There are many, and I mean many, Champions in League of Legends that might classify as Fighters. Also, Fighter and Bruiser are often used interchangeably, and I might do it myself sometimes. They represent more or less the same thing – a Champion that can deal a ton of damage while still retaining some tankiness.
Since the itemization changes have brought an insane amount of new builds, Fighter and Bruiser builds can be built on any Champion. For example, the Hydras now can be applied by ranged Champions – and that’s how you get Bruiser ADCs.
This list compiles what we see as the 7 best Fighters at the moment. This is a highly volatile category, and if things happen to change, we’ll update it accordingly. Without further delay, let’s begin!
Also read: Best Counter Junglers
7. Jax
Jax is one of the best hybrid Champions in League of Legends. A robust Fighter, Jax can dominate the entire game from beginning to end. But his scaling is entirely different, as he only seems to grow exponentially as the game progresses. Seeing Jax reach his peak is almost a guarantee at this point.
Jax has a simple but strong kit that can break through any resistance. With a great combination of AD and AP damage, Jax is a counter to Tanks by default. Against squishy targets like Supports or ADCs, Jax becomes an Assassin. Sometimes, his damage makes me think that he was designed as an Assassin but ended up in a Fighter’s body.
His scaling is insane, as Jax needs nothing more than attack speed to win. He’s likely one of the rare Champions that need nothing else except for levels to be strong. Everything is contained within his W and R. They’re his primary and passive source of damage that will never go away. Jax won’t even upgrade them beyond their base stats since he rarely builds AP these days, anyway.
Thus, attacking fast is all he needs. The hard-hitting is there naturally, and he only grows in strength with each level gained. I highly recommend you try Jax as he’s straightforward to learn, play and master. You’ll see everything I mean once you pick him up.
6. Lillia
To speak of things I’ve seen this Champion do in recent games would make this article NSFW. And that is an understatement. After her recent buffs and migration to the Top lane, Lillia has become a savage beast, despite her innocent looks.
Apart from being a Fighter, Lillia also has a great deal of burst damage. To see the strongest bust damage Champions check out our 7 Best Burst Champions in League of Legends. She can dominate her lane and, most importantly, team fights.
Her high base and bonus damage allow her to basically one-shot any Champion class you can think of. The only opposition tanks can pose to her is their survivability.
To prevent Lillia from snowballing like hell, you have to focus all your jungling capacity on her. This will, however, leave your other lanes open for the enemy jungler to enjoy. Keep that in mind if you want to focus on her entirely. She isn’t hard to play or master, especially now, and I strongly recommend you pick her up for some easy Solo Queue boosting.
5. Jarvan IV
Next up is one of the best initiators League has ever had. His E and Q combo can roll into the entire enemy team, knocking them up in the process. Followed up by a precise Ultimate, Jarvan can trap opponents in a ring with him.
He scales incredibly well with a lethality/pure damage build, but balancing it between damage and defense is the best way to go with this diving Fighter.
Early on, his ganks are lethal and hard to escape, as he has various CC abilities to prevent escape, such as his E-Q combo mentioned above and his W that applies a 2-second slow.
Moving on into the mid-late game Jarvan becomes an excellent initiator and diver, with a kit built around this very playstyle. Keep in mind not to overextend. Carefully plan out your attack so you make the most out of your basic yet vital kit.
All in all, a good pick; keep Jarvan in mind if you’re starting out in the jungle role.
Also read: Best 1v2 Champions
4. Master Yi
I’ve been in this game since 2012, and Master Yi has been tremendously overpowered at every point of my experience. Some of you may call me out on being low elo for these claims but hear me out.
There are few Champions in the game with a competent True Damage spell or ability. Even those who do usually find it hard to implement, whether due to skill shots or other reasons. Master Yi has pure, true damage as a simple active on his E. He presses a button and gains true damage on every attack.
