All Sentinel & Ruined Skins, Event & Controversies

The Sentinels of Light are an ancient order from the Blessed Isles who fight the Black Mist with relic-stone weapons. The Ruination arc followed Viego’s attempt to piece together Isolde’s soul, spreading Harrowings across Runeterra and pulling champions into the fight—some as Sentinels, others as Ruined. The story played out across League of Legends, Wild Rift, cinematics, comics, and the Ruined King game. It also launched three big skin pillars:

• Sentinel (white-gold order look),

• Ruined (green-black corruption)

• Unbound Thresh (Thresh regaining a body)

Fans loved the scale and art, but criticized the event grind, the “Rookie” player stand-in, uneven tone, and mixed canon across mediums. Riot later posted a candid post-mortem promising faster story access, tighter scope, and better consistency.

All Sentinel of Lights & Ruined Skin Lines Explained

The Ruination event wasn’t just a story. It was also a massive skin release, split into three main themes: Sentinel, Ruined, and Unbound. Each carried a clear visual identity that matched the lore.

All Sentinels of Light Skins

The Sentinels’ designs leaned on a shared style: white and black cloth, gold accents, glowing relic-stone weapons, and geometric patterns. These skins aimed to show a unified order while still letting each champion keep their own flair.

• Sentinel Vayne – Outfitted with a relic crossbow and long cloak.
• Sentinel Diana – A disciplined warrior infused with relic power.
• Sentinel Irelia – Balances her Ionian grace with Sentinel relic energy.
• Sentinel Graves – Brings his grit and guns to the Sentinel cause.
• Sentinel Olaf – Channels relic power through raw berserker fury.
• Sentinel Riven – Wields a reforged blade empowered by relic stone.
• Sentinel Rengar – Hunts the corrupted with relic-forged ferocity.
• Sentinel Pyke – A grim Sentinel driven by vengeance and miststeel.

Gwen also acted as the in-lore tailor, explaining why every recruit ended up in the same Sentinel uniform after joining.

All Ruined Skins

The Ruined skins leaned hard into Viego’s corruption: glowing green mist, cracked armor, blackened stone, and eerie whispers. These skins were designed to show champions pulled into despair and bound to the Ruined King’s will.

• Ruined Draven – Still a showman, just more vicious.

• Ruined Karma – A tragic corruption of Ionia’s spiritual leader.

  

• Ruined Pantheon – The return of the Aspect of War in a corrupted body.

• Ruined Miss Fortune – Unique for choosing ruination willingly, unlike most.

  

• Ruined Shyvana – Fueled by her rage against Demacia, turning fully draconic.

Unbound Thresh

Thresh’s Unbound Thresh skin marked a major turning point in lore. After siphoning the excess Mist wasted by Viego, he regained a physical body, finally escaping the Shadow Isles. Unlike other skins, this wasn’t just an alternate fantasy—it directly continued his story.

Other Related Skins

• Prestige Ascended Pantheon – A “what if” moment, imagining Atreus seizing control of his body again.



• Sea Dog Yasuo – Released in the Ruined King game, showing him empowered by Buhru magic rather than corrupted.
• Ruined King Exclusives – Braum, Illaoi, Ahri, Pyke, and Yasuo got Ruined-style skins inside the spinoff RPG.

Together, these skins built a clear split: champions who joined the light, and champions who fell into ruin. For fans, it gave visual weight to each side of the war.

What Are the Sentinels of Light?

The Sentinels of Light are an ancient order founded on the Blessed Isles, long before the Black Mist consumed them. They began as guardians against raiders and threats, using weapons made from relic stones—rare materials that channel light through the wielder’s soul. Each Sentinel was sworn to protect Runeterra not just with force, but with the promise of standing as a beacon in dark times.

When the Isles fell to the Ruination, the order nearly disappeared. Jenda’kaya, the last Sentinel of that age, reshaped their mission. From that point on, the Sentinels became a scattered but determined force meant to push back the Harrowings and confront the Wraiths unleashed on the world. Their fight was no longer bound to a single region—it became global.

