Older League of Legends players will remember that many seasons ago, there used to be regular updates to the League lore. Background stories of many champions were explored as new developments in the realm of Runeterra were reported as news. Along with the patch notes, players also anxiously read about the latest happenings in the fictional world where their favorite champions existed. However, Riot decided to end this practice, citing the reasoning that such narrative development led to creative stagnation and limited the possibilities of growth of champions and Runeterra itself.
One of the coolest and most interesting League characters is Yasuo. He is a bit difficult to learn but a lot of fun to play once you get the hang of it. With his Q stacked up, you can launch enemies into the air making them Airborne, a form of hard crowd control. Yasuo is a very popular champion among League of Legends players, his abilities and character art are only part of the reason for this. His monologues and quotes are also part of the reason why he is so popular.
Yasuo most often utters the phrase “Hasagi!” when you use his abilities. Some players argue it is actually “Hasaki”!. What does this word mean? And does it have anything to do with Yasuo’s backstory and lore? What language is this word from? Is it a real language or a language in many of the fictional lands in the realm of Runeterra?
The Real Meaning of “Hasagi”
Some players have argued that that it’s a phrase from Japanese, saying the actual word is “hasaki”, not “hasagi” and it means “cutting edge” in English. However, the League of Legends wiki says that it’s a word from Ionian, the language spoken in the mystical lands of Ionia in Runeterra. It translates to “towards the dawn!” which makes sense if you are familiar with his backstory. Without spoiling the lore, what can safely be said is that he goes through a personal tragedy of biblical proportions, which involves the death of his beloved master and elder brother and is faced with deep regret and humility. He faces a period of intense darkness and struggles to find the dawn after a very long unending night. “Hasagi!” indeed, onwards and upwards, towards the dawn!
