March 5, 2023
Representation in media is extremely important, especially when it comes to accessible video games. With 160 champions currently accessible (and more being added), it comes as no surprise that there are many LGBTQ+ champions in the hit game League of Legends. From suspected champions such as Taliyah and Nidalee to proudly visible couples like Diana and Leona, there’s an LGBTQ+ champion (and couple) for every play style.
Caitlyn and Vi
If you’re one of the few League of Legends fans who haven’t seen Arcane, then you probably aren’t aware of the wildly popular couple, Caitlyn and Vi. While the couple isn’t officially stated to be a couple, the romantic tension between these two is enough to make any avid League of Legends fan bite their nails in anticipation. Although the hit series popularized the couple, you may be surprised to know that they also have some edgy voice line interactions. As well as this, for pride month, Riot Games released some romantically themed emotes with the two!
Caitlyn is typically played in the bot (bottom) lane as attack damage carry, or ADC. Caitlyn is a champion often introduced to new players due to her straight-to-the-point playstyle. More times than not, she is a meta pick who can easily carry a whole team to victory. This couple doesn’t need bluntness to convey their admiration for each other.
In fact, when faced with an enemy Vi, Caitlyn states, “I never thought I would stand opposite you again, Vi…” Heartbreakingly enough, when Caitlyn kills an enemy Vi, you can hear her say, “I never wanted this, Vi….” On the other hand, how tragic is it that when Caitlyn dies in the game, one of her four death lines is, “Tell Vi that I…”?!
Unlike Caitlyn, Vi can be played in multiple lanes. You can find her typically in the top lane or in the jungle.Just like Caitlyn, Vi has special lines in game just for enemy Caitlyns. In fact, she has two taunts specifically just for Caitlyn!
“Care for a spot of tea? Or maybe a spot of punch in the face.”
“Oh, look at me… I’m on the case.”
While Caitlyn has death voicelines, Vi has lines dedicated to surviving attacks from enemy Caitlyns (“Nice shot, cupcake.”, “Aww, was that supposed to hurt, Cait?”, and straight to the point, “Nope!”)
Interestingly enough, Vi has voice lines for an ally Caitlyn. Although not anything too juicy, (“Yeah! Teamwork!”, “High five, cupcake!”, and “Boom! Headshot.”), fans of Arcane will recognize Vi’s iconic nickname for Caitlyn.
Each interaction accurately represents the relationship between Caitlyn and Vi. While Caitlyn’s voice lines are vulnerable, mention Vi by name, and express regret, Vi’s cold responses and teasing jabs express affection in the best way she knows.
Unfortunately, Vi and Caitlyn don’t have the best team synergy together. According to MobaChampion, Caitlyn and Vi win an average of 46.5% of games together. Yikes!
Diana and Leona
Diana and Leona are another couple that became a sensation during this year’s Pride celebration. With their adorable short story being released, it’s completely evident why Riot would highlight them with their own emote. Diana and Leona are the definition of star-crossed lovers – quite literally – and show that opposites really can attract. Their origin story, titled “Rise with Me” by Dana Luery Shaw, starts with a beautiful poem and sets the Temple of Auroral Triumph scene. Dedicated to teaching the youth the ways of the Sun and Her Glory, we find out early on that Diana’s skepticism is strong.
As we get along further into the story, we discover Leona’s admiration for Diana and her intelligence. Leona and Diana start studying together secretly through letters sent to one another. With each letter, both Leona and Diana gain more affection for each other. Finally, as the Nightless Eve approaches (a holiday meant to celebrate the Sun), Diana and Leona both want to ask each other to the ball.
“Instead of going to the Nightless Eve, I’ll just… climb. Get someplace higher than this. Maybe look at the stars. Watch the nighttime light. Besides, the only person I would want to go with would never want to be seen with me. Not after this kind of public penance. Probably not before it, either… So I have nothing to lose.” – Diana
Leona uses her journal entries to debate asking Diana to the Festival, and ultimately decides to. Unfortunately, this leads to a huge argument between the two. When Leona approaches Diana and asks if she will be attending the Nightless Eve, Diana says no. Leona is ultimately disappointed, which causes Diana to lose her temper. This fight causes the Priesthood to punish both with the penance of scrubbing the temple floors. It doesn’t take long for Diana to realize that Leona was attempting to ask her out.