A relic weapon is the mark of a Sentinel. Each one is unique, crafted from relic stones that glow with pale light. Lucian’s twin pistols were first wielded by his father Urias, then passed down to him and Senna. Senna herself carries a relic cannon built from fragments of fallen Sentinels’ weapons, carrying their souls within it. This bond of soul and stone is what makes the Sentinels different from other fighters: their weapons are living extensions of themselves.

Their oath binds them together across generations. To be a Sentinel means swearing never to turn from darkness, but instead to shine against it—even when the light feels small.

The Ruination Story Arc at a Glance

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This following sections contain spoilers about the event.

The Ruination story is one of the biggest lore events Riot has ever built. At its center is Viego, the Ruined King. His obsession with reviving his wife Isolde drives him to tear fragments of her soul from across Runeterra, unleashing the Black Mist and Harrowings wherever he searches.

The Sentinels—led by Lucian and Senna—stand against him. They travel from region to region, recruiting unlikely allies while trying to stop Viego from gathering the fetters of Isolde’s soul. Along the way, champions are either pulled into the order as Sentinels or corrupted into Ruined versions of themselves.

The story isn’t just a single battle. It’s a journey across Runeterra:

• Demacia under siege by the Mist.

• Freljord, where Olaf is drawn into the fight.

• Noxus, with gladiator arenas turned into Mist-fueled battlefields.

• Ionia, where Karma falls to corruption.

• Targon, where Pantheon is broken and Ruined.

• Piltover and Zaun, where Graves becomes a Sentinel.

• Ixtal, with Rengar seeking glory against the Wraiths.

• Bilgewater, where Miss Fortune betrays the Sentinels.

• Shurima, where Akshan wields the Absolver.

• Shadow Isles and Camavor, where the final battle unfolds.

The climax comes in Absolution: Viego succeeds in reviving Isolde, but she rejects him for what he has become. With Akshan’s intervention, she sacrifices herself again, undoing Viego’s power. The Sentinels survive, but not without scars. And in the aftermath, Thresh reveals his own plan—using the chaos to free himself from the Shadow Isles entirely, taking on his Unbound form.

The arc ends with most temporary Sentinels returning to their own lives, while Lucian, Senna, Vayne, and Gwen prepare for the next shadow rising—Thresh’s newfound freedom.

Champions by Alignment During the Arc

One of the biggest draws of the Ruination event was seeing familiar champions take sides. Riot used both Sentinel and Ruined skins to show who joined the fight against Viego and who fell under his corruption.

Temporary Sentinels

Ruined Champions

Viego’s corruption spread widely, twisting several champions into shadows of themselves:

• Draven – Ruined in Noxus, still hungry for attention.

• Karma – Corrupted by guilt in Ionia.

• Pantheon – The Aspect of War revived and Ruined on Targon.

• Miss Fortune – Betrayed the Sentinels in Bilgewater to seize more power.

• Shyvana – Consumed by anger and transformed against Demacia.

Other Influential Characters

This split between Sentinel and Ruined not only gave fans new skins, but also reshaped how players saw these champions in lore. Some, like Miss Fortune and Karma, shocked the community with betrayals or corruption. Others, like Vayne and Riven, found redemption and purpose.

Cross-Game Content & Media Hub

The Ruination arc wasn’t confined to League PC. Riot pushed the story across multiple games and media, making it one of their biggest cross-game efforts to date. Each platform delivered a different slice of the narrative, though not always consistently.

Wild Rift

• Sentinels HQ – A mobile hub with its own version of the storyline.

• Steadfast Heart (comic series) – Six issues released in-app, showing Lucian, Senna, Viego, and other Sentinels in a more traditional comic format.

Cinematics

• Ruination – The kick-off cinematic where Viego returns and unleashes the Mist.

• Before Dawn – Spotlighting Vayne and Senna against the darkness.

