Silco

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Magnificent Baddie
Full Name	Silco
Alias	The Industrialist Eye of Zaun
Origin	Arcane
Allies	Jinx Sevika Singed Deckard Chem-barons Sheriff Marcus
Powers/Skills	High intelligence Fighting skills Vast resources Manipulation Strategy Charisma Intimidation
Goals	Gain independence from Zaun (succeeded post-mortem, but rejected it pre-mortem). Kill Vander. Weaponize the Hextech gemstone with Jinx's help. Protect Jinx (all succeeded). Kill Vi and Caitlyn (failed).
Crimes	Mass murder (indirectly) Torture Unethical experimentation Blackmail Drug dealing Animal cruelty Terrorism Conspiracy
Type of MB	Power-Hungry Crime Lord

“	I'd like to let you in on a very important secret I learned when I was about your age, boy. You see, power, real power doesn't come to those who were born strongest, or fastest, or smartest. No. It comes to those who will do anything to achieve it. It's time to let the monster out.	„
	~ Silco's speech to Deckard. noicon

“	Renni: What's that? Silco: Oh, you don't recognize it? Have you forgotten where we came from? The mines they had us in? Air so thick it clogged your throat, stuck in your eyes. But I pulled you all up from the depths, offered you a taste of topside, and fresh air. I gave you life, purpose, but you've grown fat and complacent. Too much time in the sun. We came from a world where there was never enough to go around, Finn. That is why we fight. Do you remember? Finn: Sorry. Please. Please. Silco: Don't forget again.	„
	~ Silco thwarting a coup from Finn and keeping the Chem-barons in his thumb.

“	I never would have given you to them. Not for anything. Don't cry. You're perfect...	„
	~ Silco final words to Jinx, assuring he still loves her before dying.

Silco is one of the two main antagonists (alongside Ambessa Medarda) of the RiotGames/Netflix 2021 animated series Arcane, set in the League of Legends.

He is a ruthless and powerful Zaunite crime lord who wants what's best for Zaun and free it from oppression from Piltover and is willing to stop at almost nothing to achieve it. He is also the former brother-in-arms with Vander, who following a rather brutal murder attempt when their revolt was growing too violent, is what eventually what caused Silco to walk a dark path, taking Vander's place as the de-facto ruler of Zaun after killing him. He is also the adoptive father of Powder/Jinx.

He was voiced by Jason Spisak.

What Makes Him Magnificent?

• He is a well-intentioned extremist, genuinely wanting what's best for Zaun and free it from Piltover oppression. We can't really blame him as Zaun's situation is very bad thanks to Piltover, in which it's residents are routinely harassed by the Piltover Enforcers, the city dumps all its waste there and pollutes it, and the Council is filled with either corrupt or unintelligent councilmen, barring Heimerdinger who is too oblivious and out of touch of real human problems. With all these in mind, it is hard not to understand Silco's place.
• This is made even more as he has a tragic backstory to go with it, having suffered from poverty and pollution growing up in Zaun, genuinely wanting to free Zaun from Piltover oppression, but ends up betrayed by the very person he considered his brother-in-arms, Vander, in a rather horrific murder attempt that scarred him at the eye permanently and still traumatizes him till this day, due to Silco accidentaly causing the death of Felicia, the mother of Vi and Powder.
• Even despite hating Vander for his betrayals, Silco comes to respect him more and forgives Vander for it, having paid his respects to him even after he kills him.
• Using his charisma, he sways the Chem-barons and other Zaunites like Sevika to his side. This is made impressive with the Chem-barons as before Silco swayed them, they were the most powerful people in Zaun who were constantly at each others' throats. It's also shown that when Silco died, all the Chem-Barons started fighting each other for control and turned Zaun into an utter disaster, showing that Silco's control over them was so strong that he was the one thing preventing Zaun from facing multiple gang wars.
• Silco's scheme for power worked and he ends up taking over Zaun upon Vander's death.
• Upon being hugged by Powder, Silco empathizes with her and hugs her, deciding to adopt her and call her 'Jinx'. He maintains a semblance of authority over Jinx despite her growing psychosis and tries to help Jinx with her trauma, and was deeply worried when she was gravely injured. Due to her impressive gadgetry skills, he has her develop a weapon using the refined gemstone she stole.
• Upon Jinx murder of 6 Enforcers to steal the gemstone, Silco himself scolds her for her actions and how much trouble it would put him through, and uses one of Jinx's bombs to cleverly frame the Fireflights for the attack.
• While suffering a full on Villainous Breakdown in which he beats up his lackey and addicts in rage as a result of Vi and Caitlyn escaping, Silco eventually regains his composure almost immediately and handles failures much better.
• When the Chem-barons became overambitious and tried to overthrow Silco when they were focusing purely on the profits, Silco quells the coup by using the gases of Zaun to remind them where they came from and the real reason they are fighting, to free Zaun from oppression rather than for the sake of power and money.
  • He then quells another coup by Finn through a speech about loyalty, expressing his disgust on how Renni and Finn leech off their ancestor's legacies, which earned the loyalty of his right-hand, Sevika, being calm for the most part in the situation and wasn't begging for mercy and to spare his life even if he was pretty much worried about Sevika's loyalty.
• Upon finally getting the chance to make Zaun a sovereign state and a seat in the Council to improve Piltover, Silco was willing to toss away all that considering doing so would be to hand Jinx over to them and betray his daughter, finally understanding what Vander had to sacrifice to raise Mylo, Claggor, Vi and Powder.
• Gets a very sympathetic death when Jinx accidentally shoots him, which Silco uses the last of his strength to tell Jinx he loves her despite her flaws and would've never betray her.

What Makes Him a Baddie?

• Pedals Shimmer, a highly dangerous drug, across the markets in Zaun to fund the operations, uncaring for the disastrous effects it has.
• Was not above threatening the lives of children like Mylo, Claggor, Vi, originally Powder, Marcus' daughter, and even admits to Renni he would've had her son for her treachery had he not already been killed.
• Kills Vander to take over Zaun, even if he has some remorse for this action.
• Although a very minor misdeed, he knocks over the tile castle Marcus' daughter was building for no pragmatic reason than to sell his threat to Marcus. This is noticeably Silco's one moment of true pettiness in the series.

Trivia

• Silco has been one of the most critically acclaimed villains in 2021 for his ruthless and complex nature.

External Links

• Silco at the Villains wiki
• Silco at the League of Legends wiki
• Silco at the Inconsistently Heinous wiki