New Aatrox Is An Improvement

To begin I've always loved Aatrox, I always thought he was a unique character in league and before they added in other characters like Tahm, Kayne, and the reworked Evelynn he truly felt like what Riot's version of demons would be, then as most people were I was skeptical about the new aatrox updates as I didn't really see a problem with his kit, (other than people never building thorn), and to be honest I really wanted to hate the rework when it happened, but the truth is when his kit got revealed and I was able to play him in game I immediately fell in love with the new aatrox and it was for admittedly a good number of reasons.

1. The Unique Design: Before his rework Aatrox was just another champ to rush a thorn against like Xin, Yas, Jax, Tryn, and etc, but now he no longer relies on dps in order to get the job done and admittedly that makes him feel more satisfying as well as more engaging when you play him properly, both him and Irelia thanks to their reworks are now masters of a battlefield, you can spam Aatrox's kit and you can just be full aggression with Irelia, but if you play your opponent into the proper situations you can control an entire trade like it's nothing, whether you kite them with Aatrox by using his knock ups or bait enemies into fighting you with Irelia so you can go into your damage negation, the fact is both when played as they're meant to be played can capitalize on an enemy's arrogance and ensure that even if they run they can give good chase and even lock them down in a zone for a proper beat down.

2. The depth to the Darkin: For the most part the Darkin felt like the ghost story of league, living weapons that were also like demons that were capable of causing great slaughters, and while there were some present ideas about the darkin we've never really explored how they came to be or why they seem so eager to kill and destroy, but with the new Aatrox and the lore we've received I've come to love the darkin even more as now it feels like there's purpose to the madness, not that there's anything wrong with a little senseless madness like Sion or Kled, but now with the new aatrox it feels like with each swing of his massive blade he's not just seeking to kill or determine who the real warriors are but he's fueled by something greater than basic bloodlust and conflict, a good comparison would be to Urgot who while is most definitely cruel and twisted has a philosophy and belief that fuel his actions, same for singed who conducts horrid experiments for the sake of science and not just to sate his sadistic desires, having purpose behind this destruction gives it more feeling and it honestly makes me more invested into aatrox's character as well as the history of the Darkins.

3. Emphasis On Skill: As said previously Aatrox before was just swing your sword and kill things, and while most people probably miss that the problem with that design is that there were other champions who could do that but just way more satisfying like Yas, Trynd, and Nasus, then you had his revive mechanic and unlike the over death defying abilities in the game this one truly felt like it required no effort, unlike Trynd's that is only really useful at low health or Zac and Anivia's which leaves them vulnerable Aatrox could tower dive, get his kill, and even if he didn't die thanks to his old w and the attack speed he gained he could sustain himself at such a rate that it was nearly impossible to actually kill him especially by late, but now his damage stress's the importance of positioning, prediction, and of course timing, for as stated previously while you can just spam his q and get decent damage the key to maximize his damage output is to land those marks as each one landed increases the damage and it also grants an additional two seconds towards your passive's cooldown, then you have your ultimate which is now meant to be used only in moments where it is just right, for while yes you do get a buff to your AD the fact is there's no certainty that you'll get the kill unless your opponent is low enough to be killed quickly or they have no summoners and low mana which means they won't put up much of a fight regardless, then you have his e which in my opinion is one of the best abilities in lol as it allows you to take a missed opportunity and change it into the beginning or continuation of an ongoing combo, and it allows for fantastic kiting when used in combination with your q or w.

4. A Greater Identity: Admittedly the saddest thing, (and in my opinion the only downside to this rework), is the loss of lines that gave Aatrox that philosophical outlook on war and combat, but to be fair we already have a good deal of champions with philosophies and ideologies around combat or at the least the strong and the weak such as Darius, Swain, Urgot, Sion, Irelia, and so forth, but this new interpretation of Aatrox beyond giving us more lore on the Darkin also gives us a character that truly stands out from the rest of the roster, there are some similarities in other champions sure like Xerath who was betrayed by Azir despite his loyalty to him, and Urgot who was sent to Zaun by Swain, but Aatrox's new lore, design, and the lore of the Darkins that comes with it shows us that the Darkin weren't always these "Edgy" brooding monsters but instead were imprisoned despite their protection against the void, and because of this Aatrox no longer cares for any life or the world itself as he feels as though everyone has betrayed him and so they deserve the oblivion he brings.

All in all I think this is a fantastic rework that I honestly never knew I wanted, because now we have an Aatrox with greater depth, greater skill required for his damage output, more insight to the Darkins and runeterra's history, and he now truly feels like the menacing being of pure destruction that he's always been made out to be, all in all I absolutely love him even more than I did before.