What Exactly Is the Black Rose in ‘Arcane’?

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Arcane Season 2.The mysterious organization known as Black Rose appeared in the successful Netflix series Arcane. It was revealed Black Rose had been causing trouble for both Mel Medarda (Toks Olagundoye) and Ambessa (Ellen Thomas). However, if you aren’t deeply familiar with the iconic lore of League of Legends, you might not know much about who exactly Black Rose is, along with their tie-in with the overarching Arcane universe. Black Rose is led by members of the aristocracy from Noxus. However, just because they’re from Noxus doesn’t mean that they operate in the aggressive, military-oriented way their home country does. Instead, Black Rose uses statecraft, magic, and deception to get what they want, and more than often they succeed.

The History of the Black Rose and Their Influence

Black Rose uses their strategic cunning and powers of deception to their advantage, making them a very formidable foe. Each member of Black Rose is a master of arcane magic and witchcraft. This secret group operates with the ultimate goal of guiding the nation’s fortunes, and they’ve been successful in this endeavor for centuries now. Another distinct quality of Black Rose is how they operate in silence. Black Rose has a rich history, which began during the reign of Mordekaiser. Mordekaiser was a necromancer who ruled Noxus but was ultimately brought down by Vladimir and LeBlanc (JB Blanc), two League of Legends champions.

Black Rose has influenced the lives of many other champions. One of the primary examples of this is Swain. LeBlanc manipulated Swain into sabotaging the leader of Noxus, which is a perfect example of how the secret society will do what it can to pull the strings behind the scenes silently. They pull off a coup, and he becomes Grand General. This also launched the conflict between LeBlanc and Swain, which had been going on for nearly a decade. There are additional theories that Noxus’s rivalry with Demacia is part of a plot by LeBlanc, which could be explored in a potential spin-off. The foreshadowing regarding Black Rose can even be seen in the title sequence, which features a crushed flower.

The Mysterious Leader of the Black Rose

LeBlanc, known as The Pale Woman, is a master of illusion. She takes on a number of different personas and appearances. She can even clone herselfand ensnare enemies using magical thorny bindings, which are relevant throughout Arcane season two. LeBlanc is the leader of Black Rose, and this Sorceress has proven to be a mysterious and intimidating foe.

However, she is a mystery in this incarnation of the League of Legends universe. If a spin-off series focusing on Black Rose is developed, LeBlanc would likely be a primary focus. There’s something unnerving about a powerful shape-shifter. Especially one with so much influence thanks to her prominent position in Black Rose. Like the organization, pinning down Le Blanc’s true motives is difficult. Either way, LeBlanc proves to be a potent figure in Arcane and is bound to bring all sorts of trouble.

Black Rose and Their Connection to the Main Events in Arcane Season Two

Black Rose isn’t the main focus in Arcane, but the mysterious secret society’s influence is stronger than most realize. The secret societies’ actions occurred alongside the main arc focused on the ever-shifting empire. Black Rose has influenced some of the series’ biggest events. For example, Mel’s brother Kino (Keston John) crossed the secret faction thanks to the feud between LeBlanc and Swain previously mentioned. Ambessa blames Black Rose for Kino’s death, and that’s the motivating factor regarding why Ambessa even came to Piltover. By the third episode of season two, a member of the Piltovan Merchant Guild reveals himself as a member of Black Rose and tries to kill Ambessa. Ambessa and her bodyguard stop and kill the assassin, and Ambessa uses the death to blame Zaun, thus elevating Catilyn (Katie Leung) to become the Commander of Piltover. After these events, Black Rose decides to capture Mel and even kills her assistant. Mel is transported to a mysterious realm and is trapped in a prison.

Since Black Rose focuses on magic and illusion, Mel is plagued by visions. Eventually, she snaps out of it thanks to a figure posing as her dead brother. It’s revealed the figure is not her brother and is just an illusion. Mel is bound again but can break the chains thanks to her magical abilities. While the figure’s identity is unknown, the teardrop makeup below its eyes suggests it is LeBlanc. LeBlanc attempts to manipulate Mel by confirming that Ambessa allowed Kino to be killed. The figure also suggests a calamity is coming to Runeterra and that Mel could help stop it. LeBlanc tells her Ambessa wanted to use Mel as a weapon, and LeBlanc uses all of this to lure Mel into joining Black Rose. Mel accepts the offer and uses those powers to beat Ambessa. However, before Ambessa can be claimed by the clutches of Black Rose, Mel interferes and thus rejects the offer of membership. These actions have likely damaged the relationship between Mel and The Black Rose, especially since Mel takes on her mother’s Noxian position.

Black Rose is a mysterious and imposing force in the League of Legends universe, and its appearance in Arcane season two hints at more deep magical lore, along with leaving room for the influence of the secret society to impact future events. Whether Black Rose gets its own spin-off is unknown for now. However, the introduction of Black Rose opens the door for more exciting events to come.

Arcane is available on Netflix in the U.S.

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