I talked about this in a previous Arcane article a while back but after watching Act 1 of Arcane Season 2, I want to delve in a little deeper about Hextech and Chemtech. mild spoiler warning for Season 2 but nothing deeply plot related. Majority of the information I’m going to be talking about is mostly from canon lore. Arcane doesn’t talk about Chemtech too much.
In League of Legends and Arcane, the regions of Zaun and Piltover are known for their technological advancements and Innovations. The two cities are mirrors of each other and this is reflected no better than in their tech. Piltover, the city of tomorrow, uses Hextech. This technology fuses mechanical engineering with the Arcanic properties of magic.
On the flipside, Zaun uses Chemtech to power their machines and their technology. Chemtech was developed in response to Hextech and is mainly due to Zaun being denied the use of Hextech. Chemtech uses highly-volatile chemicals as its power source. A resource Zaun is in abundance of.
More than Just Looks
Now, Chemtech and Hextech are not just aesthetically fitting to each city, but also a visual representation of the politics and power of Zaun and Piltover. Hextech and Chemtech are juxtapositions of each other, just like the cities.
Hextech is sleek, futuristic, and clean-looking but expensive to develop. This speaks volumes about the nature of Piltover and how only noble and wealthy individuals benefit from the supposed advancements of their city. For the rich, life can only get easier and easier.
This is the entire narrative of Piltover. On the surface, it’s a seemingly accessible utopia that welcomes anyone hoping for a better life. Underneath it all, it’s a life locked behind a class paywall that can only be accessed by the rich and privileged.
Neither Shiny nor New
Zaun is filled to the brim with dangerous and harmful chemicals brought about by reckless industry. It’s these chemicals that the Zaunites use to power their Chemtech. Contrary to what most people watching Arcane think, Shimmer is not the main power source of Chemtech. While it is sometimes used, Shimmer is mainly a drug used by the people of Zaun.
Opposite of its Piltoverian counterpart, Chemtech is clunky, scraped together, and looks jerry-rigged in design. However, Chemtech is accessible and used quite commonly by Zaunites. Even though the production and usage of Chemtech is more dangerous than Hextech, it’s cheaper to create and own. This represents the Zaun narrative of making do with whatever means.
Hextech or Chemtech?
In the show Arcane, Jayce develops Hextech alongside Viktor in the hopes of creating a better life for everyone. Jayce saw it as a technological advancement while Viktor saw it as a cure for himself and others suffering physical illnesses.
Despite these visions and advancements, none of them were given to the people of Zaun. The lower class was denied the blessings of Hextech and instead was forced to rely on Shimmer and Hextech to get by. Why was Zaun denied Hextech? It’s due to the council of Piltover’s nobles believing that Zaun would only use Hextech as weapons against Piltover and nothing more.
This kind of belief that Piltover had speaks volumes about how power and technology is often wielded, especially in real life. We often forget that technology and innovations are supposed to make life easier for those who have it the hardest, not for the ones already living an easy life.
I often find myself asking why the people of Zaun, especially the ones just trying to live, have it the hardest while the people of Piltover make it sound like they have it just as bad. I realize this is a hypocrisy that exists both in the show and in real life and I think that just makes Arcane such a deep and riveting show. It’s not just a cool show set in a steampunk world, but a narrative take on socio-political issues.
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