As mentioned earlier, the magical energy released by the World Runes at the creation of the world nurtured the seeds of life in Runeterra, bringing life into existence.
All living beings drew their power from magical energy. It was simply called different things in different regions, schools, and races: Magic Power, magic, Spirit Energy, arcane energy, and so on. But in essence, it was all the same.
Back to the point: the official League of Legends universe has never clearly defined its power system, so I can only judge the heroes' strength based on their deeds and backstories.
I divided all the heroes into four categories—not in order of increasing strength, but simply to distinguish their sources of power: Elite, King, Transcendent, and Divine.
To give everyone a clearer sense of how strong the heroes are, let's establish a reference value for combat strength. We'll take the average combat strength of an ordinary adult man as 1 and use it as our baseline.
First, the Elite category.
Heroes in this category are only somewhat stronger than ordinary people. They stand out through their competitive, brawling nature and a few exceptional talents. (Put simply, they're just pretty tough thugs.)
Their combat strength reference value ranges from 3 to 50.
Heroes in the Elite category include Outlaw Graves, who fights with a large-caliber shotgun and relies on his own ferocity and courage. His combat strength reference value is 8–10.
Scourge of the Seas Gangplank is ruthless and relies on a flintlock and a cutlass—the Bilgewater cutlass he inherited from his father. (Of course, after getting it, Gangplank shot his father.) He made his way in Bilgewater and assembled a large gang of pirate underlings, but his combat strength reference value is only around 12–15. Even with the bonus from the Bilgewater cutlass, it only rises to around 25.
Second, the King category (combat strength reference value: 50–500).
Heroes in this category are already approaching the limits of mortal martial prowess, but they either can't use magic or can only wield a little magic through an item.
They're usually people who have endured countless battles and possess both skill and strength.
For example, Power of Demacia Garen is the commander of the Dauntless Vanguard, Demacia's most elite unit. His daily training involves dragging a gigantic Nullstone Golem—a miniature version of Galio. His combat strength reference value is 80–100; with the Storm Sword in his hand and the Zeal Armor he wears, his martial prowess reference value is around 220.
Hand of Noxus Darius is one of Noxus's three great leaders and a symbol of martial strength. His combat strength reference value is 70–100; with the Black Cleaver in his hand, his martial prowess reference value is around 160.
As for why Garen is slightly stronger than Darius, it's because Darius can only deal physical damage, while Garen can use the Storm Sword to deliver some magical blows.
Marshal of Demacia Xin Zhao is the personal guard of Demacia's royal family. He once fought a hundred opponents at once in the arena, and his combat strength reference value is around 90.
The third category is Transcendent (combat strength reference value: 5–infinity).
Heroes in this category have mastered extraordinary magical powers. That doesn't mean they're necessarily stronger in combat than heroes in the King or Elite categories.
For example, Nidalee, mentioned earlier in the book, knows only a little magic that invigorates the spirit. Otherwise, she fights using her hunter's instincts alone. Her combat strength reference value is around 20–30.
Neeko can use Plant Magic, but she rarely uses the soul magic she truly excels at against her enemies. Her combat strength reference value ranges from 30 to 300. (If she chose to use soul magic against her enemies, the results would be astonishing.)
Wuji Sword Saint Yi has mastered the Wuji Dao. He once single-handedly held off an entire Noxian infantry regiment. (Holding off an organized infantry regiment is fundamentally different from Xin Zhao fighting a hundred opponents in a melee.) His combat strength reference value is around 1,000–1,200.
Our protagonist, Jia Ruo, may currently claim to have learned half of the Sword Saint's techniques, but he lacks experience in combat, and his willpower and experience are far inferior to the Sword Saint's. At present, his combat strength reference value is around 80 (as of Chapter 22). You Meng boosts his speed and lets him pierce his enemies' armor, bringing his overall combat strength reference value to 120.
