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RIOT are just so good at making characters thematically.

Yi Bencheikh··90 votes·8,900 views

Now i've played almost all mobas but damn riot are just good at making champions theme wise and now they've gotten even much better at it since fall season 3 ( Besides Hots ofc which has heroes from sc and wc that are really master pieces like arthas and illidan ). http://api.arcana-gaming.com/Content/arcana/lol/Jhin_Splash_2.jpg Keep the gameplay kits for the gameplay section please that's another story ( I know how some champions are terribly broken and op gameplay wise. ) Now let's have for example Jhin as for me jhin is actually the best champion EVER made in league for now when it comes to everything but gameplay ( But seriously even his gameplay is fun as hell ) , splash art , music theme , voice acting and his voice lines , interactions with other champions just define how a well made a champion can be. The list of all champions i think are the best made thematically : Aatrox Anivia AurelionSol Azir Elise Bard Camille Braum Darius Ekko Gangplank Galio Ezreal Gnar Lissandra MasterYi Mordekaiser Rengar Ryze Sion Karthus Ornn Poppy Rakan Xayah Zed Vladimir Zac Yasuo Varus Urgot Taliyah Taric Warwick , really loveable champions Thresh Sejuani Sona Kalista Ivern Kled Kindred Khazix Kayn Lux , yes i did mention every champion which i think are really awesome theme and lore wise , these characters are great and well done and thank the rioters who were responsible for that, i don't think i'll ever forget these champions in my life i really like them.

I am sorry if your fav champion isn't present :(

85 Comments

Valaran Nara50 votes

You. I like you. Your happiness simulates a barrel of actual joy!

I approve. And yes. Of all games I played, League is the only one I can stand when it comes to lore.

Overwatch has good story, but I think I got fast stuck to League overall.

Also, Poppy is a beautiful, beautiful yordle.

Game girl 13 votes

I love this guy!

RakanButTHICCer1 votes

[{quoted}](name=Game girl 1,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=0EEMmmxL,comment-id=00000000,timestamp=2017-10-09T23:42:55.613+0000)

I love this guy!

everything he sid became null and void in my head when I didn't see yorick. kappa Also, no offense but why is aatrox on the list? his lore describes him as a bloodthirsty support but all he ever does in game is lfesteal and one-shot. I'm not saying he isn't fun nd cool, his lore and gamplay just don't match up enough

Arakadia7 votes

I love everything about Poppy. Her model, lore, VO, and splash are particularly amazing.

Valaran Nara5 votes

{quoted}

I love everything about Poppy. Her model, lore, VO, and splash are particularly amazing.

I love her VO and power fantasy.

Voice Over is quirky, and her power fantasy is resolve. Most champions have a resolve in what they do, but the resolve itself isn't their defining trait. Poppy's power comes from her need and desire to persevere DESPITE feeling like it's hopeless.

She looks down on herself, she doesn't feel like she's anywhere close to being special, and she, overall has a sense that maybe what she's doing is pointless. But in the end, when things appear to be falling apart and she's giving up hope, what spurs her on is seeing other people in trouble. It's no longer about herself. It's about them, and she suddenly becomes the hero that she's looking for.

X_X She is legit what I wanted to be when I was younger. Like seriously. That comic was a revelation and in my head.

Arakadia1 votes

Yeah!

I love the hell out of this:

But in the end, when things appear to be falling apart and she's giving up hope, what spurs her on is seeing other people in trouble. It's no longer about herself. It's about them, and she suddenly becomes the hero that she's looking for.

You couldn't have said it better.

Catastrop12 votes

So much yes in this thread. Riot's one of my favourites when it comes to character design, they always come up with such beautifully done champions. Everything from their lore to their overall aesthetic is always just [sg-kiko]

Of all the champion's in the game though, Lissandra takes the cake in terms of character design for me. She's THE champion that actually got me to look into the lore of league. Like League lore isn't bad by any means, but I could never quite get fully invested into it like I do with other games' lore. Lissandra's design as a whole just clicked with me in general and I just had to find out more about her. Her graceful but imposing demeanor and almost alien monolithic figure, that amazing voice work and probably the most satisfying and visceral skill animations and audio cues. Her background which was just awesome and badass, even the fact that she's one of the few purely black character in the game. Like she's not evil because of some tragic backstory, she just straight up wants to enslave the world under the Watchers and it's all for power. I just love that about her, rarely do you find villains who are just evil for the sake of evil anymore. They always have some ridiculous background to make us more sympathetic to their cause, and while I don't necessarily hate that, I do grow tired of it. Seriously, I really adore this champion, everyone who was involved in her development are just like the best people ever.

