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League of Representation

jaycheese··4 votes·1,453 views

I was inspired to write this post after the news of Ekko, The Boy Who Shattered Time, was introduced and released.

I am a member of the LGBT+ community, as well as a feminist who has also been playing League of Legends since the end of Season 4. After months of playing, I noticed the lack of champion... diversity. Diversity as in champions of colour, champions who don't fit into their gender roles and expectations and champions who break social standard in general. This saddens me due to the lack of representation of many communities.

I have created a list of champions who don't fit into society's standards.

To start the list off, all female characters break society's standard that women are physically weaker. They do this by just being part of the League of Legends, a community of the strongest warriors. Though, most of the female characters are sexualized. The characters who are sexualized have tight, skimpy clothing and show a lot of skin. There's nothing wrong with this, but them being sexualized by developers and the community is wrong.

Here's a list of female champions who break even more standards: -Ahri, for being an Asian warrior -Akali, for being an Asian warrior -Cassiopeia, for being an Egyptian warrior -Karma, for being a black warrior -Nidalee, for being a champion of colour -Vi, for breaking the gender role of "looking like a girl" and "looking feminine"

For the male characters: -Braum, for breaking the gender role of "being masculine" -Ekko, for being a black warrior, breaking the gender role of "being masculine" and not conforming to society's hyper-masculinity standard for black males/men -Ezreal, for breaking the social standard of being buff -Gragas, for breaking the social standard of being buff -Lee Sin, for being an Asian warrior -Lucian, for being a black warrior -Xin Zhao, for being an Asian warrior -Yasuo, for being an Asian warrior -Zilean, for being a warrior of old age

(I may have missed a few champions, so feel free to add on to my list.)

I created this thread to discuss the lack of variety that the League of Legends have. We should be introducing characters of colour, maybe even characters who are apart of the LGBT+ community (and don't bring Taric into this thread, assuming his sexuality is very homophobic as you are putting a label on acts and looks and deeming them characteristics of homosexuals), more female characters who aren't sexualized and characters who do break society's standards of people (such as being fat, not fitting into gender roles and so on).

Champions who were excluded due to lack of physical human qualities (though if you feel as if they should be included, state which champion and the reason why): -Alistar -Amumu -Anivia -Bard -Blitzcrank -Brand -Cho'Gath -Dr. Mundo -Evelynn -Fiddlesticks -Fizz -Galio -Gnar -Hecarim -Jax -Kalista -Karthus -Kassadin -Kha'Zix -Kog'Maw -Lissandra -Lulu -Malphite -Maokai -Mordekaiser -Nasus -Nautilus -Nocturne -Nunu -Orianna -Rek'Sai -Renekton -Rengar -Rumble -Ryze -Shaco -Skarner -Teemo -Thresh -Trundle -Twitch -Urgot -Vel'Koz -Viktor -Volibear -Warwick -Wukong -Xerath -Yorick -Zac -Ziggs

19 Comments

Krigjer4 votes

A better question is why do you feel like you HAVE to be represented in a video game? Do you only play champions that fit a certain theme? Only female champions? Only gay champions? Because I play a champion for their kit and because I like their playstyle.

Further, I don't care about diversity in my video games. In a MOBA, I'd much prefer interesting champion concepts as a whole. I don't want to see a black or gay person added just because.

SEKAI3 votes

People being sexualised is a good thing, it's not like males are sexualised less in this game.

Considering the amount of half naked guy champs this game has, hell there are legit 2 people who are actually showing frontal nudity (with human-ish body shape), being Varus and Zac, I wouldn't say females get the shorter end of the stick, at all.

Not to mention there are way more male monster champs in LoL, to the point where monster males are actually more than human males, why? Because culturally we just don't put females into the position of being a monster because that would be dehumanising, however we're fine with males being treated like that since nobody cares about them anyway. Do you see us guys complaining about that? No.

