Top 10 Best League of Legends Lores

As we all know, the enormous universe of League of Legends is rich with stories spanning all over the magical land of Runeterra. Riot Games have been almost perfect in storytelling and paying attention to almost every detail about each of the 159 champions present in the League.

I have been to every region of Runeterra, going to the large city walls of Demacia, dark and wet alleys of Zaun, all across Noxus, Ionia, walked across hot sand of Shurima, and almost died in the notorious Slaughter docks in the Bilgewater, hiked through haunting forests of Shadow Isles.

For a while now, I have been collecting stories about our champions that we all adore in our favorite League universe, talking to merchants travelers, listening to many innkeepers and fallen soldiers spanning all over Runeterra.

1. LeBlanc

Matron of the Black Rose, LeBlanc’s identity is as intangible as the whispers that describe her, as ephemeral as the illusions that give her shape. Perhaps it is unknown even to herself, after so many centuries of mimicry and deception…”

The best description of “The Pale Lady of Noxus” is one coming directly from her bio. 

Leblanc is only a myth, no one knows her actual age and real identity. No one has ever seen her true face, and it was so long ago that she used it that the question is, does she ever remember it. Wrapped in the dark veil of mystery, The Pale Sorceress is a very powerful shapeshifter and illusionist appearing in any form and any place she wants to be, even being capable of appearing in many different places as different people all at the same time.

Since the beginning of time, Leblanc has appeared as many people, even noblemen, all over Runeterra binding their minds to her own will and controlling governments with her illusions. There have been stories that she took the looks of the mighty Jarvan the 4th and ruled Demacia.

She is the founder of a notorious cult called “The Black Rose,” who betrayed Iron Revenant Mordekaiser and banished him to the Shadow Realm. 

As the story says, Leblanc is no stranger to betrayal, so she did that to noble general Jericho Swain, leaving him crippled at the battlefield while manipulating Boram Darkwell’s mind and using him like a puppet while controlling Noxus through his actions.

She took an unexpected hit when Swain has returned more powerful than ever and reclaimed the throne of Noxus, but for The Pale Sorceress, that battle may be lost, but the war has only just begun.

The Best Part Of The Lore

For centuries, LeBlanc has served in secret as an advisor to foreign dignitaries, appearing in many nations at once, her illusions driving order into chaos. Rumors of a new matron rising with each generation only raise further questions—which is the “true” version of herself? When she speaks, is it with her own voice? And what will the price be, for the favor she offers?’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On 

For me, this is the perfect story. The only thing I would fix is the fact that we don’t know what happens after Swain takes the throne. Come on, Riot, we need to know!

Also read: Xayah and Rakan Synergy – Explained

2. Fiddlesticks

Fiddlesticks is a living demon who relies on collecting the fear of its enemies. Summoned by a child, he wakes up from his millennial dream to haunt and cause terror all over Runeterra.

According to the people of Demacia, the legend of the demon Fiddlesticks is nothing but a mere story to frighten children. In the Freljord, children frighten each other around the fire with tales of a monster that raises itself from untended graves in the ice, its body a shambling mass of helmets, bucklers, furs, and wood. 

In Bilgewater, drunken sailors trade accounts of something standing alone on a tiny, distant atoll from which no one has ever returned. An old Targonian legend speaks of how a child of twilight stole the only joy from a ragged, whispering horror. At the same time, veteran Noxian soldiers prefer the fable of a lonely farmhand who was blamed for a poor harvest and fed to the crows, later returning to the world as a demon.

This only means one thing, Fiddlesticks is everywhere, at every dark shadow in every region of Runettera, taking many shapes and forms, every unique for a particular region itself.

Even though people believe the demon is just a scary old fable to terrify bad behaving children, Fiddlesticks is real, and he instills fear into anyone whoever doubts his existence. The demon is “an entity so utterly alien that it defies almost all contemporary knowledge of magic” in Runeterra, according to Fiddlesticks’ official lore.

Aside from Fiddlesticks, there are also other demons with their own League of Legends lore. Champions such as Nocturne and Evelynn are closely related and are said to be the embodiment of dark entities in Runeterra.

Fiddlesticks is the demon of fear, Evelynn is the demon of pain, and Nocturne is the demon of nightmares.

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’Long, long ago, in a tower by the edge of the sea, a foolish young mage summoned something into the world that he was not prepared to control. What stepped before the boy was something older than recorded history. 