SteelMankind10 votes

I really like Yorick's lore/theme. First off, he's a necromancer THAT FIGHTS WITH A SHOVEL. Not some gaunt sorcerer or wizard; he's literally a gravedigger who can raise and command the dead.

Secondly, unlike most melee toplane fighters, he has no swaggering bravado or confidence. Instead, he wearily goes about his endless, dreary task, resisting the ever-present urge to cast aside the spirit water which and join the black mist (sardonically tying in to his ingame role as a splitpusher). Except the means to complete his task require him to use the black mist, which constantly compells him to give in. And apparently this has been Yorick's day-to-day for the last few centuries.

Thridly, Yorick's ultimate, Eulogy of the Isles. Super unique ult that permanently summons a powerful, uncontrollable monster and plays this haunting organ music while alive.

Taric is my other favorite. I love the names of his abilities - Starlight's Touch and Cosmic Radiance. I love how, in the lore, he is incredibly powerful, to the extent that he single-handedly fought off two armies TO PROTECT A FLOWER. If that's not manly, I don't know what is.

Raven Redeemed2 votes

Yorick is so great! He is pretty much the very definition of tilt-proof. Like you were saying, his ult is so unique. It isn't any immediate power like most ults, but more like a half-champ that you work with and try to protect to some degree.

I like to take him bot if our team lacks tank. If you can survive until lvl 3, you can start killing the enemy with your combo. It's not even a troll pick because Yorick brings the same thing to the table that an adc would: dps and the ability to take objectives quickly.

Imortal Dragon8 votes

Azir Do you like Shurima? Do you like Sand? Do you love Shurima? Do you like having a phd in physics? And do you completely fking love the glorious sands of Shurima? than Azir the Emporer of the sands is for you! :D

Glory ln Death6 votes

http://origin.webcdn.theblackdesertonline.net/forum/service_live/monthly_02_2016/50301974.jpg.c98e830a79fd78ba115583b40438de7c.jpg

marpatt114 votes

[{quoted}](name=Glory ln Death,realm=NA,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=0EEMmmxL,comment-id=001b0001,timestamp=2017-10-10T20:30:02.709+0000)

http://origin.webcdn.theblackdesertonline.net/forum/service_live/monthly_02_2016/50301974.jpg.c98e830a79fd78ba115583b40438de7c.jpg

Xerath, is that you? Azir

UnboundHades4 votes

the thing with hots is blizzard is a giant company and each game has its own developers unlike riot where they have to come up with everything from scratch blizzard can just take an old character and put it into hots with almost no effort yet still have the same lore from other games

Shepherd o Souls4 votes

Yorick was done well IMO. He speaks with maiden all game as she tries to get him to give in, and he's constantly raising little corpses to help him fight, just like in the lore. There's a faint, ominous song playing whenever maiden is alive and it makes a HUGE difference vs not having any song. He doesn't have too many interactions with other champs, but that's because he's been on the isles all his life and not many people have been there (and survived.)

Raid Boss Morde4 votes

You missed Tahm Kench, I am disappointed

TheHobbits3 votes

I love the lore of Tahm. He hums his song as he brings you an offer. You are free to decline, but accept and you will pay the price. Maybe not now, but one day.

As for the OP, wth does Ezreal even do? He is a treasure hunter or something? I dont even knoe his lore after all these years.

Raid Boss Morde2 votes

Tahm hasn't even had a lore released for him yet, sadly. I've been waiting for one because I love his character :(

And yeah, I don't really agree with a few of those. Some of them are too cliche of characters, like Darius

Winterkill4 votes

Karma ha! Yeah right.

jama6554 votes

Nocturne hello darkness my old friend....

RiotRiot MapleNectar9 votes

I was going to say that I was surprised Noc wasn't on this list, feel like he nails the eternal nightmare (though his kit is slightly lackluster)

HalcyonDweller3 votes

Nocturne - like Skarner - needs kit work before more players will pick him up and begin to appreciate his personality and theme.

DeadUnborn2 votes

Outside from the ult and Q trail Noc's kit is plainly outdated and lackluster -- I wouldn't call that slightly XD

jama6551 votes

Look what u did now they want to rework my fave champ [zombie-nunu-tears] nocturne doesnt even get a sticker :(

Blood Magicks2 votes

Honestly I feel Vlad has great potential but needs a lot more work thematically.[vlad-salute]

Pouck1 votes

I agree, he is sadistic and obsessed with blood, but in a witty way. Would be nice if he got some new voice lines. His Visuals are already pretty good imo.

Blood Magicks1 votes

Actually his visuals on the base model are the thing I like the least.

He was released in 2010 for goodness sake

Pouck1 votes

I play with SoulStealer skin for 2 years now, I dont even know how the visual looks like withotu skin so my bad Nevertheless the E animation is just 1 year old, it hsould look ok no ?

