The 10 Best League of Legends Players

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Every year, players from all over the globe come together to compete in the second largest Esports event in the world — The League of Legends World Championship.

While some players have made a name for themselves by landing a spot in the World Championships, others have made their distinctive mark on the game with their incredible talent alone. This world-renowned game has brought up countless talented competitors over the years, but only a few have mastered and changed the game enough to make it to the top.

This week, we’re taking a look at the five best League of Legends players. This roundup of the best LoL players will also include a section for the best retired League of Legends players — just becasue their careers are over doesn’t mean they don’t shine just as brightly!

Let’s get started.

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The Best League of Legends Players

Who is the best League of Legends player today? The 2021 League of Legends World Championship tournament was filled with many extremely talented players, but we’ll be looking at the top five players whose skills stood out the most this year.

1. Viper

The Steamroller

• Team: EDward Gaming 
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LPL
• Role: Bot/ADC 
• Favorite Champions: Jhin, Lucian, Aphelios  

Viper carried his team to victory this year with his consistent and stunning bottom lane performances. His team compliments his aggressive playstyle beautifully, which allows him to scale in the late game and become unstoppable. He is considered one of the best ADCs of this generation, and it’s easy to see why. 

His extremely high damage output, coupled with his ability to scale with a wide variety of champions make him a very versatile and reliable player. He excels in teamfights and two versus two situations, and he works extremely well with his teammates who give him the openings he needs to dominate the rift. 

In the finals against DWG Kia, he secured the title in the fifth and final game as Aphelios, with an impressive KDA of seven kills, one death, and seven assists. His ability to flawlessly play off of his team’s strengths in order to maintain his position as the attack damage carry throughout the game makes him one of the best League of Legends players in the world today.

2. Showmaker

The Savior

• Team: DWG Kia 
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LCK 
• Role: Mid Lane 
• Favorite Champions: Katarina, Kassadin, Syndra, LeBlanc 

Showmaker is a one of a kind mid-lane carry who was easily DWG Kia’s most valuable player. His team secured second place in this year’s World Championship. His high KDA makes him an extremely consistent and invaluable player. He is a strong and reliable carry who can deliver his team from horrible circumstances and lead them into victory.

Mid-laners like Showmaker define championship teams because of their ability to make their teammates stronger with their leading performance. Since the start of 2020, Showmaker has won nearly 200 games for the DAMWON organization, which is more than most players will win in their whole careers. With the 2020 World Championship under his belt, Showmaker has already proven himself as one of the best League of Legends players the game has ever seen.

In the finals against EDward Gaming, Showmaker helped his team win two out of five games with his incredible high-KDA performances as Malzahar and Sylas. Shortly after World’s ended, Showmaker left DWG Kia on November 15th.

3. Scout

The MVP

• Team: EDward Gaming 
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LPL 
• Role: Mid Lane 
• Favorite Champions: Kassadin, Zed, LeBlanc, Lulu 

Scout’s unrelenting mid-lane performance ultimately led to EDward Gaming’s World Championship victory this year. He was awarded MVP in this year’s Worlds Finals Series against DWG Kia. 

Although he has been a top tier competitor in League of Legends for a while, he had a difficult time carrying after many of EDward Gaming’s central players left the team. After overcoming his team’s growing pains, he has been able to dominate the rift in the mid-lane with his safe and meticulous playstyle. 

His ability to control the map with his macro skills sets him apart. Although he plays very safe during the laning phase, he knows when to roam, and how to handle teamfights successfully. His cautious and methodical approach makes him extremely valuable and dangerous. 

In the finals against DWG Kia, Scout made a masterful comeback with Zoe in the fourth and fifth games. In the fifth and final game, Scout melted the competition with Zoe’s deadly skill shots and ended with five kills, one death, and eight assists. 

4. Canyon

The Executioner

• Team: DWG Kia 
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LCK 
• Role: Jungle 
• Favorite Champions: Lee Sin, Nidalee, Kindred

Like his teammate Showmaker, Canyon has paved the way to victory for his teammates by making them stronger overall with his exceptional jungling skills. He claimed his spot as one of the best junglers in League of Legends after winning the 2020 World Championship with Showmaker. He has outstanding damage and KDA stats, and his plays are only bolstered by his fellow teammates. 

Canyon’s ability to carry with a wide variety of champions, and his exceptional micro and macro skills make him a crucial asset. When it comes to ganks and team fights, his impeccable timing, consistency, and execution also keep him near the top of the list. He is known for using champions such as Lee Sin, Gragas, and Jarvan IV that can significantly influence the early game. 

In the finals against EDward Gaming, he helped secure two out of five games with his impressive high KDA performances as Qiyana and Lee Sin. He also decided to leave DWG Kia on November 15th shortly after Worlds ended.  

5. Faker

The Greatest of All Time

• Team: T1
• Nationality: Korea 
• Region: LCK
• Role: Mid Lane
• Favorite Champions: Zed, LeBlanc, Ahri, Azir, Ryze, Twisted Fate 

No best LoL player list would be complete without Faker! This three time World Championship winner is still slaying the competition today. Although the mid-lane has been overflowing with new and impressive talent these last few years, Faker’s legendary performances in the mid-lane keep him far above many of his up and coming adversaries. 

This year Faker secured his team a spot in the semifinals by defeating Chovy from Hanwha Life Esports, one of League’s most promising up and coming mid-laners. Although Faker wasn’t able to beat Showmaker in the semifinals, his team managed to finish in fourth place overall. 

