League of Legends has come a long way since its launch waaay back in 2009, and it's still holding strong as the reigning champ of the MOBA genre and a cornerstone of the Esports scene. Over the past decade and a half, nearly every part of old-school League has been updated, revamped, or tossed out—sometimes for better, sometimes...not so much. And if you want to see just how much the game has changed, there’s no better place to look than at the stars themselves: the League of Legends Champions.
Champion design today is a whole different beast compared to League's early days. Back then, kits were simpler, visuals a little rougher, and balance? Well, let’s just say it was experimental. In a game now crowded with 200-years-of-experience champions (shoutout to Ambessa for joining the crew), it's only natural to take a step back and remember the classics—the champions who paved the way and set the stage for League’s journey to the summit.
Now, when we talk about "old" champions, what do exactly mean? Well, It's not as straightforward as who dropped into the game first. There are two ways to look at it:
- How long they've been in the game: This is the face value proposition. Basically, how long ago these champions first came into the Rift. If they were part of the OG lineup, they've seen it all: the wild metas, the broken items, the buffs, the nerfs, and Phreak being... phreaky.
- How old they are in the lore: These are ancient Demigods, and immortal sentinels we're talking about; Cosmic beings that witnessed the creation of the universe and primeval Demons that mushed worlds like playdough—too bad they get evaporated by a fish with a funny trident in-game. Some if these champions have enough lore to put every history book to shame, so never underestimate that Aatrox!
We'll be exploring both kinds of “old” champions: those whose stories have stood the test of time within the game's lore and those who’ve stood the test of time as part of League’s original cast. Let’s dive in!
First Champions by Release dates: The Original 17 Champions
Way back on October 27, 2009, Riot Games unleashed League of Legends on the world, and with it came the first 17 champions. This was League’s “Day One Squad,” spelling the humble beginnings of what would grow into a roster of over 160, each with unique designs, personalities, and playstyles. But back then, League of Legends was just starting out with a simpler lineup—and these 17 champions were our first introduction to the game.
Some would consider the 40 original champions that came out in 2009 - such as Katarina, Veigar, Corki... - to be the OG roster, but we think it's fairer to focus on those that have accompanied the official public release of the game. So, here’s a trip down memory lane with a full list of the big names:
- Twisted Fate: The smug, card-swinging gambler we all know and...hate.
- Singed: The embodiment of "catch me if you can". Fun fact: League's original lead designer, Steve "Guinsoo" Feak (yep, the name behind that Guinsoo's Rageblade), confirmed that Singed was actually the first champion they designed for the game.—that really tells you a lot about their design philosophy back then!
- Alistar: The bell-bonking Minotaur that everyone seems to forget about :(
- Annie: Still the little nuke she's always been.
- Ashe: This is the champion most of us see in League's cover arts.
- Fiddlesticks: Our beloved scarecrow that went from being goofy to "mom pick me up I'm scared".
- Jax: The OG 3-fingered fighter. 15 years later, and still doesn't have a real weapon.
- Kayle: A Justice-bringing Valkyrie that still needs 20 minutes to become an actual champion.
- Master Yi: love him or hate him, his straightforward kit made and simple playstyle was clutch in League’s early days, helping fresh players dive in without needing a PhD in mechanics. You earned my respect, Yi.
- Morgana: Kayle's emo sister who remained pretty much the exact same since her release.
- Nunu: One of the best glow ups in League of Legends history—if you saw old Willump, you'd know what I'm talking about.
- Sion: A zombie done well (granted, he wasn't that great when he first came out).
- Sivir: The original ADC whose kit is apparently so perfect that she didn't get any significant changes since her release.
- Soraka: Healing us for 15 years straight! Keep up the good work Banana lady.
- Teemo: If you didn't know, Teemo actually stands for Terror, Eerie, Evasive, Monster, Obliteration. Well, that's not true, but am I wrong?
- Tristana: "A Bandle Gunner never turns tail" , unless it's to blow you mid tower to pieces.
- Warwick: Honestly speaking, shoutout to the lead designer behind Warwick's rework. My boy is looking crisp!
- Ryze: Legend has it that Ryze mains are still data-mining Riot's servers to find when his next rework would drop.