“I am beside myself with rage. She wasn’t trying to preach to me. SHE WAS ASKING ME TO GO WITH HER TO THE FESTIVAL. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH DIANA YOU ARE SUCH A FOOL” – Diana
On the day of the Nightless Eve, Diana goes missing. Leona, completely forgetting about the Festival, goes to find her. Once she finds her, she admires Diana in the night and immediately apologizes for upsetting her. With a laugh, Diana apologizes for the same thing.
“She gestured for me to join her, so I did. We sat together, closer than we’d ever been to one another before. Our arms brushed, and she flinched away like she’d been burnt. “So you’re not going to the Festival at all?” she asked. Maybe not exactly that, but something like that.
I said something like, “I don’t know. It depends.” My heart was beating hard in my throat as she leaned her head against my shoulder, but she didn’t seem to notice. She looked up, then, at the sky, and smiled.
I don’t think I’d ever felt so happy before.” – Leona
This story is wonderful to read. The beginning poem sets a precedent for explaining the relationship between the Sun and Moon. Through the use of letters, Diana and Leona’s beautifully written narrative story gives us a unique perspective of the lore between these two characters.
Currently, in the League of Legends lore, Diana and Leona are separated. Diana, the new Aspect of the Moon, begged Leona to come with her and discover what Solari could not give them. When Leona decided, they argued and then fought. With her blade to Leona’s throat, Diana fled and delivered destruction to the temple that had once tortured her. Since then, Leona has been trying to find Diana to help her control the Moon Aspect before it takes her over.
Neeko
Neeko, the innocent chameleon mid laner, is the second champion to be openly LGBTQ+. Many of her interactions with female champions show off her attraction in adorable ways. Part of Neeko’s kit is that she can transform into other champions. Here are some of the best lines towards champions as she interacts with them:
First encounter with Nidalee: “Nidalee! Weird seeing you here. Neeko misses you.”
First encounter with Taliyah: “Show me more of the world, Taliyah. Take me with you!”
Mimicking Ahri: “”So beautiful! Like moonlight on fresh snow.”
And, my personal favorite:
Mimicking Evelyn: “Evelynn is so… extreme! Neeko curious…”
Although Neeko isn’t in a relationship in canon, Nidalee is involved in her lore. Hopefully, this potential couple will be delved into as we celebrate more Pride Months with Riot Games.
Graves and Twisted Fate
A long-time suspected couple, Riot Games recently announced Graves and Twisted Fate as romantic partners when releasing their new pride emote.
When Devon Giehl (she/her), a previous Riot Games writer, created Graves and Twisted Fate, she wrote them as a married couple. Unfortunately, when they were first released, the couple was prevented from being openly out despite being some of Riot’s oldest released champions (Twisted Fate was released February 21, 2009, and Graves was released October 19th, 2011).
Despite the unfortunate block to these two characters’ backstories, publicly acknowledging their relationship is a step in the right direction. Twisted Fate and Graves, the Riot Games Bonnie and Clyde, will hopefully receive a story similar to Leona and Diana’s, explaining their backstory more. We know how they met – in a gambling hall, where they recognized each other as “kindred souls” – but we don’t see how their relationship developed.
Conclusion
While we haven’t covered every champion and character within the League of Legends lore, these champions (and their stories!) were too loveable to pass up on. From heartbreaking backstories to lighthearted affection, Riot Games is diversifying its characters and their lore. In popular media, LGBTQ+ characters are typically represented in a traumatic light, showing the gloomy side of exploring your sexual identity. Although this article has only touched the iceberg of LGBTQ+ characters within the Riot Games universe, many more stories are to be explored.
Writer’s Note: A special thank you to https://leagueoflegends.fandom.com/ for providing easy access to champion voice lines.
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