#small ted talk

I'm honestly SO TIRED of the "Ekko can't love Jinx because she’s a terrorist" narrative.

This label gets thrown around because it’s convenient for viewers who want moral simplicity and a scapegoat.

They completely ignore that she’s a product of abandonment, systemic oppression, and trauma that NO ONE in the show properly addressed. She’s a symbol of what happens when society chooses order over care.

Calling her a terrorist while excusing characters like Jayce, who greenlit a bombing run that killed civilians or Caitlyn who operates within and benefits from an oppressive system is absurd.

Ekko knew who she was before the world broke her and by the end of the show, he understands that her transformation wasn’t a betrayal, but a tragedy.

And let's be honest, to the Piltie goons, Ekko is also a criminal. He fights enforcers, damages infrastructure, and destabilizes authority. The only reason people don't slap the “terrorist” label on him is because he’s framed as more pacific.

So the idea of Ekko looking down at Jinx and judging her unworthy of love because of what she’s done would be fucking hypocritical.

Because they’re both products of the same war. The difference is, he got community and purpose. She got isolation, manipulation, and a ton of trauma.

*Anyways I love everything you're doing on this blog, you're the best! Have a nice day!

Hi hello!! I was cheering and nodding along the more i kept reading, really well put anon!!!! I honestly keep my think pieces in my twitter account hahaha but I have tackled that point about Piltovans not differentiating them. Caitlyn does say that she thought firelights were working for Silco when she met Ekko, and it makes sense because Jinx has been setting them up by drawing their symbols on her weapons. We don't know what their reputation looks like among your average piltovan but we do know that Ekko, just like Jinx and many other zaunite characters, despises enforces. We see that on the firelight montage where they use one of their unfiroms as a punching bag.

Considering his low screentime, most of his characterization is told through songs (i.e MistFit Toys, Dynasties and Dystopia, Ma Meilleure Ennemie) and for instance, in misfit toys, he calls out the system for the hell it put them through.

And he's certainly not opposed to violent resistence (like you were saying !! Just bringing some canon substance to the table haha)

But just like you pointed out, Ekko had a community to rely on while Jinx had no one besides Silco who up until episode 8 did not realize his affection for her, mostly prepering her to become a weapon.

Idk this argument that Ekko could never bring himself to love Jinx because of things she has done is 1) absurd because the very nature of their relationship rallies on contradictions (i.e "I love and hate you", "the worst of all blessings, the best of all curses", "Better than alone is to be in bad company") 2) Not in character because in Ekko's own monologue in s2ep9 he knows Jinx wants to do better, and he want to give her that chance with no strings attached

Something Jinx has been struggling since before she ever become Jinx is her unwavering need to prove herself, but Ekko doesn't want that and doesn't need it either. He doesn't want her to prove him she's better or she's changed, he wants her to do that for herself. To build something for her. Which is word for word him wanting to see her getting out of that traumatic cycle she's been trapped since she's lost everyone.

Basically he wants to see her healing, with or without him, no expectations needed

(This is just scratching the surface too, there's so much more but this is getting long haha)

And that i think its beautiful :')) and some people missing out on this beautiful message because they are incapable of engaging with neither of those characters beyond surface level is very sad.

They are both fucking stupid and nothing supposedly supports this in the narrative of the show, this is truly dividing the fandom.

Hes one of many examples of this trait I've noticed

Like the treatment I see on Reddit is baffling cause of that.

Hi! wow those are a loooooooooooooot of points to talk about hahhahaha there's one specifically that kind of threw me off tho. I think it warrants it's own separate and lengthy response (the one about Jayce being.... groomed by Mel?? 😭)

As for the main points, I do believe Jinx is that much of a complex character ; every zaunite character we encounter makes choices that are influenced by their social background. Just like you pointed out Vi and Ekko (Viktor as well, as his illness was caused by Piltover's negligence of the undercity) and that includes Jinx. I don't think because there are some other characters who made "better choices" that it should strip Jinx of her importance (albeit tardive) in Zaun's rebellion.

