Arcane has been an outlet for Riot Games to expand on the lore of many of its League of Legends champions, including the brilliant scientist, Heimerdinger.
Heimerdinger (voiced in Arcane by Mick Wingert) is a yordle and eccentric scientist who is first introduced as the head of the Piltover council. After mentoring Jayce and Viktor to their success with Hextech, Heimerdinger was eventually ousted from the council for trying to caution their progress.
He eventually found a place with Ekko and the Firelights in the undercity, until the duo discovered a strange corruption emanating from the Hexgates and were sucked into an arcane anomaly.
What Happened to Heimerdinger In the Anomaly?
Jayce returned in Arcane Season 2 Episode 6 looking very different after his journey into the anomaly, which begged the question of whether Ekko and Heimerdinger had the same experience.
In Episode 7 of Season 2, it was explained that Ekko and Heimerdinger ended up in an alternate universe, one where Hextech was never invented. However, the two arrived in the new reality at different times, meaning Heimerdinger had been waiting years for Ekko to arrive.
Seeing as Hextech doesn't exist in their reality, Ekko and Heimerdinger get to work on creating a new anomaly that will send them home. Eventually, their efforts pay off and they create a Z-Drive (aka short-range time machine).
Heimerdinger works on upgrading the machine while Ekko is away, eventually preparing it to the point it is ready to send them home.
Did Heimerdinger Die In Arcane Season 2 Act 3?
After upgrading their Hextech machine, Ekko and Heimerdinger prepare to return home. But once they're loaded onto the platform Heimerdinger confesses that ever since he has met Ekko he has "truly lived."
Heimerdinger then reveals that his plan never involved returning with Ekko as someone is needed to stay behind to operate the machine. Stepping off the platform, Heimerdinger works the dials on the console and connects the final wire, which activates the machine but also causes him to vanish.
It had been demonstrated earlier in Arcane that Hextech technology can quickly turn dangerous. In Season 1, Viktor's companion, Sky, was vaporized by the mutating Hexcore. Then in Season 2, a Piltover scientist was reduced to ashes after attempting to reactivate the Hexgates incorrectly.
Heimerdinger and Ekko were playing with fire by experimenting with the arcane forces, and it seemingly came at the price of Heimerdinger's life.
As a yordle, Heimerdinger had lived for a long time, admitting at one point he was over 300 years old. So, while Heimerdinger's death is a tragic one, he ultimately sacrificed himself for his student, and knowing the character he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
However, an alternate theory is that Heimerdinger was not killed and could have perhaps been transported into another alternate reality or a different time and place, which is what happened the first time he entered the anomaly.
Arcane's ending left this open-ended enough that either theory could be true, so it's up to audience members to decide for themselves.
All of Arcane is now streaming on Netflix.