T2theMan2 votes

Fiddlesticks Kindred MissFortune Morgana Ornn Shyvana Skarner Swain Udyr and here are some that make little to no sense. In fairness, they're reworking swain.

Ez dePaz9 votes

I thought skarners new lore was pretty awsome.

Votable Jester2 votes

1: Why is Morgana on there? Aside from being outdated, her lore is pretty good (even if fairly simple right now). I'm hoping they'll keep the theme of her old lore in her new lore when they rework her.

2: If Morgana is on there, why isn't Kayle?

Faceroll Tactics6 votes

{quoted}

Fiddlesticks Kindred MissFortune Morgana Ornn Shyvana Skarner Swain Udyr and here are some that make little to no sense. In fairness, they're reworking swain.

Ornn's lore is pretty touching if you read it, he has a severe case of survivor's guilt under his "I don't care" attitude.

DarkSoul19942 votes

Jinx stands above all of them for me and I'm not even a big Jinx player. Riot did a fucking great job hyping up Jinx.

I Might Lose2 votes

Gangplank :D

Kuzja12 votes

Corki I want more character in my main ace pilot! Reworks, rewrites, involvement in events, I don't care! I want more story to him. Maybe like some Ace Combat story like the Unsung War. Give him a rival ace! I want to see some real dog fights in game.

Ninjapro2k2 votes

This is one of the best and most upbeat posts I've ever read on the forums. Well done you, Barrel Simulator [slayer-pantheon-thumbs]

Poppy was my very first champ, I had wanted to play her since I first decided to try LoL (March of this year i think). She's been my little Yordle child ever since and I'll always love her, even tho I'm a Trist main. Your inclusion of her in this post warms my heart ;-;

Kindred is just amazing. She's the next champ I plan on getting and learning, for ADC and jg. Lamb and Wolf's interactions are so charming, and there's so many of them. The lore about her being the swift death for those who accept it, and Wolf hunting those who don't is one of my favorite stories.

Taliyah is Toph and earth kingdom waifu. Nuff said.

If this was a post on only the most lovable / adorable champs... Corki (He sounds like a slightly younger Stu Pickles) Fizz (Ohana means feeding time) Gnar (He's a little fluffball with anger issues) Heimerdinger (I love to hate him and hate to love him) Kennen (If Rufus had fur and met Static Shock) Kled (HOLY **** WHERE ARE WE) Kindred (how does that poem go again?) Lulu (my whimsical little baby) Nami (eww... whale breath) Poppy (A Demacian, a Noxian, and a Freljordian walk into a tavern...) Ornn (I don't like surprises...) Rumble (Who doesn't love Rumble) Soraka (SG soraka specifically. The most adorable non-Yordle SG skin in existence) Taliyah (instant waifu) Teemo ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Tristana (There's a reason I play her almost exclusively) Veigar (WHAT'S BLACK AND BLUE AND ABOUT TO SHOW YOU THE TRUE MEANING OF PAIN?) Vi (You can't not love her) Ziggs (All Yordles are crazy and I'm pretty sure Yordles call him crazy)

As you can see I may have a minor inclination to Yordles. Minor.

I mean come on if SG Poppy let her hair down and died it brown she'd basically be https://imgur.com/a/ioWeV

Blessed By RNG2 votes

World of Warcraft has better lore and story

Sexy Jack Rabbit1 votes

I think Riot does a good job of making thematics fit their champions. But their designs tend to be same-ish and uninspired. Especially the female champions.

KuroCaliber1 votes

Really? I adore the majority of their designs, I think a couple of their designs need work though, leblanc, Morgana, and Akali come to mind. I mean Akali is beautiful, and I mean SERIOUSLY beautiful, but her ninja suit should match Shen and kennen in being full coverage. Also, id love seeing Morgana in full dark purple armor like Kayle's, and leblanc is the only deceiver in league that doesn't use her feminine, charms. Cass, Elise, Evelynn, and to a lesser extent ahri use their feminity, but leblanc doesn't.

Sexy Jack Rabbit1 votes

Really? Personally 90% of the females look like the same fucking person with the same eyes, nose, face and body type to me.

Not too mention anytime they try anything different like they did with Fiora, Tristana, Sivir or Katarina people lose their fucking marbles because they don't look like the same as everyone else.

KuroCaliber1 votes

I don't know what the exact number is rn, but it's certainly not 90%, maybe three years ago, but not anymore.

Sexy Jack Rabbit1 votes

I can tag probably 6 or 7 females that don't fit the standard? Taliyah Annie Illaoi RekSai Kindred Kalista Jinx ? Otherwise it's hourglass body, small pointy nose and oval eyes.