Something darker than a yawning, starless night. Something the world had desperately tried to forget—and in an instant, the mage, the creature, and the tower itself were lost to all of time.’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

I want a story that connects every demon of Runeterra together, speaking of their original formation and the beginnings of their existence in the world.

3. Mordekaiser

There was a warrior in the history of Runeterra called Sahn-Uzal who craved glory and immortality in a place after mortal life, called ‘’Hall of Bones’’. The blood lust and dark powers led him to live his life as a barbarian and murderer, slaying everything that crosses his path. 

When his inevitable end came, and he passed his mortal life, there was no Hall of Bones, just an empty space, with an occasional lost soul, wanders around the emptiness, fading in hopeless nothingness of the Shadow realm.

But Sahn-Uzal refused to fade. He floated for ages in the shadow realm until, at some point in time, he heard voices. Later, he found out that it was Ochun, the language of the dead, coming from the realm of the living, spoken by some dark sorcerers.

Sahn-Uzal promised them glory and eternal life, and in return, they needed to bring him back to life, which eventually they did, and since he had no material form, they bound his soul to metal. As soon as Sahn-Uzal took control of his new form, he slaughtered them all while screaming his new name in Ochun – MORDEKAISER

He was defeated by united barbarian tribes and was bound to the Immortal Bastion. ‘’And so, Mordekaiser was cast out of the material realm. However, unbeknownst to anyone, he had planned for this—indeed, it was a pivotal part of his design. Domination and deceit had carried him far, but he knew that a destiny far grander than the Hall of Bones awaited him.

There, in the once empty wasteland, all those who had died under his latest reign were waiting. Perverted by dark sorcery, their spirits would never fade. The strongest became his devout, eternal army, bound to his will… but even the weak were given purpose.

From the subtle matter of their souls, Mordekaiser would forge a new empire. They would be the building blocks and mortar of his Afterworld.’’

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’It is something they pray will not come to pass, for they know of no way to stop him.’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

I want a new story where Mordekaiser returns!

4. Swain

Born in the noble family, the one that formed the very first walls of Noxus, combined with his great mind of a tactician, Swain was destined to rule Noxus. 

Since his early childhood, Swain was afraid of the stories he heard about The Pale Sorceress called Leblanc. 

During Boram Darkwill’s rule, Swain was The Grand General of Noxus, unknowing of the mastermind controlling the leader of Noxus. 

While invading Ionia, Swain’s forces were depleted, caused by Darkwill’s repositioning of troops in a quest for immortal life, and he was on the brink of death, with injuries to his legs and arms.

On the verge of death, a raven came to feast on Swain’s crippled body, but he had no fear. He saw something in the raven’s eyes, familiar eyes, and he instantly knew it was Leblanc. He was betrayed.

The will for revenge was stronger than his injuries, and Swain swore to return.

Swain’s body was restored by a demon lurking in the depths of Immortal bastion, and he claimed the power, which was, until that date, unfamiliar for him. 

Overthrowing Boram Darkwill and shattering the Noxus throne, he began his quest for the good of Noxus.

Also read: What is “inting”?

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’ All this was glimpsed, not in the mind of a raven, but something more. The power his parents had been seeking, the demonic eyes blazing in the dark…’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

‘’Gathering knowledge as the demon did before him, Swain has foreseen far greater dangers lurking just beyond. However, many Noxians secretly wonder if the darkness they face will pale in comparison to the dark things Swain has done…’’

Make no mistake, the writing of this particular part of the story is phenomenal, but it lacks some depth. Nowhere in the story is said what Swain actually did to inflict so much fear in the hearts of neutral Noxians, who weren’t part of the Black Rose. 

I am hopeful that Riot will give us some closure on Swain’s story because we desperately need it.

Also read: Best Supports For Xayah

5. Pyke

Pyke was just a regular boy, trying to earn a living on the slaughter docks. As time passed, he learned his trade, eventually becoming the best harpooner a golden Kraken could buy.

Once, he set upon a quest with his captain and crewmates of hunting a jaull-fish. From its razor-toothed maw, priceless sacs of sapphilite were coveted across Runeterra for various sorcerous distillations, and a small flask of the glowing blue oil could pay for a ship and its crew ten times over. 