This borders insanity. If he builds, and he will, items like BOTRK, Guinsoo’s, and Phantom Dancer, he’ll rip you to shreds in mere seconds. There is no nerf that can fix this Champion in any actual capacity. His kit is too strong to deal with. Apart from granting him True Damage, his E also passively increases his AD. The true damage comes as salt to the wound.
With proper movement speed items and Ghost, he can run down opponents with zero effort and if he has life steal, he’ll be almost impossible to kill. There’s a reason why he’s the king of Pentakills.
3. Yasuo
Yasuo is one of the League’s most hated Champions and is widely thought of as an overpowered, unbalanced, and sometimes downright ridiculous character. Though all of this might be true, and the very reasons I still don’t own him 8 years later, he isn’t exactly the most straightforward Champion around.
And, that much I can certainly say. I’ve only ever played him a few times, and it was in troll situations and not even on my account.
Despite the circumstances I found myself using Yasuo in, it was enough to make me realize that it wasn’t that easy to pull off those combos he’s widely known for. His kit is basic enough for everyone to understand initially. But that kit, though basic it may be, has such a complex and varying use scenario that it sometimes amazes me.
Stacking his Q is easy, but timing the Tornado isn’t. Wind wall needs a very trained hand to be used in split-second moments to prevent that Jinx rocket just as it’s about to hit you. The E is easy to use but has a lot of potential for combos. His R is perhaps the only actual easy spell in his entire kit.
Spending time to learn and master Yasuo is one of the most fun and productive things a League player can do. I speak this as one of the biggest Yasuo haters around, and I really hate him from my soul’s depths. I still see how good and powerful the Champion might be in the right hands, and you should try him out.
2. Vi
Vi has been a long-standing Jungler who has proven herself time and time again as a powerful pick. Seasons Vi has dominated the Jungle for years, striking everyone in the enemy team with dread as soon as they see her on the Select screen.
Her broken nature comes mostly from her kit, which is designed so that abusing animations is a given. Animation canceling has been around in League of Legends since its inception, but Vi takes the cake with it.
You can combine your spells in many different ways, always making the enemy wonder at what the hell had just happened. She is a powerful and oppressive force that will stop at nothing to achieve her victory.
I’ve known some Vi players throughout the Seasons, and let me tell you – they’re not to be messed with. As I’ve said, she can be pretty deadly in the right hands. Therefore, I’d like to recommend her to you. Before someone else decides for you and destroys you, just pick her up and give her a try. I am 100% sure that you’ll immediately know what I’m talking about.
Also read: Best Champions When Mastered
1. Darius
One of my favorite Champions in the game is also one of the most powerful. This Juggernaut defines the class itself with insane damage, high sustain, and versatile builds.
Darius is an executioner both in the lore and the game itself. His passive gives him damage over time that stacks five times. When paired with ignite, this lethal duo can easily chunk half of the opposing Champion’s HP in just a few seconds.
This makes Darius’ early game a nightmare to face. His DPS output is incredible, and building armor is more or less futile due to his E passive granting % armor penetration that only gets more powerful with each level.
His Q is a solid heal that allows him to fight for longer, giving him time to stack the passive up. The more stacks he has, the more damage he does with his Ultimate – Noxian Guillotine – that refreshes its cooldown if it lands the killing blow.
As Darius approaches the mid and late game, he does tend not to scale that well, but in the right hands, Darius can be an unstoppable killing machine that can obliterate multiple enemies in just a few dunks. Pentakills are not unusual with Darius in the game, especially in lower ranks.
He is also easy to play, making him a good option for newcomers to the top lane and role.
Conclusion
Fighters are a peculiar type of Champion. Rarely do we see any level of hybridity exerted by a particular class in the game. Most focus on doing only one thing and doing it well, while Fighters wish to mix between two Champion classes.
Somehow, they manage it, and they are some of the best Champions to have on your roster. They’ve become so integral to the game that you’ll seldom have a game without them. I highly recommend all of the Champions above as they offer a ton of unique and fun stuff.
I hope you’ve found this list informative and fun to read, and I wish you all the best on the Summoner’s Rift!