All of the female yordles look the same as eachother as well. They literally had to change Poppy's hair colour from white so people didn't think she was Tristana. That's how much they suck at diversifying their designs.

rtbf2256182411 votes

They have the potential but they also make mistakes such as ruining Janna's thematic completely and insulting her playerbase by enforcing the mythological worthless enchantress story into her and making her useless in the grand scheme of things and never-appearing in anyone else's lore. She barely did anything in her own.

She's basically a "Maybe exists" housewife for some fishermen on Zaunite seas/rivers. #AwesomeCan'tWaitToSeeMore

Nik Nikerson2 votes

I'm not sure "ruin" is the right word. Janna's one of my least favorites story updates, but it wasn't exactly like she had a super compelling narrative to begin with. I mean she was literally just a wind mage. That for some reason was from Zaun. Despite the fact nothing about her spoke to a Zaunite background or upbringing.

It was a wasted opportunity, but it's tough to ruin something that was bad to begin with.

rtbf2256182411 votes

Well she was obviously brought up from poverty and seeked to right the wrong in the world without resorting to killing people like practically everyone else. She invested in science as far as i remember, moving to Piltover to do so.

Her own personality traits were the things that shaped her lore. It wasn't much because it was summarized quickly and then tacked "Oh she's a Wind Mage and her last name is Windforce. Yeah..." on her.

I mean i get it - becoming a wind mage "practically overnight" is pretty cheap but the part they ruined is her personality and her potential. She could have been updated to have more depth in her origins and her character because she's always been depicted as the more sophisticated type which is why it feels downright insulting that now all we have to deal with is this stereotypical "caretaking gentle wind mage that remains in the background as a supporting character...supporting!"

I mean imagine if her background had something like having her witness the horrors of Zaun herself (which was vaguely hinted at in her previous lore) and having her faith in humanity tested. It would bring out who she is and what she believes in.

But no. A half naked fairy godmother for fishermen.

She has no agency and i don't feel like she'll ever have any noticeable impact in anything. She isn't a human anymore either, further disconnecting her from me.

A little off-topic but it's also expressed in her gameplay now, now that she's damage-oriented when she used to be utility oriented. Just whatever.

Valaran Nara1 votes

{quoted}

A little off-topic but it's also expressed in her gameplay now, now that she's damage-oriented when she used to be utility oriented. Just whatever.

I'm not going to argue against you on lore expression of Janna because she really did change overall. This is the one champ where she was completely rewritten period. I can argue Galio, but I can't argue Janna.

With that being said, gameplay-wise, that can change with the seasons.

Poppy is a warden that defends and peels for her team, right?

I just had a game as kled where the enemy Poppy built Lethality and crit while having Thunderlords. Gameplay-wise, that's damage-oriented as opposed to utility and defense. It was still effective and the like. Janna's kit (other thanpossible numbers) didn't change. It's how people use her.

That and Arden Censar is a scary item that been getting nerfed to take it out of "must-buy".

rtbf2256182411 votes

Her kit is most viable as an offensive Support now because as i played her (Full Utility without a sliver of AP) is inferior to the offensive, cheesy asshole playstyle which requires her to keep attacking her enemies herself with basic attacks. I only did that for the Bandit mastery which meant i had to have skill instead of shielding myself and 1v1-ing the enemy Adc for trades. It's just insulting to her thematic and general playstyle overall.

Yes...i know most people used to just hide behind their allies and afk shield but that is DEFINETLY NOT how i played her. I was aggressive with my abilities and playstyle but i never did damage myself in order to outtrade the opponent. It forces me to adopt a completely new playstyle which is both braindead and insulting to what Janna herself is.

Obviously, this is frustrating as hell and this champion's lost her entire identity to me. Sure, her abilities function relatively the same but they force me to play a different way now that i never asked for. You can say "Oh she'll change through time.." but given she just recently got this "rework" it's pretty much guaranteed it's not happening anytime soon.

Valaran Nara1 votes

{quoted}

You can say "Oh she'll change through time.." but given she just recently got this "rework" it's pretty much guaranteed it's not happening anytime soon.

She had a gameplay rework?

Oh, and The new Runes system. That's legit 2-3 months. Gameplay-wise, you don't need to wait too long to see if she'll be best utility or actual damage.

rtbf2256182411 votes

They slapped some damage-steroid passives on her and nerfed her utility in response so she does damage with her basic attacks after using abilities. Kind of like how Riven works.

I doubt the Runes will completely switch her playstyle around to the point they'll go back on their decisions (which Riot almost never does).

Rinký Dinky1 votes

You implied Jhin has an issue with gameplay. How so?

His kit actually reflects a lot of his theme in itself.

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