While Faker’s skills in the mid-lane are still some of the best in the world, his team is filled with rookies this year which has made it hard for T1 to keep up with teams that are more talented overall, such as DWG Kia. However, the fact that Faker was still able to make it to the semifinals despite his team’s setbacks means that there is still so much left for him and T1 to accomplish.  

The Best Retired League of Legends Players

Now, who is the best retired League of Legends player? There are many retired players whose League legacies have stood the test of time, however the five that are highlighted below have truly changed the game with their signature playstyles. 

1. Uzi

An ADC Legend

• Team: Royal Never Give Up 
• Nationality: China
• Region: LPL
• Role: Bot lane/ADC
• Favorite Champions: Vayne, Lucian, Kai sa, Xayah, Ezreal

Uzi is one of the best bot laners League of Legends has ever seen. His insane mechanical skills and ability to play a wide array of champions made him an unstoppable ADC carry. He also has one of the longest careers in League of Legends. 

His career, spanning from 2012-2020, was cut short due to wrist injuries and shoulder pains. Although he has never won a World Championship, he has reached the final twice and has been in six World Championships. He also won the 2018 Mid-Season Invitational, and two LPL trophies. 

He was a pentakill machine, and had the highest CS/M throughout every season of LPL that he was in since 2015. His dedication to his support, and his flawless communication skills made it impossible for him to lose lane. Today he continues to play the game and streams regularly. There is hope that someday he will return to the Esports scene if his health improves.

2. Smeb

A Top Lane Icon

• Team: KT Rolster
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LCK
• Role: Top Lane 
• Favorite Champions: Fiora, Riven 

Smeb is one of the most iconic LCK Top Laners of all time. Although he has never won a World Championship, he has four regional titles, and is a two-time regular season MVP. He is also the only top laner in the LCK that has reached 1,000 kills. With his incredible mechanical skills, he became one of the best players to ever grace the top lane. 

Smeb was the most popular during his time on the ROX Tigers. During this time, he and his teammates gave their best efforts to try and throw Faker and SKTT1 off their throne. Although ROX Tigers lost against SKT in the 2016 Worlds semifinals, it became a major accomplishment in Smeb’s career. 

He started his career in 2013 and announced his retirement near the end of 2020. Throughout his career, he competed in 606 matches and earned over 350 wins. Like Uzi, he has also become an active streamer.

3. Score

King of the Jungle

• Team: KT Rolster 
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LCK
• Role: Jungle 
• Favorite Champions: Corki, Ezreal

Score, who originally went by Joker, is one of the best Junglers League of Legends has ever seen. When he was known as Joker, he played as a top laner for StarTale; however, KT Rolster was the team he played with for the majority of his career. During his time with the team, he was nicknamed “The heart of KT.”

His jungling style was simple, yet brilliant and effective. He was very cautious, focused on establishing the best vision for him and his team, and set his teammates up for solid plays. However he often found himself stuck in second place, which was largely due to Faker and SKT. 

Despite his setbacks, Score kept battling until he finally won an LCK title with Nocturne in 2018. Shortly after this success, he decided to retire in 2019. While some champion Bengi, SKT’s retired jungler, as the best jungler of all time, Score’s determination, teamwork, and signature playstyle have earned him a spot next to if not above Bengi.   

4. Bjergsen

Europe’s Star Mid-laner

• Team: TSM
• Nationality: Europe 
• Region: NA LCS
• Role: Mid-lane
• Favorite Champions: Azir, Zed, Le Blanc, Syndra, Ahri 

Bjergsen is best known for his time with TSM from 2014–2020. During that time he was considered one of the best mid-laners in the NA LCS. He has won six LCS titles and has participated in the World Championship five times with TSM. 

His playstyle, which is described as methodical, deliberate, and adaptable, helped him gain a solid fan base and four season split MVP awards. He is also known for getting the first pentakill ever in the EU LCS. This signature play was achieved with Syndra, who he frequently used to dominate the rift. He was skilled with a wide variety of Champions, and he was a highly reliable mid-lane carry. 

After he retired from professional play in October of 2020, he became the head coach for TSM. However, he plans on returning to the Esports scene in 2022. 

5. Madlife

The Godlike Support

• Team: Maximum Impact Game, CJ Entus Frost, Gold Coin United
• Nationality: Korea
• Region: LCK and LCS
• Role: Support
• Favorite Champions: Alistar, Blitzcrank, Thresh

Madlife was known for being one of the best supports in League of Legends history. His timing with hook champions such as Blitzcrank and Thresh was unrivaled. Him and his first team MiG Frost, which was renamed Azubu Frost, placed second in the Season Two World Championship. 

During his time with MiG, his support skills earned him the nickname, “Madlife is God.” He was known for landing godlike Blitzcrank and Thresh skillshots. He would wait until champions used their flash, aim in the direction they would land, and hit them perfectly. His consistent accuracy was what made him one of the best supports of all time. 

Despite his skills, Madlife experienced many setbacks in his professional League of Legends career. After announcing his retirement in June of 2018, he became a streamer for Hanwha Life Esports. However on October 31st of this year, he decided to leave Hanwha Life Esports. 

Join the High Ground

We hope you enjoyed our list of the best LoL players! There are many up and coming players that are quickly making a name for themselves in League of Legends today.

In this year’s Worlds Championship tournament, we saw many key players deliver outstanding performances for their teams; however, it was ultimately Edward Gaming that took the crown. Let us know who your favorite League of Legends player is in the comments, and don’t forget to follow us on social media, and subscribe to our newsletter. 

Happy gaming!