” fails to adequately describe this series. I went from being convinced I needed to play the game in episode one to having a mental breakdown after the last episode.

Girls of Paper and Fire Trilogy

(TW: Sexual Assault)

“It doesn't matter how beautiful the cage is. It's still a prison.”

Since fans are still celebrating Caitvi being canon, it is only fitting that I begin the book recommendations with a sapphic read. 

Natasha Ngan’s Girls of Paper and Fire Trilogy follows Lei, who is kidnapped and taken to be the Emperor of Ikhara’s unwilling concubines along with eight other girls, one of whom she unexpectedly falls in love with–Wren. Not only is the cast is filled with well-written female characters that go through a lot of character growth, but just as Arcane underlines love’s ability to stubbornly persist in a tumultuous and violent world, binding the characters together, the relationships in Girls of Paper and Fire are similarly a testament of the characters’ humanity even in their cruel world.

Wren is also very Caitlyn-coded, so this is for everyone who loves Caitlyn just as much as I do.

Vicious Duology

“Victor Vale was not a fucking sidekick.”

Invention and experimentation are central themes to Arcane, and play a crucial part in the series’ conflicts. Similarly, V.E. Schwab’s Vicious duology features characters who tread the line between genius and madness.

In the books, Victor Vale and Eli Cardale were university students obsessed with creating superhumans. 10 years and multiple deadly experiments later, Victor, freshly broken out of prison, has only one mission–kill Eli, the person who put him there.

None of the characters are really good people, but neither are most characters in Arcane, still, isn’t that what makes them so complex and interesting? And for people who loved the found-family dynamics in Arcane, you will definitely love Victor and Sydney.

The Green Bone Saga

 “I pledge this. On my honor, my life, and my jade.”

For those who enjoyed the political intrigue and complicated family dynamics in Arcane, we have The Green Bone Saga book series by Fonda Lee. 

The story follows the Kaul Family, a crime syndicate from Kekon, the only place in the world that produces jade, a magical substance that grants superhuman abilities. Much like how Arcane’s world cannot separate itself from magic and chemical warfare, the characters of The Green Bone Saga also struggle with jade and the consequences that come with utilizing it, especially after a drug becomes widespread.

Beyond that, I think something the fans have always appreciated about Arcane is its cast of complex and well-written female characters, and The Green Bone Saga boasts a range of equally compelling female characters who are given their dues–including the antagonists.

The second season of Arcane had its flaws, but those imperfections do not diminish the beauty of its storytelling —something fans will greatly miss. So, if somehow this list has convinced you to pick up one of these stories, I do hope that you will enjoy them as much as I did, or that one of them might at least help you heal a little from Arcane (you might not, some of these are traumatising—but in a good way I promise).