• Absolution – The climax, with Isolde’s sacrifice and Viego’s downfall.

• A Night at the Inn – An epilogue short where Unbound Thresh begins his next chapter.

Standalone Game

Diverging Mediums

Because Riot spread the story so widely, details often shifted depending on the medium. For example, the Rookie (the player’s stand-in character in Rise of the Sentinels) had no presence in cinematics or Ruined King. This left some fans confused about what was “canon.” Riot later admitted this split hurt the overall consistency of the event.

Complete Timeline of Major Beats (Fan-Friendly)

Here’s a straightforward walk through the Ruination storyline, region by region. This order follows the Sentinels’ path in Rise of the Sentinels and ties in the major cinematics.

The Setup

• Thresh resurrects Viego – Using the Black Mist, Thresh revives the Ruined King.

• Senna and Lucian escape – Viego tries to take the fragment of Isolde’s soul inside Senna but fails. The Sentinels begin their journey to stop him.

Freljord

• The Sentinels meet Olaf, who seeks a glorious death in battle.

• He joins after fighting Vex, who spreads despair on behalf of Viego.

Ionia

• Irelia reluctantly aids the Sentinels.

• Karma is corrupted by her guilt and becomes one of the Ruined.

Targon

• The Sentinels climb Mount Targon with Diana as their guide.

• Atreus is consumed, reviving Ruined Pantheon.

• Diana becomes a Sentinel after defeating him.

Piltover & Zaun

• Piltover’s hextech barriers fail against the Mist.

• The Sentinels clash with Graves, who tries to steal a relic.

• Despite tension, he joins the order.

Ixtal

• The Sentinels encounter Rengar, who dreams of hunting the Mist.

• After nearly failing, he joins the fight with renewed resolve.

• Thresh manipulates Lucian here, sowing seeds for later betrayal.

Bilgewater

• The team seeks help from Miss Fortune, who pretends to side with them.

• She betrays them, willingly accepting Ruination for more power.

• Pyke is pulled into the fight, mostly to pursue his own vendettas.

The Shadow Isles & Camavor (Finale)

• The Sentinels rally for one last stand. Yorick aids them with the Waters of Life.

• Viego assembles Isolde’s soul and revives her.

• She rejects him, horrified at what he has become.

• Following her plea, Akshan kills Isolde with the Absolver, which undoes Viego’s victory and revives Senna, Gwen, and others.

• The Sentinels defeat Viego.

  Aftermath

Locations & Infrastructure of the Order

The Sentinels of Light weren’t just a band of wandering heroes. They had strongholds, tools, and sacred places that shaped how they fought the Black Mist. These bases gave them reach across Runeterra and tied the order together.

Sentinel Headquarters

• The main base of the order, hidden on a remote island far from Demacia.

• When Lucian and Senna returned there, they found it nearly empty—only one rookie survivor remained after a Mist attack.

• Inside stood the Map Room, where the Worldstone allowed Sentinels to track the spread of the Black Mist and plan their missions.

• The Sanctum of Lost Light stored relic weapons of fallen Sentinels. Senna often visited here to reflect on mortality and duty.

Outposts Across Runeterra

After the fall of Helia, the Sentinels scattered and built smaller outposts in key regions. These worked as both refuges and forward bases. Known locations included:

• Bilgewater

• Demacia

• Ionia

• Holdrum & Holnek (lesser-known settlements)

• Serpentine Delta

• Shadow Isles perimeter bases

Each base held caches of relic-stone weapons and stone tablets that allowed communication with other outposts.

Relic Tools

• Relic Weapons – Each Sentinel’s weapon is forged from relic stone, infused with light when a soul channels it. Every one is unique: pistols, swords, crossbows, scythes, cannons.

• Worldstone – A massive enchanted map at HQ that could track the Mist across the world.

• Wayfinder – A teleportation device, letting Sentinels travel quickly between bases.

These tools weren’t just symbols—they were the order’s lifeline in the global war against Viego.

