One detail I love about Silco's office: he keeps a mug on his desk that was pretty clearly made by Jinx herself. In plain sight, where every single one of his minions could see it at anytime. Awful influence he may be, he's nothing but proud of her and genuinely supportive. The ashtray and the map of the undercity are similarly scribbled over with Jinx/Powder's drawings. He's not at all embarrassed or ashamed by her, and dares anyone to say anything about it.
The rafter she sits on also has similar scribblings and has little bombs hanging around it. He's let her make a personal space for herself in the office he conducts official business in and really doesn't care what anyone thinks about it.
My thoughts exactly! Art of visual storytelling in this show is amazing, so many little details to discover. They show Jinx is going to be special to him right there in the beginning. Silco approached her concealing a knife he used to stab his brother in the back, but when she hugged him, he dropped it and didn't even notice. Fancy way to show he won't be able to hurt her. And there is this thing with eye treatment. In the first episode he easily used syringe himself, but in last episodes he can't really do it without Jinx help.
I love Silco as a villain because he is so resoundingly human in how evil he is, and does the crappiest, most evil things for the most human reasons. You have this cold, monstrous side to him, killing kids, threatening to kill kids, being a drug kingpin, classic stuff, but there’s also this soft, broken side to him that’s so transparent when he’s with Jinx, the guy feels so alone and wants nothing more than to as Singed put it ; ”Be loners together” with the person he sees as a daughter. And the man wears all that with such genuine confidence and self assurance despite not being ”born strongest, fastest or smartest” that you can’t really hate him for it, despite how many lives he ruins (Jinx included, he ruins her life too)
@@Maieveryday2 and without shimmer your friends and family die when they are at their 30 ties because of the poisonous air. Think about it it really puts things into perspective.
Silco is not a villain. He is the hero. When did he kill kids? Is he a drug kingpin? People get hooked on Shimmer but they also heal and get stronger which is what he wants to fight against the oppressors. He commands respect and not fear. Vander had people fear him due to his physical abilities. Silco is undoubtedly the hero.
Vander and Silco, two brothers, two fathers. One returns to a monster that he once was, to protect his family. Other returns to a human that he once was, to protect his family. Poetic.
The interesting thing is that from his point of view Vander probably did everything he did for his family. He just saw first the other people from the Undercity and then Vi, Mylo, Claggor and Powder as his family too. So betraying Silco to protect the Undercity wasn't that different from why Silco chose not to take Jayce's deal.
@@kellyxiaomedia And even before that: "Now it all makes sense..." as he finally understands why Vander was willing to throw away everything he'd previously fought for in order to protect Vi & the kids
@@kellyxiaomedia Yes and No at the same time. Jinx's betrayal means Zaun will lose the only person who can understand Hextech and balance Pilltower's scientific advancement. Jinx is a great soldier, strategist, tactician, engineer, and spy rolled into one. She made all the arsenal herself from the Zaun garbage. Silco will not give up because of his feelings but also because Jinx is strategically important to Zaun's sovereignty. Take, for example, Wander's attack on the bridge. It ended with a slaughter. Meanwhile, Jinx built the Firefly Bombs with which she herself killed all the soldiers on the bridge. Pilltower doesn't want peace. They're gonna get Jinx. They try to bribe Silco to sell her. And when it will be after the fact, they will come up with a way to get out of all the provisions so that zaun would fall into poverty again.
@@LUCIAN8016 That doesn't seem to be the way the story is presented at all. And if it were it would undermine the ultimate tragedy of how things end with Jinx snapping and firing at the council chamber. Coming so close to peace only to be undone. The show really gives no indication that the council was planning to play along just to get Jinx and then double cross Vander.
I think the interesting thing with Silcos eye is that his eye is infected at the moment he forms his ideology. His vision is literally corrupted as his vision is metaphorically corrupted.
There are only two times in the series where you see Silco afraid: Pre-scare when Vander starts to hold him under in flashbacks and when Vi is threatening to take Jinx away from him in some way then he becomes almost like a trapped desperate animal. Ironically Silco is the only one afraid of Powder, everyone else is afraid of Jinx but Silce is terrified of Powder. It's hard to talk about Silco as a character without discussing his relationship with Powder/Jinx because without he's a standard 'snake' villain, well written but nothing deeper. Pretty standard 'means justifies the ends' creepy villain on the surface. It's his relationship to Jinx that makes him a complicated character with so much depth. As for Silco and Jinx, maybe because I'm a father and recognize the look he give Powder from the moment she lunges at him in episode 3. I never had any worries that Silco was going 'groom' Powder in any pervy way or manipulate her for his purposes. He's a f***up person but he's actually a good dad in the sense that he genuinely tries to act in Jinx's best interests from his perspective. To pass on the lessons he's learned in life. We know, at least hopefully we know that being a psychopath isn't a good trait to instill in our children but Silco thinks it is the best quality to give his child above all else as it's empowering and will keep the harsh world from running over them. 'Become what they fear', 'Power comes to those willing to do anything', 'A weak man died that day, you have to let Powder go'. He isn't saying and doing these things to hurt Jinx but help her (again as messed up as that is from a different perspective). He manipulates her sure, but all parents manipulate. Just most of manipulate our children to be honest, hard workers, trustworthy,... The only time he manipulates Jinx for his self interest is to not lose her. He isn't creating a weapon out of Jinx to free Zaun or strengthen his empire, he creates a weapon of Jinx so Jinx is strong and powerful what he values in people. And when you look at Silco's parenting skills who wouldn't want a father like that? Not the kill everyone, but the patient understanding father who listens and acts in your interest. Just Silco has a F***up perspective of the world and what constitutes good qualities in their child. He means it when he says 'Jinx is perfect'. And let's not forget that Silco is also a tragic character, this is his tragedy too. What he started from a noble place wanting freedom and equality for his people. His weakness is what cost him those noble goals, that's why he became radicalized willing to go beyond to 'any means' to get his ends. He had to kill the noble part of himself the same as Jinx had to kill Powder and become strong and ruthless for the world to not walk all over her. And think about it, had Powder just been left in the orphanage what would have become of her but another weak shimmer junkie doomed to a terrible life.
