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"Sex sells" is legitimate as long as it does not hinder character identity/theme/coherence

GelsominoKiller·2/18/2019, 9:14:39 PM·124 votes·20,821 views

Making a champion attractive because it's part of their identity and story is due. Ahri Janna Evelynn Making a champion attractive for no particular reason is fine. Ashe Zyra Caitlyn Lulu

Where i draw the line is when making a champion attractive actively thwarts who they are supposed to be and what they're supposed to represent.

We already had similar examples in LoL, some were discussed more others not so much: Sylas "I was unjustly imprisoned as a child and was force fed steroids and protein shakes for 15 years. Now me and my sculpted body want revenge via COMMUNIST REVOLUTION" Kaisa "this super tight latex suit i wear, V-neckline included, is actually an otherwordly parasitic abomination that fuses and feeds with and through my skin. It also gives me superpowers"

Now again, i don't have any problem with HOW those above look. I have a problem when comparing said looks with their backstory and their identity. Being so sexy and sharp, Kai'sa kinda kills any "void survivor" traits she would like to have, and for Sylas to be straight out of a Calvin Klein commercial kind of ruins the struggles he had to suffer in his long imprisonement. Those elements would provide depth to their personas but in that way they are lost.

Coming to the expected topic, Kayle presents the same issue in my opinion. While Morgana looks amazing, and her sex appeal is very fitting, the same sex appeal on Kayle is the exact opposite of what i firmly belive she should be. I am disappointed but not surprised, because that's not the first time Riot puts a champion's (external) likeability before logic or character cohesion.

Kayle has always been an entity outside (and above) of gender. An androgynous figure absorbed in her ideals and purpose. [The parallel with Samus Aran is unavoidable here]. Kayle was strikingly beautiful... angelic regardless of wings but completely unintrested in showing her appearence. A winged full-armored knight you could look at, and see only honor, duty, justice, composure, battle prowess and glory. When i first started to play LoL years ago, i first discovered Kayle to be female with her "unmasked" skin. Her clash with Morgana was not only about freedom, but also about identity and personal expression; Morgana's provocative outfit, albeit wretched, was a striking and precious further point of contrast with her sister's total refusal to "admit" her femininity.

Kayle rework gives her yet another tight latex suit with some armor elements that are even removed as she ascends. She's hotter for sure, and any eteroxesual male could argue that this is an improvement... but does she embody justice as well as she did before? Is Kayle's identity enriched by her newfound femininity, or is it detrimental?

175 Comments

A Superb Villain2/18/2019, 9:54:36 PM62 votes

What I expected: https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6YjdYQi4KDActzVo9w2UZ3.jpg

What I got: https://img4.goodfon.com/wallpaper/nbig/3/7a/fentezi-art-angel-angel-vzgliad-krylia.jpg

Oleandervine2/18/2019, 9:17:32 PM58 votes

Janna's sex appeal is not part of her story and doesn't fit her character of being a protector spirit, nor did it fit her character of being a girl gifted with wind magic. She's sexed up for no damn reason, and has been since the start. Why is Lulu included in this topic at all?

Gapybo2/18/2019, 9:24:44 PM42 votes

Ugh I used to be pretty lenient towards Riot on this topic but this just takes the cake. They can't even pretend they missed the mark on Kayle. Full armor was always her thing and the most expected feature of her rework and they put her in a body suit... And I don't think they nailed it with Morgana either. New Morgana looks all cutesy, like an emo teen. She was never portrayed like that and that was never her appeal. Look at her old splashes. She is supposed to be tormented, evil looking, vicious but beautiful not cute!Morgana

XxXGwanXxX2/18/2019, 10:04:23 PM27 votes

Welcome to the Asian market. You can thank Tencent for this shit.

Thilmer2/18/2019, 10:44:32 PM19 votes

A champion that is sexy for lore reasons is fine.

A champion that is sexy for no reason in particular is fine.

But picking a champion that is not sexy at all and making she (or he) sexy during a rework is a mistake. Some people out there have been playing Kayle for years, and they obviously didn't choose her because of her revealing outfit and wide hips. This is a bad rework.

xxxliltrash 2/19/2019, 12:09:20 AM18 votes

Making a champion attractive for no particular reason is fine. Lulu

im calling the police

fire2632/18/2019, 11:33:41 PM13 votes

Have to completely agree here, I also don't like how Kayle takes off more armor/clothing the further into the game she goes. I was already pretty shocked by her first form, but later in the teaser, I did not think this was Kayle at all. I can see the first design, I guess it looks somewhat realistic, but I really hope they remove the later forms where she takes off her helmet, as that is not the Kayle that anyone really knew (feel bad for people who spent money on unmasked kayle, now going to be essentially pointless skin). Imagine if they took Mordekeiser, took off his helmet, and made his suit some skintight material for his rework because that's essentially what happened to Kayle. I hope they at least change some of the visuals for the later forms, and would like a little less of a Kaisa skintight suit vibe for her armor.

Karfuss2/18/2019, 9:58:10 PM11 votes

I feel like the VUs missed the mark with what the champions WERE.