EDIT: Also this is a game, not a social propaganda. Coming in expecting them to break stereotypes solely for the sake of it is a completely wrong mindset to have when playing games.

EDIT2: Ekko and Ezreal are not muscular because they are still technically in their teens. Otherwise they would get the same treatment as everybody else, become either the lean and agile type or men of buff and tanky.

jaycheese1 votes

Why is being sexualized a good thing? That person is being dehumanized to the point where they are seen as an object or a slab of meat.

And I agree, males are sexualized as well, but look at the game's community. I'm sure majority of players are hetero (assumed from hetero/queer per population statistics). They are more likely to sexualize the female characters.

And neither Zac nor Varus show full-frontal nudity. I don't see a penis.

And I don't feel dehumanized by having male monster champions whatsoever. Though, I don't know how females would react to having a female monster champion, such as Rek'Sai.

This game is media and media affects the mindset of people. It is, in a sense, propaganda, for reinforcing society's standards upon its community.

Tamur1 votes

Riot is so mean they added an option in the game menu that deals with this issue it's called Hide the Eye Candy

SEKAI4 votes

The point of sexualising someone is not to dehumanising him/her, because no one is interested in screwing a rock or a tree, that's why when we sexualise someone, he/she keeps a human shape.

However it's a different story when it comes to monsterising someone, because that IS dehumanisation.

And culturally, we are just more fine with the idea of making guys into evil monsters and not so much for females, and even when we do, we generally attach some kind of tragic story with them. You rarely see a modern media that introduces a female character while saying she is just pure bad bad inside out (besides anime/manga and older literature which do it quite frequently actually but it's due to different cultural values), unlike guys.

It's not a wrong mindset to try change things up a bit, but it is wrong to go against something solely for the sake of it, it's just as bad as being in the mainstream. And your post imo, is asking for the latter.

And neither Zac nor Varus show full-frontal nudity. I don't see a penis.

Do you want to?

They are naked, fair and simple, doesn't mean they have to wiggle their things in front of your face to prove it.

EDIT: I am surprised that you put Ryze in the "lack human quantity" section, Why? The only non-human quantity he has is his skin colour, he is perfectly human even in the definition of Runeterra. Are you skin discriminating bud? And Nunu is the kid/teen on the back of that Yeti, the Yeti's name is Willump.

EDIT2: You fail to mention the existence of Sejuani and Leona in this thread. They are the ones you're looking for. Same with Lissandra, besides her being immortal and sporting a blue skin, her appearance is human. Her dressing attire just looks a little awkward that's all.

dalphy081 votes

{quoted}

However it's a different story when it comes to monsterising someone, because that IS dehumanisation.

Wrong, you fool.

{quoted}

And culturally, we are just more fine with the idea of making guys into evil monsters and not so much for females, and even when we do, we generally attach some kind of tragic story with them. You rarely see a modern media that introduces a female character while saying she is just pure bad bad inside out (besides anime/manga and older literature which do it quite frequently actually but it's due to different cultural values), unlike guys.

This whole thing appears promiscuous and the idea is nonsense. As if you are trying to type something else or are just randomly mashing the keyboard for no reason.

{quoted} Are you skin discriminating bud?

Psychopathic thing to write.

dalphy081 votes

{quoted}

People being sexualised is a good thing, it's not like males are sexualised less in this game.

Strange coming from someone with the account name "Sekai". But yes.

{quoted}

Considering the amount of half naked guy champs this game has, hell there are legit 2 people who are actually showing frontal nudity (with human-ish body shape), being Varus and Zac, I wouldn't say females get the shorter end of the stick, at all.

Then you are stupid and blind.

{quoted} Not to mention there are way more male monster champs in LoL, to the point where monster males are actually more than human males, why? Because culturally we just don't put females into the position of being a monster because that would be dehumanising

Wrong.

{quoted} however we're fine with males being treated like that since nobody cares about them anyway. Do you see us guys complaining about that? No.