I see far too many people apply our modern day standards of morality and psychology to Silco, and I’m glad to see some people get that he was genuinely trying to make Jinx a better person. Zaun suffers intense systemic violence at the hands of Piltover. Enforcers with a monopoly on guns, poisoned water and air, a lack of trade and resources without Topside’s approval… Zaun is doomed to suffer forever unless a) Piltover grows a heart or b) Zaun strikes back. Silco can only force one of those to happen, and he wants Jinx to learn those same lessons so she doesn’t live the life of suffering that he and the Undercity have for so long. Silco isn’t a good father by modern standards; but in Zaun? Eh. I won’t make that judgement. I wouldn’t blame any Zaunite for turning to violence given the treatment and violence they’ve suffered under.
Nice you are truly right. Silco is a great parent it just that the values we care about and what you should care in piltover undercity and what he cares and teaches are different from what we used to. And your point of him teaching what he think would be best for jinx and not just because he needs that is what makes the difference. Also right about manipulations all parent manipulate that just got it is. And the one instance he lied about vi was understandable why would any parent want to lose his child? And like jinx would have the reason to leave. Silco was truly a great character
Huck (the shimmer addict) is actually even deeper as a character.. If you watch his very first scene carefully, as Vandar is pouring his drink, his fingers start beckoning to the glass. He's eager, he's hungry. He's already an addict. Its just such deep characterisation and in such a small gesture. Arcane is just full of these tiny character moments that are so easy to miss and yet add incredible depth to the personality of every character in the show, whether they have large roles or small.
Woah wait, I never noticed that detail and thats actually the coolest thing...my mind is once again blown with the care and consideration that went into every single character in Arcane
I noticed upon second watch that he seemed pretty cool with helping Caitlyn right up until he saw that drop of Shimmer go into her potion, then you can see his eyes just MAGNETIZE toward it, like a moth toward light. I realized _that_ was the moment he decided 'fuck i cant take it anymore i need some shimmer sorry vi'
I would argue that you're right but citing the wrong moment as a standalone indication of being an addict. A more appropriate case can be made by the way he stares--almost mesmerized--at the alcohol being poured, which is reflected on his glasses in the long-take of his face and the brief smile at the end before it cuts the portion you're mentioning. Rapping on the table could be a sign of anticipation for the drink itself, surely, but in context could also just be a sign that he's excited to seal his deal and get paid. It works better as a supporting detail to the scene I mentioned. If you weighed them as separate details between the cuts, the former is indicative of your claim while the second, without the first, is debatable. Still a great added detail though. Kind of like how Jinx's hair can be seen during Silco's pan-out shot while speaking to Vander's statue. Things you wouldn't typically notice on a first viewing, but can always go back and find--adding layers to what is already an incredible passion project.
@@cadence8977 The amount of detail put into this show is insane. I just rewatched it this weekend, and there are so many single frames or quick cuts that have clever callbacks to stuff, or additional detail, it's wild. So glad it won the Emmy, I had no idea until the rewatch. I've played exactly 1 match of LoL in my life, but this show makes you interested in the world without any need to care about the game.
An excellent analysis of one of the greatest antagonists I've seen. It's so gratifying to se him evolve from someone who thinks that the ends justify the means and looking down on Vander for not being able to sacrifice anything and anyone for the cause. Then when he is at top and has his goal at arms length, he finds out that he can't take it. Because he's no longer ready to sacrifice anything or anyone for it. He can no more sacrifice his child anymore than Vander could sacrifice his. Seeing the impossible situation he seeks redemption at the statue of his fallen brother-in-arms. And at Deaths door he confesses his devotion to her and what she is. Despite being a monster in many ways he is such a great written character.
@@kellyxiaomedia By "50's", if you mean 1850's American high society style fashion, then yes, you're spot on. But what Silco was wearing is about 100 years out of fashion from the 1950's.
@@justhaku9240 Xiao Long, the person that I @'d, the person that MADE THE VIDEO, said that IN THE VIDEO. She was doing an in-depth analysis of Silco and what he was wearing and why he was wearing it. She went back to it several times. I wrote 2 sentences to correct her from thinking that fashion from the time of the Hula-Hoop and Black and White Televisions was anywhere close to what people where wearing when Mexico still owned California. Her video was detail oriented. So, if details matter then corrections should too. But I wasn't talking to YOU, so...
Silco implies that he lived in such horrible living conditions that make those experienced by Powder and the other children look light in comparison. In his youth he lived in a polluted mine without even the most basic necessities like shelter, food and security. No wonder he became so extreme against Piltover.
i love so damn much the Vander's statue scene. It shows that Silco finally understands why Vander did the things he did. In ep 3, Silco says "I hated you, but you kept my respect. Until you made peace with them. Played lap dog after everything we suffered" Vander has experience. He has tried to fight against Piltover before, and it lead to the death of people. He even took the children of some dead people that followed him on the bridge because of guilt. He has a family, he has created a society that takes care of one another instead of being focused on a fight with the Pilties. And Silco can't understand it, until he has something to care for too. He experiences too the dilemma between keeping the city he wanted, and giving up his only family. Honestly, the "Oh it all makes sense now brother... Is there anything as undoing as a daughter" broke me
Another interesting subversion in Silco's portrayal as a villain-...and he is a villain insofar as there is any singular villain. His methods include violence, coercion, terrorism, the weaponizing of his own people, and the flooding of a dangerous drug onto the streets. The means a character is willing to achieve even a noble goal often determine their status as a hero or a villain. And it could certainly be said that Silco's ultimate goal of a free, independent, and strong Zaun was noble. But the interesting thing about him as a villain is that...his villainous methods were working. His actions were terrible. But under Silco the Enforcers didn't just take a light touch, they stayed entirely our of the Lanes. Marcus was all but under Silco's thumb. While it was fueled by drugs, the economy in the Undercity was booming. And he came within a hair's breadth of securing his ultimate, and noble, goal of taking Zaun out from under the exploitive thumb of Piltover. And that's a pretty amazing approach for a story, to have a villain's villainous methods actually working. The Council didn't suddenly dig in its heels and proclaim they would not be intimidated or declare that they wouldn't negotiate with a terrorist. It wasn't any of the heroes or even the actions of someone intentionally trying to stop him or undermine Silco's methods that "thwarted" him. And further, this stands in contrast to Vander's much more conventionally noble and heroic methods, of sacrificing no one, using diplomacy, and seeking to maintain peace. For all of Vander's efforts, the Lanes were still poorer than poor with even other outsiders trying to take advantage of its people. The Enforcers were a constant presence. And at the end of the day, the people were still regularly walking around breathing air so poisonous that most topsiders wore rebreathers. And this was the status quo, one that he was intentionally trying not to upset for the sake of protecting lives. They're an amazing contrast in the two ideas "The ends justify the means" and "The means justify the ends" and shows just how darkly either ideological end can be. It's easy to say you believe in one or the other. But then to see the what those respective "means" and "ends" are...I think both Vander and Silco were broken by it.