Kayle is this ironclad, self-righteous, plate mail wearing, light wielding Bringer of Justice. Her new voice over nailed this, her kit and VFX nailed this. Her aesthetic doesn't.

Morgana is one massive bitter bitch. Extremely hateful and extremely vain. Beautiful (if you have that kind of kink) and scarred. Not juvenile, cutesy and basically if Xayah had no ears and had a dress. Also, ass wings?

PaffWasTaken2/18/2019, 11:07:59 PM10 votes

Kayle should definitely have more of her beauty focused on her face who's hidden half the time rather than her body. I feel like its part of her concept which is pretty unique amongst the army of hourglass figures we already have in the game

TonyTonyMordecai2/18/2019, 10:40:29 PM10 votes

I think it's detrimental, since, in my opinion, Aether Wing Kayle was meant to be the "attractive feminine Kayle" skin, and the base one was the judicator badass angel. I personally don't know how you can deliver justice when you're barely wearing any armor.

Favours of Tyche2/19/2019, 1:27:04 AM10 votes

I really REALLY despise this Morgana look - like I absolutely fucking hate it with a passion so much so I log into the boards which I haven't done in over a year. Breakdown of why:

  1. **DON'T: **The hair over the top anime shit like Riven and Ez - WHY?! cause she's evil and emo now so it's edgy DO: Normal flowing hair as opposed to Kayle's short hair? There was something wild and unhinged about her long unkempt hair

  2. **DON'T: **The outfit: why does the dress open in the front and show her crotch - wasn't the backless lingerie enough? oh yea and put fur/feathers on it cause emo edgy DO: Just fix the broken model and maybe update her already nice dress - make it tattered looking like a fallen angel should - doesn't have to be garrish to be good. The PERFECT Morgana you already had with the splash of her and Ahri fighting - THAT'S Morgana

  3. **DON'T: **Wings: wings are SO SMALL and blend into the dress - SHE'S A DAMN FALLEN ANGEL WTF RIOT?! DO: Give me back her wings...black, burnt, smoldering wings

  4. **DON'T: **Headpiece: Maleficent called, she wants her hat back DO: Give back the original piece and then edit it to be shown from above - like add a hair piece/comb to it

  5. **DON'T: **Be lazy about her ult after you go through the trouble of changing Kayle's model - you made Morgana spin and added the chains in the visual - that's it _ DO: SOMETHING COOL - this is your chance! You could have incorporated the fallen angel theme of using her lost pair of wings (Kayle has three pairs and Morg two) or her fall literally from heaven into the ult visual. Like how cool would it have been to chain the enemy and slowly pull off the player's wings when the ult hits. Or make a visual on the ground of wings encase them or hell, just rip off Xayah's ult and encase them in chains and the chains could leech the purple color from her wings turning them black. ANYTHING!

My Morg will always be the one from the linked splash: evil, tattered, hellbent on tearing the heavens apart and burnt to a cinder while trying to do so. My only plea now is to please make the Exiled Morgana everything I dreamt she is: a blood-covered broken angel.

TLDR: Please don't make her look like she got into a fight at Hot Topic in the accessory aisle AND LOST.

JoshuaMain2/19/2019, 2:27:07 AM9 votes

"Making a champion attractive for no particular reason is fine." "puts lulu in as one of the listed champions." you got something to tell us man?

Boltonator2/18/2019, 10:14:10 PM8 votes

Lulu no just....no

[sg-ahri-3]

Chromatic Eagle2/18/2019, 11:49:23 PM7 votes

Unfortunately, I'm sure Riot has data showing that attractive champions are more popular. It's why Swain became a silver fox, and why Yorick and Urgot became buff.

The Highest Noon2/19/2019, 2:30:32 AM6 votes

Yes, because people who are imprisoned don't come out ripped right?

There's an entire demographic of disproportionately-imprisoned people who disagree.

Kai'Sa wears a suit of alien that literally feeds her off the creatures she kills. There isn't any reason whatsoever as to why she'd look anything but beautiful. She has all the nutrition and exercise she needs lol

I agree with your logic, though. When someone who shouldn't be attractive are designed to be attractive, it takes away from the immersion of their lore. When it comes to this game though it's a really slippery topic to discuss because, for starters, this is a game about characters who are chosen as the best of the best to fight.

New players may not know this, but people don't just become champions they're chosen. It's like Magic: The Gathering. Not just anyone can become a Planeswalker--each and every one of them are especially...well, special. Champions are the same. They're all special. There's a reason why out of any prisoner in Demacia, it's Sylas who's a champion in-lore.

In regards to Kayle, I return to my statement regarding Kai'Sa: There's no reason whatsoever for Kayle to not be attractive. She's an angel. Angels are attractive by default.

Dat Kat2/19/2019, 12:54:48 AM4 votes

You do know the game isn't really based off of reality and life as we know it, right? They're characters . . fictional characters, in a fantasy world . . . just imagine that. You're alright, don't be offended or insecure for having designers design characters their own way in their own game.