How real Arcane actors stack up against video game characters
by netflix League of Legends series, Esoteric, has an impressive cast, and here’s how they look in real life compared to their video game counterparts? The next League of Legends the adaptation will feature familiar voices, including Hailee Steinfeld and Ella Purnell, as well as a handful of prominent actors.
Esoteric will serve as a prequel series for League of Legends and he will tell how the sisters Jinx and Vi, both champions, became enemies. The series will explore the dynamic between the Twin Cities of Piltover, the City of Progress, and Zaun, the Underground City and the City of Iron and Glass, as Vi became a Piltover Champion and Jinx became a Zaun Champion. And like the first Esoteric trailers, part of the story will include Vi fighting to pull Jinx out of the dark hold that Zaun holds over her. But these aren’t the only characters on the show; Esoteric will also tell the story of others League of Legends characters from the region, including Jayce, Caitlyn and Viktor.
Esoteric was first announced at League of Legends tenth anniversary in October 2019, and while the series was due for release in 2020, it was postponed until the end of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the first three episodes will hit Netflix on November 6, followed by the rest of the season shortly thereafter.
Hailee Steinfeld as Vi
Vi is a tough woman – there’s no problem she can’t get out of, whether she uses her mouth or her fists to push her way through. After spending her youth roaming the streets of Zaun, the former criminal ended up working alongside the Sheriff of Piltover as an Enforcer. Vi’s gauntlets only serve to make her a force to be reckoned with, giving her the ability to pierce whatever she wants – or whoever she wants. His sister, Jinx, makes sure there are enough issues in Piltover for Vi to handle. Vi will be voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, who voiced Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and will play Kate Bishop in Hawk Eye.
Ella Purnell as Jinx
Portrayed as a Joker-style character, Jinx is the maniacal terrorist of the city of Zaun. With a penchant for explosives and ammunition, Jinx acts regardless of the consequences, and his sole aim is to wreak havoc on the town of Piltover, especially for his sister, Vi. While Jinx was once an innocent tinkerer, something in her past turned her into the mad agent of destruction that she is now. Jinx will be voiced by Ella Purnell, who is best known for her portrayals of Kate Ward in Army of the dead and Emma in Miss Peregrine’s house for special children.
Kevin Alejandro as Jayce
Jayce is an incredible inventor and a devoted citizen of Piltover. Though he dreads the attention, Jayce serves as Piltover’s hero, defending the city with as much courage, strength, and the brute force of his hammer. Jayce is old friends with Viktor, who, before their falling out, drove him to become the best inventor he can be. With firm morale, Jayce struggled with Viktor’s slow descent to the side of evil. Jayce will be voiced by Kevin Alejandro, who played Nate Moretta on Southern countries and Daniel Espinoza on Lucifer.
Katie Leung as Caitlyn
Caitlyn is Piltover’s best sheriff and peacekeeper. Armed with an impressive rifle, Caitlyn works alongside Vi to rid the town of Piltover of all criminals. Using her sharp intellect, Caitlyn takes out Zaun’s criminals using carefully set traps – when her fiery partner doesn’t take them out with her fists. After saving her family from a kidnapping plan, Caitlyn was more motivated than ever to help those in need and bring justice to those who deserved it. Caitlyn will be voiced by Katie Leung, who is best known for playing Cho Chang in the Harry potter franchise.
Jason Spisak as Silco
Silco is one of three new characters that have been added for Esoteric. At the moment, very little is known about him; some fan theories suggest Silco could be Singed, the Mad Chemist, but the connection has yet to be confirmed or denied. It is likely that these three characters are involved in the origin stories of Jinx and Vi or the story between Piltover and Zaun. What we do know is that Silco will be voiced by Jason Spisak, who frequently lends his voice to video games and television series like DC Super Hero Girls, Fallout: New Vegas, and Guild Wars 2.
Toks Olagundoye as Mel
Mel is the second new character in the cast. From the trailer, it can be concluded that Mel is a prominent member of Piltover, as the brief glimpses of her in the trailer indicate that she holds a position of power. She is portrayed in the shiny and glittering world of the City of Progress, wearing intricate clothing and jewelry while overseeing what looks like a committee. Mel will be voiced by Toks Olagundoye, an actress who voiced Zamfir in Castlevania and various characters from Carmen sandiego and Duck tales.
JB Blanc as Vander
Vander is the last of arcane original characters. Some fans are convinced that the newcomer is in fact a familiar face; Warwick. Warwick, the Uncaged Wrath of Zaun, was transformed into a cyborg monster through experimentation. The theory says that Vander would be a perfect fit for Warwick’s character before his transformation; currently, this theory has not been confirmed. Vander will be voiced by JB Blanc, who is a longtime veteran of video game dubbing, appearing in games like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Apex Legends.
Harry Lloyd as Viktor
In his past, Viktor was once good friends with Jayce. The two pushed each other to become better as inventors, and Viktor tried to include Jayce in his dream for the future of humanity. As a citizen of Zaun, Viktor is dedicated to bringing the inhabitants of Zaun to a new level of evolution. Using robotic enhancements, Viktor augmented his own body, transforming into a cyborg in his own personal evolution. Although his methods may be questionable, Viktor’s goal has always been to help humanity. Viktor will be voiced by Harry Lloyd, who notably played Viserys Targaryen in Game Of Thrones and Bernard Marx in Brave New World.
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