Yeah, also I cannot remember any other story where when the "villain" dies everything gets worse and not better! Nothing good came out of his death, if he lived there could be a chance of negotiating specially since Jinx had the weapon and Silco could pressure the councile more so he could take Jinx out of negotiation.
AND in an interesting twist, we can walk it all backwards to figure out what sort of people Vander and Silco were before the two pivotal points that changed their ideology. And it suggests that they basically flipped towards each other's. We Know that Vander's pivot moment is his failed riot on the bridge. Where he sees that all his rage and Power got curb stomped. And though he keeps his position as The defacto crime boss in the under city, his people don't benefit from his leadership anymore. We know that Silco became the person he is due to Vander's betrayal. That his style of Power and Fear is based on this moment. Since Violence was Vander's method. And Silco's current method due to being almost murdered. That leaves an interesting blank space for who Silco was as the "Weak" man and how he had hoped to save Zaun. I think his previous plan was something closer to where Vander ended up. Diplomacy and making deals with people in positions of power in hopes he earned Zaun a "seat at the table". I think Vander rejected that as an option entirely. I bet he found it Weak. Why trust anyone from Piltover to help when they can go fight them Right Now and show them all? Awh forget Season two and the continued spiral into chaos. I'd be happy with a prequel! (That's a lie I want S2 now plz) XD I want to see Young hotheaded Vander all spit and vitriol, I want to see young Soft Silco making his first networking connections. I wanna see them struggle to the top of the bottom as undercity's crime bosses as they piece together a dream of something called Zaun. Free from Piltover and poison. I wanna root for them while feeling the anxious clock ticking down to it all falling apart.
I just want to add a quick note about his presence and posture, he is a fairly tall individual, taller than Jayce even. But the way he carries himself, with a constant slouch, makes you realize the environment he grew up in was never prim or proper. He had the world on his shoulders and was weighed down by the poverty and depravity around him.
13:00 Vander didn’t cut ties with his family. He gave up his dream because he could not risk his family… which was the realisation that Silco had in the “undoing by a daughter” speech. Vander was the only person who would have understood. It’s tragic on every level!
It's implied that Vander betrayed Silco before he ever took in Powder and Vi. He looks younger in the scene where he's drowning Silco than he does throwing down his arms on the bridge.
What I find tragic about him is, that is ideology is proven right: You have power as long as you are willing to do everything for it. The moment he doesn't any longer, he loses this power (it is shown in his struggle with Sevika, which is always centered around Jinx, even before is downfall). I am also a bit scared, because SIlco and Victor have pretty similiar character designs ( if you look at young Silco without scars) and they are the only characters who share the accent Silco has. I am kinda waiting for it to be revealed, that they are in some way related. It also makes sense for Victor's character development to take Silcos place.
Never thought of that, though I know Viktor is going to be thrown out of Piltover, or at least am pretty sure of it, as Singed foreshadows. Would be fitting that Viktor leads after it all. I imagine he still has compassion for the undercity, and a huge disdain for the political corruption of the Piltover Council. Especially after Jayce states that the undercity are all dangerous.
Based on "Today Viktor" we have in League. Its most likely not. Viktor's motive theme always been around his sickness and the incapability of human body. Hence his Glorious Evolution ideal. And personally I want to see the ironic part where he become the messiah of his follower but they take his idealism in a twisted way. That's always be Viktor's charm to me. He looks villain, but isn't one.
I think the most interesting thing about Silco is how in the course of the show he boomerangs from being the upstart 'trying to fix Vander's mistakes' right back into being Vander's brother and understanding completely why everything panned out the way it did. The scene at Vander's statue has a lot of obvious symbolism, but from the perspective of Silco's character arc its where he acknowledges that he finally understands Vander's choices, why Vander stopped fighting the good fight... because he's about to do it himself, and do it for basically the same reason. Which on a side note, brings Jinx's importance round into new focus. Silco had the best shot at bringing about an independent Zaun, but, like Vander, he would have given it up for entirely understandable, human reasons. Jinx being so unhinged, in no longer really being able to interact with the world save through violence, forcibly breaks a cycle that was set to repeat itself.
On the last point about loyalty. Silco never attacks by surprise. When the chem-barons are rebellious he threatens them with the gas first, that's only after when they don't stop that he has the ringleader killed. Same with Markus, he learns that Markus lied to him for years, essentially betraying him but he doesn't attack him, he threatens him with his daughter. There's that notion that before attacking he always give a warning.
Silco to Vander: you had your chance!! Also Silco: everyone makes mistake right? what's important is that we don't repeat them. I also found his reply to that chem baron that lost her son amazing. Silco managed to show that woman mercy while still threatening her and also she will inform other potential rebels that they should not rebel agains him... he killed three birds with one sentence.