Culture, Oath, and Code

The Sentinels weren’t only fighters. They were bound together by a culture of duty, ritual, and symbols that reminded them of their purpose.

The Oath

Every recruit had to swear the Sentinel’s Oath before they were accepted. It was more than ceremony—it was a promise to fight the darkness, protect one another, and never run from the Mist.

The Code

The Sentinels also lived under a code that covered both conduct and appearance. It required discipline, respect for relic weapons, and unity in how they presented themselves. Not everyone followed it—Akshan was famous for ignoring rules about gear and dress, which set him apart from the rest.

Symbols and Traditions

• Clothing – Standard uniforms were black and white with gold trim, marked with the Sentinel crest. Gwen acted as the tailor for the newer generation, outfitting every recruit.

• Tapestries – When a Sentinel died, a magical tapestry was woven showing their last stand. Senna had one, as did Lenasha, a fallen Sentinel who inspired Senna to join.

• Relic Stones – More than just materials for weapons, they were sacred. Ancient and glowing, they were said to predate humanity itself.

This culture made the order more than soldiers—it gave them identity and continuity, even across centuries of loss.

The Big Controversies (What Went Wrong)

Not everyone sees the Sentinels of Light as a proud chapter of League lore. In fact, many fans consider it Riot’s weakest storytelling effort to date. The backlash was so strong that entire threads—like this Reddit post—argue that the event should be retconned out of canon.

Community Criticisms

Here are the key points raised by players and lore fans:

• Marketing Over Storytelling:

  The roster of champions chosen for the event felt more like a marketing stunt to sell skins than a logical lore decision. Characters with little or no ties to the Black Mist (Ahri, Yasuo, Olaf, Rengar) were pushed into the spotlight, while true lore-connected figures like Yorick, Elise, Karthus, or Maokai were sidelined.

• Mischaracterization:

  Many champions behaved in ways that clashed with their established personalities. Pyke—a ghost obsessed only with revenge—suddenly joined a heroic order. Rengar, a primal hunter, had no reason to care about cosmic justice. Pantheon and Diana, Aspects with godlike scope, were awkwardly written into being manipulated by Viego.

• Weak Writing & Dialogue:

  Dialogue was often mocked as “cringe.” Lucian and Senna, who should embody Sentinel legacy, came off as strangely dismissive and shallow. A rookie Sentinel NPC with clumsy lines felt like an insult to lore fans.

• The Deus Ex Akshan Problem:

  Akshan’s resurrection gun was seen as a plot-breaking convenience. Instead of using established lore or clever twists, Riot introduced a “magic fix-it pistol” to undo deaths. One fan summarized it as: “Motherfucker carries a gun that simply resurrects people. Lamest idea in the whole universe.”

• Missed Potential:

  Fans expected the Ruination to be a world-shaking event, with every region responding in some way. Instead, the scope felt narrow, the battles small, and the stakes cheapened. Many asked: Where were the Kinkou? The Darkin? The Celestials?

• Tone & Execution:

  The event leaned on meme-ish humor (Akshan’s lines, Vex’s “teen goth” vibe) in the middle of what was supposed to be Runeterra’s darkest hour. The tonal whiplash broke immersion for many players.

Selected Fan Reactions

From the same Reddit thread and replies:

• “Lucian and Senna seemed to not know anything at all about their own order, and both treated the player like absolute shit.”

• “They chose the entirely wrong champions to take part. So much potential was wasted.”

• “Akshan felt like Arabian Waluigi with a fix-it gun. That’s not storytelling, that’s fanfiction.”

• “It was Marvel-movie writing: gathering random champs like an Avengers roster, instead of respecting Runeterra’s conflicts.”

• “Yorick should’ve been the protagonist—he was there at the Ruination, he’s Viego’s true nemesis.”

Riot’s Own Acknowledgment

Though Riot has never officially removed the event from canon, their later approach to lore seems to soft-ignore the Sentinels arc. With Anthony Reynolds’ novel Ruination (2022), Riot leaned back into grounded storytelling around Kalista, Hecarim, and Camavor, which fans generally received as a return to form.

