This week's discussion is dedicated to the memory of Joe.

"Here's to you, kid."

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For more discussions like this, check out the "Facts, Myths and Theories" main post! You can also follow me on Twitter: @dialMARK4acti0n

Welcome summoners, to the weekly series that brings you giant walls of text of theories, to the future of a video game's lore. Hey! It's a part-time... with no pay... Oh well! The fun and the feedback is pay enough! And boy do you deliver! Last week, we had some interesting theories from you guys in last week's discussion... Now, I hope we can make this a habit...! wink wink, nudge nudge. In case you didn't get it, I want you to comment 'cause I love talking with ya guys! Ok? Good. Glad that's out of the way. This is also the first topic picked by you guys, so I'm kind of nervous. If you forgot to vote last week, you can do it now in the poll below for next week's topic. Please do so if you so desire!

If you're new to "Facts, Myths and Theories", this is a series where I talk about a Lore-related topic every week. I grab what we know, what we don't know and mesh these together to form - you guessed it - theories, to try and crack the lore wide open. Now, let's get this discussion going already!

This Week's Topic: Who is Jax?

http://i.imgur.com/WZJRPB1.jpg

Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms. I've gotta be honest... oh boy! I should've made this discussion before the retcon, because** Jax's lore is NOTHING NOW!!! NOOOOOTHING!!!!!** Well... not really, but still... Most of it is not canon now, so we have to keep that in mind.

But, even in pre-retcon lore, Jax was a pretty mysterious guy. If he's even a guy that is! I mean, we don't even have too much of a solid ground to go from here. Three fingers? Purple skin? Supposedly, six eyes?? WHAT IS THIS THING? We've never seen anyone in League of Legends like this... or have we? And, while we're at it, what is his importance in the overall picture and what is his purpose? Well, there's ONE thing that we know about Jax's history, that will probably stick with the post-retcon lore. Jax was a soldier-for-hire before joining the League. As for the rest of Jax's history, the lore is kind of a jerk... QUOTE TIME!!!

"It is seldom the case where a champion is defined by his actions after joining the League of Legends rather than before. Such is the case with Jax."

Seriously...? They just retconned the lore to have no League and you give me this guy to talk about? YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!! I mean it! This will be a fun one.

Another thing we know about Jax is that he is known as a "Grandmaster at Arms" and that he was SO STRONG when he joined the League (pre-retcon of course) that they restricted the way he fought, while Jax himself restricted himself too, so he started using a lamppost to fight. After a while, the restrictions for Jax were lifted, but he just kept on fighting with them and with his trusty lamppost.

There's a few things to be had here. So let's get to it!

The Facts

http://i.imgur.com/kwKnxyR.jpg

The facts section will be short and sweet this time around, but we can discuss a few things here! Just gonna point out that we will not be discussing the disappearance of Reginald Ashram and his replacement with Heyward Relivash and Jax's possible involvement, because this is no longer canon, which means that this isn't factual anymore and has been retconned to something else. Sad, but true. Now... the facts!

"It's on!" http://i.imgur.com/CnB9Hy1.jpg

So, we already went over a few facts about Jax. He is the self-proclaimed "Grandmaster at Arms", which probably means he's good with weapons... and... things... in general... a lamppost for example... yeaaah! Another thing is that before joining the League in the pre-retcon Lore, he was a soldier-for-hire. A merc basically. A merc with a mouth if his voiceover taught us anything (dang, I love making references too much, don't I?). And another thing is that he is from an unknown race... pretty mysterious if you ask me. But, we already went over that in the introductory section (just to show you, the amount of facts I have to go off from). Still, there's some interesting facts left to go over.

One thing, is that in his champion profile page,** Jax is listed as hailing, or at least having an allegiance, with Ionia.** Boy! I would not want to be Yasuo right now! Have you seen what the guy does to people with just a freakin' lamppost?? Yikes. So, what we can naturally assume from this, is that he was a mercenary stationed in Ionia. Another thing is that, in the profile page, he is also listed as being Gragas' friend and Fiora's rival. Well, his relationship with Gragas is pretty simple, in that they are drinking buddies. Which makes sense, due to Jax's bombastic personality and unsteady profession. While Fiora is something we'll discuss in the Myths section, although still pretty simple.

So... we can see Jax appears to be a pretty normal guy when it comes to his extracurricular activities. Y'know, just going to the local tavern, sharing a drink, talking about how great he is and so forth. By the way, how does he drink with that mask? If it even is a mask... anyway! On a first glance, Jax has nothing else to him. But, we can't avoid thinking about his mysterious origins and his overwhelming strength.

Where did he come from? What is he? What are his goals? Let's try and find out!

The Myths

http://i.imgur.com/y4FRtvC.jpg

Aaaah! The good ol' Myths section! Now we have a little more room for interpretation. If you don't already know, the Myths section is meant to explore things that have been hinted at and aren't totally out here, but that are also not yet official. With Jax, these are pretty straight forward. So let's get to it!

