Why are there so little young champions?

ChaosThief·Sep 24, 2014·1 votes·1,701 views

By young, I mean of 18 years or less. and are probably the only ones.

Any guesses?

12 Comments

Renekton BotSep 24, 20143 votes

Because this isn't a JRPG.

ChaosThiefSep 24, 20142 votes

Doesn't have to be a JRPG, does it?

Lumus AvatarSep 24, 20142 votes

I can see two reasons: Originally they were part of the League of Legends which is a Colosseum-style combat arena. You don't put kids in harm's way like that - it's just irresponsible.

Secondly, one of the mainstays of League is pandering to the sexual desires of its large teenage male audience. Hence Miss Fortune, Caitlyn, Sivir being as exposed and "ideal" feminine-formed as they are. Adding child champs means adding both male and female child champs and every champ gets sexualized in some form or another. It would not look good if League was ever compared with child pornography. I doubt you would have to go far on today's interwebs to find explicit images of Annie, despite her age (FIVE YEARS OLD).

So there's two reasons, take em or leave em.

ChaosThiefSep 24, 20141 votes

1st reason: It doesn't necessarily mean that children, or teens, wouldn't go on their own will. I would think people who are overly proficient with their weapon may join for example, or those who want to find something. 2nd reason: That may be part of the reason, and that's fine. But that doesn't mean they HAVE to avoid making child characters. 2nd reason, part 2: Every character, no matter how innocent or young, WILL get sexualized in some way. There is always someone who will create sexually explicit/nude versions of a character, that's just some people out there.

Lumus AvatarSep 24, 20141 votes

I think that 2nd Reason, Part 2 is a pretty strong reason. I agree. It WILL happen. That's why I think Riot avoids child champs. "Don't feed the perverts."

Although I've also thought of a third possibility: People look to the fantasy genre with the wide eyes of an inner child. They want to believe they can become as awesome as that fantasy character. That's why it's called fantasy.

It's harder to maintain a fantasy when your inability to ever achieve it is glaringly obvious as it is in the case of idolizing a fantasy character that is at a stage of their life that one can never return to.

Simplification: a lot of people want to be someone older and cooler than themselves. Younger is harder.

ChaosThiefSep 25, 20141 votes

Since 2nd reason is already filled out... I suppose? I'll just jump to the 3rd one you made:

Younger would be harder, but sometimes you want to look at someone close/younger than you and take them as an example?

Points have been made I suppose... I got nothing really.

Lumus AvatarSep 25, 20141 votes

That's fine. I wasn't arguing with you. all our points are viable. I was just offering potential reasons.

ChaosThiefSep 25, 20141 votes

There are plenty of reasons was obvious, it was just a question to be honest. Sidenote : I hit the wrong key like 30 times when trying to type this.

Serpents EmbraceSep 24, 20141 votes

I feel like Annie and Nunu take up the "little girl" and "little boy" themes pretty well. It would be hard to design another child champion without stepping in to their design space, I guess.

Although as for teenagers I'm not sure. Probably because this isn't a jRPG. ;]

Baitsa DasutoSep 24, 20141 votes

Because in Runeterra, people generally try not to be horrible parents. :D

Anyway, people - and I admit that incldues me - generally want cool characters. Cool can be a vast number of things, either by looking cool, of feeling cool. To me, Gnar is cool because he's such a badass despite being so young. He doesn't give a flying fart about those trying to hurt him, and he doesn't even know yet that he is the Hulk. He just doesn't give a crap!

Annie is cool because she does know how young she is, and how powerful she is despite her age. Also, she's cool because she's unsettlingly insane. Probably burned her parents to a crisp because they told her she had curfew.

I don't mind champions below the age of 18. Heck, give me a demonic toddler in a stroller. Just make him cool. :)

ChaosThiefSep 25, 20142 votes

That's one way of putting an argument into this... and an interesting one.

Baitsa DasutoSep 25, 20142 votes

I think Riot's word for this was "fun". A Champion should be fun to play, and that not only includes his kit but also his personality and his overall design.