I'm guessing season 2 will put a strong emphasis on Noxus. It's the only plotline from season 1 that didn't get any sort of resolution, and I'm sure a lot of Lol players are eager to see their favorite Noxus characters get some screen time. I think the aftermath of episode 9 will be the side story, but will ultimately tie into the Noxus plotline as well.
The scene where he chokes his underlings on toxic air and is totally immune to it himself is badass and really drives the point home, but perhaps my favorite scene was where he's talking with Vander's statue. He understands now. Vander saw that his ideals weren't worth a bloody war where a bunch of people died in the crossfire. Silco didn't understand that. He confused it for weakness. Then he's given basically everything he's ever wanted, and all he has to do is give up the one thing he never knew he couldn't live without. Sell out the only family he has. And he couldn't do it. Silco did not become the same man as Vander by the end - not by a long shot. But he came full circle. In the end he understood why there were some things Vander wasn't willing to do for the cause.
i think it's really interesting how sevika pretty much admits to silco that she would willingly side with anyone who could do a better job at running and freeing zaun. silco asks "were u tempted" and sevika replies "not for a worm like him. but there will be more" implying that she WOULD'VE been tempted if he wasn't so, as she says, dumb. it's also kind of a threat. it's like saying "if u don't step up ur game, the next person who comes in will walk out with ur head. and i'll be carrying it". silco knows that sevika's loyalty is to zaun and not him. and he accepts that bc she's good at her job and he thinks he's the best person for the progression of zaun. i REEEALLY hope that sevika takes silco's place as zaun's kingpin. i would luv to see how she would get their freedom and what she'll do about shimmer. however, given her character, i have some doubt over whether she'll place herself in the title of top dog. from what we've seen, she has the tendency to WANT to be the right hand man.
I'd add onto this by suggesting that, in Silco's eyes, they both do have the same goal. Now, this could lead to problems if he thinks his successor would be a worse ruler than him, but ideologically, they both want an independent nation of Zaun and share a mostly ruthless and pragmatic approach to it.
What Jayce did not realize is that his demands were paradoxical. He wanted Silco to betray his family as a sacrifice so that the rest of it can thrive which goes straight against the ideals of Zaun. Essentially by betraying Jinx, Silco will be betraying Zaun itself.
Jayce's excellent flaw throughout the entire show is his lack of information and his complete failure to gather it. He never looks for anything that isn't directly in front of his eyes. Heck he didn't know about Victor dying until Doctors spelled it out for him works with the guy for years and didn't notice how much worse his illness was? Smh So Jinx being Silco's daughter? That's not information he'd have. And she's this chaotic nightmare of a criminal. Why would he think of her in any other way?
We all wanted silco to die in that first act but by the 2&3 act we ended up rooting for him and damn it I hate it, but he was such a surprisingly good antagonist and they written him way too well for me to consistently hate him
I love how ironic his end is, dying just like the Council, his most hatred enemies, by the same person and with the solution of all their problems so close
$10 he got the makeup from Jinx. That’s my headcanon, lol, loved this analysis, Silco and Jinx were my fav characters in the series and were always so interesting to watch.
I think a weaker villian would have killed the other crime bosses at the meeting. Instead Silco just says stand down, I own you. When they first show him at the end of ep one, I was afraid he would be generic villian. I'm glad I was wrong
100%, it wouldn't have been very productive for him at that time, and also was more of a reminder that he could take their lives if he wanted to, that they live and breathe because of him, and not to step out of line again.
My favourite line was when he said "*deep sigh* He is faltering. You have to weaponize the hextech soon." The change in the mood was so palpable, 5 seconds earlyer he was this cruel mafia boss stomping down on his enforcer associate, right after that he was near desperate and vulnerable, talking to his adopted daughter.
Arcane is really an appealing show .. Every character in it's storyline has came across a sort of development or realization in the end .. That's what makes it close to life ... and I'm Ioving every bit of it. I wonder If we could somehow talk more different aspect of its scope and scale.
it's also funny that silco the leader of the undercity didn't want war with piltover but jayce the leader of piltover wanted war and even went in the field with the supposing main character vi.
Silco did want war. Jayce didn't want anything. he was just trying to do something to see if it works. He quickly see that war isn't the way, and he offered peace. Silco chose Jinx instead of peace, which means he was gonna force Piltover into war.
@@rustygear447 no silco plan was to scared them and then being notice so that zaun have enough respect. Then because his plan went down because of his love yeah he would have fought against pilltover
@@sirdromos2769 It's not just that. Let's just assume he never met Jinx and carry out his plan. So he fight Piltover and be noticed. Does he think Piltover would just bend over and give him what he wants? No. if Piltover refuse to give him what he wants, does he plan to just give up? Hell no. He was always planning for a big war. That's why all those shimmer factories, and enhanced soldiers and weapons. He plans to win at all cost or die trying.
Great video, but I wish someone would mention his scene at Vander's statue after his meeting with Jayce. It's probably my favorite Silco scene in the whole show, because towards the end, he understands why Vander did the things he did, and I think he even regrets killing his old friend. "Oh it all makes sense now brother" - I legit cried when he said that lmao
I'm pretty sure Vander was exactly like Silco, the first time we see Vander is when he realizes what was really at stake, and the last time we see Silco is when he finally understood Vander.
I don't think he was Exactly. He seemed more like a Violent Might makes Right sort over Silco's more nuanced Fear and Power approach. But I Definitely agree that pre-failed-riot Vander must have paralleled post betrayal Silco a Lot. Two sides of the same coin. Flipping and flipping as it falls.
What a character! Can’t get enough of these video essays about Silco. The writing for him was outstanding, the psychology, the acting, the animation, everything was perfect. Definitely not only my fav Arcane character but also one of my fav characters of all time!
One thing I love about Silco, is that he wasn't the kind of villain that just kills his henchmen for no reason. He also learns and evolves over the show, while most villains are just bad-boy rocks that are nothing but hurdles for the good guys.
Early on when Silko seemed a more typical villain his voice acting just had my jaw dropped. It's on par with Scar from the Lion King. Maybe even better.