Rakan and Xayah belong to the Rottelan Tribe, one of the branches of the long-lived Vastaya, a race naturally able to wield magic. The two of them are outstanding elite warriors of their tribe, with wings like those of birds. Don't be fooled by how Rakan used to be a carefree dancer—he's also a battle dancer. They wield magic to enhance their bodies and wings, and are skilled at using feathers and feather blades as weapons. Rakan's combat strength reference value is around 120–150, while Xayah's is around 180–200. (After all, Rakan focuses on supporting attacks and protecting others.) However, when this well-matched couple fights together, their combined strength isn't simply the sum of their individual strengths. It's around 500.
Plague Source Twitch is a Transcendent creature: a huge rat that can use an alchemical-powered crossbow. He stands less than one and a half meters tall and weighs less than forty-five kilograms. The unusual thing about his attacks is that his bolts carry a strange toxin capable of dissolving living flesh. His combat strength reference value is around 5. As for why he's classified as Transcendent, even if he can't use magic, doesn't a rat that can speak human language and use a crossbow count as extraordinary?
Of course, there are also some incredibly powerful Transcendent beings:
Ascended were once mortals who gained the tremendous power to shatter the heavens and split the earth through the Sun Disc. But the process took them beyond the bounds of humanity, and most now bear animal-like organs or limbs. Depending on the individual, their combat strength reference value ranges from around 5,000 to 30,000.
Darkin are fallen Ascended. Their combat strength reference value is the same as that of the Ascended, but they're more brutal. Nowadays, all Darkin are sealed away, so the strength they can display depends on how much their seals have weakened and how much their hosts—the people who obtained weapons containing sealed Darkin—can bring out.
Aspects are members of the Titans, and their power approaches that of demigods. However, for their power to manifest in Runeterra, they need mortals to serve as vessels. How strong they are also depends on how much divine power their vessels can bring out. The combat strength reference value of an Aspect's true form varies by individual, ranging from 8,000 to 50,000.
The native gods of Runeterra are demigods who came into being in Runeterra in ancient times. It's said that Freljord itself was formed because of one of these native gods: Mountain's Flame Ornn. In ancient times, Ornn altered the terrain in northern Runeterra while forging an object. Then the enormous amount of steam produced during the quenching caused a blizzard that lasted a hundred years, gradually forming what is now Freljord. The native gods currently known are Mountain's Flame Ornn, Thunder Roar Volibear, Ice Crystal Phoenix Anivia, and the legendary God of Death, Kindred. Their combat strength reference value ranges from 50,000 to 200,000.
Of course, Runeterra has no shortage of geniuses. In Ionia, there's a human girl named Syndra. Her extraordinary talent for Dark Magic allows her to devour all the magical energy around her and turn it into her own Mana—and there's no limit to how much she can consume... until Spirit of Ionia, something like the spirit of the land, suppressed and sealed her. But Noxus's invasion broke the seal. Syndra broke out of her underground prison and used her now-incalculable telekinetic power to tear a towering spire from the ground and send it soaring into the sky, carrying her far away. That's why Syndra's combat strength can't be estimated.
Then there's Evil Little Mage Veigar, the Yordle Mage who was forced to fall into darkness. His extraordinary evil power also gives him seemingly unlimited potential.
The final category is Divine.
This refers to true gods of the universe: Star Forger Dragon King Aurelion Sol and Astral Wanderer Bard. Their combat strength is impossible to estimate. (The Dragon King created the entire planet of Runeterra, so there's no way to measure him with numbers.)
The combat strength reference values in this chapter refer to a hero's ability to fight head-on. For example, Twitch, whom I rated at 5, would certainly cause far more than 5 points' worth of damage if he poisoned a city's water supply.
Readers who have questions about the combat strength ratings can discuss them with me. Messages and comments are welcome.
Finally, and most importantly, these figures are only meant as a point of comparison in this chapter, to give everyone a rough idea of each character's strength.
For characters who appear later, I'll describe their abilities in a more detailed, well-rounded way.
Before you continue