Highlights
Briar is a multifaceted champion with ties to many other Noxian champions in League of Legends.
Mechanically, Briar bears resemblances to Darius and Vladimir with her ability to stack a bleed effect, ability to sacrifice health for abilities, and focus on self-healing through dealing damage.
In terms of lore, Briar holds significant ties to both Rell and Vladimir. As a fellow escapee from the Black Rose, there is potential for a friendship to develop between Briar and Rell. Additionally, Vladimir, who is responsible for creating Briar, holds a strong desire to recapture her.
The new League of Legends champion, Briar, has been officially revealed by Riot Games, expanding the selection of junglers. Briar brings unique mechanics to the game, with the ability to taunt herself and a lack of base health regeneration. However, she also shares similarities with classic champions from the Noxian region, both in terms of lore and gameplay. With her diverse connections and characteristics, Briar represents the multifaceted nature of the region in League of Legends' Runeterra. Exhibiting an aggressive playstyle and having previously served as a part of the Noxian war machine, Briar has individual ties to various characters, such as Darius, Rell, and Vladimir. While her ultimate role in the League of Legends story remains uncertain, Briar possesses the potential to form alliances or rivalries with other champions.
Briar's Many Ties to Noxian League of Legends Champions
Briar's closest mechanical tie is with Darius, as they are both AD fighters with stacking bleed effects. Additionally, Darius' self-healing through his Q ability makes him feel similar to Briar. Briar also has unique interactions and dialogue with Talon and Sion, suggesting some sort of relationship, although the details are unclear. While not a tank or true assassin, Briar borrows elements of Talon's mobility and Sion's crowd control effects. These connections establish vague ties between Briar and these Noxian champions.
On a more complex level, Rell holds potential significance in Briar's story. Both were created by the Black Rose, a Noxian political cult, as weapons against enemies. Rell was specifically designed to defeat Mordekaiser, while Briar was infused with blood magic to destroy Noxus' adversaries. However, both Briar and Rell managed to escape the grasp of the Black Rose and are now navigating their own paths in the world of Runeterra. Although their motives differ with Rell seeking revenge and Briar driven by wanderlust and curiosity, a canon relationship between the two is yet to be established. Nevertheless, if they were to meet in a League of Legends story event, they would have much to discuss.
Among all the champions in League of Legends, Vladimir has the strongest relationship with Briar. Both of them are champions who sacrifice their own health to cast abilities and restore themselves by draining their opponents' health. Additionally, Vladimir is an expert in hemomancy and one of the original members of the Black Rose, making him responsible for the creation of Briar. In fact, Briar's in-game dialogue includes a line where she asks Vladimir if she should refer to him as "dad". The Black Rose is closely monitoring Briar since her escape, and as one of the organization's most influential members, Vladimir has a significant interest in recapturing his hemomantic creation.
Every League of Legends champion brings something fresh to the game, whether it be a new mechanic, an unexplored playstyle within a particular role, a significant development in LoL's lore, or a combination of all three. Briar is unique as she incorporates all three elements while also revisiting familiar territory in champion design and the story of Noxus. Although revisiting previous concepts can risk repetition, Briar succeeds by adding more complexity to well-established lore and putting a unique spin on proven LoL champion components. Her merging of the past and present opens up numerous possibilities, not only in terms of how she will fit into competitive play in League of Legends but also how she will continue to impact the world of Runeterra.
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