An Appeal for Aatrox

I wanted to make an appeal of sorts to the community after seeing the backlash that Riot's gotten in the wake of Aatrox's new design.

I understand if you dislike it. You are entitled to have your own opinion, whether rooted in a personal aesthetic taste or a distaste for change, but there are merits to his new design. They do exist, you just...don't agree with them. There's a difference.

The subtlety that was implemented in conveying what he is now, for example. The war banner aesthetic remains in his out-of-combat resting state, with the spines on which his sword rests further accentuating the border between "pole" and "banner" that his crossguard makes between grip and sword. His stance, his ferocity, and his goading nature all add to a complete picture that I really enjoy compared to his older self. He's a living character now, and not a cardboard cutout that recites vaguely cool-sounding quotes in a deep wavery voice.

In these closing months I've revisited him and played a healthy amount of games... and I can think of two lines that actually stand out. "This battle will be my masterpiece" ( his character selection quote ) and "Tryndamere; my greatest creation." Everything else is generic and could be heard in a million other places. He was a trope; the aspect of War. He was a non-character. They didn't even know what they wanted the Darkin to be at that point. To say that his previous incarnation is empirically better is to reject any attempt at breathing life into him as a character.

So to the design team behind new Aatrox, and really anyone that made a decision to shape the final product ( should you actually read this ); good job. A+. Love it. The new texture revision makes it look even better, with the previously dark maroon bits being changed out for a mean-looking violet. His animations are goddamn beautiful, too.

Since the wings are making a comeback regardless of how I or anyone else that enjoys his new look feels about it, is there any way to make it a toggled appearance? A little larger in scale than, say, Kai'sa's mask or Night Hunter Rengar's hood, but I think it would be very appreciated by the slice of the playerbase that wholeheartedly enjoys new Aatrox. It would, in fact, be "greaat".