Faker

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Lee Sang-hyeok 17
Alias(es)	Faker; “Great Demon King”; “Old Li” 17 88
Gender	Male
Affiliation	SKT; South Korean Asian Games team 43 281
Occupation/Role	Professional League of Legends player; SKT mid laner and captain 17 43
Status	Active
First Appearance	Chapter 17: Faker Requests to Add You as a Friend

Background / History

Faker entered the S7 offseason in a severely depressed state. SKT, previously a three-time world champion, was swept 3–0 by SSG in the World Championship final; Faker cried at his desk and left the stage repeatedly looking back. Jo Eun-jung’s departure from the LCK earlier that year had already left him emotionally shaken, as he had never confessed his feelings to her. Huni’s planned retirement in North America and Peanut’s intended transfer further worsened his outlook for S8. 17

He isolated himself for three days before creating a smurf account to regain his form. His poor mental state made the climb unusually difficult: after nearly a month and fifteen-hour ranked days, he had only reached 272 LP in Master tier, then suffered a seven-game losing streak. 17

During a final planned day on the account, Faker was pressured to surrender mid lane to an arrogant RNG professional and his supporters. Xu Junyan, then using the account minnaaQAQ, defended Faker in chat. Faker respected him immediately; after they were matched together again, they won the ensuing grudge match, ending Faker’s losing streak and beginning their duo-queue partnership. 17 18

Faker later revealed his identity to Xu Junyan and invited him to join SKT, believing RNG had mistreated him and wanting to create a mid-top partnership. He helped arrange Junyan’s contract, met him at Incheon International Airport, and brought him into the SKT dorm. 24 25 35 37

Appearance

Faker is identified at the airport by his bowl cut, mask, and a sign reading “Junyan.” He is also depicted wearing glasses and generally favoring casual SKT clothing. 35 277 339

• Bowl-cut hairstyle and glasses 35 277
• Wore a mask while meeting Xu Junyan in public at Incheon Airport 35
• Often wears SKT casual T-shirts, trousers, and sneakers rather than formal clothes 339

Personality

Faker is reserved and introverted, particularly in personal matters. He kept his feelings for Jo Eun-jung unspoken for years and was deeply affected when she left the LCK. 17 20

Despite his fame, he is humble about professional status. During the toxic solo-queue dispute, he contrasts himself with players who demand positions through their credentials, stating through his conduct that he is willing to play whatever role he receives. 17

He is fiercely competitive and refuses to dilute his style merely to accommodate weaker teammates. When kkOma asks whether he can change to fit SKT’s struggling lineup, Faker answers that becoming less sharp would make him mediocre; he still believes he can carry games. 23

Faker is also notably supportive of Xu Junyan. He publicly backs the Chinese import, repeatedly duo queues with him, assists his adjustment to SKT, and later praises him as an extraordinary player whose presence makes playing more enjoyable. 43 51 163

Abilities & Skills

Mid-Lane Mechanics

Faker remains an elite laner capable of creating leads through pressure, precise ability use, and solo kills.

• Pressured Crown’s Azir heavily with Taliyah before solo-killing him at seven minutes through a level-up skill-point adjustment and full combo. 61 62
• Solo-killed Bdd’s Sion with Ryze and Lava’s Cassiopeia with Zoe. 125 135
• His Galio is treated as a signature champion whose engage and defensive utility are unusually impactful in his hands. 117

Tactical Awareness

Faker rapidly processes map information and turns small openings into decisive plays.

• Warned Xu Junyan of Pawn’s low-health Ryze teleport gank as soon as he detected it. 74
• Predicted and intercepted Xu Junyan’s Kennen flank during the Asian Games final with an unexpected Justice Punch, allowing South Korea to secure Elder Dragon and Baron Nashor. 287
• Proposed a ten-minute bot-lane initiation to deny Great Xia’s Rift Herald plan during the Asian Games final. 285

Team Coordination

Faker’s greatest in-story strength is his synergy with Xu Junyan, whom he can coordinate with through minimal communication.

