Should Riot Games Add More LoL Animals to the Game?

A huge portion of the League of Legends community are animal lovers and many of them have pets of their own. Riot Games has shown a lot of love for animals, but for some reason, there’s a very little number of animals included in the game and only some of them have made it into champions. Let’s take a look at some of the LoL animals and discuss if Riot Games should make more of these lovely creatures in the game.

LoL Animals in the World of Runeterra

Runeterra is a world of its own and exists with a separate set of flora and fauna since magic is a dominant factor that affects the environment. However, we know that some animals like sheep, wolves, boars, spiders, and a few others also exist which mean that it’s not a completely different world than Earth. While some animals have completely strange biologies, it doesn’t mean that the fans can’t find a way to fall in love with these characters.

We know that their are sentient animals and lesser animals that don’t have minds of their own. While voidlings may look like insects, they’re not a species that’s native to the world of Runeterra but can still be considered “animals” to some extent. Although, creatures like Warwick, Neeko, Lillia, Elise, Vastayans, and the yordles have animal features, they’re not considered the same as lesser animals since they are more human than animal. In addition, Volibear, Anivia, Ornn, Renekton, Nasus, are demi-gods in animal form.

Some Animals As League of Legends Champions

There are some animals in the League of Legends champion roster, but all of them are included as partners for a humanoid champion. Despite being partners, they are essential parts for the champion’s identity and are considered separate entities of their own, especially since they have names. Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic LoL animals that players can play on Summoners’ Rift.

1. Skaarl

Skaarl is probably the most iconic LoL animal in the game. If you don’t know who he is, this lovely lizard is Kled’s trusted steed. He is known as the cowardly lizard mount that runs away when his HP falls to zero and returns only when Kled has accumulated enough courage or returns to the fountain. Despite being such a cowardly character, the League of Legends community has come to love him for all of his flaws.

Skaarl is a Drakalop, a species of immortal lizard found on the northern steppe. They are described as herbivores and known for their incredible speed on land. There is very little details about this species aside from these descriptions, so we can’t make sure if all drakalops are as cowardly as Skaarl. We also don’t know if this species can grow larger to accommodate riders that are larger and heavier than yordles.

2.Valor

Valor is Quinn’s trusted partner and is known as the scout that sees a large area of the map by flying high into the air. She isn’t really a noticeable character in League of Legends unlike most of the other LoL animals that have names in the game. However, Riot Games have been emphasizing his existence by stylizing the champion as Quinn & Valor in multiple occasions to introduce that Quinn’s partner to the players.

Valor is a species of Demacian Eagle. A group of people in Demacia have been training Demacian Eagles for the longest time, making them standard-issue mounts for an elite group of soldiers in the Kingdom with Quinn being one of them. It is often said that a soldier and a Demacian Eagle bond for life and they can’t look for replacements since it will take another decade or so before they can create a unique bond.

3. Bristle

Bristle is a lesser known name, but a very well-known character that players always see in the game. This huge board is the mount of Sejuani. He is known for being a large boar with huge tusks and moves very slowly, but can dash heavily in one direction. He is built for war and can survive even the harshness of the Freljord and the countless battles that Sejuani and her tribe have been fighting for years.

Bristle is a Drüvask, a species of boar native to the Freljordian region of Yaldusk. They are often issued as battle mounts by the tribes of Freljord and are known for their toughness in battle. These animals can withstand the cold and ice, which make them perfect for the tough Freljordian lifestyle. As for Bristle, he’s seen more battles than probably half of Sejuani’s army and has taken more lives on his own.

4. Poros

The poros are the most iconic LoL animals with these characters appearing in character splash arts, cinematics, and on the Howling Abyss when you play ARAM. These cute little critters are practically the mascots of League of Legends, especially since Riot Games includes them or features them in most of their merchandise. I bet you have one friend who you know owns a poro plushie in their collection.

While poros don’t exactly have a solid partner unlike the characters above, they can be seen when you play in ARAM. They are also a heavy focus on Braum’s character, but aren’t exactly partners. Legends of Runeterra also places a heavy emphasis on these characters, even creating a card archetype that features these animals. Unlike most of the animals, these don’t exactly have a solid counter-part in the Earth.