"A worthy opponent..." http://i.imgur.com/L9dUEW3.jpg

The first one is pretty straightforward. So, remember that Jax was SO STRONG with weapons he resorted to using a lamppost to have fair fights? Well, he is the "Grandmaster at Arms" after all! Now, Fiora's lore talks of how she was a very renowned swordsman and duelist, until her father brought shame to the house of Laurent, when it was discovered he poisoned all of his fencing rivals, before battling them. Fiora Laurent, since then, has tried to clear her own name. Here's the final part of her lore:

"Fiora knew the shadow of doubt still tainted her reputation. Intent to seize her destiny, Fiora vows to surpass her father's false legacy and prove that she is not only the greatest duelist in Demacia – but all of Valoran."

So, Fiora wants to prove she is the greatest duelist in all of Valoran. She does long for 'ze worzy opponent'. Guess who else lives in Valoran! Yep, Jax. So, we can naturally assume that Jax and Fiora are listed as rivals, since Fiora wants to prove she is even stronger than Jax. Pretty straightforward. Does this help us with Jax's mysterious origins? Nope! So, let's move on!

"True warriors are born in blood." http://i.imgur.com/fiWV5Ku.jpg

So, we all know at this point that Jax's champion profile page shows a shady dude that looks very much like that other dude just above Jax's lamp. And by dude, I mean Aatrox. That's a fact! But, what does it mean? Is Jax a Darkin? That is certainly a possible theory and does fit with the unknown race he's a part of, since there is still so much mystery around the Darkin. Is Jax being controlled by Aatrox? It is also possible, since he does want for me to "let him at 'em" whenever I play him, which does fit with Aatrox's power of making men be filled with a lust for battle. Jax is a pretty good fighter and is VERY strong (Rito nerf plox!). You could even say he fights with 'the strength of ten', which is referencing a section in Aatrox's lore, referencing the Protectorates, in the Protectorate and Magelords War:

"They followed Aatrox into the fray, each fighting with the furious strength of ten."

Maybe, that's where Jax's skills hail from. Another thing is that Jax may also be part of the Protectorate's or the Magelord's factions, since he is part of an unknown race and we don't know anything about these guys. The Protectorate had already been manipulated, so maybe, assuming Jax is part of the Protectorate, whatever Aatrox did to these guys, stuck with Jax over the years. This of course would also mean Jax was very old! We know nothing of his race, so this would make sense if he had a long lifespan. It could also fit with Tryndamere, who was also manipulated by Aatrox and can avoid death with his rage. Maybe Tryndamere and Jax's power come from the same source, Aatrox. For more discussion on this topic, please check out my Darkin discussion.

This isn't very out there and does make a lot of sense. But, I have some wacky theories I'd like to go over still. So bare with me!

Theories

http://i.imgur.com/jwETlZ5.jpg

Ok, so some of these theories are super crazy!! Some are just stretches. And only one of them actually makes sense. XD Well, they all make some sense, but you get the picture. I know this is your favorite part of "Facts, Myths and Theories" and I'm sure that this week we're gonna have a looooooot of discussion about these theories in the comments. Now, onto the first theory!

"Who wants a piece of the champ?!" http://i.imgur.com/4U28XTh.png

So, I'm gonna order the theories in sensical order. This means this theory is the one that makes less sense. Now, remember the dude that chopped a tree in two with just one cleave of his sword, that tried to capture Yasuo? Yeah! The dude from Yasuo's promo. Well, what if that's Jax? I know, I know... but bare with me here guys, c'mon! Think about it! He's a bulky dude, like Jax. He is seemingly superhuman strong, like Jax. He's Ionian, like Jax, supposedly. There was also this quote from Yasuo's promo that caught my eye:

"The first was a swordsman of strength renowned throughout Ionia."

Jax is the "Grandmaster at Arms" and I suppose he's renowned throughout Ionia due to his mastery of all things weapon... and lamppost. Maybe, they're the same guy! Yasuo's promo only ever mentioned Yasuo killing Yone, his brother, so maybe this dude is still alive.

Again, this one is a little farfetched and is probably just my inner "Yasuo main" part of me just wanting to get out. But how cool would it be if it was true? It would give Jax a background for his mastery of weapons and some extra relationships to other champions. But, again, this one is pretty fetched, so let us move on to the more sensical theories...

"Ready for battle!" http://i.imgur.com/pdxvhjL.jpg

Before going into this, I have to mention a fellow theorist that goes by the name of Kevman967 that suggested the following theory in the Darkin discussion. It does make some measure of sense so, basically, the theory suggests that Jax and Baron Nashor are the same. It all stems from these two paragraphs taken from the Journal of Justice:

*"The many neutral monsters on the Fields of Justice are constructs inspired by real creatures from Runeterra. The Baron Nashor you see on the map is actually an incomplete facsimile of the true Baron Nashor, who is now the subject of myth and legend. The story goes that Baron Nashor was a ferocious worm that ruled the Serpentine River, which flows through Summoner’s Rift. He was such a fearsome and powerful beast that even the armies of Demacia and Noxus steered clear of the river, unwilling to chance an encounter with the Baron. *"

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"When Summoner’s Rift was constructed, the Baron vanished, leaving no conclusive evidence as to where he went or why he left in the first place. Obviously the rumor-mill has churned out many explanations, but all we know for sure is that the Senior Arcane Architect for the Summoner’s Rift arena was said to have crafted the version you see today from no more than a molted scale and interviews with those who had seen the beast and lived."