While on the quest, jaull-fish breached, and Pyke was the first to jump onto the beast. He fought with the strength of hundred men, but ultimately, the monster was too strong and was causing enormous damage to the ship and crewmates. Hence, the captain decided to cut Pyke’s lifeline and leave him to his inevitable demise. The last thing Pyke saw was horror on the faces of his crewmates while the monster was closing its enormous jaws, binding him to eternal darkness in his underwater coffin.

But this was not the end for Pyke. While being swallowed alive, thousands of meters below sea level, something otherworldly came over Pyke, and he saw millions of blue lights around him. He was not alive, but also not dead. He could breathe underwater, and the water pressure had no effect on him. He became a ghoul, a specter, a monster that not long ago he would hunt.

So he swore to take revenge on the ones who betrayed him and left him to rot in the casket of the underworld. But not just them, every captain of the Bilgewater was on his list.

Once a title of glory, captain, now became the only thing no one wanted to be, and those who already were, wanted to hide it. But you can’t hide from the unliving.

Pyke would carry out his revenge.

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’In the deepest fathoms of the unknowable ocean, crushed by the titanic pressure, and still firmly trapped within the jaull’s mouth, he opened his eyes once more. There were blue lights everywhere, thousands of them, seemingly watching him. Tremulous echoes of something ancient and mysterious filled his brain, crushing his mind, showing him visions of all he had lost whilst others grew fat.

A new hunger overtook Pyke, one for vengeance and retribution. He would fill the depths with the corpses of those who had wronged him.’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

I need a connection between Gangplank, Miss Fortune and Pyke!

6. Lissandra

One of the best and most chilling stories of League’s universe arrives with Lissandra, The Ice Witch.

The story tells about three sisters, Serylda, Lissandra, and Avarosa, who were crippled after trying to command the heavens above them. Serylda was left deaf, Avarosa lost her hearing, and Lissandra was blinded.

Lissandra made a deal with mystical creatures of the Void for herself, her sisters, and their followers called the Ice Born. The creatures were called The Watchers, but their power was much greater than the sisters anticipated, and when the time came, they tried to break free.

The Watcher’s mission was clear, The world of Runeterra was to be consumed by the eternal darkness of the Void.

 In the last hope of saving the world as she knew it, Lissandra sacrificed her sisters and many of the Iceborn binding them to never melting black ice along with The Watchers.

Lissandra soon discovered that even this elemental power was not enough. The monstrous beings she had frozen were merely slumbering, slowly tainting the True Ice around them into something darker.

After hearing the rumors of her sister’s return and seeking revenge, Lissandra became obsessed with eliminating every living soul that would speak such words.

Feeling the Watcher’s power slowly returning, Lissandra gathered the forces for the inevitable war against the Void.

‘’And she must hurry, for the ice is beginning to melt.’’

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’And she must hurry, for the ice is beginning to melt.’’ 

Just the perfect ending to a story. Nail biting, nerve ending and full of dark and twisted anticipation of the inevitable dark times and probable demise of the world as we know it.

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

‘’ It was whispered that Avarosa and Serylda would one day return to unite the disparate tribes, and so Lissandra had any who were hailed as their reincarnations quietly killed. ‘’

The first part lacks clarity on why the tribes were disparate. One can only guess that they went their separate ways after the demise of their leaders, Serylda and Avarosa. But it is only a guess, and even if that is the case, we need an explanation why.

7. Nautilus

Nautilus was once upon a time a man. But not just any man, he was a skilled diver. The best one in business, as the legends say.

He would frequently be hired by captains who seek fortune in underwater shipwrecks that lie deep below the ocean’s surface. In return, Nautilus didn’t ask for a lot, just a simple tribute to the ocean, in the form of tossing a golden coin overboard to ensure safe return, for he was a very superstitious man like many sailors were at the time. 

This was no problem for ships captains since it was a small price to pay for returning home with your ship, crew, and yourself unharmed, so they would always oblige.

At some point in time, Nautiluse’s ship and crew were bought by some wealthy captain whose intentions were unclear, and when they set sailed for their maiden journey under new command, Nautilus got a pleasant surprise. The new captain gifted him a brand new suit, capable of withstanding greater ocean pressure than the Nautiluse’s current suit, meaning he could dive deeper than ever before.

Once they arrived at their destination, Nautilus dove under a captain’s promise that he would toss a golden coin overboard after Nautiluses returned.

