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Sliding Scale of Champion Morality

HonestJohnTheCon·10/29/2017, 5:51:20 PM·52 votes·5,230 views

A lot of people seemed to like the Sliding Scale of Champion Lore Update Necessity I created last week, so I decided to do another one that is more lore-focused. This is a tier list of the champion's moral standing and general motivations. Note that I'm not using the standard D&D/Pathfinder alignment system (LG, NG, CG, etc.) but I'm instead using a system of tiers that I think most accurately sums up various champion motivations. Just like last time, champions with a "^" in front of their icon will have a comment at the end of the tier.

#Tier 1: Noble These champions are genuinely kind, good-hearted, and virtuous. They have few flaws or vices, and will lend a helping hand to many random people that they see. What separates a Noble champion from a Good champion is the Noble champion's utter conviction; in other words, always doing the right thing, not necessarily striving to do the right thing. The Noble champions are: Anivia Blitzcrank Braum Galio Ivern Janna^ Poppy Soraka Taric Tristana^ Zac ^ Ignoring mischief, these champions are still great characters, so they qualify. #Tier 2: Good These champions are kindhearted and good people. They are willing to make personal sacrifices for the greater good, and are usually portrayed as heroes. Keep in mind that a champion being amiable is not enough; champions need to have a good-hearted motivation to be considered Good. Most Demacians, Pilties, and many Ionians are in this category. The Good champions are: Alistar Ashe Azir Caitlyn Ekko Garen Heimerdinger Irelia JarvanIV Jayce Karma Kassadin LeeSin Leona Lux MasterYi Nami Nasus Nunu Quinn Shyvana Taliyah Vi MonkeyKing #Tier 3: Balance These champions want to protect the balance of the universe or world, at all costs. This group consists of the Kinkou Order, obviously, and a few others. This is more of a motivation or duty rather than a moral choice; these own characters' morals might fall into any one of the other categories, but their duty is the most important. The Balance champions are: Akali Kennen Kindred Ryze Shen Udyr #Tier 4: Nonstandard Either nobody knows what these champions want, or it's something so bizarre or alien that it's hard to conceive. Extraplanar champions that AREN'T OBVIOUSLY EVIL will probably be included here. Voidspawn don't count, not even Kog'Maw or Rek'Sai, because they are fundamentally destructive. Some of these champs may need lore work. Nearly all these champions have strange motivations, so all of them are commented. The Nonstandard champions are: Aatrox Ahri AurelionSol Bard Diana DrMundo Illaoi KogMaw Kayle Malphite Pantheon Rammus RekSai Riven Skarner Volibear Zyra Comments: Aatrox, and Illaoi fall into the "Fight" camp. They don't care about why you fight; the only thing that matters is you fight. Ahri and Riven fall into "I want to be a good person but I'm not" camp. They're actively looking for redemption but have no clue how to get it. For Aurelion Sol, Diana, Nautilus, Pantheon, and Volibear, we just don't know what they're going to do. We can guess that Aurelion Sol wants revenge on Targon, and that Diana's going to "look for clues", but that doesn't mean we know what they want exactly. The exception here is Volibear, who's been in an uncertain state since Ornn's release. Bard, Kayle, and Malphite could easily be in "Balance" but their circumstances are a bit more otherworldly, so I'm putting them here. Skarner has a goal, his motivation and manner is just kinda... weird. Kog'Maw, Rek'Sai, and Zyra just want food. Not to say they're good guy,s just saying we don't know enough about their culture/standards to accurately judge them. No one knows anything about Rammus. OK. Mundo goes where he pleases. He goes to Tier 4. #Tier 5: Neutral These champions just don't care. They have a conscience, but their work doesn't raise any moral questions, so they need not concern themselves with it. These champions can be amiable, standoffish, or just insane. They might have a motivation, but they don't care for others' wars. Or, they might just not have a motivation. The Neutral champions are: Amumu Annie Corki Ezreal Fizz Gnar Gragas Jax Lulu Nidalee Olaf Orianna Ornn Rengar Rumble Sona XinZhao Ziggs Zilean #Tier 6: Determined / Vengeful For Determined champions, the ends justify the means. These champs are fighting for reasonable or even noble goals, but their methods are... rather extreme. For Vengeful champions, it is the same as Determined, except revenge is their primary goal. For these champions, killing ordinary people or innocents can't be a part of their everyday work, even if they believe it is for the best; so, Jhin and Karthus do not belong here. The Determined or Vengeful champions are: Camille Fiora Kalista Lucian Maokai MissFortune Morgana Nautilus Rakan Sejuani Teemo Tryndamere Varus Vayne Viktor Warwick Xayah Yasuo Yorick #Tier 7: Questionable These champions aren't evil, they might not even be villains, but their acts are definitely morally gray. The difference between these champions and Determined or Vengeful champions is that they enjoy their power and acts, rather than seeing them as a necessary evil. Often, these champions follow a false law or are being manipulated by person of higher power. Most Noxians fall under this category. The Questionable champions are: Cassiopeia Darius Draven Graves Jinx^Katarina Kayn Kled Sivir Syndra Talon TwistedFate Zed Comments (^): Well, this one was tricky. Honestly, Jinx has done enough evil stuff to qualify as Evil, but she seems to like mayhem more than blood. This, plus a Rioter said she was chaotic-neutral (I'm a hypocrite, flame me later), makes me put her in Questionable. #Tier 8: Evil Let's not beat around the bush; these champions are evil. They do lots of twisted, vile, or just WRONG acts that clearly paint them in an evil light. A decent number of the characters on this list are insane. For a champion to be evil, they have to at least be reachable; for demons and similar creatures, see Irredeemable. The Evil champions are: Elise Gangplank Jhin Leblanc Lissandra MalzaharRenekton Singed Swain Trundle Twitch Urgot Veigar Vladimir Xerath #Tier 9: Irredeemable Champions in this tier are evil through and through; something about their nature makes them impossible to be reached. Most Voidborn, most Shadow Islanders, and demons or similar entities are in this tier. If a character from this list somehow ceased to be evil, they would cease to be themselves. The Void, even though their goals are unknown, qualify for this due to Runeterra's moral standards. The Irredeemable champions are: Brand Chogath Evelynn Fiddlesticks Hecarim Karthus Kayn (Rhaast) Khazix Mordekaiser Nocturne Shaco Sion TahmKench Thresh Velkoz

