Throughout its history, Riot Games has garnered a reputation for releasing champions in League of Legends in an overpowered state. They often come packed with unprecedented mechanics, exacerbating the issue of power creep in Summoner’s Rift.
Even if they are reined in, they leave a mark in the collective memory. Here are seven of the most broken champions in League of Legends history.
The 7 most broken champions in LoL history
7) Zoe
Who could forget Zoe’s disruptive debut on the Summoner’s Rift? With her relentless barrage of Sleepy Trouble Bubbles, Level Two Gunblade, and crossmap Paddlestars, this tiny but formidable champion caused chaos in every match.
Unlike other new releases, Zoe’s impact was immediate and overwhelming, dominating the laning phase like none other. Central to her kit was Spell Thief, allowing her to pilfer enemy summoner abilities and actives, often deciding lanes with mere chance.
Despite Riot Games’ efforts to balance her, Zoe remains potent, a testament to her lasting influence despite numerous nerfs.
6) Mordekaiser
Endowed with staggering statistics and an arsenal of oppressive abilities, Mordekaiser emerged as the quintessential carry, reshaping the dynamics of the bottom lane. His mastery over life and death extended to commanding slain dragons and enemy champions, bending them to his will as loyal minions. This bolstered his split-pushing prowess alongside his team’s frontline, rendering traditional ADCs obsolete in his wake.
Crossing swords with Mordekaiser was a daunting prospect, for to face him meant risking the betrayal of one’s own allies, transformed into relentless foes under his command. Thus, the battlefield of Summoner’s Rift bore witness to the reign of Mordekaiser, where no basic attack carry dared to tread, lest they be ensnared in his iron grip and consumed by the chaos he wrought.
5) Irelia
Back in the glory days before her nerfs, Irelia was like the undefeated champion of the Rift, ruling both solo skirmishes and epic team clashes with an iron fist. Her kit was a terrifying cocktail of passive healing, wave-wiping prowess, and an uncanny ability to shrug off crowd control like it was nothing. Riot, feeling the heat of her dominance, unleashed a barrage of nerfs in a desperate bid to rein her in.
Then came the great rework, a glimmer of hope to restore balance to the game. But, alas, it only added fuel to Irelia’s fiery prowess. She emerged from the ashes like a phoenix, her reworked kit turning her into an even more formidable adversary. It was a difficult time in League history, as players struggled to find any counterplay against her newfound power and finesse on the battlefield.
4) Ryze
Ryze has been through numerous reworks as Riot Games struggled to balance his potent kit. Despite their efforts, the adjusted, pre-nerf Ryze emerged as one of the best-performing Champions in League of Legends history. Armed with basic point-and-click abilities, mastering Ryze’s combo could propel even an amateur to victory against seasoned opponents.
With items like Stopwatch or Zhonya’s Hourglass, Ryze could initiate on multiple foes, execute his combo, and escape using Realm Warp while in stasis. Riot’s solution to curb his dominance was to introduce more skill expression by making his Q ability a skillshot. This adjustment was what finally brought Ryze closer to balance.
3) Xin Zhao
Xin Zhao, hailed as The Perfect Fighter, was a relentless force on the battlefield. With stats that soared beyond measure and a skill set that made him a veritable juggernaut, he struck fear into the hearts of his adversaries. His Three Talon Strike technique was like a relentless onslaught, ensnaring enemy champions in a web of CC. Upon reaching level six, Xin Zhao ascended to an unparalleled level of dominance, seizing command of the entire battlefield.
In those tumultuous days, confronting Xin Zhao was a behemoth task, demanding meticulous avoidance and precision in executing CC chains or bursts of damage. Yet if Xin Zhao managed to endure even a fleeting moment in combat, he swiftly turned the tide in his favor, overwhelming entire teams with his sheer might. In the annals of broken champions, Xin Zhao stands as the epitome of unparalleled strength and dominance.
2) Aphelios
Ah, Aphelios, the maverick Marksman who shattered all conventions. While most ADCs rely on player skill, Aphelios defied norms with his outrageously powerful kit, excelling in every scenario. A veritable Pentakill machine, he boasted unrivaled damage, sustain, crowd control, point control, and range—a deadly combination for any foe.
Upon his debut, Aphelios unleashed devastation from across the map with his Ultimate + Infernum combo, while Crescendum and Severum ensured his dominance in skirmishes and objective control. Even in the bleakest moments for Marksmen, Aphelios reignited hope and revitalized the bottom lane with his sheer prowess.
1) Skarner
Back in the heyday of League, Skarner reigned supreme with a jaw-dropping 73 percent win rate, a feat unmatched by any other champion. His kit was a nightmare for opponents: effortless wave clear, the ability to lock down enemies, and a commanding presence in team clashes made him an unrivaled force on the Rift.
Crossing paths with Skarner meant certain doom; his tankiness and devastating blows made him a terror to face. Players had to second-guess every move in fear of falling victim to his unstoppable onslaught. With his overwhelming dominance, Skarner rightfully claims the title of the most overpowered champion ever to grace the Summoner’s Rift.
Time changes everything, though, and while he may have been unstoppable at one point, Skarner often sees himself in the list of the least-played Champions in LoL these days.