Silco's arc has one of my favorite villain tropes. Wherein an ambitious bad guy finally seizes power but with that power, they're faced with the burden of responsibility that comes with it. The IDW Transformers comics did that with Starscream. He becomes the ruler of Cybertron after the war ends but now he has to actually lead. He has to work towards a future that benefits more people than just him. He'll keep up to his evil schemes but as time goes on he's forced to confront the fact that he actually might give a shit about other people. Silco basically becomes the undercity ruler but he's also stuck with more mundane tasks of trade and book balancing. The Chembarons respect his business sense but none of the revolutionary ideals he holds core to his character. On top of that, he ended up becoming a father and bears the responsibility of raising a child (maybe not raising her well, but he's doing what he thinks is right). You can feel the frustration in him when things just keep going off the rails. His scene with Vander's statue is so brilliant, he finally has some understanding and even sympathy for the position Vander found himself in.
You mention that if Silco Gave up jinx He'd be no better than Vander because Vander betrayed him just to keep status quo, I see it as he became exactly like Vander, and ultimately understood him. Because Vander also refused to give up family (Vi and the whole gang) for his goal. Upholding the deal with topside and keeping the undercity out of war.
I remember seeing how silco viewed Vander for being soft once he gained familial ties, and the end of ep 3 came around...I KNEW he would end up stepping right into vander's old footprints right behind him when it would come to jinx. I could feel it coming by the closing of ep 3. Didn't make the blow any softer when it came though
I really liked your breakdown. I wouldn't call Silco a 'villain' though. The primary antagonist, yes, but he is too well rounded a person, IMO, to be 'da-villain'. Yes his methods are "Soprano's" in execution, but his goals and ideals aren't specifically for personal power, rather the uplifting his people to a better place. This is one of the things that blew my mind on first watch, as I was seeing a story that unfolded from multiple equally important perspectives. Yes, to his antagonists he is a villain, but because of the perspectives shown, you can not only SEE what he is aiming for, you can also admire it.
Unfortunately 'antagonist' ended up making the title very very long, I already cut it down from my original one, but I do agree, from Silco's point of view, he isn't the villain of the story, just doing the terrible things required to ultimately better the Under City.
I mean, someone can have the best motives and still be a villain. Silco manipulates people, often to their own destruction, in order to serve his ends. He is entirely capable of tenderness, but he is also cruel and sadistic, utterly ruthless. From a holistic viewpoint he has advanced the fortunes of Zaun as a political bloc, but he's done it by creating an under-nobility of chem barons, all built on a pile of shimmer-addicted casualties, the dregs of the dregs reduced to heretofore unimaginable wretchedness so that more fortunate dregs might reign in hell. None of this makes him a bad character though - in fact Runeterra's lore is peppered with this brand of "villain with the best of intentions" character. Azir is a tyrant whose arrogance was the undoing of his entire civilization and now seeks to restore it to glory, regardless of whether the descendants now living in that land actually want it. Sylas is a revolutionary fighting for the liberation of a minority (mages) that his country ruthlessly oppresses and persecutes merely for the crime of existing... and he took that chance to fight by violating both the trust and person of the one girl who ever showed him a sliver of compassion. Noxus preaches an end to kings and tyrants, even as they douse Ionia with chemical weapons. It's honestly part of what makes the setting so great.
The scariest villains, the best villains, are the ones doing bad things for good reasons. You should fear the person who is evil for evil's sake, but be terrified of the man who is justified.
@@rustygear447 In writing (for screen or book) when the "villain" doesn't conform to the evil-dastardly side of things, they are referred to as an 'antagonist'. This is someone who is a fully fleshed out character with goals that are commendable or at least understandable...but is in opposition to the story's protagonist. Silco fits the mold of 'villain' early on, but if you look at the series objectively, he's NOT WRONG about a lot of things going on. His methods aren't that different from any revolutionary in real life, regardless of the palatability to many. By the end, while disagreeing with his methods, I couldn't call him a 'villain' if I tried. 🙂
This video helped me se a new side of the final episode: Now I see that silco had TWO sides of the story when Silco decides no hand over Jinx in episode 9. 1. He doesn't want to cut ties with family, (and in that manner not be a betrayer like "Vander") 2. He doesn't want to loose his daughter, (and in that manner be a father like "Vander") This makes the story so much more interesting. He acted as Vander, and he acted the OPPISOTE of Vander at the same time.
Silco is a man with great sympathy, and little empathy. He understands emotions all too well but can't bring himself to actually feel what those around him do. Until that finale. "Is there anything so undoing as a daughter" indeed.
Listen, there can never be too many video essays on Silco and Jinx's relationship, and I think you'd knock one out of the park. I'd love to see your take on their relationship if you ever feel like it!
With your comment about Silco still living in on the bottom. I haven't seen anyone specifically mention/address/discuss the similarities between Silco and Vi. The moments in the show that made me look at this was for Silco, the chem baron scene emphasising his connection to Zain through his ability to, and unphasedness for, breathing the air. For Vi, when she first gets out and ditches Caitlyn to run free, she lands in the street, stands up and takes a deep breath in. It is a scene and action usually occurring in movies when people are free and breathing fresh air for the first time or for a while, yet for Vi she got this feeling from taking a deep breath of the air that many actively avoid and filter and most are striving to leave/avoid.
Binging these Arcane videos, so far I 100% agree with your takes. I'm almost 40 and knew I'd be child free and unmarried by like 14. While I didn't hate dogs, I didn't really feel anything about dogs until 3 years ago. A month before the unnamed virus locked us down, I adopted a puppy to see if she'd help me grow and become a better person. At no point beforehand did I expect to feel anything more than "yeah, that's my dog, I take care of her." Now I'd probably also refuse my own nation of Zaun if the ask was "get rid of your dog." I get it. Silco is brilliant, and I'm glad he's coming back via flashback for S2.