Tell me if I screwed up the rankings in one form or another. I'll either reply and argue or make the necessary change. If you have any feedback, please tell me also!

~ Helixarrow

<inb4 someone tells me their main champ is "less evil" than where I placed them>

181 Comments

HonestJohnTheCon10/29/2017, 7:26:57 PM12 votes

List of things I wanted to add but didn't:

  • Make a Tier 10 - Infernal that only has Teemo in it.
  • Make Irredeemable Tier 1, just because Mordekaiser is in it. MORDEKAISER ES NUMERO UNO HUEHUEHUEHUEHUE
  • Make Evil Tier 4, just because Jhin is in it.
  • Put all of Gypsylord's champions, except Jhin, in Tier 3.
  • Put Draven in Tier Draven - Draaaaaven.

Added bonus:

  • Ryze is in Tier 3. Maybe I'll move him to Tier 4 when they rework him again.
Sylveon10/29/2017, 6:34:01 PM12 votes

Before i get to my point just wanna say, awesome work on the list. Riot has a tendency to like making layerd champs so they can be more relateable even if they seem evil at first, so categorizing all of them couldn't have been easy.

The only 2 things i disagree with are with Bard and Taric. Bard only appears in Runeterra when something threatens existance, meaning he wants to keep the world in balance. As for Taric, he pretty much only protects beautiful things. If he were to see a rare and beautiful flower in danger and a village being attacked, he'd choose to protect the former.

Velzard of Koz10/29/2017, 7:25:11 PM9 votes

Vel'Koz? Evil beyond redemption? No. He's just a scientist with moved bar of life-worth.

We kill lower animals and even apes for our scietific experiments everyday. He just doesn't consider something as pathetic compared to him as human worth living If he can get some useful data out of them.

When you compare him to sadists, egoists, fanatics and warmongers, he seems like having actual purpose.

Not that I'd like to get disintegrated, but If Vel'koz is evil, so is half of those you marked as "Neutral".

And yes I couldn't resist from the last paragraph.

Chembaron Yamada10/29/2017, 6:17:09 PM7 votes

Should Dr. Mundo really be considered evil? His problem is that he can't understand that pain is a bad thing for other people and they lack his regeneration powers.

He actually thinks that he is helping people. I think he should rather be nonstandard.

Ziggs shouldn't be good. Did you read his comic with Jinx? He is blowing up stuff just for fun in Piltover. He isn't reckless like Jinx, since he avoids to harm people, but blowing up other people's property just for fun isn't good. He should be questionable, I guess?

CleverCactus10/30/2017, 3:22:38 AM6 votes

Nautilus definitely belongs in vengeful, not nonstandard. His entire goal is to find the people who left him to die.

Blood Mefist10/29/2017, 10:56:20 PM5 votes

Why is Kayn Kayn not Determined/Vengeful but Zed is? Isn't Kayn just using Rhaast as a means to an end, that end being to further the Order of Shadows' agenda?

AirKingNeo10/29/2017, 6:11:32 PM4 votes

How is Urgot evil exactly?

