Stories from the League Universe: The Best of the Best (In My Opinion)
I've decided to make a list of my favorite stories from League of Legends, or as the refined people call it, Lag of Legumes. I've probably read every lore story in the Lag universe, and these are the ones that stuck out to me as exceptional. This list is completely opinion based, so feel free to pipe in about your favorite stories and why you like them! For now though, let's get on with the list. I didn't limit myself to some kind of top 10 or anything, but I did order them in least to greatest, so the best are at the bottom. I hope you like the list!
Scourge of the Desert, featuring a Noxian traveler with mention of Rek'Sai. Scourge of the Desert is told in journal format, and sadly it can't be found on the Universe page (last I checked). It's about a patriotic Noxian who travels to Shurima, but while there realizes that the world doesn't revolve around Noxus. I like this story because we don't really get to look into the heads of the commoners visiting a foreign land. The way his perception of the world changes throughout the story is pretty great.
The River King, featuring Tahm Kench and a demon. This is the only video on the list. See, Ol' Two-Coats doesn't get a lot of outright lore, but The River King tells you everything you need to know about him. If you really watch the video, you'll realize that there's a lot more depth to Fish-Tank's story than you might have guessed.
Interrogation 101, featuring Vi. This short story does a great job of showing Vi personality. We don't get to see much of her other than "punching solves everything," but Interrogation 101 shows that, even if she's not too intelligent, she's not a total brute and she can be clever when she wants.
Nightbloom, featuring Maokai and a flower. This story… oh geez, this story. It really goes deep into Maokai's personality and motivation, and Maokai has an interesting personality. Nightbloom really shows how far he's willing to go to restore the Blessed Isles to their full glory, and how much he cares about his home.
Ivory, Ebony, Jasper, featuring Jarvan IV and his band of advisors. This is one of the newer stories from the Demacia lore update. The thing is, J4's new lore kind of disappointed me. I mean, it wasn't bad, but his bio put too much emphasis on Shyvana and not enough on him (Shyvana's lore is dope tho). But when I read this story he was redeemed. See, you arguably get more information about J4's personality from this very short story than you get from his bio, even when in the story he's mostly emotionless. In Ivory, Ebony, Jasper, J4 is given two options: Surrender a town to the enemy, effectively abandoning the town's people, or create a risky plan that would save the townspeople. The way J4 doesn't even give the first option a first thought is wonderful. It really shows how he views Demacia and its citizens (subjects?).
A Quick Fix, featuring Jayce and Sass-Master Amaranthine. This story is good for reasons similar to what's already been mentioned: It does a good job of showing the champion's personality. A Quick Fix depicts what it's like for a person who had only heard stories of Jayce's heroism to meet him in real life and see what he really is: Just some guy who's kind of jerky. The way they took Jayce's lore was pretty good, and this shows all the ways in which he's different than what we thought he'd be. Also, shout out to the Sass-Master herself, Amaranthine. She was a total baller.
Twin Dawns, featuring Aurelion Sol, Pantheon, and a ton of Voidlings. Twin Dawns is a gem because it gives us something we don't usually get: A look into the mind of a god. Being the story of a god, it gives us hints and insights into future events that will effect the entire planet, if not universe. Other than that, I'm a big fan of Void lore, so it's really interesting for me to read about the Void, especially from a source as reputable as a Celestial Dragon. I also really like the star forging scene. Like, with any other champion, it would probably be "he conjured a star," but with Sol it goes into how he's manipulating hydrogen to begin the fusion process as he bends gravity, creating nuclear heat so powerful that it's bending the planet's aura permanently. That creation scene really let's us watch one of the most powerful characters in the game do his work.
Gift of Venom, featuring Ivern, Daisy, Sheldon, Syrus, Mikkus, Risbell, some other guys, aaand… some other guys. Personally, I think the trope where nature is angry at humans is ridiculously over-used. So imagine my delight when I read this story. Gift of Venom is so light and whimsical that it's a pleasure to read, and I really do love how it makes sure to say that humans are just as much a part of nature as mewlarks and shagyaks.
Jhin, the Virtuoso | II-IV, featuring Jhin, Shen, Zed, and Akali. I say II-IV because act one is really just the bio. This story though. It's great. If Sol's story gave us rare insight into the mind of a god, this story gives us rare insight into the mind of a psychopath. It also let's us see up close an interaction between Shen and Zed, and we don't often see things like that happen in League. Anyway, Jhin is awesome. There's not much else to say.
For Demacia featuring Lux and Garen (with company). Oh, and maybe Nocturne. I like this story because it seems… more real. It has action, but it also seems like more realistic action. To me anyway. I guess what I mean is, it's written less like a short story and more like a chapter in a book, which I think is cool. Another thing is that a major part of the Demacia lore update was detailing Lux and Garen's relationship. For Demacia is the story where they actually are interacting directly, which is pretty important. This has been said before, but I'm going to say it again: The way Garen and Lux's relationship was written was great. Garen feels love and pride for his sister, but also fears what she might be and what he might have to do to her, so he denies that she might be what she honestly probably is. Lux loves and respects her brother, but also knows him well enough to fear him if his hand was forced. The last discussion between the two of them shows this so well.
Darkness Renews, featuring Renekton and a guy who whispers. In my opinion, Renekton is the saddest champion in League. Even without knowing his entire backstory it's still sad. He heroically helps seal away a terrible evil at the cost of his own life, but he doesn't die. No, he's tormented by an enemy that he can't fight for eternity. He can't die and he can't fight back, he can only sit in darkness while his mind is twisted beyond insanity. Darkness Renews really shows Renekton as something that we don't see in game: A tired old man who has lost his way completely.
Progress Day, featuring Tamara and guest starring Caitlyn. Progress Day is kind of like Code Geass. Not in content, but in style. The story itself is pretty good, but it can start to feel pretty long. If you read all the way through, however, there's a twist at the end that makes the whole story just fantastic.
Sai Khaleek, featuring Jaheje, Shahib, some other guys, and Rek’Sai. Hey, you've made it to the top three. Congratulations. Anyway, let's talk about Sai Khaleek. Around when I first started getting really into the lore, I read Rek'Sai's. I know that my thought process was something along the lines of "what? Rek'Sai is just some animal. A Void animal, granted, but just some animal. How does she stand a chance against other champions? She would get slaughtered. She's just a dumb beast." I laugh at my younger self often. How little I knew. Sai Khaleek opened my eyes. While Rek'Sai is still "just an animal," this story made me realize what she really is: An apex predator the likes of which Runeterra has never, and should never have seen.
A Good Death, featuring a Magga thing, a lamb, and a wolf. Just gonna say this now, the link I've given you here is the original link, the one that comes with beautiful art. It's a shame that that art isn't on the Universe page (I think). Anyway, A Good Death is… well, it's a great story. It was certainly vying for the top spot. I really like the Kindred, and I think League's take on death is just epic. I get chills down my spine whenever I read this thing.
Lullaby, featuring Ekko and… some people. After long thought, I've decided that Lullaby is the best story in League. If you're going to read anything on this list, read Lullaby. It's truly a work of art. That's all I have to say on the matter.
And that's that. If you found something good to read, please leave an upvote. And feel free to leave a comment discussing what your favorite stories are and why!
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