The new League of Legends champion revives the strongest part of Aatrox's old kit and mixes it with Xin Zhao's

The New League of Legends Champion Zaahen Revives a Classic Mechanic

Zaahen, the latest champion in League of Legends, brings back a familiar gameplay element once found in Aatrox's kit: a revive. This combination of mechanics blends the strengths of Aatrox's melee combat with Xin Zhao's stacking damage, creating a formidable top lane character.

Zaahen's Design and Inspiration

Blake "Squad5" Smith, lead gameplay designer, explains that Zaahen is a "tougher, top lane melee character," influenced by Xin Zhao and the Darkin champions. While he shares similarities with Aatrox—such as dashes, pulls, and double strikes—Zaahen is designed to be unique in his own right.

“We tried to make something that felt like he hit similar notes but at the end of the day was uniquely his own thing,” says Smith.

Zaahen's Abilities and Passive

Interestingly, this revive feature contrasts with Riot’s previous removal of Aatrox's revive passive in patch 9, making Zaahen's resurrection ability notably ironic.

Smith admits this irony, noting the revive is an unexpected return of a removed mechanic from League's past.

Community Reaction and Personal Perspective

For players like support mains, facing Zaahen and top lane champions with revives can be daunting. The combination of sustained presence and burst damage creates a challenging matchup that tests resilience and strategy.

Zaahen embodies a threatening force that renews some of the strongest elements from Aatrox's original kit while adding fresh layers through Xin Zhao’s damage style.

Author’s summary: Zaahen reintroduces a revived mechanic alongside Xin Zhao’s stacking damage, creating a unique but intimidating top lane champion that echoes League of Legends’ past legendary fighters.

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PCGamesN PCGamesN — 2025-11-09

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