The Watchers - Ancient Void Beings of League of Legends

The Watchers are ancient, powerful beings from the Void. Known as the Frozen Watchers or the Pierce-Eyes, they stand above all Voidborn as their masters and creators. Their arrival in Runeterra shaped the history of the Freljord, leading to the creation of the Iceborn and a conflict that ended with their imprisonment beneath the Howling Abyss.

Read further to learn about their origins, history, abilities, and lasting influence on Runeterra’s lore.

Origins

The Watchers came from the Void, a place of absolute nothingness in League of Legends. They had no physical form and were unaware of their own sentience until some of them entered Runeterra.

When they discovered the material universe, they were disturbed by its existence. They sought to understand and ultimately destroy it, seeing reality as an intolerable intrusion into the Void’s silence. This mission drove their first contact with mortals.

Arrival in the Freljord

Upon entering Runeterra, the Watchers took interest in the Freljord. They transformed some of its inhabitants into the Iceborn, granting them magical power and longevity in exchange for loyalty.

The Iceborn served as soldiers and builders, expanding their reach and creating a powerful civilization under their rule.

The Three Sisters and Betrayal

Not all Iceborn accepted the Watchers’ dominance. Avarosa and Serylda, two of the legendary Three Sisters, believed the Iceborn were enslaved. They led a rebellion against their masters.

Lissandra, the third sister, initially allied with the Watchers to bring about the end of life. However, during the breach into Runeterra, she saw their true nature. As the beings experienced time, heat, and pain for the first time, Lissandra acted. She sacrificed armies of Iceborn, including her sisters, to trap the Watchers beneath a glacial prison of True Ice.

Imprisonment Beneath the Howling Abyss

The Howling Abyss was built to contain the Watchers. Many believed the beings were dead, but they remained alive in a magical stasis. To hide her role in their arrival, Lissandra rewrote Freljord’s history, turning the Watchers into myths.

Their prison is held by nine runic seals, which slowly weaken over time. This fuels the fear that one day they will break free.

Creation of the Voidborn

After their defeat, the Watchers adapted. They shaped crude matter into sentient constructs—prototypes of the modern Voidborn. These creatures became their agents, sent into Runeterra to gather knowledge and prepare for a possible return.

Vel’Koz, one of these prototypes, survives as the oldest active Voidborn. His mission is to collect information for his creators.

Physiology and Powers

In the Void, the Watchers are formless. When they manifest in the material realm, their shapes reflect their surroundings. Legends describe them growing horns, fur patches, and colossal tentacles that formed into humanoid arms.

While bound to physical form, they can be harmed and contained, as with their imprisonment in True Ice. They are known as dream-eaters, and their visions consist of pure nothingness.

Related Champions

Several champions have direct or indirect connections to the Watchers:

• Lissandra – Once an ally, later their jailer.

• Vel’Koz – A prototype Voidborn created to gather knowledge.

• Bel’Veth – Created from an entire devoured city, she understands the Watchers but rejects their goal of destruction, choosing instead to remake creation.

Influence on Freljord and Beyond

The Watchers’ influence reaches far beyond the Freljord. They reshaped its people, altered its history, and left behind structures like the Howling Abyss and the towering statues that guard it.

Legends say their constellation marks the end of the autumn harvest and the start of winter, a reminder of their lasting presence in Runeterra.

Trivia

• The Watchers’ visual appearance in Legends of Runeterra marks their first official depiction.

• Statues on the Howling Abyss bridge resemble ancient monsters possibly tied to the Watchers.

• Gnar once fought a creature resembling them in ancient times.

• Riot developers have hinted that the Watchers could return during Braum’s lifetime.

Lasting Threat

The Watchers remain imprisoned, but their influence endures through the Voidborn and the fading seals of their prison. The Freljord’s rewritten history hides the truth, but those who know fear what will happen if these ancient beings ever walk Runeterra again.

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