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Theory on Kayle and Morgana's Relationship and Origin

mrmeddyman·8/6/2018, 11:27:29 PM·2 votes·3,267 views

I assume that they will actually become part of the Shuriman crowd because Aatrox refers to Kayle as "unworthy of Ascension", the interesting thing is that on the map they are identified as Demacian.

I'm guessing they are born in Demacia, forced to flee because they are discovered as mages and run off to Shurima (the map lists Shuriman attitude towards magic as "covet"). Somehow Kayle gets roped into a bid to become ascended and this becomes her main goal. I don't want Riot to actually make her Ascended because that would require turning her into an animal god thing which they will not do for obvious reasons or create another subsection for the Ascended (baccai, darkin etc etc it's getting too crowded) to explain why she isn't an animal god thing, but their origin is something we will discover in due time and could honestly be anything. I give the people sitting firmly in the Mount Targon and Darkin camps due credit; they are also possibilities as this VGU is a thematic overhaul they are essentially going to be unrecognizable (RIP wings).

What's more important is getting the relationship between the sisters right. Like Nunus' VGU this should be one of the main focal points. It's important that we don't characterize Kayle as good and Morgana as evil. They should be more nuanced and play off each other with their own flaws and personalities. Now this may just be nothing but I noticed something interesting about the artwork in the Roadmap for Kayle and Morg

https://nexus.leagueoflegends.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Roadmap_4-min_1u6ar6n4m193f7amowqg.jpg

Notice how the chain representing Morgana wraps around the sword (Kayle). What if this is allegory or symbolism for Morgana using her powers to suppress Kayles'? This would have been useful hiding away as mages in Demacia as one incident would have revealed them and led to imprisonment, exile (this might have been the case) or even execution. If this is true then this could inform us on the dynamic between the two.

I can see Kayle as being more impetuous of the two. Her lofty goals of becoming Ascended highlight that. She isn't going to have wings anymore obviously but the may still keep that as part of her design elsewhere (like a motif) as a callback, wings symbolize freedom. Freedom that she can now express having the yoke of Demacian oppression removed from above her head. Of course now a reminder of that cloud follows her everywhere she goes...

Morgana is the older sister and as such was always saddled with the responsibility of keeping headstrong Kayle in line (and her powers secret). To this end Morgana used her own unique magic to bind and suppress her little sisters nascent powers. She's much more reserved, cool and collected; she always had to be to stay one step ahead of the Demacian guards, an overly curious neighbor, even Kayle and Morganas' own parents had no idea. Of course now that they've been ousted from Demacia, Morgana still finds herself reigning in her sisters bluster even though she no longer needs to control her powers.

I like this set up because it allows Kayle and Morgana to have their relationship as sisters but preserves the pre-VGU tension between them in another form. Morgana was always Kayles' jailor as much as Demacian society was. She's a representation of the shackles that held her back her whole life, of course Morgana begs Kayle to give up on her insane Ascended dream and come away with her to Ionia or Freljord somewhere they can hide away together, but Kayle will not desist. Ascension is not just a means to power for Kayle (in truth she wouldn't really know what to do with all that power), but the caged bird always desires to spread her wings.

By the same token Morgana also has a bone to pick with Kayle, she is the one who got them discovered (of course it was Kayle). Kicked out of the only home they ever knew, disowned by their own parents, always on the move. Maybe their parents always favored Kayle in their youth, Kayle always was more personable and likeable while Morgana kept to herself, the burden of keeping them safe never allowed her to be herself fully. This has culminated in a resentment of Kayle starting to brew in Morganas' heart.

Aatroxs' VGU as much as it as reamed for being "edgy" by the player base actually stands out to me as one of the best for me. It uses Aatroxs' character who is unrelatable on it's own (I have no reference point to know what's like to be a transcendental being trapped in cutlery) is presented in a way that is very relatable. What's it's like to be depressed, to feel trapped, self-loathing and suicidal (my own brother is bi-polar). He's one of the only character in League that not just exists as a character but has some kind of statement to be made about the human condition.

Kayle and Morgana could have a story arc that also speaks to me: Growing apart. They undoubtedly still love one another. They are all they have left in the world, but the old happy memories of playing together as children have given way to a more complicated world where they find each other, strangely, now at odds, even though they both need each other.

What do you think Riot will do with the new Kayle and Morgana? This is just my personal head canon, as I never found Kayle and Morgana as immortal enemies compelling or relatable. Are they Targonites, celestials from the silver cities or Darkin? Let me know your thoughts.

5 Comments

SSmotzer8/6/2018, 11:47:36 PM3 votes

My theory is that Kayle and Morgana are twins, and are decedents of the golden warrior women who sealed away the Darkin. Then the Darkin that was suppose to be sealed where Demacia now stands was used by one of the warrior women. She used the power of the Darkin weapon to found the Lightbringers, a religious order who dedicate their lives to whipping darkness from the planet, so an evil, like the Darkin, will never threaten Runeterra again.

Then the Darkin was passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Until Kayle and Morgana were born. Kayle sees, not only monsters, but even man-kind as guilty of judgement from the Lightbringers. Meanwhile Morgana can see that not all creatures who live in the shadow are evil, like Amumu. So, in order to prevent Kayle from enforcing her will upon all of Runeterra, Morgana took the chains from the Darkin weapon and fled Demacia. Now Kayle wants to track down Morgana to fulfill her potential and take over Runeterra, for the greater good, and Morgana wants to shatter the Darkin, and the sun disk, so no one being could be powerful enough to threaten or rule all of Runeterra.

GreenLore8/6/2018, 11:42:15 PM1 votes

I think the part about the ascension could be true,since they have stated that the shape of the ascended is mainly tied to the persons own cultural ideals and images. So the shurimans turn into animal-gods because they have a lot of animal-symbolism in their culture,while a targonian would ascend into something space related similar to an aspect.

https://boards.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/c/story-art/ineA9uOv-the-darkin-lores-are-incredible-i-just-have-one-question?comment=000a

VPMegabuster1/26/2019, 9:05:56 AM1 votes

I always saw both Kayle and Morgana as an unexpected third party barging in Runeterra. and bringing there war to them. Like Space Angels that have been in conflict for eons.

While Kayle represents Law, Sustainability, and Order While Morgana represents Freedom, Ideals, and to Rebel