Faker #1 but who else?
The Best League of Legends Players of All Time
In every sport, fans love to discuss the greatest and most successful players of all time. The same is happening in Esports and League of Legends in particular. Every LoL player, has at least one pro he looks up to.
And today we're going to look back at the history of LoL esports and at some of the best players to have ever touched a mouse and keyboard. Who have been the most dominant and best players throughout the history of League of Legends esports?
The Most Dominant Pro Players of All Time
7. Rekkles - Fnatic (Substitute)
Rekkles started his career back in 2012 on Fnatic and has raked in over 2,000 kills in the EULCS and LEC. Not only that, but he has made it to the 2018 League of Legends World Championship finals and has multiple regional championships as well.
In 2021 Rekkles played with G2, but failed to find results and decided to switch to the French LFL, where he joined the Karmine Korp. After only one year with the organization, Rekkles returned to Fnatic, but only lasted 4 months as their starting player.
He recently switched role to the support position, but hasn't played a pro-match since. Since April 2023 he acts as the substitute supporter for the LEC giants, and was seen in multiple broadcasts throughout the Summer Split. But the question remains, will we see this star play in the LEC again?
6. Smeb- Retired
If we're going to talk about top lane dominance, then we have to talk about Smeb. This man in his prime was unstoppable. He's also the top lane kill leader in the LCK, making him one of the most dominant players in the world.
Every EULCS fan of 2016 will remember Smeb playing Kennen. That flank lives rent-free in my mind to this day. With the ROX Tigers and later KT, Smeb almost managed to bring down the SKT T1 dynasty, cementing himself as one of the best players in the world.
Since November 2020, Smeb enjoys his retirement and hasn't been active in the pro-scene since. Maybe he will return one time as a coach or in another role within the Esports landscape. He surely has a lot to teach the younger talents.
5. Perkz - Vitality
Perkz is the best western player on this list. He's accomplished more than any other western player, making it to the 2019 World Championship finals, winning MSI that same year and having both LEC and LCS titles. The only thing still missing is a Worlds skin.
In 2022 Perkz made the move back to the LEC where he joined Vitality, but couldn't recreate the success of his first stint in the LEC. In the 2023 Summer Split, Vitality didn't even manage to qualify for the Playoffs. So we won't see him at Worlds this year.
4. TheShy - Weibo Gaming
2022 saw the resurgence of TheShy. He's one of the most aggressive top laners to ever play the game and can either carry a game 1v9 or feed, but it's that playstyle that has set TheShy apart from everyone else and has made him into one of the best players in the world.
TheShy has won Worlds in 2018, as well as the 2019 LPL playoffs. He makes it high up on our top 10 League of Legends pro players tier list due to his stellar communication, team fight effectiveness and overall mechanical aggression early & late game for his team.
This year, Weibo qualified for the World Championships in Korea and the South Korean superstar has the chance to add another Worlds title to his already impressive list of successes.
3. Uzi - EDward Gaming
Does Uzi even need an introduction? He is the best bot laner to have ever played the game, and sometimes we wonder what his stats would look like if he hadn't had to take a break due to illness halfway through 2020. How many kills would he have?
In 2022, he has returned to the pro scene, joining BiliBili Gaming as their back-up ADC behind young talent Doggo who came over from the PCS. But his stint there wasn't long, and in June 2023, Uzi joined Chinese giants, EDward Gaming.
The team recently reached the 8th place in the LPL Summer 2023. So another Worlds participation for Uzi has to wait until the next year.
2. Rookie - Top Esports
The second-best player of all time has got to be the LPL's Rookie. The former iG mid laner joined Victory Five ahead of the 2022 season, where he stayed for roughly a year.
In this time Rookie has managed to bring the worst team of the LPL to the top. He's also won multiple LPL seasons with iG before and the 2018 League of Legends World Championship. He's a mechanical monster with one of the biggest champions pools in the game.
In December 2022, Rookie joined Top Esports, and the team finished on the 4th place in the LPL 2023 Summer Split. Sadly, this wasn't enough to qualify for the Worlds 2023 in South Korea.
1. Faker - T1
Faker is just insane. This man started his career back in 2013 and has played on the same team since then. He's helped carry SKT T1 to 9 LCK championships, has won 3 World Championships and 2 Mid-Season Invitational titles. Just looking at his trophy case, you'll know he's the best player to have ever touched League of Legends.
2022 has been another record-breaking year for Faker. T1 managed to go 18-0 in the Spring Split, with Faker pulling out signature picks like Ahri, LeBlanc and Azir left and right. He has been a dominant force throughout his career, and it seems that he is back in form.
The 2023 Summer Split, was a harsh one for Faker, since ha had to pause mid-season due to a nasty arm injury. But since his return, T1 gathered steam and won every match in the LCK. Faker and his team are now playing in the LCK playoffs, where they just beat Dplus KIA and the favorites, kt Rolster.
So it's possible to witness Faker once more at Worlds 2023 in his home country of Korea.
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