The new League of Legends champion revives the strongest part of Aatrox's old kit and mixes it with Xin Zhao's

The New League of Legends Champion Revives an Old Mechanic

Zaahen, the latest League of Legends champion, brings back a revive mechanic reminiscent of Aatrox's old kit. This addition makes Zaahen a unique and challenging opponent, especially for squishy support players who dread facing tough top laners like Aatrox.

Zaahen’s Playstyle and Inspiration

Zaahen combines Aatrox's relentless melee combat with Xin Zhao's stacking damage, resulting in a versatile and fearsome fighter. His kit features dashes, pulls, and double strikes similar to Aatrox’s abilities but adds a passive ability incorporating a stacking system like Xin Zhao’s and an Anivia-like revive.

Lead gameplay designer Blake "Squad5" Smith explains, "Zaahen is a tougher, top lane melee character inspired by Xin Zhao and other Darkin in the game. We tried to make something that felt like he hit similar notes but at the end of the day was uniquely his own thing."

Revive Mechanic’s Controversy

The revive passive is especially notable because it revives a mechanic Riot Games removed from Aatrox’s kit with patch 9. Smith acknowledges the irony in reintroducing this feature through Zaahen.

"We tried to make something that felt like he hit similar notes but at the end of the day was uniquely his own thing," says Smith.

Zaahen’s design ensures he remains a persistent threat on the Rift, challenging players who thought the original Darkin Blade was hard to face.

Summary

Zaahen innovatively blends iconic elements from Aatrox and Xin Zhao, reviving a once-removed mechanic, making him a fresh yet intimidating addition to the game’s top lane roster.

Would you prefer more focus on gameplay strategies or champion lore in the summary?

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PCGamesN PCGamesN — 2025-11-09

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