Arcane: Does Jayce Die in Season 2 Act 3?

Warning: The following article contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2 Act 3.

Estranged BFFs Viktor and Jayce patch things up and save the day in Arcane‘s last-ever episode – and both are seemingly killed in the process! But does Jayce really die in Arcane Season 2 Act 3, or is there more to it than that?

Is Jayce Dead at the End of Arcane Season 2 Act 3?

Maybe. Arcane Season 2 Act 3, Episode 9, “The Dirt Under Your Nails,” leaves Jayce’s final fate ambiguous. Certainly, it looks like the hunky scientist punches his ticket in Episode 9. Following a one-sided scuffle that nearly results in Viktor putting the same mental whammy on Jayce as everyone else, Jayce (with help from Ekko) manages to get through to his best bud. Jayce convinces Viktor that the so-called “Glorious Evolution” won’t deliver the utopian world he dreams of – something Jayce learned from Viktor’s older self earlier in Season 2 Act 3. Together, they destroy the Wild Rune powering Viktor’s forced “upgrade” of the Zaunites and Piltovans. Jayce and Viktor don’t get a chance to savor their success, though; they’re sucked into the Wild Rune as it vanishes.

Related: Does Arcane Season 2 Act 3 Have a Post-Credits Scene?

Surely that counts as dying, right? Not necessarily. A key plot mechanic in Arcane Season 2 is the existence of alternate timelines and parallel universes. So, just because someone disappears that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve croaked; they could simply have been transported elsewhere. And let’s not forget that Arcane‘s second season isn’t exactly big on definitive deaths for its major characters. Viktor returns in Season 2 Act 3 after Jayce murders him in Act 2. Jinx probably escaped her apparent demise in the Season 2 finale, despite blowing up in mid-air. Heck, even Heimerdinger getting vaporized might’ve been a fake-out! Bottom line? If there’s no dead body – as is the case with Jayce – we’re dealing with an MIA situation, not a confirmed kill.

Arcane Fans Are Convinced Jayce Didn’t Die

It’s not just us saying Jayce could’ve survived, either. Reddit is buzzing with Arcane fans who are convinced Jayce didn’t die at the end of Season 2 Act 3. They’re all convinced that the Wild Rune’s destruction causes Jayce and Viktor to teleport – although where exactly the pair landed is a subject of debate. Some Arcane devotees think Jayce and Viktor were zapped to the dystopian timeline Jayce visits midway through Act 3, or to another alternate reality. Others believe they now reside in the arcane realm within the Wild Rune itself. And yet another theory has Jayce and Viktor hopping between universes, fixing Hextech problems as they go!

Arcane Season 2 Acts 1-3 are currently streaming on Netflix.