At some point even Reav3 one of the more senior Redditors commented about this being “semi-cannon”:

You can read more in a detailed post by Rioters about the controversies of Sentinels of Light titled - “Looking back on Sentinels”.

Aftermath & Legacy

Even with all the controversy, the Sentinels of Light event still left echoes in League’s lore—though Riot seems careful about how much of it they reference. Here’s where things stood after the campaign ended:

Fate of the Order

• Lucian and Senna survived, but the order was left shattered. Their headquarters had already been decimated by a Mist attack, and most of the relic weapons were either lost or scattered. What remains of the Sentinels is no longer a functioning global network, but just fragments.

• Many “recruited champions” (Braum, Olaf, Rengar, etc.) quietly returned to their own lives. Riot has not shown any sign that they consider those alliances permanent in lore.

Surviving Sentinels

• Lucian continues his hunt against wraiths, still wielding his father’s twin pistols. His arc is personal, less about leading a grand order, more about protecting Senna and carrying on Urias’s legacy.

• Senna struggles with the curse of the Mist inside her. Her relic cannon contains fragments of souls—both a strength and a burden. She remains a half-living bridge between the living and the dead.

• Akshan is still considered canon, but his role is reframed as a “rogue Sentinel.” His resurrection weapon has not been used again in major storytelling, suggesting Riot is downplaying its existence.

Broader Lore Direction

• The Ruined King: A League of Legends Story is widely treated as more reliable lore than the Sentinels event. Characters like Illaoi, Miss Fortune, and Pyke had grounded reasons to oppose Viego in Bilgewater, unlike the awkward “global Sentinel army” premise.

• Ruination (2022 novel) replaced the event as the centerpiece of Shadow Isles storytelling. Instead of a Marvel-style crossover, it focused on Kalista, Hecarim, Viego, and Isolde—returning to tragedy and personal betrayal as the core themes.

Is Sentinels of Light Canon?

• For many, the Sentinels event is remembered less as a chapter in lore and more as a marketing spectacle that left a sour taste.

• Some players jokingly treat the Sentinels skins as “non-canon skin line” material rather than true lore.

• Riot themselves appear to treat the event as background noise: not officially erased, but never highlighted in current storytelling.

In short, the Sentinels of Light order exists—but in a broken, reduced state. Lucian and Senna remain its torchbearers, but the grand, worldwide coalition is gone.

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

The Sentinels of Light were meant to be Runeterra’s answer to the darkness of the Shadow Isles—an ancient order sworn to keep the Black Mist at bay. At their best, they were defined by their relic weapons, their oath, and the courage to face death itself. Champions like Lucian, Senna, and even Akshan embody that fight in different ways.

But the 2021 event that carried their name didn’t live up to the promise. Instead of honoring the order’s deep lore, Riot presented a crossover that felt rushed, inconsistent, and designed more for skin sales than storytelling. As fans pointed out in this detailed Reddit thread, the event misused champions, relied on weak writing, and introduced plot-breaking tools like Akshan’s resurrection gun.

Since then, Riot has quietly shifted focus:

• Ruined King gave us a stronger, more focused narrative about Bilgewater’s role against the Mist.

• Ruination (the novel) returned to the roots of the Shadow Isles’ tragedy with Kalista, Hecarim, and Viego.

Today, the Sentinels exist in lore, but as a fractured order. Their true legacy lies in Lucian and Senna’s ongoing fight—not in the messy “Avengers-style” recruitment drive of 2021.

Final Takeaway

The Sentinels of Light show how good ideas can be undermined by poor execution. At their core, they are still a meaningful part of Runeterra’s history. But the event that carried their name is remembered more as a marketing misstep than a storytelling triumph.

Whether Riot chooses to quietly bury that chapter or someday revisit the Sentinels with better writing remains to be seen. For now, they stand as both a symbol of courage in lore and a cautionary tale in game storytelling.