Silco didn't want to manipulate Jinx. He love her like a daughter and he want her to be strong (perfect). Silco knows that Vi is Jinx weakness. Remember his words about who is the most powerful (person who can do anything for goal). He try to train her like he think is better for her (it is similar like parents learn their kids). If you will think, Silco was not cruel, he only live in world, where only person like him could survive. Vander was strong (physically) Silco is not. In Zaun if you weak (physically), you will die or be like person in ep1 and ep6. Powder was similar to that man. Zaun could eat her, but Jinx is strong (perfect for Zaun).
Yea silco didnt have the intent to be manipulative. He was just broken in a similar way regarding issues on trust and the cruelty of the world and hence influences Jinx in a negative way and enables her toxic traits. Probably very interesting that Silco defines how being good and caring/loving are not always synonymous with each other
@@MartinA-0 Maybe, but in my opinion, Silco was not bad at all. Maybe if you watch it from perspective Piltover yes he is bad, but for Zaun he is good. Remember you saw young Vander (not old Vander) statue in Zaun. It is beacuse when he was young he fight with Piltover and was bad person for Piltover. If you remember young people didn't like old Vander, their thought, he was scaered to fight with enforcers. Also, if you remember Silco and Vander at start has same goals, but Vander leaved them beacaus he wanted to protect kids. Zaun didn't was better place when Vander ruled, rewatch act 1, or Enemy MV. In my opinion Silco was stroger and better ruler for such place a Zaun, if you remember he never think about him self or power. Silco always thought what was better for Zaun (idealist ). Silco was great charecter better then other. Even Sevika who betrayed Vandera, was loyal to Silco and even could die for him (it is mean something).
@@СергійБурачківській Vander actually cared about his people. Not willing to give any names to the enforcers even if that meant bad consequences for him. Under Silkos rule, the poor suffered the most and were destroyed by shimmer. He also relied on fucking child labour to make his system run and was willing to kill said children if their parents opposed him. He was a cruel dictator who raised a little girl to be a psychotic murderer who doesn’t care about any consequences whatsoever.
@@DLTLLYsubreddit As I think he didn't mean do Jinx cruel. He only wanted, that Jinx was strong (as he think what mean strong). Silco was strong, strongest man in Zaun. Old Vander forget his main goals, and star to raise a kids. As you said Vander cared only about his people not about Zaun, that why Sevika betrayed him. Even Vi hated how think Vander. You need understand that Silco people was more loyal (even Silco is weak person physically) to him then than Vander friends. Old Vander has only his kids. Silco didn't creat suffering. It is Zaun, all live in Zaun is suffering. You think like simple people, it is alway easy to say problem is one human. Silco main goal was do Zaun better. Other want only power. Vander only want to live
@@СергійБурачківській vander would become a great right hand man for silco if he didn't betrayed .....vander was a tamed beast (labdog) but silco was an untameable monster(alfa wolf)
That scene with huck and Cait is actually the most memorable one to me. It is just so heartbreaking and yet so real... I'm glad u brought it up. I think every scene in this series has something significant or poignant that it wishes to get across
Just watching this I noticed that his coat, when he wears it, changes his outline completely, making him hulking and hunched in scenes when this intimidation is necessary.
I think the line that best showcases Silco's philosophy is "what do I have to lose but problems". All the things Jayce asked of him, including Jinx, are the things that secured his position as the ruler of the Undercity, but they are also curses, wild cards that would be a thorn on the side of any sensible ruler and that's why he wanted them on his side. He sacrificed his own peace to become the villain of the perfect world he wanted to create, because he knew that once that world came to be, he wold be able to dispose of them. That's why he's such a fascinating character, he's absolutely a villain, but completely by choice, because it was the best position to be in and he only loses because he can't play that part anymore. So good.
I believe Silco's actions in regards to Vi make much more sense if you take into account that he's probably been trying to get Jinx to move past Vi for probably around a decade? Vi constantly haunts Jinx, and Silco has clearly been trying for many years without success to heal that particular wound, to have her let go; because he knows all too well the kind of emotional torture she goes through whenever she thinks about Vi. So when Silco learns that VI's alive and working with the enforcers/Piltover, he doesn't have very many options: Let them reunite, and watch Jinx suffer mentally due to the circumstance; or try to resolve the situation ASAP before the mental and emotional timebomb is set off again. It's not like Silco's fears in this regards was unjustified because in the opening of the second act we got a demonstration of how Jinx's PTSD around Vi caused her to go insane, and we'd have to assume that this isn't the first time; and we all got to see it manifest fully right before Jinx accidentally kills Silco. I don't think Silco was worried about Jinx leaving him, as much as he was worried about the amount of pain she's suffer if Vi betrayed her a second time; he knows what that pain is like, and he's been trying to spare her that pain repeatedly. A part of Jinx wanted both Silco and Seveka to be lying, because she desperately wants her sister back; but at the end of it all she has to admit to herself that they didn't lie to her. There's many bits of irony and excellent writing at the climax: You have Silco's elegant manipulations, which are founded in truth not lies; contrasted to VI's smash everything approach to emotional manipulation as she told Powder to think about all the people she accidentally killed, driving her more and more insane. (It should be noted that the three times Silco got visibly angry in this show was directly related to Jinx) When Jinx accidentally shoots Silco and then runs to him immediately afterwards, his final words of "You're perfect" ring all the more true because it's at this moment that the imperfection he was unable to get her to move past was finally gone: Powder was dead, and she was able to let Vi go. This was made possible in large part to Vi herself: Silco was ready to abandon his dream, everything he worked for; just for Jinx. Vi wasn't going to sacrifice anything, and she only wanted Powder back; not Jinx. One has to wonder how resentful Jinx would be in this moment, looking at a sister who didn't want her for who she is; someone who was the triggering event both times in the accidental deaths of her family.
