Boards›Story, Art, & Sound

@meddler Aatrox's Theme

Verandure·9/16/2016, 12:47:31 AM·3 votes·985 views

What even is Aatrox's theme supposed to be, right now? His gameplay, visuals, and VO are all about being a vampire edgelord that persists by hurling himself into the fray, but none of that really came through from his lore (which got a ton of people excited back when it was originally released before we learned about his kit). In fact, Kled fulfills the fight-to-the-death space much better than Aatrox, since he has tools that actually let him survive.

Looking back, I feel like his visuals and lore were supposed to be indicative of a Standard Bearer; but, somewhere along the line the sword became the important focal point of the character. Whenever I look at Aatrox; I see two banners long before they look like wings (How on earth would those things work as wings, in the first place?), and his story is all about rallying a routed, outmatched army to him.

What I want from him (which doesn't mean much), would be a deeper look into the Standard Bearer theme but with the subversion that it isn't pride or patriotism that rallies armies to him, but something much more demonstrable, and a focus on the inhuman ferocity of the soldiers he does help.

Standard Bearers are a very interesting part of martial history, dating back to before the Romans. They would carry the standard, banner, or flag of the army and stand near the commander to give a visual for the troops. In Rome, there are stories that the Standard Bearer set the wages of the troops, which gave great incentive to keep him alive.

When the standard bearer died or the flag was captured, it was common perception that the leader was killed and the battle lost -- leading to the modern conception of armies fleeing as soon as their leader died as if they no longer had a will to fight.

I would recommend reading up on them if you haven't, already. Them and the drum corps as methods of signaling strategy in older wars is very fascinating.

They're one theme that I would definitely like in League, and I feel like Aatrox is already more than halfway there.

6 Comments

GreenLore9/16/2016, 1:22:47 AM3 votes

Overall I think that if you look at it in a really general way,then he seems to be LoLs typical demon(even though he isn't a demon in the lore,his visuals are clearly demonic).

I don't really see him as a bearer. Sure his wings look like banners,but thats about it. Like you said,the bearer was about giving signals to the troops and actually stayed at the commanders side. But aatrox is more like a vanguard,throwing himself into the battle,reigniting the hope(and bloodlust) of his "allies".

I'd say they could change his kit in that he has the ability to buff his allies when he goes into the fight,I mean thats what his lore is all about.

EROTIC RAID BOSS9/16/2016, 3:31:34 AM1 votes

I think the lore suggested he'd rally his team to fight from the brink of death, but his gameplay only allowed himself to do that.

It's likely when they update his abilities he'll get something like an ult that lets his attacks heal his team, or let them survive near death to keep fighting, like kindred or fiora's ults? something along those lines

Furor Nexis9/16/2016, 9:58:52 AM1 votes

His theme is that of one that evokes bloodlust, or is the Harbinger of Bloodlust. (Could be a new flavour text for him ayyyy)

Every time he's shown up, whichever side he's fought on are "inspired" and become driven into a bloodlust frenzy. it's why even the most surrounded and smallest of forces were capable of ripping through their enemies before bearing down on them, as Aatrox had sided with them, and started cutting through.

He wishes for a constant war so his blade can suck it all up, empowering him beyond even that of probably normal Darkin means. Hell, the reason they probably live so long is because of bloodlust and war empowering them. So to do so, he needs constant war, with people constantly dying. The one way to do that is to fill up the losing side with extreme bloodthirst so they'll carve their way through their enemies, extending the war.

Meep Man9/16/2016, 12:53:58 PM1 votes

The Harbinger of War. He always wants conflict going on because it sustains him. This is apparent in his splash art where, after the battle was finished, he can be seen draining the blood from all the nearby corpses.