Jinx Level-up Timing

I've been having a blast playing for the past 4 days. Wrapping my head around the timing of spells and skills in this game has been a process, but I think I've got it figured out pretty well by now.

One exception that I don't quite grasp is exactly how Jinx's level-up timing works. There were 2 scenarios that ran completely counter to what I had anticipated would happen:

1. Opponent had a 4-attack Jinx on the board and 1 card in hand. I play She Who Wanders, obliterating both Jinx and the card in hand (which emptied the opponent's hand). I'm pretty sure the skill animation showed Jinx being taken out. Yet upon resolution of the skill, Jinx leveled up and returned to the field - now with 5 attack, obviously. What's the deal? Removal of all cards from both players' boards and hands should occur at the same time, so after the skill resolves, Jinx should be out of play and thus unable to level up. If there is a fixed order in which cards are being removed, it should be board first, hand second (because that's the order it's worded in on the card).

2. I'm can't recall the exact setup of this one, but same as above, the opponent had a Jinx on the field and 1 card in hand. I attacked and challenged Jinx with my buffed Braum, killing her. I'm around 90% sure that the opponent didn't play the card from his hand when he confirmed blockers. My Braum killed Jinx, and again, I'm 90% sure the opponent then (i.e. after the battle had concluded) played the card from their hand, and suddenly, boom - Jinx level-up animation, and she returns to the field as a level 2.

Can anybody enlighten me as to how her level-up timing works in detail? On a side note, I've already read the tip to check the all-seeing eye more often to see how chains will resolve. I definitely should've used this feature in case 1 at least.

1. She Who Wanders only obliterates followers, not champions, so Jinx should always be unaffected by its effect. It used to also kill champions during the first preview patch, but since it was obviously way too strong of an effect Riot nerfed it (the card didn't get nicknames like 'She Who Wins' and 'She Who Yeets' for nothing).

2. Not sure about this one, the only thing I can think of is that the opponent played the last remaining card at the very last moment possible before Jinx was killed, but since you're 90% sure they didn't I wouldn't know. Do you remember what the last card was? Maybe it was another Jinx. :p

As far as I know Jinx immediately levels up as soon as the last card leaves the hand. Its effect doesn't even have to activate yet, but the player has to at least have confirmed it as a play (meaning that you cannot 'pretend' to play a spell, level up Jinx, and then decide not to play the spell and put it back in your hand).

As soon as your hand is empty you level up jinx, you can see that with Augmented Experimenter that he always upgrades jinx if she is on board when he is played.

on the 2 scenario for sure they emptied they hand and upgraded jinx for that +1/+1

Thanks for the replies, guys!

Quote From GerritDeMan

1. She Who Wanders only obliterates followers, not champions

Quote From GerritDeMan

Do you remember what the last card was? Maybe it was another Jinx. :p

In general: the champions' Level Up effects are instantaneous--i.e., "faster than burst".  A good example of this is the Jinx + Rummage combo: if I have 4 cards in hand including the aforementioned, I can play Jinx, then at any time I can play the Rummage spell at burst speed.  Even though the latter action will end with me having 2 cards in hand, because there was an instant halfway through the spell where I had 0, Jinx flips.  Other significant Level Ups including Darius, Teemo, Lucian, and Thresh.

Side note: I'm still not convinced that the above is a good combo, as Rummage is unplayable without at least 2 other cards in hand so there are a lot of times when its a super awkward topdeck (i.e., when your Jinx is already flipped and you just want to burn your entire hand every turn), but I have 3 Jinx right now and not a lot of other support cards so I'm running it.

Quote From OldManSanns

In general: the champions' Level Up effects are instantaneous--i.e., "faster than burst".

I already figured as much, but thanks for explaining it in detail. I have experienced a weird situation at least twice where my Braum leveled up in combat and immediately summoned a Mighty Poro. No idea what was up with that; I can say for sure it wasn't an enemy with Doube Strike.