The harbinger of oblivion, 
Karthus is an undying spirit whose haunting songs are a prelude to the horror of his nightmarish appearance. The living fear the eternity of undeath, but Karthus sees only beauty and purity in its embrace, a perfect union of life and death. When Karthus emerges from the 
Shadow Isles, it is to bring the joy of death to mortals as an apostle of the unliving.
 | "Death is not the end of the journey, it is just the beginning... " — Karthus |
| Read Biography |
Background
Early Life
Karthus was born in a poor area just outside the capital of 
Noxus, living in an almshouse with other families. Fascinated with death, Karthus would sneak into the rooms of those about to die and wait beside them to watch them, intent on seeing the moment of their death. He would not see this moment until his sisters came down with the plague. He looked after them, and as they died, Karthus realized that he wanted to experience whatever was beyond death.
Transformation
After the tally-men of 
Kindred collected his sisters' bodies, as was custom in the parts of Noxus where they lived, Karthus followed them, asking them questions along the way. The tally-men soon accepted Karthus into their ranks, first as a grave digger, then pyre builder, then a corpse collector. Eventually, Karthus worked in the temple of the tally-men, tending to the sick in their final moments. As they died, he asked them what they saw and what layed beyond death.
After watching many more die in front of him and getting unsatisfying answers from those that he questioned, Karthus decided that he couldn't learn any more from the living. so he would instead try to learn from the dead. After learning of the Shadow Isles from the dying people that he questioned, he decided to leave the order of tally-men and journey to the Isles himself.
After a long journey, Karthus finally arrived at the shores of the Shadow Isles. As the Black Mist entered Karthus and ravaged his body and soul, his desire to transcend mortality stopped him from dying. Instead, his body was transformed, and he was put into the threshold between life and death. Karthus decided to preach death to the rest of the world, and as he killed the fisherman that brought him to the Isles, he vowed to bring death to all.
Appearance
Karthus is a thin man wraith with unnaturally colored skin, pale white in some areas and pure black in others. There is blue light eminating from the crevices where his eyes and mouth would be. He wears the traditional clothes of a member of the tally-men of Kindred, dark red and grey robes with armored cuffs and shoulderblades. He carries the staff of a tally-man of Kindred, with a grey handle and a spike at its tip. He also carries a book with him, with it likely containing either prepared laments for the dead or spells and enchantments, possibly both.
Personality
Karthus has pledged to bringing death to the world. He sees life as a crutch and an obstacle from reaching the true potential and knowledge that humanity has to offer. He feels no remorse for those he kills, as he sees them as freed and at their true potential.
Abilities
- Wraith: Karthus is one of the Shadow Isles's wraiths, created when the Ruination came to be. The Black Mist consumes one original personality, leaving only a specter consumed by negative emotions and obsessions. In Karthus case, he became an spirit that sings for the dead.
- Amortality: Being already dead, Karthus can't die again. He can only be banished and loose his material form for a while.
- Spiritual Construction: Wraiths can create solid constructs from spectral energy, such as bodies and physical objects. These constructs mainly base themselves around how they looked in life.
- Transitory State: Being ethereal beings, Wraiths can shift from the physical world and spiritual one at will. This means they can become intangible and invisible, and disappear from one place to another.
Relations
Kindred
Karthus was a tally-man of Kindred and, he still wears the vestments and carries the staff, which he still etches every time he 'releases' a mortal soul from life.
Read More
Biography
Starring Champion
Short Story • 4 Minute Read
The sea was mirror-smooth and dark. A pirate's moon hung low on the horizon as it had for the last six nights. Not so much as a whisper of wind stirred the air, only that damned dirge carried from who knew where. Vionax had sailed the oceans around Noxus long enough to know that seas like this only ever presaged ill-fortune. She stood on the Darkwill's foredeck, training her spyglass on the far ocean, searching for anything she could use to plot their position.
Starring: Karthus
Mentioned Champion
Alternate Universes
Comic
By ARTeapot
Starring: 
Bard, 
Jayce, Karthus, 
Sejuani
Mentioned: 
Anivia, 
Ashe, 
Braum, 
Bristle, 
Caitlyn, 
Camille, 
Elise, 
Ezreal, 
Garen, 
Gragas, 
Graves, 
Heimerdinger, 
Illaoi, 
Ivern, 
Katarina, 
Kled, 
Lee Sin, 
Leona, 
Lissandra, 
Lucian, 
Nami, 
Olaf, 
Poppy, 
Ryze, 
Senna, 
Singed, 
Skaarl, 
Taliyah, 
Taric, 
Teemo, 
Tryndamere, 
Twisted Fate, 
Veigar, 
Vi, 
Zac
Music Video
By Pentakill
The era of metal has begun.
