The new League of Legends champion revives the strongest part of Aatrox's old kit and mixes it with Xin Zhao's
If you remember when Aatrox still had his revive, the new League of Legends champion Zaahen is bringing that element back. As someone who usually plays fragile supports, the thought of facing top laners always fills me with dread. Among them, Aatrox remains the one I fear most — a champion who never truly leaves the meta thanks to his brutal kill potential. The Darkin Blade constantly looms over my matches, ready to crush my Janna, Senna, and my willpower alike.
Now comes Zaahen, a champion that feels like a terrifying blend of Aatrox’s relentless melee pressure and Xin Zhao’s escalating attack power. His design makes him intimidating enough, but the moment you realize he can revive himself, you might just consider quitting the game altogether. Some things, perhaps, should have stayed gone.
Lead gameplay designer Blake “Squad5” Smith describes Zaahen as a “tougher, top lane melee character” that’s “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.”
Zaahen’s abilities include movement bursts, pulls, and rapid strikes reminiscent of Aatrox’s original kit. At the same time, his passive ability combines Xin Zhao’s stacking attack mechanics with a revival effect similar to Anivia’s. Smith humorously notes that it’s ironic since Riot removed Aatrox’s revive passive back in patch 9.
Author’s Summary
Zaahen, the new League of Legends champion, fuses Aatrox’s classic revive with Xin Zhao’s attack scaling, creating a fearsome and distinctive presence in the top lane.