Viktor (Arcane)

Viktor is the tritagonist of the Netflix animated series , based on the popular online video game . He is Jayce Talis' best friend and partner, Heimerdinger's former assistant, and the co-founder of Hextech.
Originally from the Undercity, he was born terminally sick. He eventually became the assistant of both Singed and years later Heimerdinger, moving up to Piltover with the Yordle. There he met Jayce and teamed up with him, becoming his partner and eventual best friend. His goal is to keep finding ways to improve the lives of the people of both Piltover and Zaun through his research and experiments, as well as find a cure for his illness before it's too late.
He's voiced by Harry Lloyd.
== Biography ==
=== Background ===
Viktor was born in Zaun and grew up poor and with a limp, which forced him to carry around a crutch wherever he went. Even as a boy, he showed a knack for inventing and spent a lot of time by himself crafting machines. He didn't talk or play much with the other kids due to his condition and more reserved nature, although one girl named Sky Young showed an interest in him.
One day while following a toy boat of his down a river, he discovered an underground lab hidden within a cave. There he met Singed, an Alchemist. Even though he was initally afraid of the older man, he showed an interest in a creature he kept in the lab called Rio. This creature was described by Singed as a rare mutation and told Viktor he was trying to find a way to save her from dying. He then asked Viktor for his help in this project. Viktor agreed and thus became his assistant, gathering materials the alchemist needed for his experiments. This arrangement didn't last long as when Viktor discovered the way Singed intended to save Rio was leaving her in constant agony, he was horrorfied and showed disgust, running out of the lab. This was the last time either one of them would see each other for years.
An unknown amount of time later, Viktor met Heimerdinger, a Yordle who was presumably impressed with the boy's intelligence and gift for inventing. Thus, he brought Viktor up with him to Piltover to improve his skills and make him his assistant.
=== Arcane ===
One day, Jayce Talis' apartment is burglarized which in turn exposes his unauthorized experiments to the public. Heimerdinger sends Viktor to collect any and all dangerous objects from the residence. Jayce is arrested and put on trial as most of the public saw Jayce's experiments as dangerous. Viktor however is instead intrigued by Jayce's work and his attempts to combine magic and science. Going behind Heimerdinger's back, he collects Jayce's notes and goes to meet him.
He finds him at his ruined apartment and inadvertently saves him from committing suicide. Viktor talks to Jayce about supporting him and agrees to help him make Hextech go public after the two of them bond over their shared dream of helping improve people's lives with technology. The duo then go and sneak into Heimerdinger's laboratory with the help of Councilor Mel Medarda in order to prove Hextech is a viable option that could prove to be revolutionary. They are successful in their goal and the Council members vote in favor of allowing the development of Hextech. Years later, Viktor and Jayce are working for the Council and have created the Hexgates, which revolutionized trades and transportation, in turn putting Piltover on the map as the global shipping lane. 
Viktor and Jayce are excited about what's next for Hextech and show Heimerdinger some new innovations they've been working on that could help make labor work easier. Although Heimerdinger is impressed, he advises the two to work on it for at least another 10 years before making it public in order to make sure it's safe. Viktor is put off by this suggestion as he wants their technology out now since there are people who desperately need the help. When Viktor and Jayce plan to show their new Hextech during Jayce's Piltover Progress Day speech, he ends up disappointed when Jayce takes Heimerdinger's advice and decides not to reveal it after all.
Afterwards at the Hexgates, Viktor argues with Jayce about him not going through with the unveiling of their Hextech and how Jayce's new responsibilities as a Council member will distract him from their Hextech research. Jayce tries to reassure him that he'll refocus on it in time but for now he has to attend to his new responsibilities. Viktor then has a nosebleed due to his illness, and when some of his blood ends up landing on the runes powering the Hexgates, he receives a vision that makes him theorize that Hextech can have limitless applications and not just be used for tools. Thus he begins working on the Hex Core, a rune that evolves. Viktor hopes the rune can adapt and change the physiology of organic matter. He keeps working on it only to get no results with the plants he's using to test. He overworks himself to the point he passes out one night and is taken to the hospital where Jayce sadly informs him he's dying.
When Viktor leaves the hospital, him and Jayce work on the Hex Core with the hope it can cure Viktor of his illness. While Viktor is discouraged and thinks they won't be able to make the Hex Core work before he dies, Jayce suggests they show the Hex Core to Heimerdinger to see if he has any ideas. However, Heimerdinger is afraid of it and demands it be destroyed. Jayce refuses and has the Council vote in favor of removing Heimerdinger from the Council's circle so he no longer poses a threat to his and Viktor's research.