• kkOma observes that Xu Junyan could understand and follow Faker’s intentions in solo queue without needing verbal calls. 42
• He repeatedly supports Xu Junyan’s aggressive plays with crowd control, teleports, and timely rotations. 54 58 146
• Combined with Xu Junyan’s Camille, Faker’s Taliyah helped SKT set up the decisive fight that led to the 15:57 Spring Finals victory. 161

Leadership

As SKT captain, Faker directs teammates while remaining willing to share responsibility.

• He calmed the team after Xu Junyan’s promotion to the starting lineup and urged everyone to regain rhythm through solo queue. 43
• He voluntarily gave Xu Junyan shotcalling responsibility in SKT’s match against KZ, saying a strong team needs diverse voices. 116
• Even after victories, he pushes SKT to review mistakes rather than celebrate complacently. 333

Relationships

• Xu Junyan / Silence — Close teammate, roommate, and mid-top partner. Faker befriended him through solo queue, personally recruited him to SKT, and consistently supports his career. 17 24 37 163
• kkOma — Coach and long-time mentor. kkOma supports Faker while confronting him about SKT’s tactical incompatibility and temporarily benches him to help him reset. 23 37
• Bang and Wolf — Veteran SKT teammates. They are surprised and envious when Faker begins duo queuing with Xu Junyan, and they frequently tease him about his private feelings. 43 88
• Jo Eun-jung — Former LCK host for whom Faker has longstanding unconfessed feelings; her departure contributed heavily to his S7 emotional collapse. 17 163
• Crown — Mid-lane rival. Faker defeats him twice in SKT’s return series against KSV, worsening Crown’s mental state but also helping him find emotional release. 62 65 66
• Bdd — A younger mid laner and outspoken Faker fan who becomes timid when facing his idol. 117 126 142
• Kiin — Rival top laner and later South Korean Asian Games teammate. Faker encourages Kiin not to dwell on early mistakes against Xu Junyan. 281 283

Story Role / Major Arcs

S7 Aftermath and Solo-Queue Recovery

Faker’s defeat by SSG and Jo Eun-jung’s departure leave him near collapse. His difficult smurf climb leads directly to his first encounter with Xu Junyan and restores some of his competitive drive. 17 18

SKT’s Internal Struggle

SKT’s training environment deteriorates because Faker’s fast, aggressive decisions exceed the rest of the lineup’s ability to follow. Untara and the substitutes support benching him, while Faker refuses to compromise his sharpness into mediocrity. 22 23

Recruiting Silence and Returning to the Lineup

Faker recruits Xu Junyan to SKT, welcomes him into the dorm, and forms an unusually close duo-queue partnership. Following SKT’s loss to KDM without Faker, kkOma restores Faker and fields him alongside Xu Junyan against KSV. 24 37 42 43

SKT’s Spring Revival

Faker and Xu Junyan’s coordination transforms SKT’s pace and decisiveness. They defeat KSV 2–0, end SKT’s losing streak, and ultimately win the LCK Spring Championship in a record 15 minutes and 57 seconds. 65 66 101 161

Asian Games Final

As South Korea’s captain, Faker faces Xu Junyan, captain of Great Xia, in the Asian Games final. Their mutual respect gives way to a tactical duel, culminating in Faker predicting and stopping Xu Junyan’s Kennen flank to break the late-game stalemate. 281 285 287

Continued SKT Leadership

Faker continues to compete alongside Xu Junyan through later domestic and international events, publicly crediting Junyan for helping him recover from his earlier breaking point while maintaining his own pursuit of further titles. 163 305 333

Notable Quotes

“If I change, I'll become mediocre. I won't be the three-time champion Lee Sanghyuk anymore.” 23

“I'm invincible!” 62

“Junyan is truly an amazing player. Having him is my good fortune, and I’m really happy playing with him.” 163

“Dare you dare to come to SKT and create a miracle with me?” 161

Trivia

• Faker’s Korean server main account is named Hide on bush. 43
• He arranged a new Korean super account for Xu Junyan through Riot Games Korea so they could duo queue together. 43
• He is considered unusually proficient in English compared with SKT’s other starters, though Xu Junyan still describes it as limited. 36
• He enjoys Coca-Cola and is known among teammates for readily choosing Haidilao when discussing dinner. 35 163 360