A guide to the League of Legends champions most associated with Faker's career — Zed, LeBlanc, Ryze, Azir, Galio, and more — and what to watch for in each.
Understanding Faker's career takes more than a stat line — it takes knowing which champions produced which moments. League of Legends' meta and champion roles keep shifting, but certain champions end up standing in for a player's entire career.
This list covers the champions most often tied to Faker's career, aimed at giving newer fans a sense of what kind of playstyle to expect just from hearing the champion's name.
01
Faker's Zed
Zed is often cited as the champion that put Faker's name in front of a global audience. The 2013 Zed mirror match against Ryu is still one of the most frequently referenced individual plays in League esports history. As an assassin champion, split-second reads and dodging enemy skills matter more than raw mechanical speed — watching for how he reads an opponent's shadow position and flash timing makes the clip more interesting than the mechanics alone.
02
Faker's LeBlanc
LeBlanc is often pointed to as representative of Faker's more aggressive midlane style. The champion depends on pressuring the lane constantly, then striking a key target the moment vision opens up. Looking past the kill itself to how lane priority and vision were set up beforehand is where the real skill in a LeBlanc play shows.
03
Faker's Ryze
Ryze comes up often as a champion that shows Faker's game sense rather than mechanics. The champion's real strength lies less in ability combos and more in map-wide movement and ultimate timing. He's known for pressuring side lanes or teleporting the team in for a fight, so watching movement timing tells more of the story than counting individual kills.
04
Faker's Azir
Azir is frequently cited as a defining champion of the later stretch of Faker's career. It's a demanding pick that requires stable laning, careful soldier placement, long-range poke, and teamfight setup through the ultimate. As with the play against JDG at the 2023 World Championship, the payoff comes from positioning set up well in advance, not just the flashy toss itself.
05
Faker's Galio
Galio is the champion often used to show that Faker didn't need to be a flashy assassin to dominate a game. The 2017 World Championship match against RNG, where his Galio play carried the team to the final, is the clearest example. Rather than kill count, watching when he joined fights with his ultimate and how he pre-positioned before a teamfight shows what made the pick work.
06
Faker's Orianna
Orianna is often cited as a showcase of fundamental midlane mage play. Stable laning, ball positioning, and shockwave timing in fights are the core skills involved. Faker's Orianna is known less for solo plays and more for completing teamfights around his team's engage timing, so tracking the ball's position matters more than waiting for a single ultimate.
07
Faker's Ahri
Ahri is a champion built around mobility and charm to open up fights. Faker's Ahri holds the lane steadily, then threatens a key target the moment vision opens up. Since the champion becomes vulnerable if positioning breaks down, watching how many charges of her ultimate she keeps in reserve before engaging, and how she plans her exit, adds a lot to understanding the play.
08
Faker's Twisted Fate
Twisted Fate is a champion built more around macro play through his ultimate than individual laning. The core of the champion is constant pressure on side lanes and forcing opponents to react to his position. It's less mechanically flashy than some of his other champions, which can make it feel less exciting to newer fans, but it's a good showcase of how a midlaner can influence the whole map.
Frequently asked questions
Which champion is most associated with Faker?
Zed tends to come up first, largely because of the 2013 Zed mirror match against Ryu. Later in his career, macro-focused champions like Azir and Galio come up just as often.
What should a newer fan watch for in highlight clips?
It helps to look past the kill itself and pay attention to how the positioning or vision control leading up to it was set up. It's also worth separating mechanically flashy champions like Zed from macro-focused ones like Ryze or Azir when watching.
Are these champions still played today?
How often they show up shifts with each meta. This list is built around the moments that define Faker's career rather than current pick rates, which change season to season.
