| “ | The cycle of life and death continues. We will live, they will die. | „ |
| ~ Nasus' quote when selected. |
Nasus, also known as the Guardian of the Sands, is a heroic playable character in the MOBA in the multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends.
He was one of the most important figures of the ancient Shuriman Empire alongside his younger brother Renekton, acting as a tactician for the army while Renekton led the soldiers into battle. When the treacherous sorcerer Xerath betrayed his friend and Shuriman emperor Azir, the brothers tried to stop him but failed. Nasus was eventually forced to seal Xerath in the Tomb of Emperors with Renekton keeping him in check, but this resulted in Xerath driving Renekton mad and Nasus to remain with guilt for millenia. Now that both of them have escaped, Nasus knows that he has to face Xerath and Renekton again, and hopes that he can bring his brother back to his senses.
The 37th champion added to the game, Nasus was added to the game on October 1st, 2009. He is most commonly played on the top lane.
He was originally voiced by the late singer and songwriter Gene McDaniels, but is currently voiced by Erik Todd Dellums. In the Japanese dub, he is voiced by Jouji Nakata.
Biography[]
At a young age, Nasus was scholarly and intelligent, enjoying Shurima's scriptures in the Library of the Sun. His brother Renekton preferred to get into fights with the other kids while Nasus always kept an eye on him to ensure he wouldn't get into too much trouble. Later, he was invited to the Collegium of the Sun, where he learned military tactics and soon became Shurima's youngest general. After seeing Renekton badly injured after returning home from a brutal fight, Nasus suggested him to join the military to put his violent nature to good use.
Nasus was a revered general not only for his efficient strategies in war, but also for treating his soldiers with fairness and empathy. He did not keep his passion for war for conquest, but to acquire knowledge for Shurima so that the empire could become enlightened with knowledge. Together, the brothers helped Shurima win many wars and were hailed as heroes. Sadly, Nasus was struck with a debilitating illness, and the doctors said that he would die within a week. Renekton headed back to the capital to visit his brother's deathbed. But as fate would have it, a miracle occurred when the Sun Priests of Shurima declared that Nasus, a one of the empire's greatest heroes, would be bestowed with a gift: an Ascension ritual which would grant him immortality and the power of the gods.
Nasus was too weak to climb up the stairs, so Renekton carried his brother to the Ascension dais, expecting himself to be destroyed so that he can save his brother. Fortunately, both were deemed worthy and the two brothers became immortal Ascended warriors together. Nasus was now a towering, jackal-headed being of great strength, his eyes glittering with fierce intelligence, while Renekton had been transformed into a heavily muscled behemoth bearing the likeness of a crocodile. They took their place alongside the other rare Ascended beings of Shurima, and became its protectors. The Ascended brothers became more powerful than before, but Nasus noticed that Renekton was starting to become more animalistic and brutal. Renekton led a massacre on the city of Nashramae, but when he saw the disapproving face of his brother, Renekton felt ashamed and turned away in shame.
One day, Nasus and Renekton found out about an ancient monster of fire who had escaped from its magical sarcophagus, so the brothers went to investigate. However, it turned out to be a plan laid by Xerath to move them out of the picture while he could steal Azir's Ascension and destroy the Shuriman Empire. They found out and rushed back to Shurima, but by the time they arrived Xerath had already won. Unable to fight back due to Xerath becoming a being of pure magic energy, they sealed him in the sarcophagus he used to distract them, but even then Xerath was still too powerful.
They then decided that the only way to stop Xerath would be to seal him in the underground Tomb of Emperors. Possibly wanting to atone for the genocide he had led, Renekton tackled Xerath into the tomb and insisted to Nasus to seal them away. With remorse, Nasus sealed the tomb and left Renekton to fight Xerath, but the magus gradually broke Renekton's sanity by driving him insane and telling him that Nasus sealed him away on purpose. Nasus carried the guilt of dooming Renekton for centuries, wandering the ruins of Shurima while haunted by his past. Mortals often claimed to see Nasus wandering as a nomad before disappearing into a sandstorm.
One day, Sivir and Cassiopeia unearthed the Tomb of Explorers. Renekton and Xerath finally escaped, and Nasus realized that the prisoners were now free. While Renekton hunts for his brother to get revenge on him, Nasus knows that he must face his adversaries once more. Now that Azir had been resurrected as well, Nasus had newfound hope that not only could Shurima be rebuilt, but he can also bring Renekton back to who he was.
Personality[]
Back when he was mortal, Nasus was a smart, responsible scholar who enjoyed acquiring knowledge. Since Renekton had always been getting himself into fights, Nasus was worried about his brother's safety and eventually convinced him to join the military to take advantage of his violence. As the general of the Shuriman army, Nasus was known for his tactics which won them many battles with Renekton's enaction, and was also an empathetic individual who cared about his soldiers and felt bad when they died in battle.
Nasus showed great reluctance for sealing Renekton into the Tomb of Emperors and tried to convince him to think of another way, but after Renekton's insistence, Nasus sealed him away with a heavy heart. By the end, Shurima had already been reduced to a ruin and Renekton had been mentally broken by Xerath. For thousands of years, Nasus held his guilt as he roamed Shurima as a nomad who kept to himself. Upon finding out about the two's escape from the tomb, Nasus regained hope and wishes to bring back Shurima. While he condemns Renekton due to him being a beast, he hopes that he can find the humanity in his brother so they can defeat Xerath once and for all.
Nasus is normally calm and composed, adamantly talking about life and death and how his opponents' lives will be over. However, Nasus shows a more brutal and merciless side towards enemies of Azir and the empire, willing to inflict excruciating pain by withering them and leave his victims to horrific, agonizing deaths. In the "Ouroboros" story, Nasus crushes a mercenary and withers his body while telling his fleeing accomplices to tell Xerath that "his cycle has ended", while in the "Bloodline" story, he kills several bodyguards for being in his way and tests the blood of a false heir of Azir by pressing his face onto a metal disc burning from the heat of the sun, though he is saddened that he wasn't a true heir.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Nasus is based on the Egyptian death god Anubis, compared to Renekton whom is based on the river god Sobek.
 Heroes
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Demacia Ionia The Freljord Piltover and Zaun Noxus Shurima Bilgewater Mount Targon Shadow Isles Icathia The Void Ixtal Bandle City Sentinels of Light Others | ||