Given the airship raid and how Sevika is clearly displeased with Jinx "doing this again", it's very evident that she has been having schizophrenic panic attacks since she was a child, and even before Vander and the kids die. When Vi tells Powder to stay behind, we are shown Powder having a mental breakdown, and even hitting herself. Probably PTSD from the original bridge scene where they see their dead mother. Something Vi would probably be aware of, making Vi assaulting and leaving her even worse, because of the desperation / PTSD she knows Powder experiences. As soon as Silco hears that Powder was "Betrayed" his heart immediately softens, just like Vander did upon seeing the girls on the bridge. I don't think Silco Manipulated Jinx much, if at all. He initially looks like he's just going to kill her, but stops for a moment to contemplate when Powder states she no longer has a sister. That she was abandoned. He states later that he thought Vi was the prodigy, and was very wrong. "Jinx is more than I could have ever imagined." He has raised her, presumably for 10 ish years based on the time skip, all the while trying to help her through her pyschotic episodes. Even when he is angry at her, he never lays a hand on her. He raises his voice, he grabs whatever tool/toy she has, he tries to get her attention through non-violent means. When Sevika blames the Air ship raid on Jinx, he still asks Jinx for her side of the story, and when she admits it's her fault, he simply waves it away. "Things happen in combat". He puts the blame on Sevika, who was in charge. Not Jinx. At every opportunity, it is shown Silco has complete faith in Jinx. Not because he has to, but because he genuinely cares for her. Where as at every turn, Vi is shown to Doubt Powder, and question not only her sanity, but her choices and free will. Vi never once stops to think that Jinx was happy with Silco, or that Jinx made the decision herself. She sees a manipulated, helpless child. Just like the one she punched in the face before abandoning. Silco cares for Jinx with out consequence, where as Vi's love is entirely selfish and based on the fact she feels guilty for what she did. Amplified by her time in prison, but still not enough to choose Jinx over Caitlin. On the bridge, and later at the tea party. She could have sent Ekko with Caitlin, and she could have gone with Powder. Instead she lets Ekko fight Jinx, and leaves Powder to die (again). Which is probably why Jinx bombs herself in the fight with Ekko. Betrayed and abandoned again, she gives up when Ekko has her pinned, she wants to die. Later at the Tea party, she already knows Vi can never love Jinx, when Vi recoils at the cupcake reveal, thinking it's Caitlin's head. Even before Silco speaks, or Jinx asks Vi to Kill Caitlin, Jinx already see's that Vi will never love her the way she used to. Vi truly believes she is a monster now. Which is why she pleads so desperately for Vi to kill Caitlin, so that there can never be a choice between Powder and Caitlin, because she knows Vi will choose Caitlin. Vi chooses time and time again, to leave Powder. Silco chooses time and time again, to keep Jinx around, even though all she causes him is trouble among his loyal soldiers, and chemlords alike. I don't believe that Silco needed Jinx to harness the Hextech, he obviously trusts Singed a great deal. Enough to manufacture and perfect Shimmer to make his super-soldiers, and while Jinx may be a Talented Engineer, Singed is clearly a genius. Perhaps Engineering is not his specialty, but I see no reason why he could not have Singed make the attempt to figure out the Hextech gemstone. I truly believe he thought Vi was dead, not in Stillwater prison, and that when he found out she was alive, he was trying to save Jinx from heartbreak, knowing that Vi was with an Enforcer and would be Directly opposed to them. That it would negatively affect Jinx's well being. That she would not be able to handle another betrayal (and clearly she can't as shown). He knew Vi would want to kill him for what happened to Vander, and that would mean Jinx would have to choose between the Father who loved her, and the sister who abandoned her. That even if he was perhaps willing to let her go with Vi, it would probably mentally ruin her. Because she would now be the one abandoning someone.
Not a perfect father,but a Father he did become. Supportive and loyal to a fault to Jinx. Don’t Cry,You’re Perfect. It might’ve been the same as saying don’t cry,I love you for the way you are. Silco had a villain to Father journey, in the end, in the end he understood and became his brother. Willing to give up All his dreams for the girl who he raised,regardless of all his faults. ❤❤❤❤
Honestly, they did an amazing job with the voice acting for all of the characters in general, but especially Silco. I really do feel like he was the deepest and all around most complete characters from season 1. And now we see why they made sure he was so well fleshed out. *cries*
Never would I have thought that I'd hear Vulpes Inculta from Fallout New Vegas speak so caringly. Last I heard from him, he told me about how he crucified a town
Thank you so much for this brief, but really good, analysis of Silco. One of the things I admired about Silco's animation is both his physicality and the way it presents; his first scene shows what I finally decided was a subtle and restrained "Hollywood Cowboy Walk" - head still, shoulders moving slightly, above the fluid motions of his hips and legs as he walks. That continues to show up in subsequent scenes, and it seemed to me to be a visual characterization of just what you talked about - his outward calm and control, which can, when necessary, become brutal when he deems it necessary. Thank you again for your work on this!
I'd work for Silco. He's the type of leader who is sure of his own decisions, but if you can make a sound argument for something else, he doesn't just shrug someone off. He's not an unreasonable person...he's just in an unreasonable situation.
@@mito-pb8qg Ethics and logic don’t contradict each other. If you have the choice to kill 1 child or 3 children, the logical and the ethical choice is the same. According to your logic he can do anything he thinks is logical and therefore it’s justified.
One of the things I love about this show is it feels like everyone has a point. Even Silco, the main baddie, has legitimate issues he's fighting for and isn't just a monster for evil's sake. Everyone is allowed to have an understandable viewpoint. Nobody's always right or always wrong. It's a very messy and complicated situation that plays out tragically for reasons that make sense.
I'm always against a villain redemption tropes and I never believe in these types of storytelling. Until I saw Silco and I'm obsessed over this character.
Props to you, your Arcane videos are awesome! Silco's sense of loyalty is soo deep that it reminded me of a quote I love from Strangers in Paradise: "Loyalty is better than love". We don't get to choose who we love, but we get to choose who we are loyal to.
