Have you ever wondered why Shen wears the mask? Here's a theory.

Nobody cared who he was until he put on the mask.

Shen has always been a mysterious one. He is one of four champions whose full-face mask has never been removed in official lore or splash arts, the others being Malzahar, Jax, and Viktor.

So, why? Is it because he's one of the Kinkou? That can't be right, since Akali and Kennen take off their masks for their medical skins.

Is it because he's secretive? Well, not really, seeing as how he devotes his life to combating thise who disrupt the balance, even in front of the like of Noxian High Command.

So what gives? Why does Shen wear the mask? Well, I have a theory.

Have you ever thought of what face could lie behind the mask of someone, such as Jax? If you're like most people, any face you come up with would not feel or look like Jax, because the mask defines him. Similarly, the Eye of Twilight must be shrouded in order to retain his honor: showing his human face would cause doubt as people would find reason to disregard his neutrality. The image of Shen's otherworldly separation from being human would be shattered.

As a wise vigilante once said, "I cannot protect this city as a man. I must become something more: a myth." Shen is a living myth, a warrior whose heritage called for him to be the guardian of the world and its two halves. Should he show his human face, he would be seen as a mere man and it would cause trouble. People and spirits both would take full advantage of his mortality and try to kill him until he reached his physical limits. That is something that would both force him to disrupt the balance to protect himself, and it would also make it impossible for him to remain the neutral party. Concealing his face shows that yes, he has a physical form, but his honor and respect is preserved through being an enigma.

Here's another portion of the theory I saved for last because it's a little silly until you actually think about it. If Shen takes off his mask in public, if he is incredibly handsome, he'd have to deal with people offering him suitors, which would conflict with his work. If people saw him if he was horribly scarred or deformed (IF), they would see him as some sort of monster that walks amongst them, and people would lose their respect for him when word gets around.

Here's my theory on why Shen wears his mask. Let me know what you think in the comments, and if you liked this bit, tell me what story phenomenon you'd like me to discuss next. Spin your own, go wild, and leave an upvote if you can, it helps get the discussion going.