When League of Legends released over a decade ago, everything was a lot simpler. There were only a select amount of items, no massive map changes to worry about, and over 100 champions still to come.
Throughout its first year, Riot Games introduced 42 champions, from hulking front-line tanks, fast-firing AD carries, sneaky assassins, powerful mid lane mages, and more. There were clear roles, a much more basic meta, and a ton of fun as players explored the game for the first time.
Turning back the clock, here are all of the League champions that were released in 2009.
Every 2009 champion release in League of Legends
On release, Riot introduced 17 opening champions to help players test the waters with League, its new map, and its varying mechanics. Eventually, the developers dropped 25 more champs to the pool, including some of the most iconic picks across both ranked solo queue and the global professional scene.
| Champion | Release date (2009) |
| Alistar | Feb. 21 |
| Annie | Feb. 21 |
| Ashe | Feb. 21 |
| Fiddlesticks | Feb. 21 |
| Jax | Feb. 21 |
| Kayle | Feb. 21 |
| Master Yi | Feb. 21 |
| Morgana | Feb. 21 |
| Nunu and Willump | Feb. 21 |
| Ryze | Feb. 21 |
| Sion | Feb. 21 |
| Sivir | Feb. 21 |
| Soraka | Feb. 21 |
| Teemo | Feb. 21 |
| Tristana | Feb. 21 |
| Twisted Fate | Feb. 21 |
| Warwick | Feb. 21 |
| Singed | April 18 |
| Zilean | April 18 |
| Evelynn | May 1 |
| Tryndamere | May 1 |
| Twitch | May 1 |
| Karthus | June 12 |
| Amumu | June 26 |
| Cho’Gath | June 26 |
| Anivia | July 10 |
| Rammus | July 10 |
| Veigar | July 24 |
| Kassadin | Aug. 7 |
| Gangplank | Aug. 19 |
| Taric | Aug. 19 |
| Blitzcrank | Sept. 2 |
| Dr. Mundo | Sept. 2 |
| Janna | Sept. 2 |
| Malphite | Sept. 2 |
| Corki | Sept. 19 |
| Katarina | Sept. 19 |
| Nasus | Oct. 1 |
| Heimerdinger | Oct. 10 |
| Shaco | Oct. 10 |
| Udyr | Dec. 2 |
| Nidalee | Dec. 17 |
Although they are classic picks from League’s first year, many of these champions have remained key pieces for team compositions through the last decade. Picks like Gangplank, Twisted Fate, and Ryze continue to affect the competitive meta at the highest levels, while other champions like Blitzcrank and Malphite are two of the best champions for beginner players who need to learn the game.
Most of the champions from 2009 have also undergone major visual and gameplay reworks over the game’s history, especially with how modernized the newer champions look and feel in terms of gameplay. As a result, these champions have needed a bit of a refresher to keep up with the new age of League, or else they’ll risk being left behind by the meta and the player base.
