What I Want From A Janna Update, From A Janna Veteran
Janna is a champion I love dearly, being the champion that's consistently been my most played for 3 out of the 5 years that I've played League. Times has changed, and now, in the visual department, and a few others, she's a bit lacking. This post won't be some short script of what's wrong with her model, but how I wish Riot will reinvent her when she does eventually receive a Visual Update. I'll mostly be talking about visuals, but I will mention some gameplay aspects, among other things.
Thematic and Character
Janna's thematic has stayed consitent throughout the lore update, despite being changed from a human to a spirit. At her core, her character is one of hope, and compassion, but also freedom, and the capriciouness of the winds. I love this personally, as it contrasts well against the other more altruistic champions in game, such as Soraka, who I feel has a more dignified and noble approach. Yet, now with her new lore, she's also a spirit worshipped by some as a goddess, and a mainstay with her lore since the beginning, is that Janna will always seem distant, even when she's right beside you. She cannot be tamed, she functions to help people, and feels compassion, but she'll let nobody use her. Despite being a goddess now, I hope that Riot keeps her more mischevious side, as she's always been somewhat playful and fun, as was depicted in her short story "Deep Breath" which I highly advise you read.
I also feel that this one short story gives such a great interpretation of how Janna should be represented. When she helps the boy, she could have done so much, having stolen money for him, or countless other things that I fail to come up with because the endless possibilities. in spite of all of this, she simply hugs the boy and tells him that everything will be okay before pulling a harmless prank on a man, it'll make sense if you read the story, for the boy's enjoyment.
A character in media I find that Janna could get a lot of inspiration from is Galadriel, from Lord of The Rings. Both are beings that have an untold amount of power at their command, yet they only act to defend and protect, and even when they do get involved it's often indirectly. With untold wisdom, they give bountiful sage advise to those who have need or would listen. Janna has watched humanity for countless centuries, she has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, giving her a wealth of knowledge to pull from. In contrast to Galadriel, who is much more refined, Janna is more free-willed and energetic, she smiles openly and freely, and masks the wisdom she holds behind a mischevious and care free mask. Compassionate, caring, fun, yet somehow forever distant.
Visuals
Lets be real here, Janna's model is grossly outdated when compared to newer models such as Zoe. Like all champions, Janna fulfills her own visual aesthetic. Ahri fills the Kitsune "Fox Girl" slot, Ezreal fills the "Young Boy Adventurer." Janna fills in the "Elf Girl" slot. What first brought Janna to my attention was in fact her Elf aesthetic, and what actually keeps me enthralled by her. These are things that should stay with Janna: her tapered ears, windblown blonde hair, and empty blue eyes. In fact, her blonde hair I feel is quite important as she is the only blonde in the game aside from Lux and Camille, if you look it up, the great majority of League girls have dark brown/black hair.
This some concept art by Thomas Randy, aka Riot Hylia, for a Janna visual update, which is incredibly nice. The addition of the feather headpieces and the wing like design on her staff is a great nod to her new, current lore, as I've seen many Janna fans ask for some more feathers. Unfortunately, I feel that giving her to many feathers would just be a bit lazy, not to mention with Xayah and Rakan, the feather aesthetic has already been taken.
Something interesting I've seen is the request to keep Janna sexualized, and for good reason. Aside from the obvious, Janna being sexualized in fact respects her position as a goddess. Gods and goddesses alike in the real world, unless outright stated to be hideous or deformed, are often represented as the perfect aspect of beauty for that culture, and heavily sexualized. Even Artemis, the Goddess of the hunt and the most famous of the virgin goddesses, is depicted half naked or with her breast uncovered in statues and art. It would only make sense for Janna to be the picture of beauty for her people. However, my request is this; have her be a natural beauty, opting for no make up. So many girls in League wear make up, even Kai'sa, who supposedly lived in the Void, and Janna would be the great choice to step away from this. Being a somewhat nature focused deity, it would make sense for to be the picture of natural beauty.
<removed by moderation>I'd also love for Riot to take some inspiration from Reniassance art, such as Aphrodite in this picture, and how figures are often depicted in sheer, thin fabrics that they keep to cover themselves, often just draped over their body and seen blowing in a breeze.
This is just something to add to Janna's more ethereal and otherworldly nature, but perhaps have her legs fade out, starting from her knees and reaching to her toes, similar to Aurelion Sol's tail. Maybe Riot could re add her markings, as before Janna had sun-like markings on her shoulders, which, while somewhat conflicting with the natural beauty aspect, would be a nice way to further differentiate her from the rest of League girls.
Skins
When champions recieve Visual Updates, that also means their skins chan be changed greatly, such as how Crimson Akali has been changed to Infernal Akali, and how Nottingham Ezreal now depicts him as an Elf. I hope that Riot takes this chance to kind of step away from the cutsey-utsey of her normal skins, and take this chance to put more personality into them. Sacred Sword is a perfect example. Sacred Sword is perhaps, inn my own opinion, the best skin for Janna. Yes, it uses pink, and it retains depcitng her as soft, yet just in what she wears and how she wields a sword, it adds so much more strength to her, in a subtle way, that isn't seen in her other skins such as Star Guardian. Janna is a goddess, god damn it, and we need to show off her power.
Most of all, I hope they take the Tempest skin from simply being a black chroma and use to reimagine Janna in a much more morally ambiguos light, not necessarily evil, but just what would happened if Janna decided to go full throttle wind goddess on people, using the full might of her powers.
VO, Gameplay, and Extra
I'm not a game play genius, so I don't really know what to say, and personally I think gameplay wise she's fine. My one thought is that maybe they should add to her passive having her gain bonus heal and shield power based on bonus movement speed. This would reward Janna players for trying new builds, instead of the same old default support build. Of course, Riot would have to balance around this, but like I said, I'm not a gameplay genius.
Also, I do expect Janna to get a new voice over. I like her current voice actress, and if it's possible, I hope Riot can hire her again for the new lines. While I don't have an actual script to give, I hope they at least give her some more personality. Currently, she just says "for serentiy" and "by your command" very basic and empty lines of dialogue. Janna imbues a sense of care free and vibrancy, have her softly laugh to herself from time to time, and make little jokes to herself, while also expressing her compassion and love for people, yet hide kernels of wisdom between words, that give way to her true nature. Interestingly, Janna is a champion that hasnt actually killed anybody in universe, as far as we know, with the most violent thing she has ever down being "sendig squalls and storms to throw pirates and raiders off course." I'd love for her to express remorse and regret when killing somebody, such as saying "I don't want to do this" and "I'm sorry" after getting a kill.
Finally, and this is just one last little thing, but a way to honor her lore, and that she has a birdform, would be for her to change into her bird form when out of combat. This would be a purely cosmetic change, not giving any bonuses to combat.
LOL, sorry I made this post so long guys. I just care very deeply about my favorite champion, and what will happen to her when she gets her eventual update. If anybody is wondering why I didn't address her lore, it's because I think her current lore is fine, and fits her best. My only issue is that I feel that her impact isn't truly felt in Zaun, like she's there, but she's not there. Ezreal and Camille, champions from Piltover, which is directly above Zaun, and which both of these champion frequent, don't even have a single line of dialogue directed towards her.
(ult) “By the gale!”
