Thursday, December 5, 2024
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Every LGBTQ+ character in League of Legends

League of Legends is one of the most popular games in the world these days, with an extremely deep roster of playable Legends, and more and more spin-off games that are introducing more details about the lore and characters of the world of Runeterra. As we’ve learned more about these League of Legends characters, several of them have been revealed to identify along the LGBTQ+ spectrum. With as many as there are, this makes sense statistically.

Every LGBTQ+ character in League of Legends

Varus/Valmar and Kai – Gay

Varus is actually the product of two soldiers, Valmar and Kai, accidentally fusing their bodies together with the spirit of an ancient darkin. Kai was mortally wounded in a battle, and desperate to save his lover, Valmar threw both of them into a magical well in hopes that it would save Kai. Instead, it turned out that the well was a prison for the darkin spirit, which took both men’s bodies and fused them with its spirit to become a physical incarnation of vengeance, Varus. This creation is detailed in the “As We Fall” music video.

Neeko – Lesbian

Neeko was League of Legends’ first openly gay Champion (as Varus’ deal is kind of weird with him being a fusion of two people, and also kind of a demon). This was confirmed by one of the game’s writers on Twitter in 2018. Neeko is from a long lost tribe of the vastaya, a chimeric race of people that are humanoid with animal characteristics. Neeko is chameleon-like, with the ability to change her appearance by borrowing someone else’s.

Rell – Bisexual/Pansexual

Rell is a young woman gifted with a type of magic that hasn’t been seen in centuries: metal manipulation. Her parents saw this gift as something to be used to fight against Noxus’ biggest foe, Mordekaiser, so they agreed to send Rell to an academy run by the Black Rose cabal. Here, Rell was forced to fight against other students, whose magic was then harvested and grafted onto her using sigils without her knowledge. When Rell found out the truth, she destroyed the academy, killing its staff and freeing the remaining students. She now fights to protect others like her and to destroy Noxus for letting the Black Rose run free.

She has several voice lines that are flirty or thirsty with male and female Champions, indicating that she identifies as bi or pansexual.

Diana – Lesbian

Diana is the chosen Aspect of the moon’s power, and therefore serves as part of the Lunari religion. She grew up on Mount Targon, where she was close friends and eventually lovers with another Champion, Leona. Unfortunately, Leona was chosen as the Aspect of the Sun, making her and Diana rivals who could no longer be together. Their story is elaborated on in the “Rise With Me” short story.

Leona – Lesbian

Like Diana, Leona grew up on Mount Targon. She and Diana expressed their romantic interest in each other during the Festival of the Nightless Eve, and became lovers. Leona was actually present when Diana was chosen as an Aspect of the moon, and ran to her side. It was then that she was chosen as an Aspect herself, but for the sun instead, pitting her directly against the one she loved.

Nami – Bisexual and polyamorous

Nami is a vastaya of the ocean, and is the Tidecaller for the Marai tribe. This is a role of honor for the best warriors of the Marai tribe, who descend into the ocean depths to grab the moonstone that protects them from the horrors of the deep when it begins to dim. Nami wasn’t originally chosen for this role, but took it herself when the chosen Tidecaller never returned. Though she recovered the moonstone, there was no one there to exchange it when she came ashore, as Diana, the moon Aspect, fled the area and hasn’t been seen. Nami is now searching for Diana to receive a new moonstone to protect her people. She is in a polyamorous relationship with two other vastaya, Loto, a man and Tama, a woman.

Graves – Gay

Malcolm Graves is a rogue who learned to fight and steal growing up in the alleys of Bilgewater. As a teen, he stowed away on a ship and made for the Shuriman mainland, where he eventually met Twisted Fate in Mudtown. The two became criminal partners who were able to steal from the rich and trick the foolish, with lucrative results. But, the good times came to an end when Graves was imprisoned and Fate left him behind. The two eventually met again, with Graves wanting revenge, but they managed to resolve their issues and Fate committed to being there for his friend/crush going forward. Grave’s sexuality is confirmed in the “The Boys and Bombolini” short story.

Twisted Fate – Pansexual

Tobias Felix, a.k.a Twisted Fate, is a cardshark and con man who came to partner with Graves before they eventually fell out after a heist gone bad. Twisted Fate has the ability to manipulate cards, which helps him in gambling and in using cards as weapons. His curiosity about this ability led to the heist that got Graves imprisoned. Tobias tried to break his partner out, but failed and ended up retiring his birth name in exchange for Twisted Fate. His sexuality is confirmed in the “The Boys and Bombolini” short story.

K’Sante – Gay

K’Sante is a great warrior of the Nazumah, where he fights to protect his people from the forces of the conflicting Ascendeds that are waging war in the country of Shurima. As a young man, K’Sante hunted dangerous beasts and became hunting partners with another talented young man named Tope. The two developed a strong bond, and eventually romantic feelings that blossomed into a relationship. Things went south for them though when they fought a cobra-lion that K’Sante was desperate to kill in order to prove himself as a great warrior. The two had a falling out due to K’Sante’s pride and they ended up breaking up. This event changed K’Sante and forced him to reckon with the ramifications of his pride. K’Sante’s sexuality is confirmed in “The Pride of Nazumah” and “Everything We Should Have Said.”

Nidalee – Queer

Nidalee is a hunter who can shapeshift into a pakaa at will. She was raised in the jungle by the wildcats after she was abandoned there as an infant. Nidalee came to be fiercely protective of her home territory after her adoptive mother was killed by trophy-hunting poachers. At some point during her time in the jungle, she met fellow shapeshifter Neeko, and the two developed a romantic relationship.

Vi – Lesbian

Vi is a former criminal who now works with the Wardens in Piltover to help keep the peace. Many fans are probably familiar with her adventures and hijinks with Jinx during the events of Arcane. Vi’s sexuality was confirmed in the 2023 Pride background art for League of Legends, which depicts her with a lesbian pride flag pin on her hip.

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