True, but you're complaining.

warpenguin5552 votes

these threads are getting old. btw taric is gay

o7IY4xC4Kb1 votes

I do like the idea of having an champion part of the LGBT+ community, but also take in the note of the backlash of some

Kmkz hfx1 votes

[deleted]

jaycheese1 votes

No this is not a troll topic.

Have you not encountered people in games who sexualize characters dehumanizing them to sex objects due to their physical looks? The female characters, at least most of them, are, on purpose, designed in revealing clothing.

And I don't understand your quoting of me. Could you please expand on why you decided to put that?

dalphy081 votes

{quoted}

No this is not a troll topic.

Have you not encountered people in games who sexualize characters dehumanizing them to sex objects due to their physical looks? The female characters, at least most of them, are, on purpose, designed in revealing clothing.

And I don't understand your quoting of me. Could you please expand on why you decided to put that?

But I don't understand, why wouldn't you want them to be as are?

If anything there are absolutely no examples of there being "too many" hot girls in the game as it actually lacks them. Katarina was like this before: http://static1.eclypsia.com/images/lol/champions/Katarina_Splash_0.jpg and they changed the whole feel of it.....now the females all look like they are staring at me strangely through the computer...

insaiyanbacca1 votes

actually i think taric was confirmed somewhere by a rioter that he was gay ill try and find the post

Wolfess1 votes

first, I am going to ASSUME that this is not a troll thread, for op's sake.

>being asian warrior hope you realize that all, or at least a vast majority of champions from Ionia are going to be based off of asian culture.

>being sexualized sex sells. period.

>ekko society's standard? lmao this is a game, they can make their characters look however they want as long as they're not breaking the law or infringing on someone's rights. if you don't like it, don't play it. besides he's still adolescent so he still has some more growing up to do (if his Z drive isn't somehow messing with that aspect of himself)

>cass being an egyptian warrior she's not egyptian or shuriman, she's a noxian (katarina's sister) who hot hit by some curse that turned her into that half-snake thing. She looks egyptian probably because of her choice in adornment, her own vanity, and maybe because it's easier for people to relate snakes to egypt and stuff (kinda like scorpions and things) if you REALLY want to bring the egyptian theme into this, go look at azir/nasus/renek and shurima as a whole, since chances are they're probably based off of egyptian gods theme (I think the bird-headed egyptian god was horus, and nasus' dog theme is probably anubis. amd xerath's imprisonment is probably similar to being in a sarcophagus.)

FloRaider421 votes

I created this thread to discuss the lack of variety that the League of Legends have.

Lack of ? I could be wrong, but LoL is one of the few games amongst millions, where playable characters go beyond buff heros and sexy heroines and involves diversity without using it as joke or satire. Apart from fanart I don't see female champions being oversexualised, as a warrioress would have a trained body and most female champions have roles which favour lighter clothes. Edit: Looking back, extreme cleavage and some clothes seem unneccessarily liberal, but hey fanservice :D

I would really like to hear your opinion on which groups you think are lacking representation, as I unfortunately don't seem to find many.

dalphy081 votes

{quoted}

To start the list off, all female characters break society's standard that women are physically weaker. They do this by just being part of the League of Legends, a community of the strongest warriors. Though, most of the female characters are sexualized. The characters who are sexualized have tight, skimpy clothing and show a lot of skin. There's nothing wrong with this, but them being sexualized by developers and the community is wrong.

LMFAO I JUST READ THAT. Hahahaha but I disagree on the part about them being sexualized is wrong. It's perfectly right to sexualize female because given the right circumstances; that is her actual purpose.

Dr Poro1 votes

ikr! 1/6 of all champs should be chinese. And another 1/6 should be asian! Wtf is up with those monsters like Rek'sai? There are 0 of those monsters on earth. It's a totally skewed representation! There should be a lot more cows, fish, ants, etc. in the game!

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