Runeterra Prime is an unofficial term that refers to the primary universe of the League of Legends intellectual property. Most stories and characters originate from this universe, and the wider community commonly refers to it as the "canon" lore.
Runeterra Prime currently consists of The Void and three realms of existence: Celestial ( Targon Prime is located here), Spirit ( Bandle City and Marus Omegnum are located here; the Death Realm is also part of it, including Mitna Rachnun), and Physical (the planet of Runeterra is located here). The Void is the unknowable nothingness outside of existence which interacts with it through the Watchers and Voidborn.
This universe has its own well-documented timeline of events separate from those of the Alternate Universes, which are commonly referred to as "skin" lore.
Lore[]
Canonical Skins[]
The following skins are alternate skins of champions from the main universe that appear or appeared in the present or in the past. Skin lines that are part of this list include Arcane, some of Spirit Blossom, and The Ruined King Saga:
Past[]
Celebrating the RiotX Arcane event.
The Ruination of Targon and the loss of the Aspect of War devastated the Rakkor tribes. But the only way to fight an Aspect's power is with another Aspect—and so Diana takes up her blade as a member of the Sentinels, knowing that Viego would destroy everything the moonlight touches.
The Sentinels followed the Black Mist to Targon, where it had begun to encroach on the mountains. Diana stood as a bulwark against it, radiating light in the dark, just as the moon shines brightly in a starless sky.
Fingers of Black Mist reached for Diana, questing for her anguish, her sorrow, her fear. But the Chosen of the Moon, daughter of the Lunari, and Sentinel of Targon shone with a light so radiant that no shadow could ever take hold. ( )
A showman no matter the circumstance, Draven challenged Viego to a duel that the Glorious Executioner immediately lost, resulting in his ruination. Unlike his ruined brethren, little has changed about Draven save for a white shock hair on his head and a slightly more vicious personality than usual.
Viego's powers were so incredible that he was able to bend the wills of some of Runeterra's most charismatic icons. And while most simply accepted their fate, there were the odd few cases of extreme personality lingering...
"CHECK ME OUT--I'M RUINED, FOOLS!"
"It's Ruination time!" - Draven ( , )
Celebrating the RiotX Arcane event.
Gangplank was a legendary murderer and cutthroat, prior to having his ship blown up while he was still on it. The silhouette of his famed captain's jacket is still burned into the memory of more than one unlucky sailor... with many convinced the man is somehow still alive.
Energized by a mysterious amulet containing Viego of Camavor and wielding the Blade of the Ruined King, Gangplank's personality erupted as he raged in search of the long-lost Isolde. Though ultimately freed of the King's influence by a group of heroes, he carries the experience with him... a reminder, perhaps, of true power.
Do you want to do extreme damage to someone (or something) in a loud, noticeable fashion? Look no further than Graves and his slippery pal Tobias, two men who will blow up anything (must be destructible) or anyone (must be destructible) for the right price (no ghouls please). Inquire within!
Graves could give a damn about saving the world, but the Ruined King is getting in the way of his criminal undertakings, and that he cannot abide. When the Sentinels come calling, Graves reckons he can play the hero for once—long enough to make sure there's a world left to rob, anyway.
After the fall of the Ionian Grand Temple, Irelia could not stand idly by while her home was ravaged by the Black Mist. Deputized by the Sentinels, she fights the Ruination as one of their comrades: a natural-born leader who understands the threat that Ruined Karma poses, she will stop at nothing to save the Spirit of Ionia.
When she first faced the Mist, Irelia knew her blades would not find the same purchase against the incorporeal and the undead, but that she must try to stop them regardless. Her home, and so many others', was at stake.
The Sentinels saw Irelia's spirit for what it was; a shining beacon of hope, determination, and strength. It was that which imbued her blades, and they flew farther, and cut deeper, than ever before.
