Was Jhin in Arcane Season 2? Fan theory explained

Arcane fans believe League of Legends champion Jhin was in Season 2 of the show, but are these theories true? Here is everything you need to know.

After a three-year wait, the second and final season of Arcane landed on Netflix in November, wrapping up the story of Jinx, Vi, Jayce, and Viktor. But the show is only the beginning, paving the way for the ongoing development of the new League of Legends cinematic universe.

Alongside callbacks to previous episodes, Arcane Season 2 is packed with Easter eggs, from subtle nods to LoL villains to the debut of new characters. Fans are going frame-by-frame to uncover all they can from Arcane’s hidden messages and references.

And while many of these fan theories are backed by the masses and community, some are more contentious than others. One such theory that has gone viral online but doesn’t have all LoL fans on board is that Jhin – one of the most popular champions in the game – was quietly introduced in Arcane Season 2.

Who is Jhin? League of Legends Champion origins explained

League of Legends loves an antihero or broken character, and Jhin perfectly fits that mould. He views murder as an art form and spends much of his life as an Ionian prisoner before being freed by the Region’s council.

In LoL lore, Jhin now works as an assassin for Ionia’s council. His love for violence and killing, paired with his rescue from prison, hardens his resolve and success in this role. In the game itself, Jhin is a wildly popular champion.

His hand cannon, Whisper, deals major damage and is infused with dark magic that deals bonus execution damage to enemies. He falls into the Markman/Mage role in LoL.

Jhin Arcane Season 2 fan theory explored

Although Jhin is never explicitly introduced or mentioned in Arcane season 2, theories have cropped up online. The biggest talking point is that the character was introduced not in the way you’d expect.

During Act 3 of Arcane Season 2, Caitlyn, Vi, and the company recruit many new soldiers to help fight back against Ambessa and Viktor. One such character, who remained nameless even as the final credits rolled, bears a strong resemblance to Jhin, according to an X/Twitter user in a now-deleted post.

Netflix

“Since no one talked about it, this random side character that got some spotlight for no reason was probably Jhin. Introvert, aesthetic, plays the piano before going to war; his role was to be a sniper, and he did it flawlessly.”

The initial post went viral online, generating more than 1.8 million views in less than 24 hours and amassing over 60K likes.

Another Reddit thread discussing Jhin’s hidden introduction and being this unnamed character also raised some other key points. 

In Season 2 Episode 8 of Arcane, a tune is played on the piano while Jayce gives a big speech to the people of Piltover, asking them to join in and help the fight. As the song’s final moments play out, the mysterious piano player is revealed to be the young man many speculate to be Jhin. 

As stated by the original poster, the piano seen now is the same as the 2019 LoL cinematic version connected to the character. Later on in Episode 9, this character is given a major moment to shine, teaming up with Vi to help destroy Viktor’s cocoon. 

They manage to destroy the cocoon only after the fourth shot, which mirrors how Jhin’s fourth bullet typically deals the final blow.  

Not everyone is on board with this theory

While many have made a strong case for why this mysterious figure is, in fact, Jhin, albeit a very different version than LoL fans have come to expect, others are still unconvinced.

Popular LoL streamer Necrit94 reposted the X/Twitter post mentioned above, stating, “Guys… those 60k likes better be bots.”

One X user commented, “People are reaching hard”, while others have pointed out that the character enlisted to defend Piltover is inaccurate.

“No way Jhin would voluntarily draft himself to protect a city. F***, if anything, bro would be joining the Glorious Evolved, mesmerized by their haunting beauty.”

Whether this is Jhin or not, we do know that three new Arcane shows are in production. All of them will tell brand-new stories and be set across the different regions of LoL. So, you never know – maybe Jhin will pop up on our TV screens in the future.

For more on the LoL series, read about why Arcane Season 3 will never happen, how Heimerdinger may still be alive, and the best animated series to watch next.

We’ve also got a rundown of the most binge-worthy series to watch now, as well as the new TV shows coming to streaming this month and the best series of 2024.