In a massive revelation, Season 2 – Episode 5 of the highly anticipated Netflix show, “Arcane”, has uncovered the true identity of one of its most enigmatic characters. It took a tragic series of events for the renowned Dr. Corin Reveck from Piltover’s past to reinvent himself as Singed, the mad scientist in Zaun pursuing a nearly impossible goal.
Who is Dr. Corin Reveck in League of Legends?
Before becoming the shadowy figure we know as Singed in Arcane, Dr. Corin Reveck is already present in League of Legends lore. He once was Piltover’s best inventor, renowned for developing prosthetic body parts that aided their people. As a father, he trained his daughter Orianna in his craft, watching with pride as she surpassed his own skills in craftsmanship.
Orianna was not only a brilliant mind; she also possessed an altruistic nature that led her to help the undercity of Zaun during a toxic gas leak. She turned to her expertise in repairing and distributed respirators and esophilters to save the residents.
However, in a sacrificial moment that would forever change her and Dr. Reveck’s life, she gave her own protective mask to a young Zaunite. As consequence, Orianna became extremely exposed to the toxic gas, and the poison gradually destroyed her body.
Dr. Reveck’s Ultimate Creation: The Lady of Clockwork
The events that resulted in Orianna’s slow deterioration gave way to Dr. Reveck’s despair, and eventually, his best and worst creation. Dr. Reveck refused to accept his daughter’s condition, using his abilities to try and turn her fate around.
He began replacing Orianna’s failing organs with clockwork alternatives, starting with her lungs. However, as the poison spread, all but her heart was eventually replaced with bionic parts, with her memories also becoming fainter as her humanity fades. When Dr. Reveck himself fell ill, Orianna was unable to secure enough funds for his treatment and made the most logical choice she could make—an ultimate sacrifice. She secretly performed surgery to give her father her last human organ.
In place of her heart, she then constructed The Ball—a Hextech-powered mechanical device to defend and assist her. After losing the last remnants of her humanity, Orianna became only a machine powered by The Ball and embraced her new identity as the Lady of Clockwork. She disappeared to fulfill her wish of travelling to other cities, leaving only a golden dancer as a memento.
Arcane’s Reimagining: Singed’s True Identity
In League of Legends lore, Dr. Corin Reveck and Singed appear to be different people, as the latter is described as a heartless mad chemist with only the pursuit of knowledge as his goal. In Arcane, two seemingly unconnected stories are intertwined as Orianna and Singed become the father and daughter in a tragedy.
Season 2 Episode 5, titled “Blisters and Bedrock,” confirms the long-speculated theory that Singed is actually Dr. Corin Reveck. Caitlyn’s investigation into Piltover’s archives pieces together this truth, confronting Singed about his true identity.
As it turns out, after losing her daughter, Dr. Corin Reveck left his prestigious position in Piltover, taking on the identity of Singed. He set out to conduct increasingly desperate and even dangerous experiments, including the development of Shimmer. His pocket watch that contains Orianna’s photo also turns out to be more than a keepsake, as it was the key to a secret chamber where he keeps Orianna on life support.
When Caitlyn presses on with her interrogation, Singed responds that everything he has done is to “cure her”. Unlike the game’s lore, Arcane’s version of Orianna hasn’t yet become the Lady of Clockwork. Instead, we see a father doing everything in his capacity to prevent this transformation entirely. Every experiment, including the creation of the fearsome Warwick, served one purpose—finding a way to defeat death itself.
A New Understanding
Through this reveal, all of Singed’s actions take on new meaning. His willingness to save Jinx with Shimmer, his relentless pursuit of new experiments, and even his partnership with Warwick—everything connects to his mission to save Orianna. While his methods remain questionable, we now understand the loving father behind the mad scientist’s mask.
The reveal of Singed as Dr. Corin Reveck strengthens Arcane’s storytelling by giving one of its most morally complex characters a compelling backstory that connects directly to League of Legends lore. While his methods remain questionable, understanding the depths of his paternal love adds tragic dimension to his character, proving once again why Arcane excels at bringing League of Legends characters to life in new and meaningful ways.
