8 T1 Teammates and Rivals Worth Knowing Alongside Faker
Updated 8/30/2026
From Bang and Wolf to Deft, Ruler, and Chovy, eight player relationships that add depth to Faker's career story.
Faker's record was never built alone. Teammates who shared in the SKT dynasty, rivals who crossed paths with him across years on the same stage, and a new generation of T1 players all add texture to how his career reads.
The eight entries below are teammates and rivals worth knowing if you follow Faker — they make matches and interviews land differently. They're roughly ordered from early career to recent.
01
Bang and Wolf - the SKT dynasty bottom duo
Bang and Wolf held down SKT's bottom lane through 2015 and 2016, the years the team sat at the top of the world. It's tempting to credit that run to Faker's individual play alone, but the dynasty rested on every position being that solid at once. Knowing this duo fills in the team structure behind the era.
02
Bengi - Faker's jungle partner
Bengi is the jungler who comes up in any conversation about the SKT dynasty, valued less for flashy plays than for consistently being where the team needed him. A mid laner's reach depends heavily on jungle synergy, and that relationship mattered through Faker's early and mid career. Games where his laning and roaming clicked usually had Bengi's pathing working underneath them.
03
The Zeus-Oner-Gumayusi-Keria core
Fans use a shorthand for Zeus, Oner, Gumayusi, and Keria as a group — the teammates who anchored T1's return to the top of the world during the later stretch of Faker's career. From this point on, Faker read less as the player making every play himself and more as the veteran connecting a young roster's talent. Knowing this group explains why his role in recent T1 matches looks layered rather than singular.
04
Gumayusi and Keria - T1's bottom duo
Gumayusi and Keria are the bottom duo that defines the current shape of T1's games, known for strong laning and aggressive positioning in fights. When they generate pressure while Faker holds the center, the team can play across the whole map instead of leaning on one lane. Watching the two of them shows that Faker's impact isn't confined to mid lane.
05
Deft - a long-running contemporary rivalry
Deft has run parallel to Faker for most of his career — different position, but a long run through LCK and international stages that keeps drawing comparisons. His 2022 Worlds title, arriving after years of trying, landed as a veteran's long-overdue payoff for a lot of fans. Following Deft's career alongside Faker's is a good way to see how LCK moved through a whole generation.
06
Ruler - an ADC rivalry forged on the biggest stages
Ruler is tied to two of the more symbolic moments in Faker's career. At the 2017 Worlds final, Ruler took down Faker's Karma in a moment that read as the closing note on the SKT dynasty; at the 2023 Worlds semifinal, the reverse happened, with Faker's Azir taking Ruler down on the way to a T1 title. The same two players handed each other defining scenes across different teams and years, which is what makes the 2023 highlight land harder with the history behind it.
07
Chovy - the modern LCK mid rivalry
Chovy is the LCK mid laner most often set against Faker today, known for a wide CS lead in lane and steady improvement over time. Where Faker's game is explained by years of experience and big-stage judgment, Chovy's is built on precise laning and consistent carry potential. Watching the two side by side says a lot about how expectations for the mid role have shifted across generations.
08
ShowMaker - a 2020s international mid rivalry
ShowMaker rose to prominence on the international stage in the early 2020s alongside Damwon Kia's peak run, becoming a symbol of LCK's generational shift. Matchups against Faker often read as old guard against new wave, with ShowMaker standing out for a wide champion pool and aggressive teamfight decisions. Following both careers together fills in how the LCK mid lineage has carried forward.
Frequently asked questions
Who's the best teammate to learn about first to understand Faker's career?
Start with Bang, Wolf, and Bengi from the early SKT dynasty. Knowing them makes it clear that era's results came from a complete team, not one player's individual skill.
What makes the Ruler and Faker connection notable?
In 2017 and again in 2023, the two players handed each other defining career moments on different teams and stages. Ruler got the better of it once, Faker the other time, which is what makes both scenes worth watching together.
How do Chovy and ShowMaker differ from Faker as players?
Chovy is known for precise laning and steady carry output, while ShowMaker stands out for a wide champion pool and aggressive teamfight calls — both modern mid laners with their own style. Where Faker is defined by experience and big-stage judgment, these two represent different versions of what the new generation looks like.
