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Vander from Netflix’s Arcane TV series is introduced as Vi and Jinx’s father figure in Episode 1 of the series. The character has a violent past but he chooses to give up on violence to safeguard the peace in Zaun. But it turns out that Vander might have a secret identity and may potentially be an existing champion in League of Legends.
Spoiler Warning: There will be some heavy spoilers ahead and if you have not already watched the latest episodes of Arcane, we recommend completing the show and returning here. Vander from Arcane might be a League of Legends champion we all know as ‘Warwick’.
Vander from Arcane may be an existing League of Legends champion
Vander opposed the elite in Piltover and took up arms against the city of progress. But the bloodshed that ensued as a result of the uprising made Vander rethink his choices. After Vi and Jinx cause a ruckus in Piltover, Vander knew that the days of peace in Zaun were about to end.
Vander is eventually kidnapped by Silco, Arcane’s main antagonist, and is forced to swallow experimental “Shimmer” serum which turns humans into monsters. At the end of Act 1, we see Vander consuming the serum to save the lives of Vi, Jinx and the other kids who were under his care.
He manages to save his life and it seems like he dies. But his death was never confirmed and his appearance after consuming the serum, resembles Warwick, a League of Legends champion.
Vander may be Warwick from League of Legends
According to the lore entry for Warwick: “Though many think of Warwick as no more than a beast, buried beneath the fury lies the mind of a man—a gangster who put down his blade and took up a new name to live a better life. But no matter how hard he tried to move on, he could never escape the sins of his past.”
The description fits Vander perfectly and while it is still a theory that has been brought up by the League of Legends community, it’s very convincing. The only memory Warwick has is of a little girl screaming a name in a pool of blood, which is exactly what happens in Act 1 Episode 3 with Jinx calling out for Vi after Vander’s death.
With Act 3 yet to release, we don’t know if Riot Games will reveal or re-introduce Vander as Warwick. But if the community does turn out to be correct, it will end up being one of the best origin stories in the series.