The Journal of Justice was not totally retconned, and although this quote features the creators of the Summoner's Rift, it doesn't mean we have to dismiss all the information given about Summoner's Rift itself. Now that that's out of the way, what we can take from the Journal is that Baron Nashor was created from the memories and descriptions of the true Baron Nashor, that has now become this 'ferocious worm'-type creature that lives in the 'Serpentine River'.

Now, think with me, Baron Nashor is purple, has multiple eyes and is very powerful. Now, Jax is purple, - check - has multiple eyes - check - and is very powerful - check. This is kind of a stretch, but what if Baron Nashor is what the people that encountered Jax, during this time of his life where he lived in this river, were describing him as even though he really wasn't? It's a fact that people tend to exaggerate details. Maybe this was the case. "Baron Nashor" could've been Jax's nickname at some point and it could also be his real name! Maybe the people that did see Jax and got away, could've gotten just a glimpse of him. Heck! Jax may not even have multiple eyes. It could just be a mask like Master Yi's goggles. Thusly, it's possible that Baron Nashor is actually Jax.

But, that doesn't explain all the mistery revolving Jax's life. Sure, he at one point was a badass in the middle of a river that would kill anyone that dared challenge him. But that's it! However, the next theory, which is the more logical, sensical and awesome, can explain this. Without further a due...

"Imagine if I had a real weapon!" http://i.imgur.com/1fUcXtv.jpg

Now, this theory, that questions everything we know about Jax and a few other champions, was also suggested by a fellow theorist that, quite honestly, is a genius. He likes to call himself... Saint Sloth... oh boy... was that anti-climatic!! xD Anyways, he suggested a theory as well that, while still very faulty in its raw state, became what it is now! And that is the theory that I think will crack Jax's character wide open!

So, if you didn't read my Darkin discussion, I suggest you do, because this theory is based around the theory I made back then. Very basically, the theory suggested that the Darkin were actually living weapons that corrupted whoever "wielded" them. Now, Jax is the "Grandmaster at Arms", right? Mhmm... he was so powerful with his usual weapons that he forced himself to use a lamppost to fight... See where I'm going? That's right! Jax isn't just a Darkin. Jax created the Darkin! Maybe not even created, but maybe he is just their leader!

It's so obvious! Jax was so powerful wielding the Darkin that he started to use a normal object to fight. The Darkin, being living weapons, set off on their own to do their thing. But, that was recent and Aatrox is very ancient. Theroy nullified right? WRONG!!! In Aatrox's AMA, it mentioned this about the Darkin:

"Three of the five, including Aatrox, are known to history, turning up in myths etc. The other two are completely unknown to the rest of the world. It's unclear whether even the other Darkin know of them. They don't talk much."

Could it be that Jax was one of them? He's pretty popular apparently, with his overall strength and all. So he IS known to history! If you read my Darkin discussion, you know I think Varus' bow is another unnamed Darkin. But, regardless of Varus's bow being a Darkin or not, you can still suppose Jax is one of these Darkin know to history. He leads them and that is why the 'shadowy figure' that was added to his profile page art on Aatrox's release. But, they don't talk much, maybe he is just independent, doing his own thing as a merc. Or maybe since he's the "Grandmaster at Arms" and all, Jax was able to wield them and control them, without them taking over. Could it be that Jax, who wasn't a Darkin after all, could've gained control over them? Heck! Maybe he created them! Maybe, Jax comes from a race that knew how to forge living, organic weapons or something.

At this point nothing would suprise me! I just explained why Baron and Jax could be the same guy for Pete's sake!!!! But, at this point, I am 100% certain that Jax is tied very closely to the Darkin, in some way, or another! Or maybe not...

It's all just a theory though... Thanks for reading!

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UPDATE: I have here another total different theory, that has been brought to my attention in the comments, that is pretty cool: The truth about Jax. It's certainly better than most of my theories if not all of them, so please check it out!

Boy, was this one weird. Some of the theories I just had to talk about were crazy! The Yasuo one is way out there. But I'm glad I could do this one as soon as I did. The Darkin discussion was still fresh on my mind and if you read that discussion, you remember I said we couldn't deduce anything about Jax and the Darkin 'at this point'. Boy! Was I wrong!! xD

I really, REALLY, want to hear your theories on this one and also, what did you think of my theories? Don't forget to comment below, give feedback and vote in the poll below to pick what you'd like to see me talk about next week. Speaking of the poll, I'd just like to let you know I only take votes until a certain point of the week, because writing these takes time... a lot of time. Sorry about that, but it's for the best of the series. Thanks for being awesome guys!!

Last Week's Topic: The Master of Shadows

Next Week's Topic: Jinx and Vi's Family Ties

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Votes will no longer be taken into account for next week's topic. But, by all means, keep voting if you so desire. Thanks for voting!