I don't know, I liked the story that they were an alien race. Lumping them with the Ascended (
) is kind of a boring solution.... Not to mention Rhaast and 
look nothing like what we know Ascended to be (Animal-gods)
Don't you think this leads to more thematic and mythological cosistency?
I thought they were more like Fallen Ascended rather than Failed?
Yup, boring.
Almost all the monstrous characters in League are former humans who were transformed by some quirk of fate. As a result, they retain trivial human motivations and habits, and are thus non-human only in appearance. It's tiresome. I want to see some genuinely otherworldly beings in this game.
They don't look animal for 2 reason. 1 - They themselves used magic to change their forms some time after the fall of Shurima. Probaby to buff themselves and make themselves look more imposing then their furry and scaley brethren. 2 - After imprisonment in their own weapons they use that same magic to try and restore their forms, but even with that magic they can't get a complete recreation. The power and magic is to great for mortal human bodies to hold together and Aatrox just wastes through each body in his panicked desperation to not fall into the unmoving darkness once more.
The alien race is the void...
What? Since when are they not from another world??
Who made them ascended omg........
They look nothing like the other Ascended because they lost their form after being infused into the weapons. The lore states that Aatrox is desperately taking over other bodies with the goal to recover his original appearance. Also, the origin story continuously describes in detail the appearance of the other Darkin at the amphitheater. Scales, fur, beaks, etc. Obvious animal traits which means the Darkin DO in fact have the animal appearances, and Aatrox, Varus, and Kayn look different simply because they lost their original form being bind to the weapons.
They don't look animalistic because they were malformed by the fall and they learned to use primal magics to adjust themselves. They probably looked animalistic before the fall.
They are fallen ascended who had their original forms destroyed and were sealed inside their own weapons via the Aspect of Twilight's magic (read, Miyisha who may or may not actually be Zoe).
Their actual forms are supposed to be vaguely animalistic in silhouette due to trying to regain their old forms via the flesh of their slain enemies.
I confess I haven’t read their lore yet, so my opinion may be subject to change. But I have had a bit of an issue with how much of the lore has been revolving around connections to Targon/Void/Shurima. Other regions do exist and, while having relationships between factions is cool, it’s becoming overdone. I’m sick of seeing mentions about those 3 regions in every new lore.
For now, I am disappointed with how neatly everything ties together. Having Darkin as an independent race brought something unique to the table. They could’ve taken this in so many cool and interesting directions. Making them Ascended feels like it’s killed a lot of opportunities and made their lore a bit bland.
You're completely wrong. They aren't failed ascended, they were previously Ascended.
Though I am interested in what excuse they come up with for the animals Rhaast, Aatrox, and Varus were supposed to be, such that their current forms are anywhere near it.