What makes the dilemma Vander and Silco face over giving something up in order to achieve something else (give up the kids to maintain the peace vs give up Jinx to make Zaun a reality) is that at the heart, these decisions are based upon "am I willing/able to give up someone close to me/my family?" And only selfless Vander is in the position to be able to instead offer up his own head, while Silco is established as a ruthless man and who most likely would not do the same but instead he is challenged to give up his daughter, who we have all been shown he cares deeply about. So each character is faced with a moral dilemma that's tailored to them, but also it is in itself the same decision. I'm just so blown away how did they to that!!! The writing astounds me over and over
The interesting thing I find is that Silco doesn’t value his own self preservation by the end, much like Vander he’s willing to give himself up for his daughter.
Someone said : You know, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. Silco while dying : I love you Jinx, I would never have traded you for anything (don’t really remember the exact line)
Silco is an ideologue. "Loyalty" may be his fatal flaw, but the idea of loyalty changes over the course of the story in the most humanly selfish ways. He is willing to sacrifice lives for the dream of Zaun, even his own. But especially not his own. Silco accused Vander of being "weak" for choosing people over the ideal. He tells Jinx in the Baptism that he "let a weak man die" when he stabbed Vander, and in his own mind killed the weak Silco that had trusted him. Silco tried so hard to transcend his human "weakness" and guide Jinx to do the same with "all his rants and his hard-earned lessons. 'Excise your fears, Jinx. Be what they fear Jinx.' " Like every ideologue who has the opportunity to turn despot, and every champagne socialist, Silco turns out to be a hypocrite. He is even called out for it by the grieving mother at the beginning of Episode 9. For in that final episode, Silco has divergent loyalties. Loyalty to the human transcending idea of Zaun, and loyalty to a mere fellow human, his own daughter. It's easy when others are making the sacrifice for your ideals.
I feel like i may be the only one who immediately loved the guy from his first appearance. Just his character design alone, how he talks, and what he said to Vander, simply left an impression me and I desperately wanted to know more. And then when he hugged Powder, I could tell from his expression and stance that he wasn't a character to simply manipulate her, but rather would begin to truly care for this child. I am glad my prediction about him being a great character and loving father to Powder/Jinx were true lol
One of the best parts of Silco is that he's not even a villain, and he's barely an antagonist. He's a character. That's all he is, and I think characters that normally would feel like they fall under one trope but instead don't really belong to any is really cool
He is a villain dude. Pretty psychotic and ruthless. When you have kids working in that shimmer factory, you're not a good person. He has certain principles you can agree with, but he cares more about his ideals than the actual people of zaun.
@@nostalgicbliss5547 And Piltover Cares more about money than they do their own citizens. The undercity has toxic water, air, barely enough food to go around. Rampant with crime, drugs, and violence even before Silco takes over. Nevermind the corruption among the council and it's political elite. You can't win a war by being kind, which is exactly what it was going to take to get Zaun's independence. Piltover also had most of the hard labor jobs in the undercity, where people are worked to death in terrible, toxic conditions. Which only got marginally better after Vander made deals to keep the undercity in line after the first rebellion. Even with Viktor working alongside the council, Piltover sees the undercity folk as nothing but dangerous trash. Even Jayce states this, to which Viktor replied angrily "I am from the Undercity". The only reason he is even offered Zaun by Jayce to begin with, is because of the power he gained. Jayce saw first hand that a war would be bloody, and thousands of lives ruined on both sides. He may have truly believed Hextech would win, but he saw how the super-soldiers eviscerated 15+ Enforcers in seconds. Zaun wasn't offered independence out of the goodness of the Piltover Councils heart. It was offered because of the Power Silco got. Silco's method's certainly aren't morally good, but the cause is and he's working with what he's got to fund, and equip a rebellion against a superior enemy, both technologically and economically. Because Piltover left no other way. By neglecting and oppressing the undercity for countless years until there have been multiple uprisings, which get stamped out by more and more tyranical methods.
Still saying Silco's break after the building crashed on him was HIS parallel to Jinx's snap. Where his death was Jinx's last lesson on absolution. Why I feel she followed through with "let them all burn" was because why I feel he realized how messed up of a compromise it was to GIVE UP ONE person JUST to feed a vendetta from Jayce. So knowing a deal like that WOULD change regardless. Silco IS violent, BUT dedicated, where THOSE he invested in relationship wise and emotionally, he WILL always trust those he started to trust and why he makes effort for those willing to those. Why I still say he was worried about Vi, was because HE KNEW the terrible conflict of someone who trusted and betrayed, will cause trouble of the mind and soul. Where HE know's HE'D almost take Vander back IF he heard Vander wanted to seek him out after all that FOR A FIGHT against Piltover.
Vander and Silco are the same person, with different paths. Just like VI and Sevika; they were both brash, impulsive, and loyal to a fault, willing to do anything for those they lent their loyalty to... but Sevika was the "what if" of VI, what if she fought, what if she gave into her bas instincts, what if she never left Zaun? Silko is Vander if Vander hadn't found the girls, if he hadn't turned his life around, if he never learned from his mistakes. And later in life, he finds himself in exactly the same position as Vander with their adoptive daughter and makes the same choice Vander made all those years ago... letting go for love. Twisted as it may be. In the end, he saw...
A small point, but I think it's interesting how Silco has this monstrous character design, feral tendencies, and engineered a drug that turns people into monsters... yet he himself is never mutated.
I can't believe I'm late to this- But yeah I absolutely adored Silco and yo dude seriously where did you get that concealer!? I've watch a few of his VA's streams and they are S O CHAOTIC
You missed touching on the duality between Vander and Silco, and how they both gave up their ideals to protect their daughters. Otherwise this is a fantastic video (as are most videos about Arcane).
I see silco as a gentle monster type of character... Earn his loyalty to you and and yours to him, he and a character could be the best of friends probably. Cross him though, and he will be the devil no god can save you from
There's a detail with his eyedropper; In Arc 1, he applies the eyedrops himself with a methodical practice. In Arc 2 and 3, we see him struggle to even apply the device to his face. This foreshadows that, while Silco is still a powerful kingpin, he's become dependent on Jinx' presence in some ways and he needs her to apply his eyedrops for him.
