After 5 Years, Netflix's 2-Part Fantasy Hit Is Still Worth A Weekend Binge

1 week ago 29

Published Jan 24, 2026, 3:30 PM EST

Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones.

You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep."

Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant.

Video game adaptations are not always the easiest to get right, but Arcane surpassed expectations in virtually every way. The two-season show is based on the online game League of Legends and follows two sisters living in a power struggle between the rich and poor. In the five years since Arcane began streaming, it has claimed a place as one of the best fantasy shows of all time.

Not only did it change many viewers' perception of animated shows, which have often flown under the radar, but Arcane also has one of the greatest TV soundtracks. In addition to its 100% positive Rotten Tomatoes rating, the show has attracted high praise from celebrity fantasy fans, too, with The Witcher's Henry Cavill saying he "could not stop watching" Arcane.

Arcane Is Perfect For A Weekend Binge

Vi and Jinx fighting in the air in Arcane

While Arcane has been given positive reviews by League of Legends fans, you do not need to be familiar with the video games in order to watch and enjoy the show. Unlike many sprawling fantasy epics, Arcane is surprisingly short and self-contained, with just nine episodes per season. This makes it easy to binge the entire series over a weekend.

That said, the show's short length does not take away from its emotional impact. Arcane is visually stunning and fun to watch, but it is the character development and darker twists that take it to the level of a TV masterpiece. The fantasy hit keeps getting better over time, raising the bar for both video games and TV shows alike.

Why Arcane Only Had Two Seasons

Young Jinx stares at Vi, guilt all over her face, in Arcane season 1 episode 3

With so many fantasy shows feeling overlong, knowing when to end a series is increasingly the mark of great storytelling. Arcane's co-creator explained that it ended with season 2 in an interview with Screen Rant. Christian Linke said that the creators had a specific tale they wanted to tell, and concluding the story after its sophomore season was not a difficult decision.

Linke said, "I think it was just that, you know, this is the story that we wanted to tell. I think we also just believe in knowing when to end is very important." While there were many opportunities to continue the story, ending after two seasons prevented it from losing steam, keeping Arcane one of the best TV shows of the decade.

The Arcane Franchise Is Not Over

An Arcane character smiling in steampunk goggles

While the original TV show is officially over, the Arcane franchise is not. Instead, the world is expanding, with new animated shows set in the same universe. This means that there is plenty of opportunity for overlap between characters and for greater exploration of the settings. Arcane's executive producer, Marc Merrill, has clarified that the upcoming Arcane shows will explore three regions.

While it is not yet known how many TV shows there will be, the world of Arcane is so detailed that the possibilities are virtually limitless. Arcane's ending set up several spin-off opportunities, and a new version of League of Legends entitled "League Next" is planned for release in 2027. So, it's looking good that we will meet Arcane's fan-favorite characters again.