The original champions were a pretty diverse cast, quirky in their own right, and sometimes unbalanced (okay, mostly unbalanced). But honestly, that chaos was half the fun. Back then, visuals were, let’s say, a little rough, and abilities were mostly a mix of point and click, instant casts, and stat boosts... or all three at once. Little to no skill expression or team play, yet, double the fun League of Legends players currently experience.
Today, we look back on those early seasons with a lot of nostalgia, conveniently forgetting how hilariously broken everything was. But that’s exactly what made old-school League and its champions so unforgettable. Love it or hate it, these OG champs—simple as they were—set the foundation for what League would become: a game filled with an absurdly broad range of characters that players could obsess over, and occasionally throw tantrums about in the chat.
The Golden Age of Rapid Champion Releases
Nowadays, champion releases are like cinematic events, with teasers, leaks, trailers, and sometimes a whole month of hype leading up to launch. But back in the day? It was just another thursday, quite literally. During the first four years of League, new champions were released at breadneck speeds. Riot released new champs as fast as they could crank them out—sometimes making it feel like they were just trying to hit some mysterious "champion quota." Every few weeks, players had a brand-new champ to learn, ban, or complain about in chat. Could you imagine the absolute mayhem if that was still the case today?
Of course, this rapid-fire release schedule was a bit of a double-edged sword. Sure, it kept things exciting and fresh, but it also meant some champions came out...well, a little rough around the edges. Balance was more of a distant dream back then, and the “meta” was basically a lawless wasteland of strange builds and even stranger strategies.
Nonetheless, it was honestly quite impressive how quickly Riot managed to dish out new champions while still giving each one a unique kit, identity, and a place in the lore. Nowadays though, champions take years to develop and still comes out broken on release. Some things never change I guess.
The Oldest Champion without a Rework
Ah, the champions who have somehow avoided the dreaded rework factory—League’s true survivors. While digging around for this article, I was floored by just how many of these old-timers have kept their kits nearly identical for over a decade. Champions like Ashe, Amumu, and Master Yi are practically fossils of early League design. The biggest "updates" they've received? Maybe an ability swap here, a mechanic tweak there—but nothing that fundamentally changes who they are.
But if we’re taking a real deep dive into League history, it begs the question: which champion has the oldest, most untouched kit? A kit that's survived balance patches, gameplay updates, and the entire madness of modern League without losing its identity?
Now, when it comes to the champions who have survived the ages without any major rework, there’s some debate among the player base. A few names pop up in this conversation over and over: Twisted Fate and Morgana. These champions have been around since League’s early days, and while they’ve received balance tweaks, VGUs and quality of life updates, their core gameplay remains untouched. Twisted Fate still tosses his iconic colored cards, each with its own effect, and his global teleport (aka Destiny) is still one of the most game-changing ults in the game. Similarly, Morgana’s Black Shield, Dark Binding, and Soul Shackles are as reliable today as they were back in 2009.
To be fair, these champions haven’t exactly been preserved in some pristine time capsule; Morgana, for instance, received a full visual rework back in Season 9, and Twisted Fate actually got a mini rework some time in Season 1, when Riot swapped out his E and Ultimate—yep, the GLOBAL TELEPORT was his E, now tell me old league wasn't absolutely busted.
All in all, these champions were truly throwbacks to a simpler time when kits weren’t overloaded with ten different passives and “if-you-do-this-you-get-bonus-X” mechanics. They're like your Grandpa's Toyota Camry—The good ol' reliable champs. If you look at it closely, the lack of reworks might have actually been a blessing to these champions; it's allowed these champions to retain their identities and distinct playstyles throughout the years, still giving players that classic experience to this day. And despite being “old-school,” they’re still surprisingly relevant and even competitively viable in today’s meta.
I guess if it ain't broken, why fix it?
The Oldest Champions in Lore
Now, if we’re talking pure lore, we have some champions who are old enough to remember when the world was just a glimmer in the eyes of the League gods—the gods themselves. These champions have been around for so long, they’re basically part of Runeterra’s landscape:
- Aatrox, the Darkin Blade: Aatrox is a Darkin, an ancient race of warrior gods—or in this case; God Slayers. This guy’s been through it all. He started as a Shuriman soldier, meaning he’s at least 6,000 years old. Over the centuries, he’s fought in wars, been betrayed, lost everything, and eventually got cursed into being a sentient murder-sword.
