Arcane Season 2 has introduced us to a number of new characters so far, one of which some League of Legends fans believe is Braum – but this isn’t the case.
Although Season 2 Part 2 is now streaming on Netflix, the character actually made his debut in Episode 1 after Caitlyn and Vi’s first fight.
Vi takes to the streets to drown her sorrows, where she meets another Piltover burnout, who comforts her when she needs it the most (and can’t quite hold his liquor as well as she can).
After the Zaunite attack at Cassandra Kiramman’s memorial service, he joins Vi and Caitlyn’s enforcer strike team to seek out Jinx and eradicate Shimmer.
Due to his facial hair, build, and shield, some Arcane fans assume he’s actually Braum. For the uninitiated, the League of Legends champion is a hero of the Freljord, a harsh and unforgiving location where warriors are born.
He is known for his big heart and even bigger biceps, with local legend stating he turned a mountain into rubble with a punch.
There’s another reason some believe he’s Braum: he’s got that same big heart.
As well as comforting Vi during her time of need, when Ambessa announces Caitlyn as the general of the attack on Zaun in Arcane Season 2 Episode 3, he looks disappointed and walks away, showing he doesn’t support the decision.
Despite the similarities, let it be known that the Arcane character isn’t Braum – he’s actually a man named Loris. Little is known about Loris other than what’s been shown so far, and he only appears briefly in Act 2 to help Vi during her goth girl phase.
The creators at Riot Games have created many new characters for Arcane, or fused them together like Warwick/Vander and Singed/Dr Reveck, so he could simply be an invention to add to Vi’s arc.
But that hasn’t stopped viewers from speculating, with one sharing a screenshot of Loris alongside the caption, “Braum appears in Arcane! I mean… big chad man with a big shield who saves everyone? Close enough.”
Reaction to the theory has been mixed. One who agreed wrote, “I think it’s also Braum. When I first saw him I thought hmmmm and then he came with the shield.”
But a majority aren’t quite as convinced, including this person who said, “Braum’s shield isn’t a shield, it’s a door. And that man’s facial hair, can you even call that a mustache?
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“Braum’s character is about being nice and loving everyone. This man is a cop. He does neither of those things.”
Another replied, “To be fair we haven’t seen a lot of his actual character (at least as of Episode 1, I haven’t seen 2 or 3 yet). He’s definitely not Braum, because he’d be very very out of place in Piltover, but he could be a nice guy idk.”
Since the release of Arcane Season 2 Part 2, some have shared their frustrations over Loris’ arc. In a separate Reddit thread, one asked, “Wtf is the point of Loris?
“They introduced him in a way that made it seem like he was going to be a major character in the story, but then he just dips out? He just leaves and we know nothing about it.
“I expected him and Vi to have an actual friendship and him having a lot of screen time. It seems like the writers had a plan/plotline for him, but they just ran out of space for him.
“It’s such a shame because he seemed like a really cool character. He seemed like he would’ve added a lot to Vi’s character development.
“Hopefully we’ll see more of him in Act 3. This season introduced a lot of characters that had barely any lines, and they felt pointless.” Another agreed, “THANK YOU. YES. The nameless prop of a guy.”
A third added, “During the pitfighter Vi montage, it shows Vi and Loris quite a bit, celebrating, having conversations, and then it shows him leaving Vi after she falls more into alcoholism. I really would have liked to see what some of those conversations were (definitely seems like cut content).”
Others are more hopeful we’ll see him again in the final episodes. “I cant imagine them introducing Loris and showing what type of person he is for nothing, I’m pretty sure he will play a bigger role in Act 3,” said one.
And another pointed out that he’s been functional to the story so far: “Loris isn’t even a side character champ. He was introduced to show Vi there are good enforcers and then become her drinking buddy.”
Arcane Season 2 Part 3 drops on Netflix on November 23. While you wait, be sure to check out these other great animated shows, the Season 2 soundtrack, and who “Baby Jinx” Isha is.
