The beautifully crafted world ofthe Emmy-winningArcaneis one filled with some of the best multiplayer characters to be found within the majority of shows coming out today. It’s complex dichotomy between good and evil, and a narrative that deals with trauma, pain, privilege, and grief all wrapped up in a superbly animated package. Of all the characters in the show, Ekko is perhaps the most interesting. He not onlysits outside the usual character tropes, but is given a very specific and meaningful introduction. That introduction might seem insignificant at first, but it perfectly sums up everything his character epitomizes.
For clarification, this article refers to the Ekko introduction in the pre-title sequence before the introduction of the older Ekko, rather than when audiences first meet him as a child. The two are very different characters. The child version was morelike a mini Vior Jinx, obsessed with fighting and constantly following in their footsteps. He changes, however, from this point to when audiences see him as an adult. At this later time, he’s an outsider now who doesn’t fit neatly into what audiences have expected of the conflict between Zaun and Piltover conflict. This is summed up perfectly in his introduction music video style pre-title sequence, where the rap specifies: ‘I declare war on anybody standing in the way of what I dream for.’ Piltover or Zaun, Ekko doesn’t care, as he recognizes the evil within both.
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This puts his character outside what audiences have grown accustomed to during the story so far. Instead of being on one side or the other, Ekko reveals himself to be a third option, another choice for people to follow in the upcoming war. He represents a side that many didn’t realize existed. Instead of fighting for whatever politically convoluted ideals both Piltover and Zaun are guilty of, he fights only for the future of his people, and the safety of those he loves. He wants to create paradise, a taste of which is shown through his tree sanctuary he has built as a hideout. It’s a vision of what he could create if the two sides of the war would just stop and do what was right for the people. It’s why his introduction sequence is so different and unique compared to the rest. The show makes it very clear that he is like no other character the audience has seen so far, and that he is bringing something entirely new to the table. It’s not just bound to his introduction either; the animation change to an overly stylized and dynamic one is also present within his fight sequence with Jinx.
While this is impressive in itself, that is another, much more interesting reason behind his introduction being so different.In theLeague of Legendsgame, Ekko’s character is all about time manipulation, so it’s ironic that he seems to be the only character who is actually focusing on the present. All the other characters' pre-title sequence introductions are set in the past. They are fashbacks looking at their history, or a moment that happened to them that helps define who they are. Ekko’s, however, is in the present. This is a purposeful choice that not only sets him aside from the rest of the characters, but sums up exactly what he is trying to do within the narrative.
Each character inArcaneseems to be defined by a traumatic moment from their past, Chase by the near death of himself and his mother, Vi and Jinx by the death of their parents, the list goes on. But Ekko is living in the moment, fixing the issues facing his people today and not dwindling on the mistakes of the past, letting them control his actions like everyone else. The future is also a manipulating factor within the show. Silco, Chase and others all strive for a future that they can help create, one where everyone is happy. They obsess over this, progress being so important that they all sacrifice the present to help them achieve it, not seeing the damage they are doing.
Ekko knows this, understands it more than anyone, and lives in the present. He makes changes and helps those who need help in the moment, unlike those who justify their sacrifices for the greater good, or let the trauma of the past guide them. Ekko is helping people now, once again adding a third option to a situation that was previously shown to be binary.Fortiche, the shows' animation studio, understand this, and even his name is a perfect example. Ekko (Echo) is not a memory; it is the sound of the past coming back in the present, bouncing back and making its mark in the now, not the future or the past. He has made peace with the past and has moved on. He honors those who have died or were lost over the years, and he uses it to justify and motivate those still alive to fully live in the present, to help those around them who are suffering now.
Interestingly, he is also the only character who ever talks about the notion of defense. He prioritizes protecting both himself and his people rather than fighting others. This is summed up perfectly with his comment to Vi: ‘You still block with your face.’ The fireflies prioritize evasiveness, defense, and speed. They fight when necessary, but much preferring to swoop in for help, then get out before anyone can get hurt. They don’t even like to hurtthe ‘villains,’preferring to immobilize them instead.
Arcanemanages to fit in all this information very quickly during Ekko’s introduction sequence. It shows how he offers a third, previously unknown option in the fight between Piltover and Zaun. It demonstrates that he lives in the present rather than the trauma of the past or the promise of the future. Finally, it shows that he is the only character who actually wants what is best for his people, unwilling to allow suffering for some misguidance of the greater good. He is the perfect hero to the story, an outside figure who, instead of perpetuating fear, offers an opportunity of hope in a world so incredibly lacking in it.
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