While diving, something grabbed him by his suit, and it was at that moment that he realized that the new captain wasn’t seeking for gold, but something far more twisted and wretched, probably connected with the source of immortality. In the last try of desperation and hope, Nautilus grabbed the ship’s anchor, and after almost reaching for the surface, the chain broke, and Nautilus was dragged miles under the sea.

“When Nautilus awoke on the ocean floor, he was something… different. The darkness could no longer hurt him. The great metal suit had become a seamless shell around him, concealing the bond that the primordial power had made with his spirit. Trapped in the sunless depths, he could remember only one thing—the new captain’s broken promise.”

He swore for revenge, but once he arrived at the Slaughter docks, no one of the crew nor the captain was longer there. 

So he returned to the sea, cursed to wander the ocean floor for eternity.

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’Sometimes, in the tumble of waves, distant memories of who he was push up above the waterline… but always the man who is Nautilus stays drowned just below the surface.’’

So tense, i wouldn’t add a thing.

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

I wouldn’t add nor retract a single part of this story, for me it is perfect just the way it is.

Also read: Best ADCs to Pair with Rakan

8. Karthus

In the eighth place, we have the lore of the haunting necromancer and death singer Karthus.

As a young boy, Karthus lived in great poverty, and he lost his mother at birth. Condemned to poor motherless life, with his sisters and father, Karthus found great interest in death at a very young age. He would wander around the outskirts of Noxian walls looking for poor souls who are on the brink of their demise, asking questions about death and possible place between the living and shadow realm of the dead.

The first time he has succeeded in his mission was when his sisters were ill from the plague and met their end while listening to Karthuse’s soothing voice, singing about beautiful death, which comes as a relief for poor mortal souls condemned on mortal life full of suffering and torture.

Not long after the beforementioned family tragedy, he was called to be a gravedigger and soon climbed the ranks and went to thether sick and dying ones in the temple.

This was not enough for Karthus, as he went on the expedition for Bilgewater and a great storm capsized his boat along with him and some poor fishermen who agreed to take him to slaughter docks.

The fishers returned to the boat and ran for their lives, while Karthus embraced the beautiful gift of the dead. 

The black mist didn’t kill him but consumed his flesh and his mortal form only to grant him access to a place he had dreamed of for ages. A place between life and death.

Karthus caught up the fishers, and while they begged for their lives, he granted them the gift of death, making them the first numbers of his future army of the living dead.

Karthus plans to liberate every person in Runeterra of mortal suffering and grant them the gift of death.

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’Revelation filled Karthus as he became what he always believed he should have been; a being poised at the threshold of death and life. The beauty of this eternal moment filled him with wonder as the wretched spirits of the island rose to behold his transformation, drawn to his passion like predators scenting blood in the ocean. 

Finally, Karthus was where he belonged, surrounded by those who truly understood the boon undeath truly was. Filled with righteous zeal, he knew he had to return to Valoran and share his gift with the living, to free them from petty mortal concerns.’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

I wish that Hecarim and Kalista were mentioned in his story.

9. Hecarim

After betraying his commander of the Iron Order, Hecarim became the leader of the Order.

When the king’s wife Helia was stabbed by a poisoned blade, the king swore revenge and sent Hecarim and the Iron Order to slaughter everyone suspected to have connections in taking a part of the queen’s illness.

Hecarim earned a notorious reputation as a ruthless killer while burning and pillaging cities and villages around Runeterra.

On his quest for the Blessed Isles, he betrays Kalista and stabs her in the heart. His actions on the Blessed Isles cursed him, so it began The Ruination of the Blessed Isles.

Hecarim was fused with his stallion and became a creature from nightmares. A spectral centaur living of the Black mist in The now named Shadow Isles.

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’Bound forevermore to these Shadow Isles, Hecarim has spent centuries in a sinister mockery of his former life, cursed to patrol the nightmarish lands he once intended to conquer. Whenever the Black Mist reaches out beyond their shores, he and the otherworldly host of the Iron Order ride out to slaughter the living, in memory of glories long passed.’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

A couple of things bother me in Hecarim’s story. 

First of all, I wished it to be longer.

Second, I am failing to see connections of his deeds on The Blessed Isles with their ruination.

‘’Amid the chaos, a lowly custodian agreed to grant the king access to the Waters of Life—but not even this could distract Hecarim from the revelry of bloodshed, and so it was that the Ruination of the Blessed Isles would take him almost completely by surprise.

