There are two things you’ll notice when the Arcane season 2 opening plays.
Firstly, the same opening song that was used in season 1, Enemy by Imagine Dragons, has been kept. Secondly, the animated sequence is total different.
Warning: Minor spoilers if you haven’t watched the Arcane season 2 opening.
Arcane season 1’s opening showed the characters as sculpted figures, some strategically placed together to portray their relationships, while others are flying in the air, engulfed in the action.
In the Arcane season 2 opening however, we see the same characters but they’re dressed very simply in muted tones, cast under soft, sunset lighting, which in turn highlights their passionate and sometimes pained facial expressions.
ONE Esports had the chance to speak to creators and executive producers Christian Linke and Alex Yee to find out more about why these decisions were made for the Arcane season 2 opening.
Why the Arcane season 2 opening continues to use Enemy — plus, the significance of the entrance sequence
Anime series have a tradition — different seasons always feature a different opening and ending theme from the last. For longer seasons that span more than 20 episodes, they also tend to change it up halfway through.
Arcane however, uses the same opening song in both seasons, breaking the tradition. Christian, who is also a professional musician who previously spent years composing for League of Legends, was eager to change it up.
“But people were like, no, you can’t change it. When it starts, it gives you this emotional response. The song so connected to the feeling you have when you watch the show,” Christian told ONE Esports, who agreed that it does have that intended effect. He compares it to iconic shows where the “music is seared into our brain,” such as the Dragon Ball theme song.
For Alex, it’s Game of Thrones — once you hear the first two notes, you know precisely where you are. He recalls one of the first conversations he had with Christian when they were discussing what they wanted the Arcane season 2 opening to be. They eventually agreed that they wanted the opening to continue to feel “like putting on your jacket,” and Enemy does just that.
Regarding the change in aesthetics in the animated sequence, it was something that was driven by Fortiche. Being dressed in simple fashion feels “more like a theatre play,” and also reminds him of classical opera, said Christian. Combined with the setting, it gives viewers a tragic feeling.
“The spirit of it was that there are big emotional dilemmas for a lot of these characters. And a lot of that is based on the relationships with past characters,” Alex added. “It was about the emotion, as opposed to season one where it was more about setting and establishing their place relative to the world.”