"Stand firm, Sentinels. Remember what you must protect." - Irelia
"Follow my lead, Sentinels. I will show you how to dance." - Irelia
"You know the Light, but you do not know its song. Until you have found your feet, I will lead." - Irelia
"Even, balanced, and finely honed. This is a blade that will cut through darkness." - Irelia ( , , , , )
Celebrating the RiotX Arcane event.
Celebrating the RiotX Arcane event.
Scribbled shapes leapt off the blue-haired girl’s fingers like staticky, unrestrained laughter. Powder had feared the voices, and screamed at them to go away. But Powder was dead now.
"My sister was right. They all were." She heaved her rocket high, braids flying, pink eyes gleaming with strange light. "I’m a jinx."
"I only wanted to help." - Powder
"We’ll show them. We will show them all." - Silco ( , , )
Surviving the initial ruination of Ionia, Karma is ultimately lost during a second one led by Viego himself. With the Spirit of Ionia itself removed from the continent, the Ionian people must band together to save one another, even as Karma twists the souls of millions to a new, horrific purpose.
"Balance in all things. With joy, sorrow. With hope, despair. With life... death."
"Light cannot exist without darkness." ( )
Miss Fortune thought that being the Pirate Queen of Bilgewater would be enough. Even with her revenge complete, Sarah now faced a new chaos with Bilgewater's factions vying for control. Viego's arrival offered her an opportunity to seize the strength needed to crush anyone beneath her heel, even if it came at a price.
After a vicious encounter on the Freljordian front, Olaf is convinced to join the Sentinels to satiate his hunger for battle. Only then would he have the power to challenge Viego, the greatest threat the world has ever known, and satisfy his urge to fearlessly face death in glorious combat.
The Mist did not just subsume Atreus, but also resurrected the long-dead spirit of Pantheon: the old Aspect of War himself. With Atreus' stubborn defiance silenced, Pantheon can resume control and revel in battle once again. It doesn't matter to him whose banner he fights under. If that banner is the Ruined King's? So be it.
Pyke may seem an unlikely Sentinel to take up the oath, but Viego's name is next on his list. Pacified—for now—by the influence of Nagakabouros, the real danger is that he might snap at any moment, killing allies and enemies alike.
What game is bigger than a King? As a hunter, Rengar could not pass up the opportunity to take on what would be his ultimate prey, and the ultimate trophy. Even with Sentinel weapons in hand, they will need the skills of a true apex predator to take Viego down.
Riven joins the Sentinels hoping to atone for her role in the Noxian invasion of Ionia. After fighting her way out of a rapidly destabilizing City of Noxus, she understands that her time may be fleeting. However, she believes her life is a small price to pay to make amends.
Even that which is fragmented can be made whole, reforged in purifying light.
All repaired objects show their wear, yet light shines through their cracks, showing the beauty of things broken and remade stronger. ( )
Given to players who pre-ordered the Retail Collector's Edition of League of Legends.
Shyvana's ruination brings a newfound darkness, as well as clarity. Turning swiftly against Demacia for its persecution of magic, and sinking into her more draconic emotions, she appears as an avenging beast of old, ready to topple Demacia for its ignorance.
The people of Demacia had always treated Shyvana with distrust and suspicion, as if she might at any moment shed her humanity and turn on them. It wounded her deeply... and stoked the fire of her rage.
If it was a monster they wanted... then a monster she would be. ( )
Looking to hire some muscle for an above-the-board, highly legitimate business venture? Look no further than Twisted Fate and his furry companion Graves, two men who will do anything (and we mean anything) to anybody (and we mean anybody) for the right price (any price). Inquire within!
Udyr's time in Ionia, training at Hirana Monastery, taught him control and calmed the storm in his heart. Though the Freljord called him home, Udyr chose to stay and help Ionia regain spiritual harmony, as it had done for him. As he gets closer to this goal, he knows that his work to do the same for the whole of Runeterra has only just begun.
Celebrating the RiotX Arcane event.
"Listen, cupcake. To survive in the Undercity, you can’t be afraid to get your hands dirty."
"Me? I'll do whatever it takes to protect what matters."