Meanwhile, Viktor goes back to Singed for the first time in years in order to get his imput on the Hex Core. Singed encourages him to experiment by using the Hex Core on himself and gives him a vial of shimmer which would make it easier for Viktor's body to accept the changes that would happen to him. Singed warns him that doing this will cost him the trust and love of everyone he knows. Viktor expresses his confidence that Jayce would understand him at least. When Viktor goes back to the Bridge of Progress to get picked up by Jayce however, he discovers Jayce has ordered a blockade due to his fear and prejudice against the people of Zaun. This causes Viktor to become upset as he's also from the Undercity. Jayce tries to apologize when Viktor points out that fact, but nonetheless this event sours their relationship and causes Viktor to not tell Jayce about his plan on using the Hex Core on himself.
Later, Viktor is looking at one of Jinx's bombs with Jayce and Mel. They discuss the possibility of Jinx making a Hextech weapon with a gemstone she stole, and Mel suggests to Jayce that he develop his own Hextech weapon in order to defend Piltover in a possible war. Viktor strongly opposes the idea as making weapons isn't why they made Hextech. Jayce is conflicted as tensions between Zaun and Piltover are rising rapidly and tells Viktor he might not have a choice. Viktor then accidentally sets off the timer in Jinx's bomb but manages to shut it off before telling Jayce there's always a choice.
Viktor later begins the experiment of using the Hex Core on himself after injecting the shimmer Singed gave him into his body. Although painful, it's proven to be a success as his crippled leg is transformed into a more metalic one. He then goes out and tests his new leg and finds he can walk normally on it. He then begins to run for the first time with no issues as he yells, feeling empowered. Viktor is encouraged by this success to keep transforming his body, even though he's run out of shimmer. One night, he loses control of the Hex Core while using it on himself with no shimmer and almsot gets consumed by it. Sky Young walks in on him and tries to pull him away, only to get consumed herself and be the source of power needed to transform Viktor's hand. Viktor awakens and is distraught over Sky's death, reading through her notes left on the ground and discovering she admired him all this time further distressing Viktor. Viktor then tries to destroy the Hex Core, but can't bring himself to do it. In response to the threat, the Hex Core shocks Viktor, causing Viktor to be fearful of it.
At the ravine he and Sky used to play at when they were kids, Viktor scatters her ashes and almost commits suicide, but is saved by Jayce, ironically in the same way he prevented Jayce from killing himself when they first became partners. The duo properly reconcile and Viktor asks Jayce to destory the Hex Core for him as he can't do it himself, which Jayce reluctantly agrees to do. Later, Viktor is seen with Jayce supporting him at a council meeting where Jayce reveals he's brokered a peace treaty with Silco. Although most of the Council members are initially opposed to this idea, they vote in favor of it after calming down and being convinced. As soon as everyone agrees however, Jinx's missle crashes into the Council's meeting room, leaving everyone's fate currently unknown, including Viktor's.
== Appearance ==
Viktor is a young man with pale skin, messy brown hair, and brown eyes. Likely due to a combination of his illness and the polluted enviornment while growing up in Zaun, he's thin and scrawny and noticably walks with a limp most times before he augmented himself with the Hex Core which temporarily got rid of it.
When he started using the Hex Core on himself to help cure his illness and limp, some of his body parts started to change form and color, most notably his right hand and foot, which are both now purple and more metallic. This transformation has allowed Viktor to be able to walk normally for the first time in his life and even run.
== Personality ==
A young man who keeps to himself most times, Viktor is determined and headstrong when it comes to accomplishing his goals. Growing up in the Undercity, he knows what it's like to be poor while having to fend for yourself, thus he's sympathetic towards the people of Zaun, taking offense when Jayce says they're dangerous. Although reserved and introverted, he's also idealistic and selfless, genuinely wanting his research and inventions at Hextech to improve the lives of both Zaun and Piltover citizens alike.
Even though his intentions are pure, he can be hasty at times as he wanted Hextech to go out as soon as possibile despite the risks of it not being stable enough. This hastiness is partially understandable however due to the fact Viktor's illness is causing his lifespan to be cut short and he's afraid he won't able to put his research into effect while he's still alive. Although this expedious attitude has paid off to some extent, it's also lead to some serious consequences and regrets. When Viktor recklessly augmented himself with the Hex Core while he didn't have any more shimmer, it almost consumed him and ended up costing him Sky Young's life when she tried to save him. This event left him devastated and almost made him destroy the Hex Core out of anger, but couldn't bring himself to do it.
== Gallery ==
File:Viktorposter.jpg|Viktor's Arcane season one poster
File:Viktorreading.webp|Viktor reading
File:Viktortoyboat.png|Viktor as a child tinkering with his toy boat
File:Viktordrawingboard.webp|Viktor before the timeskip
File:Viktorexperimenthd.jpg|Viktor and Jayce in their lab experimenting.
File:Viktorjaycesmilinghd.png|Viktor and Jayce smiling at one another
File:Viktorrun.gif|Viktor running for the first time
== Trivia ==
* In Arcane, Viktor and Jayce are best friends and even see each other as brothers while their counterparts in League of Legends barely got along before they became enemies
== External Link ==
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