Starring: Karthus, 
Mordekaiser, Olaf, 
Sona, 
Yorick
Short Story
The Man with the Grinning Shadow
By Jared Rosen
“You the marshal?”
Starring: 
Alistar, Karthus, Lucian, Senna, 
Thresh, 
Urgot
Mentioned: 
Cassiopeia
Comic
By Gutter Rat
Starring: 
Ahri, 
Darius, 
Ekko, 
Vladimir
Mentioned: 
Akali, 
Amumu, Anivia, 
Azir, Bard, 
Blitzcrank, Braum, 
Cho'Gath, Elise, Ezreal, 
Fiddlesticks, 
Fiora, 
Gnar, Heimerdinger, Ivern, 
Jhin, 
Jinx, Karthus, 
Kog'Maw, 
Lulu, 
Lux, 
Malzahar, 
Miss Fortune, 
Nidalee, Olaf, Poppy, 
Rek'Sai, 
Renekton, 
Rumble, Ryze, 
Shaco, 
Shen, 
Sion, Sona, 
Soraka, 
Talon, Taric, Teemo, 
Tristana, 
Trundle, 
Twitch, Urgot, 
Varus, Veigar, 
Vel'Koz, Vi, Yorick, 
Zed, 
Ziggs, 
Zyra
Comic
By Numerous creators
Starring: N/A
Mentioned: 
Aatrox, Akali, Ashe, 
Aurelion Sol, Azir, Braum, Caitlyn, Cho'Gath, Darius, 
Diana, 
Draven, Ezreal, Gnar, Illaoi, 
Janna, 
Jarvan IV, Jayce, 
Kai'Sa, 
Karma, Karthus, Katarina, 
Kayle, 
Kayn, 
Kennen, 
Kha'Zix, Lee Sin, Leona, Lulu, Lux, Malzahar, Miss Fortune, 
Nunu, 
Ornn, 
Pantheon, 
Pyke, 
Rammus, Rek'Sai, 
Rhaast, Ryze, Sejuani, Shen, Sion, 
Sivir, Soraka, 
Sylas, 
Syndra, Taliyah, Talon, Taric, Thresh, Tristana, Trundle, 
Udyr, Vi, 
Volibear, 
Willump, 
Yasuo, Zed, Ziggs, 
Zoe
Outdated Lore
Entries
Formare veneficum est formare fatum.
Starring: Akali, Alistar, Amumu, Anivia, 
Annie, Ashe, Blitzcrank, 
Brand, Cassiopeia, Cho'Gath, 
Corki, Darius, 
Dr. Mundo, 
Evelynn, Ezreal, Fiddlesticks, 
Gangplank, Garen, Gragas, Heimerdinger, 
Irelia, Janna, Jarvan IV, 
Jax, Karma, Karthus, 
Kassadin, Katarina, Kayle, Kennen, Kog'Maw, Lee Sin, Leona, Lissandra, Lux, Malzahar, 
Maokai, 
Master Yi, Mordekaiser, 
Morgana, 
Nasus, Nidalee, 
Nocturne, Nunu, Olaf, Pantheon, Poppy, Rammus, Renekton, 
Riven, Rumble, Ryze, Sejuani, Shaco, Shen, Singed, Sion, Sivir, 
Skarner, Sona, Soraka, 
Swain, Talon, Taric, Teemo, 
Tibbers, Tristana, Trundle, Tryndamere, Twisted Fate, Twitch, Udyr, Urgot, Veigar, Vladimir, 
Warwick, Willump, 
Wukong, 
Xin Zhao, Yorick, 
Zilean
Trivia
- Unlike most Shadow Isles champions who have a direct relation to the Ruined King and/or the Ruination that destroyed the Isles, Karthus is one of two champions with no connection to the Isles' origin.
Change log
| Character blurb | |
|---|---|
| Added. | |
References
See also
 Playable Characters |
                                                                                                                                                                |
|---|---|
| Other Characters (League of Legends) |
 Alune Book Bristle Bubbs Daisy Gregor Hermit Lamb Longtooth Pirate Finn Pix Rhaast Skaarl Tybaulk Valor Willump Wolf |
 Other Characters(Universe) |
 Cithria Doran Isolde Kai Kusho Ledros Nagakabouros Necrit Rafen Tianna Tyari Valmar Vrynna |
 Arcane Characters |
 Amara Ambessa Bolbok Caitlyn Cassandra Chross Claggor Ekko Elora Finn Harold Heimerdinger Jayce Jinx Marcus Margot Mel Mylo Renni Salo Sevika Silco Singed Smeech Tobias Vander Vi Viktor |
