Jinx (League of Legends)
Jinx (born Powder) is a character in Riot Games' "League of Legends" franchise. She was introduced as a playable champion for the video game in October 2013. In the game, Jinx is depicted as a manic and impulsive criminal from Zaun, as well as the archenemy of the Piltover enforcer Vi. The 2021 Netflix animated series "Arcane" explores Powder's origin story as Vi's younger sister who, after inadvertently causing the death of her adopted family, was taken in and raised by the crime lord Silco, beginning her path in becoming Jinx. Since her debut , Jinx has become one of the franchise's most popular and iconic characters. Her portrayal in "Arcane" has garnered acclaim from critics and fans. Concept and creation. Illustrator Katie De Sousa posted conceptual artwork of the "gun-toting, braid-rocking criminal" that would end up being Jinx on a bulletin board for potential ideas at Riot Games. De Sousa wanted to create a "completely insane female villain who is beyond any kind of reform or rehabilitation" for "League of Legends". De Sousa was also a fan of "Attack Damage Carry" (ADC), a term used to describe champions that deal high  levels of continuous damage in matches. The character was given the codename "Psycho Arsenal" and remained on the board for months until August Browning, seeking to make a weapon-swapping ADC, decided to work on her with De Sousa. They avoided giving her a "sexy persona" and instead depicted her as a pale and slender woman who wielded disproportionately oversized weapons to make her stand out from other female "League" champions. The Joker, Gollum, and actress Helena Bonham Carter served as primary inspirations for Jinx's character. Jinx's backstory was written by Graham McNeill. To build up to her  debut, a music video starring the character titled "Get Jinxed" was released on the "League of Legends" YouTube channel. Jinx would officially join "League of Legends" in the October 2013 update. Sarah Anne Williams provided Jinx’s voice for most of the games and videos she featured in. The character's origin was later expanded upon when she was adapted by Christian Linke and Alex Yee for the animated series "Arcane". The first season was released on Netflix in November 2021. Ella Purnell voices Jinx in the series, while Mia Sinclair Jenness voices a younger version of the character in  Act 1. Appearances. Section::::"League of Legends". Jinx was added as a playable champion to the marksman roster of "League of Legends" in October 2013. As established in the lore written by Graham McNeill, Jinx was once a young innocent girl from Zaun, the seedy underbelly of the utopian city of Piltover. She harbors a dark and mysterious past with Vi, another champion from the game. Following a childhood tragedy, Jinx grew up to become "manic and impulsive" and her capacity for creating mayhem "became the stuff of legend". Her most notorious crimes include releasing a stampede of exotic animals, disrupting  trade by lining the city's bridges with destructive explosives, and pulling a heist on one of Piltover’s most secure treasuries. The game’s developers ensured the character moved quickly during gameplay to portray her chaotic personality and energy. Jinx’s primary weapons include her minigun nicknamed "Pow-Pow"; her shock pistol "Zapper"; her explosive grenades called "Flame Chompers"; and her customized rocket launcher dubbed "Fishbones" for its shark-inspired design. Jinx's alternate character skins in the game originate from parallel realities separate from the main lore. In the “Odyssey” universe, Jinx is a member of an intergalactic  crew that travels the cosmos. In the “Star Guardian” universe, she is part of a magical girl squad. Jinx's design from "Arcane" was also adapted as an alternate skin in "League of Legends". Section::::"Arcane". The first season of "Arcane" reveals that Jinx was originally named Powder. She and her older sister Vi were orphaned following the repressed undercity's failed uprising against the utopian city of Piltover, after which they were taken in by Vander, the leader of the rebellion. At the start of the series, Powder and Vi rob a penthouse owned by Piltover scientist Jayce. Powder steals  a set of arcane crystals and accidentally causes an explosion. They escape back to the undercity but the enforcers of Piltover relentlessly search for the culprit. Vander turns himself in to protect them only to be taken by Silco, his former brother-in-arms. Powder follows Vi and her adopted brothers, Mylo and Claggor, when they leave to rescue Vander