"You need a reason? Here’s your reason." - Vi ( , )
The heir of Camavor, wielder of the Blade of the King, Viego longs to follow in his father's footsteps. To his advisor Kalista, his doubts were clear long before his coronation, as whispers of the sword's bond echoed throughout the Sanctum of Judgement. But he wears the Argent Crown, and with his blade, Sanctity, Viego will strike fear into the enemies of his nation.
Ancient Freljordian legends speak of spirit walkers consumed by the true spirit of the unrelenting bear—a force older than the Freljord itself. Those who dare to invoke its name cannot fathom the terrible, primal power they call down upon themselves.
Empowered by the Buhru during his fight against Viego of Camavor, Yasuo made an unlikely champion for the children of Nagakabouros—his obsession with past events flew in the face of everything they believed in. Yet even the mangiest sea dog has his day, and Yasuo stood against the forces of darkness, emerging triumphant.
Current[]
In the Ionian tradition, the Kindred are interpreted as a child and her beastly companion, endlessly playing games with one another until they are called to perform their duties. The two do not know where they came from, but it is said they feel a sense of loss for someone they knew long ago…
The Kindred appear as two--the eternal child and the ever-hungry beast--but in truth, they are one being of a single mind and purpose.
Delighting in one another's company, they run and bound throughout the spirit realm--until the time they are called upon to perform their never-ending duties.
"A fleeting glimpse of what is to come." - Lamb ( , )
A shy fawn spirit, Lillia once served as the guardian of a sacred Ionian forest—until her grove was destroyed and cast into flame. Consumed by loss, she now slumbers in the spirit realm, reliving the destruction in an unending nightmare—unaware of the timid hope still waiting to bloom...
In another life, Sarah Fortune would have been a respected ship captain, supported by the love of her mother and the admiration of her city. But the things Bilgewater takes, you can't always get back, and that particular dream died a long time ago.
Free from the kingdom that once imprisoned him, Sylas of Dregbourne marches from Demacia to the Freljord. With every step he takes, he remembers what others have branded him: Mage, Traitor, Kingslayer—names he revels in as he endures the bitter cold, his heart warmed by the fires of rebellion. It will be here, in the icy north, that he will seize the ancient power needed to fuel his revolution…
With every soul the Ruination seized, Thresh's lantern burned brighter. He had planned for this moment, after all: the chance to scour far beyond the Shadow Isles, the Mist's reach so much greater than his own. Reaping all he had so meticulously sown, Thresh was at last unbound from the shackles of the isles. He had forgotten how good it feels to have skin...
As the mist spread, Thresh awakened a previously untapped well of energy and, bolstered by the Black Mist, reclaimed power he thought long lost among the Blessed Isles.
He seized soul after soul, relishing their agony. Each one was reduced to a mere glowing fleck within his lantern, yet it shone brightly. ( )
Ever striving to become a better monster hunter, Vayne joins the Sentinels primarily to advance her own arsenal and learn from their battle with the Black Mist. It doesn't hurt that she is also defending Runeterra from evil, of course. If she must endure the friendship of a fool like Graves to do so, she will. The cause is worth it.
(Potential) Future[]
Having cast aside her humanity, Kayle has transcended and fully assumed her mother's mantle as the divine Aspect of Justice. She is aware of her mortal origins, but views it as something distant that she left behind very long ago.
Yasuo glimpsed many paths in his dreams. One saw him as an old man, alone, having strayed far from his course. He had given up ambition, family, even love, all to atone for sins he could no longer remember. This vision was not a warning, but a reminder, for Yasuo knew he could always return to his path. He only needed to find it... or let it find him.
Representative Skins[]
The following skins are representations of different characters within the main universe that do not directly correlate with the champion the skins were made for. The skinline that is part of this list is Spirit Blossom:
The famed Spirit of Salvation, and the fox all mortals are beckoned towards when their souls arrive to the spirit realm. A capricious, whimsical spirit who sees the fate of the living as a game of chase, she offers the chance for souls to find their final rest… but will not intervene if they stray from the path.
