Vi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

As established in flavor text written by Graham McNeill, Vi grew up in one of the poorest areas of Zaun. She learned to survive its rough conditions using her brawn and wits, and eventually took leadership of a street gang at a young age, though she has always adhered to a strict moral code she imposed on herself. She disappeared during a time of great turmoil between Zaun and Piltover and was thought to be dead, only to reappear years later as Sheriff Caitlyn Kiramman's trusted partner in the Guardian corps. Vi's relationship with Jinx, another Champion who would taunt her whenever they encounter each other, was the focus of speculation and fan theories for many years prior to the release of Arcane. Vi also has specific interactions with Caitlyn, who is presented as her ally and colleague within series lore; their respective lines of dialogue were interpreted by some players to be of a romantic nature, which were confirmed by the release of Arcane in 2021.

In Their Own Story

Arcane establishes that Vi, shortened from Violet, and Jinx, originally known as Powder, are sisters who were orphaned following the repressed undercity's failed uprising against the utopian city of Piltover. Along with two other orphans named Mylo and Claggor, they were both adopted by Vander, the leader of the rebellion. At the start of the first season, Vi leads her siblings in stealing a set of arcane crystals from Piltover scientist Jayce, but Powder accidentally causes an explosion that attracts attention from Piltover's enforcers. Vi wants to turn herself in, but Vander takes her place to protect her, only to be taken away by his former friend Silco. Attempting to help rescue Vander, Powder causes an explosion with the stolen crystals, resulting in the deaths of Vander, Mylo, and Claggor. Furious and distraught, Vi blames Powder, calling her a "jinx" and leaving. Soon after, Vi is abducted by a corrupt Piltover enforcer and imprisoned without trial. After spending many years in prison, Vi is released by Caitlyn Kiramman, a young, upstart Piltover enforcer who requests her assistance in investigating Silco's criminal enterprise. Returning to the undercity, now called Zaun, Vi and Caitlyn gather evidence. In a notable scene, Vi appears to flirt with Caitlyn, calling her "hot" and nicknaming her "cupcake". They also encounter Vi's sister, who now goes by the moniker of "Jinx" after having been adopted by Silco. Later, Jinx abducts Vi, Caitlyn, and Silco. Vi attempts to appeal to her sister's better nature after she threatens Caitlyn; Jinx instead shoots Silco to death by accident after she suffers a traumatic attack. Discarding her old identity as Powder, Jinx fires a rocket at the Piltover council building. Season two begins in the aftermath of Jinx's attack on the council, during which Caitlyn's mother was killed. Vi joins a strike force led by Caitlyn, intended to locate Jinx and bring down the remnants of Silco's empire. During this time, Caitlyn releases toxic smog into Zaun and grows increasingly aggressive. Privately, Vi asks Caitlyn not to change like everyone else in her life has, and they kiss. Ultimately, Caitlyn and Vi confront Jinx, and Vi is able to pin her to the ground. However, when a child named Isha tries to block Caitlyn from shooting Jinx, Vi prevents Caitlyn from shooting at Jinx and Isha, allowing Jinx to escape. Angered at having lost her chance for vengeance, Caitlyn abandons Vi. Practically alone, Vi becomes a pit fighter in Zaun, but eventually becomes alcoholic and starts losing fights. One day, Jinx appears and reveals to Vi that Vander is still alive, having been revived as a wolf-like beast. Vi begrudgingly accompanies her.

Reader's Guide

Vi's main weapons are the "Atlas Gauntlet", two massive gloves powered by Hextech that increase her physical strength to superhuman levels. Her gameplay mechanics have undergone a number of revisions since her introduction on December 19, 2012. Dot Esports noted while Vi's original moveset and statistics stood out for being more suited for the top lane, her abilities and their effects have remained mostly the same without any major changes. The character was banned from professional play for a time in early 2020 due to a potentially game-breaking bug. A "micropatch" was released in November 2021 to downgrade her base statistics and ultimate abilities, which were unintentionally boosted by a prior rescript that in Riot's opinion made her somewhat overpowered.

Did You Know?

• Vi was the first League of Legends champion to receive a login screen accompanied by an original, lyrical song track, performed by Nicki Taylor and Cia Court.
• Riot Games designer Josh Singh originally conceived the character as a girl named Ruby, who wears roller-skates; the concept was discarded after two years of development.
• Vi's code name during development was 'Piltover Enforcer', given by designer Paul Kwon.
• Christian Linke and Alex Yee, who worked on Vi's lyrical song track and the 'Get Jinxed' cinematic, later served as showrunners of the animated series Arcane.
• Vi was banned from professional play for a time in early 2020 due to a potentially game-breaking bug.