It only says the following:

A blastwave of magical force tore across Helia, shattering every last building and leaving the fragments suspended in searing un-light. In its wake came the Black Mist, a billowing hurricane that dragged every living creature it touched into its shrieking, roiling embrace. Hecarim tried to rally the Iron Order, hoping to make it back to their ships, but the mist claimed them one by one as they fled.’’

While reading this I am failing to notice what particular action caused the Black Mist to form and ruin the blessed isles.

10. Azir

Here we have one of the longest lores in League’s universe.

The story tells about young prince Azir, who befriends a slave boy and naming him Xerath, meaning “The one who shares” in the Shuriman language.

Even though Azir was a prince, he was not an heir to the throne since he was the youngest of his siblings, and his father despised him.

One time assassins took his brothers’ lives, and Azir was saved by his friend Xerath.

Years later, after his father’s suicide, Azir becomes the Emperor of Shurima. A place on the throne he desired for many years.

Azir ruled with a strong, harsh but just hand and planned to abolish slavery and name Xerath his brother.

Deciding that his mortal body and skills aren’t enough to expand his empire, he makes a decision that is his time to become the Ascended being, a decision which would be frowned upon by many since that place was reserved for those who spent their life in Shurima’s favor and are on the end of their mortal life.

While Ascending ritual was being in place, Azir took a moment to liberate all slaves and name Xerath his brother, a decision that would cost him his life. 

A few moments before the end of a ritual and the beginning of Azirs Ascension, Xerath, who practiced dark magic in secret, pushed his friend and brother from the Ascension spot. The ritual being planned for Azir and not Xerath had some grave consequences for him as light burst through Xerath, and he became a creature made from the pure force. 

The shockwave was so great that it had killed everyone in a large radius and buried the once beautiful empire of Shurima in deep sand.

Fast forward millennia later, Azir woke up from his slumber. He has not died but wasn’t alive as well. His corporeal form was made of dust, taking the form of his former self.

Azir finds a way to the Oasis of Dawn and starts the Ascension ritual by accident. He takes the form of a beautiful Hawk-human creature, similar to what Nasus and Renekton have become after their Ascension. He was gifted the power of controlling the sand itself.

With his newly acquainted powers, he lifted thousand-year-old sand and dust covering his former empire and restored it in its former glory.

He sensed Xerath in some land far away and swore to reclaim what was rightfully his.

The Best Part Of The Lore

‘’And with that act of selflessness, Azir was lifted up in a column of fire as the magic of Shurima renewed him, remaking him as the Ascended being he was meant to become. The sun’s immortal radiance poured into him, crafting his magnificent, hawk-armored form and granting him the power to command the very sand itself. 

Azir lifted his arms and his ruined city shrugged off the dust of centuries spent beneath the desert to rise anew. The sun disc lifted into the sky once more, and healing waters flowed between temples heaving themselves back into the light at the emperor’s command.

Azir climbed the steps of the newly-risen sun temple, weaving the desert winds to recreate the city’s last moments. Ghosts formed of sand relived his city’s last moments from long ago, and Azir watched in horror as Xerath’s treachery unfolded. He wept as he saw his family murdered, his empire fall and his power stolen. 

Only now, millennia too late, did he finally understand the depths of hatred harbored by his former friend and ally. With the power and prescience of an Ascended being, Azir sensed Xerath somewhere abroad in the world and summoned an army of sand warriors to march alongside their reborn emperor. As the sun blazed from the golden disc above him, Azir swore a mighty oath.

I will reclaim my lands and take back what was mine!’’

The Part That Needs To Be Worked On

I would like to hear about the inevitable fight with Xerath!

Final Thoughts

We have come to the end of this list, and boy, it was a long one. It was no easy task of choosing the top 10 lores in the massive League of Legends universe. These ten, for me, stood up with their chilling, nail-biting, and haunting moments.

We have to admit that Riot really knows their stuff and that many of their lores are a pleasure to read and immerse yourself into the story. Whether you are a fan of Noxus, Demacia, Shurima, or any region of Runeterra, or you simply are not a fan of League, you can not remain neutral and uninterested while reading these amazing life stories about magical creatures that wander around Runeterra!

Here are some honorable mentions that just barely escaped our list:

• Renekton
• Nasus
• Urgot
• Braum
• Kalista

Some of the stories aren’t that great, and that is an opportunity to tell Riot what lores they should be upgrading in times to come.