League of Legends: The Five Fiercest Rivalries in LoL Lore

The lore of League of Legends is filled with betrayal and bloodshed, but these five rivalries are the most ferocious.

Shurima versus Icathia

Back in 3400 BN (Before Noxus), the lost city of Icathia was subjugated by the Shuriman Empress and her Ascended Host, toppling the then-king of Icathia Axamuk and beginning a near-millenium of Shuriman rule. During this rule, the Shuriman emperor would not allow for any citizens of Icathia to be chosen for Ascension, a ritual that would allow humans to become imbued with celestial magic by use of the Sun Disc. This refusal escalated tensions between Icathia and Shurima until around 2500 BN, when the Council of Icathia crowned their first Mage King in almost one thousand years.

With this signal that Icathia was seeking independence, Shurima sent their Ascended into battle against Icathia. WIth the tide of the battle going against them, Icathia was on the brink of destruction, their city’s mages unleashed a “weapon” that would prevent Icathia’s ruin from being in vain. In the moment that Icathia was lost, the Void was summoned, destroying the city as well as the armies fighting among it. This event not only marked the fall of Icathia but also the beginning of the Void War.

Demacia versus Noxus

While the war and invasion of Ionia were undoubtedly one of the biggest events across the lore of League of Legends, the rivalry of Demacia and Noxus runs deep and bitter. The two nations have engaged in at least two wars throughout Runeterra’s history and are polar opposites in terms of their views on political hierarchy, military tactics, and ideology. They also consider the other to be its own biggest threat.

During the first Demacian-Noxian War, Demacian King Jarvan I Lightshield was killed at the hands of the Noxian general Sion (who would later be re-animated into the Undead Juggernaut). The event was actually celebrated by Noxians, who branded Sion as a hero, which caused the ire of Demacia.

Years later, Prince Jarvan IV led his troops into the Argent Mountains, the land where his great-grandfather Jarvan I had been killed, in order to bring stability to an area that had been taken over by Noxian expansion. The headstrong Jarvan elected to march into Noxus, against the advice of his own generals, allowing his forces to be defeated and slaughtered.