League Of Legends Who Might Not Make It In The New Lore

Posted by Xander Pakzad

One of the biggest games in the world was shaken up last week as Riot Games announced their hugely successful League of Legends is getting completely new lore. The world of Runeterra and its history could completely change. In a blog on their website, Riot Games further explained the problems of LoL’s current approach to storytelling and their plans to change it:

“Essentially, it means that the game and story aren’t one-to-one copies of each other. League as a game is about creating awesome gameplay, while League as a story is about creating deep, vibrant characters and factions inhabiting an expansive world. We don’t want to limit story because of gameplay, just like we wouldn’t limit gameplay because of story – we want both of them (and all the other elements of League) to have the freedom to be as great as they possibly can be.”

It’s not clear what will happen to the Champions. Completely erasing the roster of playable characters and starting from scratch is highly unlikely. The gameplay of LoL isn’t broken, so they won’t try to fix it. But if they want to connect the story and gameplay more, some characters might be left by the wayside in favor of a more cohesive world. The Champions each have their own backstories, but some are more independent than others. Here are a few Champions that are so cut off from the rest of Runeterra that we might not see them much when the new lore begins.

Fizz, the Tidal Trickster

(image credit: Riot Games)

Fizz, the Tidal Trickster

Fizz sounds like a character who deserves his own game. His partner is a shark that he tamed and brings with him in battle. I could imagine him in a co-op platformer exploring the ruins of his old home in Guardian’s Sea. Also, if Riot wants to make a unified cohesive lore, they’re probably going to make sure they all follow the same rules of physics. The whole shark-jumping-out-of-any-point-in-the-ground attack might pose a problem there.

Skarner the Crystal Vanguard

(image credit: Riot Games)

Skarner, the Crystal Vanguard

Despite looking like a grape-flavored Pokemon, Skarner’s origin story is pretty heavy. After a war that poisoned and almost obliterated the entire Brackern species, the few survivors sought refuge underground and hibernated for many years. As the one closest to the surface, Skarner eventually: awoke, went on a rampage, calmed down, and was persuaded to join the League. (Lesson: giant crystalline scorpions CAN be reasoned with.) There’s definitely potential for a bigger story, but until, say, another Brackern awakens, Skarner’s lore pretty much operates in a bubble.

Kha’Zix, the Voidreaver

(image credit: Riot Games)

Kha’Zix, the Voidreaver

Kha’Zix is another lone wolf. His story sounds like a Brothers Grimm fairy tale gone sci-fi. One day on the hunt for food, he was attacked by a capable opponent and almost killed. Since then, he’s been searching for a similarly masochistic thrill kill. Until he becomes a hired hand by a political figure in Valoran, this adrenaline junkee doesn’t have much effect on the lore.

Vel’Koz, the Eye of the Void

(image credit: Riot Games)

Vel’Koz, the Eye of the Void

It’s a one-eyed tentacle robot in a pretty robot-less world. Sounds like he (she?) would really turn things upside-down, but alas, all the other characters shrugged, said, “Cool costume, bro,” and went back to fighting. Maybe Riot will revisit Vel’Koz and give it some responsibility, but until then, it’s just an H.G. Wells-inspired alien who proclaims to require knowledge. Maybe we’ll get a good reason why in the new lore.

Ryze, the Rogue Mage

(image credit: Riot Games)

Ryze, the Rogue Mage

Another case of cool story that is totally disconnected from everything else. Ryze is a hipster sorcerer. He rejects all popular spellcraft and formalized magic training in favor of the obscure “thorn” magic. As an independent student, he joined the League to complete his training. Freelancers always have a cool story to tell, but it makes them harder to fit into the bigger picture.

Zac, the Secret Weapon

(image credit: Riot Games)

Zac, the Secret Weapon

Seeing a pattern here? Yet another only child, Zac started out as an experiment by his parents but was then kidnapped by the very laboratory that made him. Taking vengeance on his captors made turned him into a vigilante who now fights in the League on behalf of the innocent. I hope Riot finds some way to incorporate him into the lore a little more just because he’s so charming. I could totally see him as part of a LoL Avengers team.

Which Champions or bits of lore are you afraid LoL will lose? Comment below or tweet at us @Dweebcast

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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