Lõyalty10/29/2017, 6:18:02 PM3 votes

I disagree with Lissandra placement into the evil category. Most of those champions in those categories kill/destroy without a reason. Lissandra doesnt, she has a reason. If the pieces of her lore are put together, the whole reason she wants to freeze the entire world is to bring things back to the way they were when she was young, and bring the watchers back to their former glory, which she considered to be the "golden age" of rune terra.

ULTRAF0RCE10/29/2017, 11:40:07 PM3 votes

Rakan probably would be a better fit for Neutral the only thing he is determined about is to be with Xayah which is overall a neutral goal.

Shinjrou10/31/2017, 5:00:23 PM2 votes

I highly disagree with Lissandra:

"Back then the Frozen Watchers lived here. I do not know where they came from, but I know they were powerful. They gave us gifts, shared their magic, made us immortal. They named us 'Iceborn'."

"In return, we gave them whatever they desired. This mighty fortress, a vast empire, our loyalty, these were a small price to pay. Avarosa did not see it that way. Like a spoiled child she cried out for freedom. She demanded choice. She sowed the seeds of rebellion and betrayal." -The Seeker Tale

So, as you can read, she is loyal af to the Watchers, and if she needs to murder, literally change the history of the Freljord to bring them back (they don't sound all that bad come on), I can't see how she is EVIL, I'd move her in "Determined / Vengeful" ("For Determined champions, the ends justify the means.") or "Questionable" ("These champions aren't evil, they might not even be villains, but their acts are definitely morally gray.").

Edit: Also, if spending centuries on your master plan is not considered determination, I don't know what else is lul.

MihneatheMaster10/29/2017, 7:02:04 PM2 votes

Why isn't Gangplank in the questionable?

Kirbanator10/29/2017, 9:03:37 PM2 votes

you missed KogMaw and listed Fizz twice.

I'd also like to make an exception to kog. now don't get me wrong, he's doing some very wrong and extreme things. But compared to every void related champ, even rek'sai, he has one thing that others don't, Innocence. Whether it's due to his age or primitivity, he seems like he has no idea that anything he does is wrong.

There is a reason why people compare him to a puppy, because from things like his VO, lore, and to some extent his skins, he seems to be acting on instinct rather than just evilness. Going back to rek'sai, i understand why you would try to group her with kog given her lack of dialog and primitivness, but it's because Kog'maw can "speak" is why he's different. I'd like to imagine Rek'sai as a wild preditor, always using actions and just killing to protect thier domain. But Kog because we can hear his thoughts, seems more like he's trying to defend himself in a strange world.

In conclusion, while i do understand that because he is voidborn that he may be irredemable, i personally think given his vo and lore, he's misunderstood and like a lost animal that's trying to get by doing what he only knows how.

Tentacle Love10/30/2017, 7:25:59 PM2 votes

"The time of man has come to an end" - Blitzcrank Instantly slams the lawful good button.

Jinx Literal translation of Harley Quinn - and you label her questionable morality? Jinx is evil, man. She ain't on the same level as Twisted Fate. She walked into a free, neutral city filled with potential and said F this town and brought it below livable conditions. That ain't neutral on anyone's scale.

Zyranium10/30/2017, 8:57:53 PM1 votes

Since when Zyra only wants food ?

She is in a human body now, the ancient Zyra was a predator yes, she still eating food and feeding on her preys, but she is a sadistic predator, she likes lashing and lacerating people, her lore is pretty outdated, but Zyra is a vengeful predatory plant monster.

You can't put her with Rek'sai and Kog'maw because their only purpose is to feed, and Zyra isn't about just feeding on her preys, she's sadistic for sure, she's sneaky, cruel and she adores playing with her preys.

There is a neat difference between feeding on people because you need to, and feeding on people because you want to. She is in a human body she don't need human flesh anymore.

Epicurus10/30/2017, 1:06:00 AM1 votes

Ummm... Anivia is responsible for burning Ornn's house down, and she never confessed to it. She is Irredeemable.

In seriousness though this is a fairly comprehensive list, but I would suggest a couple of changes. Kayn: I don't see Kayn as any more evil than Zed, so I'd put Kayn in Tier 6 or 7. He did kill that acolyte in the short story, but honestly thay dude was pretty annoying, so I'm not holding it against him. Jax: What is so non-standard about Jax? He seems pretty neutral to me. Sion: Sion is a precious kitten that must be protected, but the nasty bird-man Swain brought him out of retirement to use him as a battering ram. Nasus: Nasus was perfectly happy to let Xerath annihilate the people of Vekaura until Sivir called him out on it. He certainly was a hero in is prime, since then he has become more morally questionable.