When mortal souls cross over into the spirit realm, they are drawn inexorably to the Spirit of Salvation--a spirit as elusive as she is enchanting.
Should any mortal prove clever enough to follow the spirit's winding path toward their eternal rest, they may even catch a glimpse of her true visage: strikingly vulpine and unimaginably ethereal.
"I can make your still heart beat again." - Spirit Blossom Ahri ( , )
-
Ionians share whispered stories of the twin spirits of the night, Aphelios and Alune. It is said the darkening of the sky comes from the brother's armaments, tearing the fabric of blues and whites apart to create an obsidian canvas painted with stars. The sister's motives are more... mysterious.
Rumored to have once been a beautiful princess, legend says Cassiopeia vanished into the mountains when her sister staged a coup, never to return. So great was her beauty, and so renowned her cunning, that a shrine was built to honor this 'spirit of temptation', until her story was accepted into popular folklore.
Darius' body fell to the dirt, yet another soldier's sacrifice. But his soul would not rest. Picking up his axe just as soon as it was knocked from his mortal hand, the Spirit of War arose. A calamity motivated only towards bloodshed, Darius stalks the mortal world, searching for the thrill of battle.
Come. Leave your flesh behind and pass into the Spirit World. Bring with you only your desires, your vices, your painful memories. Let the Spirit of Love feed on these unwanted temptations, for her hunger is ravenous. Evelynn will show you peace at last.
A being without judgment, the Spirit of Love welcomes any into her intimate embrace. Thief or nobleman, pauper or queen--be it anguish, fear, or unrequited love...
...the adoring Evelynn will take everything there is to take.
"Abandon all your hurt. All your anguish. All you desire." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"You weren't strong enough for your empire, love--but your weakness fills my heart." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"Such a vicious, prideful bearing... but I know how powerless you feel, darling. Rest your head in my lap." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"Such captivatingly strange sorrow you bear, creature from a between-world. Relinquish it, and be at peace." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"Sweet lady, your compassion blinded you to duplicity, but do not fret. I will drink up all of your pain." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"You've been lost for so long, haven't you? Poor little thing." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"Such lust for status. Surrender your greed, and find relief." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"Your moon's light can't reach you here, sweet thing--so I will keep you warm." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"We're cut from the same cloth, you and I. We always get what we want." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"Shed the noble façade that hides your anxious heart." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn
"It's so hard to fight when all seems lost, hm? Entrust your dwindling hope to me. I will not waste it." - Spirit Blossom Evelynn ( , , , , , , , , , , , )
A shy fawn spirit, Lillia once served as the guardian of a sacred Ionian forest—until her grove was destroyed and cast into flame. Consumed by loss, she now slumbers in the spirit realm, reliving the destruction in an unending nightmare—unaware of the timid hope still waiting to bloom...
Legends speak of Master Yi, a swordsman who took but one student in his lifetime. After an unceremonious betrayal, Yi perished—not from a blade, but from a broken heart. Now the Spirit of Legacy roams the spirit world, searching for a pupil. He is lost, anyone that joins him destined to face the same fate.
Yi arrives at the Spirit Blossom Fashion Festival, donning tinted shades and the finest fabrics. While others prefer to celebrate with close family and friends, Yi revels in the attention his outfit brings, intent to cement his style "legacy".
The Spirit of Legacy is a tragic entity, a swordsman lost in a perpetual search for a pupil worthy of his tutelage...
...yet is it a warrior's potential that Master Yi seeks? Or is it a sturdy heart--one that could never betray his trust?
"Do not disappoint me." - Spirit Blossom Master Yi ( , )
A brave warrior from an ancient land, Riven was ignobly cut down in the heat of battle thousands of years ago, her sword shattering in the process. Unable to find peace, she obsessively scours an otherworldly battlefield for pieces of her broken blade, possessed by a horrific darkness that guides her into oblivion.
