Updated on December 21, 3:23 p.m. (GMT+8): Added two more champions to the list.
Runeterra is vast.
With more than 160 champions, there are many League of Legends lore and stories to explore. Riot Games started out developing individual champions, and stitched their worlds together after, creating regions, races, cites, and entire cultures.
The League of Legends universe is rich with many tales. Some are short, others are very detailed, but one thing is for sure — League of Legends lore will surely have you wanting more.
Here are five champions with the best League of Legends lore throughout Runeterra
Fiddlesticks is not just a Runeterran myth
Fiddlesticks is a living demon who relies on collecting the fear of its enemies. This demon takes the form of a scarecrow, patiently waiting in the fields of Demacia to terrify any unfortunate souls that pass by it.
According to the people of Demacia, the legend of the demon Fiddlesticks is nothing but a mere story to frighten children.
However, Fiddlesticks is real, and he instils fear into anyone who ever doubts his existence. The demon is “an entity so utterly alien that it defies almost all contemporary knowledge of magic” in Runeterra, according to Fiddlesticks’ official lore.
Aside from Fiddlesticks, there are also other demons with their own League of Legends lore. Champions such as Nocturne and Evelynn are closely related, and are said to be the embodiment of dark entities in Runeterra.
Fiddlesticks is the demon of fear, Evelynn is the demon of pain, and Nocturne is the demon of nightmares.
Braum is a big man with an even bigger heart
Braum is a hero hailing from the cold lands of Freljord in Runeterra. He is known to be a man of valor who has plenty of impressive feats.
During his teenage years, Braum was widely recognized throughout the Freljord because of his heroic deeds, where he rescued children from icy ravines, and protected adventurers from dangerous monsters.
Braum’s League of Legends lore spoke about a time when he was trying to rescue a boy from a frozen cellar, but could not budge its large door. He punched through hard rock and ice, and ripped open the frozen hatch out of its hinges to get to free the trapped boy.
Freljord may be the coldest place in Runeterra, but Braum’s kindness provided warmth to its citizens. As his escapades multiplied, Braum gradually turned into a mythical figure, a folk legend among the denizens of Freljord.
Shurima was once the glory of Runeterra, according to Azir
Several thousands of years ago, during the Shurima empire’s heyday in Runeterra, Azir sought to be on par with the gods.
The emperor expanded the borders of his empire, bringing in wealth through trade and great victories. With the Shuriman empire at its peak, Azir attempted to perform the Ascension ritual to transform himself into a powerful god.
However, at his greatest moment, Azir was murdered by one of his closest advisers, the shaman Xerath. Since then, Azir reincarnated as a demigod, and is seeking to reclaim his glory days of the empire.
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Ivern’s League of Legends lore explains how he became a tree
Ivern is friendly to all creatures living in the forest. However, he was not always a sociable being according to League of Legends lore.
Long ago, Ivern was a ferocious human warrior built with an iron will and unshakeable determination. He sought to usurp an ancient, magical power hidden deep in the woods of Ionia.
Ivern believed that the power of the forest will serve as a game-changer in the battle against the Iceborn, that is, Freljord champions including Ashe, Braum, Sejuani, and more.
When Ivern finally found the source of the forest’s magic, the forest fought back and entangled him in wood and leaves that shattered his human body.
At that moment, a voice deep within the woods saved Ivern, and taught him lessons about compassion and restraint. The illustrious warrior was later on transformed into a friendly tree.
This is Jinx’s League of Legends lore and origins
Before becoming the deranged, explosive-loving champion that she is today, Jinx was a sweet kid. During her childhood, Jinx was a budding tinkerer whose ideas were always too great for Piltover, the City of Progress.
However, her experiments and inventions flourished in the undercity district of Zaun. Also known as the City of Iron and Glass, Zaun is more open and liberal to the development of volatile technologies as opposed to the utopian city of Piltover where experiments were kept to high humane and ethical levels.
Over time, Jinx demonstrated the fruits of her labor by “pranking” the people of Piltover. Her jokes varied from harmless dynamite displays to full-blown acts of violence. She eventually became a threat to the city.
Good news is that Jinx is already part of an animated series, Netflix’s Arcane. Dive deeper into her story, which intertwines with Caitlyn, Vi, Ekko, and more.
All hail the Ruined King, Viego
The Blade of the Ruined King existed in the game long before Viego ever did.
So when Riot Games finally put the two pieces of the puzzle together, a rich new set of stories was born. Besides introducing the fighter champion Viego, he also got his very own RPG game called Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, and novel, Ruination.
Once human, he was a reluctant king of Camavor, chosen by Sanctity, a sword passed down from his ancestors. He unconventionally married a seamstress, Isolde, instead of royalty, and loved her dearly — perhaps too much.
One night, they were attacked by assassins. She was poisoned, and died. Unable to deal with his grief, and at the cost of his entire kingdom, he sought out the Blessed Isles, a mysterious island in the middle of the ocean that contained magical water that could cure any ailment.
Instead of coming back to life, Isolde turned into a wraith, angry that he had disturbed her peace after death. Taking his sword, she stabbed him, turning him and everything else into the undead, and turning the Blessed Isles into the Shadow Isles as it is now known in Runeterra.
K’Sante is the first outright LGBTQ black champion in-game
The Pride of Nazumah, K’Sante is a desert warrior who came from an oasis city located on the southern outskirts of the desert in Shurima.
The oasis where his city was built was one of the few water sources within the area, so historically, its people had no choice but to compete with monsters for resources just to survive.
K’Sante’s story begins 500 years after their victory — as the leader of warriors who hunt desert monsters. His unique weapon is made from regenerative hide, which he obtained after fighting one of the toughest monsters in the desert.
He used to hunt with his former boyfriend, Tope, but due to conflicting ideologies, they went their separate ways but still remained friendly. After the breakup, K’Sante finally found himself, and become stronger than he was before on the inside and out.
Bring us more drama, please.
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