By the way you paint it I assume you see Jinx killing enforcers as an inherently bad trait, which I can't agree on. While the show has presented us a handful of enforcers who seem to just obey orders (Grayson, Steb, Loris - I guess Marcus counts as well, but just like so many other enforcers he willingly worked alongside Silco) they are the institution enforcing the divide between the cities. The same institution that killed Vi and Jinx's parents, and the ones that were perpetuating martial law in s2 (where we see them arresting and attacking Jinxers on their streets, as well as violently interrumping Sevika's peaceful rally). Jinx has a deeply seated anger towards said institution that we see as early on as s1act1; way before she ever became Jinx. The enemy MV too shows glimpses of her childhood where we see how her and Vi get controlled by enforcers. (Vi and Ekko share that anger aswell, but their stories differ on how they handle it)

Where I want to get is that yes, Jinx has a more violent approach to Zaun's liberation, something that has been fueled by Silco as she grew up under his care. Which is why this makes her far more radical and political than what I've seen people discuss; her blowing up the council IS a radical and political act as well. It wasn't caused because of her episode.

(I'd argue that the only reckless act she made because of her episode was killing Silco, as she didn't do it with intent, contrary to what came afterwards)

Jinx had already made the choice to blow up the council way before she ever planned the tea party (as she's seen working on FishBones as soon as she's reintroduced as an adult). No matter how it would've gone, if Vi had chosen her or not, she would've blown up the council either way as she brought FishBones to the warehouse.

She didn't blow up the council FOR Zaun, but that doesn't make it any less meaningful for zaunites, which is why I don't fully agree with your first statment neither. She's still one of the two main zaunite characters whose story impact the entire narrative, and through Jinx we understand zaunites and their anger. Through Ekko we see their resiliance and hope, through Vi we understand their burden. All of their perspectives matters to understand just how complex their society is, and how their oppression manifests differently in each individual.

Though, Jinx definitely hurt zaun, too. We do not know to what extent as we are unaware of the things that went down during the act 1 - 2 timeskip (she was also mostly a teen during those years) ; but by virtue of being Silco's right hand and working to protect the shimmer suplies, she's played a part on his regime. (tho the sentiment that she killed many zaunites isn't true either, we don't know that. In the show she's only ever seen killing one firelight after an episode, the other four are seen later on in episode 7)

(tho Sevika does comment on her going after firelights, but the series makes a point about it being equal footing battles, where both sides are aiming to kill)

Jinx does many other radical acts like preventing the strike team to navigate the undercity properly, redirecting the gray to piltover, and freeing zaunites from stillwater (she didn't go with that intent but she did it regardless, and the mere sentiment of wanting to free Isha IS radical)

In no way is this excusing the things she's done, just pointing out the progression in her story. Her arc in s2 was also about her accepting her new position as a leader in zaun (albeit temporarily since she sacrifices herself for Vi at the end), something that was pushed onto her and she initially rejects because of her self hatred and lack of self esteem. Zaun claimed her, but she wasn't prepared yet.

About Cait.... I personally only brought her up to make a point about how the system views firelights. I reitarate that we don't know their reputation amongst civilians, and nowhere did anon nor me imply firelights would go after civilians. They are opposed to Piltover and the system put in place, and my point was to show that they aren't against dismantling/getting violent towards the institution (enforcers). But since we barely see them in the show we are only shown them dismantling shimmer supplies (another of their priorites)

(but it doesn't mean the show never let us know about their disdain towards enforcers.... as we see in their montage, and Ekko talking about the people they've lost because of them and Silco)

When you say "mourned her choice" what do you mean exactly? Her choice of choosing to stay with Silco? also another very complex subject because she made that choice when she was like. 12 yo. and that's a whole other can of worms

Congratulations to popularmmos! He was someone I looked up to when I was young and Im glad for his recovery but man, this comment is just parasocial in it's finest.