Some guide the dead down the path; others tempt them from it. Another still has no allegiances, as his spirit lies in conflict with itself. Born from Kanmei and Akana, Sett lived harmoniously until, abandoned by his father, he sought retribution. Now he can only catch whispers of salvation as he spends his days challenging slain warriors, testing their worth.
In a secluded corner of the Akana forest, Soraka weeps for those she's lost. Each life cut short she longed to save, but for as many that welcome her as a savior, there are others who see her power as a merciless cruelty. To the Spirit of Pity, death is never a blessing.
Children hear stories of the savior of lost souls, the ever-reclusive Spirit of Freedom. One such speaks of a tree that wrapped its roots around a wandering wisp. The wisp struggled alone—until Syndra ripped off the bindings that held it tight, as she would do for all creatures, lest they be lost forever.
A trickster spirit and a child of the forest, Teemo is famed across Ionia as the embodiment of nature… though his more onerous accolade is the king of pranks. A consummate gadfly and lover of all things annoying, his exploits in tricking mortals have graced the pages of Ionian history for hundreds of years.
Having abstained from pranking his “best friend forever” literally once, the Spirit of Salvation has gifted Teemo with his wildest dream—becoming shiny and gold. Never one to leave anybody alone, ever, he has promised his BFF to prank them at every opportunity, every day, until they die and join him in the spirit realm. Good luck to them.
"Eat 'em while they're fresh! Don't be shy, there's more than enough for everyone!"
"I think you'll find the taste quite... explosive! Hehehehe!"
"Blowing my friends up with spirit 'shrooms never gets old!" - Spirit Blossom Teemo ( , )
An ancient demon of obsession, Thresh delights in tormenting the spirits of those he deems as flawed, but blossoming with potential. He haunts the spiritual afterlife as a supreme collector of souls, tempting the dead away from their path to salvation until they are trapped for eternity within their own memories.
For those that seek glory on the battlefield, to those that look to the spirits for a bountiful harvest, Tristana greets all with a toothy grin. The Spirit of Chance has no favorites, no obligations or motives. She simply delights in the chaos, the fear in men's eyes at the roll of the dice.
Vayne came from a lost clan of monster hunters, annihilated to the last when the primordial demon of pain chanced upon their hidden village. Unable to let go, and doomed to her own obsessions for eternity, she hunts the creature without end, always unable to catch it.
Long ago, two brothers fought a bitter war across Ionia. Yasuo, the younger brother, was a warlord renowned for his roguish demeanor—until he was accused of crimes against the country and took up arms to defend himself. Both were fated to fall in their final duel… a lesson, perhaps, in pride and hubris.
Brother...may the wind carry my request to you: I ask for your understanding, and only your understanding...
...because I know I may never ask for your forgiveness.
"May the wind blow us all toward redemption." - Spirit Blossom Yasuo ( , )
Long ago, two brothers fought a bitter war across Ionia. Yone, the older brother, was a warlord renowned for his adherence to honor and duty. He fought to defend the country against those who would break its rites and rituals - until he was forced to confront his own brother for his crimes. Both were fated to fall in their final duel… a lesson, perhaps, in pride and hubris.
The grove he called home burnt to ashes before his very eyes. While another retreated into solitude, Yorick allowed the rage to consume him. The flowers and trees that bloom in the Spirit of Ruin's wake are haunting, the gardeners that tend to them howling creatures of the night.
Trivia[]
- All voice-overs, flavour text, and card art from Legends of Runeterra are considered canon to this universe, or to hypothetical situations within it.
- Despite being a part of the larger Spirit Realm, the Death Realm is its own distinct section. Mitna Rachnun is domain within the Death Realm which he corrupted and twisted for his own dark purposes.[1][2]
- Beforehand, Arcane referenced elements from Runeterra Prime (nations, characters, general political structures, tech levels, and similar magic systems), and the universe was divergent plotlines and character developments. Now, with the release of the "Champs, Lore & More" Dev update, Arcane is confirmed to be canon to this universe.
- While is part of the Mad Scientists Universe, Ziggs can be seen with a similar outfit in Bombs: A Tribute.