Volibear will not be armored in his VGU. Will he make his love for Zilean finally apparent?

Title.

We know a lot from very little between these two neglected champions, one of the most understated, complicated romances in LOL that doesn't get even a tenth of the praise it deserves - and who can blame you? Riot has only subtly hinted at this relation, since Volibear and Zilean were created in a far less progressive era, that any "official" announcement of their love for each other would surely cause bad PR that could have been lethal to a young Riot Games, but the signs are surely there, as elusive and subtle as they may be.

Since the beginning, when Volibear was first announced, the Rioter who Zilean is named after has had an outspoken dislike for the well-armored Ursine. It was so popular that it became canon; Zilean, the champion, openly despised Volibear's mere existence, and likewise. But we know that this is only a surface-level hatred, masking an intense romantic tension between the two of them. A classic Romeo and Juliet; from two families meant to hate each other - Armored Ursine and Chronomages - but they can only barely mask their feelings. Their gameplay is deftly woven between and around each other; Zilean's relentless CC impedes Volibear endlessly. Volibear, always chasing after Zilean his love, but never able to catch him, far too like the lore . What provides the final nail, so to speak, is a special voice line Volibear has that isn't often heard; "I have a special claw for you, Zilean." What could this mean? A special claw. Well, a special finger you have for someone is your ring finger; wedding rings, of course. Claw is appropriate in this context - he's a bear, after all. Of course, this line does only play when Volibear slays Zilean. A dark foreshadowing, perhaps? The only way they can meet as lovers being in the afterlife? A troubling thought, to be sure.

Volibear's retcon marks his coming visual and gameplay update. From what we know so far based off of Ornn's lore, Volibear will no longer be armored, which I presume to be a strong defiance of his upbringing when he chooses love before duty. I predict his voice lines will be much softer towards Zilean now that they have finally united as one being, and in the current, more progressive year, perhaps - just perhaps - we can see a happy ending to this quietly tragic story.

I can't wait. :-)