The Psychology of Arcane: Ekko vs Jinx (Bridge Fight) — Therapist Reacts!

Psychotherapist Georgia Dow discusses the interaction of Ekko and Jinx during the bridge fight in Arcane!

#Arcane #Ekko #Jinx #LeagueOfLegends

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[anabelloc]

The fact a psychologist can analyze faces and movements in arcane’s animations as if they were real people.

[DrewTeter]

I don't think that grenade pin was a "I'm going to take you down with me."
If that's what she wanted she could have attached the grenade to Ekko's clothing with the jaws.
Instead she smiles in a solemn way, shows him the grenade, and then lets it roll to the ground, giving Ekko enough time to get away.
That was a "You win" and a "Goodbye"

[artstudent]

You know they did this show right when a therapist can make 3 videos involving one character, and there is still room for another one about her! There were great points brought up in this one about Jinx and Ekko. Them facing off was one of the more powerful moments of the show, not because of the action, but because of their face expressions saying so much more than the fighting itself ever could.

Would it be possible to discuss the potential dissociative issues that Jinx seems to have in a later video?

[xl]

Before Arcane we had some hints of their relationship from their interactions in games. Whenever he meets Jinx he says that he used to have a crush, until she went bananas but this is outdated. The new two lines were added this year : "Man., i miss u so much" and "Powder! I.. Nevermind." it so heartbreaking damn

[somebodyto]

i hope you'll make a video about the finale sequence in the season finale, explaining what kind of mental issue Jinx developed and if she got it already since she was a child or got it from all the traumas. ps: you're amazing!

[JimTheSane]

"Oh, look who it is! The Boy Saviour!"
Said with such venom and bitterness, and I wonder how much she's saying, and how much she might be unaware of saying, "You never tried to save me."

[The_Story_Of_Us]

I think an important bit of context for Ekko in this moment is that prior to this, Ekko insisted repeatedly to Vi that Powder is gone, it’s just Jinx now, this evil person he doesn’t know anymore who just works for Silco because she wants to, she’s just bad now, that’s all there is. He’s hostile towards Vi when he meets her again, assaulting and kidnapping her, not trusting her, even asking whether she works for Silco, the man who murdered her father.
Ekko sees the world in such a black and white way now because it helps him rationalize everything he’s suffered and lost, these are the bad guys, it’s me and the Firelights vs the world. On that bridge though, he’s having to confront the truth that Powder isn’t gone at all, it’s the same person and she’s hurting inside in a way he probably can’t even understand, but he can see the pain.

I think beyond all his repressed feelings coming back to him is this sense of guilt not just over what he just did to his childhood friend, but also guilt that all this time he thought of her as a monster, like what kind of friend would do that?
His whole world has been shaken to its core by just looking at her. Ekko talks about how he’s changed, but now he’s had to grow up, to see the world as the complicated, heartbreaking mess that it is.

It’s fitting that the next time we see him, he meets Heimerdinger, a famous topsider, people he yesterday thought were the enemy, and he empathizes with Heimerdinger, he takes him back to his Haven and the two start forming a friendship over their shared interest in tinkering. Like Vi because her experience with Caitlyn, his fight with Jinx on the bridge opens his eyes to the world as his prejudices are challenged. It’s wonderful to see.

[BrokenDarkFire]

Your argument of why Jinx’s expression is real makes so much sense! She’s horrible at hiding her feelings, she always breaks out into laughter or raises her voice. She can’t hide anything. And I think Jinx would probably rather die in an explosion, trying to take down an enemy that it hurts her to defeat, than live with the feeling that he beat her. That she was helpless again. That if she’s survived, it would’ve been because of his mercy and pity.

[bulletproofwhale]

I've always loved this fight for a couple reasons. The first couple ae what you pointed out about Jinx and Ekko's connection.

I've always seen this fight as Jinx's suicide attempt. Because she'd rather go out having fun with her *best freind*, rather than be as damaged as she is. That look when Ekko has her pinned, the smile, and the grenade... it all screams: "Thank you for giving me something fun. Thank you for not being like her."

[cosmicklutz]

When jinx pulled the pin on the bomb I took it as her deciding in that moment that it was okay to just die right here like this. She’s been plagued with doubt her whole life and feels abandoned, but having ekko take her back to her childhood like that gave her something she hadn’t felt in years, just the pure, innocent fun of them playing as kids. The knowing smile she gave Ekko as well tells me that she’s saying "sorry for what I became, I wish we could go back but I’ve killed so many people you care about, I’ll just end it here, come with me if you want."

