| “ | My heart and sword, always for Demacia. | „ |
| ~ Garen's quote when selected. |
| “ | This kingdom, and its people, have given me everything. What kind of man would I be if I gave any less in return? | „ |
| ~ Garen |
Garen Crownguard, also known as The Might of Demacia, is a heroic playable champion in the MOBA game League of Legends. He is a military commander who is patriotic towards the nation of Demacia, and the leader of the Dauntless Vanguard, an army which protects Demacia from threats.
The 50th champion to be added to the game, Garen was released on April 27, 2010. He is most commonly played in the top lane.
He is the main protagonist of the novel Garen: First Shield, where he teams up with Quinn to uncover a plot which could sever Demacia's alliances.
He is voiced by Jamieson Price, who also voices Virion from Fire Emblem Awakening.
Biography[]
Garen was born to the Crownguard House alongside his younger sister Lux, a noble family dedicated to protecting Demacia and its king for life. His family members were highly respected by King Jarvan III, and Garen knew that he would serve the royal family as well. When he was young, his uncle told him stories of the world beyond Demacia, and also told that one day, something would end this period of relative peace, whether it be rogue mages, creatures from the abyss or some unimaginable horror yet to come. Garen's fears came true when his uncle was killed by a rogue mage before he even turned eleven, bringing fear and pain to the family and Demacia as a whole. Garen realized that magic was Demacia's biggest threat and swore never to let it within their walls.
At the age of twelve, Garen joined the military and trained tirelessly to become strong and firm. It was there where he met Prince Jarvan IV, and they became best friends. As Garen grew older, he gained a reputation for being a powerful warrior on the battlefield. By the time he turned eighteen, he had served with honor in campaigns along the Freljordian borders, played a key role in purging cultists from the Silent Forest, and fought alongside the valiant defenders of Whiterock. Upon returning to Demacia, Jarvan III rewarded Garen and his warband, while his aunt Tianna Crownguard invited him to join the Dauntless Vanguard.
His parents and sister warmly welcomed him back, but he started feeling suspicion towards Lux's magical powers, though he refused to let the thought slide since her sharing the same powers that killed their uncle would be unbearable to confront. He worried about what he might do to Lux if his suspicions would be confirmed, but instead he fought and trained twice as hard as before. When the original leader of the Dauntless Vanguard fell in battle, Garen was voted to be the new leader by his fellow warriors without opposition. To this day, he stands resolute in the defense of his homeland, against all foes. Far more than Demacia's most formidable soldier, he is the very embodiment of all the greatest and most noble ideals upon which it was founded.
Personality[]
| “ | We live in a world that does not allow for such nuances, Lux. Demacia is beset on all sides by terrible foes; savage tribes in the north, a rapacious empire in the east and the power of dark mages who threaten the very fabric of our realm. We deal in absolutes by necessity. Allowing doubt to cloud our judgement leaves us vulnerable. And I cannot allow us to become vulnerable. | „ |
| ~ Garen explaining to Lux why he doesn't show mercy to his foes. |
Garen is a hard-working, determined soldier who does everything for his responsibility to defend and serve Demacia. Since a young age, he has trained to fight for Demacia, and his prowess in battle is so amazing that he is given lots of honor by his superiors and fellows in the Demacian military. He talks about upholding heroic values and encourages others to be brave and determined. In battle, he often shouts Demacia's name to uphold the glory of his nation.
However, Garen shows no mercy to enemies of Demacia, no matter how understandable they may be, and does not hesitate to threaten or kill them. He reasons that if he lets his guard down, it will put Demacia at risk of being attacked. He distrusts mages most due to a mage killing his uncle as a child, and was initially horrified by the thought of Lux being a mage (though his suspicions are proven right when Sylas leads a rebellion of mage prisoners which ends with Jarvan III getting killed). Since then, Garen stands by as mages in Demacia are forcefully apprehended, as being safe is more favorable than doing the moral thing. When he finds out about Lux trying to sneak innocent mages out through Demacia's sewers, he accepts that Lux is a mage, but also a Demacian and supports her anyway.
Gameplay[]
Garen is a juggernaut-type champion who specializes in surviving and holding back the enemy. His passive ability, Perseverance, causes him to slowly regenerate health when he hasn't taken damage from champions, turrets or bosses. His Q, Decisive Strike, frees him from crowd control and causes him to move faster for a moment, where his next basic attack will silence the target. His W, Courage, passively increases his defenses every time he kills a unit and gives him temporary damage resistance and tenacity when activated. His E, Judgment, causes him to spin his sword to damage enemies around him, while dealing additional damage to the closest enemy to him. Garen's ultimate move, Demacian Justice, involves calling the might of Demacia to form a sword and deal true damage to an enemy champion, increasing with their missing health.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Garen's rival is Darius, his Noxian equivalent. They both have very similar in-game abilities.
- In Legends of Runeterra, Darius mocks Garen for his polished, stainless armor, and calls him a "pretty boy" because of it.
- In Legends of Runeterra, it is confirmed that Garen and Katarina are secretly dating, though they do a terrible job at hiding this.
- Garen's E ability, Judgment, is commonly known as "Spin to Win", which is also referenced by other champions' abilities that involve spinning their bodies.
 Heroes
| ||
|
Demacia Ionia The Freljord Piltover and Zaun Noxus Shurima Bilgewater Mount Targon Shadow Isles Icathia The Void Ixtal Bandle City Sentinels of Light Others | ||