and, attempting to help them fend off Silco's forces, uses the stolen crystals to cause a massive explosion that results in the deaths of Vander, Mylo and Claggor. In her grief, Vi hits Powder and calls her a "jinx  before walking away. Believing herself to be abandoned, Powder seeks comfort in Silco's arms. Years later, a teenage Powder goes by the name Jinx, having been raised by Silco as his daughter. Silco has taken control of the undercity, now called Zaun, and Jinx is trusted to oversee the smuggling of Shimmer", a chemical stimulant that Silco plans to use in his second revolt, into Piltover. When a job goes awry due to the interference of insurgents known as the Firelights, Jinx attempts to impress Silco by stealing an arcane "Hextech" gemstone from Jayce, killing six enforcers in the  process. Rookie enforcer Caitlyn recruits Vi, who has been imprisoned for years, to help track Jinx down. Jinx turns on Vi upon realizing that she is working with an enforcer. The Firelights intervene and take Vi, Caitlyn and the gemstone. Jinx kills the enforcers on the bridge connecting Zaun to Piltover and recovers the gemstone, though she is grievously wounded during an encounter with Ekko, the Firelights' leader and her former childhood friend. Silco finds Jinx and brings her to Singed, a scientist who injects her with Shimmer to heal her injuries. Jinx hallucinates Vi and Caitlyn inflicting her pain  so she kidnaps them both. She abducts Silco as well upon hearing him lament choosing between Zaun's independence and her as part of an ultimatum offered to him by Jayce. Jinx forces Vi to choose between Caitlyn and herself. Both Vi and Silco appeal to Jinx, causing her to suffer a panic attack. Silco breaks free and almost shoots Vi before Jinx, in a manic fit, guns him down. In his final moments, Silco reaffirms he never would have betrayed Jinx and comforts her by telling her she is "perfect". Jinx finally accepts her new identity and, having weaponized  the gemstone to power a rocket launcher, fires at the Piltover council just as they approve to grant Zaun its independence. Other appearances. Jinx has also featured in various "League of Legends" spin-off games, including "Teamfight Tactics", "Legends of Runeterra", and "". As promotion for "Arcane", Jinx was added as a playable character in "PUBG Mobile", "Fortnite", and "Among Us". Music videos. Jinx was one of the first champions from "League of Legends" to feature in her own video in the lead-up to her in-game release. The animated music video "Get Jinxed" by Agnete Kjølsrud from the band  Djerv was released on October 8, 2013. It follows Jinx’s destructive exploits in Piltover. It has received over 115 million views on YouTube as of February 2022. The character is also the main focus of the music video "Enemy" by Imagine Dragons and JID, which depicts "the parts of her childhood that led her to a life of crime". "Enemy" was released to promote "Arcane", in addition to being featured as the series' opening theme. It has garnered over 109 million views on YouTube as of February 2022. Reception. Jinx is often labeled as a "fan-favorite" and one  of the most iconic champions from "League of Legends", and has become one of the most popular video game characters for fanart and cosplay. "Dot Esports" contributes Jinx's continued popularity towards the "Get Jinxed" music video and her "magnetic" design. "PC Gamer" listed Jinx as the 23rd most iconic character in PC gaming, citing her as the mascot for "League of Legends". Jinx has been featured in multiple videos for Riot Games' "League of Legends" YouTube channel, and was even the focal point of the cinematic launch trailer for the mobile game "". Jinx's portrayal in "Arcane" garnered widespread  acclaim from critics and fans. Rafael Motamayor of "IGN" described the character as "compelling" and "what keep[s] you engaged episode after episode". Fans have lauded the series' serious treatment of Jinx's mental illness to make her a more tragic character, rather than using it as a quirk for comedy. Similarities have been noted between Jinx's characterization in "Arcane" and the DC Comics supervillain the Joker (who served as an inspiration for Jinx from the "League of Legends" game), specifically with regards to her actions in the season finale. The vocal performances of Ella Purnell and Mia Sinclair Jenness  as Jinx and young Powder, respectively, received significant praise from critics; Purnell won the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production for her performance in the sixth episode of "Arcane".