League of Legends Warriors music video’s lyrics, lore explained

“Warriors” is the new anthem for League of Legends’ 2020 season. 

The cinematic music video was released on January 10, with portions of the short featuring Lux and Garen defending a fortress against an army led by Sylas. Despite being outnumbered, Lux summons Galio and uses her magic to hold off the enemy, winning the trust of the Demacian forces. 

This is actually the possible conclusion of an ongoing League of Legends storyline that was first introduced in the Lux comic series. In this comic, Lux frees Sylas from prison after he used magic to kill several Demacians. Upon his escape, Sylas starts a mage rebellion, murdering King Jarven III. Meanwhile, Lux leaves the Demacians to find sanctuary. 

The story continues in the short stories “Flesh and Stone” and “The Shackles of Belief,” where Sylas continues his attack on the Demacians that imprisoned him. The cinematic short, “Warriors” concludes with the outcome of Sylas’ attack. 

“Warriors” brings new song to LoL fans

Featuring vocals from 2WEI and Edda Hayes, the cinematic short is accompanied by a haunting song. This adds to the intensity of the video, thanks to the orchestra’s build up and the eerie lyrics. Though this isn’t flaunted during the video, the song is actually a cover of the 2014 Imagine Dragons song of the same name that was used as the theme for the 2014 League of Legends World Championship.

The game developer more than likely adapted this song because they felt the lyrics deeply relate to the lore behind Lux and Sylas in some way and help tell their stories. 

“As a child you would wait /

And watch from far away. 

But you always knew you’d be the one /

That works while they all play.

In youth, you’d lay /

Awake at night and scheme /

Of all the things you would change /

But it was just a dream.” 

This opening verse could be aimed at either Lux or Sylas, since both had magical powers within a kingdom where magic was not allowed. In the comics, Lux hid her powers well enough to infiltrate the Mageseeker Compound where she secretly searches for the truth behind her magic.

While in the compound, Lux discovers the infamous mage criminal Sylas, who is plotting a revolution in Demacia as revenge for his imprisonment. When he was younger, this could have been “just a dream” to him, something he hoped to fulfill when he was older. 

“Here we are, don’t turn away now /

We’re the warriors that built this town.”

This part of the song is accompanied by some ominous marching in the background. This is most likely a reference to the army of Demacia, led by Lux’s brother Garen. This is a kingdom ruled by order and they don’t want mages to disrupt what they’ve created. 

In the end, Lux realizes she is more loyal to her brother and her city than Sylas and his dream of revenge. She uses her magic to help Garen’s army hold back the incoming attack from Sylas, proving that magic might be the key to maintaining order in Demacia after all.