[BlizzardofKnives]

In Arcane we repeatedly see characters find something that breaks their otherwise unshakable resolve.

Silco wanted independence for the Undercity but couldn’t turn over Jinx.

Vi wanted Powder back but couldn’t kill Caitlyn.

Ekko kept insisting Powder was gone, but then he saw her face.

[jasonco]

In my mind, Jinx's smile at the end there is sort of a non-verbal "well played". He beat her, fair and square. It's unclear if he ever had before. I think she was almost proud of him, as the Enemy music video and episode 1 shows he wasn't exactly a good fighter. No matter her feelings though, for Jinx, if she's going to get taken out then she's going to go out with a bang!

Another interesting thing that Arcane doesn't touch on directly but also doesn't fully dispute is that in official League lore Ekko had a crush on Jinx 'until she started talking to the guns'. Obviously she hasn't started talking to her guns yet in Arcane and Ekko doesn't seem to be harboring too much of a crush. However it is possible that his feelings for her are still canon. It might even explain his insistence that Powder is "dead". It's much easier to just pretend she's a different person now than to confront who she has become. He can kill Jinx, but Powder? Not so much... In the League card game when both Ekko and Jinx are on the board he'll say things like "Man... I miss you so much." or "Powder, I... nevermind." Which only seems to fuel the idea that he both cares and struggles to move on.

[HK-gmpe]

I love how empathetic you are with every character you talk about and you really help people to understand what is going on in their heads, so people can be less judgemental, keep up the good work :) Love your videos :)

[blubala]

In the enemy music video are a lot of scenes where we see them play together. Im still mad they didnt include any of those scenes in the first act (probably cause there wasnt enough room). The scenes where they played and hung out together would have been to key to set up the tragedy of this fight between them

[danomau]

When ever I see that clip of the Ekko vs Jinx fight, it always seems to me that Jinx has a clear killer shot on Ekko right before he strikes her. and that she hesitates, deep down she doesn't want to kill Ekko. She just wants it to be over, the pain to end and if Ekko can't finish her, she decides to end it herself. She let's Ekko know what she is doing with the bomb, which allows him to get away, she does nothing to stop him from getting away. She just wants the pain to end, not Ekko's death.

[troikas]

Ive been thinking there’s also another component; Silco has effectively isolated Jinx from any even superficially positive bonds other than with him. He’s the only source of any affection or approval she can get and she’s deeply invested in those things. She fundamentally needs them just to function. She can’t let herself, in her own mind, be seen as weak or a disappointment by him. He needs the gemstone and to get it she has to kill Ekko here. So she will even though you can see in her eyes she remembers their friendship as much as he does.

In the last moments though I feel like she saw an out. She can die fighting, something she feels Silco would accept, and can finally just make all the pain and fatigue end.

She’s portrayed throughout the show like she never has a moments peace. the critical voices in her head are always there and tearing her down. Feeding her own doubts and paranoias in an endless cycle of internal self harm. But in this moment there’s an opening for her to do what Silco needs her to do and finally quiet those voices. A chance for her to rest.

[Creaform]

One thing here is the reflection of Silco and Vander. When Silco was drowning he found peace, in that moment he took Vanders knife to stab him.
In this moment, Jynx is pinned by her friend, in that moment of peace she reaches for a weapon with a calm clarity.

[ObliqueReference]

I have a theory that Ekko and Jinx have interacted much more in the 7 year time skip than we're seeing. The way Ekko talks about Powder being lost, the bitterness in Jinx's voice-- I suspect they have has many other interactions that we haven't seen, and not all of them bad.

[gilbertdiaz]

I can't remember where I saw it but I believe a Rioter confirmed that in the series, Jinx isn't afraid to die. She would have been fine had she been killed but that sadness in her eyes comes from the thought of her being hurt and killed by her childhood friend. That would have hurt her more than any death she'd experience.

[unclebobboomergames]

In her suicide attempt at the end...I dont even think Jinx intended to live past this fight. Just the look she gave ekko at the end.

Also I'd love you to check out bojack horseman. The things someone of your caliber could dissect from the show seems endless. And im not even halfway through it myself.