Boards›Story, Art, & Sound

Riot shouldn't be afraid to kill off champions for the sake of lore

Trolosaurus·6/28/2019, 4:32:48 AM·31 votes·18,572 views

I don't mean remove them by the way. Just make them dead in-lore, but playable in-game. Not everybody has to be invincible, and it opens new opportunities for new skins. Once the bio updates are done, I'd like to see the league's universe move forwards into an actual lengthy story. I know there are several Warhammer writers on the lore team, so why not do something similar to the Horus Heresy. I.E., books set in the same universe with a similar overarching event, but separate stories that tie into each-other somewhat.

88 Comments

Chembaron Yamada6/28/2019, 4:59:02 AM35 votes

Killing a champion in the lore would feel really terrible for the fans of this champion, since it means that their story is finished. When this happens, then it means that they can just get stories of the past of this champion, but there is no future to look forward to anymore.

People can get really attached to the stories of their favourite champion, like we saw with the retcon of Varus or how they decided to back off from the retcon for Nautilus with Pyke's release. I imagine that they want to avoid the extreme backlash that would most likely come if they decide to kill one champion in the lore.

Falrein6/28/2019, 6:23:36 AM11 votes

Killing the champion isn't a problem. Some champions would actually really like that (Yorick, Aatrox). The problem is - what has come before that? You have champions with so many possible storylines, and so many possibilities in the impact they can leave on the world. If you kill them right away, there's no point in having this character.

I've always said I wouldn't mind Syndra dying. She's human, and she has a target on her back. But don't kill her off right after she got out of jail. If a champions has had their time, a good story, so long a they have done something in their life, sure. Death is not the problem, it's how much development came before that.

To get back on Syndra since she's my prime example - if she dies after doing nothing, killed by a stray arrow or a random assassin, then yes, it will feel bad, and it won't be poignant or anything. It'll just be that, bad.

Killing characters? Yes. I believe that's what make good stories. If you can't fear for your fave's life, there's no real stake. Butchering characters? No. They deserve their time to shine. I'm not saying everyone will all reach their goal, as some champions have opposite goals. But let them have stories before you kill them. Let them get that sweet character development.

Lewanor6/28/2019, 6:53:31 AM9 votes

You think they'll kill Lux/Yasuo/Riven, the popular people? No, the unpopular will get the short end of the stick again. You say they shouldn't be afraid to kill off champions for the sake of lore but they absolutely should not kill for the sake of killing somebody.

TheMan2926/28/2019, 2:37:29 PM7 votes

as many others have said, killing off a character just ain't worth it when there is little lore for many characters. if Riot lore writers had the time to write a lot of lore expanding on the HUGE amount of characters they have (and they are busy so they really dont), then sure, I wouldnt mind seeing Maokai purifying the land of the Isles and Yorick defeating the ruined king after getting more stories for all the shadow isles champions (as sad as i would be for thresh to die, the idea of a "golden ending" for the Isles would just make a beautiful cinematic, especially with a character like Yorick)

However, we just dont have the lore to kill off the characters so easily. it would be like having sylas start the revolution then getting killed as soon as he shows himself

d00mface6/28/2019, 4:26:58 PM5 votes

As long as the characters in question get a good chunk of lore and development before their deaths I'm fine with it. I just hate when characters are killed off suddenly for "shock" and get their stories cut off prematurely when it looked like it might go somewhere just to surprise the audience or whatever the usual excuse for such an action is. I don't think anyone likes when that happens with their faves. Wasted potential... that stuff's the worst.

Enden Fury6/28/2019, 10:45:41 AM4 votes

Why not kill a champion who actually wants to die like Olaf? Just make sure it's epic!

Jeddy0176/28/2019, 3:58:21 PM4 votes

As long as they have a decent amount of lore content, the champ get the proper development & progression they deserve AND most importantly have an impact on the current timeline, then by all means, kill them off. Every story needs a satisfying conclusion. But there should be a satisfying story there in the 1st place. Let's not just rush into killing off champs for the sake of it.

And even if the champs die in the canon lore, the champ is still alive & kicking in all of the Skin AUs.

GreenLore6/28/2019, 11:45:45 PM3 votes

Honestly I don't think that Riot has really a problem with killing off champions in general, in fact when the lore retcon happened they even said that they can now kill off champions in the lore.

That being said, rushing the deaths of champs would be just a waste of potential. I mean imagine if Gp had stayed dead at the end of burning tides, then that would have wasted any future storypotential with him, despite the fact that we barely got to know him.

Jaspers6/28/2019, 11:42:12 AM3 votes

League of Legends. No one said the Legend had to be alive... how did they become a legend? ;-)

Hårríson6/28/2019, 3:04:44 PM2 votes

The game is centered around the lore that all these people and factions are at war. You can't fight a war if you're permanently dead.

Angel Of Fel6/28/2019, 2:09:47 PM2 votes

Has warhammer writers. Ever heard something by the name of the warhammer fantasy end times. yea tell me how good it would be killing of characters when u read that bruv

bronze smurf696/28/2019, 7:34:27 PM2 votes

Yasuo dies All the 12 year old edgy yasuo mains rage quit from league

Perfect balance achieved! YAY!

Okay on a serious side note, how will riot decide on who will die?? Like this isn't game of thrones, and if the old lore where champions had their own universe and the summoner's rift arena, they can die all they want without concern of being gone forever. But the new lores are completely separated from the SR so it's pretty tricky to make a character die.

Socon6/28/2019, 6:32:09 AM2 votes

As long as there is a future in their death. E. G mordekaiser