Now? He spends his days venting his cosmic frustration by slashing down anyone unlucky enough to meet him in top lane. Aatrox isn’t just old—he’s bitter, edgy, and very angry about it.
- Anivia and Lissandra; Freljord's Demi Gods: Anivia herself has been around since forever. Seriously, she founded the Freljord way back before 9,000 BN (Before Noxus—about 1,000 years ago), making it one of the oldest regions in Runeterra. We’re talking epochs, eras, ice ages…all that good stuff—Anivia has seen it all. She’s ageless, eternal, and probably a little tired of all the drama.
And speaking of drama, let’s not forget the War of the Three Sisters. This conflict, sparked by Lissandra’s ambition around 8000 BN, is one of Runeterra’s most ancient and pivotal events. Both Anivia and Lissandra played major roles, which pretty much cements them as some of the oldest champions in the game.
Oh, and here’s a fun twist—guess who else was there? None other than Ivern! Yep, he once fought as a soldier in the war. That menacing tree is always packing surprises, no wonder he's a bit wrinkly.
Nunu's yeti, Willump, was also there, munching popcorn and jungle camps as his fellow yetis were dropping like flies.
- Kennen, Gnar, and Fizz; Immortal Yordles: Every Yordle is an immortal magical being, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that some of them have been scampering around since the dawn of time. Kennen for instance witnessed the ancient wars of the First Lands (a.k.a Ancient Ionia), easily skyrocketing his age to the five digits. Then there's Fizz, who's been cruising the oceans of Runeterra long before civilizations were even conceived. As for Gnar? Well, he's witnessed the War of the Three Sisters from earlier. So yeah, you better treat him gently, otherwise his knees might give up.
Sure, other Yordles should be just as ancient, but their lore often leaves us hanging. Seriously, Heimerdinger’s entire backstory is, like, 80 words long. Riot, throw us a bone here! Until then, all we can do is speculate.
- Bard and Aurelion Sol; The Creators: To be "old" you've gotta be alive for a long time, right? But what if you were there before the concept of time even existed—or before anything existed for that matter. Take Aurelion Sol; born right at the literal beginning of the universe. The guy literally creates stars with a snap of his fingers, and you're speaking of "old"? Please. If you’re trying to calculate his age, just keep typing 9s into your calculator until is crashes...and even then, you won't be close.
Then there’s Bard, who’s as ancient as the celestial realm itself. In fact, he might be even older than Aurelion. Sure, he doesn’t show off by tossing around stars like they’re ping-pong balls, but he did craft something a bit more...humble. You know, just a little planet called Runeterra. No biggie.
Not every ancient champion made it onto the list—because let’s face it, in the "over 5000 years old" club, they’re practically still in diapers. Honorable mentions go to Kindred, Fiddlesticks, Zilean, Lilia, Janna, Jax, Vel'Koz, and the Ascended Shuriman warriors like Renekton, Xerath, and Nasus.
All of these champions have the kind of epic backstories that could fill entire history books. These guys have fought in ancient wars and witnessed empires rise and crumble right before their eyes. So next time you're up against one of them, just remember: they’re probably reminiscing about how many generations they’ve outlived while they’re busy last hitting minions.
Conclusion: A Toast to League’s Grandparents
League’s oldest champions are the real MVPs of the Rift. They’ve been there from day one, and are part of what makes League…well, League. Whether they’ve been with us since the first login screen or those with lore stretching back eons, these champs hold a special place in players’ hearts. They represent the beginning of something incredible—what started as a niche MOBA has turned into a global phenomenon, and these champions are a big part of that journey.
So here’s to the OGs: Twisted Fate, Singed, Morgana, and the original crew, and to the lore-ancients like Bard and Anivia. They’re proof that even in a constantly changing game, there’s something timeless about a well-loved champion. Whether you’re an old-school player who remembers these champions’ debuts or a newcomer discovering them for the first time, they remind us of what League has always been—epic, a little ridiculous, and impossible not to love.
