Who is Zaahen? The upcoming League of Legends champion’s lore explained

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After appearing in League of Legends comics and animated shorts, Zaahen is now becoming a playable champion in the game.

Zaahen is a Darkin who rebelled against his fellow Darkin during their great war. He sided with humans, but was eventually sealed away willingly. He chose containment after seeing how corrupted his brethren had become.

LeBlanc saw a chance to use Zaahen’s powerful weapon for her own purposes, so she forced the Atakhan to hunt him down. However, her scheme backfired. As a result, Zaahen is being reborn in a completely new way and will join the League of Legends in 2026.

The Great Darkin War

The Great Darkin War is a hugely important event in the history of League of Legends. It was a massive conflict between the powerful Darkin and the people of Runeterra, who were aided by the celestial Aspects. The war caused widespread destruction, and ultimately, the combined forces of mortals and Aspects either defeated or imprisoned almost all of the Darkin to save Runeterra from further disaster.

Zaahen was imprisoned during the war, but his story is different from the other Darkin. He didn’t fight with them – he actually fought against them, defending Ionia and humanity. Before we get into the details of his involvement, let’s first learn more about who Zaahen is.

Who is Zaahen?

Zaahen originated in Shurima, where he became a highly respected warrior and eventually transformed into a powerful, eagle-like being. After the fall of the Shuriman Empire, he was one of the few who stayed both mentally stable and kind. Using his wisdom, Zaahen traveled to the First Lands to help the emerging rebellion, and during his journey, he met Yunara and Kennen.

After the war ended, Zaahen faced judgment by the Eye of Twilight. They acknowledged his unwavering loyalty, the sacrifices he’d made, and how crucial he was to defending humanity, allowing him to go home. However, Zaahen worried about the immense power of his Darkin form and the danger it posed. Afraid he might one day lose control and cause another war, he chose to seal himself away. Yunara remained by his side, dedicated to guarding the Temple forever.

LeBlanc and Atakhan

With the start of the 2025 season, Riot Games expanded the game’s story, introducing Atakhan as a powerful monster in Summoner’s Rift. Years later, LeBlanc sought Zaahen’s weapon and used Atakhan to find him. Meanwhile, Xin Zhao, Yunara, and Kennen discovered that intruders had entered the temple, and Zaahen was in danger of awakening.

When Yunara and Xin entered the temple, they each had to complete the Trials of Twilight – a series of challenges meant to test their abilities. During his trial, Xin saw a disturbing vision of Demacia destroyed, and Jarvan IV transformed by the Darkin (similar to the images from the Prestige Fallen Jarvan IV skin).

It was too late to stop LeBlanc, who had taken Zaahen’s weapon and merged it with Atakhan. They tried to defeat the powerful creature, but couldn’t. As he was dying, Xin Zhao reminded Zaahen of the sacrifices he’d made to save the world, and pleaded with him to make one last stand.

Responding to the desperate call, Zaahen arrived and chose Xin Zhao as an ally, instantly defeating Atakhan. LeBlanc was forced to fall back, but she wasn’t finished yet.

Zaahen revealed during LoL Worlds 2025

Fans first met Zaahen in League of Legends comics and videos, but they finally saw him playable during the 2025 Worlds Grand Finals. After the second match, Riot Games showed off Zaahen’s in-game character model and abilities, giving players a first look at how he’ll play when he’s released.

Zaahen, a new top-lane champion for League of Legends, will be available with patch 25.23 on November 19th.

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2025-11-09 13:11