Actually, I not very satisfied/happy with Zyra and Alistar's new Lore
First of all, I'm very grateful that riot handles its lore carefully, specially that they prioritize it very often now. Another note is that, they even write an article about it in the last nexus article.
Secondly, just like the title, I'm very disappointed that the 2 I've mentioned above have a pety/ unoriginal lore. Meaning its generic. Wait, let me read their new lores now.
Alistar's New Lore, Always a mighty warrior with a fearsome reputation, Alistar seeks revenge for the death of his clan at the hands of the Noxian empire. Though he was enslaved and forced into the life of a gladiator, his unbreakable will was what kept him from truly becoming a beast. Now, free of the chains of his former masters, he fights in the name of the downtrodden and the disadvantaged, his rage as much a weapon as his horns, hooves and fists.
Yeah, I know that they got some of his old lore back but alistar can be so much more than this. We already have a past gladiator contestant, Zin Xhao. We don't need another generic Minotaur attacking people anymore. I even thought that you want to move away from generic narrative troupes or cliche scenes. I don't think this is even too late to change, you can change this again if many people doesn't like it or alistar might receive a VU/LU/VGU/Voice Update. Plus, we don't need another "I'm the only survivor in my clan cliche and they disappeared troupe".
My own In take if you want to change alistars lore again.
A. Make him the demi-God of strength. Just like Voli, Anivia and Ornn (And possibly Rammus) Alistar can be as great as them. Alistar can be noxus( or even Morde's empire) virtue of might, he can be noxus own demi-god and we all know noxus is all about strength and the will to survive like alistar. But just like many, just like any religion, may some only now worship him because of the new trifarix. And he wants to wake again in his great slumber because he wants to know noxus whose the boss. Maybe in another noxus update, we will hear about noxus religion and cults and alistar might be another religion there. Maybe his unbreakable made some noxians believed him as a god. Another reason is that, maybe his followers use horns in their battle like how he's doing in his new lore. He also has healing powers and can heal its teammates like a GOD. And look at his quotes( yeah, desperate moves and a date VO )
"Nothing can hold me back!" - He can't hold his, temper against noxus "I know the way." - He knows the real way on how to make noxus great again "Nothing can hold me back." - There are no one who can held him back in getting noxus again in his hands ( Note: A demi-God is always cocky ) "Stampede!" - Again another angry grunt to noxus "Now I'm angry." - Angry against noxus new sects and beliefs "Mess with the bull and you get the horns!" - Againsts Trifarix "You can't milk those." - Self explanatory Alistar hits a cowbell. - Sound of Apocalypse
B. Retain the new lore but please make him vastaya. Another Minotaur race in a fantasy world is generic plus you already made a humanoid/chimera like race which is unique to your own fantasy so why not use it. Plus, Alistar is qualified in the requirements of being a Vastaya. Maybe change some parts of his lore like saying he is from a vastaya tribe doesn't hurt, will it? And all he needs now is a splash update and a Voice over Update.
Now lets go to zyra's lore
Zyra's Lore Born in an ancient, sorcerous catastrophe, Zyra is the wrath of nature given form—an alluring hybrid of plant and human, kindling new life with every step. She views the many mortals of Valoran as little more than prey for her seeded progeny, and thinks nothing of slaying them with flurries of deadly spines. Though her true purpose has not been revealed, Zyra wanders the world, indulging her most primal urges to colonize, and strangle all other life from it.
This is the one that triggered me the most in the LU because it cuts the hope of Kumungu Jungles being as a faction. I'm a diehard fan of the Kumungu Jungles and I want it to be a faction really really hard. Because who doesn't like the Jungle Setting and the jungle species. Yeah, I'm amazed that Nidalee retained his lore around the jungle (we don't even know what jungle she's from) and its great but for Zyra? No. She became a generic villain cliche like poison ivy in the batman series. She could be some much more, maybe just a kumungu jungle exclusive and dosen't travel the whole valoran(yep a volaran exclusive and it saddens me the most because I think kumungu jungles is on the southern continent. Meaning, zyra's chance living from the kumungu is very slim unless riot backs this up with the "Gnar Statement" means she traveled and not part of that continent anymore).
My own In take if you want to change zyra's lore again.
Make her connected to a World Rune and Just a villain living in Kumungu . First of all, lets connect her old lore, present lore and my in take lore with this. So yes, she is an ancient plant being and lets just say, dominated the whole southern continent way past before shurima's ancient gods emerged but was extinct days past before the watchers covered the whole world in ice(jk). Lets just say, her race was extinct way before the ancient shurima rise. Fast forward 2 years before present time, A rune hunter sorcerer possessed a rune in a cave in the depths of kumungu, At first she was fascinated but moments later, she was startled by a void creature and was eated by it. She drop the rune and it fall down to zyra's remains. Then with that, the rune merges with zyra and becomes the zyra she is today. She wants to repopulate her kind again in this world so that their race can dominate again. But please don't put her in valoran maybe she is just starting yet in the kumungu jungles making her and nidalee rivals. She wants to get back the jungle but nidalee and other clan opposes. making zyra's action realistic and not some cartoon villain.
PS: Please make a Kumungu Faction
being a former gladiator/ slave is a big part of Alistar's character imo. I don't know why Rito didn't make him a Vastayan when they introduced the race but nothing about his updated bio suggests that Minotaurs can't be Vastaya. If they intend to make him a Vastayan, they just need to mention Minotaurs as a Vastayan tribe, whenever his full lore comes out.
remaining in the Kumungu Jungle would limit her character a lot, it would boil down to whoever happened across the Jungle, and not many champion's would go there just for so. Zyra's updated bio looks like it is still going to lead into her being the last plant of her kind and consuming that girl, after assimilating that girl and her memories, she would go to the place that girl came from and learning more about life outside of the jungle.
and
aren't super magical bois, but they also both seem to still be more Dex focused rather than Strength. I only question it, because of the possible draw backs mention, to being born from magic. Of course, I may have missed some vastaya mentioned in one of the newer stories, if so enlighten me please, i'm always willing to read some more lore.